Cockpit Compo!

Posted by Derek Yu Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Cockpit Compo

After a brief intermission, we is back with another competition in the hizzle f’shizzle… say hello to the TIGSource Cockpit Compo! We’ve all seen games that featured a cockpit of some kind – some of us have even played and loved a game with a cockpit in it. But let’s face it, it’s still a relatively underused concept in games.

Whether you’re in a plane, a car, a mech, or even a human being, cockpits act as a powerful HUD or second screen between you and the rest of the game. They can be props that add a sense of dynamism and realism to a game, and they can provide visual data. They can also be interactive. As usual, we’re keeping the rules pretty vague for this compo – how can you make a cockpit work for you?

The competition begins this Sunday, and ends on March 29th, a week after GDC. See the compo page for rules and examples!

Posted in , , ,  | 36 comments

Comments

  1. Seth said 27 minutes later:

    hehe…

    cockpit

  2. Cobalt said 44 minutes later:

    Here come the cockpit jokes!

    Anyway, I do wonder how you’d make a game with a cockpit without 3D rendering…

  3. JoeX111 said 44 minutes later:

    Dig the Sewer Shark reference there.

  4. IceNine said about 1 hour later:

    Sweet! Looking forward to participating in these for the first time.

  5. AClarkFS said about 2 hours later:

    sewer shark, lol

  6. Zulgaines said about 3 hours later:

    cock

  7. Dominic White said about 3 hours later:

    Cobalt: Countless games managed it somehow. Just look at the Wing Commander series for inspiration.

  8. poewwo said about 3 hours later:

    Oh my goodness. I didn’t see this coming.

    As I always have dreams of making my own 3d flight combat type of games I still sort of lack programming knowledge and the motivation of it because of college of course.

    May be too late for me now.

  9. Unreal said about 3 hours later:

    Bus Driver 2?

  10. Valkyrie said about 4 hours later:

    I totally hope someone does a Mechwarrior demake. That would be beyond awesome.

  11. Gite said about 4 hours later:

    I totally hope someone does a Battle Engine Aquila demake. That would be behind awesome, struggling to catch up.

  12. Lord Tim said about 7 hours later:

    Hooray, this is awesome. I am totally going to do something for this. Totally.

  13. Alteisentier said about 10 hours later:

    Oh lord is that some Sewer Shark?

  14. Radix said about 14 hours later:

    Makes me want to make a thing I thought about in the shower the other day, but I probably won’t.

  15. PHeMoX said about 15 hours later:

    Nice idea for a compo Derek and co., there’s plenty of things we could make with this in mind. I take it the cockpit screen is something all games will share or are we allowed to changed it a bit?

  16. Cobalt said about 15 hours later:

    @Dominic White: I know, and a game for the 2600 comes to mind. I was just wondering how you’d do pseudo-3D like that. Boggles me mind.

  17. Bill said about 19 hours later:

    You just know someone’s going to make a game about a pit of cocks.

    It’ll probably win, too.

  18. FISH said about 20 hours later:

    i want a game compatible with the steel batallion controller.

  19. Sparky said about 21 hours later:

    I’m seeing some really good game ideas come out of this already. I’m looking forward to the games this generates.

    Best wishes, everyone!

  20. !CE-9 said 1 day later:

    I’m in love again.

  21. RMVX said 1 day later:

    A pit full of roosters :D

  22. Tye The Czar said 1 day later:

    Since he said “human eyes”, anyone want to try a FPS but with a more immersive view? I mean being able to see ALL of your body below your neck in such a perspective. I’m sick of how FPS games never really immerse me no matter what they do… I think the closest one got was Metroid Prime(hint-hint)

  23. Ezuku said 1 day later:

    Eh, aren’t there quite a few FPS games already where you can see your body?…

    Tribes 2, Crysis… etc?

    Unless you want to be able to like see your body at the same time as looking straight forward, which would just be scary.

  24. Novichock said 1 day later:

    “Unless you want to be able to like see your body at the same time as looking straight forward, which would just be scary.”

    Some sort of zero-g training sim?

  25. Tye The Czar said 1 day later:

    @ 23: No, silly. I mean being able to see your shoulders and below. That way maybe the guns you hold in 1st-person don’t look as awkward, as if you’re viewing from your chest…

  26. Ezuku said 1 day later:

    Bleh, picky picky… clearly not good enough seeing your waist and below, now you want to see your shouders too… :P

  27. diaskeaus said 1 day later:

    I want to see someone turn Daggerfall into a Mechwarrior game. A giant robot blazing through Tamriel, gaining levels and shooting missiles at Frost Giants. Hum.

  28. jute said 1 day later:

    I concur.

  29. Seth said 2 days later:

    no, a human cockpit game would be where you are some being that controls the human behind the eyes of the human, so as the controlling being you can see the inside of the human’s head

  30. Seth said 2 days later:

    think Calvin and Hobbes style homunculi

  31. Seth said 2 days later:

    like this: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4901.0

  32. Bronze Dog said 2 days later:

    Cockpits can be nice when they actually contribute to gameplay. I’ve seen a few old games where they have some non-functioning dials just taking up screen space.

    Anyway, had an idea earlier today some people might find interesting for a later compo or whatever you call these things: How much can you do with just a joystick and a single button? Probably make for some interesting mechanics with some games.

  33. Foppy said 2 days later:

    How much can you do with just a joystick and a single button?

    Hmm.. about every 8 and 16 bit game ever made? :)

  34. adam said 3 days later:

    Why is a navy dude flying the airplane in that picture?

  35. Impossible said 3 days later:

    @Tye The Czar: Mirror’s Edge does what you want I think.

  36. Radix said 3 days later:

    Tye The Czar: There was that dinosaur game, Tresspasser or whatever. Don’t look there if you’re expecting less awkwardness.

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