Pandora The Pandora Game

[foxblock]

A tale in quotes. (serious information in the second post)


It all started with this:

The Great Nub Race, how's that for a Pandora game?

(yeah I know it has been suggested many times before, but now it is actually happening!)


Somebody said "why the hell not?":

I am up for doing that, who is with me?


I think it could be a side-scrolling running game (for the lack of a better name) like Canabalt, where you race from Texas, over the sea to Great Britain, collecting nubs on the way.

Some ideas were tossed around:


(lot's of quotes so here, have a spoiler tag)

Spoiler

And on the last level you have to dodge falling powerlines.

don't forget the speedboost item, a delivery van that catches fire when the timer runs out.

Let me riff on some of the ideas mention for the nub game.


First, I'd like to see it as a top-view game like Spy Hunter(C64/Amiga) / 1942(NES) / Gunsmoke(NES)...


1st Stage:


You steer a van trying to avoid catching fire.


2nd Stage:


You fly an airplane and try to avoid volcano ash


3rd Stage:


You brake into an Evil anonymous board production company in Texas where the end boss is some goatie+cowboyhat wearing man in a room with american flag wall papers.


All stages should include picking up nubs along the way, which is used in a score/point system that affects delivery time, damage done on the way affects delivery time negatively. The goal of the game is to get as short delivery time as possible. From a philosophical stand point I'd argue that one should NOT be able to die in the game, since, well, lets face it, the Pandora Project will never die no matter what obstacles are thrown at OPT, the game should reflect this reality.


The power line thing I'm not aware of, but I'm sure it and other ideas can be incorporated into the game.


Edit:


My skills as a programmer is limited to Basic and GML, so I guess I'm not gonna contribute much in that area.


But I can contribute with graphics(sprites + backgrounds) and music for the game, as for music I can do mods/xm/midi, or more high quality (wave, mp3, ogg, etc) with software synths, and record guitars... But I feel a masterpiece like this should have chip-mods!

Wow, glad to see something might happen here. Ground forces could be Googles

"Nubs on the run" a potential title?

Heya Foxblock, here are couple of ideas for your ‘The Great Nub Race’ game:

1. Soundtrack “All you need is nubs”


2. The game should be really hectic and fast – as it’s a race. At the end of each level you get a little break to relax, regain some health (or maybe its a hope meter?) with a little cut scene of ‘One wideo per day…’.


3. Some event in the game, perhaps a bad item you collect accidentally, or perhaps when hit, like Sonic, you drop the nubs. Then with no nubs, you are not allowed to use the nubs to control and have to use the d-pad until you collect some more nubs.

I was thinking of something along the lines of that Spectrum classic The Biz, but instead of trying to get a band to hit the big time, the task is to make the Pandora a success. It could start with trying to get preorders for it (or you could try to get a big bank loan and sell them once made - good luck with that!), followed by credit card screwups, a recalcitrant case company, incompetent nub company, easily distracted board company, volcanoes, international espionage, global warming (the next ice age if you game goes on too long!) - the possibilities are endless. You could have action minigames to decide the outcome of various events too.


Very good news on the nubs. We're not off the critical path yet, but things are moving along.

Some great ideas there, I still think there should be a side-scrolling part, maybe the last part where you break into the factory


In the first stage, maybe you have to keep the van over a certain speed limit, so the flames are extinguished by the air flow


In the second stage we could add some enemy planes (Apple planes for example) and ground forces, which try to shoot the plane with the cases down.


Also I think your character in the (final) third stage should be a rambo-looking ED or Craig


Btw, I am serious about this, I don't want to make it a big project, just something fun in-between, but I am up for coding it.


foxblock out

and now we are making a game!


Everyone is encouraged to participate in any way!


If you have a great ideas for the story, gameplay, stages, enemies, etc. - just post them!


If you can draw or even if you can't, but want to try anyway - draw something for the game (e.g. sprites, backgrounds, menu items, etc.)!


If you are a composer (chiptunes, orchestral soundtrack , whatever) - go ahead and make some music!


This is not supposed to become a AAA game, this is a community project, so we want to have fun making it in the first place.


Please announce before you start to work on something, so we don't have two people working on the same thing.


