Hive Community built game Idea

[rover2341]

About
Hive Community built game. With the goal of a simple to moderate size game, built by lots of different people at the hive. The design of the game would need to be built in such a way that people would be able to do one small part of it, that would hook in by a middle person.

How It could work
Game Concept
Have a Contest for a simple to moderate game idea. And allow people to come up with ideas, and let the people at the hive vote on it.

Game Details
Then Have a thread with who ever game up the idea, gather feed back for 2 weeks on furthering the detail of the game.

Game Outline (Master Plan)
Then either a admin or someone with a high level of mapping experience will take the lead in mapping all the components that need to be done. Most Components. should take the avg mapper 15 min to 60 min to complete.

He will then lay out a map of all the task to be done, broken down into many sub functions, (that perhaps he could do in hes sleep) but that are very clear on what they need to do.

He will write in a text file, or on a forum. What the functions take, and what they will do or return.

Building Components
Then in a testing area, someone else or the high level mapper, will test each thing that people have submitted. These will can be submitted via a map file, that does the task, and the code used.

People on the hive will only be allowed to do 1 or 2 task a week. (This way i think more people will get involved, and people of some skill don't all jump on the easy task)

Any resources that are going to be required for the game would be put in this area as well.

Putin Components Together
The High level mapper will start to put the components in place as they are completed. but he him self would not do the code, only the outline of shell of the game.

Finalizing game and testing
- After the map is finished, there can be a 2 week testing period, before releasing.



The Major Goal of the project
To make a com-minty built game, with varying amounts of skills, with everyone puting in a small amount of time. (expect maybe the lead maper)

Its not to have super effeicent perfect functions, or super great game. Its too allow and help get people involved and to learn, with what they can do, i feel the project could be ruined if people are to strict on how well things perform and if they shun people who are in a learning phase, or even brand new.

I think if this were done 2 or three times a year, people like my self who don't want to put in a huge amount of time to make a map, can still feel involved in the commitny here, and still stay a little be fresh.

I also think it would be really cool if someone made a video about the project and every few weeks, showing how its coming along, and to help inspire people to work on projects of there own or to join the comminty project.

 

[Pharaoh_]

I was also thinking of something like this. In fact, I was aiming for a multi-sectional event, with the goal being the accomplishment of a project. The project would then bear the name of THW and probably be suggested on Blizzard forums. These projects would come off as the work of our community members. It's in fact touching :')

 

[Asomath]

Something similar to this also came to mind... but the sheer logistics of it. It’s the Legendary fight 3x's over

~Asomath

 

[rover2341]

ya someone with some very strong mapping skills and management skills would have to run it. or it just would be a mess. But cool to see people have some interest in the idea.

Simple
The first project could be kept very small like the size of a single mini game. that way the complexity would be kept down.

Support
Perhaps even a few people who could easily make the game, be there as support. for people who are having a hard time doing there task. And there job to help them figure it out with out telling them how to do it line for line.

 

[Asomath]

Well, you can use competitions to generate resources to some extent, with contests keeping a constant thematic thread for models icons skins and spells. Paraoh_ of course is our man for that phase. But then you need a well-established map-maker/project leader to take over from there.

~Asomath

 

[Kingz]

Wasn't THW battlefield something like this?

 

[Dr Super Good]

Is this a WarCraft III/StarCraft II map or is it a separate game? The orignal post was not very clear as it was refering to developing games using mappers.

 

[rover2341]

Yes, i would think that would be the goal. I would prefer starcraft 2.

 

[Dr Super Good]

You would need a good project manager who is capable of defining good interfaces and writing very good requirements specifications.

 

[rover2341]

Planning
I agree, I had to write 5-20 page docs with all sudo code for my last C# class. it was a pain but i learned alot about planing. Classes in the past just wanted a page or two.

I did 5 test cases for every function, all variables listed, written paragraphs for all major components. Functions Kept clear in what they were doing and most were kept small. The rule in the class was to avoid having functions with more then 20 lines of code, and if it had to brake it down, unless it was a crital function that was going to run alot of times.

