Contest 3 - Ant Farm Game

[Electroman]

Contest 3 - Ant Farm Game


Language

VB6 & VB.NET. Your entries should be submitted in a Zip file with all the source files required, however they will be compiled before we test them so it would be wise to check they work compiled. I say that because the last contest had some entries that only worked in Debug Mode .


Deadline

The dealine for this contest will be Saturday 4th December (23:00 GMT).


Main Aim

You have to create a puzzle game in which the aim is for the player to collect all the food from a map using a number of ants and take it back to the nest.
The exact rules are left to your freedom so that you should all be able to create different games. Please note that using DirectX will be allowed but not using it won't mean you'll loose points, its also worth noting that using DirectX could cause you problems if it runs different on the test machine to yours (your can expect the lastest version of Dx to be installed on the test machine though).


Some Suggestions

First of all to be clear these are not required but just a couple of ideas to get you going.

• Routes fade away as used so there is a limted amount certain paths can be used.
• Enemy Ants could be included. (If so you should decide on turn based or real-time)
• Moveable obstacles.
• Scoring system.
• Where ants start from.

What Do I Win?

A Custom Title which can include color tags. This will last either 30 days or until the next contest ends (Whichever is longer).


Where Do I Send My Work?

To submit your work create a new Thread in the Contest Entries Sub-Forum. Please title your Threads "Contest 3, Ant Farm Game - Username", changing Username for your username. Attach a Zip file to the post and include all your source files in it.


Any Querries?

If you have any questions then your welcome to send me a PM or any of the other people running the contests.


How Will It Be Marked?

We will be looking at various aspects of the game to see which will win. Points we will be looking for will include things such as Appearance, Features, Challenge, Unique Ideas, Fun, ect... I will draw up a more detailed list in the next week or so so you have a good ideas of what we'll be looking for. Mind don't be worried if you've not made a game before because this is just a simple puzzle game which just normal experiance with VB will give you the ability to do.

[wossname]

Nothing like having a well defined design brief to work towards is there?

[Pino]

Originally posted by wossname
Nothing like having a well defined design brief to work towards is there?

we thought we'd give you some more freedom this time so its you as a designer/coder not just robots who do what they are told

[Asgorath]

I agree with Woss its too vague for my taste.

[alkatran]

Sounds like Sim Ant for the SNES

[Electroman]

Posted by Asgorath
I agree with Woss its too vague for my taste.

yes but if we gave too many details then they would all be practically the same.

[StevenHickerson]

I'm a robot.. let someone else handle the design!

lol.. well ok I will probably try this, but I've never been very creative.

I'll probably just wait for the extended list within the next week to get more ideas

[Pino]

this app gives you the freedom to do what you want .... that surely is a good thing....

[alkatran]

What about multiplayer elements? Does it matter if I need a second server program?

I'm thinking of taking an asteroids game I have done, and changing the pictures.

[RobDog888]

Sounds like a "Pac Man" type of game. I was thinking it would
be a different type of contest this time around. Oh well. Got to
wait for the next contest which wont be until some time next
year.

[Electroman]

Multiplayer would be ok if you can add that easy? I mean like its meant to be a puzzle game but I suppose I can think of a couple ways this could be done.

[Electroman]

Posted by RobDog888
Got to wait for the next
contest which wont be until some time next year.

Probably about a month, the plan is to have one eah month from now.

BTW Pac man only had one player though, this would have more . I see the resemblace though.

[alkatran]

Originally posted by Electroman
Multiplayer would be ok if you can add that easy? I mean like its meant to be a puzzle game but I suppose I can think of a couple ways this could be done.

I have premade modules which make multiplayer as easy as adding Modwinsock.bas, winsock control, copy paste a bit of code into the form annnddd...

Of course I still need to figure out what data has to be sent through the server and what not... but it's easy

[Electroman]

Posted by alkatran
I have premade modules which make multiplayer as easy as adding Modwinsock.bas, winsock control, copy paste a bit of code into the form annnddd...

Of course I still need to figure out what data has to be sent through the server and what not... but it's easy

When I said easy I was more meaning towards how multiplayer would fit into the gameplay . But its good to not have the trouble of coding it all too .

[alkatran]

Originally posted by Electroman
When I said easy I was more meaning towards how multiplayer would fit into the gameplay . But its good to not have the trouble of coding it all too .

Multiplayer makes almost everything better. Even if it's just seeing someone else playing beside you.

Which reminds me, I need to get that minesweeper flags ripoff program I made working again... It's not put together well yet

[McCain]

Yeah! A new contest! Great! I've been waiting for this. Sounds like it could be fun. Too bad I suck at making graphics...

Way to go contest admins! I think this whole contest idea is awsome!

