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Notch Wants To Make a Firefly-Inspired Sandbox Space Game

Posted by Soulskill on from the two-by-two-hands-of-blue dept.

silentbrad sends this snippet from PCGamer: "After stepping back as lead designer of Minecraft earlier this year, Notch has been considering what to do next. ... While he's still deciding exactly what he wants to work on, he told us that he'd quite like to do a sandbox space trading game like Elite, 'except done right.' Notch is aiming for something with a bit more character than the classic trading sim. Instead of being the spaceship, you'd be a character inside the spaceship. 'I want the space game that's more like Firefly,' he said. 'I want to run around on my ship and have to put out a fire. Like, oh crap, the cooling system failed, I have to put out the fire here.' He hasn't decided to make the game yet, and doesn't mind if someone else takes up the reins. 'If someone steals the idea before me, that's totally fine. I just want to play that game,' he said."

45 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. amazing by msheekhah · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I want that game

    --
    Mark Anthony Collins
    1. Re:amazing by SJHillman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Speak for yourself. I feel I've gotten my money's worth several times over, even playing without mods. I've spent a hell of a lot more time playing Minecraft than I have some more recent titles that cost considerably more.

    2. Re:amazing by DurendalMac · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Not to mention having the most hideously atrocious, inefficient game engine in recent memory. Even if we take into account that it's written in Java, it's still mind-bogglingly AWFUL. Other games will do exponentially more with geometry, physics, lighting, etc and still get better framerates on the same hardware. Hell, make a moderately large redstone device and watch what happens. It chugs like hell over something SIMPLE. Personally, just about everyone at Mojang should never be able to write another line of code, especially Notch. Let him serve as the idea man, not the developer, because he fucking SUCKS at it, as does the rest of his team. If they had any brains at all then Minecraft would've had a ground-up rewrite a long time ago.

    3. Re:amazing by Ihmhi · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I agree that Minecraft is missing a lot. When jeb took over, however, the game has been noticeably improving. Patches are coming pretty consistently now and they're really changing the game for the better.

      I think Notch is better at the initial idea than the long-term execution. He's like a Stage 1 rocket booster - he gets the idea off the ground and pretty far, but don't depend on him to make it all the way to the end.

      For the reasons above, I doubt his ability to finish something good. Start it? Sure. But put out a finished, quality product? He seems to have a hard time doing that.

      --
      Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
    4. Re:amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To build on your points... I'm not going to waste time with the changelog looking for examples. But how fucked is your code base if you have something like, "implemented random rain effect, but now arrows go through walls."

    5. Re:amazing by LordLimecat · · Score: 2

      I only had this problem on machines without any graphics acceleration, or a ridiculously small amount of memory.

      I havent seen very many games like minecraft-- fully open-ended map with a fully destructable and constructable enviornment-- so Im not sure what game you are comparing it to. Keep in mind that with far vision, you are loading a huge number of blocks at the horizon, and the game needs to have terrain in memory beyond that unless you want massive drive thrashing when you move in that direction; and that it also needs to have in memory blocks beneath the surface for when you dig or cause an explosion.

      You claim there are games that do better-- like what?

    6. Re:amazing by lennier · · Score: 2

      . On the other hand if you pick captain, you'll probably just yell at your crew to put out fires, since you'll be too busy dealing with whatever hostile ship CAUSED your fire.

      Of course as Captain -- since you won't be either Helm or Fire Control -- you won't be able to fly the ship or fire at the hostile, so your options for "dealing with them" will consist entirely of saying "Onscreen!" and delivering stinging insults about their dress sense.

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    7. Re:amazing by SexyHamster · · Score: 4, Funny

      Are you kidding?
      Minecraft is nowhere complete. It has 1% of the content a game like that should have. Personally I will never give Notch another cent. He starts games, makes promises, and then doesn't finish them. Minecraft was an innovative concept, nothing more. Notch did nothing with it. Nothing. Now all the players of Minecraft are relying on modders to make the game fun. It shouldn't be that way.

      You're right. What minecraft really needs is a few romance options some poorly written plot elements and an epic ending where the ceiling collapses and everyone dies.

    8. Re:amazing by Lord_Jeremy · · Score: 2

      Tell me about it! The Minecraft servers I run each use more CPU time and memory sitting idle with no players than one of the Team Fortress 2 servers does when it's half full. Every so often they like to suddenly grab a ton of CPU time and cause lag spikes in TF2.

