I started working on a new game a couple years ago that was basically a Pocket PC version of SolarQuest, that uber-cool "Monopoly in space" game. It features the solar system on the board, and you roll dice to move your little ship from one planet and moon to another around the solar system. When you land on an unexplored terrestrial body, you can purchase it, just like you would buy properties in Monopoly. I don't know if this game is in stores any longer, or if the company still exists.

But there are some challenges to this game. First, your ship needs fuel, which you have to buy. You can put fuel stations on your own planets, but if you land on a planet owned by someone else, you have to pay them rent to land there (again, just like Monopoly). But if a player owns multiple properties in that area (such as Jupiter, Saturn, etc) then the rent goes up significantly.

Anyway, this is an awesome game that I would like to do in VB. I already have the game board scanned into high-res bitmaps. But I would like to make the game really cool by doing it entirely in 3D. Instead of a 2D board, it will be a 3D board. Instead of flat spaces, there will be 3D spaces, with planets and moons that are spherical rather than flat. Add some special effects for the ships flying and shooting lasers at each other (when you encounter another player) and this could be a very cool game.

I'm certain that this is the best place to start a new game project of this type, which is why I have started this new thread. I will get started on some initial code for the game and some 3D models. Anyone who wants to learn how to write a 3D game using Direct3D can participate in this thread and help write the game, since the source code, 3D models, etc will be posted on here like all the other games. I think this will be a very cool learning tool in the process.

There's nothing quite like diving into a full-fledged game project in order to learn something new. Of course I already have all the DirectX code written, just need to start working on the game. Anyone interested in helping just subscribe to this thread and I'll sort of kick-start the game. I'll post the source graphics that I have so far just to give you a general idea about what the game board looks like. Turning it into 3D will be even more fun.

Jonathan

[Machaira]

Count me in. Just let me know what area you would like help in (except the 3D stuff, I'm finally getting down to learning it. The downside of working for a company that was still doing 2D games )

[Teric]

I'll chip in, Jonathan.

As you have more experience writing VB games than most people here, this thread may be destined to be the longest and most involved thread on this board.

Please post your gfx and source files; I'd love to look them over. Thanks!

[Iceplug]

Me too...
Never hurts to learn a little bit more...

Let's see how long this thread actually gets!

[Machaira]

In case anyone is interested here's the rules for the game - http://www.gameroom.com/gamebits/RUL...est_Rules.html

Excellent, thank you for the link. I still have the board game to draw inspiration from but lost the instruction booklet needed for the specifics of laser battles and fuel. I do recall that this game can be tough. If you happen to land on an enemy moon with no fuel station and you are low on fuel you could end up paying rent over and over. Although as I recall, isn't there some sort of clause where if an opponent doesn't have a fuel base to sell you some fuel there are consequences?

Anyway those gameplay specifics will be easily added or changed once the game starts to become playable. I'm just going to start on the 3D game board with a blazing sun in the center and go from there. Given that, if anyone wants to work on some models of planets, moons, asteroids, ships, that would be very helpful at this point. I'm not sure about scale yet, but I think we'll want to zoom in and out and have some good close-in textures. Think of the 2D board just rendered in 3D with the "spaces" going around each planet, like as in orbit.

I'll get a basic demo up on here within the week so you guys can get a feel for it and then we can start sharing code and graphics. Feel free to share your ideas for the game. Eventually I'll add a page to my web site for SolarQuest and list all contributors to the game.


Jonathan

[Machaira]

I'm assuming you're going to be using most of the code from your MS VB Programming With DirectX book (which I had to dig around to find, having just moved a month ago ) so do you have any idea what chunks of code you're going to need?

Er, actually I'll start with the classes Direct3D8 (for the D3D object) and D3DXSprite (for on-screen stuff like score and player name) but most of the code will be new because I didn't talk about 3D modelling in the book, while this game will use 3D models for the planets, ships, moons, etc. The DirectPlay chapter will probably come in handy though later one when the game receives a multiplayer upgrade. But it's too early to tell at this point because it's just an idea at the design stage. However you might want to freshen up your basic understanding of Direct3D just for starters. You can examine my demos or others on the web. You know, there's really no animation involved in a game like this, so the 3D modelling will be easy.

