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[Robotacon]

Seeing how the success of the WWW came from the simplicity of HTML I'd like to see a distributed game where the levels hosted on any number of servers and hyper linked to each other. The level construction should be simple and not require a fancy level editor.

My suggestion is using images where different colored pixels means different tiles and where there are solid, liquid and free tiles. A simple xml file would declare objects stats and position. The object structure would be voted on and kept backwards compatible.

These levels could then be read by several competing game engines making for the equivalent of a browser-war. My suggestion is that the first engine implements the world looking something like "Zelda - link to the past" since it is popular with the pixel community, is recognizable when it comes to style and not too hard to pull off.

You could create some kind of simple social structure inside the game so that different "monsters" are friendly with certain players or could be used as guards for the dungeons your building.

At first I would not try and implement this huge economy but instead try and create a fun and casual experience where you travel great distances and visit different places and meet new people. The game in it self doesn't even need to be multi player, it could even favor of being single player promoting the creation of interesting NPC.

I wouldn't be surprised if something like this already exists but in that case the idea has been proven and we, the tigsource community, can prove that we can create something better.

[Ivan]

I think that's what VRML tried to do.

[Robotacon]

Anything that requires 3D modelling would exclude most people that would like to create content/levels for the game.

3D could be added as a representation of 2D levels similar to Eye of the Beholder or Doom where there is no true height axle. That would be the job of any one of the competing game engines that I'm talking about.

[Don Andy]

I'm not quite sure if I get this, but what you mean is creating a "format" similar to HTML, that people can (and should) write different programs to interpret, with the one interpreting the best basically becoming the Firefox of gaming?

[Robotacon]

Yes, but I don't think anyone can predict exactly what would happen. The interesting part is that everyone with a homepage could host a couple of levels with little effort.

Creating different interpreters would be for the hardcore indie developers. I can see something like implementing a Google earth equivalent for the game were you can zoom in and out of the entire world. You could create a chat client that uses each level as a discussion room. Anything really that has already been done on the WWW would have some kind of equivalent.

I think markup languages works well when describing objects, like items and creatures and anything that moves and has stats but I would be in favor of using bitmap graphics (gif,png) for maps where each pixel represents a different type of tile be that grass, trees, rocks, water or what ever the community agrees on.
If it's done that way you could pull the XML descriptions of the level through a XSLT stylesheet that creates a browseable HTML version of the entire world using only IMG tags with the usemap attribute and MAP and AREA tags with hyperlinks that connect an exit in your map to an entrance in another persons map.

If you want the map to change over time there is nothing stopping you from having your server reply with different maps on different times of the day. You could even track the IP of different players and give them an unique experience. With very little technology you could create a very rich game experience.

[Don Andy]

This may probably not mean much coming from a noname like me, but I think the whole idea has something really revolutionary and I'd supporting it as good as I could.

There is one problem I see with it however. If I got you right, then the maps as you described them would be primarily layed out for a Zelda-esque perspective and gameplay. However, since the outcome relies on the interpretion of whatever program loads the "map", one could easily transform the thing to a platformer environment or even something completely else alltogether.
So, while I happily browse the web with my Zelda-esque interpreter, I'd suddenly stumble across a map that'd be build with a plaftformer interpreter in mind, and would thus essential f* up my Zelda interpreter. Or at least make the map an unplayable mess.

Of course, this works the other way around, too. If platforming would be the main idea behind the maps, the Zelda interpreters would get problems.

If the maps are hosted on normal webservers, though, I can already see the Firefox plugins coming
"The content of this page requires an additional Plugin for viewing"

[Mitchard]

There's also the issue of differences in gameplay mechanics.

With different engines developed by completely different people, things like speed of movement, hitbox detection, enemy AI could vary dramatically between platforms. It might be hard to design a level when it could be vastly more difficult or easy depending on what it's played on.

[Robotacon]

Where some see problems others see solutions. I didn't think the idea was innovative enough for people to question it this much I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person who has had this idea.

The problem is not that there might be competing engines. Most likely there would be only one engine. The core of the concept is to create a format for game content that is so simple in it's construction that literally anyone with notepad and MSpaint can make a level of two and publish the sucker on a free host.

Issues that has to do with compatibility can be restricted with the same means that are currently keeping the HTML standards under raps.

I'll make the first level and a suggested format and I'll try and get it posted this weekend. Anyone that wants to be a part of this can send me a PM after that and I'll hyperlink an exit from my level to your level.

EDIT:
 Here's a map and a (naive) suggestion for a markup file.
 
 

 http://www.serius.se/squideogamers/snakerivervalley.xml

 Everything is naturally Work In Progress.

[Bree]

I tried the page, and got this message:

        This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it.

What does that mean? Does it need more pins for style points or something?

[Robotacon]

I tried the page, and got this message:

        This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it.

What does that mean? Does it need more pins for style points or something?

I didn't think a stylesheet was needed at the moment but I've added one now that transforms the XML to HTML so it's easier to review the map. You can still use "view source" (or equivalent command) in your browser to see the original XML. I'll keep updating the files posted so that we won't get multiple versions so the link is still  http://www.serius.se/squideogamers/snakerivervalley.xml

[Bree]

Ah, it's working now. Thanks!