To the Devs: Multicart for Charity

[8-Bit Waves]

I have been thinking that it would be neat to collaborate with other devs and one of the multicart manufacturers to make a yearly (or even a one time thing) multicart for charity. Aside from the hardware costs all money would go to a charity that we would have to discuss.

If enough devs commit a small game it would be a pretty cool little cart. The hard part would probably be getting someone to produce the hardware and basically manage the money. Also potential tax issues with donations could get weird?

Is this too ambitious? Any thoughts?

[Malban]

I like the idea.
I wouldn't mind doing a smallish game. But actually since I am not THAT creative...
it would be nice to have some ideas for SMALL games :-).

Cheers
Malban

[Peer]

I also like this idea and would provide a small game. I will start thinking about an idea. If more than one comes up, I'll share

Cheers,

Peer

[cNp]

I try to do a charity Vectrex auction each year but I'd be happy to supply a game too. With my other games to physically make sell and ship I'd have to opt out of involvement on the HW side.

[gliptitude]

I'm not sure what constitutes small, if maybe it is mostly a matter of work rather than hardware or number of K.

Maybe some stuff that already exists could be adapted:

Skull Soccer! - a hidden game from Nox/Deathchase

Gloaming Zone - the non-3D game from Stramashzone

miniature version of Warrior - 2P only, (no A.I.) and no pits, (no overlay and no alignment).

Mar 5, 2020 3:40:32 GMT -5 Malban said:

I like the idea.
I wouldn't mind doing a smallish game. But actually since I am not THAT creative...
it would be nice to have some ideas for SMALL games :-).

Cheers
Malban

A non-shooting steer and thrust game using the Atari driving controller. Perhaps an asteroid dodge or a maze game with obstacles.

A stationary ship centered shooter, (like Vector Pilot or new MineX) using Atari driving controller.

In general a steer and thrust shooter taken as a design challenge, considering what exists already and restricting yourself to the simplest route to a minimally new concept, no superfluous graphics or out of scale embellishments.

In general, 2P only versus games requiring no AI and no level design.

Perhaps make a call for submissions of one of these types that appeals to you, or another type. Perhaps specify some boundaries according to your personal preferences, such as no collaboration once you start working and idea subject to change however you see fit.

A new drawing or animation program, perhaps where lightpen is an option but not required. (Move a cursor with joystick and also have a manual coordinate system) (I had a lot of fun in the past with Vectorzoa's program for making a ROM of your own drawing, then just being able to see it and move it and change scale fluidly with the joystick. It'd be cool to do this without a computer or flash cart. Nobody else seems to care for these type of programs but maybe they are different and more accessible programming jobs which require less creativity).

Cube Quest - improved to be fun, or a game inspired by the concept.

*** In general, games which are not challenging or demonstrations that feature game elements and interactivity without planned courses of action. So demonstrate only the means of controlling a thing and the particulars of your choosing. It is fun to control an object remotely, such as a vehicle or a character. If it is a character it may be animation intensive. Whether it is a vehicle or a character, there are various established control schemes which are interesting to compare and contrast, fetishize, exaggerate, fine tune etc. Consider steering and thrusting versus joystick directional control versus Joust versus Battlezone versus Pole Position versus Release versus I,Cyborg versus Mad Planets. Consider how gratifying and simple the engine sound is in Pole Position and Night Driver. .. Consider shooting a bullet versus a laser beam versus a sling shot. Consider shooting versus aiming and executing a task other than shooting, such as tossing a rope with grapple. .. Consider the odd codependent movement in Zantis and Warrior, where objects move as if attached by strings to other objects. Consider how particular any of these things can get and that it is fun to play and test them and recognize the particulars, even without a gaming goal. Consider fantasy elements, such as the ability to jump very very high and the exhilaration of that, or the ability to double one's self and control two bodies in unison.

Ideas along these lines could be conceived kind of like a Tamagotchi or like a simulator in the third person, an interactive thing inside a Vectrex aquarium. If you don't have to focus on a whole environment or challenge you can put everything into one object.

I think it'd be awesome to have a realistic human figure (or as realistic as has already been done in I,Cyborg, Pitcher's Duel or Fastball WIP) FIXED IN THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN, able to walk and run in place, squat and jump straight up and turn left or right to do these same actions in a profile view and for the user to control these actions. Also simply stand in place and have 360 rotation. .. Space would be completely empty and nothing would be mathematically 3D, just sequences of drawings. Perhaps joystick turns left or right but walking is controlled by button tapping, running by button tapping faster, jumping by holding down button to squat then releasing it. Maybe you can only jump/squat while standing still.

