I thought I’d create a developer discussion / self-promotion thread about my first commercial game, now that I actually have something to show off after weeks of work (and learning!).
Pandemic 2.5 is an expanded and completely re-written version of my popular flash game Pandemic 2. For those who’ve never seen or heard of Pandemic 2, it’s a free flash game that puts the player in control of creating and evolving their own disease in the hope of wiping out mankind with their own pandemic. It’s a number of years old now, but you can still play it online on many websites like at Newgrounds here.
A quick overview:
As your disease infects new populations and spreads you are rewarded with EV points which you can use to evolve and mutate your disease. New symptoms can be added (and old symptoms can be dropped), new methods of transmission can be introduced and more. But as your disease becomes more abundant, world governments and health organizations attempt to stop the progress of your disease through quarantines, vaccine research, martial law, pest extermination and more.
So how does Pandemic 2.5 improve upon it’s predecessor?
[ul]
[li]The world map has been completely redone in 3D and now features 33 countries instead of the 21 found in Pandemic 2. The map will also now feature a basic day-night cycle to help give players an idea of how time is passing.[/li][li]To give players more meaningful choices and options, there is now an environmental system complete with real-world seasonal values. Some symptoms and traits now include secondary effects that you may find helpful or detrimental depending upon what you’re trying to achieve.[/li][li]Refined infection (population density now plays a role), visibility and lethality algorithms will not only make the game more enjoyable but also more strategic.[/li][li]Countries and their governments have been vastly overhauled to include new operations, infrastructure and disasters (quarantines, utilities, forest fires, blizzards, etc) as well and economic models and improved (and more diverse) governing AIs. Governments now have limited funds to be devoted to specific operations and must determine what is best interest for their country.[/li][li]A handful of new symptoms, traits and vectors as well as achievements.[/li][li]Vaccine research has become a more interactive process and threat.[/li][/ul]
The technical details:
Pandemic 2.5 will fully support Game Center and will use it to keep track of player achievements as well as highscores. The game is going to be released as a universal app so that it can be enjoyed on iPads, iPhones or iPod Touches. And lastly, the game is going cost just $1.99 once released on the app store.
Now that the majority of the OpenGL, game and architecture code is completed, the game should visually progress quite rapidly from this point and I hope to have it fully completed by the end of the month. I’ve one last major OpenGL feature to get working (font rendering) and one last OpenGL related performance optimization - although I already have the game running at a near constant 60fps on my 2nd generation iPod Touch.
I mentioned earlier that I now have something to show off for my weeks of work. Earlier today I captured some in-game screenshots of the initial UI as well as the 3D map:
Please keep in mind that the UI will continue to evolve (the UI you see there I got working over the course of 1 day) and be tweaked.
I think that’s all I have to show up-front on my game, but since this is also a developer discussion thread please ask me all and anything that you may be curious about!
Oh also, if you’re the sort that likes to be connected, you can catch me on Facebook and on Twitter.