Archive for June, 2010
RTS Game Wrinkles
I’m a huge fan of StarCraft and Dawn of War: 40,000. Both franchises comprise the very best in RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games, and are nearly flawless in their design. A few things I would do to enhance those games, if given the opportunity:
EMERGENCY PURGING - In a scenario where your command base is under siege, and you are low on nearby infantry units/vehicles, you’d purge out unfinished units in the queue as a last-defense. What would happen is you’d have the entire queue pushed out of the armory in an incomplete state. This gives you some defensive firepower, but the troops or vehicles you purged are incomplete and not as diluted in firepower or defense. As a trade-off, your factory or armory would need time to recover from the purge.
INCIDENTAL TRAVEL - You select a group composed of ground troops and vehicles to reach a target destination, and what usually happens is the vehicles will get there first. What I would like to see are troops climb onto the sides of tanks and other vehicles that happen to be sharing the same destination. Not only could you keep your battalion better intact, but you’ll have increased firepower for ‘hitched’ vehicles, though the troops clinging aboard would have decreased accuracy. This should all be done automatically, as I’m not a fan of manually assigning troops to climb into a transport vehicle. Also, the tanks wouldn’t slow down and wait for hitchers - first come first serve.
BUILT-IN HUD - I’d like to see research progress and Unit build progress without actually having to select the building. I propose a smart HUD, where that information is built into the game buildings. For example, I’d design the armory to be made of 6 individual pistons that would be in a high position at the start of the build process, then sink as building progressed. Some color meters could also denote the progress. Sure your opponents could tell which buildings are more active in building units, but these are priority targets regardless.
SMART COVER - The thing about RTS games is the troops fight like the British Red Coats - they stand around and just fire weapons, not really being evasive in their position. If it were up to me, I’d have them take cover behind pillars, armored vehicles (operational or destroyed remnants of), and whatever other section of the environment they deem safe. This would not only make the fights more dramatic, but would give way to using specialized Units, like Snipers and Anti-Tank personnel.
ESCAPE POD - The command base could have a backup escape pod that could be fired to another section of the map (much like the Terran buildings being able to relocate in StarCraft), that would include a builder and a few troops to start a new command base. The drawback: it would take a long time to fuel and ready, and would stop any other capabilities of the command base in the interim. So if defeat looks like a possibility, this last resort could be an option - but plan ahead.
LOOT THEIR POWER - I’d build a specialized Unit that could drain the enemy’s reserves. It would be a very costly and defenseless Unit, so you’d have to secure the enemy base to utilize it. This way you can add to your reserves while depleting your enemy’s supply. More incentive to capture the enemy base! More worthwhile in 3+ player games.
CONVERT THE NON-BELIEVERS - If you could steal your enemy’s power…why not their troops? There is a few ways you could do this: a mode where you could capture enemy units, a means to utilize abandoned or dead units (zombies?), or by dispatching your builder units to assimilate enemy structures to add them into your fold. Instead of wiping out your enemy, you’d claim their carcass for your own means. Only worthwhile in 3+ player games.
RISKIER RESOURCE COLLECTION - If you want more resources in quantity, or a faster rate of harvesting, you should be allowed to gamble with a more dangerous means of collection. Once this method/ machine of collection is built, your resource collection rates increase. But if taken out by the enemy, it could result in severe damage to your base. Pretty much like opting to harvest nuclear power - worthwhile output, but very dangerous.
BUY TIME - Every Unit you build in an RTS game has a set cost attributed to it, as well as a set build time. Well if you want to get your Units a bit sooner (without purging, see above), I’d allow the option to spend more to hurry the Unit’s production speed. The trade-off being you got your Unit sooner, but burned through more resources to do it. A costly short-term measure.
Add comment June 29, 2010
Dummy-Proof Train Doors
I frequent the Skytrain system here in Vancouver. And if there is one thing I hate, it’s some moron who will holds up the train by prying the doors open. This triggers the safety function, which re-opens the doors and attempts to close them again. Some inconsiderate people will trigger this operation as much as several times.
