Author Topic: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.  (Read 66136 times)

AlexPT

  • Newcomer
  • Posts: 16
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« on: November 17, 2013, 07:10:27 PM »
Hello all.  ;D (sorry if I posted this in the wrong place, but I think this is the right place for it?  :-\)
Ever since I was a little fella, I've been wanting to make a game... but I think that having my ideas in one would suffice. (I could do concept art, but I'm still just a beginner artist and I'm only practicing, still not evolved enough, I could also try to sprite for someone who is willing to do these ideas, but I'm not sure if they would even come out good)
I'll be throwing all of these for you guys who might be interested in making an Old West Roguelike. (and with a tiny bit of fantasy!)

An open world of:
--A vast, randomly generated world, consisting of:
A Desert, where there would be:
Ruins as Dungeons (deep in the dungeons there could be cities like El Dorado and other lost cities);
Towns with shops, a diversity of NPCs and random quest givers (some towns with mines as dungeons);
Nomads, some hostile others paficic/neutral;
Desert animals, and maybe an option to catch them and make them your pet/mount!;
Maybe monsters? Like, giant sandworms.
A Jungle, where there could be:
Tribes, some hostile where you could maybe dialog with them, some paficic/neutral;
Ruins and temples as dungeons (and maybe deep in them lost cities too? :D)
Jungle animals too, of course, and maybe, too, an option to catch them and make them your pet/mount!
Maybe monsters?
Maybe even more if it's possible? Like, some isles, some full of dangers and others paradisiac to build your house :D

--Weapons: all of these weapons from the 1630s to the 1880s old wild west, and some not, well, it's up to whoever picks up these ideas, I did say, though, that they'd have some fantasy
Rifles;
Pistols;
Swords;
Spears (from the indian tribes or not?);
Shields (from the indian tribes or not?);
Maybe "we" can even put a bit more of fantasy and include more, for example, warhammers, etc... ?

--Armors: all of these armors/cloaks, too, from the 1630s to the 1880s old wild west and some not, well, it's up to whoever picks up these ideas, I did say, though, that they'd have some fantasy
Cowboy hats (normal hats too);
Ponchos as cloaks (and maybe indian cloaks);
clothes as armor (maybe vests too?);
armors (what you normally see in a fantasy game and such)
Leggings (leg armor too);
Boots (cowboy boots, armor boots, etc...);
Indian headwear (you know what it's like)

--Mounts & Pets:
Horses;
Camels;
Raptors as mounts? (come on, that'd be awesome! :D y'know, part of the fantasy stuff I talked about)
Dogs;
Parrots;
etc...

--AI Companions

--Character Generation/Creation:
Races:
Humans (sub races: Caucasian, Hispanic, Indians?, etc...);
Dwarves?;
and more fantasy races? :D
Classes?:
Gunslinger;
and more (I just don't know the right names for them. :/)

--Gameplay
Real time roguelike (or turn based, but real time would be different (and imo, better), and perhaps, the old cowboy duels would be possible in it?);
Plot? (I don't really like to have a plot in a roguelike, but that's me, and I'm just giving ideas)
Random quests and bounties;
The ultimate goal would be up to you, for example, conquer this old wild fantasy west, become the best cowboy, help people; survive, etc...;
Crafting;
Bulding?;
Cowboy Duels (if it's possible);
Any mount Races?;
Multiple choices (chose to be good, bad or neutral, well, I think that's covered in the "The ultimate goal would be up to you", oh well xD)
And more?

That's it from me, folks. If anyone is willing to pick these up, please do say so here and let me in on the dev updates! (I also want to test it!!)
Also, I don't know if anyone has these ideas tho, can't read minds, unfortunately, and if there is already something like this in developtment, which I doubt?, link me to it!!! :D
« Last Edit: November 17, 2013, 09:37:21 PM by AlexPT »

Trowel

  • Newcomer
  • Posts: 10
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2013, 10:40:08 PM »
Why not fire up a beginners python tutorial when your fresh off a high from thinking of all these cool ideas, start making your game on paper (write down the features you want, plan the gameplay etc).. Then after a month or so when you feel comfortable with python (it's not too difficult to learn), grab a copy of libtcod and get making the game yourself (in ascii at first).

It's a much easier to ask for help making some tiles for your game than it is to try to 'inspire' someone into making your perfect game  ;)

Besides, what could be more fun than watching your game gradually come to life as you become a better and better programmer? Isn't that part of the point of making a roguelike?

Vanguard

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 1112
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2013, 12:46:06 AM »
Yeah, there's no shortage of idea guys in the roguelike world.  Programming isn't as difficult as it seems, and a simple roguelike is an ideal beginner's project.

Gr3yling

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 168
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2013, 01:15:16 AM »
Raptors as mounts? (come on, that'd be awesome! :D y'know, part of the fantasy stuff I talked about)

A wild west roguelike with raptors as mounts?  WHY ISN'T THAT THE TITLE?

