Co-op Lego Building Mod Idea --- Help + Opinions Wanted.

[Satan]

Ok, so a little while back, I stumbled across a little game called Blockland ( www.ageoftime.com/blockland ). It is multi-player cooperative lego building. It is very addictive and fun. However, recently it has been decided that it's likely going to go retail.

I have decided I would like to make my own Co-Op lego building game, using the Source engine for two reasons:

1. Blockland uses the Torque engine, which is rather dated, Source would open so many more possibilities.
2. I beleive such a great game should remain free, and many are asking for an alternative to having to buy the game, such as a new game of the same type.



I can picture it now, build a boat out of legos that really floats and steers , and thats only the start.

Picture Garrys mod, only legos, and you will start to get the picture.


I am making this post because I want to know what the community thinks of my idea, and also because I will be needing to get a team together if I ever want my dream to become reality.

I can do some of the modeling, but I will need coders, modelers, texture artists, etc.

Please reply to this post if you are interested in being on such a team, or just to comment on the idea.

Thanks,
-Satan

 

[short recoil]

i wouldn't play it for more than 5 minutes but i guess others would....if you can get a solid gameplay type down then go for it.

 

[Satan]

that was what I said about Blockland when I first heard about it, but as soon as I started I couldnt stop playing, I play for hours at a time now, building lego cities, lego castles, lego ships, towers, boats, etc. But they are all static, with my mod idea, so many possibilities would be opened, build cars and a track, put weapons on them, and race around, or a lego cruise ship with rooms on it, that you can sail in the ocean, different people operating different parts of the ship. I have too many ideas to even list here, the possibilities would be endless... Your lego creations would come to life with Source's physics.

 

[short recoil]

well if you are using the source engine and you plan on having individual blocks it might get a little hectic and run slow.

garrys mod is the sort of thing thats best, thing made from "bits" ....wheels, axles, guns, floats, wings, poles.....bits to make up whatever....blocks would not be as good and would take longer to build stuff.

There are other mods already planned with the building type idea, if you make one its gonna have to be pretty good to compete, garrys mod being already released.

 

[Pilo]

IMO, just use garrys mod in a map that has lego textures. It;s been done and will only keep me entertained for a couple of minutes.

 

[Satan]

Yes, ive just talked to some people and heard there are alot of building mods being made, which excites me alot, even though they wont use legos. I wasnt really hoping to compete, just make a mod that I know if I myself would love, and anyone who loved blockland would enjoy as well. But you make a very good point about the individual blocks, I kind of doubt peoples computers would be able to handle that kind of poly count with large constructions...

 

[short recoil]

I kind of doubt peoples computers would be able to handle that kind of poly count with large constructions...

Its not about poly count at all, its about the physics calculations, particularly over multiplayer.........it would sketch out.

With each block being a 6 sided object you could in theory have a few thousand rendered at the same time, just like with hammer brushes, so if there is a way to "lock" them into the map then it could work, take some 1337 coding though.

 

[Dekstar]

I actually think this mod sounds like a great idea! What about having a campaign mode to add to it, where you need to create certain things to get past obstacles while shooting things? That's just another idea

And all these people who are bitching about hjow Garry's mod is the same as this - it's not. For instance, With this you could build proper looking houses using the blocks, and have cool looking objects. It's just the beginning.

 

[theGreenBunny]

Hadn't seen blockland was going retail and the free version won't be updated, that sucks :|.

Now about this mod. The only reason blockland doesn't lag you to the next life when you've built big things (except for engine (fps) lag) is because there aren't physics. All the server needs to track is the static position of a bunch of blocks, what color they have etc.

If you add physics to this it would become a lot more laggy because all the blocks require a lot more server resources. You'd have to disable physics for the blocks (ie. freeze them) as soon as they are placed. And without physics you'd basically have the current blockland version in a different engine.

 

[Satan]

Perhaps physics for buildings could be disabled, and physics for vehicles you build could remain...

 

[Satan]

Guess this idea is dead...

 

[LongFo]

Guess this idea is dead...

Hey don´t give up just yet, this mod would be awesome !
See if there is some way around that physics problem.
Best of luck and I really hope a mod like that would be made.
More Lego to the people !

 

[PoeticRocker]

this is cool!! LONG LIVE LEGOS!