Deep Field
Ok, so lets go with something a bit more complex than I was thinking last night. Because I had a brainwave. Oasis + Weird Worlds! Colonize your star cluster while exploring. Build a civilization in 15 minutes.
Major actions: Colonize solar systems, explore and collect artifacts or scientific knowledge. Almost every action gives points and also improves your abilities. You have a limited amount of time. Might make so that there are different size clusters, but probably it’ll just be set at a number of turns that will make the game last ~ 15 minutes. The game makes you more powerful on an exponential curve. Definitely a lot of luck involved. Wonder if I should add leaderboards…
Major components:
Exploration screen – On this screen the player uses the mouse to designate new star systems for his ship to travel to. This is also the screen where he decides to activate actions like colonizing a star system, exploring, or harvesting resources.
Exploring: Will allow you to collect alien artifacts, catalogue scientific advances, etc. These will all give points, and some may also improve your ships’ capabilities.
Harvesting Resources: Play a minigame where you fly your ship into a dangerous situation. Resources are used to colonize systems.
Colonizing: Colonize a solar system. It will grow over time, trade with neighbors, and research. Trade/Growth give points, research improves your ship’s abilities.
Minigames: (Minigames will be VERY fast. Like Wario Ware fast. 20 seconds as an absolute maximum.)
Sun Diver – In the sun diver minigame, the player uses the mouse to control his ship as it collects plasma from the sun. This minigame will give you energy.
Mining Asteroids – In this minigame, the player uses the mouse to control his ship to move to specific asteroids in an asteroid field and harvest them. Gives minerals.
Mining Gas Giants – In this minigame, the player controls his ship as it drops down to a gas giant and shoots a pipe into it to suck up gasses. Gives gas.
Colonize – In this minigame, the player controls his ship as it lands on the planet and drops off the colonization materials.
Losing minigames will waste time and resources, but will never kill you or anything.
Building your civilization.
Star systems are colonized by spending a certain amount of resources, depending on what type of system it is. Each will require energy, gas, and minerals, but different ones will require different amounts.
Once a system is colonized, it starts generating points. If systems are close enough together, they’ll connect with trade routes. Trade routes increase point generation. Systems will also research, which will increase your ships’ abilities.
Stuff to do:
– Get new version of flixel running (maybe it was a bad idea to go with a new version…)
– Make exploration screen. Make ship that can be moved around by clicking on stuff with mouse. Build basic events that it can run when you reach places.
– Build progression for civilization a la star systems that grow and trade.
– Build sun diver minigame.
– Build asteroid harvester minigame.
– Build gas giant harvester minigame.
– Hook in upgradeable stuff – speed, strength, etc.
– Come up with research and artifacts that improve your ships’ abilities.
– Graphics whenever you need them, unless you use square placeholders. NEVER actually draw something with the purpose of being placeholder. It’ll stay.
– Sound
– Music if you have time. Prolly not though.
