Need ideas for a mod/level design and possibly future game c

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:48 pm

Hey everyone,

As you guys probably all know, I'm still hopeing to eventually develope a mod/level design team that I hope to one day develope into a game company. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for original names that aren't allready copyrighted? Also, would there be a way that I could search to see if these names are copyrighted? I need some very original names. The website is allready constructed and I'm currently teaching a couple of guys how to build custom ships/weapons and I hope to learn scripting and level design. They allready know level design. I'm also trying to learn C++ and doing some reasearch on other meathods to convert my models to OOF. Anyway, any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:54 pm

Dragonware? Dragonsoft? Dragonstar?
(I like dragons)

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:59 pm

I think Project Poly is still available...

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:02 pm

LOL, believe it or not, Dragonware and Dragonsoft are allready taken

Project Poly isn't though so that one is a consideration. Any other ideas? I'll make a list of the best ones and have my team decide.

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:20 pm

If you get a good name, I could try to create a good emblem for you. I'm not to good with names, but I am a graphic designer.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:59 pm

PIMPDAWGSOFT

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:08 pm

Mobware?

De Rigueur · Post by **De Rigueur** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:58 pm

MobiSoft has an interesting ring to it.

Zoop! · Post by **Zoop!** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:01 pm

Chicken Noodle Soup

Nexus_One · Post by **Nexus_One** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:05 pm

Flaming Poo
NexuSoft

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:06 pm

Don't you be violating my God-Given and Government-Enforced rights to the Mobi*©1998-2004 name!

I'll sue ya!

Jeff250 · Post by **Jeff250** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:55 pm

We don't recognize the New Zealand government.

Nightshade · Post by **Nightshade** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:40 pm

How about HIPPIES MUST DIE![tm]

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:52 pm

My company name is, has been (for about 6 years), and will continue to be, <a href=http://www.mletech.com>Matt Lipe Enterprises</a>.

Go with something simple and personalized, i say

De Rigueur · Post by **De Rigueur** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 3:06 pm

Don't try this . . .

A guy named Mike Rowe chose the name, MikeRoweSoft, for his company. As luck would have it, another company got miffed.

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprov ... 08ABD2EF5D

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 3:51 pm

mob, dude, come on now. You've been posting this rambling about this game company of yours for ages now. Get serious please. If you want to go into the game developing industry, go to an established company that is hiring and apply for a job! Some of them have very interesting and challenging openings.

And let me tell you, if they don't hire you, then you do not have what it takes to do the job, let alone set up a game development company of your own. Toying around with OOF and "trying to learn C++" is definitely not going to be enough.
If you're just trying to make a couple of levels, then do it, without all the "company", "copyright" and "business" fuss around it, trying to make yourself look interesting.

So at this point, a little humility might suit you.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 6:51 pm

Trichord,

1. Never once have I said that this IS CURRENTLY A GAME COMPANY. i just hope that one day, there is the possibility that it could be. I have always said as far as I know that it will be a long time from now. Start small, think big and see how far you can go.

I'm still trying to get my GED because I'm taking my time so that I KNOW this stuff. Not so that I can learn it and a week later, forget everything I have been taught like most students.

2. I'm not going to just drive over to a game company, walk up to the door and say, "hey, I like, like to build mods n' stuff. I also kinda like money n' stuff. Could I like, work here?" The plan is, to eventually join a company. But for now, I'm still trying to get my GED. As soon as I have that, technical school. After that, who knows.

Maybe I'll become a website or graphics designer for a few years while I continue to study other subjects. I will probably then, try to join a game company of some sort.

So, does it kill me to build a really nice website and develop a team to build some mods/level sets as a hobby in the mean time? Why not do the best job I can with it?

My idea, is that someday, maybe, I will have the resources to build a game. Not now, not for some time. But who knows.

I just want to get a name for myself so that I can create a domain name, so that people won't have such a difficult time finding my projects and I can do a bit of advertising. No one plays the level sets/mods that I have already released because I can't provide very good advertisement for these projects. So, I'm improving that.

