Steam Community: Continuum/Subspace

[General Shadow]

As soon as I figure out my steam acc i will join this xmas break

PS why are we doing this?

We are doing this to get more people get addicted to subspace

[PoLiX]

I also now feel using the Steam Engine may, just may be a good way to go. I have seen quite a few decent 2d and low end 3d games made using it and they work excellent. You don't have to be Steam Only to use it either I have been told. This I may look into more.

 

It has all the hard work pre-coded... so dunno might give someone some motivation.

[L.C.]

You don't have to be Steam Only to use it either I have been told. This I may look into more.

Correct. Look into TrackMania Nations (free via Steam). The Steam-downloaded and installed version works fine with or without Steam. Play around with it, copy the game over to a computer without Steam, etc. Edited December 5, 2009 by L.C.

[PoLiX]

TrackMania I could never find if it was really coded using Valve's SDK or if it just used Steam as a launching platform.

 

I meant that when I said using Steam's Engine, sorry.

[Samapico]

Steam Engine... do you mean the Source Engine?

[PoLiX]

Yeah, there ya go. Been so long since I played CS couldn't think of the damn name.

[L.C.]

Source engine is a 3D game engine that Half-Life 2, Left4Dead, and Counter-Strike: Source are made on. I'm not sure Source engine has anything to do with Continuum/Subspace. :?

[PoLiX]

Ok... Here is what I am trying to say now that I'm having a less hectic day.

 

The Source Engine is released to developers in a SDK by Valve. People have used this engine to make multiple 2d games, and a few semi-3d top down shooters, and top down style games. Also just some low end 3d games that aren't much. The engine has all the basics already built into it for building a client for SubSpace. Protocol, Network, etc.

 

I have heard that there are some games that have used the SDK but can be run outside of steam. Trackmania I could never find if it used the Source engine. Guess I should re-download steam and look into it all more again.

 

But was just stating that maybe someone who had tried creating a game before (few have came and talked to me recently) mind find it very easy to code SubSpace into a steam enviroment.

 

Just something worth thinking about.

[Samapico]

Pretty sure Trackmania doesn't use Source. But you're right that Source is a very flexible engine... though I also think one of the strong points of Source is its 3D physics, so I'm not sure if it would be very advantageous to use it for a 2D game. It would certainly allow for a lots of physics stuff though, like pushing stuff around in space, collisions, etc. The whole multiplayer thing is also covered by that engine.

[L.C.]

Trackmania doesn't use Source engine. Personally, I don't think Source engine would be appropriate for Subspace, especially for a 2D environment. Although I would be curious to know what Dr Brain and others might say (if they had the chance to review the Source SDK). Don't you have to own Half-Life 2 at the minimum to play any game that is under Source engine?

[Samapico]

Don't you have to own Half-Life 2 at the minimum to play any game that is under Source engine?

No

 

If you want to make a free game with the source engine, the only requirement will be to have installed ANY source game (like Team Fortress 2, which is like 5$ on steam). This gives you access to the Source SDK (of any publicly available version). Would probably be possible to get some kind of license to use the engine in a stand-alone game, but that'd certainly cost money.

[Static Burn]

join the gamespot.com union as well

 

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/home.php?union_id=Continuum

[Testtube]

I joined up Last time i checked we are up to 142 members how does this attract more people to the game though?

[PoLiX]

This group isn't totally focused on attracting players as much as it is showing steam we still have an active player base that already supports them. They have yet to send me any e-mails back with updates. Just something I assume is a standard/bot reply of "We are currently processing other games, and will get to 'Continuum' as soon as possible. Sorry for the delay. ."

 

I might resubmit the entire thing this x-mas break. Shipyard is in stand down until Jan 4th for the x-mas holiday, and unless I get called in for something emergent, I'll be off and home. So going to spend some very needed time on SSO/SSF.

[Gannon8]

Neat! *Joins*

My username be Colonel Thirty Two by the way

 

It appears that the Source engine is 3D, and subspace is 2D. Don't think you can put the two together, and instead of writing a completely new game, it might be easier to write a mod for Garry's Mod.

Edited January 2, 2010 by Gannon8

[PoLiX]

There is a 2d Version of Half-Life. a Side Scroller at that.

 

The Source Engine is just a graphics engine, not a 3d or 2d exclusive engine.

[L.C.]

There is a 2d Version of Half-Life. a Side Scroller at that.

That is a Java/Flash-based game.

[PoLiX]

MM... been a long time, so mighta been. Swore there was a 2d mod.

 

But reading through some forums about the Source engine and 2d, it is possible.

[Dr Brain]

That'd be like using the SS engine for tetris. Whether or not it's possible doesn't matter; it's not a good idea.

[PoLiX]

Got bored and did some more reading/searching.

 

Source will support an overhead view game. There are some patches for 2D side scrolling/overhead spaceshooters, but I think an overhead 3d world would be rather interesting for some of the things zones like DS like to do.

 

Not saying this is our route, but there are a few programmers I've talked to who don't feel like re-inventing the wheel like they've felt like they've been doing attempting a client of their own. So just trying to help give them ideas/input.

[L.C.]

Unless you buy a license to Source engine, you must own a Valve game that is based off of Source engine. I might be wrong, but taking this route would require players to spend $$$. Valve isn't going to let anybody access the Source engine for free.

 

EDIT: Idea is interesting though.

Edited January 3, 2010 by L.C.

[Dr Brain]

There are some engines that might work for SS, but I don't think the Source Engine is a good choice. It might make getting to 60% easier, but that last 40% will be a nightmare for a SS style game.

[a tool]

i don't mean to revive a kind of dead topic.

 

nightmare or not, deving ss in source would give ss some semi-resemblance of unity or purpose instead of everybody doing their own thing. if ss SOMEHOW made it to steam, there's where the bump to population would occur. however, the pricing and who actually OWNS the ss licence is still a problem..

 

we can spam boards and do petitions to our hearts extent, sure, but when the pop still drops ever so slightly, even after making upgrades and new bots and engines and shit, there's still a problem.

 

i dunno. hopeful thinking, perhaps.

 

here's a picture of a square watermelon.

 

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/hoxxx140/architecture/square-watermelon.jpg

[L.C.]

Source engine is still the wrong engine to use for a game like Subspace I think. The Source engine was not made, designed, or aimed for games like Subspace. Sure, it has an SDK open to everyone and stuff, but that's directly influenced by the design of the engine.

[cyanyde]

No offense, but until the server and client are opensourced and pooled, this place will slowly die. Edited June 20, 2010 by cyanyde