Wishing for a New Intellivision Game - Amoebas

[First Spear]

I was getting my ass handed to me by the computer in Hockey, and I was thinking about how well the players move across the ice like skaters. The physics of that somehow that gave me an idea for a new kind of game....

 

Something where the player is a kind of amoeba, and has to "swim" around a scrolling play area, eating little barely-moving organisms. As the amoeba eats, it gets larger and a little slower. There would be visible bad food on the screen that the player would have to go around. The amoeba would move like a skater (ie not instantly turning and accelerate/decelerate slowly). There are a few hunter organisms on the board that also move very slowly *at* the player, getting touched by one makes the amoeba get smaller (and therefore a little faster) by a percentage and lose some points - example with 4 bad guys, getting touched 4 times means the player shrinks to nothing and game over with a lot less points. When all of the food is eaten, a new level starts with slightly faster and more intelligent bad guys. Or maybe more food is added instead and a level is timed.

 

Having the full play area larger than the screen forces the player to explore and dilutes some player strategy since they can't know exactly where to go to get what is wanted, they are forced to "explore" a little bit (kind of like Cloudy Mountain).

 

The player's amoeba would only need 2-3 MOBs (I like my amoebas detailed), others would be used for the bad guys that slowly seek out the player. The things to eat and not eat could be background items, and the bad guys would only need 1 MOB each.

[+Lathe26]

I was getting my ass handed to me by the computer in Hockey, and I was thinking about how well the players move across the ice like skaters. The physics of that somehow that gave me an idea for a new kind of game....

 

Something where the player is a kind of amoeba, and has to "swim" around a scrolling play area, eating little barely-moving organisms. As the amoeba eats, it gets larger and a little slower. There would be visible bad food on the screen that the player would have to go around. The amoeba would move like a skater (ie not instantly turning and accelerate/decelerate slowly). There are a few hunter organisms on the board that also move very slowly *at* the player, getting touched by one makes the amoeba get smaller (and therefore a little faster) by a percentage and lose some points - example with 4 bad guys, getting touched 4 times means the player shrinks to nothing and game over with a lot less points. When all of the food is eaten, a new level starts with slightly faster and more intelligent bad guys. Or maybe more food is added instead and a level is timed.

 

Having the full play area larger than the screen forces the player to explore and dilutes some player strategy since they can't know exactly where to go to get what is wanted, they are forced to "explore" a little bit (kind of like Cloudy Mountain).

 

The player's amoeba would only need 2-3 MOBs (I like my amoebas detailed), others would be used for the bad guys that slowly seek out the player. The things to eat and not eat could be background items, and the bad guys would only need 1 MOB each.

 

That could be an interesting game. Good idea.

[soporj]

I'm for any homebrew that isn't a remake/clone. Original and creative games are what we need!

[+cmart604]

My first thought was this sounds not too far off Shark! Shark! with a couple of differences. I like the idea though

[freewheel]

I'm for any homebrew that isn't a remake/clone. Original and creative games are what we need!

 

Then we, as a community, need to stop wetting our pants - and opening our wallets - every time someone announces Ms. Pac Man or Boulder Dash or Defender of the Crown. Original homebrew doesn't get half the love (and sales) that remakes and clones seem to get.

Edited December 9, 2014 by freeweed

[First Spear]

What you like to see to make it not like Shark! Shark!? I see your point (I never even considered that) and would want to be more original.

 

 

My first thought was this sounds not too far off Shark! Shark! with a couple of differences. I like the idea though

[+BBWW]

BBWW games is open to development. I think the Intellivision Community has a lot going on in game development right now and most programmers have jobs stacked up. I have some ideas I'm story boarding but finding programmers can be tough. That said I expect a few newish and new games coming from BBWW games this year.

[+cmart604]

BBWW games is open to development. I think the Intellivision Community has a lot going on in game development right now and most programmers have jobs stacked up. I have some ideas I'm story boarding but finding programmers can be tough. That said I expect a few newish and new games coming from BBWW games this year.

But most importantly when will we see a new Intellivision "adult" game?

