Moo Clone in the making

drhacker · February 14, 2003, 13:16

I've been working on sort of a moo clone, a game wich has many similarities to moo1&2. Just for fun, and on my spare time, but it's going along well...

I thought I'd see what you experts think should be kept in such a game, and what might as well be left out...

Also I thought I'd use the opportunity to ask if there is any interest in helping designing the game in more detail, like writing the technology tree and descriptions for different technologies, buildings, ship engines, stuff like that. I just want to see if there is any interest.

Very nice forum you have here.
dr Hacker

Yolky · February 15, 2003, 01:33

I would be interested but me computer dummy couldn't help you there. make tech tree I could do. what would you like?

Davor

yolkis@rogers.com is my email addy

Urban Ranger · February 16, 2003, 22:43

Hi,

There's already an ongoing effort by Ray K to recreate MoO 1 in Java. Maybe you can joint forces with him, Dr. Hacker. Look back at the old threads for details.

Gilgamensch · February 17, 2003, 11:26

Would depend, what you expect? I am no good anymore at 'writing' code, but other stuff, wouldn't mind to give you a helping hand. Just PM or e-mail me, if you are still interrested.

Graphics, I am not so good at...........

Yolky · February 17, 2003, 11:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Hi,

There's already an ongoing effort by Ray K to recreate MoO 1 in Java. Maybe you can joint forces with him, Dr. Hacker. Look back at the old threads for details.

i think he or she is trying to make a new complete game like moo1 and 2 put together not just moo1 on java, if I am not mistaken.

suprised not to see any replies drhacker yet though

Davor

Gilgamensch · February 17, 2003, 11:51

maybe just checking on weekends??????

Don't forget : 'spare' time

Urban Ranger · February 18, 2003, 22:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Yolky
i think he or she is trying to make a new complete game like moo1 and 2 put together not just moo1 on java, if I am not mistaken

True, my thought is once they get the code running, they can start adding new features.

Harry Seldon · February 18, 2003, 23:20

Has anyone even heard from RayK recently? I think his last post was months ago. I wouldn't be much help with programming unless you're writing it in pascal or basic. That's q or gw, not visual.

drhacker · February 20, 2003, 03:23

I'm writing it in C++, and I don't need any programming assistance (a large part of it is done already, I could release a demo... No, it would suck.)

And Yolky is right, it's not a real "clone", it's a complete new game, but with features from moo1&2 (and ascendancy, and civilization, and a bunch of others...)

What I was thinking about is if you who has played theese game much more that I have, could help me in what was really "the thing" that made moo1&2 such great games! I've read old posts here to get some idea, but your suggestions could help even more.

At this point the game has a similar GUI as moo1, since I wanted to get rid of all the "states" in moo2... In moo2, to edit a planet you had to first be at the main map, then enter a solarsystem, then click a planet. That are three states. In MOO you could just click on any star and you could directly edit the planet. Then you could click another and edit that. Just one state. I loved that. I've tried to incorporate that, but since I have solar systems I'ts sort of a compromise. But now I'm just ranting...

Anyway, I've having problems designing the tech-tree. I have a simple one now, and it's all scripted, so anyone could edit it with notepad. I'm a hacker, and unfortunatly not so good at coming up with cool ship weapons/engines/shields and stuff...
I'll make up a spec on how to write the tech tree script files, and get back to you.

I have to check that java thing up. Sounds cool.

I haven't been able to check the post for a few days, I've been home sick, and I don't have any Internet connection at home (yeah, I know, I'm a cave man).

Gilgamensch · February 20, 2003, 04:06

about the internet at home is the same for me, so welcome in the club

Hope you feel better now.

You want to implement as well race-specific stuff? How many races do you have?

vmxa1 · February 20, 2003, 05:33

Man I hate to see people mention Ascendancy, it makes fire up a game and I have too many things to do right now. Yes Acsendancy works in XP.

Gilgamensch · February 20, 2003, 05:42

vmxa1, I think you are in the wrong thread

,

but anyway, I am playing ascendancy as well in the moment.

Epistax · February 20, 2003, 10:12

Why is moo (2) great? ( haven't played moo 1 yet )

* Very customizable races
* Very customizable shisp
* No direct path-to-victory
* Massive technology tree
* Both strategy and tactics are key
* You can blow planets up (hehe)

Micromanagement adds breadth, everything else adds depth.

Ok there's a bunch of other things but ya know!

Epistax · February 20, 2003, 12:02

I took the wrong focus with that post. The main thing that makes moo2 great are all the little things.

* Ships have crews who go up levels.
* Leaders go up levels.
* Dragons ask for money to attack someone else.
* Ameobas have their own attack cinematic.
* Spys can make it look like someone else did it.
* Different color stars mean something.
* Random events.

and so on

GAH!

* Gravity concerns, gravity generator
* Robotic works of all classes
* Morale
* Shield turning radiated into barren
* Blowing a small planet into an asteroid belt
* Reforming asteroid belt into a large (am I the only one who did
this?

)

GAH!

* Shield arcs
* Weapon arcs
* Two shot missiles
* Host of ship addons
* Stealing ships
* Scrapping ships to get techs

GAH!

