WIP: The Island

[hb.operandi]

So in one of my play through I made something that sparked an idea. Basically it was a forcefield powered by an underground Nuclear Powerplant (both from the Technics mod) that was covering a staircase in the middle of nowhere. The forcefield could be turned off by a Mesacon signal...hidden on a different part of the island. I don't play online so I had no use for the security, but it got me thinking....that'd be a really cool thing to randomly find in your world. It may even frustrate you as to what is down there, enough to go looking for the switch.

So I started building more things around the island [chain] that are weird. I even started writing in the 'books' little hints as to where things are in the world. As well as bones with specific items needed to work/disable the machines. This got me thinking that it'd make a really cool sub-game.


However I have no experience with making one, so I was wondering if I could get some assistance.

Right now all I have is a (WIP) world folder that could be zipped up and given out, but I want to make things more official as time goes on.

Is this possible? or am I over thinking my gameplay? Would people be interested?

[LionsDen]

Is it possible? - I think it is but the question should be is it easy? Not likely easy but probably not Manhattan Project level of difficulty. I think keeping it a map would be your easiest option as coding in where to place each item of interest into the random game world while possible is likely more difficult.

Would people be interested? - I would be, I would think others would be as well.

[Sane]

I like the idea of a quest and riddle based game. Although it contradics the unending (more ore less) sandboxy setup that minetest tends to.

If you want others to help maybe not keeping your .zip a secret would help.

A good way to start could be putting the struff up on github or something like that.
And before that you definitly should think about the license. Will this be open source and public domain? Or do you want to make it a proprietary thingy? (githubbing might not be a goog idea then)

Maybe you could just start working on it. So you can run into trouble. With that trouble in mind you can formulate questions that are a bit more specific. Usually the minetest comunity is quite friendly and likes to help.

[hb.operandi]

Thank you both for your feedback!

I realized after I posted this that there is a 'map' section here so yeah, that'd probably be best. This whole concept is based off the 'island chain' map I found at Seed: 42, Mapgen: V7 so the concept really wouldn't work with other seeds. I'll try to move this topic over to that side (or maybe a helpful moderator could?)

I'll definitely put up the file when I have more set. I'm still building a lot of the stuff. I'll get the basic structures down, and then probably put it up while I work on the lore (books, signs, bones etc), and then leave the puzzles and traps for last (still figuring out how to get lava to dump on a player if they pull the wrong switch).

I think the thing that would help me the most right now is if anyone knows how to make specific blocks permanent (unbreakable)...it won't be a very exciting game if they could just break their way in, or disrupt a cable.

Thanks again for the interest!

[hb.operandi]

To do list (and to done list)

Easy Stuff:

• Grave of Captain Reynolds (hidden starter items) DONE!
  Captain's Log: Final Entry (Intro to the island) DONE!
  Bungalow (initial semi-furnished base of operations (still have to go find it) DONE!
  Create Underground Nuclear Powerplant DONE!
  Locate Underground temple DONE!
  Locate Highest point of the island DONE!
  Locate The Spire
  Locate Golden Pyramid
  Locate Dungeon
  Locate Science Facility

All of those things will be easy...once I find where they should be, the next step would be to build them/furnish them.

In addition to that I am going to place bones around in specific locations that will include hints as to where to find other things, expand on the lore, and contain useful items.

I'm using several mods for machinery and trap making, so a thought I have is to have certain machines set up that could REALLY benefit the player, with one key item missing (maybe more)...the player could go through the motions of crafting the item needed, or stumble across it.

[Ferk]

This sounds good.
We need more adventure maps in Minetest.

Btw, you can create a "worldmods" subdirectory in your world and include there any particular mods your world requires. In theory you could make special mods and textures for the map if you wanted to. Easier than making a complete custom game.

[Sane]

... still figuring out how to get lava to dump on a player if they pull the wrong switch ...

A technic sticky piston?

I think the thing that would help me the most right now is if anyone knows how to make specific blocks permanent (unbreakable)...

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11401#p172046

[hb.operandi]

A technic sticky piston?

I think this would work perfectly. Thanks!

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11401#p172046

Yeah...this is helpful for a single node, but I don't think it'll be prudent for the amount of nodes that go into my structures. That's okay. I think the people who play Minetest are a bit more resourceful than to just smash their way in... especially if they know there is a way in.

[hb.operandi]

Btw, you can create a "worldmods" subdirectory in your world and include there any particular mods your world requires. In theory you could make special mods and textures for the map if you wanted to. Easier than making a complete custom game.

This is EXACTLY what I needed! I'm using a bunch of mods and I didn't want to overload the user's mod directory for this. Technic, Pipeworks, and Mesacons are pretty much standard; but things like Hunger, thirst, food, and compassgps are ones that really make this 'desert island' feel real.

THANKS!

[hb.operandi]

Update:

Golden Pyramid-DONE!
though there still the underground labyrinth to build.

Next step:
The Spire.
A large tower with stairs around the outside, a piece of information at the top and a large treasure cache on the inside. Will also point you in the direction of the Pyramid.

