I'm also doing a hacking game

[ODDin]

As one of the guys here, I'm also doing a game where you have to be a hacker. (In Visual Basic 6. I've already begun doing some things...)
The game is called "Valhalla". It's a lot like Uplink, really - also with an underground corporation (called "Valhalla" ) that you connect to. Only that I'm trying to make it look like it's really happening - using real time, and never mentioning the fact you never even use your modem... Just for the fun.
However, there are some things different from Uplink - I do support realism, so I've tried to make it as real as possible. For example:

1) You don't bounce through 100 computers all over the world with a click of a mouse. you scan the network looking for idiots who don't protect their computers with any means, put a trojan horse, auto-starting program inside (that one you buy from "Valhalla" ), and then you use the computer to connect to other places. Because the proccess of routing through a single computer in this way can get pretty annoying, you only need to route your connection through 2-3 computers in order to have enough time to do whatever you want. (I know you can't really trace somebody through this kind of connections, but that's a thing I had to do, because if you can be traced ONLY through logs, it's pretty boring)

2) What really annoyed me in Uplink, was the proxies and firewalls, which had almost nothing to do with real world proxies and/or firewalls - normally, you can't even see a computer behind a firewall or a proxy. In my game, in order not to make it to hard to brake, I did it in the following way - you have to buy a special virus, then send it by e-mail to a visible computer on the network of the compay (a computer public access) - every company has a network of its computers. Then, this virus will be auto-opened, and when it's inside the network, it will start searching for the computer on which the firewall stands (or the proxy), and which protects all the network, and it will disable it from within. Then it will establish connection with your gateway through an open port, and this is how you'll connect to this network.

And that's about all I've thought about. It's not perfect, but nobody's perfect... And it's not done yet. This are only plans. Meanwhile, I did only a few things - like the facts you can connect to places, buy software, and see the impact on your memory and money, you can brake passwords, and without it you can't connect to other computers. You can copy files from file servers, and delete them, and so on. However, this part still bugs sometime - your memory sometimes doubles. I'm working on it.

So, generally, I'll appriciate any ideas and advices, and I'll also appriciate some help with animations.
I don't need help with the coding, however...

My e-mail: michpev@yahoo.com

[ODDin]

i said, as one of the guys here. well, I was wrong - I saw already 2 more that did hacker games. Well, then I'm not so unique. I allways knew that...
Maybe the reason is that these games don't use graphics. This was my reason, in any case... My biggest problem was with graphics. (But let's not discuss it now).
Still, I'll appriciate any help and suggestion, and something about my ideas. And, as I've mentioned, I can use some help with animations. Gif, or whatever...

And again - my e-mail: michpev@yahoo.com

[CR45H_uplink]

I might be able to help I've spent the last 3-4 years developing various bit 'n pieces for my own games.

Mainly graphics orientated, 2D & 3D stuff using VB6 and DirectX8.

Also some basic Sound/MP3/Input stuff, and of course all my own 2D texture & graphics work.

[ODDin]

I'll appriciate any help with graphics and expirience...
As I've said, though, I don't need help with coding, and I'll prefer not to mess with DirectX - to leave it a game with means of VB6 only. (the main reason I chose Uplink - you don't need graphics. I can still use pictures and animations, however - gif, jpg...)
And besides that - any comments about what I've said, any new ideas?

[CR45H_uplink]

So how much work have you done on the project so far? got any screenshots or something?

I understand you wanting to avoid DX, I was the same a couple of years ago. But it isn't that bad, besides you can still do plain old 2D work in a window (I assume that's what you mean when you say 'you don't need graphics')

And DX is quite easy to use when you know how (yes it took me years to get my head around it), It can load JPEG's & BMP's. I haven't used GIF's put I know 2D picture based animation's are possible.

What your suggesting is entirely possible though you can get all the thing's working in just VB using some WinAPI calls, and probably would be made a lot easier by making some of your own custom designed ActiveX controls (for animation's and such).

I have got some basic routine's that I wrote a long time ago for loading/saving Gif's & Jpg's; But they're a bit tempermental (I never used them much, so I didn't refine them.)

I think what you said about bouncing through 100's of link's is true, it does suck. If you bounced thru that many connection's in real life it would be way too slow.
Uplink should have paid much more attention to the real physical boundaries of a network.

E.g. Your gateway is in london, you can only connect to a machine in america by redirecting thru a server with a trans-atlantic/satalite link.

[ODDin]

Well, to the best of my knowledge, I can use jpgs with the controls of VB alone.  I actually DID projects, (pretty dumb, but that's not the point...) where I used pictures, and a bit of animation. It worked a bit bad when I tried to move the pictures, but it's more than enough to put stationary pictures, like logos of corporations (a small idea I've thought about), pictures of people (more problematic will be to get pictures themselves...) and so on...
So I believe I don't need any extra ActiveX controls...