Lets see here, learning to design games.... skills I'm developing while I'm working on these projects:

HTML- Check
Javascript= Check
HTML 4.0- Check
Graphics- Check
3D models- Check
3D model animation- check
Animated graphics- check
Level design- check
C++ - check
Scripting- check
Visual basic- check
Sound effects- check
Music- check
Movies using photoshop (will be taking a course on this soon hopefully)- check
Concept sketches- check
Documentation (I've done massive amounts of this for various projects)- check

Man, a few stupid things in your younger years and you get blacklisted. Sheesh.

Anyway, I have changed and I am much more experienced at this point than I was even a couple of years ago. I'm not asking for anyone to join my team. I'm just asking for a few ideas for a name for my new website.

Anyway, thanks to those who actually put in, real ideas.

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 8:03 pm

I'm doing Graphic Design, so if you want a partner or something, I'm open in a year and a half.

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 8:05 pm

HTML- unnecessary
Javascript= extremely unnecessary
HTML 4.0- unnecessary
Scripting- unnecessary
Visual basic- unnecessary
Movies using photoshop (will be taking a course on this soon hopefully)- what?

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:20 pm

PolyMOD came to mind earlier today. Thought I'd post it.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:26 pm

you don't copyright names, you trademark them.

in order to trademark something, you need to be a company first.

So, get some capital first, don't go looking looking to setup a company before you actually have the money to do so.

In short, get a job, get your mind off this, or you'll just keep running around in circles getting nothing done.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 1:07 am

Thanks Jon the Great. I like that suggestion.

Right now it's between:
(in no particular order)

PolyMOD

Project Poly

MobSoft (I'm not sure about this one, being that I don't want to look like you have to join my clan in order to be a part of my design team.)

Mob Games (I don't want to look like a game company yet either.)

More suggestions would be helpfull.

Oh, btw Meathead, your plenty welcome to help out if you like. I can handle most of the graphics design on my own but someone else takeing on part of the load would be pretty helpfull.

Just e-mail me.

BTW Flip, don't worry I'm not planning for it to become a company for an extremely long time. I don't plan to trademark anything yet. The only reason I need a name, is for my website, so that I can have a place that people can easily find to access information about my projects. I'm just looking for a more permanent name to go by.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 6:27 am

Let me tell you something else. If you can't come up with a name for your work yourself, it doesn't leave much to think of your inspiration, creativity and initiative.

You say you've been trying to figure out ideas and projects for the last two years, yet you still didn't even come up with a name?
Also, a name isn't that important, not at the stage you're at anyway. The quality (and the existence) of your work is far more important than the name it carries. The opposite is only true for big time players like Microsoft and McDonalds

You list a couple of skills you possess or are working on. I'm sure that when you are satisfied with yourself having mastered one of them, you are still miles away from the level of professionalism required by the *real* people in the industry. You seem to have no idea how complicated it is what you're talking about.

And for the record, my nickname spells without an "h", and alright is with only one "l", unless you write it in two words.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 2:27 pm

PolyMOD seems to be taken so I guess I'll have to come up with a different name of some sort.

I would go with Project Poly but the name seems a bit long.

All the Poly's seem to be taken for some reason. Every name I seem to come up with appears to be the name of a website allready.

Pebkac · Post by **Pebkac** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 6:54 pm

Hey messenger! Aren't you listening to Tricord? Why don't you just give up and go lay down in a gutter somewhere. You'll never be successful so you may as well give up.

*this post contains sarcastic undertones*

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:10 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Pebkac:
 Hey messenger! Aren't you listening to Tricord? Why don't you just give up and go lay down in a gutter somewhere. You'll never be successful so you may as well give up.

*this post contains sarcastic undertones*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You know that nice little proverb that says, if you don't have anything nice to say SHUT YOUR FREAK'N MOUTH?
Well it's knocking on your door.

So most of the Poly's are taken for some reason, huh?
Hmm what about the Magics? or Wizards? Magicians? Tricksters?

MODmagic
WizardMOD
M-M (MOD-Magicians)
UberTrickster

Asrale · Post by **Asrale** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 12:38 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by mob-messenger:
 Lets see here, learning to design games.... skills I'm developing while I'm working on these projects:

HTML- Check
Javascript= Check
HTML 4.0- Check
Graphics- Check
3D models- Check
3D model animation- check
Animated graphics- check
Level design- check
C++ - check
Scripting- check
Visual basic- check
Sound effects- check
Music- check
Movies using photoshop (will be taking a course on this soon hopefully)- check
Concept sketches- check
Documentation (I've done massive amounts of this for various projects)- check

Man, a few stupid things in your younger years and you get blacklisted. Sheesh.

