What type of game would you like to see next?
As I'm nearing the end of development of Planet X3 (well, within the next few months) my mind can't help but dwell on what game I might start next. Obviously, I don't plan to write a single line of code until I'm done with the one I'm working on. But I still like to be thinking about it.
At this point, I'm still planning to target MS-DOS and most likely would still be targeting a 4.77 Mhz XT with CGA as the base system much like I did in Planet X3. So, keeping that in mind, what sort of game would you most like to see.
Comments (47)
If you made a platformer, could you try to add a story (like cave story) You have a creative mind and i would like to see you do a down to earth style story
(pun not intended)
Some time ago I wanted to show my 5-years old daughter what we played back then, when I was of her age. At the time she played educational browser games on web sites nick junior and pbs kids. Although the games aesthetics remind me of my childhood, I could not find many similar from the era. Probably, the only thing that prevents 8-bit computers from being able to run/have such games is a lack of voice capabilities. I have a dream of making some educational games for kids, but I always lacked persistence and dedication to make them :-(
Indeed.. I came to the same conclusion when my daughter was young. Of course, the machines have voice capabilities, but not enough RAM to store huge amounts of it.
Top Down shooter where you play as the aliens.
It's difficult to say. If I was to buy another MSDOS game I would be playing it on my computer in emulation. Which means that I would want something that I can play if I only have a few minutes to spare. Which would rule out Role Playing games (which would be a huge task to make anyway). I would not be interested in economic strategy games myself. So, a puzzle game or a platformer would be cool. Although in the end the choice is up to you.
Archon, hands down.
I feel like something in the style of Kroz might be fun to see someone do again.
Have you played Strange Adventures in Infinite Space / Weird Worlds? It's like a game of Star Control 2 condensed into thirty minutes. Basically a spaceship lunch-break roguelike.
I think something like Impossible Mission but in the Planet X universe could be nice.
Could you please reopen X3 for orders? I would like to order a boxed copy. By the time I watched your video the kickstarter was closed.
There is no way to re-open the kickstarter. However, you will be able to get a boxed copy when the game is finished because I will be ordering an additional 25% or so above and beyond what sold at the kickstarter.
What would be awesome is that you target this next game to work optimally on your potential future " 8 bits dream machine " you talked about earlier.
David, have you ever played sensible software " mega-lo-mania " ? ( published at the time on all major platforms. ) It was a somewhat flawed game but with some really neat ideas mixing proto-rts notions with a civilization flavour. It could be happilly revisited imho. I voted for M.U.L.E in that spirit. Every other types of games could be interesting to work on, but like others say, and despite the vote results for now, there's already in my opinion a bunch of good platformers and rpgs for each period. That being said i'm glad to see your desire to work on another game project ! ( And i would again be really glad to work on the graphical aspect, nudge, nudge ;) )
I would love a racing game. Think a mix between arcade style racers of the 90's with modern features :p
I would rather see something on C64, but my opinion might be biased by my love for that platform.
There are so many good side scrollers already. The best thing about the Planet X-series was that it was something new -- atleast for the platforms it targeted. Some shooter puzzle or a top down shooter roguelike would be nice though! I was sort of hoping you'd go for a different platform. For instance, I would love to see what a C128 could actually do if it was more fully utilized. However, most of all I'm happy you're interested in making another game! I've found the Planet X-videos really interesting. I'd love to see even more videos on the development process!
From what I've read, the C128 is barely any better (or possibly even worse) at games than the C64 is in 128 mode due to some weird decisions that were made in its design process.
It was a toss-up between side scrolling platformer and top-down RPG for me. If you had said "think Commander Keen" instead of "mario brothers" that would have settled it for me (I think there's enough Mario clones out there), but as it is I voted for the RPG!
Ultima 4 style game!
One of my favorite games from this era was Solo Flight, on C64 and PC. You delivered goods from airport to airport. This could translate to a space and planet theme. Regardless, the world has enough platfomers. Why not bring something unique and an underrepresented genre that has strategy elements.
