Need some feedback on the next project (SimGolf-like)
One of the lessons I learned during the Desktop Dynasties football game project is that I needed to have a much better (and more detailed) plan for the game before I started hammering out code. Since I'm at the point of development where there isn't a lot of creative work that can be done outside code, it's probably a good time to start planning the next project.
I have a feel for what I'd like to project to be, but I'm interested in feedback on feature requests, ideas, gameplay mechanics, things to avoid... etc. Ideally, I'll have most of the game planned out before I start coding, and can reduce the development cycle to around 6-8 months. Getting feedback early is going to help me think through the plan.
The game is going could be considered a next-gen SimGolf. You would build and develop your golf course to compete with other course owners. Little AI golfers would play on the courses, train, enter tournaments, and give feedback just like SimGolf. You can develop your own golfer(s) to play the courses, also like in SimGolf.
How does it differ from SimGolf?
For graphics, I'd also like to step it up a notch. That other golf game I posted, Boss Golf, is a cool idea but it doesn't feel like an evolution. I also don't want to get too realistic, because that just kind of sucks the whimsy out of it.
I'm thinking of a visual style somewhere between:
SimGolf
and TPG
I'm definitely open to adding/removing/changing elements of the game at this point. I guess I'd really like to see how people feel, and what they would get excited about, before I dive headfirst into the project.
Thanks!
I have a feel for what I'd like to project to be, but I'm interested in feedback on feature requests, ideas, gameplay mechanics, things to avoid... etc. Ideally, I'll have most of the game planned out before I start coding, and can reduce the development cycle to around 6-8 months. Getting feedback early is going to help me think through the plan.
The game is going could be considered a next-gen SimGolf. You would build and develop your golf course to compete with other course owners. Little AI golfers would play on the courses, train, enter tournaments, and give feedback just like SimGolf. You can develop your own golfer(s) to play the courses, also like in SimGolf.
How does it differ from SimGolf?
- Much less emphasis on the balance sheet. The focus of the game is not on the business side of running a golf course. Primarily, the game is about course design and golfer development. There will be a sort of earned progression that may end up being money needed to build the course, but there's not going to be any ongoing income/expenses management.
- More detailed golfer skills and development. Since a major part of the game is the career development of individual golfers, it needs to be detailed enough that they don't all end up seeming too similar. Plus, this feels like an area that lends itself to multiplayer.
- And of course, multiplayer. The one thing about SimGolf that felt like a missed opportunity, was multiplayer. I always changed the golfers to people I knew, and tried to get them into tournaments to compete against eachother. It worked to an extent, but was ultimately unsatisfying. Multiplayer tournaments just seem like a no-brainer for a golf game.
For graphics, I'd also like to step it up a notch. That other golf game I posted, Boss Golf, is a cool idea but it doesn't feel like an evolution. I also don't want to get too realistic, because that just kind of sucks the whimsy out of it.
I'm thinking of a visual style somewhere between:
SimGolf
and TPG
I'm definitely open to adding/removing/changing elements of the game at this point. I guess I'd really like to see how people feel, and what they would get excited about, before I dive headfirst into the project.
Thanks!