.. Another general idea is to do a 3D starfield better than has yet been done on Vectrex, and improvise some gaming activity to accompany it.

.. Smooth scaling is so awesome on Vectrex. Maybe redo a game you have already done before or a copy of a classic, with a user controlled feature that dramatically increases or decreases the scale of everything at will during the game.

How about an Asteroids game where small targets scale into large ones to be avoided after being shot. Maybe large ones crush small ones in their path. Maybe there is a sound effect that makes the scaling feel dramatic. Maybe thick sound effects drive all of the drama in the game.

[big10p]

I'm not sure if it counts as a 'small' game, but I'd love to see a Vectrex version of the arcade game Carnival (Sega 1980). I'm new to Vectrex so haven't looked into development on it yet, but if/when I do, I was thinking about having a go at doing this game.

[8-Bit Waves]

Nice! Four potential games so far. I'm not sure what a good number is but if a few more devs are willing that would probably be enough to talk about it more seriously. I know everyone has multiple projects going on plus a real life so if it doesn't happen then maybe we can talk about again it in the future... although 2020 is a great year to do something like this.

A "small" game can mean different things to each of us. For me it means a single screen game that won't take months to fine tune and polish. Somewhat simple graphics, audio, gameplay but still fun. It is really up to the individual though. Original ideas are nice but simple arcade ports are nice too if you can't think of anything. A size restriction could be interesting but that would all have to be discussed if it becomes more of a reality.

Hardware, packaging, processing, etc. is really where we will hit a wall. Having someone volunteer to do all that is a lot to ask I think. Without knowing any numbers I think we will probably just have to give that person a non-volunteer rate. You experienced devs have better insight on costs and potential "sales" numbers than I do so if we get a few more devs on board maybe we can have a less public discussion about that.

We can discuss a charity at that time as well. I'm not set on anything but there are a few causes that I think we can all get behind. I know it is sort of backwards to do it this way but I figured more people would be open to it if they had a say in the charity. I'm personally very open to any known good charity that is working to make the world a better place. Selling through eBay might be a good option as they can just take a percentage and give it to charity.

gliptitude - You have some good ideas. I've actually thought about doing a Tomagotchi type thing a lot because my wife likes them (for 10 minutes anyway).

big10p - You should persue that. I'm not at the level of these other devs but I really enjoy working with the Vectrex. I sort of like it more than playing games.

[binarystar]

Cool, I'd been thinking about doing this for the past few years! Happy to contribute any way I can.

[Malban]

Some ideas
- related to existing games :-) ...

- RallyX (centered auto rally)
- DRAGSTER

Or with generated content:
- Pitfall
- River Raid
- HERO

[binarystar]

Mar 6, 2020 5:52:50 GMT -5 Malban said:

- DRAGSTER

Reminds me, I should finish off my own version of this.

[Malban]

Ok - removing that from my list :-).

[Peer]

Don't know if similar things are already out there, but what about:

• A simple sliding puzzle game, namely the "15 puzzle"? Automatically scrambled, then solve (maybe against time).
  

• A simple slot machine game? Three rotating wheels, bet money, start and stop the wheels, then win or loose. But the whole thing not completely random, but with some way (requiring speed and skill) for the player to influence the stopping of the wheels.
  

[50tbrd]

Mar 6, 2020 9:02:03 GMT -5 Peer said:

Don't know if similar things are already out there, but what about:

• A simple sliding puzzle game, namely the "15 puzzle"? Automatically scrambled, then solve (maybe against time).
  

• A simple slot machine game? Three rotating wheels, bet money, start and stop the wheels, then win or loose. But the whole thing not completely random, but with some way (requiring speed and skill) for the player to influence the stopping of the wheels.
  

You did quite a wonderful and unique job on Vec-Man, so it really wouldn't matter if someone else has tried to execute it before. Space Invaders, Tempest and Asteroids have been done several times and each has its merits. 

[50tbrd]

Mar 5, 2020 14:38:04 GMT -5 gliptitude said:

A new drawing or animation program, perhaps where lightpen is an option but not required. (Move a cursor with joystick and also have a manual coordinate system) (I had a lot of fun in the past with Vectorzoa's program for making a ROM of your own drawing, then just being able to see it and move it and change scale fluidly with the joystick. It'd be cool to do this without a computer or flash cart. Nobody else seems to care for these type of programs but maybe they are different and more accessible programming jobs which require less creativity).

Doodle Joystick - www.binarystarsoftware.com/?page_id=460

[gliptitude]

Mar 6, 2020 5:52:50 GMT -5 Malban said:

- HERO

!!!!!