OHR Starter Pack Proposal

[The Wobbler]

OHR Starter Pack - Preliminary Ideas

I really think it would benefit/invite more users if there was one decent, easy to download package of quality OHR games encompassing a range of styles. Wandering Hamster and Vikings are great, but let's give new users a wider range of games to experience and get them excited about using the OHR Engine!

Where will it be downloadable? I believe it should be hosted on the official HamsterRepublic website, where it can have a page describing/showing screens of each game within. Otherwise, I'll host it myself if I have to. I think it's best if it's hosted in one location, so that the person maintaining it can update the file as necessary (when new versions of games come out and such).

What will be in it? Games! I want to have examples of both RPGs and non-RPGs made with the engine. I want both simple and script heavy games. Unfortunately, I want to try to avoid including games with massive file sizes (we can debate what this means) because I don't want the entire .zip file to end up being too gigantic. I also want to try to keep the content PG-13 and under, so no BLB or Bloodlust (as much as I think it's an extremely well designed game, Bloodlust is definitely not for all audiences). I personally don't want to include any OHR movies or pure joke games, because I don't think people new to the engine/community will get them, but we can debate the pros and cons of this.

So, feel free to nominate games, make suggestions, etc.

These are some of the games I'd nominate for the pack (Vikings doesn't need to be included since it's included with the engine now):

-Blasphemous Saga Fantasy: It's short, but it has simple, pretty graphics, and its gameplay is very tightly designed. A great example of a game not needing to be a massive epic to be wonderfully fun.
-Mr. Triangle's Maze: A good example of a non-RPG that focuses on (seemingly, until you get deeper) simple, old-school game play and uses a variety of puzzle types.
-Timpoline: Probably the best example of a non-RPG in the OHR engine. It's tough, it's charming, and it's designed with a ton of care. Sure, new people won't be able to jump in and make their own equivalent of Timpoline right away, but it's a good, high bar to set.
-Walthros: I made it, it's complete, people seem to like its characters, and it makes more sense to include this than its sequels/spinoffs.
-Pitch Black: In addition to being the best flavor of soda, this is an excellent game that uses some nice effects and isn't as intimidating a plotscripting beast as some of the other non-RPGs.

[Mogri]

I approve of this idea, regardless of what games end up making the cut.

My only recommendation is that we stick to games that at least the nominator has played in the last six months or so. Yes, I really enjoyed Monterrey Penguin ten years ago, but I wouldn't be able to tell you if time has been kind to it without replaying it. This does give a bias towards newer games, but it's also those games that tend to best showcase the features of the engine.

[Momoka]

It should really be more short, simple games that make use of the OHR's features, then a "Best Of".

"Starter Pack" games should be made with beginners in mind.

[Mogri]

"Starter Pack" games should be made with beginners in mind.

That's the intent behind Vikings. I think the point of this is to show off some really cool stuff, not to ease people into the engine.

[FnrrfYgmSchnish]

The action and puzzle-type games (Mr. Triangle's Maze, Timpoline, Don't Eat Soap, etc.) definitely seem like they'd be good for something like this.

As for regular RPGs, I haven't played enough complete games to really suggest any... I would definitely want Wandering Hamster to be included in something like this, but unfortunately it's not done yet, and I'm guessing a lot of people would be kinda annoyed if they found that almost every game they downloaded is an incomplete demo.

[msw188]

I don't know if it matters too much, but is this trying to get more people using the engine, or more people playing the games? If we're trying to get more players, I would agree with trying to stick to complete games. If we're more worried about attracting people interested in making games, then that might not be an issue.

Re-reading the original post, it sounds like Surlaw is thinking about showing off the engine to potential game-makers. If that's the case, then there's really no reason not to include things like Wandering Hamster I'd say.

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

I also want to try to keep the content PG-13 and under, so no BLB or Bloodlust (as much as I think it's an extremely well designed game, Bloodlust is definitely not for all audiences). I personally don't want to include any OHR movies or pure joke games, because I don't think people new to the engine/community will get them, but we can debate the pros and cons of this.

BLB has all but disappeared off the face of the internet thanks in part to my crack team of internet ninjas and a corrupted game file. We won't be seeing it's kind again. Maybe a minigame in Vikings of equipping random items to characters in slots they shouldn't go in order to generate bizarre equipment combinations will be the games' only lasting impact. And maybe the crackhouse's layout. Aside from the opening foyer in OHR house and Arfenhouse's one room, I think it's amoung the most recognizable rooms in all OHRdom.

