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Game Design > Game based on a cloneable program state.

#109562 - sgeos - Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:57 am

Seems like it might be kind of interesting to write a game that revolves around cloning the entire program state. I'm thinking something along the lines of:
A) Start with a single state.
B) State clones are either automatic and time based or user controlled (or both).
C) The user can only interact with one state at a time.
D) All states are updated with or without user input.
E) User interaction causes a state to fall out of sync with its clone. (presumably in a positive way)
F) PC- each state has a different window. DS- only two states visible at a time.
G) At the end of the session, the score is based on one or all states.

I could also see pruning states, either as a way to make things more manageable, or as a way to cap resources. Actually cloning the program state might be a crude way to pull something like this off.

-Brendan

#109568 - keldon - Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:57 am

Reminds me of a gamesmaster challenge where one guy played multiple action/puzzle games simultaneously on seperate arcades.

I believe that there should be some way where the actions of the player will detirmine the flow and sequence of the other states when he is not watching them; and there must be a reason why you would want to change the state of one and not the other.

Something about this definition reminds me of a genetic algorithm, but I can't figure out what it is exactly.

#109589 - sgeos - Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:03 pm

It seems to me that many of the player actions should be time based. Put mana into changing the weather, etc. This way you can be "doing" something in one world while paying attention to the another one. If everything is abstract and timer based, I could see running out of things to do. Other direct and powerful abilities should be available. The balance is that you can only be one place at once.

My current thoughts are something along the lines of populous- only you are an evil god and your job is to corrupt and destroy. Change the climate/weather, mountains, floods, plague. You draw mana from corrupted beings. You can corrupt at will. Click- mana source. The goal- corrupt everything, everywhere (or just kill everything). The problem- reality keeps splitting off and you can't be everywhere at once.

Note that when reality splits, everything is cloned. If you've corrupted even one critter, he'll provide mana in the new window even if you don't pay any attention to it. (At least until those pesky forces of light purify him. The worlds are self cleaning. =) If you have almost won, you'll have two copies of a map that you've almost beaten. Resources can not be transferred from one world to another.

The game flow would be something like this:
Unleash death and destruction on active world.
Wait for split.
Put dormant world(s) in a state that takes care of itself.
Check dormant worlds now and then. Swap active worlds now and then.
Repeat.

-Brendan