Dream City: Life Events October 2009 Update
Dream City: Life Events game project starts on July 2009 when I'm doing some graphical touch up on Blade Thrust Tactics game. The graphical touch up process is excruciatingly bored the hell out of me. It makes me realize that I have to do something different alongside the graphical touch up process. Spend a few hours on graphical touch up process and another few hours on something else.
Since coding and content creation process for the game has been finished at that time, this gives me opportunity to develop a new game. I always want to do character simulation game that plays almost like reading a diary. The idea is player is controlling a character and try to guide her over her life in terms of job, lifestyle, activities and relationships.
The game runs in turns. For each turns which might represent a week, player will write any interesting event that might have happen in the week. The event might be getting a new friend, starting on a new job, trying new activity and many other events. This is the biggest highlight of the game - player have to end the turn to find out any events that might happen in the week. Some of these events occurs randomly which adds some unpredictability factor in the game.
Turn Based Games Can Be Addictive to Play
Turn based game if done effectively can be addictive to play. The classic example is Civilization series game created by Sid Meier. Although the game is complicated to play, the turn based gameplay makes the game interesting to play because you have no idea what your enemy will do to you in the next turn. You HAVE to end the turn to find out. You can't have this kind of feel while playing real time game.
As I mentioned before in my previous post, I have myself a working prototype of the game. I'm surprised to find out that I will be able to come out with a prototype so early. This could be because the game is basically text based and I borrow a lot of user interface code from Blade Thrust Tactics game.
To give you an idea how the game looks like, here is the game screen shot. Yes, it does not look like too much right now but all buttons you see in the game are functional. I'm using a month to represent a turn but this could change in the future. So far I haven't fully make use of turn based game play because there is only a few events in the game. This is the area that I should focusing on.
Guess what? Why just see the screen shot when you can PLAY the game right now? Yes, you heard it right. I have taken the trouble to create a temporary website for the game. You can read the game details and even download the game from the website. Since the game is text based, it comes in a small 124 KBytes file. If you play the game, don't forget to give me your feedback.
Dream City: Life Events website
Well, happy gaming to all of you guys.
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Tweets From Edy Zahid
- RT @mashable: 5 Ways Teachers Can Evaluate Educational Games - http://t.co/QQEIdMAm
- @Engraverthium You're famous about what?
- Also the new version Dream City games will be redesigned for mobile platform so the game screen size will be smaller around 480 x 320 pix.
- Been thinking to rebrand Dream City games to use character based names such as Priscilla. Brainstorming names please, @karenwilkinme
- RT @mdizone: Lepas 7 bulan pakai s2, baru aku tau dia pakai screen gorilla glass. Trus aku buang screen protector n enjoy the amoled.mmg ...
October 30th, 2009 - 08:59
I have played the prototype version but I wasn't impressed by it. You certainly need to do a lot of work before it can reach a level that most people can enjoy it. Problem is the diary system isn't properly implemented. It does not feel like the character try to chronicle her life right now. You should focus on this element.
Where is relationship stuff? Too hard thing to do, I guess. Bottom line is this is just an early version of the game so I shouldn't complain too much.
October 31st, 2009 - 02:00
Well, thank you for playing the prototype version. I must admit the diary system isn't properly implemented yet. I recognize this problem and have been trying to properly implement it. The next game update will be released on the middle November 2009. It definitely will contain proper implementation of diary system.
With regard to relationship feature, I'm not doing anything about it right now. My strategy is to provide solid gameplay around the character and then moves forward with relationship. So relationship feature is on the back list of my priority right now.
May 19th, 2010 - 23:06
Hello Phil,
Thanks for showing interest in the game. I actually have 2 game projects – Blade Thrust Tactics and another one is called Chronicles of My Life. Blade Thrust Tactics is basically a tactical strategy game which allow you to control a squad of operatives in real time manner. Because of the complexity of controlling multiple characters in the game, I have to incorporate several sets of AI application to it to make the game manageable.
Chronicles of My Life is a character simulation game which allow you to control a single character through her life from 18 years old to 40 years old. I don’t actually implement any form of AI into this game but I use of lots formula for many of the game elements. The biggest feature that I don’t implement yet is a relationship based feature which allow your character to interact with another characters in the game. This allow your character to make friend and even go further the relationship. I might have to incorporate several sets of AI to implement this feature.
It’s a fascinating effort. Unfortunately I no longer involved in this game project. Maybe I will resume the game project in the future and develop the game in Flash so anyone with Linux can enjoy this game
May 19th, 2010 - 22:08
Hey Edy.
Had a look round your site and will come back when I have the time to read it all properly.
I went to download the game too but unfortunately I only run Ubuntu on this computer.
Cheers
Phil.
November 9th, 2010 - 12:53
@Gry Thank you for recognizing the professionalism of professional work that I’ve done. Yeah! PROFESSIONALS!!!