The Science Facility.
I'm just going to dig it out and line it with steel. I'll worry about putting in the machines later. The idea behind this is that it will be the more advanced base of operations (the bungalow has only a few LV machines, this one will have ALL of the MV machines, and is powered by Nuclear energy so there is no need to worry about power) and will require some serious puzzle solving skills to get in, since the only available entrance is protected by a forcefield, and the switch isn't even on the same island... This is the thing that sparked the whole idea for this mini-game.

I'm gonna just build these two out so all of my planned structures are there and then I'm thinking I'll get a first draft on GitHub so y'all can see what I'm talking about. I'm using CompassGPS so it'll be easy to just teleport to each location, but the final version won't have the coordinates logged in (but the mod will still be there, and allow the player to log their coordinates themselves once they find the stuff.)

Can't wait to show y'all!
Cheers

[Ferk]

Yeah...this is helpful for a single node, but I don't think it'll be prudent for the amount of nodes that go into my structures.

If you still want to do the protection you could use something like the areas mod and protect entire areas. Also this would allow you to put names to your areas (there would be a text in the corner telling the player that he's in the pyramid or so).

In singleplayer you would always have full privileges, but after you finish creating the map you could easily change one line in the mod so that no priviledged singleplayer can change areas anymore, even if he owns them (change "return true" to "return false" in here).

If more people are interested in something like this I could fork the areas mod (or send a PR) and add some options to make it more suitable for adventure maps. I think Minetest is a nice engine for this kind of maps, so there should be something like this.

[Sane]

If more people are interested in something like this I could fork the areas mod (or send a PR) and add some options to make it more suitable for adventure maps. I think Minetest is a nice engine for this kind of maps, so there should be something like this.

Please do.
I'd really like to see more quest stuff. Having structures that you can't always solve by burrowing through them would be nice.

[kaadmy]

If more people are interested in something like this I could fork the areas mod (or send a PR) and add some options to make it more suitable for adventure maps. I think Minetest is a nice engine for this kind of maps, so there should be something like this.

A while back I had the idea of using mesecons in a special subgame where the blocks are undiggable without creative, then you had to use logic to solve puzzles.

[hb.operandi]

Soooo....

I'm gonna preface this with an apology. I'm new to game 'engines' as well as Github, and even Linux...

I'm not exactly sure how to upload the file. I tried to do a round about way about getting it uploaded via Drive, but that's failing too...I'm running this on a Chromebook. When I try to zip it in the console it says Nothing to do! and I can't figure out the command line in Github.

halp?

I've got the alpha version ready. Everything is set up for the players first run (the spawn point is in the middle of the ocean) There's a README in the folder as well as a worldmods so none of the mods needed to be added. Mobs is set to false but you can turn it on if you'd like. They will be in the final version when I can figure out how to remove the sheep. Thirst and hunger are on, so it'll offer a realistic desert island feel if you want to play it as it should be.

Also you'll see the locations logged into compassGPS so you can just travel around and look at stuff if you want.

The science facility is fully operational so if you're into the puzzles check that out. (At the moment it is significantly less complex to enter than the final version will be.

If I can only get it up online :/

[kaadmy]

To zip a file via the command line, do

Code: Select all

zip -r the_island.zip [worldpath]

where [worldpath] is the path to the world, ie. /home/user/.minetest/worlds/the_island/

[Sane]

Sorry I won't be of much help with cli stuff.
I'm more with these modern point and click type of operating systems that have come into fashion the the last 30 years. :-p

[Ferk]

I don't think you should use Github for a worldmap anyway. There's too much binary data in there, git is designed for source code, text data.

Just put the zip in some hosting service. kaadmy's command should work.

[hb.operandi]

Some sad news...

I think I'm going to have to withdraw from Minetest. I've tried every combination of driver updates, minimal settings, mod combinations and whatnot...but still it runs like it's 1999. :( I think my chromebook is simply out of it's league here. I ruined my Linux set up twice to get it running smoothly, and it did for a little while, but eventually drops down to the lowest FPS possible and I have literally just this and another program installed...but I need my computer for working.

So I'm gonna have to kill this project here.

But I hope that the spirit hasn't died. Adventure maps in Minetest sound wonderful. It doesn't take much, just build as you would normally (maybe with a little creative help) and set it for others to use. The Book item makes a great tool for telling a narrative, the bones make treasure caches easier and the compassGPS is perfect to make maps expansive, (not to mention easier to manage on the developer's end). I hope with these tools and more, that there will be more of these in the future.

Wish I could say otherwise.

It's been a pleasure.
-Belle

[Sane]

That's bad.

Hope to see you again. Maybe with your next computer.
Have fun ( however that is possible without minetest :-)

[hb.operandi]

I will stick around enought to try to upload that file though! I really appreciated the excitement.

[LionsDen]

About a year or two ago, minetest started really chugging for me. I played around and figured out it was the combination of technic and all the required mods needed for it that were really killing my system. I stopped using those and I no longer had any trouble with minetest. Since then, about half a year ago or so, I tried technic again and it and likely it's required mods have been cleaned up so I can run them again. You might want to try running minetest without technic and it's mods and see if it still starts chugging. If it doesn't then you know that your system can't handle them. To make your island, you could always pick out the parts that you need and create your own subset of technic and whatever else so it runs faster for you.