Sound RTS got me thinking. Someone mentioned before how an audio version of something like Civilisation would be fun, and I still uphold that even with an audio rts style interface there would simply be too many ssquares... However I had a spark.

Take a single grid in the style of sound RTS, and combine with the area/sector system from Lone Wolf. The result?

You might have say a more manageable 30 by 30 or 40 by 40 grid, something with enough room to move. Then you would have several of these grids, given the context we can refer to them as continents.

So essentially you would move around within and between continents, so you can mentally seperate each continent and not deal with insane numbers for coordinate locations.

As in the style of the Civ series and its relative Alpha Centauri it would perhaps be best turn based, using the format as an audio game to allow more easy exploration around the map than say a mud or web style interface would. It could also produce fun sounds, and perhaps in time maybe even one of the hybrids that has evolved in mainstream games where you have a turn based high level managing cities and a real time low tactical level controlling your soldiers.

They could also follow some mainstream games by offering a play by email option. This is where you play one turn, and the game ships off the relevant data to your opponent(s) systems. It is a nice way of being able to play such a long term game over a hugely extended period such as a week or two, possibly more.

Now my programming background is fairly simple and includes no direct X at all, so I don't have any confidence in my ability to make such a game. I did however find it an interesting enough concept that I thought it might be worth mentioning and discussing. Even just discussing theories on interface design after all may help our audio games to evolve.