In case somebody does not like an idea, sprite, etc. which was posted here, he or she is highly encouraged to do better - constructive criticism is always welcome!


Don't be disappointed if your sprite, music, etc. does not make it into the game (for whatever reason), it will have had its use anyway, such as giving other people new ideas or just encouraging someone to contribute some of his or her work!


Let the fun begin.


foxblock out

 

[foxblock]

This is a community project and does in no way represent the opinion of OpenPandora.


All ideas will go in this post for planning purposes - I will keep this updated...


Currently this only is a list of the already collected ideas, everything is subject to change - you have a better idea? post it!


Name: Ideas, please!


General ideas:


- All you need is nubs song


- Cut-scenes including ED's and Craig's videos (like the infamous Christmas message)


- screen becoming purple when you die or at random times


- references to well known objects/events/places regarding the Pandora, like Craig's roof, ED cutting station, the vodka, the pink Pandora, etc.


- Portal-style reference to the "2 months" meme, written on walls in the background, etc.


- The game should be funny


- Good scoring system and highscores


- Pop-culture references (in names for example)


- no real weapons in stages were people are shown, only stun guns and fun weapons (like the Craig "What is your Order number"-scream)


- Collectible points = parts of the Pandora (nubs, boards, etc.)


Technical data:


Code: C++, SDL, Penjin


Art: bmp, jpg, gif (non-animated), png (preferred); 8bpp (no alpha channel, please!), use magenta (#FF00FF, RGB:255,0,255) for masking if possible; sprite-sheets for animations


Music: mp3, ogg, midi


Gameplay:


Gameplay is different in each stage.


You will have to collect nubs or other parts (screws, etc.) in every stage and your final score will be affected by the number collected.


Stages/Levels:


First stage: A top-down scrolling shooter similar to 1964 (NES).


Code: do you want to program this level? reply now!


Cases, China -> GB Airport


You control the plane with the cases and try to fly from china over to Craig's house.


Enemies could include Apple planes and Google ground forces.


Also from time to time you have to avoid vapour of volcano ashes (every time before this happens we could display the video of ED saying "only a volcano can stop us now" in the corner of the screen)

• Three powerups; A gun with widespread fire (shoots buttons), one with slow but powerful missiles (whole cases), and a laser. Powerups come as colored cases, or perhaps Pandora logos.
  
• Apple and Google as enemies is fine.
  
• Don't model it after 1942, that hasn't aged well; consider 1941, that's much better.
  
• Lots of ground tiles that do nothing but inflate your score when destroyed; also, some drop black cases that give you points.
  
• Throw in some inclement weather for good measure.
  
• Remember, most of the path is land.
  
• The boss could be a big-ass tank that turns the rest of the level into a bullet hell shooter (with accompanying reduction in hit box). It has multiple parts that must each be destroyed. Oh, and it's Nokia-branded.
  

Possible Level Names: Cases are Forever, From China With Love

Second stage: Side-scrolling racing game, similar to Excite Bike (NES)


Code: do you want to program this level? reply now!


Cases, Airport -> Craig's house


You drive the truck with the cases from the airport to Craig's house, which catches fire early on, so you have to go at a maximum speed to keep the fire from spreading.


On the way you are likely to lose other parts of the van, which affect controls or general movement.

• Instead of making it side-scrolling, make it top-down, like Micro Machines. Or maybe an isometric view, like RC Pro-Am.
  
• The van catches fire early, but it doesn't directly affect performance. Once the van catches fire, the Heat Meter appears.
  
• There is a Heat Meter. Running through puddles, turbo boosts, or jumps reduces it, while going slow and crashing into things increases it. The faster you go, the slower the meter increases. If the Heat Meter reaches the max, you lose. Even if you completely empty it, the van is still on fire.
  
• Perhaps randomly generate the course to add variety?
  
• If the courses are randomly generated, then offer an Endless Mode as a bonus; go as long as you can without losing. It gets harder over time.
  
• The faster you go, the more points you earn. You can also pickup point bonuses, in the form of various Pandora parts, or perhaps the logo.
  
• Have cops chase you most of the way, but you earn major points if you knock them off the road.
  
