code sharing project

Engines, Libraries and Tools
#1

so i had this idea that might help alot of people but it only works if people decide to work together on it

the basic idea is an open source game template and free advertising space for your game

heres the plan
people contribute code to build a project just like any other open source project but this is for a game, a game template and what they get in return is a place to advertise their game for free more exposure for your game = more sales plain and simple

it wont work exactly like a full game but more or less multiple example projects kinda of like code snippets but their fully working examples that you can download and run
this way people can jump right it and start working with the code snippets and see how they work

if enough people contribute to something like this you could in theory build a whole game from putting together the code you want and possible experiment with new types of game play

for example:
lets say some people contribute code for an anti gravity gun what does it do? idk use your imagination maybe it attracts a bunch of objects into one spot or maybe it works like a grappling hook and you get pulled to where you shoot it

ok so you got the code for that and then you see some code for something else like a photon blaster (im making this up as i go its an example) so this photon blaster pushes you back when you shoot it

now lets say theres a boss that uses one of the guns and you use the other what will the gameplay be like ? only one way to find out

possibilities are endless imagine your shoting one while driving a car or useing a jet pack

people could create some really interesting game play with this

ofcourse we could make code snippets not just for gameplay but also things like supporting different screen res or other technical stuff

only thing that would be left would be making the graphics of the game thats always unique so people could work more on that and less on the code

this of course this is just an idea right now i wanted to share it with everyone and see if maybe anyone is interested in starting a project like this

oh and the advertising your game part would work like this …
people will request code snippets in the issues area then when someone submits that snippet they are allowed to have their game posted as a project made with libgdx snippets/templates
or if they want to just submit some code that isn’t requested that works too
basic idea is just contribute and get permission to have your game permanently up there

this is just an idea right now

let me know if…
if you think its a good or bad idea
if you would be interested in contributing
or if you just want to share your opinion

something i seem to hear alot is to use the K.I.S.S method (keep it simple stupid) and avoid reinventing the wheel

alot of games out there are exactly the same so why do we need to reinvent the wheel every single time when we can all benefit from helping each other out by sharing code
take a look at angry birds they didnt share their code but therse tons of games out there that try to copy it and they just change the art … and super mario there tons of sidescroller games with different art sonic megaman etc etc list goes on for ever

its obvious that the only thing that makes a game unique is the gameplay, art , and story if your game is going to be the same as millions of other copies out there then it dosen’t hurt to share the could in fact it could help you more then you can imagine take a look at this

theres a game called replica island the guy that made it shared the entire project and made the game free he got 5 million downloads it was released in 2010 he has a blog he posted info on the development process (not really noob friendly more expert theory talk) he also did some presentations on the project told alot of people about it and the presentations are on youtube which reached even more people but the game is free no ads no in game items to buy 5 million downloads thats a slap in the face but who knows why he didnt montize it maybe cause its open source

so lets look back at this code snippet idea i had you post your project here where tons of people will see it you help contribute the project grows more people know about it word spreads etc etc i think you get the idea

everybody wins 8)

EDIT**
title was changed

general idea ended up in a code sharing project (not like github)

#2

I have had the same idea before.

But two problems:

  1. The framework needs to be coded extremely well and thoroughly tested. It would also need to be written in such a way that anything can be added without having to change anything in the framework.

  2. You are relying on the community to make the game. That doesn’t happen. The game makes the community. To succeed you would need to take this idea to a community of a similar game that already exists.

But even with those hurdles it can still be an interesting idea.
Really the hard part is getting it started and getting interest to keep it going.

