Re: Kids Game Builder version 0.0.1

[Jeffery Douglas Waddell <jeff@smluc.org>]

On Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Doug Loss wrote:

> 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?

Of course not!  There are many libraries we can take advantage of.  Some I
would like to check out soon include Crystal Space (I think this may be
too high end), the golgotha engine (probably too shootem up centered),
gtk/gdk/gnome (i think this is a very good possibility, although I have no
direct programming experience in it), ncurses, etc. etc.  If you know if 
a library or application that could be modified to our purposes please let
us know here, and as soon as I have it working on the website the put the 
information into the FAQ-O-MATIC.

> I know there are a few GPL programs out there that are designed for the
> creation of graphical adventure games.

I'm sure that muds, nethack, rogue, moria, adventure, etc. all have
elements we can use to our advantage, if we simply evaluate them for what
we are looking for.

>  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.
> 

Absolutely.  Would you like to cooridinate the code hunting party ;)

> 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.
> 

Definately another one to look at ;)

Thanks Doug,

Sincerely,

Jeff Waddell
jeff@smluc.org