2018-12-21 10:25:28 (edited by Aprone 2018-12-24 00:58:04)

I was messing around with some code and wanted to see if a particular approach to a card game would appeal to players.  It's a system where you start with a small deck of cards, usually giving the player 2 choices to pick from.  The choices can create new cards that are shuffled into the remaining deck, sort of allowing a story to unfold based on the choices the player makes.  It's nothing special, but I was testing the idea by putting together some Swamp themed cards and it was working well enough that I figured I might as well post it.
I often test little ideas like this, because I want to see if they play out the same as they do in my head when I first get the idea.  In this case, it works pretty closely to how I imagined, but it's also walking the line to feeling like any average "choose your own adventure" book, which was not the goal.  I'm not sure if anything would come of this, but as I said, it was worth testing.

I basically never post these little test projects, but this one would up being quite playable even though it's small, so posting it won't do any harm.

www.kaldobsky.com/audiogames/dd.zip

Edit:  I've updated the download link because this is now a bit more developed than the example game I first posted.  People can create their own games using this little game engine (named Dynamic Deck), and compile them to distribute to others.  The Swamp themed game is included as an example to help get people started.  People are free to add onto the example game, or start from scratch to make something completely unique.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-21 10:38:52

Is it possible to inject some turn based dice combat into this to make it into something like a roguelike?

2018-12-21 12:34:51

That would be pretty cool.
Best regards, Haramir.

The true blind is the one who refuses to see.

2018-12-21 13:58:32

I'll check this out.
It would also be fun if we could create our own decks based on whatever, even for the purposes of abstract interpretation and random stories.

2018-12-21 15:01:08

I get the following error

Swamp Deck
Run-time error '429':
ActiveX component can't create object
OK

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2018-12-21 16:09:09

KenshiraTheTrinity, that's a good idea.

Aaron, actually that's sort of the plan.  If this was something people cared about, I'd just release it where people could script in any cards they like.  Sort of like a small game creator, but only for making games that follow this style.

masackru, I'm not sure what would be causing that error.  Have you played any of my other games on your current computer?  I'm wondering if checkup.exe from any of my other titles would solve that, but I'm just taking a guess.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-21 16:16:22

Yes, the error 429 usually means the VB6 runtimes are not registered and running checkup should solve it. I like this idea and would definitely be even more interested in it with custom creations added.

2018-12-21 16:47:05

Thats a very interesting concept! You realy should expand it. I see a lot of potential in this to create a nice complex card-game.

2018-12-21 20:54:40

hello,

If you like card-based storytelling, you might want to look into Storium and take a look at their system at Storium.com, or for educators, the new storiumedu.com

It's an interesting system that combines a card game with creative writing.

It might give you some ideas on what you could do in your own idea after you take a look at their system.

But I'd be willing to try this out and try your idea for sure.

2018-12-21 21:10:58

Aprone,
Great little game!
It feels to me something like the old DOS Oregon Trail text Game.
You could also turn it into a fortune telling game like Tarot cards.
One thing, when it suggested sending troops to the
kinderguarden I picked no, but the troops went anyway and brought back some kids.

2018-12-22 00:12:07

Phil, believe it or not but a Tarot card type of idea is what I was originally thinking when I sat down to toss this together.  From there it sort of went in a choose your own adventure sort of direction, but it seems the original Tarot idea wouldn't have been too crazy.  big_smile

I'm not sure why it still sent troops to the school, but if it happens again then I'll start looking for a typo somewhere in the code.

I've just uploaded an updated version that tells you what changes occurred after each choice you make.  For example, when you make your choice it may say that 1 card was removed from your deck, and 2 new ones were shuffled in.  It doesn't make a big difference, but for the moment I'm liking how that changes the feel of the game a little bit.  It's nice to know that things are changing in the deck as you go.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-22 16:12:27

I haven't tried it, yet. I'll have to do it later, but this reminds me of Fallen London to an extent if you've ever played that game. At least how fallen london has event cards. I suppose that's a bit different, yet similar enough.