#3

true

1.i think half way through i was talking about a game template then i switch to saying code snippets cause i realized the same thing you cant make a game template with a community like you said it needs to be tested etc etc … but now if your talking about code snippets which people can write quickly and can all be seperated into working sample projects then people can take the code form those projects and use them in their own game so in a way its not really a game template but more like huge library of code snippets that people can just look up what they want and save alot of time not having to code things from scratch

it might work for small things like lets say making a character jump but not so much for something more complex like a skill tree for an rpg game

2.lets say we have a project with snippets/examples of code specificly for a 2d mario style game then we have another set for rpg zelda/pokemon like game … it might work if the code is focused for a specific genre of games

getting something like this started shouldn’t be that hard as long as we keep it simple like for a mario type game we have something like this in a project
it loads up the level a simple flat level a character sprite and controls on screen (lets say its a touch screen) level is maybe twice the size of the screen so the player can see it scroll like a mario game

so you have your very basic template right there controls make the character move and jump ok there template done
so now the fun part people take this template and add a small part of code for example lets say the ability to fly with a jet pack be it a pick up item or just an already equipped ability

now you have this template game with something new in it and its saved as a whole new project
you have the main template and the jetpack project as a branch of the template (branches being the working code snippets)

now imagine this goes on with hundreds of bits of code for a game of this type people can have access to enormous amount of game code that you can just test out and use in your own project

of course you need to go in understand the code and then code it into your own project not just drag and drop thats just crazy

#4

Imagine the incompatibilities and mess that would create.
That’s why I said my first idea.

#5

What exactly is the point of a game template? Most people here already have a template they use themselves.

#6

This idea reminds me of Garry’s Mod. It’s a nice sandbox and a nice toy.

[quote=“hellrazer21,post:1,topic:41927”]
That is true. Good examples of this are LWJGL, LibGDX and other open source frameworks. I’m personally very grateful for the work that the makers of those frameworks and libraries did, and how they share it for the benefit of all.

Somehow I feel that what you are describing is pretty much what the JGO forum is: a place to help each other and to share code, to get feedback or attention for the indie games you develop. It’s a cool idea you have, but aside from the massive complexity of such an undertaking (it’s not KISS at all), I’d say what you propose is already reality, although in a somewhat different form.

#7

Sounds a bit like Unity3D and its asset Store, just they charge for the snippets of code.

#8

Cobbling together code snippets, a game does not make. Also, punctuation.

#9

thats why we separate the code from different games you cant have a jumping mario in a pokemon rpg game so we have code snippets for different games

its not the template that your going to use, its the examples of code … the template would just be a way for people to create a working prototype of a specific gameplay/action they want the player or the game to have

like angry birds in space lets say theres some code for the gravity field that surrounds the asteroids and you stick that in a mario game now you have a mario in space level (mario being your character from your game)
now give him a jet pack and a space suit and you have mario in space and you just created a whole new level for your game with a small bit of code (of course you need all the assets but the general idea is there)

for an rpg style game a template might work better then a bunch of code snippets since its usally more based on the story and skill tree, for the code snippets maybe take a look at frogger he moves on tiles and in an rpg you do the same so why not create a character that can use a frog to travel across the map faster

[quote=“Grunnt,post:6,topic:41927”]
This idea reminds me of Garry’s Mod. It’s a nice sandbox and a nice toy.

it does kinda seem like garys mod i never played it before but i heard about it

alot of game frameworks copy from eachother just like games
the frameworks share their code and some people have blogs that share their game code too but when the game gets really big like replica island it turns into a mess trying to figure out what everything does especially because some people have different coding strategies then other … they sometimes write up a little system that makes it easier for themselves but for someone who dosen’t know about their system it just seems confusing … break up the game into super small examples and you wont need a special system to keep it together, people would be able to jump right in and use the code they need

yea its true it does seem like its already been done but its kinda messy look at the code snippets/code shared area of the forum its just one really big list of threads no real structure just random stuff people submit, its nobodys fault its just a forum, now lets say we make a system where we can organize all the code
this is the part that seems like (it’s not KISS at all) but what if we just keep it simple
we need three things:
the base template
and two sections for the code
technical code and gameplay code
those two sections would just have the game template with a small amount of code like i mentioned before jetpack example or gravity asteroid whatever people submit

yup kinda like that except its all free and people can share their game it kinda goes back to what grunnt said how this is like JGO forum just in a different form

sorry i didn’t use any punctuation … im not saying the code snippets will make a game but they will be used more like a resource for people to use them in their own projects snippets of code are already all over the place this would just give people a way to organize it and request code etc etc