I want the program to be entirely Windows oriantated (not that I can do anything else, even if I wanted to...), so it works with many windows at one time (for example, when you copy files, you have a different form for each list...) I can supply some screenshots easily, but I currently don't have the time to do so. Maybe soon... (besides - where can I put the screenshots? does this forum support picturs?..)
About my level of progression - I haven't done too much yet, but at least I've started... that's what I have:

- You can connect and disconnect to places (WOW!)
- You can buy software, and it affects your money and memory (yet another WOW!)
- You need to run the password breaker to gain acccess to another computers, unless it's a computer of "Valhalla" (my version of the Uplink corporation...)
- You can (try to...) copy files from other file servers and delete them and vise versa. However, this section bugs a bit (in rare cases), and as I've discovered, I did a conseptual mistake in the code, so I have to change the whole "concept" - thus, rewrite the part about copying and deleting (i.e. file management).

This leaves us with a very small amount of done work. But I never said it's over...
I also have some background musics in plan (I have no rights for them, but I'm not going to sell the game, now am I?), and I have a victim for voice effects. (like "Systems online"...) However, I still may be needing effects like clicks, rings etc... But that's all cosmetics - the main problem is to make the game work itself! After that, it's not the point...

I guess that's about it...  :)


(Edited by ODDin at 6:48 pm on July 11, 2003)

[CR45H_uplink]

No sorry the forum doesn't support pictures, I thought you could either e-mail some or point me to a web address you had.
I have got a large library of strange sound files you could probably use too, I've got lot's I've made for my game I'm making at the moment.

[ODDin]

1) OK, I shall e-mail you some pictures when I'll have them... But don't expect anything beautiful - because it has a n appearance of a baic Windows application, nothing special indeed...
I have no web adress, however...

2) I'll gladly accept those "strange sound files", if they are appropriate for a hacking sim, in your opinion. (Or not only for a hacking sim - if you'll let me, I'll maybe use them for future games in plan... mentioning the source, of course)

P.S. What is the game you're making at the moment? Just for curiosity...

[CR45H_uplink]

My game is just a simple 3D arcade racing game, a bit like bumper cars/dodgem's on steriods! I'll send you some picture's and sound's. Not all of them at once though, too many.

[BayWolForever]

wow... been a while since I was last here... let's see... the pics - you can upload them to one of those "pic galarys" on the net and then give a link or put them on an ftp server. if you'll put it on ftp - you'll be able to work better together couse even if one of you ain't online - the other guy can see his ideas and the work he managed to do in the meanwhile... unfortunatly, I don't have the time & the knowladge to help you...

btw - y won't you sell the game once it's done? if it'll be good - there's no reason for it not to secceed...

[Hydralore]

will there be a demo to see if it works because ill do it

[monsterror]

If you want any help with graphics... I can do stuff Kinda like Uplink does... take a look at some of my art... I think the best one is 'Blue Vortex O' Doom' I hate the title of it though... I need to rename it...

http://www.deviantart.com/search/?sq=monsterror&sl=0

PS.. I know you said you dont really need graphics... but I actually think it would make the game more fun to look at...

[ODDin]

Response to the last three:

1) I somehow didn't take it so seriously, you know... selling and stuff...  I really took it as a VB practice. (I'm only 14, after all...) If it'll be good (and I doubt it'll be...), maybe I'll really think about it, however. But if I'll try to sell it, there's a lot of legal stuff there - for example, I won't be able to use the music (I don't have any rights, and those will probabely cost a lot more than I can afford...), and neither will I be able to use some pics I've downloaded from the internet...

2) I don't think there's a need in a demo. Anyway - for a beta test you need the full game, don't you? So you can consider it a beta test

3) As I said in #1, I'm not a company. I'm a boy sitting somewhere in Israel, and writing projects in VB just for the fun. So, I know it'll make the game better to look at, but it's not Doom 4, it's a thing that is a lot like Uplink, that I was doing BECAUSE it can be a very good game without the graphics.

4) I think I said that already... Not in this topic, maybe, but in another one surely...
Another reason why I don't want to sell this game (even if I'll want to get into selling stuff), is that it's not original. It's, generally, Uplink, with some stuff I've invented, and without too good graphics.
I do have plans for a game (also without a need in ground braking graphics - without a need in them at all, actually, like Uplink...) that isn't a hacikng sim, and has nothing even to do with computers, but it's a pretty original concept, to the best of my knowledge...
I don't want to discuss it right now - it's an Uplink forum, and my plans about a new game that isn't a hacking sim have nothing to do here, I think. Maybe later, anyway...

And that's about it...

[Hydralore]

ok can you download the beta wen its up?

[ODDin]

WHEN I'll be over we'll talk about it, OK? Just read what I have done, and you'll understand it's FAR from over.