• Road hazards could be potholes, overturned trash cans, tree branches, and pedestrians (your Heat Meter increases by a lot if you run one over, but they will actively try to get out of the way).
  

Possible Level names: A Van to a Kill, Case-ino Royale

Third stage: Side-scroller, Metal Slug style (Neo Geo)


Code: foxblock


Boards, board factory


You control Rambo-ED (or Craig) raiding the board factory in a side-scrolling manner.


The manager of the factory is the boss you have to defeat in the end.


An evil force has invaded the factory, imprisoned the employees and stopped production.


You fight against trolls, ninjas and other evildoers and free CC employees on the way.


Fourth stage: Top-Down survival "shooter"


Code: do you want to program this level? reply now!


Assembly, Craig's warehouse


You are in a house (Craig's?) and Pandora preorderers are trying to raid it (zombie-like) to get their device.


You have to barricade doors and windows and try to keep them out.


Other actions might include an "excuse-move" where you shout an excuse for the delays which makes the zombies retreat for a while.

For something more constructive: For level 4 how about something like a smart bomb: zooms out to show craigx on the roof of the house taking breath and then shouting "WHAT'S YOUR ORDER NUMBER!!" Parodius style, scaring off everyone at once. ^^

• Instead of using real weapons, use stun guns, loaded with powerful sedatives. Shot people simply fall to the ground and disappear.
  
• Other possible weapons; knockout gas grenades/gun, baseball bats, household items
  
• Model the stages after the staff's actual houses
  
• Excuse; it repels some people, slows down others, and doesn't affect yet others. You're not limited in its use [it has a cooldown, though], but it gets less effective every time you use it [as more resistant enemies spawn].
  
• You can throw your limited supply of Pandoras into the crowd and send away a herd of them to fight amongst themselves [imagine the pipe bomb from L4D]. Or you might attract more people. It's a bit of a gamble.
  
• You can recover by eating in the kitchen. The longer it takes for you to prepare something, the more you heal.
  
• You can grab supplies (wood, boxes, etc.) to barricade doors and windows, but you're limited in supply, limited in what you can carry at once, and they can be destroyed. Also, you have to move them to go outside, but you can attack through windows.
  
• You can exit the house, to attack, but you're at a higher risk. Inside, you're fairly safe if no one gets in.
  
• The ultimate goal is to make Pandoras. Once you make a certain amount, you can move on.
  

Fifth stage: Side-scrolling racing/reflex game, similar to Canabalt


Code: Scntrblob


Delivery, all over the world


You control ED or Craig trying to deliver all the Pandoras.


You travel around the world (jump from roof to roof, run over the sea, etc.) and need to drop Pandora in mailboxes while avoiding hazards (ideas?).

-Control like the first stage of Dynamite Headdy, where you move forward automatically, but the D-Pad changes your position on the screen.


-Possible obstacles; Rocks, signs, cars, barrels (oh ho ho), environmental hazards (wind, lightning, etc.), potholes and open manholes


-You have to throw Pandoras into mailboxes, chimneys, people with their arms up, or other spots. You're running fairly fast, but you will be warned when a delivery spot is coming up. (An image will point to where exactly it's coming from)


-To deliver the Pandora, simply toss it forward, and if it hits the mailbox, you get the points. You have a limted supply, though, so you can't miss.


-You will also encounter enemies, like more Apple ninjas, etc. that you can attack by swinging a bat, or perhaps with a (stun?) gun.

Changing locations (you run from one to the other, seamless transitions):

-Neighborhood (Deliver to mailboxes and people; obstacles are cars, trash cans, and potholes)


-City (Deliver to people; obstales are cars, piles of trash bags, potholes, and gang members)


-Rooftops (Deliver to off-screen people at the bottom who are marked by arrows; obstacles are gaps between buildings, weathervanes, and air vents)


-Train (Deliver to open windows, you can run either besides or on top; obstacles are rocks, signs, livestock, and tunnels if you're on top


-Beach (Deliver to people, obstacles are umbrellas, hot sand, shells, rocks, the occasional SUV, lifeguard chairs)

Possible level names:


-You Only Deliver Twice


-For Your Mailbox Only


What we need:


- Ideas


- Graphics (anything, currently)


- Music (anything, currently)


Open questions:


- A global life count (for all levels) or for each level individually?


