Computer Science Canada RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
| Author: | michaelp [ Fri May 28, 2010 5:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Well, we got the final project assignment for our computer science class.(Grade 10) We have around 2 and half weeks to do the project. I was thinking of a couple of different ideas, one of them being a RTS Age of Empires type game. Would it be reasonable to get an at least somewhat functional game going in the alloted time? If you guys don't think this is reasonable, my teacher suggested I try a soccer game. I would also try a type of shooter. Either a side scroller or a top down thing. (Something like asteroids I think) BTW, the programming language we are using is Visual Basic 6. |
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| Author: | Insectoid [ Fri May 28, 2010 5:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
RTS's have been done, however they takes a long time and are very difficult to pull off well. Somewhere on the site there's a 'battle of helm's deep' RTS you could look at. I suggest doing something not quite as involving (platformer or 2d shooter) that you can get working quickly and then spend all your time making it flashy (teachers are impressed by flashy things, and mark things that impress them better). |
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| Author: | TerranceN [ Fri May 28, 2010 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Two and a half weeks (just school time) is far too short to make an RTS (you would be lucky to get multiple units at all). Like Insectoid, I recommend one of your other options (I would choose a vector graphics only top down shooter, like my geometry wars clone). Compound this with the fact that VB6 has no true OOP, and you can't add controls at runtime (AFAIK), coding an RTS would be a nightmare. |
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| Author: | Euphoracle [ Fri May 28, 2010 8:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Assuming you put a lot of effort into it, it's definitely possible to complete it in 2 weeks. The problem is (A) time and (B) skill. If you lack either of these, you'll be really stressed and the final product will probably end up being shit. |
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| Author: | michaelp [ Sat May 29, 2010 8:39 am ] | ||
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? | ||
I think I'll ask my teacher about it and see what he thinks. We are supposed to submit a project proposal on Monday. I'll make one for the RTS, a soccer game(something my teacher suggested I try), and a shooter. See what he thinks about those. Also, do you guys know of a good flash game example of a top down shooter and a platform shooter? And TerranceN: You can add controls at runtime, you just have one on the screen in the first place. For example, if you have an command button named cmdUnit with an Index of 1, you could put this in your code:
If you did not have cmdUnit on your form to begin with, you couldn't do that. |
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| Author: | Insectoid [ Sat May 29, 2010 11:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Endless War 3 is a fantastic top-down flash game (it's an addictinggames link, but w/e). Everyone and his mom has a platform shooter lying around that you could look at. |
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| Author: | michaelp [ Sat May 29, 2010 3:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
When I said shooter, I was thinking of something more like a space shooter, such as Geometry Wars. A platform type space shooter would also be something else I was thinking of. Would a Geometry Wars clone be a good space shooter to make? Although that game was interesting as well. |
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| Author: | Bored [ Sun May 30, 2010 11:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Trust me from experience, RTS is one of the hardest genres to get into a playable state. If you think you're up for the challenge go for it, but otherwise I'd go with something much simpler as there's so many aspects that need to be in place before you could hand in an RTS as a passable "game". You need some semi-intellegent AI, you need the user interface and controls which are much more difficult then something like a side scroller, you need a movable camera preferably with zoom, you need the ability to construct units and collect resources, you need units to be destroyed, and most difficult you need either networking or an enemy opponent(extremely hard to do well), neither of which will be a task I'd want to hash out in two weeks. I'm not saying don't try to make an RTS, just saying it's probably not the best idea for a two and a half week project. My RTS for my second year game design course wasn't even a workable game until a couple weeks before it was do. Also top down shooters are some of the easiest things to hash out in a short time. Mostly because the base aspects of it are extremely simple and there are so many things you can cheat, fudge, or leave out and still have a great game. Literally all you need to have a geom/space wars clone is randomly spawning objects, a movable character and projectiles. Then theres tonnes of places you can go from there adding as many things as you have time for. For short time frame projects always go for something with a simple base mechanic that is extremely expandable. That's why I'd recommend a top down shooter. |
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| Author: | michaelp [ Sun May 30, 2010 2:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:RTS - reasonable final project idea? |
Yeah, I think you're right. The more I starting looking at aspects of an RTS, the more complicated it got. For example, I tried to lay out some terrain(really just the same picture throughout the whole map, but it would be fairly easily changed to different pictures), but the screwed up the scrolling because whenever I put the mouse cursor(what was used for the simple map scrolling I made) at the edge of the screen, it registered as a imgTerrain_MouseMove event instead of a Form_MouseMove event, which made things difficult. Anyways, I think I'll do a Geometry Wars clone, assuming my teacher is fine with it.(I don't know why he wouldn't be though) |
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