26 replies to this topic

[fbouthil]

Hi!

I started working on a remake of the old Covert Action game by Sid Meier.  Here is my website:

Windows Covert Action

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

[Flop]

Now, this looks and sounds very, very interesting. I'm a big Covert Action fan myself, and I still have the original game lying around somewhere (although the disks have been ruined for a long time).

What do you plan to do with the graphics exactly? I see you refer to something called VB, which I assume is some kind of program. I also see that the car chase graphics are brand new. Do you plan to replace all the graphics in the game, or reuse some of it? (as far as I can gather it's the latter, but I thought I'd ask anyway).

Anyway, thanks a lot for the link, I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing more.

[Aristharus]

Sounds great, I'm a huge fan of the game myself. I noticed this thread at Abandonia, and got very interested. I'm very eagerly waiting for it to complete.

[A. J. Raffles]

Flop, on May 12 2006, 03:09 AM, said:

What do you plan to do with the graphics exactly? I see you refer to something called VB, which I assume is some kind of program.

On a wild guesss: Visual Basic?

[Juni Ori]

If the graphics are updated, I'm very eager to see finished game, otherwise I quite can't see the point of remaking the game - except for practise perhaps. In any case, I believe you have a big challenge ahead and I'd like to know, what kind of add-ons you're ready - and skilled enough of course - to do? I might have some ideas.

[Aristharus]

He did mention some possible additions at the website, like starting outside when breaking into a building, so I suppose he's going to add stuff, too.

[Juni Ori]

Oh, lazy me... But that's good news!

[fbouthil]

Yea, VB is Visual Basic.  I found it is very easy to code with that programming language, but I often get complains about the fact that it requires to install .NET framework which is a bit more than 20Megs to download.

As for improvements, I intend to change the rules a little in an attempt to make every activity important.  I will make some modifications like making the agent move inside the house or make it really go to meetings, but I don't pretend I can do something very innovative like first-person view for combats.

@Juni Ori: I would like to know your ideas.  Either post them here or send me an e-mail at the address on my website.

One other thing I want to do is make the plots (kidnapping, theft, etc) customizable so that anyone can create new kinds of plots and players can exchange them.

[Juni Ori]

Sounds great. I'll be contacting you some day, now I'm too busy to even think the game ideas.

[Juni Ori]

Looks like you've already thought quite much of what I was thinking. In addition, I'd just love to see following features (sorry if they're already in, I hastily read through):
Interrogation (hard one and I don't have good ideas)
Neutral areas (where criminals and you and your contacts can meet, chance of ambush)
Realistic flight schedules (or then you just have jet, but still the criminals need to use them)
Rural and wilderness areas (burdens programmer, but would still be nice feature)
Strike team (you don't need to go alone, perhaps with specialists, adding realism, mouse command interface)
Advanced inventory and searchable corpses and items on floor (ammo low? not anymore)

Hmm... I guess that was about it for now. I'll think if I remember more!

[Aristharus]

Umm, didn't you automatically search the corpses in the original one when walking over them? I think the corpses disappear and you get some ammo and random grenades or something..

[A. J. Raffles]

Juni Ori, on May 17 2006, 12:59 PM, said:

Realistic flight schedules (or then you just have jet, but still the criminals need to use them)

Why wouldn't criminals have jets as well? After all, that's why you become a criminal in the first place, right? So you'll be making enough money to be able to afford your own jet.

[Juni Ori]

Aristharus, on May 18 2006, 09:14 AM, said:

Umm, didn't you automatically search the corpses in the original one when walking over them? I think the corpses disappear and you get some ammo and random grenades or something..

Whoops...

Anyways, I guess advanced inventory wouldn't be too difficult or burdening to code.

[fbouthil]

I am getting a hard time understanding how you want to change the game, so let's go through your ideas one by one:

"Juni Ori" said:

Interrogation (hard one and I don't have good ideas)

When you arrested a criminal, you either get nothing from him or everything (if you turned him or it is the mastermind).  I guess I could put some kind of activity to get some informations when you don't turn him, but I got no idea what would be appropriate.

"Juni Ori" said:

Neutral areas (where criminals and you and your contacts can meet, chance of ambush)

When you lack clues, you can either make a local scan or an international scan, but that takes a lot of time.  Another option was to go to the hotel and visit your contact and that gave you clues immediately, but it raises the alarm level in the city.  Your idea would be perfect for that part.  

"Juni Ori" said:

Realistic flight schedules (or then you just have jet, but still the criminals need to use them)

When taking the plane, it takes a time proportional to the distance between the cities on the map.  What more do you want?  

"Juni Ori" said:

Rural and wilderness areas (burdens programmer, but would still be nice feature)

Combats are usually inside the house of the criminals, so I don't understand what you want.    The idea of breaking inside the house of the criminals is often to get evidences.

"Juni Ori" said:

Strike team (you don't need to go alone, perhaps with specialists, adding realism, mouse command interface)

It was already part of my plan to have a mouse interface for the combats, but I don't see very well how we could control more than one person.  At least not without changing the game a lot.  The only specialist that I can see that might be useful would be someone to open safe, so I am not sure it is worth it.

"Juni Ori" said:

Advanced inventory and searchable corpses and items on floor (ammo low? not anymore)

Searching was automatic in the original game, but there is no reason to stick to it.  I like that idea a lot.    Maybe something like most of the D&D games with slots to equip things, and a backpack for the extra equipment you find.  The original game had the following items you could carry:

- Pistol or Automatic rifle with 24 bullets: The number of clips of 6 bullets will now be chosen separately, so you can decide to bring less ammunitions to get more of something else.
- Bulletproof vest
- Grenades (fragmentation, stun or gas): You will have a limited number of belt slots, the rest of the grenades will have to go in your backpack.  In a long battle, you might have to go to your inventory to transfer them back to your belt.
- Camera
- Safecracking kit: Maybe this will take lots of space so you can consider using dynamite sticks or test tubes with acid instead.
- Motion detector
- Bugs: I have never used this in the original game, so I will have to make it more useful or simply remove this option.  Maybe a bugged room will show you guards in the room even if you are in it.
- Gas Mask

Anything else you see that could be useful?  Remember that the goal of the game is to be undetected until you are ready to arrest the suspect.  It would be easy to add the following:

- Police helmet: extra hit point
- Smoke grenade: can't see anyone unless very close
- Dynamite stick: opens a safe, but is consumed by it and starts the alarm.
- Test tubes with acid: opens a safe, is consumed by it, does not start the alarm, but might break if you get hit while carrying it.  Note that a guard noticing the open safe will sound the alarm.  The wall safes might be hidden by a painting, so guards might not notice they were open.

Searching guards might reveal grenades and bullets (maybe dynamite sticks too?).  Anything else you see an agent or guard could be carrying?

[taikara]

This looks pretty neat, way to go

I love the idea of using actual photos, I think it's a nice touch.

As a suggestion, though (and take it with a grain of salt, as I've never played the original, just going on the impression I'm getting as a potential player of your game-to-be) - the Driving section in particular may need a facelift. I know you're using VB, which makes it easier to use that sort of layout, but it just screams, "GUI!" Which, imho, isn't very immersive for gameplay. I would ditch the icky gray gui buttons, frames and scrollbars, go for a more "custom" design, and try to make it more seamless in overall appearance, if possible. It may mean needing to rethink how you handle city maps, but it will give a much better impression and experience, I think.

For example, your cryptography and electronics screens are nifty, because they don't have that "gui" look.

And no, it's not absolutely necessary - I just think it could be nicer.