- A name!


- Specific types of enemies for the stages.


- What graphical style? Level independent or make everything 8-bit?


- Gameplay style for the second stage (side-scroller, top-down, isometric view)?


Why?


- To bring the whole story behind the Pandora on the Pandora (in a slightly exaggerated way)


- To give future Pandora owners something to smile when they finally receive it


- To practice coding, drawing and composing and having fun while doing so


- To get to work in a group of wonderful people and achieve something great


Contributors:


This will get edited later!


Ideas: The OpenPandora community


Code:


Graphics:


Music:


Longest post in history? You decide!

 

[bzar]

Gameplay wise:


The van stage could be in 2.5d isometric scrolling view with (excite bike-ish) accelerate/decelerate/"up"/"down" controls and other cars as obstacles. Hitting a car would have an effect like in excite bike (you stop and tumble and it takes a little while to get back).


The plane level could be 2d side scroller have controls like in sopwith (pitch, accelerate/decelerate) with the ash dropping from the top. Ash hitting the plane makes it slow "drop" to the left of the screen, from which it returns after a while. Kinda like the van level, but very different gameplay.


In both above levels you collect as many nubs as you can while trying to finish the level as fast as possible.


The third level could be a 2d room based platformer (no scrolling) that consists of finding keys in rooms as fast as possible. The key locations could maybe be randomized. With all (three or something) keys collected one could enter the boss's room.


How does that sound?


EDIT: Ninja'd by foxblock with different ideas . Well, I'll just leave these here in case they interest someone

 

[foxblock]

Haha, sorry, I was just reserving that post to buy me time collecting the ideas from the other thread.


But as I wrote everything is still subject to change and we should discuss it until we are happy with the result before jumping in the code.


I like parts of your ideas, still think the third stage should be all about explosions (so you blow up the nub factory in the end, maybe)


The excite-bike version of the second stage could also work well, also it would be more different to the first stage then.


I think the whole game should be a homage to the Pandora as well as some older games (like the ones mentioned).


foxblock out

 

[ibisum]

I'd really appreciate it if there were a level where you have to get to the end to sell your Pandora for $$$$, but there are lots of puddles in the way for the Pandora to fall into. That would be great.

Oh, and btw .. Wakebreaker would be the *perfect* code base to get this project started ..

 

[foxblock]

I'd really appreciate it if there were a level where you have to get to the end to sell your Pandora for $$$$, but there are lots of puddles in the way for the Pandora to fall into. That would be great.


Oh, and btw .. Wakebreaker would be the *perfect* code base to get this project started ..

I think we are going to keep it 2D as it is usually easier and faster to produce than 3D, also I am going to copy some working parts of the Wandor base engine.


(Unless you can convince me otherwise )

 

[Yannick]

It would be cool if this could be 2.5D


keep the 2D aspect of the proposals, but insert some 3D models


maybe some bumpmaps, particles, shadow maps for fancy light effects


I am just thinking it would be cool to demonstrate some of the hardware power, in what would essentially become a 3 level minigame.

 

[ibisum]

Wakebreaker is already a "wander about the world, collecting pieces" type of game .. so there would be a lot of progress made if we just use it already and extend it with artwork, level design, and so on .. its an overhead 3D game, but could easily be turned into an first-person style view, and so on .. plus it runs quite well on the Pandora already.


All thats needed is to guide the inclusion of new artwork in the form of 3D models and textures, and start designing levels ..

 

[EvilDragon]

There should also be a level where the screen starts to flicker with a purple haze

 

[Emnasut]

I'd like to see some collectibles in hard to get to places (or extra puzzles or soemthing) like the one pink pandora, craigx hat, a one nubber, a set of screws (for those early pandoras where they were missing ^^) etc.. Also some of the stages or animations between should contain stuff like craigx roof, EDs video editing station etc., maybe just worked in the background. Or maybe all that be suited for more of an overall Pandora game instead of just the nub race...

