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[increpare]

Whipped the source out earlier this weekend, finished it.  Not entirely happy.  Going to have to write it off as 'experimental'.  Ah well.



(also, that screenshot is from an earlier version: there are no numbers in this version).

Windows (700kb)
OSX 10.5+ (1.1mb)
Source(16kb)


Just going to pitch a tent here: won't start on it until I've gotten portal2d (or whatever I'm going to call it) out of the way and the other proper 2d portal engine up and running.

So, it's based on an idea I mentioned elsewhere.  You're to be the governor of newly conquered Warsaw, appointed with the task of enforcing the Reich's policy of eliminating all undesirable elements from the population.

It's not going to be a too in-depth game.  You'll have control over various budgetary factors (military spending, propaganda spending, infrastructure-spending, and some capital purchases (ghetto fortification, extensions to the main train station and the like)), and control over the passing of various laws (requiring undesirables to wear badges, carry IDs, &c.).  The chief thing working against you will be public opinion (which can be subdued with propaganda), which will give rise to resistance movements (which can be squashed by military funding).  So there'll be some very basic reactionary A.I. you'll be working to keep under control.

And it'll be a race against time to get your job finished before the Reich falls.  (If I have time, you will be tried for your crimes after).

[Melly]

Seems interesting. Hope you're aware of the bad rep you may get for it, but I say go for it.

[Annabelle Kennedy]

.....


D:

[Border]

that could be interessting even if i'm not normally attract by gestion game.
Melly: maybe not as bad as Musclim Massacre

[Alex May]

See I think this would be in far poorer taste than MM.

[TeeGee]

Being Polish and living in Warsaw, I'm at least interested...

[moi]

I see what you did here

[Movius]

ha ha, oh wow

[Lukas]

I think this should be done and it is a good idea.

It would be interesting to set political statements that way but I don't know wether this could be interesting for non-german players since it's interesting for a german public to play such games because it could have the message:
"Yes, it wasn't your fault, you regret it anyways and you think it's terrible but it's still kinda you that should be responsible for the whole thing etc..."

I'm interested in what turns out there but it could be just as "special" as Muslim Massace (which was a good "game", in my opinion).

And no, I'm not a Nazi, nor am I some evil guy wanting to kill some jews.
I just think that games offer a great opportunity to dispute with the topic and think about the whole thing again.
As long as the game doesn't mess with the messages... it should be done!


BaronCid

[Robotacon]

Someone should make an game based on Maus.

[Border]

just to make something clear. i didnt want to bash Muslim massacre but use it as an example of "controversial" Game. To be honest i didn't played it yet.
But i agree with BaronCid. game are meant to explore possibility and try; in some way to see both side of the medal.
Playing a game were you personify Hitler don't automatically make you a Nazi.On the other side Game company like Rockstar made a business plan on this type of game and you know want,ppl ask for more.
Anyways, as long its made with "good Taste", its cool with me.

robotacon: indeed!with the same art direction that'll be cool.

[Seth]

Holy shit a game where you have to make all these shady deals and sacrifices to survive in Nazi Germany would be crazy 

[Zaphos]

What do you mean by, 'it will be a race against time'?  Will the game have trappings like a score, or a win/loss?  It doesn't really make sense to me, since obviously there's no reward for having succeeded beyond any artificial gameplay element, so it does not seem to contribute to a legitimate conversation about the history.

More generally, will players have the ability to resist their prescribed roll?  For example, try to secretly save people or sabotage the program from within?  Or is this an elaborate remake of Execution?

I think that the potential strength of a game to make a statement (beyond other media) is in its ability to have a sort of conversation with the player, where the player may ask "what if?" by playing the game in a certain way, and the game will answer by showing the effects of that choice in the simulation.  The game can still portray the player's role as an inevitability, but the player should be at least able to ask the question.

(This is, of course, assuming you want something socially meaningful in some way?  If it's just for shock value then perhaps the opposite of this advice applies.)

[Gainsworthy]

Holy shit a game where you have to make all these shady deals and sacrifices to survive in Nazi Germany would be crazy 

Agreed. Could be interesting and thought provoking.

Do controversy for the sake of controversy, though, and you're gonn get got. And you'll be a bastard for it.

[Ciardhubh]

Another attempt at 15 minutes of fame with a controversial game? What's with the pretentious Y in Krystallnacht? At least go all the way:
Xtelnyte 2.0 - It's so ghetto! :D

[William Broom]

That would be... chilling, to say the least. Very reminiscent of Operation: Pedopriest, which delivered its message pretty well IMO since I couldn't play it for more than a minute 
But for a game that people can actually play without getting goosebumps, I would prefer to play as Oskar Schindler. I don't think it would be a good idea to give the player a choice between good and evil though, because nobody would ever choose evil.

[Saint]

I don't think it would be a good idea to give the player a choice between good and evil though, because nobody would ever choose evil.

Agreed... Well, at least for non-sadistic purposes.

I do like the original idea better though, having you playing as the "evil" part since I think the experience could be more valuable. Everyone likes to think that had they been around in Nazi Germany and had some position of influence, they would be Oscar Schindler. Truth is that very few actually did the right thing, a game like this could, if handled gracefully, help people grasp why this was. Assuming that an entire generation of Germans grew up evil and/or retarded doesn't help anyone understand anything.

[increpare]

What's with the [...] Y in Krystallnacht?

...typo... 

[Lukas]

What's with the [...] Y in Krystallnacht?

...typo... 

Leave it in there. The "Reichskristallnacht" doesn't have much in common with the game's theme anyway.

[increpare]

Okay, so I'm being naughty and putting portal2d on the long finger at the moment (don't want to upload that until I have sound implemented, and that's going to be a bit of a chore, even though I have the soundtrack/sound effects done already), but peoples comments on that have been taken into account, are much appreciated, and will be responded to!

Anyway, here's my basic interface plan: 



(that's a photoshop.  I've gotten buttons up and running, but haven't implemented sliders yet in the code.  Once they're done, I'll be able to start on the game proper).

Basically, the buttons on the top left and the sliders on the bottom right will be your controls, the buttons implementing policies, and the sliders usually controlling expenditure/taxation. 

The other bars on the bottom-left tell you about the quantities of various basic racial groups in the city, as well as the size of the local resistance movement.

I haven't had a chance to do much with the map graphic since I uploaded it to the pixel-art thread (I'll have to readjust the colouring of the cityscape, add in more parks, amongst other things).  In addition to basic prettifying, I hope to use palette-related effects to implement seasonal changes and the gradual deterioration of the city over the course of the war.  And have some other relatively minimalist animations (for the trains, say, or fires/smoke).  But they'll come later.

What do you mean by, 'it will be a race against time'?

I mean that the game will end after a fixed time.

  Will the game have trappings like a score, or a win/loss?

No.

It doesn't really make sense to me, since obviously there's no reward for having succeeded beyond any artificial gameplay element,

I don't understand what you mean by this.

More generally, will players have the ability to resist their prescribed roll?

Probably not to any meaningful degree (it's not any part of what I'm considering the core mechanic).

Or is this an elaborate remake of Execution?

I don't know Execution.  I'll check it out some time.

(I hope you guys will forgive me if I don't deal with the more politically-oriented comments while I'm still trying to get the game together).

Operation: Pedopriest

Heh: that's a pretty cute game.