Thread: Lucid Dream Game Idea

I think in a lucid dream, where you can do what you want, in the game, it should be highly customizable.

Originally Posted by Soulnote

I think in a lucid dream, where you can do what you want, in the game, it should be highly customizable.

Of course. It will be difficult but I have a couple ideas on how to do this. I may end up spending a little time
working on an interface in which the player can design and manifest weapons, instruments, supernatural abilities, etc...

Originally Posted by Shadow27

Of course. It will be difficult but I have a couple ideas on how to do this. I may end up spending a little time
working on an interface in which the player can design and manifest weapons, instruments, supernatural abilities, etc...

Another simple dream like thing would be something like giving the player the ability to change colours of things, like red grass with black skies or something like that, simple, but dreamlike.

I was kind of thinking that maybe we could do this as the protagonist learning to lucid dream in the beginning of the game
and @Rawracookie I was thinking we might be able to market this for XBox or PS2/PS3

Like on the XBOX/PS3 as downloadable distribution? I'm pretty sure we can still release it under a license we like. The GPL does not prevent us from charging for it. But anybody else who has it can distribute it for free if they so choose.

If you mean like manufacturing boxed discs and sending them to retail, I don't think that is feasible. First, I think you have to purchase rights to whatever SDK they have to develop it for the console (I think). Then we would have to get it manufactured. That's a big investment that I don't think we can make. If we want that, we would have to probably just sell the idea to a developer.

At any rate, I think our best bet would be to develop for Windows/Mac/Linux/etc. If nobody else knows anything about Linux, I do, and can help us program it in a way that would be portable to a Linux PC (which would also probably be portable to Mac).

One motto I have is: "Of course, there is the third path." Which means there is always one more path than the obvious.

Right now we have: Digital console distro, retail console distro, and digital PC (Macs are PC's too. PC does not equals Windows, no matter how much M$ wants you to think that way) distro.

So, this path is digital distro on your cell phone app market whatevers. Your iOS and Android and maybe whatever else there is.

So we have DL console, retail console, DL PC, and DL cell. We can also do a combination of those. Some work on porting might be required. Keep in mind that DL PC option is the easiest to test, and everybody here probably has a computer to test it on.

Originally Posted by Rawracookie

Like on the XBOX/PS3 as downloadable distribution? I'm pretty sure we can still release it under a license we like. The GPL does not prevent us from charging for it. But anybody else who has it can distribute it for free if they so choose.

If you mean like manufacturing boxed discs and sending them to retail, I don't think that is feasible. First, I think you have to purchase rights to whatever SDK they have to develop it for the console (I think). Then we would have to get it manufactured. That's a big investment that I don't think we can make. If we want that, we would have to probably just sell the idea to a developer.

At any rate, I think our best bet would be to develop for Windows/Mac/Linux/etc. If nobody else knows anything about Linux, I do, and can help us program it in a way that would be portable to a Linux PC (which would also probably be portable to Mac).

One motto I have is: "Of course, there is the third path." Which means there is always one more path than the obvious.

Right now we have: Digital console distro, retail console distro, and digital PC (Macs are PC's too. PC does not equals Windows, no matter how much M$ wants you to think that way) distro.

So, this path is digital distro on your cell phone app market whatevers. Your iOS and Android and maybe whatever else there is.

So we have DL console, retail console, DL PC, and DL cell. We can also do a combination of those. Some work on porting might be required. Keep in mind that DL PC option is the easiest to test, and everybody here probably has a computer to test it on.

I like the idea of marketing it Linux. I myself am a unix guy so and it wouldn't be too much of a burden for
me to add in a SunOS compilation as well. Not many people use it but it's not much work and provides another
platform the game will run for. Definitely Linux, Windows, and Mac though.

[edit] Yes, I agree it will be difficult for us at this point to do any sort of hard/physical distribution but perhaps
somewhere down the road when we are more capable it would be good. I feel like people still value the physical
disc much more and it would establish the game a bit better.

I second that. We don't have the experience to work with consols right now. I don't know how they test for Xbox 360 and PS3 games and our targeted audience would be easier to reach on the internet. Download content is bombing and not just on the consols. Indie games are starting to prove themselves and make big money. Look at Minecraft for example.

I like the idea of learning to lucid in the begining of the game. It would make a great way to do a tutorial while cluing the players in on what lucid dreaming even is. It would be sort of confusing fo the player if you started out killing goblins and then half way through the game they start telling you to be lucid.

Doing it for Linux almost guarantees it will compile to other unicies. Such as SunOS and Mac. Windows throws a wrench into it somewhat, but it shouldn't be too bad. As long as we stick to cross-platform libraries, our program should be also cross platform. (There's a couple bits in there that are not libraries, but it shouldn't matter much.)

I can test our code on Windows XP, and a variety of Linucies/Unicies that run on a live disc or so.

Unfortunately, you are correct. We will have to keep that in mind when choosing the graphics
method / libraries. If we use SDL we will have to get the library for windows. And libraries for
windows are often a pain in the neck. Secondly, many Unix-C functions work much differently
from the windows counterparts and Windows will often have function calls to special Win-only
processes.

We could be one of those groups that force windows users to do it with cygwin, but I find that irritating.

Existing open source 3D game libraries exist that work on both Windows and Unix environments. If we use one of those, there is almost no difference in writing the code, except for a few things such as filenames and such.

