Lucid Dream Game 3D idea

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 05:49 AM

Hey, guys!

I know there's already a thread out there for a game about lucid dreaming, but it uses GameMaker as its main engine, and it's 2D. Of course there's nothing wrong with that; I use GameMaker too, but if you're like me, you'd probably enjoy a fully 3D game that leans more on the action/RPG side than platformer.

So that's what this thread aims to do: organize a group of people who can make a 3D game about lucid dreaming.

What we'll be using: Unreal Engine 3 (using the Unreal Development Kit from Epic Games)

What we'll be creating: A 3D action game with RPG elements and an in-depth, non-linear storyline. Multiplayer gameplay should also be anticipated, although I think we should work on making a good Single Player game first and foremost.

And as for the storyline, I actually came up with a storyline (somewhat inspired by my own dreams) about lucid dreaming. Originally it was intended to be for a movie, but I think it could just as well work as a game:

Spoiler for Storyline Idea:
Say a group of people (most likely from some weird cult or something that would cause them to have a fascination with dreams) discovered how to create machines that puts them into a state of lucid dreaming. They can remain in the dream as long as they wish, and exit when they wish as well. And then they discover shared dreaming, and get into other people's dreams. But they also discover that the machines give them the ability to control other people's dreams. And they use that to affect certain people terrorist-style, to the point of even controlling government leaders.

Then, one unsuspecting average guy will accidentally stumble into a lucid dream. He goes through a door expecting it to be to his living room or something, but instead finds himself in a huge room lined with doors on every wall. Inside each door he finds the dream of another person. Inside one door, he finds a friend of his being victimized by one of the aforementioned cultists. They'll convince said friend to murder someone the next day. Upon waking up, the hero will find his friend and try to stop him, only to witness the crime, thus convincing him of the cult's reality.

From then on it will be a series of puzzles that eventually lead to the real location of the cult, which the hero can use to find and kill all the cult members before they execute a massive plan that will result in worldwide nuclear warfare. The dream room will function as a basis for non-linear gameplay, each door being a level and containing a piece of the puzzle. And of course different lucid skills will be picked up along the way, beginning simple, and ending up very complex so that the player can easily run on walls, call up a number of psionic-like powers, and do all kinds of things. Of course the enemies will increase in difficulty as well so that the player will never become too powerful.

One unique feature that the game could include is a 'lucidity meter', basically a measurement of how lucid the main character is during the dream levels. This will affect the character's reaction speed as well as what moves he can pull off in the dream. For example, with 10% lucidity, the character may be able to do a roll on the ground, but with 100% lucidity, he can do a number of flips and other acrobatics. Certain very large objects may be able to be moved by the character at 100% lucidity, but at 10%, only smaller objects can be moved. That kind of thing. The lucidity meter would rise and fall based on a number of things. Sighting a dream sign, for example, would increase lucidity, while getting shot would cause you to lose lucidity. As you gain more experience, it will also be easier to fill the lucidity meter and harder to empty it as well.

Who we need: Well, we're using a game engine from the source up, so every game-related aspect needs to be covered. This would be: Modelers, Animators, Mappers, Scripters, Texture Artists, Music Composers, and Voice Actors

There's really no limit for who can help with what. The more people we have, the faster and better this will be, so bring your friends!

Tools:

The UDK comes with most of the tools necessary to create a game with it. However, for modeling, music, and voice recording, other tools will be required. Personally I recommend 3DS Max, Maya and Mixcraft for these tasks, but some free and open source alternatives include Blender3D, Audacity, and Jokosher

But the one thing that everyone will need to refer to is the Master Game Script. This is a regularly updated reference guide for the game creators, so that as they create content, they'll be able to get an idea of what they need to do to remain coordinated with the others in the project. A story summary, individual level summaries, and lines for voice actors will all be here. The rest will be up to the imaginations of the creators...you! This is supposed to be a game about dreams, remember, so feel free to go crazy and have fun with it (but keep the game to T or low M, please

**MementoMori** · 02-24-2010 06:44 AM

there you go

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by MementoMori

there you go

Thanks! Sorry for the trouble.

**MementoMori** · 02-24-2010 03:39 PM

np, you may want to edit it to better reflect a "New Thread" rather thasn a response to another thread

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 04:25 PM

Done

**Kangaxx** · 02-24-2010 04:35 PM

You've got everything i can't do

.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Kangaxx

You've got everything i can't do

.

Well, like I said, Quake III is one of the easiest 3D engines I can think of when it comes to learning how to use it. There are tons of tutorials out there, too...if there's something you're interested in doing, I'm sure you could figure it out with google at your side

**Marvo** · 02-24-2010 05:24 PM

Just a suggestion, but maybe you should try using the UDK instead. It has a way more advanced physics engine and Unreal Scipt + Kismet Tool can most likely accomplish a lot of the things you want to do. Additionally, Unreal Editor 3.0 is supposedly the best editor in the world, because of its endless amount of features.

Maybe I can do some texture work you, though I'm not really sure that I'm fit for it.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Marvo

Just a suggestion, but maybe you should try using the UDK instead. It has a way more advanced physics engine and Unreal Scipt + Kismet Tool can most likely accomplish a lot of the things you want to do. Additionally, Unreal Editor 3.0 is supposedly the best editor in the world, because of its endless amount of features.

