Re: [pygame] The Giant - 'cool project I'm working on now' - thread.

[kschnee <kschnee@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 8 Aug 2008 14:47:17 +1000, "René Dudfield" <renesd@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> What cool project are you working on now?
> 
> Doesn't necessarily have to do with pygame, or python.


I've been focused on editing my first novel, a hard SF story involving
near-future ocean colonization and robotics, and am close to having it be
about as good as I can make it. Last night I realized that about 80% of my
uses of the word "just" should be cut.

In Pygame news, I'm stumped on my attempt to build a trading-themed game. I
did a lot of work on an "innovative" barter mechanism (see eg.
<http://kschnee.xepher.net/pics/080710trade.jpg>) while improving my
homemade tools for things like a UI, only to realize that it wasn't fun
enough. Then I finally played "Fallout" and saw that its barter mechanism
was a lot like mine! Meanwhile I learned to use the A* pathfinding system
(<http://kschnee.xepher.net/pics/080720a_star.jpg>), so that's an addition
to my bag of tricks. No more need for all my game worlds to be big open
spaces! 8)

So, I'm thinking more about game design and trying to understand what makes
a game fun, while plotting what to work on next. AI again? A fairly
conventional trading game that doesn't try to invent a different core
mechanic? I'm sick of conventional RPG mechanics like those in "Final
Fantasy" and would like to develop something new while still having a
strong story.