Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

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VideoGameVet
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Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

#1 Post by VideoGameVet »

I'm evaluating Ren'Py to do an "Oregon Trail" style game but with deeper (branching) character interactions that affect the play. The game will be free.

The game takes place in a dystopian future.

Oregon Trail Description: "The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding a party of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley via a covered wagon in 1848. Throughout the course of the game, members of your party could fall ill and die from a variety of causes, such as measles, snakebite, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, and exhaustion. People could also die from drowning or a broken leg. The game could show progress on a map "

In my case, it may be a solo character who takes a journey to a "safe place" encountering other characters along the way, which is how I'd like the story to unfold.

Background: I used to create visual adventure games back in the early days of the game industry. From what I can see, I like Ren'Py's approach and tools.
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."
- Shigeru Miyamoto

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Re: Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

#2 Post by papillon »

It's one of many game ideas I've often wanted to work on and never yet gotten around to, so I wish you luck with it. :)

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Re: Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

#3 Post by VideoGameVet »

papillon wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:10 pm It's one of many game ideas I've often wanted to work on and never yet gotten around to, so I wish you luck with it. :)
Thank you.
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."
- Shigeru Miyamoto

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Re: Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

#4 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

I think you could easily do a game like this with Ren'Py. It wouldn't take too many advanced tricks or stretch the engine to do everything you wanted to do to match the gameplay of the original and do it with your own concepts and story elements.

I love the idea. I played a lot of Oregon Trail on the Apple 2 back in the day, and games like Organ Trail and Death Road to Canada prove there is still a lot of mileage in the format, even for modern audiences.

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Re: Doing a "Oregon Trail" type of game in Ren'Py?

#5 Post by VideoGameVet »

LateWhiteRabbit wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:39 pm I think you could easily do a game like this with Ren'Py. It wouldn't take too many advanced tricks or stretch the engine to do everything you wanted to do to match the gameplay of the original and do it with your own concepts and story elements.

I love the idea. I played a lot of Oregon Trail on the Apple 2 back in the day, and games like Organ Trail and Death Road to Canada prove there is still a lot of mileage in the format, even for modern audiences.
I agree. I'm past the difficult part, having a game loop that runs and still has active buttons. I'm going to give away the game, so my focus will be on the playability with a simple UI.
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."
- Shigeru Miyamoto

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