Screeps: World's First MMO RTS Game for Programmers

Looks interesting. A unique angle and target audience at least.

You can find more information here: https://screeps.com

 

The idea seems unique, but I can tell only a select few will play it, E.G. - people who know that language. or just the few who will give it a shot and not understand it lol.

But nevertheless it does definitely scale a 10/10 of Unique Factor to me.

EDIT - I swear I see Pepsi logo on their website from images in game lol.

 

Would've been initeresting if it wasn't about javascript.

WOuld be nice to have common lisp, prolog or haskell in there.

 

You can use anything that compiles to javascript.

They reference this list on their site.

https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/wiki/list-of-languages-that-compile-to-js

 

An ai class I took in college was about using other languages to mimic prolog and lisp. If any language could achieve this best I'd think it would be javascript with it's loose and interpreted nature. I've used javascript to do things that I didn't think were possible with my background in (early) java.

 

That's cool, will have to check it out. I've seen some similar experiments in the past but this seems a bit more "pure".

There are also a couple fantasy series based around this concept where programmers get zapped to alternate dimensions and their power is based on code snippets they throw out.

 

A game for the intellectually adept, will play.

Always had an interest in AI, infact I once had an idea to make a MOBA where the characters are controlled by AI. The players job would be to program that AI to properly use skills, flanking, stealth, decision making, etc

 

Sounds more like work then fun to me...

 

You use this to bridge the two. It's a gamble, either your work becomes more fun or your current understanding of fun becomes... less.

 

Hah, isn't everything work @BoredMormon?

 

ummm... Awesome?

 

Might appeal to a kid trying to learn programming. I know I enjoyed playing Colobot when I was younger.

 

I forget what the game was called but there was a game you could write java for and it was robots in an arena that had guns. You programmed a loop of movement sequences for them and then the teacher let them battle on the projector.

I cheated. I found a way to control mine with a keyboard.

 

Agreed.

I'm primarily doing programming and while I find it interesting to solve problems and the Aha! moment when you figure something out is exciting I just think it's more fun when you're playing that game and enjoying that hard work pay off.

After all, playing is about relaxing your mind and you have to put a considerable effort into good code.

Plus if you make this AI scripting into an MMO everyone will either just copy the best script from some website or fail miserable trying to defeat those that do. The game will just screw itself up.

And besides is it really a game if everything just happens by itself. Where's the real-time interaction.

 

Please don't start the "is it even a game" debate.

This game reminds me a bit of the awesome AI challenges that used to happen a few years back. I'd probably easily lose a month to this if I had the time and if it wasn't using javascript.

 

??? Its definitely a game. What I was arguing was its not a game I'd find fun. Others are entitled to enjoy it. There are plenty of viable games I don't enjoy.

 

Sorry I was replying to zoran404. I get that it's not a game that most people would enjoy

 

I'm surprised - that's not the BoredMormon we're used to!! You're losing your geek-cred pretty quick here!!

IT'S CODE... IN A GAME .... NERDVANA!!

 

I dunno, its a pretty great idea, and I'd probably be into it if I had a bunch of time, but I don't, so I'd rather spend time coding unity behaviors instead of creep behaviors.

 

I don't know about that. If you think about kids and their desire to build stuff, it might take off. I know many programmers who got their start doing stuff like scripting for graal servers or modding.

 

It's been a long week and I've been dealing with some exotic solvents. It's possible in not entirely right in the head at the moment.

 

Sure, but it's still not gonna be most kids.

 

So... Thanks @GarBenjamin

After you posted this, I slacked it internally, and lost nearly a half day of development on our team as most of the designers, tech artists and engineers blew the rest of day geeking out playing with this. .

 

Translation: We couldn't be bothered to write unit AI that is any good, so we're making you do it.

Anyway, may give it a go, though I hate JS.

 

I'd probably give you a similar response...

You code, then play and see what happens. Isn't it a bit similar to making a game?

The difference is that if you code unity behaviors you end up with something that has real world value : D

 

I might have a play with it when I get bored... which is never so I probably won't. Like others have said game dev itself already provides plenty of opportunities to do progamming for fun.

However, I think it will get some interest for sure. It is not too different from that Tank AI challenge we had here last year. And all of the hackers who used to do the worm batttles and such are probably very happy. Folks who take a weekend to do a game jam challenge may find it interesting as well.

The appealing part is the idea of writing a little standalone bot of sorts that collects information, makes a decision based on it and then acts accordingly and all the time running while you are working, sleeping and so forth. I think that should definitely attract some folks.

 

Looks pretty awesome!

 

I wonder what the limitations are. Can you find a reference to other player units and then set their health to 0 or set their script to a script you've written that causes them to rampage on their own base?

Javascript is pretty unruly.