Instructions: Edit the page. Bump the count. Add a new category if you must. Don't mess up existing counts, unless you're changing your own previous vote.

What kind of game milieu do you want to build? |Post-apocalyptic driving game | 1 | |Extensible space game starting in one system | 3 | |Space game with lots and lots of systems | 0 | |Want to discuss it some more | 1 | |I'm just here for the pie | 1 |

Note Also: Most of the site, thus far, has centered around space sims - two alternative pages that deal with the first two options are AutoDuel and Post Apocalyptic Driving. Check 'em out - and then revise your vote ;-) [Just Kidding!]

Istvan - 4/23/02 - Six votes, and been that way for some time. How many active voters are we?

DWM See 'Core Group' on Member Directory. Looks like one holdout so far. Jim posted the silly vote. I'd say we have consensus that allows us to continue on our original course. JDH Yep, I agree (as the only dissenter I took myself out back and beat myself up a bit)

DWM I thought about it, and I really prefer a space game. Overwhelming opinion in a different direction won't deter me from participation, though.

DJH A PAD has the appeal that there aren't many out there, and I know from experience that the gladiator style combat can be rather fun, but I think backstory is a problem. Post apocalyptic milieus are by definition really damned depressing (there's been an apocalypse, after all!), and everything is a struggle for survival. I'm also not convinced that we can focus efforts effectively on the engine, particularly if we add racing capabilities that attempt anything other than a basic simulation.

JDH - Can you explain that last sentence a little more? DJH As far as I can tell, a racing sim requires more accurate responsiveness than battlecars. Collision management is a big deal because you're expected to be right next to each other all the time. Traction, reaction time, braking, ping time, etc, all play a crucial role every instant. You can get away with representations that are much more crude if the cars don't spend lots of time next to each other. Like in a space sim or FPS. Istvan I think Dave raises a highly important point regarding game responsiveness. I'm going to try to track down some information about existing online driving sims, to try to get some clue about how this issue is being addressed in the supposedly existing games. Simple reviews should be somewhat revealing, not in technical details, but in terms of playability issues cropping up. JDH Jim, Frank & I have played Porsche Unleashed. They have two modes of play. The first is recommended for use with low speed connections and uses predictive algorithms to place your opponent cars - it doesn't work very well. The second uses a higher data rate and places the car based on received information and works very well (I don't know how well the second method would work with a 56K modem). Seeing as the three of us are all LPB's we used the second method to race through the Swiss Alps, the South of France and various other exotic locales while trying to drive each other off the road.

ABC I think we should stay with a space sim. There may be many space sims out there already, but that just means we should be better able to find out the "how to"s in making a MMOG. I think if we learn how to do things on a space sim, we will be better suited to build a PAD as a second, more viable, project.