[+Tarzilla]

But most importantly when will we see a new Intellivision "adult" game?

You've seen a WIP of IR-0069, IntyBASIC Showcase Volume 1 was IR0016...you do the math

[wolfy62]

 

Then we, as a community, need to stop wetting our pants - and opening our wallets - every time someone announces Ms. Pac Man or Boulder Dash or Defender of the Crown. Original homebrew doesn't get half the love (and sales) that remakes and clones seem to get.

I as a game collector and player believe there is a place for all of this.

 

I love the new Inty basic games as well as Collectorvision stuff etc. Yet, i still love a new port that was never made for the Intellivision such as ......the 3 three you listed up top and many more I am sure.

 

I play and collect for the Intellivision and there is no divide for me, I love all of it!!! Collect as you may individually, everyone's own call. Enjoy!

[+cmart604]

You've seen a WIP of IR-0069, IntyBASIC Showcase Volume 1 was IR0016...you do the math

Ah yes....but of course.

[+BBWW]

But most importantly when will we see a new Intellivision "adult" game?

 

Cmart, why do you worry about us adults? I'm still working on Pigs and Squirrels and Raccoon games. I wanted to do a White House Simulation but it's lost it's charm. The Character looked too much like a pumpkin head.

[+cmart604]

 

Cmart, why do you worry about us adults? I'm still working on Pigs and Squirrels and Raccoon games. I wanted to do a White House Simulation but it's lost it's charm. The Character looked too much like a pumpkin head.

Lol! Just so everyone is clear, when I say "adult" I don't necessarily mean animal free. ?

[carlsson]

When you say the amoeba gets larger, are you thinking of using another GRAM card like in Shark! Shark!, or that the amoeba would span across multiple positions like how the snake grows in SNAFU and all other Snake/Surround/TRON games? I imagine an amoeba doesn't grow like the slender string a stylized snake becomes, but rather expands in all directions. It might pose an interesting challenge technically, if you want it to move smoothly. I realize a MOB can be expanded horizontally to 2X and vertically to 8X, if you can accept a low resolution object, without using up too many of the other MOBs. With the added scrolling of the screen to cover bigger areas, I'm trying to picture the exact game in front of me but it gets a bit blurry.

[mr_me]

Even within one unexpanded moving object, the object can grow eg. from 3x4 pixels through 8x16 pixels.

[Rev]

You've seen a WIP of IR-0069, IntyBASIC Showcase Volume 1 was IR0016...you do the math

I have part numbers mapped out to IR-0030.

[+Lathe26]

Lol! Just so everyone is clear, when I say "adult" I don't necessarily mean animal free. ?

Aaaah. So instead of "free", you mean "discounted with coupon". Got it.

[First Spear]

On 12/8/2014 at 11:29 AM, First Spear said:

I was getting my ass handed to me by the computer in Hockey, and I was thinking about how well the players move across the ice like skaters. The physics of that somehow that gave me an idea for a new kind of game....

 

Something where the player is a kind of amoeba, and has to "swim" around a scrolling play area, eating little barely-moving organisms. As the amoeba eats, it gets larger and a little slower. There would be visible bad food on the screen that the player would have to go around. The amoeba would move like a skater (ie not instantly turning and accelerate/decelerate slowly). There are a few hunter organisms on the board that also move very slowly *at* the player, getting touched by one makes the amoeba get smaller (and therefore a little faster) by a percentage and lose some points - example with 4 bad guys, getting touched 4 times means the player shrinks to nothing and game over with a lot less points. When all of the food is eaten, a new level starts with slightly faster and more intelligent bad guys. Or maybe more food is added instead and a level is timed.

 

Having the full play area larger than the screen forces the player to explore and dilutes some player strategy since they can't know exactly where to go to get what is wanted, they are forced to "explore" a little bit (kind of like Cloudy Mountain).

 

The player's amoeba would only need 2-3 MOBs (I like my amoebas detailed), others would be used for the bad guys that slowly seek out the player. The things to eat and not eat could be background items, and the bad guys would only need 1 MOB each.

It appears that the play mechanic I had in mind is very similar to the Williams arcade game Bubbles.