I just had a passing idea, but I don't know how close it would come to fruation, but I thought I'd post it anyhow, and this seemed to be a better place than any:

How many of you out there would be interested in some kind of open-source, Monster-raising-type game project? Cross-platform, OpenGL, C++, etc etc etc?

Just throwing this card on the table....

--Cats

Wouldn't making such a game take a lot of effort and time?

It would be very interesting! However, we probably have quite a few people here interested in playing a game like that, not so many with the inclination to help create one....Me, I'm busy with a real job, this place, and trying to get a little VC for my husband's game company.

My gut agrees with you, Lisa. However, I proposed it simply on the chance that enough people would be interested. (Ie there's no success without risk).

Yes, after I posted that, I realized that I'm far too swamped with other obligations to substantionally contribute (other than fundalmentals, ideas, theories, etc. etc).

But still, I thought an open-source monster-raising game would be interesting overall--not just in developing, but also for game play.

I think it could be hugely popular, I've been suggesting to tecmo for years that they should have am online massively-multiplayer MR game. But any open-source breeding sim would be cool too, I think we'd all play it, and some would take the time to at least tweak it...

I did have one question, however:

since it would be highly unwise to use CDs as a source of creature creations (seeing how Tecmo would immediately order a cease-and-desist as soon as it would come to their attention), what other suggestions do you have? I have considered using just plain files, or perhaps "chemicals" within the game that, as you progress, you can mix those chemicals (something like DNA capsules) and create other creatures.

No promises, but I'll probably revamp my website to reflect this idea. If I ever get some freetime, I may set up something like this.

Well, there could simply be a random number generator, like spinning the wheel of fortune or pulling the handle of a slot machine....

they can make monsters from memory card data if it was on psx it was done a little in dragonseeds where saes from certain games made rare dragons for you to catch and others made normal dragons.

Why not make monsters from floppy disks? I mean, come on, memory cards can only hold so much memory.

Same for Floppy Disks.

Maybe it would read a specific sector of the player's HD, similar to the game Virus.

I'd love to help make it... in 3 or 4 years after some schooling...

I'm actually a programmer by trade, but right now we're working on an RPG and I can't work on anything else. Maybe after it is completed...

you could use files within your computer... or maybe you could use... barcodes!you know, like that product computer game, i think it was with dinosaurs, that had you scan barcodes to get different ones, but maybe you could think of something else along that idea so your not just copying them... whatever.

2 words...website addresses