Jonathan

[Machaira]

I guess you could animate the planets with rotation, but it's not necessary for a first go round. Since you mentioned that the DirectPlay stuff would be later I'm assuming you're going to have AI for the first version?

Machaira, the planets rotating will not be a problem because you just spin them! That isn't animation at all. 3D animation is where you actually have a model change shape or when you have multiple versions of a 3D model in various stages of animation (the most common way). Take Gauntlet for example (the new ones). There are only a few frames of animation for each character. It is almost certain that those are just 2-3 separate 3D models that are shown in quick succession (like when you swing your sword or shoot an arrow). The Gauntlet chars have very simple animations, one of my gripes about Dark Legacy...the graphics should have been better on the Xbox. I still love the game, though. In a sense, things have really not changed much from 2D to 3D animation. In each case you're really dealing with many different versions of the object in various stages of motion. Programmatically you aren't manipulating pixels or polygons, just calling a Draw function for either the 2D or 3D object.

Jonathan

[Machaira]

Originally posted by jsharbour
Machaira, the planets rotating will not be a problem because you just spin them! That isn't animation at all.

I meant animation in the sense that the models are not just sitting there, at least they'll be moving. I guess I misused the word "animate". I know you won't have to worry about things like keyframes and normal animation stuff unless you want to have ships that have retractable landing gear and weapons, which would be overkill.

Originally posted by jsharbour
The Gauntlet chars have very simple animations, one of my gripes about Dark Legacy...the graphics should have been better on the Xbox.

Almost every game on the Xbox should have better graphics. I'm not sure why they're not taking advantage of the power it has. It doesn't take much more time to do detailed models than to do plain ones.

Okay, I've been really busy so I haven't been able to do much yet but I'll be spending some time on this game and thread when I can. I did manage to find my old EVB project and it's pretty cool. It draws the game board on the Pocket PC screen and shows you the name of any object on the board that you tap.

But that's irrelevant because this is VB and it's going to be a 3D game. The game board is essential for putting together the game board in 3D, so I've attached it to this message. Take a look, it's split into four parts that can be used as a template for the 3D board. Now if you can picture what I'm imagining for this game, the sun will be in the middle--a yellow rotating sphere with gaseous special effects.

Around the sun will be planets, moons, and asteroids arrayed in approximately the same positions as the Solarquest board, but they will be 3D objects. They will rotate but won't move position. There will be small black platforms for each spot that you will move on a roll of the dice, think of a "step in space."

How to handle planets, moons, bases in 3D? i imagine the ships will park above these objects. Like, with the Jovian system, Jupiter will be a big ball of a planet that will be rotating, and all the moons around it will be spaces where your ship can land. Your ship will sit above these moons, but Jupiter itself will be big, and will dwarf the ship. Am I explaining this clearly? I wish I could make up a sketch or diagram. Words will have to suffice until I've started on the 3D game board.

Anyway, the attached board graphics will help you to visualize, esp if you haven't played the game before (or if it's been a long time).

Jonathan

Here's some more graphics from Solarquest, including a small red ship graphic and some more versions of the game board. This zip includes a complete board, plus smaller versions. This stuff is all just idea material again.

Jonathan

How about some more info about Solarquest? Here's the data file I put together for the game board (couple years old). The X-Y values are based on the four quadrants of the board and also based on the 240x320 Pocket PC screen, so it would take just a little massaging to make the coords relevant.

Basically, these values apply to the four separate game board bitmaps, and helped to position the ship in the right place after each step. You can probably just rip out the X-Y values. Oh yeah, the number at the front of each line points to the quadrant--again, probably not useful any more. But the names are all there for every space on the Solarquest game board, so that is definitely useful. Remember the 3D game "world" will still need 2D coords because it is a board game after all. That it's rendered in 3D doesn't invalidate the usefulness for this type of data.