* Survival Pods
* More techs => previous techs more efficient
* The way pollution works
* Barricading a colony
* Individually naming ships

(each of these sections involves me running back to the computer very giddy)

vmxa1 · February 20, 2003, 14:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Gilgamensch
vmxa1, I think you are in the wrong thread

,

but anyway, I am playing ascendancy as well in the moment.

Very cruel to mention it again

, anyway Dr listed it in the games he was drawing from. So I am not on the on the wrong thread this time (am I ).

vmxa1 · February 20, 2003, 14:32

Epistax good job and I think both post are useful and those things are what permits replaying.

Yolky · February 21, 2003, 01:23

hope that you are feeling better. email me with what tech you have and I will see where I can input some info or give you some critisim.

Davor

Gilgamensch · February 21, 2003, 03:27

Quote:

Originally posted by vmxa1

Very cruel to mention it again

, anyway Dr listed it in the games he was drawing from. So I am not on the on the wrong thread this time (am I ).

It's just, when I read your reply, (at work) I actually wanted to go home and continue my game, so I thought let's hit YOU with my anger that I had to stay at work

And DrHacker, just PM or e-mail with what you have and I try to help you as best as I can. (if you don't know, click the links above the post of whome you want to contact saying PM/e-mail

)

Hope to hear news from you soon

vmxa1 · February 21, 2003, 03:45

Cool, happy nanotwiller to you.

Gilgamensch · February 21, 2003, 05:10

Happy what???????????

drhacker · February 21, 2003, 12:35

Ok, I've emailed Yolky and sent a PM to Gilgamensch (You don't have any email link ?!), let's se what you say...

Epistax, you have some good points... Good things to have in mind when designing. Thanks. Noone else who want's to contribute?

In my game there is races, with individual strengths. Keep in mind though that this is a game I'm making on my spare time, as lone coder, so I'm trying to keep it small. Trying to reincorporate every feature of MOO as Ray K did I won't. I don't think I would manage that. But as to what parts are to be cut out I don't know...

Right now the ship design is complete, you can create new ship designs from the specs in the tech tree. So at least that feature of MOO is in.

Letting ships get experience is a pretty nice feature... Not to hard to implement. What do you think, what should you get experience from?
I had this idea that you can get experience from different fields, not just more and more from every battle you enter (although that should play a role too).
What about having several "experiences", like winning a battle, exploring a new system, making first contact... And a ship having been though all of those get higher experience that a ship that just has been sitting at the homeworld, defending it, but has seen many battles? Just a thought, what do you think?

vmxa1 · February 21, 2003, 14:26

Nanotwillers or however it is spelled is the best power source for a ship in Ascendancy. I was just tossing a term I thought you would be familar with as it is part of the game. Ok it is Nanotwirler, replaces the Van Creeg hypersplicer.

Harry Seldon · February 21, 2003, 14:32

Maybe you could look at those different experiences and use them to mold the units. Say, you have a scout ship that gains experience from searching stars for new systems. It could gain experience that would eventually make it a "Research" class ship. Give it a bonus of say +10 research points. Or, say you have a ship that plays a mostly defensive role. As they spend more time gaining experience in this way, they could specialize as a "defence" class ship, giving it a bonus for a defensive type attribute. This wouldn't lock them in to this role in any way, just give them bonuses for performing certain tasks. Plus, the ships could still gain experience in other areas as the performed additional tasks and gain additional bonuses. It would make it more difficult to scrap an older ship just to upgrade to the next level beam weapon and help a nonresearch oriented race stay competitive while they tried to catch up.

Yolky · February 22, 2003, 01:20

Drhacker I never got any email.

yolkyis@rogers.com

try again please or pm me and give me your email and will get in touch with you that way.

Davor

Gilgamensch · February 22, 2003, 03:14

Yep, I remember now, just didn't expected it

So in other words, you hit me cold and dirty

vmxa1 · February 22, 2003, 05:43

Thats cool, I have played aa great deal of Ascendancy, I like all those TBS space games with tech trees. Even if it did have a lame AI.

drhacker · February 22, 2003, 09:26

Gilgamensch, Yolky, you have mail! (I hope...)

Ray K · March 1, 2003, 02:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
Has anyone even heard from RayK recently? I think his last post was months ago. I wouldn't be much help with programming unless you're writing it in pascal or basic. That's q or gw, not visual.

I put java Moo on hold in anticipation of MOO3, so it looks I'll probably start it back up soon. My free time has been eaten up lately with the Xmas purchase of Diablo2 and now the start of baseball season (see my site at www.astrosdaily.com if you're a fan).

Java Moo is just sitting on my PC with it's siren call... "Ray, Ray, I need more code"

Never fear. MOO is possibly my favorite PC game of all time and I am determined to resurrect it!

vmxa1 · March 1, 2003, 14:41

Good to hear and I loved Diablo1/2. I finished Nightmare, but never started Hell. In fact I have not done the Cow level in NIghtmare mode, only the normal one.

Ray K · March 1, 2003, 14:56

Good to hear and I loved Diablo1/2. I finished Nightmare, but never started Hell. In fact I have not done the Cow level in NIghtmare mode, only the normal one.

Actually, it was the D2 expansion, Lord of Destruction, that I got for Xmas. Now I'm burned out on it! I don't know about you guys, but I have to rotate between strategy & action games.