Anyway, I have changed and I am much more experienced at this point than I was even a couple of years ago. I'm not asking for anyone to join my team. I'm just asking for a few ideas for a name for my new website.

Anyway, thanks to those who actually put in, real ideas.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

To add to what DCrazy already said about some of those things there being unnecessary to learn (very true), you will never learn all of those things in a timely manner. Seriously. Even sound & music have their own specialists these days, you think you're going learn all the aspects of game development? Get real! Focus on a few!

Employers don't want jacks-of-all-trades, they want people that can do one or a few things EXTREMELY well, that way it's easy to build an excellent team.

And dude, I'm completing my fourth year in computer science and have been studying C/C++ since high school, and there is still a great deal I do not know about the language (certainly not enough to program a modern game), especially since it's still evolving. If you don't know what a class is yet, either accelerate your study or give up now for your own sake.

Not that I mean to discourage you in any way of course, I'm just trying to give you a reality check here. If you want to make a mod or level(s) for D3, just go for it, without all this banter. You don't need a "corporation name" for a mod project, just give the mod a name, and maybe a moniker for your group. You're over-jumping the gun, your group might not even remain intact (I've seen lots of mod groups for other games like Half-Life and Quake disband before even getting any real work done).

Jeff250 · Post by **Jeff250** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:54 am

Something to do with an antibox.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:41 am

Guys, it's not a game company yet by all means.

It is a mod design team at the moment. Maybe a million years down the line.

The only reason I want this name at all, period, is so that I can have a domain name and a website that is slightly more permanent. This is so that when I get a project done, I can release it on my website and I can create add banners so that people will be able to find the website that my projects are located on.

Asral, keep in mind, that it is nice and helpfull to understand how each skill level relates to one another and it is good to know enough about each to help develope your strongest points around in order to create the best looking, feeling, and sounding work that you can.

Yes, I am developeing my strongest points and useing them the most, but at the same time, I'm also casually exploreing new territory in case I have a hidden talent somewhere in there. Keep in mind that next year is the year I will be finishing up to get my GED so I still have time to explore before I start to take technical school courses.

Here is a good example of what it is good to know a little about a lot of things but focuseing mostly on your best skills:

1. You are a 3D modeler. You want to create a really awsome cloaking fighter.

2. The ship needs to fit into the physics of the game, so you need to consult the physics expert.

3. The ship needs to fit into the storyline somehow so you need to consult with the story writers.

4. The ship needs to have the physics and a cloaking device of some sort developed and programmed, so you need to consult a programmer.

5. The ship needs to have weapon, engine, landing, cloaking device, canopy, and other animations, so you need to talk to the animator.

6. Your ships needs quiet but powerfull and full sound effects. So you go to the sound effects guy.

7. The ship needs to have the animations scriptet and the other objects and models need to interact with the ship, such as a group of robots searching a room for you when the cloak is on and randomly guessing areas to shoot at to try and locate you. So you need to consult the level designers and AI programmer. The level designers also need to be able to develope interesting levels that will put your stealth skills to the test.

So, as you can see, it's nice to know a little about each. But on the other hand, you do need to focus primarily on your best skills. However, you can sometimes, only find your best skills, if you try each to know what they involve.

I'm not looking at my group as a corperation at all.

It is simply a mod design team for now.

Hmmmm.... ModMajic might work.

Or maybe ModWizards

Good ideas guys

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 11:46 am

Actually, I'm forced to agree with Tri here. Kevin, you seem to really want to do all this stuff, but never actually follow through on it. What you need to do is just set this stuff aside for now, get a job in the industry and get yourself established. Atleast stick with it long enough so that your name is semi-well known. THEN, once you have some money to play with, you can start thinking about stuff like this. Its all fine and dandy to start making posts on how you want to make this great mod level design group or game company, but until you actually have funding to back it up....well, lets just say that ship will sink before it even sets sail.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 4:57 pm

I have had this same discussion before and it is now boreing to me. I feel confident in my current works. Right now, I'm not in a stage in life, where I am ready to join the industry yet education wise. I'm working on a solution to that though.