 

[meandu229]

You gotta finish before you battery gets too big to fit in the case,,


And maybe collect missing screws along the way

 

[Link]

Season 1 of the XFiles has a reference: 1616 Pandora St.


Don't know if you want to throw that in somewhere

 

[foxblock]

I'd like to see some collectibles in hard to get to places (or extra puzzles or soemthing) like the one pink pandora, craigx hat, a one nubber, a set of screws (for those early pandoras where they were missing ^^) etc.. Also some of the stages or animations between should contain stuff like craigx roof, EDs video editing station etc., maybe just worked in the background. Or maybe all that be suited for more of an overall Pandora game instead of just the nub race...

I really like those ideas, have some hidden inside jokes (also like the purple haze of death ED suggested).


The game does not necessarily be all about the nubs, it was just the primary idea which got this started. I think making it an overall Pandora game, but using the nubs a scoring system is a good way to go.


The main question now is: 2D or 3D (maybe I should add a poll :-3)


Both have advantages and disadvantages. 2D is easier and faster to do in general, 3D would be able to show off what the Pandora is capable of.


We would have a good codebase for both ways.


I personally would opt for 2D and I don't think I will help much with programming if we go 3D as I don't have time to get familiar with another engine - which is no bis problem when somebody else takes over this part.


What do you think?


foxblock out

 

[Orion4874]

You should have a level in which the enemies keep asking when they can expect their Pandora's to arrive.

 

[Scntrblob]

2D, of course. Just because I'm not very familiar with the OpenGL/3D stuff.


I could think of it as a sequel of Mini (and maybe not so mini) games, just like Pandorapanic, but with the concept of collecting nubs somehow. Maybe as somekind of hexametric worldmap, where you solve a level and unlock the surrounding ones. The entire planet equals 4000 produced nubs


I think it would be best if the coders just code, and leave the GFX to other persons, so that they can get a conform style amd not a mixup of paint and photoshop. When we have, lets say, 80 levels (every idea could get 1-X Levels of its kind), we arrange them on the worldmap, depending a little on their difficulty.


Just some ideas that come up to my mind:


- Canabalt-Like Nubrunner as mentioned by foxblox


- Nubtris, clear some Tetrislevel with preplaced blocks(which are, of course, nubs)


- Break-in-the-Board-Company. If you get into the view of a company employee, you lose. Otherwise you find a few test - batch - nubs


- Fly Nubs from one place to another. But beware of lava and ash, that are flying around too. In the style of Sopwith.


...of course ED's the main character, and there's the next idea: Headbanging via nub. Craig could throw some "...whats your ordernumber?" or "...still you keep bitching around, fool" to everyone who tries to stop the dragon.


Ah, and as mentioned: I'm into C/C++ SDL and that sort of stuff. I haven't used Penjin, but I'll get used to it.

 

[Letalis Sonus]

You should have a level in which the enemies keep asking when they can expect their Pandora's to arrive.

And don't forget the vaporware twats! :lol:

 

[foxblock]

You should have a level in which the enemies keep asking when they can expect their Pandora's to arrive.

I actually though of something like that, maybe it could be a game like that part in Back to the Future (IIRC) where you are behind a counter serving a mob of people, only this time you have to give them excuses for the delays

...

I did not think of this as a minigame selection, but rather have 3 to 5 stages with longer and more varied gameplay, but this is another idea.


Tbh, I don't think a minigame collection would work out well as we did not get 80 minigames together with PandoraPanic! either, we struggled to get the around 20 it has now.


foxblock out

 

[Scntrblob]

I'm not thinking of real Minigames either, I wrote it the wrong way. What I meant was: We have several ideas, so we don't make a big game following one cause, but a collection of smaller games (so, thats whats to be defined) I don't have to spend a month and 50 concept-sheets on planing.


Anyway, its equal to me what we're doing (I suppose I'm not the one with the best ideas), I just would love to code something together with some of you guys for our beloved lady.

 

[bzar]

Just to add my two cents: 2D and a small number of consistent levels. Other levels can be added later, but I think it would be good to start with only three or four to keep the project scope small enough to be manageable.

 

[EvilDragon]

I'm happy to provide any soundsamples or pictures you need from me