{"author_name":"montyontherun","cat":"LD #29","comments":[],"epoch":1398555900,"likes":1,"metadata":{"p_key":"31398","p_author":"montyontherun","p_authorkey":"4639","p_urlkey":"66889","p_title":"Almost 24 hours later\u2026","p_cat":"LD #29","p_event":"LD29","p_time":"1398555900","p_likes":"1","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"4639","us_name":"montyontherun","us_username":"montyontherun","event_start":"1398384000","event_key":"22","event_name":"LD29"},"text":"

My project is a very small, simple one.<\/p>\n

No. That’s a lie.<\/p>\n

I realized there is no multi-head, multiplayer focused, opensource \u00a0submarine simulator out there, so I decided to write one. This LD Jam will produce a prototype of it. That’s one kind of game my father would always play with me (Silent Service, for NES).<\/p>\n

Multi-head? What do I mean with that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simple: If you ever tried playing a submarine simulator, you will quickly realize it puts THE ENTIRE SHIP under your command. And while this is cool for a ride, seems somewhat unsuitable for combat, where you quick and precise responses from every station. I remember getting annoyed by the “change current station” behaviour of 688 Attack Sub. I would try to lock on a sonar signal, but switching to weapons and locking a torpedo was so cumbersome that I would always lose the lock.<\/p>\n

So, in my simulador, every station is a separate application you can (and should) run on a separate machine (or tablet, or phone). You could\u00a0even invite some friends over and have them fill in for every station available! Cool, huh?!<\/p>\n

…And what if, on top of that, you could compete with other human-controlled submarine? Take some other 5 friends of you can go for a 3 x 3 competition! But that multiplayer server will have to wait for a while.<\/p>\n

About graphics:<\/strong> for this prototype, there will be none. The simulator itself will be kind of a Telnet server on steroids, opening a telnet connection for each available station and offering a text interface to command that part of the ship. Eventually, I will have graphical clients. I have SVG handling libraries I’m itching to use for a eventual Cartography station.<\/p>\n

What I intend to deliver<\/strong>: a simple “multi-head” submarine simulator, but not focusing that much on realism.<\/p>\n

I grew up playing A LOT of Microprose simulators, specially in the Stealth Fighter series. I would love to deliver a game with at least one mission mimicking that kind of simulation.<\/p>\n \n