    9. Re:amazing by bipbop · · Score: 2

      Without commenting on how good the game is, it's not an innovative concept. The basic concept is taken from Infiniminer, and Notch has said as much.

    10. Re:amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because one must have created a similar, superior product before criticising or forming an opinion. NIckelback is fucking awesome and you can't say otherwise until you personally publish your own albums. Plan 9 from Outer Space was a fucking awesome movie and you can't say otherwise until you personally create your own films. The Ford Pinto was a fucking awesome car and you can't say otherwise until you personally build your own cars. GWB was a fucking awesome president and you can't say otherwise until you become president.

      See how stupid you sound?

    11. Re:amazing by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2

      I've not played Minecraft (it looks like the sort of game that would end up being a massive time sink), but my understanding is that the server is running large 3D cellular automata even with no players. In contrast, TF2 servers don't really do much beyond sending small sets of coordinate data between clients.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    12. Re:amazing by Rowan_u · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Coding isn't just about writing amazingly optimized code, or running as close to the metal as you can get; or heck, it isn't even about not crashing. The whole reason for Java and the other high level languages is so that less analytical geniuses and more artists/thinkers can get into programing. Notch is a perfect example of a regular guy, who isn't really the greatest coder or artist, but never-the-less, still managed to outdo every single 100+ team dev house. Why? 1. the balls to buck absolutely every convention. 2. the presence of high level abstracted languages and libraries for him to build on. 3. the willingness to borrow from what comes before (Infiniminer, Dwarf Fortress, Gary's Mod) 4. pure damn luck. Notch is a phenomenon, not simply because minecraft is an amazing game, but because we love a rags-to-riches storyline :)

      --
      only one everything
    13. Re:amazing by jthill · · Score: 2

      It is, however, a fully-functional 3D Lego set the approximate size of the planet Neptune. Snipe around the edges all you want, take what I'll call cheap shots, that's what it is and I'm glad to have it. It gets my kid off the kill-everything games and he and we build stuff that has him wanting to show it off. There was nothing like it before, its value already exceeds the price I paid, and it keeps getting better. This game's in the same category as Warband and AI War, I got what I paid for and I keep coming back.

      --
      As always, all IMO. Insert "I think" everywhere grammatically possible.
    14. Re:amazing by ultranova · · Score: 2

      Plan 9 from Outer Space was a fucking awesome movie and you can't say otherwise until you personally create your own films.

      It is. All the awful elements come together to form something that's so horrible the quality underflows and becomes awesome. It's not a good movie, but it's good entertainment.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  2. Sounds familiar. by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 2

    Hot shot Dev wants to build an open ended space sim?

    Is Derek Smart possessing people now?

    (I kid I kid, Derek. The Verge's article about you rocked.)

    --
    Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  3. Notch by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is Notch his real name or just his street name on... developer... street...

    1. Re:Notch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Markus Persson (pronounced closer to passion, than person)

  4. DO IT! by thehodapp · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But don't you dare write it in Java (but please make it cross-platform). Don't judge me, I can be as demanding as I like.

  5. Vegastrike by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's been an oft-asked for feature in Vegastrike. And they've already got the flying around in space and trading stuff covered. Maybe he could do the "I'm just a space janitor" portion that no one seems to want to do?

  6. Oolite -- Open source Elite by BDZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In case there are Elite fans out there who haven't heard of it; check out Oolite http://www.oolite.org/. It's an open source version that is nicely done. Available on Linux, MacOS & Windows.

  7. Kickstarter by mseeger · · Score: 2

    If he puts that idea up on kickstarter, he get my bucks in an instant ;-)

  8. Take my money by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 2

    I also want to play that game. Wanted to play it for 15 years. Yes, I know there are/were some contenders out there, X3, Evochron Mercenary, Privateer... while each game had it strengths, they lacked the overall appeal of Elite. I want to fly the depths of space and over the surfaces of alien planets. If there is trade, factions, vast space, missions, an optional main quest, decent combat, and then at the end of the day I can get out of my spaceship to take a stroll on an alien colony, I will create my own little shrine dedicated to Notch.

    Make it so!