EDIT**
something i forgot to mention was the advertising your game part

when you advertise your game you post it up somewhere for everyone to see be it TV, billboards, a forum, or those little rectangle advertisements inside of apps

problems is that if your sharing your game on a forum your not exactly reaching a direct audience that might be interested in your game

lets say you make an rpg and you share it on the forum … well sure theres probably a few rpg players out there after all everyone here plays games and is trying to make games but lets say you post up your game on a website that has a strong focus on rpg games and almost all the people that vist that site are looking for new games to play … now you would be hitting your target audience

so how does this fit in with everything else ?

well take a look at other websites
theres some that are app review websites
theres some flash game websites(browser games)
theres even some top mmorpg game websites where people rate the best game

alot of review websites charge people money so they can have them review the app and its usually really expensive

so we make a website the reviews apps and games for free this would give people incentive to help contribute to the project

they contribute a small snippet of code and they are allowed to submit a game to the site. the site then sends that game to your target audience through a newsletter, youtube videos, podcast, social networking etc etc
the point is each of these systems is separated into a genre of games the players are interested in

it starts with the newsletter people sign up for it and they request the game genres that they like, now the newsletter sends out information of new games only to people who are actually interested in the game genre

this would beat app review sites which just feed random games to people potentially missing the target audience

this is just an IDEA right now…with a website, the KISS method gets completely thrown out the window for who ever is running the show but theoretically this should be possible, there might still be a few problems with this idea here and there but overall what do you guys think?

#10

Well then basically this isn’t actually going to be anything at all.

It’s like saying “Lets make a base for a tool that can have any attachments!” and then giving people a few planks of wood/sheets of metal/whatever.

It won’t work.

If you want to do something like that, make a handle. Then people have something to work from. While there will still be incompatibilities, they will be due to parts overlapping, not an incompatible base.

#11

Gotta agree with HeroesGrave, overlapping would be inevitable. If you want a template you can edit, just use Unity or Unreal Engine - anything very high level.

#12

Actually that was a side note. Overlapping is inevitable in anything modding-related.

My point was that you need a decent framework or else you have a whole load of attachments that can’t attach to the same thing before you even consider overlapping.

#13

its not a base tool with infinite attachments. idk if you guys are missing the point here but its not supposed to be system where everything is compatible either thats just ridiculous (it would only be compatible if you make it compatible) lets say you got example A and example B you can’t just smash them together you need to go in and modify it to work with your own project

its more or less a huge set of example projects that people can strip apart and use the parts they want for their own project but without having to dig through a complete project and spending hours trying to understand that programmers coding style

every example project would be small to the point where the example is just a specific feature that is being showcased
does that make more sense?

#14

Most people won’t care for 1 more feature and could simply do it themselves, if bothered to do it at all.

And those that do would most likely be uncapable of putting it into their code.

The idea you’re giving it something that most developers do anyway, just in their own different way. Developers are tinkerers, so will always be testing features to see if they’re good or not. The testing is done in their own projects so they can actually do something with it. Your idea, if successful, would distract people from their own games and then nobody would ever get anything done.

#15

you seem like your totally against this idea … i kinda was too when i was thinking about posting it on here i knew someone would say

but then i thought to myself its not going to only be one feature on there, theres going to be hundreds of features. people would be coming up with new ideas for games way faster since they would be able to see so many possibilities right in front of them
it would basically be a gold mine

#16

I think what hellrazer21 is suggesting isn’t a codebase where you can take stuff and put those stuff together as is… How I understand it is that we could have a collection of code references to see how things were made/implemented and use that - maybe even copy and paste parts of it - in our own games. What people would be using for the most part is the general logic and not the exact code. Although if the exact code works, they could use that too.