I have a website now.
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C++: The object-oriented programming language of a pagan deity" -- The Red Book
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2018-12-22 16:25:52

aprone,I'd reccomend packaging the checkup.exe file in all of your games, just in case?

----------
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2018-12-22 22:31:23

Wow this is a blast! I look forward to seeing how this evolves. Thanks for posting, we really need some fresh new games around here.

Guitarman.
What has been created in the laws of nature holds true in the laws of magic as well. Where there is light, there is darkness,  and where there is life, there is also death.
Aerodyne: first of the wizard order

2018-12-23 15:40:52

Oh yeah, please keep this going. The mix between card game and choose your own adventure sounds pretty interesting. Hoping for more themes and user made creations in the future.

2018-12-23 18:40:55

I've uploaded a version that should now allow anyone to make their own game using this engine.  I'm calling it Dynamic Deck, and the little Swamp Deck game has been included as an example, so people can look through each and every card I made for that game.

A readme file explains how everything works, and once you create a game you can compile it to hand out to other people.

I'm very interested to see what others can do with this little idea.  There are obviously ways this can be expanded, but I think I'll hold off to see if people will actually use this to make stuff.  Addition ideas that come to mind right away, would be support for background music and letting players assign sounds to cards or choices the player makes.  Even if people create games using this version, they should be able to easily modify their games later to include any extra features that are added to the engine.  Just make sure you save your original text files so you can make changes and recompile your game later.

www.kaldobsky.com/audiogames/dd.zip

I encourage people to put something together and post it for us to try.  I would definitely like to see what ideas people come up with for this.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-23 19:22:56

Trying it out, may want to update first post.

2018-12-26 15:27:21

Hi Aprone!
I am thinking about creating a Story-Deck about a stranded spaceship in a distant part of the universe and the crew is trying to travel back home.
There is a main question in my mind which depends on how or if you plan to expand your engine.
It would be great to have more values. Not only good and bad.
For example i would like to create my own values like Crew, energy, enginepower, credits, weaponpower and so on, which are saved in some kind of player-scoresheet.
Maybe it could be also important if you can set more than two options for a card.

Would these ideas blast your originally concept of your project too much?

2018-12-26 17:03:43

Firefly, I'll work on those changes right now actually.  The version I hadn't posted yet had 5 variables, and I was already wondering if it would be better to let people add as many as they needed.  The scoresheet idea should be possible to do using a set of key commands I plan to add.

I should have a bit of time to code this morning, and since these changes are relatively small I should be posting the update soon.  The hardest part will honestly be writing up the changes in the readme, haha!  It's often harder to explain how features work than to add them.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-26 17:07:34

well if you add sound support to this, ill defenetly try it, well i already tryed but i mean i'Ll make a thing with this

2018-12-26 22:48:49

Hi Aprone.
Your games don't run on win 7.

ice, fire, water, thunder.

2018-12-26 23:10:40 (edited by Aprone 2018-12-26 23:10:53)

Hi pates.
My games do run on win 7.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-27 00:27:00

Hello folks! Sir, I'm loving to mess around with the engine so far. In addition to what has been said, could you please add a way to check if the player has a certain card, and how many?
Best regards, Haramir.

The true blind is the one who refuses to see.

2018-12-27 02:09:11

Haramir I'll keep that in mind.  I made some major changes earlier but got held up while trying to write up the new readme explaining the changes.  I'm hoping to finish it up after work to post the newer version, which does let you declare your own variables, assign messages to keys, play MP3s, and trigger sound effects.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2018-12-27 10:43:14

Hi Aprone! This sounds absolutely cool! Cant wait to see the next version.
I got one little sugestion:
Could you add the option to specify a type to a card?
For example i want to pick a random card after i destroyed a pirateship from a subpile.
Lets say there is a card called Lasercannon and another card called Plasmacannon which are boosting your weaponpower-value and you can set both cards to be of the type weapons.

HAHA, i hope you get my point!