Currently, I'm writing some dynamic game editing tools for myself, that I can reuse between projects on a generic level. But I have refocused to try and keep it simple to start with in this Indie Internet Distribution effort. I've come up with a concept that I've been modelling, and doing sketches for Called "Old Man: Monkey Fighter". Initially it nearly has pac-man playability, but I'm starting small and working extensibility into it. The naming is without Identifible Character, but I didn't want a specific name for humor reasons. Generalizations I think are pretty funny. I figure you have a basic terrain using heightmaps with bush objects, palm trees, looking something like a jungle tropical island like environment, and in the middle of all this is an Old Man referred to as "Old Guy" in game. I'll have sketches, and models done in the near future, I'll post if anyone is interested in looking at it to get a better idea of it. But he runs a Banana Stand in the middle of a jungle, he's hunched a bit, has a cane, and wears a robe and bedroom slippers. No the "plot" or lack there of isn't supposed to make since, I wanted it disassociative for simplicity's sake, and humor. Anyways, you got this little cute monkey's that run up and steal his banana's and run off with them. Multiple monkey. Essentially, to start with at the baseline you beat the crap out of the monkeys with your cane they drop the bananas, and you reclaim them, they run off. That's the bottom level of design, no jumping just sort of chasing, and a non complex character interaction. Later have possibly jumping, where you can stomp there head almost mario style, and do like this linear cane combos on there heads, and like if other monkeys jumped at him, you smack them away, with your cane. So the root gameplay, is monkey beating. There'd be other stages, varying layouts. Moving on in a level, is essentially knocking out all the monkeys, "Old Guy" gets tired of it, and moves his stand elsewhere in the "Island/Jungle", at some point potentially a city environment, which isn't all that cohesive, maybe no citizens in it, it doesn't adhere to a reality sense of gameplay, no rhyme or reason, just silly monkey whupping, possibly Bedroom slipper power ups, which if I didn't mention it, the Old Guy is wearing a robe an Bedroom Slippers as his outfit. Oh yeah, he's bald. 8), and it's a 3/4 top down 3D game. I'm using Truevision3D as my 3D Engine. Anyways, that's the jist of it. And extensibility, if I chose to take it further if it winds up fun enough, I'd like to make it so that there's like Smart Monkey's with eyeglasses, they see random stuff you do or stuff in the environment, and they do stuff, like train other monkeys. Like a Grunt Monkey in my concept, is one with a helmet, and another monkey could have Grenades Strapped to him. And the trigger for this, is a character I've already modelled, and is on my site, I'd have in the city environment, exploding a building, and the monkey gets and idea, huddles with other non smart monkeys, and they take on personalities. Like I mentioned with the 2 Grunt Monkey varieties. Then, the Grunt Monkey combo would approach the stand, to get the banana's, and like if you tried to stop the one with the helmt, the one with the grenades runs up, and the helmet monkey throws the grenade monkey at you to distract you, and he attempts to escape with your bananas. Score would be based on how many bananas you let get stolen, how badly you beat up the monkeys, whether or not you actually beat them up before they got ahold of a banana altogether, etc. Well, that's the jist of the extensibility. I'd like like any input you all might have to offer about the feasibility of such a game as a Indie Project. Do you think a disassociative comical game title like this would be attractive to the target market we are all aiming at? It's certain small scale enough for the DL size to be really small. 2 - 4MB I estimate. Does the idea sound decent to you? Have any Title Suggestions based on my input? Good as is what? I appreciate any feedback. I'll post replies to this thread with graphics in them as get them, even sketches, if anyone shows interest. This is the sort of interaction I hope to get in the forum, I think any other dedicated Indie Developers that is as into it as I am is looking for the same thing. I could be wrong I suppose though. :D Thanks everyone.

If you take out the monkeys, grenades and bathrobes, what is the actual game play? No one will care about the disassociative comic value if the game isn't fun, so work on the fun part first.