  9. Sounds similar to a game on Kickstarter just now. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    FTL
    It is a spaceship roguelike where you actually control the ship up close, rather than directly.
    Glad it got funded, these guys sound pretty good and the idea sounds solid.

    Would like to see him have a try at it. So little actual decent space-trading games that are full-on, large or even fun.
    So many of them are just a plain chore to get in to, and you can lose everything just like that.
    Quite literally a second job to get in to in order to even play most of them.

  10. Re:EVE Online by realityimpaired · · Score: 3, Funny

    I thought EVE Online already was the sandbox space/trading sim "done right"

    Will it let you burn the land, or boil the sea?

  11. Battlestations by Sir+Realist · · Score: 2

    ... is the name of the board game that encapsulates this perfectly: flying around in a ship while also running around inside the ship. Its a good game.

  12. It's called Sundog by bfwebster · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wayne Holder and I did it 27 years ago for the Apple II. ..bruce..

    --
    Bruce F. Webster (brucefwebster.com)
    1. Re:It's called Sundog by bfwebster · · Score: 2

      Oh, I more than approve of that. :-) I've played both the Apple II and the Atari ST versions on Windows-based emulators and used to have links to both on my website. I should probably put those up again.

      For those wanting a bit more background: http://brucefwebster.com/past-projects/sundog/

      --
      Bruce F. Webster (brucefwebster.com)
  13. Re:I could go for that by mccalli · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I loved the idea of Elite but the implementation (particularly the later ones) was always a bit off for me. The crew based thing would be quite a bit of fun. Have a game that is part space shooty, part RTT or TBT crew management.

    I want a remake of Psi 5 Trading Company. That's a great game which I still play now and again - for those that don't know it, you're the Captain of a freight-carring star ship and you command your crew. You can do nothing directly, all actions occur because you've instructed your crew to carry them out.

    I'm a massive Elite (original, never got into Frontier) fan too - have a look at Oolite for a modern remake.

    Cheers,
    Ian

  14. Please, Nerd Jesus... by UtterCoward · · Score: 2

    ...let this come to pass.

  15. Will the game star Summer Glau? by Arancaytar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That, I believe, is pivotal to its success.

  16. Where is it man?? by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    I think I had that on the Atari ST, if I remember right...

    What happened? Why no remake yet? Now is the time! An iPad version would be nice.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Where is it man?? by bfwebster · · Score: 2

      Yep, it was originally on the Apple II and was then ported (and significantly enhanced) for the Atari ST. As per my other post, Wayne's working on an updated version. ..bruce..

      --
      Bruce F. Webster (brucefwebster.com)
  17. Re:and this is why... by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Unfortunately, the first semester of any Computer Games Development degree course is filled with kids who think just that - I like playing games, I have an idea, I would have fun building what I like to play. The second semester of those courses are usually much less full...

    The gory details of creating games usually murders the fun of playing them :(

  18. Re:EVE Online by Teancum · · Score: 2

    I thought EVE Online already was the sandbox space/trading sim "done right"

    Will it let you burn the land, or boil the sea?

    or mod the game so the Death Star is taking out the U.S.S. Enterprise with the Battlestar Galactica at its flank? (and Col. O'Neil with Samantha Carter busy working to take out the main reactor core of the Death Star)?

  19. Re:Why not do it with minecraft? by Thiez · · Score: 2

    Minecraft really isn't made to support those things. Chunks are 16 by 16 by 256 and don't stack vertically, so that rather limits manoeuvrability. Also given that space is mostly empty it really wouldn't make sense to use the minecraft level format, which isn't very sparse...

    While there are no doubt ways to hack around such builtin limitations, it would probably be easier, faster, and vastly more efficient performance-wise to create a new game engine.

  20. X Rebirth by gbjbaanb · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's called "X: Rebirth" and is a follow-on to the quite successful X series of games (the current version being X3:Albion Prelude). These are pretty much Elite type trading/fighting sandboxes, but with multiple ships, remote controlled fleets (ie you can buy traders and set them off on autopilot trading for you), fighting (of course, but with wingmen ships or just sent your fleet of frigates or carriers to defend your trading sectors from the bad aliens, robot aliens or pirates), plus missions to keep things interesting - both small "transport a passenger to x", and large "follow a whole set of missions in a series to do something major".

