Let's make an Erfworld game.

[Lord_Butters_I]

As some of you may know, I am an indie video game designer, and if I can get some backup I would like to make a mod of Medieval 2 Total War that resembles Erfworld. Now I am not a programmer or an artist, so me making models or writing code for the mod is out of the question, but I am a decent designer and with the right art and techie support I think this could be a decent effort. Also, if you have a game better suited to Erfworld then Medieval 2 I would love to hear it, but I have yet to find one.

[TigerHunter]

Already been tried once.

Jus' saying'.

[TeeEl]

...there was an attempt to make an Erf-mod of Battle for Wesnoth? How did I miss that?!

Actually that kind of sounds like one of those things where you take one awesome thing, and another awesome thing, and try combining them in the hope of creating a single super-incredible combo thing, but it doesn't work. Like buffalo wing flavored ice cream.

[TigerHunter]

...there was an attempt to make an Erf-mod of Battle for Wesnoth? How did I miss that?!

It was waaaaay back when the comic had just been released.

Actually that kind of sounds like one of those things where you take one awesome thing, and another awesome thing, and try combining them in the hope of creating a single super-incredible combo thing, but it doesn't work. Like buffalo wing flavored ice cream.

Or pizza flavored... anything.

[Lord_Butters_I]

...there was an attempt to make an Erf-mod of Battle for Wesnoth? How did I miss that?!

Actually that kind of sounds like one of those things where you take one awesome thing, and another awesome thing, and try combining them in the hope of creating a single super-incredible combo thing, but it doesn't work. Like buffalo wing flavored ice cream.

Well I don't feel like making an entire game engine myself. Two actually, one for the turn based world-workings and one for the real time combat. All of my original stuff is 2D and based off of the torque engine.

[TeeEl]

I'm not bashing the idea of modding an existing strategy game, I'm just sayin' BfW is not a good fit in spite of its awesomeness.

[Lord_Butters_I]

I'm not bashing the idea of modding an existing strategy game, I'm just sayin' BfW is not a good fit in spite of its awesomeness.

hence my nomination of Medieval 2.

[dr pepper]

This is one wargame i'd really like to play. But i'd prefer it as an actual tabletop game.

[Thydron]

If anyones ever played Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, that seems like it would be a good fit: turn-based, hex movement, multiple races, magic (but not with separate casters), plus people have managed to mod it before, so it's definitely possible.
it's even got a load of different dragons & a unit called "doom-bats"

[K2]

It would be easier, and in my opinion more accurate to the comic, to keep an erfworld game turn based the whole way through. Perhaps make it so you can observe the battles but not interact(and I would go so far as to say that you can only do that if you have a tri-mage hook up like Stanely did)

Either way it would be an awesome game and I would pay cash at the store for it. But I don't know jack about computers, and to be honest we don't know jack about the mechanics of the world it takes place in.

[Miklus]

It seems that Age of Wonders is a good choice. But can you mod the units? It would not be the same without Unipegataurs...

I can see that there is a map editor, though. Stangely, I have never played that game. Is it abandonware by any chance? Or can you buy it somewhere?

[Lord_Butters_I]

If someone wants to code a 3D game from scratch I will gladly design it. We could use Torque Pro for an engine unless someone wants to build one. Hell, with Rob and Jamie's permission (and involvement?) we could sell it. Not in stores, that requires a publisher, advertisements, royalties, and a whole lot more legal mubo jumbo that trust me we don't want to deal with. Digital Distribution ftw. We'll set up a server, or maybe use BitTorrent if we don't want to charge for it.

However, all of this requires someone who can code, and alas I cannot. (Python kicked my ass, and if you know anything about programming that is shameful)

[hiigaran]

I totally agree with the age of wonders people it would be a much better game to mod from.

[Miklus]

Mod-able or not, I simply must have this "age of wonders" game. Maybe I have read too many reviews, but it sounds awesome.

[Kish]

I would seriously suggest talking to Rob and Jami before doing any work on this.

[Lord_Butters_I]

I would seriously suggest talking to Rob and Jami before doing any work on this.

Until we find someone who can code the whole thing is for naught, so once a techie steps forward then we'll talk to Rob and Jamie.

[Xerxos]

I totally agree with the age of wonders people it would be a much better game to mod from.