Well I covered that in the description. Essentially, I skip trying to reason why he's doing it. But you are in the middle of a jungle selling Banana's at your banana stand. And the monkeys crawl out of the wood work trying to steal them, and you basically beat the crap out of them. It's simple. Take Retro 64's Best Friends game for example. If you are familiar with it. You essentially control a Penguin, or something, collecting hearts and you try to get to where the other "Penguin" is. If it's even a Penguin. Here you are collecting bananas, but the context in collecting them is dependent on if you let them steal them in the first place, when you knock them out they drop what they took, and you have to retrieve it before more try to steal them. I realize to a degree, I'm probably not explaining the concept well enough, cause the way it plays out in my head, it seems really fun. Just mindless action. I'd say it was nearly a platformer, but not really. Minus the platforms. I'm convinced it'll work, just not sure about my naming scheme or presentation, I'll post more content later, once I have it. I appreciate your feedback though. I hope I did a better job on the explaination.

I'd have to actually play it to be sure, but... personally it sounds like it could be quite addictive given that its not too monotonous. (As long as there are little things tha mix up the gameplay a little).

sorry, but i think someone already implemented very similiar ideas...

check the following two:
Ape Escape (http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/july03/apeescape2ps2/)
Super Monkey Ball (http://nintendo64.hotgames.com/games/superm8/review.htm)


And OT just for fun (http://www.addictinggames.com/monkey.html) if we were already talking about monkeys

Well, I've played both of the top ones. In Ape Escape the only relationship to this, is that monkeys are in it, and you interact with them, that's a bit vague for a likeness. And in Super Monkey Ball; Monkey's compete against one another. As far as I can tell it's not enough like what I propose not to do it. I may be missing something. Could you elaborate on the similarities you intended to site?

Originally posted by Accensama
I may be missing something. Could you elaborate on the similarities you intended to site?

Actually, I cant.
I re read your message and it seems like you have a great concept with full of great ideas that were sqeezed into a 37-line paragraph which is quite hard to read.

People who hear about your game expect to find first what genre it is (and similarities to other existing games), the target audience, a short description and its most compelling features. And preferably when its divided into readable paragraphs so it will be easy to skim through.

See, as much as I want to point out in your message where these details are, I just can't. Maybe by organizing those into a well written design document could help you (and us) figure out exactly what you have in your mind and how you're going to implement it.

There are no bad ideas. And yours sounds pretty good. I suggest you go ahead with the project. But before you do, arrange your ideas well on paper. when you have it before you, you wont have doubts.

Here's some links to explain what i meant:

A great format for starting out a game design document (http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article243.asp)

Gamasutra's Creating a Great Design Document (http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19970912/design_doc.htm)

Gamasutra's The Anatomy of a Design Document, Part 1 (http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_01.htm)

Gamasutra's The Anatomy of a Design Document, Part 2 (http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991217/ryan_01.htm)

Sorry about that, I hadn't commited anything to paper, I pretty much blurted that out.

I actually do practice using Game Design Documation. Before I got to work today, I wrote the Treatment. It's divided into sections, with relative headings. Some ideas may bleed into each section when another more defining concept hit me, but my treatment, and game specification docs are continually evolving. I have 2 sections to refine a bit, and the Game Treatment doc will be done.

I will check out those links you gave me though, might be a new way of doing it I like even better. Sorry about the run ons, it was just the first time I ever felt compelled to write it out. I do that time to time, so I can think better about a concept, I've had it in my head quite a while now, 2 years I think, in it's infancy. I'll post a reply in this thread with a link to the doc when it's done, and I'll update the doc with imagery as I finish segments of it. I refined the concept a lot this morning, added stuff I never even had in mind before, sounds even better to me, and fairly addictive. Sounded like a pleasant prospect to me before, now it feels like a great concept. To me anyways, and I don't often like my own ideas so much.

I appreciate the feedback, I'll try to format my posts after I write all my ideas down.

Originally posted by Accensama
Sorry about that, I hadn't commited anything to paper, I pretty much blurted that out.

No apologies are necessary. The fact that you blurted it altogether means that you have enough motivation and passion to create the game.

Actually, you should write all of these on paper for future reference. Because after you'll finish all of the basics of your game, you'd like to remember what extras you wanted.

Good luck!

I don't see the similarities at all. These are two completely different games.

BTW, I slapped the monkey at 848 mph! w00t!