    What's a bit special (and controversial in the X community) is that the new game will be based around a single spacecraft (previously you could decide what kind of ship to pilot) but that has different 'rooms' to play from - so your co-pilot can be set to fly while you remote-control your combat drones or play the stock market or whatever.

    Read more on the developer's forums

    Nobody's quite sure exactly what it'll be like, but I think we can be confident Egosoft will pull the rabbit out, X3 served me very well for over a year, and I still didn't manage to finish all the plot missions. You can buy X3 on steam or impulse (or whatever impulse is called nowadays) for next to nothing, it cost me $10 in a special offer that seems to be repeated regularly.

    1. Re:X Rebirth by TheLink · · Score: 2

      I thought he said a character inside the spaceship.

      In which case it might be more like: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunDog:_Frozen_Legacy

      FWIW I heard rumours that Eve Online might start to have pilots wandering inside ships too.

      --
  21. Re:and this is why... by Teancum · · Score: 2

    I'll be the first to admit that what Notch has developed is not release grade software, and their software testing model is non-existent much less any sort of efficiency. I've seen some mods that vastly improve Minecraft, but from the perspective of improved chunk generation and development and even display efficiency. Mods like Optifine are used not just for higher resolution textures, but simply to improve framerate even for lower resolution textures.

    One difference to also keep in mind is that Notch has been able to somehow capture the imagination of a whole bunch of people. The raw software may be a pile of crap as you are so delicately putting it, but the raw ideas on how to develop the user interface and be able to interact with other players is also a big part of the overall design. The raw game design has been made now, and what is needed perhaps is to take the next step forward and do all of that stuff you are talking about to improve framerate and perhaps more importantly getting the server side to run much more efficiently. Things like mounted creatures (especially mounted dragons) are simply not even considered for implementation because the few tests with them have brought servers to their knees even when just a single user is on the server.

    Then again, I've seen some optimization of older games like Doom and even Castle Wolfenstein modded for more modern systems and really efficient display tech that turned out to be amazing pieces of software engineering. Perhaps it will take that. There are some developers in the mod community who know enough about the game to really improve it... and hiring the Bukkit team is perhaps one of the best things that Mojang could have done.

  22. Re:Eve Online by citizenr · · Score: 2

    When was the last time you had to put out a fire on Eve?

    The day Crrcible was released by graphic card went on fire while rendering _one_ avatar in an empty room at 20fps.

    Eve Online is a trading sim, not an adventure game like he seems to be describing.

    Eve Online is anything you want it to be. It has no arbitrarily imposed goals, you choose your own destiny and how you get there.

    --
    Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
  23. reminds me of battlecruiser 3000AD by roguegramma · · Score: 2

    Here's something about the developer:
    http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/3/21/2884331/redemption-derek-smart-flame-line-of-defense-battlecruiser-3000AD

    --
    Hey don't blame me, IANAB
  24. Start with Space Rangers 2 by PurplePhase · · Score: 2

    I keep coming back to this quirky game because it starts with a space ship and from there you have the standard fare (trading, missions, fighting, mining, etc.), purchasable upgrades, treasure hunts,...

    However it also includes a tactical fight/FPS hook, adventure text missions, a kind of arcade game, upgrading local command posts (though you can't fight enemy ones, and yes Pirate bases are my enemies), staving off alien invasions... Oh so much good stuff. When it decides to work correctly... Though about the worst DRM there is and the ever quirky: hey, something's for sale over there - why can't I purchase it or put it on layaway?

    So I'm thinking the technology as a good start, not the storyline - it can be hard to judge a real threat until it's killed you though... Hmm, but combining that with some Star Trek:Online parts... hmm...

    8-PP

  25. Re:and this is why... by DurendalMac · · Score: 2

    Very true. Like I've said, it's a fun game. Notch would make a good director/manager/PR guy. He's good at that. But when you can't even implement relatively simple new features because it murders system resources...then it's time to go back to the basics.

  26. Which He Will Call... by Greyfox · · Score: 2
    Space...craft...

    Looking forward to punching trees for the wood to build my first spacecraft.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  27. Re:EVE Online by KahabutDieDrake · · Score: 2

    I think the game you are looking for is called StarFarer. http://fractalsoftworks.com/ It's still in alpha, but it's progressing well so far, and the alpha is playable and modable today.