I'm not going to argue anymore guys. The argument will never go anywhere but in circles. From now on, if someone wants to say something in order to put down my work and my effort, I will ignore them.

Anyway, moveing on....

ModWizards and ModMagic don't seem to be taken so I might could go for one of those.

I hate to associate my mod/level website with my clan and most names are allready taken so it's sort of hard to just, make one up anymore.

Anyway, anyone like either of these or have other suggestions?

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 8:55 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by mob-messenger:
 Here is a good example of what it is good to know a little about a lot of things but focuseing mostly on your best skills:

1. You are a 3D modeler. You want to create a really awsome cloaking fighter.

2. The ship needs to fit into the physics of the game, so you need to consult the physics expert.

3. The ship needs to fit into the storyline somehow so you need to consult with the story writers.

4. The ship needs to have the physics and a cloaking device of some sort developed and programmed, so you need to consult a programmer.

5. The ship needs to have weapon, engine, landing, cloaking device, canopy, and other animations, so you need to talk to the animator.

6. Your ships needs quiet but powerfull and full sound effects. So you go to the sound effects guy.

7. The ship needs to have the animations scriptet and the other objects and models need to interact with the ship, such as a group of robots searching a room for you when the cloak is on and randomly guessing areas to shoot at to try and locate you. So you need to consult the level designers and AI programmer. The level designers also need to be able to develope interesting levels that will put your stealth skills to the test.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Are you really serious? You have no idea what you're talking about, you're proving it yet again! Physics are built into a game engine, you only have to set the parameters for it to do what you want. You don't need a "physics" expert, you just need to balance the parameters until they're just right. And the cloaking device is the least of your worries.

I am under the impression you are NOT reading what I have been writing so far, or at least you are ignoring it. You may be full of good intentions, but YOU WILL NEVER GET THERE unless you change your way of thinking RIGHT NOW. Before even assembling a team, develop levels and mods by yourself. Start small, think small, not the other way around. Discover how things work, because you obviously have no idea. You only heard faint rumors this and there, you're trying to put things together and now you think you've figured it all out.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is, stop fiddling around with useless stuff such as asking which domain name to register before you actually have something. Just shut the hell up, please, and come back when you actually have something we can check out and play, so that we can acknowledge your skills and intentions. Stay in your corner and build something, THEN you can show it to us and ASK ADVICE. ASK ADVICE. Don't think you've figured it all out, my friend.

Yet somehow, I think my message will still not get through...<img src=http://www.levels4you.com/graphics/smil ... erated.gif>

Fusion pimp · Post by **Fusion pimp** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 9:22 am

TricHord,
Why does it bother you so much? You're like a kid who throws a fit if the guy doesn't listen to you.

B-

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 10:03 am

Usually I don't care, but I would appreciate to be taken seriously on this.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 5:45 pm

Tricord, I will only give one last argument before I begin to ignore you. You are assumeing a whole lot about me and my though process before you even know what I am doing. I haven't even said that much about what I'm actually working on in some time now. There are only maybe one or two who know what I'm doing.

All I can and will say about these projects, is that they are very very small and they are being developed by myself. Maybe the two guys I'm teaching will do some work if they want, and I would appreciate the help and it could even be used as part of me teaching them but their work isn't necessary. The first project will be about me researching on my own and building something small on my own. I plan to build up to bigger stuff such as Plague Arena.

"Are you really serious? You have no idea what you're talking about, you're proving it yet again! Physics are built into a game engine, you only have to set the parameters for it to do what you want. You don't need a "physics" expert, you just need to balance the parameters until they're just right. And the cloaking device is the least of your worries."

When did I say that you wouldn't have that built into the game engine? I wasn't meaning to refer to just Descent 3 either. D3's ships are easy to build. You set the parameters right inside the gam file. I've done this dozens of times. Other games are more complex though. You need to first of all, have a system of physics programmed into the game engine itself. Then you need to have a way to set the physics perameters you want for your ships after the game physics have been developed and implemented into the game engine itself. For this you need a programmer or to have some very good programming skills. Most likely C++.