Hm, I think the most fitting would be Heroes of Might and Magic

[Malanthyus]

The problem with both battle for wesnoth and Heroes of Might and Magic is that the units don't occupy the same hex. One of the specifics of erfworld is that the battles take place inside of the same hex, between multiple stacks.

[Lord_Butters_I]

The problem with both battle for wesnoth and Heroes of Might and Magic is that the units don't occupy the same hex. One of the specifics of erfworld is that the battles take place inside of the same hex, between multiple stacks.

Which is why I like Medieval so much. I haven't heard of Age of Wonders though, I'll have to check that out.

[K2]

I am afraid that moding an existing game probally wont work. Despite being much easier it just wont fit. Erf is built on its own unique rules that don't match any pre-existing game. We know this because if erf did match a game our combined nerdiness would have found said game and created a thread for it. So, the only way to uild a game that gives erf justice would be to do it from scratch.



and that would be hard

[Lord_Butters_I]

and that would be hard

Trust me, you don't want to start trying to code an engine for combat in a 3D space from scratch. It will make you want to claw out your eyes.

[MrPhil]

Popped out of Lurk-Town to let you know that you used to be able to get Age of Wonders at Home of The Underdogs. The site isn't responding right now, so no direct link.
Hope it comes back otherwise I've excited you all for no reason.

Phil.

[topagae]

*Raises hand* Yea. I can do all that. Hell, we even use Torque. Didn't know this thread existed. If it goes anywhere with the creator I'll let you know. If not, then my turn based engine will just have to be original.

[Zolem]

Trust me, you don't want to start trying to code an engine for combat in a 3D space from scratch. It will make you want to claw out your eyes.

Well, why go full 3d up the arse when you can do more casual 2-D work?

[topagae]

3D has more opportunities to make these look the way you want, but if you want to make it easier, 2D is a route one could go as well.

[Pierangelo]

Does anyone else see the direct references between Erfworld and the old classic game Warlords? FOr sure the warlords sequel Dark lords rising. Of course the magic and physics thing in the game is all unique and quite original. I suspect an Erfworld RPG would be a great game. Or a mod on the old warlords game. Whats funny is that I only discovered this webcomic a few days ago and but before that I was also trying to get Warlords to run on my new mac book, apparently there is a way to do it but I can't pull it off :( strange synchonicity that!

[dr pepper]

Just make sure you don't try installing it during a lightning storm or you might get sucked in and be living the comic instead of reading it.

[ericgrau]

This sounds like something that should have 3D graphics but a 2D hex layout. Outside of air and ground, there isn't much of a 3rd dimension in erfworld. Kinda like warcraft. If you don't mind having a fixed point of view, you could render everything in 3D but save them as 2D images or animations. This would be the easiest by far. Heck, it could almost be a browser-based game if you did it this way, unless the file size is too big. If it were that simple then gimme a week off of work (maybe less) and I could script up an engine for the visual part. But ideally it'd be a more immersive 3D.

While overall the game is turned based, the battles themselves should be real-time... ideally. Otherwise all you need are 3D pieces in a "chess" layout. i.e., nothing is animated. Stacks converge, you choose what you want to attack, defender does same, units die, battle ends. None of the action is seen, you just have less units than before and the loser is wiped or captured.

[topagae]

I was thinking something bigger, but if you can really belt it out in a couple weeks. Man do it, we can't do that X_X.

[Lord_Butters_I]

For the graphics, I was thinking about 3D models in a 2D plane, it's something I've worked with a lot. Our art guy creates all the models in Blender, we capture renders of it, photoshop them a little, then import them onto a 2D plane. It requires a fixed camera, but it works.

As for the mechanics, for the world I was going to do the "2.5D" scheme, but for combat it's up in the air. If you think you can get a really good 3D combat scheme working then fantastic, but 2D would probably work. It would be RTS, so it's not like 3D is totally necessary though.

As for my part, I could get basic mechanics in a few days but it would take me a while to design the entire game. Besides, when dealing with regions that haven't been in the comic I think we should bounce ideas off Rob and Jamie.

Obviously if we end up selling the game we'll have to get a licensing agreement with them, let them take 20% or something? I dunno, I've never worked with licensing before, one of our guys is a fantastic writer and creates original IPs for us.