So It was extremely clear what had to be done. and if it was working (or past all 5 test cases). I could have easily given the sheet to someone, and they could have harmed it out an most c based languages in a small amount of time.
I think i could have took that planning doc and easily coded with Triggers as well.

I am sure there are people on the site here better at planning docs then I am though.

Experience
But I don't think i personally have enough star-craft 2 coding experience.

Group Management
I have very little group management experience as well.

Simple simple Simple
If the game is kept very simple. and not very complex i think this can be done, with out to much of a headache.

So Who would be the project manger

• Starcraft 2 Coding Experience (with triggers as well)
• Capable of defining good interfaces
• Capable of writing very good requirements specifications
• Wants to do this, and has time.
• Is able to represent the spirit of the hive workshop.

So How do we move forward?

• Find Project Manger
• Gather Interest in the project
• Post the project idea contest.

So How do Find a Project Manger that is suited and we can all agree on?

Perhaps instead of in idea contest, people could submit there planned documents of the game, so we can all look at them and decided whos game idea looks the best, most planed out and cable of being executed.

 

[Asomath]

Well, if there is a dedication to go into Starcraft II, then DSG's advice on the subject will be invaluable. It'll be significantly more difficult, and I see organizing SC2 contests as a headache for Pharaoh. But the Project Idea contest is simple enough, a significantly altered writing competition.

~Asomath

 

[rover2341]

Or...we could have the game be a mini game project

Mini Game Idea
The game would be a mini game project.
The Project Manger, were to create the base of the game, and then people would submit mini games, to the project.
It would allow for more creativity and require less focused control on what every person is doing.
People could build a mini game by them self's or in teams. This could be organized by someone, to help keep the project moving along.

Requirements

• 2-8 Players
• Max Time of mini game 4 Min. (Suggested 3 min)
• Each player is award between 1 and 8 points, depending on how they placed.
• Games can have teams, and if there is a uneven amount of players a way to deal with it
• (AI, Optional)
• Ect

Feed Back Process
At least 1 week in the review process that people can test your game, and give feed back

Review Process
It needs to be reviewed to make sure it fits specs, and is acceptable.
If it fails, it needs to be clear to them why, and they can resubmit after 1-2 weeks.

Model Request Area (for the project)
After the mini game has been past the review process, then you can make small to moderate request for the molders on this project.
But the idea is not to waste there time unless the mini game is ready to be in the project and past review.

 

[Deleted member 177737]

Heh... I remember way back in my AoE2 modding days they did something like this, is was a yearly event until the community died out.

http://aok.heavengames.com/blacksmith/showfile.php?fileid=8242

Take a look at the above link, it's the best I could find since the forum post was probably deleted ages ago.

 

[Ironside]

Wasn't THW battlefield something like this?

What even happened to it?

 

[Kingz]

A lot of people didn't come through and xarwin shut down the project afaik.

 

[rover2341]

I think when i posted this thread, i was thinking to big.

It would need to be a simple project that could be made by 1 pro mapper in a day or 2. but made to help the mainstream mappers (or avg) mappers learn and build a basic project. I dont think worrying about this happening more then once is a big deal like a yearly thing.

Even a one time deal would be fine. A project as simple as maybe a game i made in war3, at the time it took me months, but now i could redo it 8-10 hours. at least 95% of the coding.
(It doesn't have to be a game i made, i just mean one that someone already knows like the back of there hand)


Big = Fail.
Small = Pass

that's just my thoughts on it.

 

[Chaosy]

This is indeed a good idea but if alot of people should work on one project it must be something big else you put in one trigger per person

 

[Jazztastic]

Having led numerous big projects in a workplace enviroment, I can tell you that there's a lot of overhead and planning that needs to be done. The project can be broken even before any of the work begins from bad structuring.

First off you need a strong leader. A strong leader has to be firm, put solid deadlines, and shouldn't be afraid to drop the boot. I've had to axe a friend from a team before. It isn't fun, but it's something a leader has to do or the project will fail.

