The conceptual laboring of Heureusement

dbickett on 2006/03/27 04:39 of heureusement

If any of my ideas for a game up to this point weren't some simplified variation on the RTS genre, they've been accidental. I like the idea of a big perspective and the opportunity to build on what has already been done over time. However, since my Pygame skills are laughably minimal, and I have a personal inability to settle for anything that I'm not absolutely enthralled with, I've spent these first two days using every idle moment (of which there has been precious few) trying to innovate conceptually but keep programmatic complexity within my Pygame skill level. So far Team Heureusement has considered two ideas, begun work on one, and has absolutely nothing to show for any of it. Of course, the amount of general progress that can be seen on the main page of Pyweek gives the impression that we're virtually the only ones who still have no idea, so that has kept the pressure on. From the most recent brainstorming session fueled by this feeling of being left in the dust, I present the BASIS for our third and official idea :) (All numbers are tentative.)

The scope is a 5x5 grid (invisible, but visually suggested most likely). On it, let's say there are three arbitrarily, or perhaps inconveniently, (or cleverly, or...) placed geysers. From these geysers spew a constant flow of steam. Now, the player is manifested in the form of three incredibly moronic stick figures that occupy one cell of the grid, or perhaps move outside the grid's restrictions entirely. The relationship between the group of morons and the geysers/steam is where the idea remains slightly murky, however for the sake of putting the idea on paper, let's say that when the stick figures "realize" the presence of a geyser, they construct some sort of directional contraption ( i.e., a pipe ;) around it. Now, there needs to be SOME OBJECTIVE involved with where the steam available on the map is directed, or how it is utilized, or something. The actual goal of the player presents a gaping hole in this idea, which will eventually be filled. However, the way the stick figures and the player interact will be the most unique part.

You see, the player will facilitate the morons' recognition of a geyser by simple directing them towards it with a mouse click, perhaps. But how will the player control what the figures do when they get there? Well, being a very simple, though similarly, minded group, the shape that they have "in mind" will be conveyed through their formation where they stand. For example, if the shape that they're thinking about is a straight horizontal line, the three figures will stand in a straight horizontal line. If it's a V shape, they'll stand in that V shape. By observing the formation in which the stick figures stand, the player will be able to predict the design that their construction will have once the stick figures come across some site where construction of sorts is compulsory for them ( i.e., at a geyser, at the end of a pipe, etc.) So, how will the player influence this shape that the stick figures are thinking of? With the keyboard, of course!

The player will press three keys in sequence on the keyboard. The keys must all touch one another diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, to be considered a cohesive set of three keys. For example, if the player presses T, H, U on a QWERTY keyboard, this will "suggest" to the morons the shape "V" and they can be expected to then take that formation on the platform/plane/field/grid, after which the player can again rest assured that their constructive endeavors will also assume this shape. In order to make this work, we'll have to set up a definite palette. This might be the preliminary "decided orientation" or the keys, as far as QWERTY keyboards are concerned:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Q W E R T Y U I O P
A S D F G H J K L ;
Z X C V B N M , . /

...Thus solving any discrepancies caused by the difference in keyboards. Example: "GHU" is the equivalent of "XCF", "QW3", "M,L", and so on. Using this system the player will attempt to control the retarded group of stick figures (think Pikmin), and take advantage of the result of their labor in order to achieve some yet-to-be-determined goal.

I'm now going to begin working on a prototype for controlling the shape of the group of figures.