I actually like that, and the idea of the sand worms a lot.  Maybe shamanistic magic could be real also. 

I think the real question, though, is whether this game will include authentic wild west dialogue, like: "I'm gonna fill you full of lead, you yellow bellied coward!!!", and judicious use of the word "mosey", as in: "I'm gonna mosey on down to the saloon to get me some whiskey!"

guest509

  • Guest
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2013, 02:42:11 AM »
You sir have come to the right place for throwing out ideas.

I too am more idea man than programmer or spriter. I LOVE designing systems and little games, but rarely get far in the coding.

No one is going to actually make your game for you though, or include anything except maybe your artwork. Or maybe an RPG system you designed. I've seen both of those happen. The thing is hobby developers have their own ideas, probably 100's of them, and they make RL's to express them. Making someone else's game is all work and no fun.

But hey, I could be wrong, I've just never seen it done.

I use a program called Game Maker to make my ideas come to life. It's actually a pretty easy system to use, I've done several 7DRL's now with it. The learning curve is MUCH lower than C++ or Python.

Also there are several sample roguelikes out there you can convert over to your purposes, and there's the T-Engine as well.

One caveat to throwing out ideas. They aren't protected at all. Some people think they are and then get butthurt if they see someone else do something similar. Please don't be that guy. Expression is protected, the actual words, designs, code. Not the idea. Myspace couldn't sue Facebook, for example. It makes sense too, the expression of an idea is the real work, the idea part is all fun, of little economic value.

Probably you didn't need to know all that, but sometimes people are confused.

AgingMinotaur

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 805
  • Karma: +2/-0
  • Original Discriminating Buffalo Man
    • View Profile
    • Land of Strangers
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2013, 09:46:03 AM »
Hi, welcome, and thanks for an interesting post. Your ideas resonate more than a little with what I envision for my own project Land of Strangers. It's still in its very early phases of development, and going slowly. So I'm more than glad to see some Weird West ideas being tossed around. Raptors as mounts! :o that's definitely on my wishlist now, unless you mind ;)

If you didn't know it, check out Abura Tan, which was developed up until about ten years ago. Also, there were a few failed attempts at cowboy RLs in this year's 7DRL competion. Let's see … Here and here.

As always,
Minotauros
This matir, as laborintus, Dedalus hous, hath many halkes and hurnes ... wyndynges and wrynkelynges.

AlexPT

  • Newcomer
  • Posts: 16
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2013, 02:25:42 PM »
@Trowel & Vanguard
Well, I've thought of learning code myself, but it all seemed very confusing, but maybe I'll actually try and learn. :)

@Gr3yling
Ahah, I actually never thought that my ideas would get replies, but I'm very happy that many people like them.
Shamans? Oh boy, why didn't I think that? O:
Wild west dialogue is pretty badass and that would be very awesome. :D
(and this is why, two heads thinking are better than one, I also forgot to include bows in the weapons, lol)

@Jo
Yeah, what you say is indeed true. (if I had money I'd actually hire professionals to do my dream game XD :b jk)
Well, I might try to learn programming, also, I've used Game Maker before and made some games moking a friend of mine, lol, but it was something really simple and stupid, and well, I might actually learn programming for real this time. :) But I don't know if I'll use GM, tho. xd

Yeah, they aren't protected, I know that, and I will not get butthurt. :D

@AgingMinotaur
Ahah, I definitely don't mind, am actually happy that I'll get to see raptors as mount in a wild west game! :D
Thanks for the links! I'm definitely keeping an eye on your project. :P Stalker style.  8) not xD

guest509

  • Guest
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2013, 09:48:36 AM »
That's great buddy! I always try to point that out when a newer person raps about ideas.

If you look at my past threads I yap yap about ideas and mechanics all the time. It's fun, sometimes valuable to other people, often not, no biggie.

If I had the money my Super Hero Epic RL would be a reality. Guaranteed. I know I lack the drive to do it, I just don't like programming that much, but the idea is great.

As for Gamemaker, you CAN make a good RL with it. I've seen it done more than once. Any programming language will do though. Most of the big ones have libraries that make the basics pretty straight forward.

In the end if you want to make a game you gotta know how to code at least a little. I stick to mostly board and card game making because of the coding issue, but have branched into RL making in the last few years because you can do one without a ton of skill overhead, meaning you don't need a team of artists, sound, effects, etc...you can do ascii bumping around and still have a pretty awesome little game, I love that.

guest509

  • Guest
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2013, 10:11:55 AM »
Also if you were interested in Gamemaker at all I would send you the source to any of my RL games, which is only 2 that I still have. Klingon and Sun Crusher.

AlexPT

  • Newcomer
  • Posts: 16
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2013, 02:16:23 PM »
Ideas ftw! ;D
Pheraps one day you'll have the drive to do your dream RL game. :)

Game Maker always seemed very limited to me... :X but then again, when I used it, it was a lot of years ago. XD And I'm also a beginner, so everything will prolly seem limited?
I don't think that I'll use it.