I get the feeling that Translink, operators of Skytrain, also don’t enjoy this behavior either. Plastered on every door is a sticker asking people not to hold these doors open. This act causes the trains to fall behind schedule, and is responsible for a lot of costly repairs as well, sidelining cars when they could be in operation.
So what I propose is chopping up the doors into smaller sections. That way when some idiot tries to hold up the train instead of waiting 4 minutes for the next one, he’ll only be able to pry a small portion of the door, not permitting him to board. Sure, someone could try to wedge themselves in between all the adjoining sections, but it will only result in futility - as well as a bit of entertainment for those watching.
As for safety, well if a hand or purse or bag gets caught in the door, that section will re-open allowing safe removal. The rest of the door will close. I don’t think it will be that jarring a change, it’s taking the existing design and amplifying it.
PS: Sorry for holding up the train at VCC Clark Station today. Hehe.
9 comments June 28, 2010
Geeky Gadgets Get Some Lovin’
Not to boast or brag, but it’s nice to get those small victories once in awhile. Not one but two companies are taking a gander at my gadget designs. Woo-hoo! Of course the biggest roadblock is all the licensing I’ve tied into these designs, especially the Zelda-themed key fob.
I decided to celebrate by creating new concept art for the Zelda Key, which would emit theme music from the game when pressed into use. I don’t think the final product would look as ‘pointy’ (I wouldn’t want that in my pocket!), as there are many different design possibilities here.
I won’t get my hopes up that any of these might become a reality any time soon, but it’s nice to see there is some value in a few of my ideas.
The key would be clamped to a spring-loaded button that would be pressed when the key is inserted into a lock, triggering theme music like the treasure chest opening, for example.
Again special thanks to Matt R., who helped tweak my initial idea of embedding the music into the door lock itself. I think a few decals would be ideal to help make the door lock appear like something out of a Zelda game too.
Add comment June 27, 2010
The Tron Hockey Puck
With the TRON sequel coming out in 5 months, the marketing blitz has started to pick up steam. Disney has taken a no-brainer approach in regards to their target audience, licensing a line of video game peripherals for all consoles, as well as creating a few TRON video games to boot. I think they could go a bit further with these gadgets, releasing a line of speakers, USB drives etc - though those will probably happen eventually.
I think to really help market the movie, Disney should consider branching out the TRON-look to everyday life. I think Pro Sports would be a great outlet for TRON. Sure, there is backlash for movie tie-ins that infringe upon the game, but if done smartly, the TRON style could compliment a sporting event.
Take an NBA backboard, which could be outlined in glowing blue light. The foul poles in baseball could also be decorated this way. Football uprights as well. You could even go a step further and TRON-ify the basketball or football as well. Sure it would look Nerfy, but if done right it would look cool.
One very plausible application (that hockey purists will hate me for proposing) is modifying a hockey puck to emit LED light. Yes it hearkens back to the laughable “Fox Puck” used briefly in the 90′s, but I think this time around it would look very modern and more at home in the HD digital age.
I apologize if you have the sudden craving to run out and buy an OREO ice-cream sandwich. The writing of this post was nearly interrupted by that very notion. If you are still with me, allow me to continue…
My design would have 2 rows of LED lights aimed at a 45 degree angle, so when the puck is lying flat, light is cast on the ice surface and towards the sky/ceiling. This will help players see the puck in their lower peripheral vision, and will prevent direct light from annoying goalies too much. Here is what the alignment would look like with the clear siding removed:
The ice surface is already very well illuminated in an NHL rink - especially for my Flames in their Saddledome. You would be surprised how strong LED lights can emit. I work beside an Aston Martin dealership, and on a bright sunny day, a single LED light from one of the headlight lamps can pierce into my skull from a mile away. Not that this puck would be as distracting.