Although if I understand that correctly, it would merely be an expedited version of what already happens in most coding forums: People asking how to do stuff and getting answers (for the most part). Also, a good bit of Googling can also do wonders.

Like… if I wanted a reference for simulating a balloon in Box2D, I can google “simulate balloon box2d” and voila! — lots of usable search results in the first page.

At least that’s how I understand it.

#17

Fixing 100s of features to work together would be a nightmare. :o
What I meant was with the amount of work it takes to get A & B working together, you may as well write it yourself.

And as said by heisenbergman, this already happens.
You just need to use google.

To conclude my POV, any benefits are stamped down by all the extra work and in the end you are just left with a bunch of ideas.

Why not make a site that allows people to contribute ideas instead?

EDIT: I’m not totally against the idea. I’m skeptical of your way of putting the idea in action.

#18

Btw, don’t let me (or other people) stop you.

Just be aware that the things I have mentioned are important to consider, and failure to do so may result in failure of the entire project.

If you really want to do this, go ahead.

#19

ok thanks for clearing that up
btw when i say theres 100s of feature you dont need all of them only the ones you like
and yes you could just code things yourself but not everyone is an expert sometimes theres things even experts dont know how to code
something like this could be useful for both newbies and expert coders

exactly “merely be an expedited version of what already happens in most coding forums”

google works fine too but it would be nice for everyone to have a place to go to when looking for bits of code
it would be like a check here first kind of place if what your looking for isn’t there then you leave a request and while you wait go to google

you could try and request for someone to code something for you in a forum but thats really rare, people just ignore noobs asking for code and the code that people do write for other people just ends up getting lost in the forum after sometime but yea dude you actually understand the general idea

yea i know i am considering what you said “I’m skeptical of your way of putting the idea in action.”
kinda got me thinking this needs a better system to keep everything together and organized
maybe a website
when people submit a new example project the also submit information on the project some screenshots or video if possible
project gets put on github or google code
if they want they can have a link (in the about author section)to their blog website or whatever so they benefit from sharing code

now if people want to search for some code they can go onto the site and search for whatever their looking for

on the website the code can be organized into sections by genre 2d side scroller, rpg, isometric etc etc

the other website for advertising the games would just be a whole other beast
reviews,rating, comments videos, info on the games links to the creators site
and with all the things like newletters social networking youtube
people can subscirbe,like ,sign up to the things they want
tricky part here would be sending only the genres people want to see so they would have to sign up for them specifically
basically making several accounts for specific genres and platforms that would be the only way to hit the exact target audience
the whole advertising seems a bit far fetched it might make or break everything else

#20

[quote=“hellrazer21 link=topic=29578.msg271848#msg271848 date=1368519977][quote author=heisenbergman,post:19,topic:41927”]
it would merely be an expedited version of what already happens in most coding forums: People asking how to do stuff and getting answers (for the most part). Also, a good bit of Googling can also do wonders.

Like… if I wanted a reference for simulating a balloon in Box2D, I can google “simulate balloon box2d” and voila! — lots of usable search results in the first page.

At least that’s how I understand it.
[/quote]
exactly “merely be an expedited version of what already happens in most coding forums”

google works fine too but it would be nice for everyone to have a place to go to when looking for bits of code
it would be like a check here first kind of place if what your looking for isn’t there then you leave a request and while you wait go to google

you could try and request for someone to code something for you in a forum but thats really rare, people just ignore noobs asking for code and the code that people do write for other people just ends up getting lost in the forum after sometime but yea dude you actually understand the general idea
[/quote]
I think a good number of programmers that “ignore” noobs asking for code are just doing so to avoid spoonfeeding, and spoonfeeding is not the best way to learn/educate someone not only in game development, but in pretty much anything that requires learning.

To be honest, that would be one thing negative about this easy-access codebase reference that you’re proposing: It would hinder more than it would help because it would be a vehicle to spoonfeed noobs chunks of code that some wouldn’t necessarily take the time to understand.