Second all major decision have to be made before the work begins. You can't have ideas change or you can't try to throw in new features or anything. You decide what you want, the product that you're making, and you don't stray from the goal. A few years ago I was doing a side project with some friends in the UDK. We switched from doing an FPS to RTS to platformer. It was a disaster, and a waste of time.

Third, the project has to be realistic. No one will want to group up to make a tiny minigame. No one will want to group with 50 people to make an ORPG, it will take a year or more. It has to be do-able within a time span of 3-9 months. Plus the genre of the game should go with popular opinion, you don't want people making a game they wouldn't want to play.

Fourth, the leader has to be a peoples person and have decent relations with everyone. It should be pretty obvious why that would be a benefit. They also have to be able to show progress and keep morale up. When people lose interest, the project will tank. The leader's job wouldn't just be managing all the work and combining it all, they are basically a PR and HR departments combined.

Fifth, the project would need a subforum. A single map dev thread simply wouldn't cut it. A multidisciplinary project like this would be an communication nightmare. Imagine 50 people trying to post all their different resources onto a single thread. There would have to be a thread for the coding side, a thread for models, thread for skins, thread for OE work, etc.

Sixth, the leader would actually have to do careful recruitment. Obviously not everyone would be fit to work on the project. For example, if the leader decides it would be done in JNGP, that immediately downsizes the pool of people applicable to work on the project. The leader would also have to pick people who are reliable and follow deadlines.

Seventh, the leader should appoint section heads to respectively organize and handle their sections. While the leader should be familiar with mapping, there's a large chance they won't be proficient in everything. Plus section heads will collect completed resources within their sections so the leader won't have to shift through 15 pages of trials and errors to find the final product. In working with the section heads the leader would say "Hey ______ I need this spell and this spell and this spell." and the section head would then dictate to the people in his section "Hey jazz you make this spell since you just finished your last one".

Eighth, there's a certain order in which the project needs to be done. It's very important to get the alpha map out as soon as possible. Let's say for example there's a fishing system. Once it's ironed out, and everyone finds out how it works, they can pass the idea to the modeling section and say "Hey, we need a fishing animation for these models". Once the alpha is out, it also gives the game designers the ability to change and refine elements. I know I said earlier to pick something and stick with it, and I mean that. What I mean by change and refine elements is to find what works and what doesn't. If there's a combat system with a jump, and the jump is weird and awkward, and doesn't fit in with the rest of the system, then it's time to decide whether to try to salvage it, come up with a different style of jumping that might fit better, or simply axe it. It's very important to get the alpha out early. The LD people especially will benefit, being able to change the map around so it flows better and is more fun to play.

Ninth, everyone has to know what their roles are and what they're doing. In the aforementioned UDK project, one of our programmers started to do some level design because he wanted to, and he wasn't anywhere near finished with the alpha. It was frustrating and it held up the project. That's the beauty of the section heads. They can find members who aren't performing adequately, or they can assign more work when someone's finished to keep them engaged, or they can critique and fix work.

EDIT: In my personal opinion Asomath would be the best leader of this kind of project. If this idea ever takes off the ground I'd work under him.

 

[Ralle]

I like where this is going and I think Jazz has some good points.

I think this should be a SC2 project, although we have more people familiar with WC3, but it would be a good way to kickstart SC2.

 

[Asomath]

@Ralle yep yep, it’s always nice to try to throw out a resuscitation kick to SC2.

@Jazz I appreciate the nomination, but I know for certain that my knowledge of SC2 Modding isn't substantial enough to effectively run a project of this type. However, I am always open to helping with the logistics and public relations; I tend to have a knack for that.

Anyways, I agree with Jazztastic’s points. Especially reinforcing the first one, the project lives or dies with the ability to enforce deadlines.

~Asomath

 

[Jazztastic]

I don't think you could create such a demanding project in an editor so new to many modders. Plus from what I've heard around here creating art assests for SC2 is far more demanding than their wc3 counterparts.