Now, before you set these physics up, you probably want to have a pretty good idea of what the physics you want are. For this, you probably will want to consult with a physics expert or someone who knows their stuff or to at least do a ton of research on it first. Now if you want to go for cheesy physics, IE: Star Wars, or Descent. You don't need a physics expert and you can go all out and do pretty much whatever you want. However, if you want to make elements in a game believable, you need to stick to being as real as you can. IE: Plague Arena will have ships that are based on some real theories and realistic physics.

I have two very small completed projects, some screenshots, tutorials, tools, and other information I wish to display on this website. That's the only reason I want one. I had one but my old webhost apparently no longer exists. I've also had people complain about popups on my old website so I'm looking for something more permanent to make my visitors happy.

However, I have had a lot of compliments on some of the screenshots I've shown recently and I appreciate those compliments and feedback that I recieved. Anyway, to continue this, I need a way of continueing it. So, I need a better website.

Anyway, that is all I'm going to say, so calm down Tricord.

I did read your posts but I didn't respond because you appear to be very negative about my work and I have been over and over it a million times so I'm tired of argueing. If you want me to respect your words, then at least show some respect my words and my work.

Ryujin · Post by **Ryujin** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 10:19 pm

I think Tri and most everyone else is just annoyed with the "I need ideas" routine. I see the subject line and I automatically know who is behind it because Messenger has been doing this for so long now.

An ambitious idea, goals, etc. not followed through... Reminds me of someone else in this community... anyone care to hazard a guess of who I'm thinking about?

D4Cougar · Post by **D4Cougar** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 10:50 pm

If you're talking about Orbital try not to tread those waters.

I might make the frown face.

In Orbital's defense, we had to take an awful lot of **** from you people for a very long time simply because we tried something very ambitious. We had the means to do what we wanted to do but I think we were out of our league once we tried to do the game outside of the D3 engine. Like many others, I worked very hard on that project and devoted a great deal of time. It's a damn shame that it didn't get very far.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:31 am

Please people, move on with the subject. Arguments over.

Asrale · Post by **Asrale** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 2:06 am

You know, if you haven't already you should download the source code to D1, and other games like Quake, Quake II, etc. Looking at professional code is eye-opening. Granted you probably won't find the source to any 32-bit DirectX game yet, but maybe in a couple years...

Just as an fyi, physics is not a "component" of a game engine, you make it sound as if it is. It's naturally part of the process of writing the engine. (Granted there may be a lot of modules devoted to certain aspects of physics, like collision detection, and trajectory calculation.) You should check out gamasutra.com, I myself don't need it very much since I have a free subscription to Game Developer magazine.

As always, a strong math background is required for writing any game and engine, so if your math isn't up to par, you should go back and refresh yourself. Game Developer is really enlightening in that aspect, if I didn't already know linear algebra and up to calculus III, some of that stuff would be heady. I have great respect for people like John Carmack, Tim Sweeney, and whoever developed the Fusion Engine at Outrage. These people are practically geniuses, not only do they know their advanced math, they know how to implement it and make a highly competitive, state-of-the-art, and stable game engine.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 3:44 am

You will need lineair algebra to know how to work with matrixes, you will need graphical techniques to know how to represent your stuff with matrixes and do coordinate transformations, and you will need numerical algebra to know how to actually write mathematical algorithms for compution on a PC. You will need extensive use of openGL and/or Direct3D. You will also need a course of optimization techniques, because the way you code something is very important performance-wise.
This is assuming you know C++ through and through.

I've seen all of this except OpenGL/D3D at university, and realising how complicated this all is I don't even want to think about wading through engine code.
This is only one aspect to making a game, though.

I will repeat the advice I gave you before: finish your studies and apply for a job in the industry. If you're so motivated, why the hell wouldn't you want to do that? You will learn tons of stuff from these people, and will work with a team of real professionals who have real offices, money, and expertise. Why would you want to fiddle alone in your corner with a bunch of amateurs if you're so ambitious?

On a side note: I'm sorry for those who put effort into making D4. I agreed to join the team myself, but I said to myself I would only start working on anything if we had a guarantee to make the end. This would have meant contracts, cash and knowledge. The first two were unexistant and the latter was waaaay too limited to pull this off.

Nevertheless Mob, you should talk to Valin. He walked the path before, he got a lot further than you are now, so he'll be able to tell you about his experience and what went wrong.

The problem with working "for free" in a team like this, those who are capable are not willing and those who are not are overestimating themselves... And that's the truth.