Maybe I can do some texture work you, though I'm not really sure that I'm fit for it.

I'm definitely open to Unreal Engine. The only reason I didn't suggest it is because I personally don't know how to do modeling/animating there, just map making

But if you or someone else can fill in that gap, I'm all for it.

EDIT: I'm downloading the UDK right now; I'll give it a look through and see if I can't figure out the character modeling side of things

**Marvo** · 02-24-2010 06:00 PM

I don't really know. I really don't know anything about how structuring games works, and the only language I can code anything in at all is Java and processing, which is really just applied java.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Marvo

I don't really know. I really don't know anything about how structuring games works, and the only language I can code anything in at all is Java and processing, which is really just applied java.

Well if we do end up going with Unreal then pretty much anyone can make maps, at least, never mind what programming knowledge you have/don't have. UnrealEd is by far the best mapping program I've ever used.

**Marvo** · 02-24-2010 07:16 PM

I can help make some maps perhaps, though I really don't know too much. I imagine what we'll be making is a puzzle game, right?

edit: I also might take this opportunity to learn a bit of coding/scripting, if just UScript and Kismet

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-24-2010 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Marvo

I can help make some maps perhaps, though I really don't know too much. I imagine what we'll be making is a puzzle game, right?

edit: I also might take this opportunity to learn a bit of coding/scripting, if just UScript and Kismet

Yes, mostly puzzle. It will have plenty of fighting sequences too, but the puzzles are the priority.

Well so far I like what I see of the UDK. My only thing with it is that at the moment I can't see how one would turn the finished product into a stand-alone game. I haven't read much of anything on it yet, though, just exploring for now

**Marvo** · 02-24-2010 08:54 PM

It's supposed to work that way. The UDK is the same thing that pro companies license.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-25-2010 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by Marvo

The UDK is the same thing that pro companies license.

...which is why I know there's a way to create a stand-alone version of the game that functions from a customized .exe; I just haven't figured it out yet

**Merro** · 02-25-2010 04:12 PM

What about a Half Life engine? I've seen a video on youtube where some guy makes a Half Life Mod based on Lucid Dreaming and the effects of the mod was really cool. Also don't you need any testers?

**Marvo** · 02-25-2010 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Skarr

What about a Half Life engine? I've seen a video on youtube where some guy makes a Half Life Mod based on Lucid Dreaming and the effects of the mod was really cool. Also don't you need any testers?

You can't create stand alone games with the Source engine without actually licensing it. Unreal Engine 3.0 is free, aslong as you don't actually make money off your game. If you do, 50% has to go to Epic Games or you have to license the engine, which is very very expensive.

**Merro** · 02-25-2010 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Marvo

You can't create stand alone games with the Source engine without actually licensing it. Unreal Engine 3.0 is free, aslong as you don't actually make money off your game. If you do, 50% has to go to Epic Games or you have to license the engine, which is very very expensive.

Oh ok, I may need to download Unreal Engine and try it my self.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-25-2010 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Skarr

Oh ok, I may need to download Unreal Engine and try it my self.

Cool! Hopefully today I'll be able to spend time actually reading about it instead of just fiddling around with it myself.

My guess is, though, that UE3 will end up being what we go with, so I'll go ahead and edit the OP to adjust for that change

**Merro** · 02-25-2010 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by LiveInTheDream

Cool! Hopefully today I'll be able to spend time actually reading about it instead of just fiddling around with it myself.

My guess is, though, that UE3 will end up being what we go with, so I'll go ahead and edit the OP to adjust for that change

Will it be a game its self or will it be a mod for the actual game? Ah sorry for sounding like a noob lol.

**Marvo** · 02-25-2010 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Skarr

Will it be a game its self or will it be a mod for the actual game? Ah sorry for sounding like a noob lol.

UE3.0 is not a game, it's a game engine. The UDK is basically all the tools you need to create a UE3.0 based game.

**Kraftwerk** · 02-25-2010 10:47 PM

I'll monitor progress, and if it progresses enough and you still need a mapper/ extra mapper, I can step in.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-26-2010 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by Kraftwerk

I'll monitor progress, and if it progresses enough and you still need a mapper/ extra mapper, I can step in.

Ok, I'll remember that

I guess I should probably get some form of script together...we'll need a story summary, individual level summaries, and game features, I suppose. That way everyone involved will be able to claim their part of creation and remain coordinated with everyone else.

**LiveInTheDream** · 02-27-2010 06:52 PM

Well, I don't have a lot of time today, but I'm reading up on the UDK right now and hopefully I can work a bit on a script, too.

Oh yes, and I had another idea. Do you guys think an entire forum for this game would be a good idea? I mean, that way non-DV people could pitch in, and I could advertise for help on gaming websites where people use the UDK all the time and have lots of experience with it. And who knows? Maybe it would even draw in some more lucid dreamers to DV!

**Marvo** · 02-27-2010 09:35 PM

Before you actually have something, I think making an entire forum is going overboard.

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