;STEP,NAME,SIZE,X-LOC,Y-LOC
1,EARTH,29,79
1,GRAVITY,28,47
1,MOON,33,29
1,SOLAR SPACE DOCK,42,9
2,MERCURY,55,225
2,FEDERATION STATION I,68,206
2,SPACE,83,190
2,SPACE,102,175
2,IO,132,165
2,JUPITER SPACE DOCK,163,159
2,SPACE,188,143
2,ELARA,204,124
2,CALLISTO,213,94
2,FEDERATION STATION II,205,60
2,THEBE,179,33
2,SPACE,150,21
2,METIS,117,19
2,GANYMEDE,75,31
2,JUPITER RESEARCH LAB,46,59
2,HIMALIA,35,85
2,EUROPA,37,117
2,AMALTHEA,60,146
2,ADRASTEA,89,161
2,SINOPE,42,37
2,GRAVITY,20,35
2,GRAVITY,2,33
3,GRAVITY,221,26
3,GRAVITY,200,17
3,FEDERATION STATION III,176,18
3,SPACE,159,30
3,MIRANDA,155,58
3,URANUS SPACE DOCK,158,85
3,UMBRIEL,150,122
3,OBERON,124,143
3,1985 U1,96,134
3,URANUS RESEARCH LAB,83,113
3,SPACE,75,88
3,ARIEL,76,55
3,FEDERATION STATION IV,93,24
3,TITANIA,135,24
3,GRAVITY,66,32
3,GRAVITY,47,20
3,GRAVITY,31,39
3,PLUTO,24,67
3,CHARON,24,95
3,SPACE,22,120
3,FEDERATION STATION V,25,142
3,SPACE,35,166
3,SPACE,52,184
3,PHOBOS,79,185
3,MARS,118,192
3,DEIMOS,138,217
3,SPACE,148,236
4,VENUS RESEARCH LAB,156,16
4,VENUS,178,50
4,GRAVITY,198,83
4,PHOEBE,196,111
4,MIMAS,156,115
4,SATURN SPACE DOCK,126,101
4,DIONE,92,94
4,SPACE,58,93
4,IAPETUS,29,113
4,RHEA,31,147
4,TETHYS,51,173
4,FEDERATION STATION VI,75,190
4,JANUS,109,206
4,ENCELADUS,144,216
4,SATURN RESEARCH LAB,176,216
4,HYPERION,212,201
4,TITAN,210,168
4,FEDERATION STATION VII,193,140
4,GRAVITY,225,184
1,GRAVITY,2,167
1,GRAVITY,21,158
1,GRAVITY,41,154
1,FEDERATION STATION VIII,65,156
1,SPACE,85,163
1,NEREID,110,183
1,SPACE,141,207
1,NEPTUNE SPACE DOCK,176,207
1,SPACE,204,185
1,NEPTUNE RESEARCH LAB,213,157
1,SPACE,208,124
1,TRITON,183,101
1,FEDERATION STATION IX,142,95
1,SPACE,116,111
1,SPACE,102,141
1,GRAVITY,90,124
1,GRAVITY,70,130
1,GRAVITY,50,129
1,EARTH RESEARCH LAB,31,118


Oh yeah, as a bonus, I've attached the Solarquest instruction manual in PDF format. I finally found it in my files, woohoo! This is a big help...


Jonathan

[BillSoo]

I've never heard of SolarQuest, but it sounds a lot like the board game "Merchants of Venus", by Avalon Hill.

[Machaira]

In case anyone is looking for graphics of all the planets/moons, I stumbled across this - http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/picturelist.html

[Machaira]

Found some models that might be useful

[Machaira]

More models of planets

[Tuskony]

This sounds like it'd be fun! I've never done any real 3d work, but I'd love to learn. So, uh, I guess you can count me in. I'll try and do whatever I can.

[Machaira]

Anything new on the horizon?