[SA Game Jam 2016] Acorn Planet

notsimon207

- Jam name (SA Game Jam 2016)
- Project name Acorn Planet
- Level of experience (Professional)
- 48hr entry

Didn't manage to finish what I originally started, so there isn't much game play (you do have to manage some resources but that's about it). It's nice to look at tho, and I'll definitely carry on making it.

The original Idea was to do let the player create species starting with plants, and gradually moving up to lifeforms. The objective is to maintain as much diversity as you can.

The Acorn planet is an example of two plant species interacting (one looks like stone) . I't will usually generate something similar to an acorn but not quite the same each time.

Download link:
https://db.tt/cyKsItXO

PartyPanda

This is really, really beautiful! I encourage you to carry on building this.

Ross

I'm trying to understand the interaction. Are the species aware of each other? If you removed one would it change the others behaviour?

Jelligeth

:/ Crashing for me, maybe i'm not doing it right

notsimon207

@Jelligeth It's not well optimised at all, and given enough time it will crash. So I included a function to close the app when the frame rate drops below 5. It's pretty processing heavy so you need a decent pc.

@Ross The two different species are essentially the same with slightly different parameters. The plant uses its local environment and the position and orientation of the previous block to determine how to place the next block. Since the plants form part of the environment they naturally have an effect on each other.
So to answer your no the species are not directly or explicitly aware of each other, but if you remove one or change the initial arrangement of the seeds the result will be different.

Boysano

I could spin and zoom and change speed, and that is it.

Is there any inputs to control the outcome, or as you say "remove" species etc.
Didn't seem to me like there is any effect on simulation based on my interactions.

notsimon207

@Boysano Thanks for checking it out. Sorry it's not done yet so there isn't any meaningful interaction yet, but eventually you'll play by creating your own creatures and plants to add to the environment.

Fengol

Your instructions say to hold the Left mouse button but it's the Right mouse button that moves around.

I couldn't figure out what I was doing and Q and E don't seem to do anything :(

I love micro-planet game ideas.

notsimon207

@Fengol Thanks for trying it, sorry about the poor controls. Q and E should be taped not held. Each time Q is pressed time slows down by half and each time you press E time speeds up by 2x

critic

Love the style, makes me wish you had Monday off...

notsimon207

@critic I'm busy working on it right now ;)

EvanGreenwood

Is the "health" the framerate :)

Would love to see this with more interactions.

notsimon207

Yeah, for now it's not like a conceptual prototype without any gameplay, the only natural conclusion is running out of memory.