FPSC X9 is still among the best engines for those entering into the world of indie game creation. FPSCR will only bring the software to the next level, and cement its place at the top of the game engine food chain for us indie developers. That having been said, as long as the reloaded engine can do the same thing as X9 only better, then it is worth the money and effort. So that which I am about to list is more about amplifying the engine and development environment, more than “improving it”.
First off let’s talk hard coded (yet editable) features, that were popular ideas in X9, despite the difficulty to implement them.
1.
Inventory and Equipment GUI – This is a must (though you could make it optional in a game configuration setting) for any modern game world. You would have “x” amount of spaces to store collected items, perhaps a section for combining items to make new ones, and slots for the quick key slots 1-9 allowing a player to select which item goes in which slot.
2.
3rd Person View – This is very important, and is a mainstay in games like Resident Evil, or Tomb Raider. I believe this is a must have.
3.
Weather System – This helps to add ambiance to a game, and seems to me it would be less resource heavy if hard coded.
4.
Day/Night System – This should be hard coded, but at the same time allow the developer to configure it to their needs.
5.
A Plug-in System – this would allow people to add new features without editing source, and would allow TGC to create downloadable Plug-ins that could be purchased in the TGC Store.
6.
Segment Editor – Yep, I said it. But at least hear me out first. This would be great for making interior levels, or houses that can be walked around in that can be placed in a regular terrain level. I would hope it would get a major overhaul from FPSC X9.
Advanced Tool Set
This could be done via the above mentioned Plug-In system, or simply as feature additions to the core engine. Personally I think it is great that the community for FPSC X9 was so great about creating software to help in the creation of games, but I feel this is an area that TGC could really take advantage of with FPSCR. So here is my list of additional editors, tools, add-ons, etc for FPSCR.
A.
Weapon Editor – A simple pipeline for installing models for use as weapons. Separate weapons into various types. Melee, Firearm, Thrown, Kinetic. Each of these would have sub categories with various options. Tick Click and export to FPSCR. (Example: Import model [sword.x] import as melee weapon. Select “one-handed” as sub-type, set the beginning and end points for animation, select the damage amount, and click export)
B.
Particle Editor – I know one was created for FPSC, but a more advanced one that exports directly to FPSCR, would be great.
C.
Character Editor – This may or may not be a big undertaking. So here is the idea. You have a male, and a female model. These models can be edited, size, height, add remove limbs (wings, tails), skin tone, face, face shape, etc. {think along the lines of the more advance character creators that many modern games use such as MMOs and what have you}. You can then add only the animations you want to the model, set health, unarmed damage, and what not, then export directly to FPSCR.
D.
Cut Scene Editor – This I think would be a major undertaking. (personally I would probably sell it separately). The idea is simple. Import the scene where the “cut scene” will happen. Import the character models that will be used. Import all sound files, and any other media that will go in. Set all of your cameras at the angles you want. Select the behaviors the cameras will use. Click run, and the scene will run through so you can see it all before you try to record it, allowing you to make any changes needed. Then click record, and it will record the scene and save it as a video file that FPSCR can read. In game the scenes can be added through the story marker.
E.
Game Launcher/Updater/Downloader – I’ll try to keep this description short. In FPSC you had to have a third party app to launch single and multiplayer from the same menu. We need to fix this. A launcher that can launch single, multiplayer, and co-op would be great. Make it editable so that designers can give it a custom look and feel. Set it up so that if a designer creates an update for the game it can be downloaded and installed. Also having the ability to open a website so that people can visit the game’s website. Also adding a structure to the engine that would allow for downloadable content to be added after purchase (which is a big thing these days) would be great.
Sorry so wordy, didn’t want to make a ton of different posts.
Only in the imagination, can the truth be found...