Hello guys.
I decided to join DreaViews because I saw this thread, though I have been browsing for a while. I think this is a pretty cool idea, and I would like to contribute, but I think the only things I could are ideas. I have not yet had a lucid dream that I can remember and I think i'll start writing more ideas once i've been able to experience it. x]

Well welcome catpajamas

Thanks soul =D

Hey guys.

This idea sounds great! I think I've got some great ideas and would like to be added to the storyboard/writing team. Pm me if you want to add me and I'll throw a few ideas your way. I haven't been able to check out the ideas forum yet but I'm going to soon. Let me know!

-Bubbows

Originally Posted by MistowBubbows

Hey guys.

This idea sounds great! I think I've got some great ideas and would like to be added to the storyboard/writing team. Pm me if you want to add me and I'll throw a few ideas your way. I haven't been able to check out the ideas forum yet but I'm going to soon. Let me know!

-Bubbows

Sure MistowBubbows, I'll add you to the team. Welcome!

hey guys, i just joined recently and have to say this idea is really good! i would like to contribute with a couple of ideas i came up with. only if you guys are interested.

We're plenty interested . Welcome to the team

I would like to help but i wont be able to do anything other than alpha test and come with ideas. I like the idea of a lucid game and hope you want me.

Hey everyone, well I have read over several of these pages and this lucid dreaming game is a great idea.
I thought I'd post here to throw out a few ideas here as to how the game play and story should work. The whole idea to have a game to help people lucid dream in waking life is simply a fantastic idea. I personally prefer first-person games over third-person, but maybe you could incorporate both?
The game should definitely include ways for the main character to Reality Check every once in awhile, this would be a good reminder for the gamer to do the same.
Several different dream types are also a good idea, (i.e. nightmares, memories, etc.) because the dream environment is obviously going to be one of the most important aspects of the game.
Please message me back as I definitely would like to contribute some ideas to the Writing Team. Also, is this forum here going to be the main base for communication or are any of you planning to create a separate blog, website for this?

Originally Posted by divinemission

Hey everyone, well I have read over several of these pages and this lucid dreaming game is a great idea.
I thought I'd post here to throw out a few ideas here as to how the game play and story should work. The whole idea to have a game to help people lucid dream in waking life is simply a fantastic idea. I personally prefer first-person games over third-person, but maybe you could incorporate both?
The game should definitely include ways for the main character to Reality Check every once in awhile, this would be a good reminder for the gamer to do the same.
Several different dream types are also a good idea, (i.e. nightmares, memories, etc.) because the dream environment is obviously going to be one of the most important aspects of the game.
Please message me back as I definitely would like to contribute some ideas to the Writing Team. Also, is this forum here going to be the main base for communication or are any of you planning to create a separate blog, website for this?

Hi divinemission,

We are glad to have you on the team. Your ideas are welcome!

Seems cool. I would only be able to share ideas.

this is an excellent idea

I can do Music, like the programming guy said
like play it live or whatever

I play bass/guitar and some drums

My buddy has software to make techno (propellerheads), and another has Pro tools and stuff
PM me if you have music you want me to play ( i can read music or tabs, or just pick it up from listening to it as well)

Hey guys. I've been on DV for a while now, but I just recently made an account after seeing this thread. I must say I am interested and am willing to join if you'll take me on.
What I can do:
- I'm a first year college student dual majoring in comp sci and business.
- I know some c and Java, and will be learning c++ next year. I am highly interested in learning game development, but it will be a year or two before I can take the classes.
- I am a writer at a liberal arts school - I can write scripts and lore, but am best at writing the outlines for stories and the "worlds," or the rules/setting, a story takes place in. I also can proof read for grammar and make sentences sound more fluid.
- I've done a lot of research on dreams.

Problems that might arise -> I don't like cliche or predictable stories.

Originally Posted by StaplerX300

this is an excellent idea

I can do Music, like the programming guy said
like play it live or whatever

I play bass/guitar and some drums

My buddy has software to make techno (propellerheads), and another has Pro tools and stuff
PM me if you have music you want me to play ( i can read music or tabs, or just pick it up from listening to it as well)

Sounds excellent. I'll send you some of my compositions at some point or
you can visit out new dedicated forum. Great to have you!

Originally Posted by Crestfallen

Hey guys. I've been on DV for a while now, but I just recently made an account after seeing this thread. I must say I am interested and am willing to join if you'll take me on.
What I can do:
- I'm a first year college student dual majoring in comp sci and business.
- I know some c and Java, and will be learning c++ next year. I am highly interested in learning game development, but it will be a year or two before I can take the classes.
- I am a writer at a liberal arts school - I can write scripts and lore, but am best at writing the outlines for stories and the "worlds," or the rules/setting, a story takes place in. I also can proof read for grammar and make sentences sound more fluid.
- I've done a lot of research on dreams.

Problems that might arise -> I don't like cliche or predictable stories.

Awesome, It will be good to have you on the team.

I would like everyone to make an account on our new forum. That's where
the project is happening so if you want to be involved, register!!! please
PM myself or Rman for a link.

Hi Viragon, Smh61400, StaplerX300, and Crestfallen,
I'd like to welcome you all to the team. I'll be in touch with you all.

Thanks for joining the team!