[vbasicgirl]

what about some other contests that can be entered by a lot of people like myself who are still learning and wouldnt have a chance of entering this contest.

just more simpler things, not too simple but stuff that could help learners like myself to increase their knowledge.

thank you.
casey.

[Pino]

as you know the forum contests have only been a round for a few months, its still getting orginised!

Vbasicgirl we understand you point and we are working on a contest at the moment which i fell you and all of the forum could participate in

saying that the amount of freedom you have been giving for this contest should leave you able to produce something?

just bear with us w are trying to get the right balance of the right types of contests!

PINO

[McCain]

How's everyone doing with the game? Do you have anything running yet?
I just did the level loading and drawing. I will try to get my ants moving today.

[BodwadUK]

can we do the searching as we want or does it have to be random pathfinding. eg can we track for food specifically.


Ok is it a game involving ants and collecting resources that is open too our own discretion???

[McCain]

Do we have to make the ants search for the food them selves? Where does the "puzzle" part of the game come in then?

[Electroman]

Posted by BodwadUK
can we do the searching as we want or does it have to be random pathfinding. eg can we track for food specifically.


Ok is it a game involving ants and collecting resources that is open too our own discretion???

Think you kinda got lost there, your meant to make a puzzle game, the player would do the "collecting" of food using the ants .

[McCain]

Thanks! For a moment there I thought all my work was in vain...

[BodwadUK]

Dont know if I understand enough even to bother

[Ecniv]

Sounds like Empire of Ants ... or was it Ant Empire...

I installed it and lost all my ants when winter came :/ uninstalled the soon after.. nothing to grab the attention unfortunately...



So the main aim of the game is gameplay?
or graphical landscaping?

Just wondering, Pikmin 2 has some lovely landscaping...

Could the ants game be expanded to be multiplayer in the future?
Players attacking each other with ants (worker/warrior/big warrior)?
Are the top ten best games going to be compiled into one collection?


Bodwad/Wossy:
Its for Rapid development of games? I mean those who want to form a game creation company or are interested in getting into a development team could use this as 'experience'?
As to the too open, its the interpretation of the developer.. who said it had to be earth ants... ?

[BodwadUK]

I have a unique idea for a game. I could make it for the competition and myself

[Electroman]

Posted by Ecniv
Sounds like Empire of Ants ... or was it Ant Empire...

I installed it and lost all my ants when winter came :/ uninstalled the soon after.. nothing to grab the attention unfortunately...



So the main aim of the game is gameplay?
or graphical landscaping?

Just wondering, Pikmin 2 has some lovely landscaping...

Could the ants game be expanded to be multiplayer in the future?
Players attacking each other with ants (worker/warrior/big warrior)?
Are the top ten best games going to be compiled into one collection?


Bodwad/Wossy:
Its for Rapid development of games? I mean those who want to form a game creation company or are interested in getting into a development team could use this as 'experience'?
As to the too open, its the interpretation of the developer.. who said it had to be earth ants... ?

Well the main aim is really the overall quality of the game. The scoring system will br broken down into things like Gameplay, Graphics, and some other stuff so its like everything put to gether.

As to the top 10 being compiled well we'll be making all of them public in the Contest Entry forum. The multiplayer aspect can be included at this stage if you want but its not essential so if you have time you could add it (mind if you do get them figthing don't forget to have the food in there too ).

[wossname]

Can it be a text-based ant adventure like Zork, where you are maically transported back to a bygone era where nobody even had CGI cards?

[BodwadUK]

[Merri]

Yeah, ASCII would be great. Use Terminal, you get nice graphics with that.

Hey, I'm serious on this!

[McCain]

Yeah! Ascii art would be awsome. But I don't think that's what wossname was talking about.

[McCain]

Originally posted by Electroman
I will draw up a more detailed list in the next week or so so you have a good ideas of what we'll be looking for.

Can we please have that list?

[Electroman]

Mark Scheme

• Unique Ideas - 25
• Features - 20
• Fun(Gameplay) - 20
• Appearance - 15
• Challenge - 15
• Code Quality/Style - 10

If you need any of these explained further just post here or send me a PM.

[wossname]

Originally posted by Electroman
Mark Scheme

Is that your real name?

[BodwadUK]

and I thought it was Willy Wonker

[McCain]

Thanks for the list

[BodwadUK]

Well I have finally started mine

[Electroman]

Posted by BodwadUK
Well I have finally started mine

Are you gonna do one like you mentioned in the PM? Seemed like a good idea if you still have the time.

[BodwadUK]

Yep I have the basics done now, its the ants I have to do now. Half way through the workers bit anyway with food and everything.

[McCain]

I wonder how many actually are taking part in this competition... I started working on it, but droped it when I couldn't get the collision detection to work like I wanted...