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Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

thepicrain.com

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Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#31

Post by ybaumes »

kjs3 wrote: post #13

Another "look at this awesome game" which is really "there's really no game, but Kickstarter!".

I was thinking that kick starter was all about helping in project to "kick start". So obviously for me, I find it normal that's there is still no game at this early stage of development. Or rather: 10% complete development so far.

It looks like people get "wrongly" used to dev studios submitting projects nearly completed. But those are more like the exception than the rule. If look closely to the list of kickstart submission I think that's the case most of the time for software development, that is they are far from completed. And the lead developer has an idea and needs fund to work full-time on his idea and/or hire folks for helping him out. For instance: lighttable of Chris Granger. And I think that's what is thrilling about kick starter and launching a startup. That's all about taking risks.

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#32

Post by eropple »

rdl wrote: post #28
eropple wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to be Garriott to be credible, but he is credible. Because he has a track record. If they do have a track record of building quality projects (and they say they do), they aren't substantiating it. See the problem? I don't have a shipped-product track record, so I'm going to have a playable vertical slice--not a complete game, not narrative-based, but a demonstration that our features are already workin…

What platform?

Windows/Mac/Linux, for now. Using libgdx on the JVM, so Android and iOS (via RoboVM) are pretty easy, but I'm using Rhino for a scripting layer and that might not play so nicely with RoboVM or Dalvik.

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#33

Post by touristtam »

mml wrote: post #16

No OSX port until the surpass their initial goal. Meh.

Look at the 'Technology' part: Ogre3D is used for the rendering. It should then be technically possible for a port given enough interest is shown.

Plus in the 'Kickstarter Stretch Goals' Category you can see that they plan a Mac version before a Linux version: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/661/480/bfb68577b1e9...

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#34

Post by Crito »

jws wrote: post #24
gamegoblin wrote: post #19

I'm curious how gravity will work when tunneling through a planet.

I don't know how they plan to handle it. In a similar game I've worked on (unpublished) gravity is handled like our universe, but with a bias toward the three orthogonal axis. This leaves you feeling like a 2d world on the faces, but as you approach to edges you begin to lean into them until you are "standing on the peak of the roof" at the edge, continuing brings you upright on the next face. A coefficient governs t…

You could probably avoid bugs at the center of planets by simply having an small cube of unmineable material surrounding them (like minecraft's bedrock).

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#35

Post by deletes »

gamegoblin wrote: post #19

I'm curious how gravity will work when tunneling through a planet.

My prediction,( the game comes out in two years :s, this will be forgotten ).

( assuming a cube ) The gravity works orthogonal to the side you are on( 6 sides ), no matter your position. There are 4 imaginary planes for every side. You need 3 point to get a plane in 3d space. Those points for the 4 planes are made from the center of the cube and 2 points of the side you are on( the planes are rotated 45 degrees relative to the sides ). So for one plane that would be center of the cube and top-left and top-right sides. For another that would be center and top-left and bottom-left, and so on. If you cross one plane the gravity changes 90 degrees, depending which one you crossed.

There are interesting thing about this model. For instance; for larger distances, you don't fall in a straight line towards the planet, but in a sine wave like curve.

Orbits will remain circular with inclination changes, so the square orbits in the video are not physically correct.

---

Also, you will not be able to reach the center of the planet. At most you will be able to reach about 80% of depth, where the cube sides are still large enough to not constantly switch directions.

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#37

Post by eropple »

ybaumes wrote: post #31
kjs3 wrote: post #13

Another "look at this awesome game" which is really "there's really no game, but Kickstarter!".

I was thinking that kick starter was all about helping in project to "kick start". So obviously for me, I find it normal that's there is still no game at this early stage of development. Or rather: 10% complete development so far. It looks like people get "wrongly" used to dev studios submitting projects nearly completed. But those are more like the exception than the rule. If look closely to the list of kickstart su…

I get your point, but I think you're identifying the wrong problem. Kickstarter backers being averse to "here's my idea, give me money" pitches is rational. Most professional game developers are pretty bad at estimation, pretty bad at risk forecasting, and just generally aren't great at bringing stuff to market on time and on budget. Kickstarters with a bunch of people with no real personal credibility or track record (individually or as a group) are serious risks and it's perfectly understandable that they'd be treated as such by potential backers.

As I noted upthread, I have a Kickstarter coming up sooner rather than later (like, May-ish) and a lot of my time right now is building out my engine to have a workable hands-on demo for people to play with. It won't be designed to be "fun" yet, but rather a synthetic demo where I can go "these features will be used for X, Y, and Z, and you can see them already basically done". I need money to pay my artists to build assets more than I need money to write the damn game.

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#38

Post by drdaeman »

shiven wrote: post #27

Sorry to sound cynical, but having seen the glacial pace of progress with Godus, thanks, but no thanks. Kickstarted, drip-fed games, are not my cup of tea.

This is why it's not worth Kickstarter-type donating to non-FLOSS projects. In that case if original development had stagnated, community can at least have half-working product (except for naming trademark, but that's fine) to continue with. At least modders won't have to hack their way or wait aeons until they're allowed to tinker with the functionality they need.

Re: Planets³, an Open-World Voxel-Based rpg

#40

Post by kjs3 »

ybaumes wrote: post #31
kjs3 wrote: post #13

Another "look at this awesome game" which is really "there's really no game, but Kickstarter!".

I was thinking that kick starter was all about helping in project to "kick start". So obviously for me, I find it normal that's there is still no game at this early stage of development. Or rather: 10% complete development so far. It looks like people get "wrongly" used to dev studios submitting projects nearly completed. But those are more like the exception than the rule. If look closely to the list of kickstart su…

You can call it "wrongly" if you want, but I think there's a pretty big difference between "look at my cool game (that doesn't exist)" and "look at my cool idea for a game, that I need Kickstarter to fund". The OP isn't 10% done...they're 1% done, and while they look better than most of the folks at the same level of development, it still gives me precisely zero confidence in their ability to deliver when they overstate so obviously what they're bringing to the table.
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