Ultimately I think it depends on how large or complex of a game are you wanting to create. Some retro arcade shoot em up games I’ve enjoyed have been Bosconian, Xevious, and Space Fury.
How about a classic adventure game like King's Quest?
It should be KQ 1.5 where Graham and his trusty goat go and vanquish evil throughout Daventry! Actually, with some of the weapons that Graham picks up (dagger, sling, even a shield), it could be turned into a side scrolling arcade game.
Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move
Starflight two meets planet x3
I think that you should do a mario type game and make you as the playable character I also am a 12 yr old
I love RPGs, but not fantasy settings. Something like the original Fallout, or a cyberpunk-style game but from top-down would be cool.
If I do a RPG, it would be in a sci-fi setting.
I was thinking something along the lines of "Moon Patrol" or "Moon Hopper," a 3D (3-4 plane), left to right moving game. That was my absolute favorite game of the 80s.
I voted for top-down role playing game, but was thinking that something akin to original Zelda would be great. Whatever you choose, I'm looking forward to learning about the process.
Demoscene credentials notwithstanding, making a high-speed game on a 4.77 MHz system is not to be taken lightly. The graphics subsystem has no sprites, etc. and is not performant. Scrolling horizontally per-pixel is impossible, so much CPU work has to be done at a speed tradeoff. Scrolling vertically in 2-pixel increments is possible; see the PC version of Spy Hunter for an excellent example of what can be done. Now, if you want everything to occur on a single screen (like Robotron, Galaxian, etc.) then you can achieve acceptable speed (see: PC versions of Robotron, Galaxian ;-)
Indeed.. I've considered this and would try to tailor the game to what is possible.
Looking forward to your next game.
I was actually thinking about this the other day, and perhaps a game similar to Planet X2 and X3, but in space. You would be searching space for planets and asteroids with resources, then bringing them to your starbase or spaceship for processing.
Yes. Planet X2 type resource scavenging and trading in a Starflight two type game.
Honestly, I'd prefer something that tested the C128's (or Plus/4's but mainly C128s) limits, kinda like Planet X-2 did for the C64 but I understand that you have things like costumer base that you need to take into consideration. But well, I'll support whatever decision you take anyway, so looking forward to your next project.
I voted for top-down RPG - because this one has *so* much room for innovation and creativity! Imagine the Sword of Fargoal fog-of-war effect (nothing inspires exploration like filling in a map!) and maybe some sci-fi elements. I love managing an inventory system like they have in Resident Evil 4 with the attache case, and a pixel RPG is the perfect excuse to do so in the modern day. No physics to program! I hope you can have a lot of fun with the idea, good luck!
I hope you can have a lot of fun with the ideas that a top-down RPG can inspire, I mean - my own ideas were just spitballing to show how wide open the field is. Thanks!
i always loved text based economy sims like lemonade tycoon and drug wars and the like. would be fun to see your take on it, could maybe be about buying and selling old tech?
I honestly think side scrollers are difficult to make today. There are so many good ones and it would inevitably be compared to modern ones with modern input.
How about a role playing game like Return to Zork?
Just makes me think of how big the original Doom/Duke Nukem and wolfenstein games were and how you could be creative with things you associate with games.. like the Duke Burger..
I voted top down RPG, but I think an old-school 3D graphic adventure like Classic Sierra or LucasArts would be big.
I thought about this too... But the problem with that is the amount of artwork needed. A game like that would be far more dependent on a team of artists than coders. I need a project I can do mostly by myself.
Do you still want to target PC? Have you ever thought about NES? CPU is almost the same as C64, but memory limitations are more severe (up to 10kb RAM - 2kb onboard and 8kb battery backed ram)
Something I'd love to see, in reference to the top down shooter option, is a spiritual successor to Smash TV. I played the heck out of that game, and it's true arcade-y goodness. Plus, getting so many sprites acting on an 8088 would be an interesting challenge.