Okay, in this topic I will start working on a design for a basic engine that can be used for Zelda fan games and Zelda style games. Why? Because I think that a couple of engines that are easy to use for programmers and nonprogrammers would lower the threshold on completed and abandoned projects. This design project will also be a good start for creating a game. The design will have Object Oriented languages as design target.
I hope people will cooperate and help me make a good design.
Domain Analyses
In this part I'll analyse the domain in which the project is set. It starts out with the premise that it focuses on being a engine, not a game, and that it is a engine for Zelda fan/style games. Thus the analyses is two parted.
Engine domain
The question rises what would make this engine different or better than others. Well, first of all the idea is to have a complete open source engine that anyone can change and program for. The second reason is a bit more complex.
On ZFGC there are a number of "engines", of some that even have the source available. Most of them do not get any further then walking and have some additional features. Others are a lot more extensive, but are loaded with features. Features that some people do not even want to use in their game. Trying to get those features out will undoubtedly lead to breaking the engine as they are often hardcoded in there. The engine I am aiming for has very little to no features at all. What it does contain is the basic code shared by everything and the hooks to easily add new features to the engine in order to create a game.
With features I mean implemented weapons, enemies, NPC's and basic actions the player can do. With this engine programmers will have the basics to create their own features. And members with little programming skills can add readily programmed features for their games. Thus the engine will be very minimal and has a library of features that can be added when creating a game.
Why do this. Well because at the moment the only real option on getting to work on a game, without the need to work on a engine first is Zelda Classic engine. This is a engine based on the original Zelda game, although it has seen some more fangames which seem more advanced. The purpose of this engine is to offer an alternative based on some of the later 2D Zelda games.
Zelda fan/style game domain
The type of Zelda games that the engine has to support is a 2D based Zelda game. But preferably in the style and possibilities of the later 2D Zelda games such as Minish Cap and Four Swords (ALttP?). So what does a basic 2D Zelda game entail.
Requirements
I'll continue later. Now its late.
