next »

[Pacian]

It is the space year 199X.  A bored financial software developer escapes the monotony of everyday existence into the dramatic worlds of 3D space simulators such as Wing Commander and TIE Fighter.  So enamoured with his chosen genre is he, that this misguided soul attempts to create such a game of his own.

Completely lacking in 3D programming skills, he is forced to make the game the only way he knows how...

AS A TEXT-HEAVY STRATEGY GAME.

But following a sudden collapse in the popularity of spreadsheets, this developer - and his game - were never heard from again.

UNTIL NOW.

Prised from the mummified fingers of a skeletal river-corpse, it's:

Freefall Brass

(PS. I'm really not sure if I'm going to finish this in time.)

Update (7th September):

Okay, well, I'm too tired to think right now, let alone code, so I think I've done all I can. I've stitched together a one mission demo of the game:

Freefall Brass Demo (~1Mb)

It should give you an idea of what I'm going for.  There's a lot of features and content that are close to completion, but altogether I suppose there's probably still a few days work left on this thing.  I think my chief mistake was underestimating the extent to which 'just text' would take up time and effort.  D'oh! 





(Before you ask, Freefall Brass isn't meant to be a synonym for any particular space sim. )

[Terry]

Yey

[Melly]

Prised from the mummified fingers of a skeletal river-corpse

 
 

[MekanikDestructiwKommando]

There is a soft spot in my cultural heart for text + abstract graphics. A strategy game? Been waiting for one.. 

[Will Vale]

I like the sound of this. How much detail are you going to put into the combat side of things?


> LOOK
You are in the depths of SPACE. STARS swim in the inky blackness all around you. A DEATH STAR is to the SOUTH.
> X STAR
I don't know which STAR you mean.
> X DEATH STAR
The DEATH STAR is the size of a small moon. It is approaching the REBEL BASE.
> S
You are flying over the surface of the DEATH STAR. Turbolaser fire is all around you. A TRENCH is to the EAST.
> E
You enter the TRENCH.
> LOOK
You are in a long TRENCH running NORTH and SOUTH. The TRENCH is open to space above you.
> EXITS
Exits are NORTH, SOUTH and UP.
> UP
You decide to stay in the TRENCH to avoid the Turbolaser turrets.
> N
You are in a long TRENCH running NORTH and SOUTH. The TRENCH is open to space above you.
Your radio crackles: "Stay on target".
An EXHAUST PORT is far to the NORTH.
DARTH VADER is to the SOUTH.
> N
You are in a long TRENCH running NORTH and SOUTH. The TRENCH is open to space above you.
Your radio crackles: "Stay on target".
An EXHAUST PORT is far to the NORTH.
> X PORT
The EXHAUST PORT is not much smaller than the womp rats you used to bullseye in your T-16 back home.
Your radio crackles: "Stay on target".
> N
You are in a long TRENCH running NORTH and SOUTH. The TRENCH is open to space above you.
Your cockpit glows green as laser fire zips past you from the SOUTH. It is getting more accurate.
An EXHAUST PORT is to the NORTH.
DARTH VADER is to the SOUTH.
> USE FORCE
You stretch out your feelings and feel yourself weaving through the laser fire as though it is not there.
Your radio crackles: "Luke, you've switched off your targetting computer. What's wrong?"
> N
You are in a long TRENCH running NORTH and SOUTH. The TRENCH is open to space above you.
An EXHAUST PORT is here.
> FIRE PROTON TORPEDOES
I don't know what you want me to fire the PROTON TORPEDOES at.
> FIRE PROTON TORPEDOES AT EXHAUST PORT
You mash down the fire button and the TORPEDOES streak away, disappearing into the EXHAUST PORT with a flash of actinic light.
The DEATH STAR explodes.
Play again Y/N?
> N

[Pacian]

I like the sound of this. How much detail are you going to put into the combat side of things?

'Some' detail.   

The Brass of the title comes from the fact that you play an officer.  The idea is that you issue orders to the pilots actually fighting the battles, and hear back from them, thereby neatly sidestepping the difficulties of text-based combat.

> USE FORCE
You stretch out your feelings and feel yourself weaving through the laser fire as though it is not there.
Your radio crackles: "Luke, you've switched off your targetting computer. What's wrong?"

 

[Pacian]

Just wanted to prove that I'm still working on this, and will hopefully have something almost complete in time for the deadline. 


Your pilots will come up with many (read: about 5 for each different situation) bits of chatter during a mission, amusing you no end!  (Emphasis on the 'no'.)



Every modern fighter pilot needs a pixellated spaceship courtesy of Danc.  Why not zoom in for a closer look at its high-tech workings?



The chief thing I have remaining is the actual combat screen, which is currently too ugly and too not-functional to show.  Oh, and I need to add the ability to save your game.  But other than that... Freefall Brass is maybe probably on track.

My extra special thanks for the extended deadline. 

[dmoonfire]

Looks very sexy.

[Stargoat]

That fighter looks suspiciously... Tyrian.

[Pacian]

That fighter looks suspiciously... Tyrian.

Every modern fighter pilot needs a pixellated spaceship courtesy of Danc.

[Stargoat]

Right on .

[Pacian]

Well, that's it. Updated the first post with a demo. Don't know if this qualifies as an entry, but it's certainly been an interesting (read: arduous) creative endeavour.  I'm not going to have access to a computer for a day or two, so good luck to everyone else in the competition.   

[Farbs]

 
I've been wanting to do a texty elite for years, but never quite built the momentum. I imagine a texty wing commander would be similarly awesome.

I'll check out the demo shorty.

[Will Vale]

Works great for me. I like the mission briefing music, it captures the Wing Commander vibe nicely.

One thing - I think the first time I engaged enemies I couldn't switch commands left + right, but the second time it worked fine and I fired some missiles. Mistake on my part?

[Stargoat]

That one mission isn't nearly enough, I need more!

I hope you finish this, Pacian!