This light-emitting puck would certainly be of use in heavily-populated scrums, or in the corner boards, and especially in the net. It would be beneficial to officials, that is for sure.
To take this design a step further, like the Fox Puck, it could change color when hit hard by a slap shot. Perhaps even programmed to change color when in contact from the home or away team, though that would need some kind of sensor implanted into player’s hockey sticks.
About those video game peripherals: I think they missed an opportunity here. They should have made the PS3 and 360 controllers wireless, and made the colors more console-specific: green for the 360, deep blue for the PS3. TRON isn’t color specific in itself, using many colors dependent on faction. I think if they had made the 360 controller lights thinner and green, and the rest of the controller black and glossy, it would have been the must-have default controller for the new 360 console.
Add comment June 27, 2010
The Insect Chopper
I sometimes wonder what today’s aircraft would be like if the Wright brothers decided to emulate flying insects instead of birds. I think the end result may be something along the lines of this concept, where a helicopter is given the characteristics of a mosquito.
Inspired by this recent post at i09.com, I decided to take a stab at making my own unique design. I set out to make a Rescue helicopter that was adept in many environments, one being very choppy waters.
The default state of this chopper is familiar - except the blades are enclosed in wings mounted on top.
The blades can pivot in place to help the craft propel forward or hover like a Harrier jet. The wings are also very flexible, able to pivot and turn, allowing this chopper to have many wing configurations.
The feature I really enjoyed implementing are these 4 retractable legs that have floating pontoons affixed to the feet. In theory, this would allow the Chopper to set down in rough waters for rescue missions. These feet could also be ideal for landing on rocky terrain, converting areas that were once inaccessible into a possible landing option.
These feet would be attached to a platform the chopper body sits on. This allows the chopper to pivot in place to help with balancing issues.
These legs could also turn the chopper into an elevated firefighting platform for forest fires. Affix a hose to the front nose and this beast could target forest fires. The wings could also be directed at the fire if it would help contain the spread. I was thinking of creating a tail section that could be lowered into a reservoir, or a straw nose - but I think the old bucket of water will do for something like this.
Of course, this chopper would have your standard wheel-based landing gear for routine use.
Add comment June 25, 2010
Geeky Gadget Wish List #16: Star Wars Mouse
It was difficult for me to create a mouse because I’m not a fan of those really tacky mice- ones that look like cars or cartoon characters, etc. Those seem unwieldy and cheezy. I would prefer to make one that seemed suited to being a mouse, and wouldn’t look too garish on a desk.
This mouse is based on the Thermal Detonator used by Boussh, the bounty hunter disguise adorned by Leia - her second-most popular outfit from Return of the Jedi. She threatened Jabba with this handheld device, now it can sit on your desk and look almost as menacing.
I stretched it out because the actual prop used in the film is a sphere shape. A few of it’s distinctive features seemed appropriate for a mouse - the abundance of indicator lights, as well as the ‘push switch’ being a great place to mount a click wheel.
I originally thought of preserving the sphere shape, allowing the User to push it open, so when it expanded it would be more capsule-shaped like a mouse, but I felt it would be uncomfortable to grasp. To address the gap of the detonator I’d bridge it with glass or clear plastic, to ensure it has an ergonomic grip.
Here is a silver version, which is my preference:
If you like this gadget, feel free to bug Thinkgeek here in their idea submissions page. They do consider certain gadgets if they garner enough attention and popularity. Tell your friends!
PS Geeky Gadget #15 was scrapped - a Batman USB desktop Bat Signal to alert people of notifications. Someone already made one!