As far as OHR movies go, I'm nominating House Heroes for the fact that
(A) It's funny
(B) It actually looks decent
(C) With the exception of that one guy who showed up in the introduction and didn't get a scene to be introduced (thus raising the question of whether he was there at all), all the characters are memorable and mesh extremely well together.

[Blue Train]

A few quick questions, when would such a pack be released?

Also, are incomplete games allowed? Will there be a new pack released later on?

[Uncommon]

Being this is a sampler for an RPG maker, a few more RPGs couldn't hurt. Darkmoor Dungeon is a good candidate, I'd say, and maybe Village People over Walthros?

[Mogri]

I don't want the entire .zip file to end up being too gigantic.

This is Surlaw's argument against VP, which is already like ten megs of music. While VP is the better game, it wouldn't be right without the music.

[JSH357]

I doubt it would attract any new users, honestly. Why not link to the game list, sorted by rating or something?

[The Wobbler]

I think the point of this is to show off some really cool stuff, not to ease people into the engine.

Correct.

I would definitely want Wandering Hamster to be included in something like this, but unfortunately it's not done yet, and I'm guessing a lot of people would be kinda annoyed if they found that almost every game they downloaded is an incomplete demo.

I'd prefer to only include complete games, but there really aren't a ton of them to choose from, at least among regular RPGs. There would definitely be a notice informing people that a lot of the games aren't finished.

I don't know if it matters too much, but is this trying to get more people using the engine, or more people playing the games? If we're trying to get more players, I would agree with trying to stick to complete games. If we're more worried about attracting people interested in making games, then that might not be an issue.

Re-reading the original post, it sounds like Surlaw is thinking about showing off the engine to potential game-makers. If that's the case, then there's really no reason not to include things like Wandering Hamster I'd say.

Both are good, but yeah, it's mostly the former. If this gets hosted on Hamster Republic there won't really be a huge need to include Vikings or Wandering Hamster since both are very easy to find from the main page, if hosted elsewhere, it should probably include them.

A few quick questions, when would such a pack be released?

Also, are incomplete games allowed? Will there be a new pack released later on?

No time frame, whenever people think it sounds like a solid collection, it has a place to be downloaded from, and there's a decent page describing what's in the package.

See my answer above regarding incomplete games. There could be another pack later, or we could just update the existing one.

This is Surlaw's argument against VP, which is already like ten megs of music. While VP is the better game, it wouldn't be right without the music.

16 megs, actually! And yeah, that's why I don't really want to include it, even if I'd rather have new people play VP than Walthros.

I doubt it would attract any new users, honestly. Why not link to the game list, sorted by rating or something?

It's not a very high effort or time consuming project, and I'm sure people will download it whether they end up making games or not. It would be fun to put together, and it's got people talking.

If I'm given the choice between downloading one pack of interesting games I'd never played or browsing a list of hundreds, even ones sorted by rating, I'd choose the pack. I assume at least a few other people would feel the same.

If this is put together, has a nice page explaining what it is, and is advertised a bit I don't see why it wouldn't attract new people.

[Fortis]

You've got my permission to include BSF

[Nathan Karr]

I definitely like the idea of using Walthros. It's got close to the best money/item/experience pacing of any RPG I've played in recent memory, and the story is funny without seeming like it was all intended as a joke.

For non-RPGs, my first choice would be Don't Eat Soap.

[camdog]

I'm not sure about Walthros... Don't get me wrong, it's actually one of my favorite OHR games, but (no offense, Surlaw) it looks pretty rough. If the intention of this is to expose new folks to the OHR, I worry that the initial impression the graphics give would be a big turn off. It's a shame the Village People rpg is so big...

I don't know about house heroes either. Granted, I may be biased, as I could never get into those, but aren't they chock full of in-jokes? I just don't see someone new to the community enjoying them.

Darkmoor Dungeon would be a good choice, though I remember a couple of bugs when I played through (specifically dealing with the worm-thingy that popped out of the holes). Have those been fixed? That might be a deal breaker too.

It's a shame Sword of Jade doesn't run on modern builds, as that's a great example of a traditional, epic RPG. Have we just given up on backwards compatibility for that title?

What about some of Friend's stuff? Boundless Ocean, Missing, and Purgatory are all beautiful, fun, and complete games.