Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

I'm meaning a defininition of a class, ie:

:)

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Look at Robot Arena 2, its been done pretty well for a robot game.
I would love to see something like this:
We play peer to peer with other FIRSTers about the present game
If we can get a whole bunch of clever programmers to create the game soon after the kickoff and play it online(or something), that would be simply awesome. We would actually be able to see the game. Then Fantasy FIRST might have to create a separate division for Online FIRST game? This rocks. Good job, see what you can do.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

I don't mean to be too pessimistic, but this seems to be quite a big project especially without any experience with 3d graphics. Even if you do some people with that kind of experience on board, writing a 3d game is hard to say the least. I suggest you review the possibility of making a mod for an existing 3d game first. Specifically, UT2k4 engine is now available for free for use in developing mods. The scripting abilities of UT2k4 are amazing, basically everything outside of rendering, physics (another awesome feature), and sound generation is done in a scripting language that is similar to java.

After rereading the license, I think it is very possible that we could release this for free provided it is not a "game". Speaking of which, I think it is unlikely that this will ever be made fun. Making a game is hard enough, making it fun is even harder. So, we can make a FIRST "simulation".

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

You might also want to consider Flash.

It is cross platform, and it is very good with graphics.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Id software. makes Doom, Return to Castle Wlfenstein, Quake, and Doom 3.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Ok, in response to the 2 posts that beat me, I say we need some groups going:

• A coding group that will create the framework and write/include the Engine.
• A 3D design group that creates the 3D models (fields, bots, etc)

A releasable version I don't expect to be out for awhile (as far as coding goes). But I know I can't do this alone.

Does Crystal Space do input, or just physics? If we don't worry about portability, I know that DirectX covers everything as far as hardware interfacing.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Flash? It does 3d graphics? News to me.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Sure there are lots of mod-able games. I just chose the one that everyone can get their hands on to mod and the one that we could potentially distribute for free. I'm sure it'd be much more difficult to adapt than Unreal, but there is also the Torque Engine which you can get a license for 100 bucks and then have access to source code and be allowed distribute derived games.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Open source 3d engine, if you want it:
http://www.genesis3d.com/

Didn't really look much at it, but might work. :)

Read the lisence, looks good. :)

--EDIT--
Flash doesn't do 3d, as far as I know. Plus, it would be too hard to incorporate into a real game...

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

I was thinking more of profesional expertise.

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

wow, look what i started.... :D

well, i am still pushing for stack attack, but the majority (including Brandon Martus and JVN) have voted for FIRST Frenzy. maybe they know better than i do.

as far as publishers, here are soem companies that make very good games, and deserve consideration for us to approach about this:
-Nintendo
-Silicon Knights
-Activision
-Infogrames

once we decide on the game, we also need to decide which robots to include, (i would suggest having all the division champions) or if we will make up the robots

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

IANAL, but I think you'd probably have to make new ones. It'd seem like a grey area here, but who do you ask for the green light to use a robot? The team? The team's school(s)? FIRST? What if one says no, but others agree?

And then what would you do for sponsor logos?

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Good points. I'm sure we could get permission to use robots of teams involved in this, then, we have to model them somehow, so creating more shouldn't be too hard... :)

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

I would put a few already assembled on the game, but also let the player build their own. For example maybe model a robot off the championship alliance or something or a robot we all know. And as the game progresses allow the player to add different parts to play different strategies. I also like the idea of the sponser logos, i would also consider a mode to create logos.

The biggest thing is to show what FIRST is all about and what we the teams go through during a FIRST Robotics season.

This only my opinion as a gamer, i really don't know about all of programming and stuff like that. sorry

Re: FIRST Video Game: Hammering out details
 

Here's how I imagine the final program will be:

• The primary EXE will contain no data about speeific robots, fields, games, etc. it will just contain the framework to run it.
• Every robot will have it's own file(s). This may (or may not) include driver's station, program, textures, and/or bot.
• every game will have it's own file(s). this may (or may not) include the field, the mobile parts, the field control code, and/or textures.
• every field may have it's own file(s). this may (or may not) include the field, the mobile parts, and/or textures.

This also allows for custom fields; like a street practice, the wood field, a brand-new field, or a well used field.

I think there should be seperate utilities for creating/editing these files.

[I personally do not like the 'earn stuff by winning' idea.]