Weird idea
by Paul Malyschko · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/21/2002 (7:13 am) · 2 replies
It's been a while since I've had any new game ideas that were in any sense original, but I thought I might share this one because it sounds interesting. Somewhat inspired by playing GTA 3 and ruining lots of cars going at ridiculous speeds down some of those tunnels :).
To understand how this is a weird idea, I've got to explain a small scientific concept I saw when I was very young. They had developed self-organising alloys out of platinum and other metals(maybe... it was a long time ago). The basic concept behind it was, even though the alloy wasn't extremely strong (it wasn't too hard to bend it), if you mangled it, and then heated it, it would return to the exact shape it was cast in.
After playing GTA 3, I thought of the idea of a possible racing game (or even just a travelling game) where you controlled a vehicle made of a similar, stronger material -- I had envisioned a spherical object floating -- where you travelled at extremely high speeds through ridiculously hard tracks. The more you travelled, the more likely you were of damaging yourself, but also the more heat you a generating due to friction, and thus 'repairing' your vehicle.
It was an interesting concept I thought, anyway. I don't know if it could shaped any further, or extended... I wouldn't mind it. Its a simple design concept, using a system of basic tradeoffs... which speed to go with minimal damage?
It could almost be a puzzle game.
Any thoughts on this anyhow?
Thanks,
Paul.
To understand how this is a weird idea, I've got to explain a small scientific concept I saw when I was very young. They had developed self-organising alloys out of platinum and other metals(maybe... it was a long time ago). The basic concept behind it was, even though the alloy wasn't extremely strong (it wasn't too hard to bend it), if you mangled it, and then heated it, it would return to the exact shape it was cast in.
After playing GTA 3, I thought of the idea of a possible racing game (or even just a travelling game) where you controlled a vehicle made of a similar, stronger material -- I had envisioned a spherical object floating -- where you travelled at extremely high speeds through ridiculously hard tracks. The more you travelled, the more likely you were of damaging yourself, but also the more heat you a generating due to friction, and thus 'repairing' your vehicle.
It was an interesting concept I thought, anyway. I don't know if it could shaped any further, or extended... I wouldn't mind it. Its a simple design concept, using a system of basic tradeoffs... which speed to go with minimal damage?
It could almost be a puzzle game.
Any thoughts on this anyhow?
Thanks,
Paul.
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#2
Yes I think that was the major reason... it was a nifty thing to look at, but it was only useful if they could make the alloy stronger.
I'm pretty sure they've been working on it -- you know science -- you get some buzzy little invention that everyone says "it would be really cool for this, if only it were stronger/better/we could control it better". Look at superconductors.. they were supposed to make life a lot better, but you know, where are they? They're still trying to make progress on them, lowering their threshold so that they work at room temperature (or anything that doesn't require massive amounts of energy to freeze). Same with these self-organising alloys I'm guessing... they will probably make a return in a few short years.
08/21/2002 (9:08 am)
Haha, I'm getting old.Yes I think that was the major reason... it was a nifty thing to look at, but it was only useful if they could make the alloy stronger.
I'm pretty sure they've been working on it -- you know science -- you get some buzzy little invention that everyone says "it would be really cool for this, if only it were stronger/better/we could control it better". Look at superconductors.. they were supposed to make life a lot better, but you know, where are they? They're still trying to make progress on them, lowering their threshold so that they work at room temperature (or anything that doesn't require massive amounts of energy to freeze). Same with these self-organising alloys I'm guessing... they will probably make a return in a few short years.
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