1 comment June 24, 2010
The Crawling Mine-Eater
There are some ideas I won’t post, namely things that may cause harm, such as weapons or military applications. I will make the exception for an idea similar in nature that will help people, such as this anti-mine vehicle:
It is designed to trigger explosive mines (or render mines inoperable) simply by means of sheer weight. It has an extra set of wheels above (similar to my jumping train design), that allows this vehicle to flip on it’s side and use as many as 3 complete sets of wheels in case explosions render any wheel inoperable. For example, a front wheel is taken out/rendered inactive due to several explosions. The Crawler will then flip on it’s side for a complete set of wheels, and continue forward progress. It can execute this manuever once more before any wheel needs to be replaced/repaired.
The shape of the wheels allow for such transitions, with the axle pointed 45 degrees, and the tread also pivoted 45 degrees, giving the crawler a box-shape that will allow for flipping, as well as excelent ground coverage at all times.
The flipping is achieved by using a giant hydraulic arm that encircles the crawler’s midsection. It swings down and plants an outreached arm into the ground, heaving the vehicle into a 90 degree flip. With the ability to swivel in place, the driver cabin would remain level at all times.
The wheels would be made of solid steel, and perhaps fitted with drill bits like an underground tunnel-drilling machine.
The size of the vehicle here would be comparable to an oil sands dump truck, though I don’t see why it couldn’t scaled down into something smaller and more fuel efficient.
Add comment June 22, 2010
The Inverse Keyboard
So what is an ‘Inverse Keyboard’? The simple explanation is a keyboard made of keys you pull instead of push. Why make a keyboard like this? To combat repetitive strain injury/ repetitive stress syndrome. If people had another option to break up the routine of using the standard keyboard, they’d probably consider using something like this.
On closer inspection, this mock-up design looks like a Lego keyboard. In actuality, those bumps are air intakes. All the keys are linked to an air valve that operates like a vacuum. Put your finger on a key to cover the intake, resulting in a key that suctions onto your finger. You lift your finger a small amount to register a keystroke.
Currently, you could roam your hands over your keyboard glancing the keys and they would move a slight amount. The same can happen for the Inverse Keyboard. No keystrokes would register until you intentionally lift a key.
To drive the functionality home, the keys would not be capable of being pushed in. It would be something to adjust to, which would be good exercise for the brain - similar to trying to brush your teeth with your left hand if you usually use your right.
2 comments June 21, 2010
The Incredibles 2
Blogger’s Note: If you like the Incredibles, check out the Blu-Ray case I designed for the film.
With Toy Story 3 being released this weekend a mere 11 years after Toy Story 2, I thought I’d look at a Pixar movie that is most deserving of a sequel and offer up a treatment. This isn’t fan-fiction, merely a quick plot synopsis of what I’d like to see in a sequel.
The story takes place several years after the events of the first movie. Mr Incredible continues to juggle the role of parent and leader of the Incredibles team. Elastigirl grows more and more protective for the safety of the entire family. Dash and Violet are in their late teens and striving to be more independent. Jack-Jack is trying to hide his superpowers from his family, not realizing they are a group of Supers - they in turn also try to hide their abilities from the youngest Parr to not make him feel left out (they are convinced he is still powerless) - they discount his earliest memories of their heroics as ‘fantasy’.
1 comment June 19, 2010
The Caterboard
So this is a simple weight-driven propulsion system for skateboards and scooters I call the ‘Caterboard’, because of the motion similarities to the Caterpillar. It is completely unnecessary, as what is more simpler than pushing with your foot? Well with this mechanism you still push with your foot, but not directly against pavement.
Basically, you push the tail end of your board down to push a set of wheels back. How you get the board to be propelled forward is by using wheels that operate like a Ratchet - they only turn one way. So when you push back, forcing the wheels to move back from the board, they lock and grab the ground, providing that friction and resulting push. When you ease up, the wheels resume their forward motion as they are brought back forward.
Again, completely impractical, but I’ll see if I can use this for other means. I’m thinking of something along the lines of a hand trolley/cart that has two caterboard sets of wheels which is powered by a a constantly shifting weight. I’ll get back to you on that one.
Add comment June 16, 2010
