Re: Kids Game Builder version 0.0.1

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

Jeffery Douglas Waddell wrote:

> Ok, we need to create a document/content format for our application so
> that it will be easy to use for both the content creators and Us.
>
> I'm thinking that we want a simple database backend, perhaps mysql the gpl
> version.  Then that means we need to define the schema for the database.
> I think we will need a minimum of the following:

>
> Ok, now that the content ideas are thrown out on the table, we need to
> think about the application to Build Kids Games.
>
> Some of my ideas on this have to do with layout, basically most games I've
> seen just put a control panel on the bottom of the screen and a fixed
> picture on the main part of the screen with hotspots.  The hotspots take
> you to different games which can then be played.
>
> First we define a control panel, can we reuse the panel from gnome in a
> very cut down on configured form?
>
> I'm feel that it is very important that the games be capable of full
> multimedia, while still being capable of plain text, or in the case of the
> blind, plain sound.  This widens the audience considerably ;)
>

Should we be trying to create the "engine" for all these games from scratch?
I know there are a few GPL programs out there that are designed for the
creation of graphical adventure games.  We ought to investigate those and see
if any are close enough to what we're looking for to give us a substantial
head start if we modify them rather than duplicating work that's already been
done.

I'm not much of a computer gamer myself; I come more from the network
infrastructure end of the computer world.  Here's another possible "engine"
to look into:

<http://aig.cs.man.ac.uk/systems/Maverik/>

It's a virtual reality system from the University of Manchester in England.
I haven't worked with it myself, but it looks as though it might have some
useful features.


--
Doug Loss            Always acknowledge a fault.  This will throw
dloss@csrlink.net    those in authority off their guard and give
(570) 326-3987       you the opportunity to commit more.
                        Mark Twain



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