C# Programming Beginner Tutorial: Designing the Game with Programming Logic in Mind (Part 2)

Welcome back Everyone!!! Let's catch Fire and make some STEEM!!! I love making STEEM (& SBDs for that matter)!

So last time we met, we discussed the Game that we will be creating as a way to learn C# in the best way possible... by doing. I cannot stress enough how important it is to the learning curve for a person to actually take the time to participate in education. Having worked in the Childcare field, I know how much our minds are tied to tasks in order to understand... this is why I have the Homework sections of these tutorial-based Posts.

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To review, we are discussing our game: Fight Or Flight: Space Capture the Flag. We went over some of the nuances of Game Play and how it would work and now we'll continue to discuss things further.

We'll do more coding lessons soon, but I want to get through the next couple of Tutorials as a way to discuss the Game Conceptually before we start to dig in and create the specific components.

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So here's what we'll be discussing over the next few weeks to break up the monotony of actual Code and Logic:

**The Basic Overview
**Game Play
**The Look-and-Feel
*Game Concept
*Game Features
*Game Items
Game Scoring
Game Add-Ons
Game Purchases and Item Purchases
Game Tactics

** - Covered in Previous Post(s)
*- Covered in this Post

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Game Concepts

So, we did discuss the game in overview and introduced some of the Game Concepts; however, I wanted to really focus on some of the concepts that will drive the game and the fun. This might not be super-exciting in this section of the Post, but it's necessary to think about these things if you want to create a game that is fundamentally sound as well as potentially lucrative.

Engine

The Game Engine: Wash. Rinse. Repeat. This is basically what the Game Engine does. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

When I say that, I mean that there is a standard Function within the code that will cycle through the base processes (eg. Check Ship, Calculate Shielding, Update Repairs, Show Star Field, Show Ships, Listen for Triggers, etc.) and then back to the start. By doing it this way, we will be able to write code segments that can be repeated without having to write the logic over-and-over.

This also allows us to just keep cycling through the same logic in a repetitious fashion in order to update the Game Features and Functions.

RTS

The Gameplay Style: The game will be a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game. Embedded in this environment will be dog-fights between the SpaceShips that allow for players extra-skilled in twitch-based action to become powerful Gamers. Chat-based communications will allow for Comm interaction in public, private, and protected. The public setting will be the general chat forum for everyone; the private setting will be akin to Direct Messages to specific players (for strategy or bribery or just casual commentary/banter); and the protected setting will allow players to communicate with the entire Team in a protected way so that the public audience does not see the communications.

Scoring

The Gameplay Scoring: I still need to flesh out all the components that will go into scoring and levels; however, I know that earned-money will be primary. The earned-money that I mention means any in-game currency that was not yours to start with, be it through wheeling-and-dealing with others, completing missions, defeating and scavenging for sale, or looting (which I'm on the fence about, since the in-game currency begins as real currency).

There will be a Leaderboard for the different Level Tiers (Universes) in order to show the best of the Players. this gives those that are on top bragging rights until they are pushed up to the next Tier, where they will suddenly become the plankton that the minnows eat.

Players

The Players: I hope to have all casual gamers (and some more hardcore gamers) interested in playing this game. I hope to have over a million players within the next few years, once this is out and available out of Beta... first we need to get it into Beta, though.

AI

Intelligence & Artificial Intelligence (AI): The game will not be housed only with real people playing. There will also be AI-based ships roaming and scavenging and looking for a fight. These ships will communicate with canned-conversations based on their repair needs... they will never advance their base ship's weapons and shielding. This way the difficulty against the computerized players will not become too difficult.

In addition, the plan is to use a tiered system of skill-based Universes. As an example, if your ship Levels Up to the next tier, you will be pushed into the next Universe. This way, players with like skill levels can play against each other to keep the Playing Field on somewhat equal footing.

$

The Financials: So, this component is one that I will not be diving headlong into as it won't affect us yet. It basically means, "How are we going to monetize our game and make it profitable?" Well, I'm not good at Marketing and I'm not really interested in using in-game ads (if I can help it), so we will take this into account when the time comes. I'd rather focus on the other topics that I can actually affect for the time being.

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Game Features

I'm not going to go into any in-depth definitions of these Features, but instead am going to just list out some of the Features that I am interested in adding to the system. Following is this list in no certain order short of how they popped into my head:

Taunting
Dog Fighting
Scavenging Materials
Buying/Selling Materials
Repairing Mechanisms
Bribing
Shooting
Flying
Orbiting
Landing
Mining
Capturing the Flag
Using Diplomacy
Upgrading the Ship
Selling the Ship

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Game Items

Here is a quick-hit list of Items that I have thought of (please comment with any other items that you would like to see in play):

Short-Range Sensor Array
Mid-Range Sensor Array
Long-Range Sensor Array
Photon Beam Cannon
Photon Blaster
EMP Wave
Laser Gun
Sonic Disruption Cannon
Wormhole Escape Shot
Power Shield
Gravitational Pulse
Radio
Communication Console
Land Rover
Satellite Watcher
10X Shielding Power-Up
20X Shielding Power-Up
10X Weapon Power-Up
20X Weapon Power-Up
Low-Grade Mining Sensor
High-Grade Mining Sensor
Space Crane
Repair Arm
Maintenance Expeditor
Magnesium Block
Copper Coils
Circuit Breaker
Palladium Ballasts
Escape Door
Escape Pod
Ship's Wing
Silver Tubing
Gold Plating
Ball of Rhodium
Dead Bodies

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Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next lesson!!

Here are previous lessons if you need to brush up:

Basic Concepts & Ideas
First Look at Actual Code - D&D Focus
Variables & Data Types to Fuel the Game Engine
Designing the Game with Logic in Mind

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Posted on Utopian.io - Rewarding Open Source Contributors

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