IN PROFUNDIS - Cave exploration game in development

[JWHarris]

There isn't as much in common here with Minecraft or Terraria as you'd think. There is no crafting for instance, and watching your finances is a larger part of the game.  In fact, Miner Dig Deep on Xbox Indie might be a closer match.

[JWHarris]

I tried to comment on this but the app crashed, to summarize what I was trying to say:

[mrkirky010]

@JWHarris, Many people are saying this is a terraria 'Rip-Off' which was also called the minecraft/ FF5/6 'Rip-off', making you a rip off of a rip-off, but i don't feel this way i feel that this game has a good grounding for success and should succeed ,

Good Luck,

Kirky.

[jarblewarble]

@JWHarris Someone made a mod for Minecraft called the Finite Water Mod that has some of this game's functionality in 3 dimensions. The water behaves very similarly in Minecraft Finite Water as it does in this game, although most of the other physics of Minecraft are kind of primitive in comparison to your game. This game kind of reminds me of the "Falling Sand Game", except that it's an adventure game.

[jarblewarble]

@JWHarris: As this game is now, it's basically in the same genre as Terraria, which didn't yet exist when this video was posted! So I think this genre is rapidly gaining popularity with the success of Minecraft.

[jarblewarble]

@JWHarris I've been playing with cellular automata for a while, and I just made a simple gas simulation... and then there's planet generation and tree growth too, but I haven't gotten there yet.

[dplusavg]

Totally love the idea, in fact, this was exactly what I was searching for... Can't wait until someone with technical know-how puts something together. Definately include some cave diving with choices of gases and ccr's. Too cool. Good luck. I'd help but have no money or useful technological skills, just an imagination, I'd be happy to help with the writing... Later

[theoriginal42]

I like the story at the beginning of this. It really gives a good idea of your vision for the game, as well as some game mechanics and typical play. It reminds me a little bit of ThreeToe's stories for Dwarf Fortress, and I'd be happy to see more of them during development. Best of luck; it looks like you're already got the start of something fantastic.

(Oh, and the kickstarter donation model is perfectly legit, since donating is optional and the game be purchased later anyway. Thanks.)

[xxDarthxAndrexx]

All these diffusion physics are astounding.

[Bananadine]

This looks cool.

Here's another thing that may be "the future": parallel computation. Are you using that? It seems well-suited to this sort of game. OpenCL mang, somebody's gonna combine it with a Minecraft-ish Dwarf Fortress-ish design and hit the motherlode. Well, unless their design sucks. :)

[JWHarris]

@Bananadine, are you referring to using multiple threads to run the cellular engine? I've thought about that, and I do have some idea for how to support it. Unfortunately the prototype is written in Python, which is notoriously single-threaded. But I am keeping it in mind.

[Bananadine]

@JWHarris Yeah, that's what I meant. I work in Java, and I'm accustomed to making multithreaded algorithms via the FJTask framework available in that language, which is pretty easy to use. But maybe a cellular automaton's core is simple enough and "mathy" enough to be foisted onto the graphics hardware--that's why I suggested OpenCL, which is capable of facilitating that, albeit much less easily. But of course, I have no idea whether your design actually requires any extra speed. :)

[JWHarris]

@Bananadine, it doesn't require extra speed _yet_. I'm just getting into the platforming engine now, and while the calculations needed shouldn't be nearly as many as the CA engine or the tile rendering, there's no real way to tell before implementing it. I probably should look into OpenCL however, as I have a theory that cellular automation would be a great fit for it.

[boogiebac]

Looks really cool John...good luck getting it funded, and don't let Internet spawn hamper your enthusiasm ;)

[Microwavish]

lol as if you need $5000 to make this piece of shit

[JWHarris]

@Microwavish, if you do not like the idea then there is no need for you to pledge anything.

[metalhead0043]

@Microwavish The guy is trying to make something unique and you have to be a dick for no reason.

[Microwavish]

@metalhead0043 I'm not being a dick for no reason, I'm being a dick because he is a fucking asshole asking people to give him money when he doesn't need any money. Make the game on your own and then sell it, don't beg people to pay you first.

Also, his game looks like shit

[JeffTheRambler]

@Microwavish

You do understand that donations DO help people like him. Developing games like this takes time away from work and various other things. The money is to support people during the development, and if you donate, when the game comes out it is free for you.



[Microwavish]

@JeffTheRambler Pixel made Cave Story without begging the internet to give him $5000, this faggot should be able to do the same thing (only difference is the game he's making is shit)

[JeffTheRambler]

@Microwavish

Everyone's financial situations are different. And when you donate, you are practically buying the game, so by advertising to people to donate to him, he's essentially just advertising his soon to be game, like a normal person who is hoping to make some money would do.

And why are you so full of hate? You act as if this guy insulted you directly or something.

[Microwavish]

@JeffTheRambler There's no promise the game will even come out, he's a fucking panhandling faggot like everyone who asks for money on kickstarter

[JWHarris]

@Microwavish, look, you don't have to like the idea or the idea of fundraising for it, and you don't have to contribute. You don't even need to refrain from expressing displeasure -- within reason. But what you DO have to do is stop threadshitting, okay? At this point you have more than reasonably expressed your disapproval of the idea. If you keep harping about this I'm going to block you.

[RavingKunaiX]

@Microwavish

Ignorance is bliss.

[JeffTheRambler]

This looks like a brilliant idea for a game! I'd donate, but I have no means of doing so besides a gift card balance on Amazon, and Amazon doesn't seem to want to let me use it, only credit cards! ( Which I don't have ) Reminds me of Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft, and I hope it comes to be partly that, yet a unique game of its own description! Best of luck on this development, I think you're on the brink of something very great!

[JWHarris]

@JeffTheRambler, thank you for the compliments! Minecraft and DF are inspirations yes, although I hope to scratch different gameplay itches.