Well, I don't really know if I'll learn programming, I was all fired up yesterday, but I didn't get very far on the tutorial. XD I'll definitely give it another try, though.
I'm also working on some pixel sprites for these ideas I posted. (are they sprites even if they don't get animated? w/e)

Rickton

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 215
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Weirdfellows
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2013, 08:09:41 PM »
What exactly are you trying to do when you say you looked at a tutorial to "learn programming"? What language?
If you're really just interested in making games, and not really that interested in programming, I'd recommend not trying to learn a major language like C++. It'll take a long time for you to even get to the point you're making a game, because you'll have to learn all this low-level stuff first.
Someone mentioned python and libtcod. I've never used python, personally, but I've heard it's a pretty easy language to program in. Libtcod is a library made for roguelike developers that handles a lot of the not-so-fun stuff already (like display and line-of-sight) so you don't have to worry about it. Again, never used it myself, so others here might have more to say about it.
There's also rot.js, which I believe is a Javascript version of libtcod, for developing on the web.

You could also try writing a mod for the T-Engine. It uses a language called Lua, which is also very easy to use.
My game Possession was written using a Lua-based game framework called LÖVE, and there's a port of rot.js for it, though it came out after I made Possession. There are also several other Lua-based game engines out there, as well). I'd be willing to let you look at the code for Possession, but I can't promise how readable or good it is...the majority of the code was written in only 7 days.

Game Maker is, again, something I haven't used, but it's not as limited as most people think. Some pretty complex games have been made with it. Off the top of my head I know that the original version of Spelunky, and Hotline Miami were both made with Game Maker.


So, I guess, there are a lot of options out there...even more than the ones I've posted. You just have to find what works for you and lets you make the games you want to make!
Creator of the 7DRL Possession: Escape from the Nether Regions
And its sequel, simply titled Possession

Z

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 905
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Z's Roguelike Stuff
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2013, 08:45:23 PM »
If there are dwarves, raptors, or sandworms, then it is not a Wild West game, IMO...

Indian magic, shamanism, and mythology would be OK, though. Or maybe the Mayan starship from Palenque.

AlexPT

  • Newcomer
  • Posts: 16
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2013, 08:55:57 PM »
@Rickton:
Well, I tried to learn Python, so I went to this website: http://www.learnpython.org/ and I got stuck on the String Formatting part, since I got stuck, I never got around to trying out this tutorial, http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=Complete_Roguelike_Tutorial,_using_python%2Blibtcod .
Maybe I went the wrong way about it? :|
I don't know, or maybe I'm just not meant for it?

Anyways, thanks for the links, I'll definitely check them out thorougly. :)


@Z:
Well, dwarves, pheraps, but the thought of a cowboy riding a raptor seems very old wild fantasy west (does this genre even exist, tho? XD) to me, but that's me. :) And you indeed said IMO.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2013, 08:58:59 PM by AlexPT »

Samildanach

  • 7DRL Reviewer
  • Rogueliker
  • *
  • Posts: 453
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • The Indie Ocean
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #13 on: November 20, 2013, 09:00:15 PM »
the thought of a cowboy riding a raptor seems very old wild fantasy west (does this genre even exist, tho? XD) to me, but that's me. :)
Cowboys and raptors somehow makes me think of Bravestarr.

Gr3yling

  • Rogueliker
  • ***
  • Posts: 168
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: An old wild west roguelike? Ideas.
« Reply #14 on: November 20, 2013, 11:48:39 PM »
What exactly are you trying to do when you say you looked at a tutorial to "learn programming"? What language?
If you're really just interested in making games, and not really that interested in programming, I'd recommend not trying to learn a major language like C++. It'll take a long time for you to even get to the point you're making a game, because you'll have to learn all this low-level stuff first.
Someone mentioned python and libtcod. I've never used python, personally, but I've heard it's a pretty easy language to program in. Libtcod is a library made for roguelike developers that handles a lot of the not-so-fun stuff already (like display and line-of-sight) so you don't have to worry about it. Again, never used it myself, so others here might have more to say about it.
There's also rot.js, which I believe is a Javascript version of libtcod, for developing on the web.

So, here's a question.  Learning Python sounds tempting, but I noticed that Crawl, Nethack, ADOM, and DDA were all written in C or C++ (at least according to roguebasin).  Is it possible to write a game with the types of features that ADOM has using Python?  What are the pros and cons of C/C++ vs python in general? 

Also, how long would it take someone completely ignorant of computer languages to learn python well enough that they could start making a game?  I realize that's kind of a vague question, since games come in all sizes and levels of ambition.  So, let's say we are talking about a game that consists entirely of randomly generated dungeon environments (no overworld map, towns, or non-hostile NPC's) and includes a few classes which are capable of using melee combat, ranged combat, and magic.  Let's say there are also 50 total equipable and consumable items and 30 enemy types. 

Could anyone give me a rough estimate about how long that sort of project would take?  Assume I don't want to use a pre-existing engine because I'm stubborn and irrational.