Cockpit Compo!

By: Derek Yu

On: February 20th, 2009

Cockpit Compo

After a brief intermission, we is back with another competition in the hizzle f’shizzle… say hello to the TIGSource Cockpit Compo! We’ve all seen games that featured a cockpit of some kind – some of us have even played and loved a game with a cockpit in it. But let’s face it, it’s still a relatively underused concept in games.

Whether you’re in a plane, a car, a mech, or even a human being, cockpits act as a powerful HUD or second screen between you and the rest of the game. They can be props that add a sense of dynamism and realism to a game, and they can provide visual data. They can also be interactive. As usual, we’re keeping the rules pretty vague for this compo – how can you make a cockpit work for you?

The competition begins this Sunday, and ends on March 29th, a week after GDC. See the compo page for rules and examples!

Posted in Community, Competitions, Developers, Features

Seth

hehe…

cockpit
Cobalt

Here come the cockpit jokes!

Anyway, I do wonder how you’d make a game with a cockpit without 3D rendering…
JoeX111

Dig the Sewer Shark reference there.
http://www.roachpuppy.com IceNine

Sweet! Looking forward to participating in these for the first time.
AClarkFS

sewer shark, lol
Zulgaines

cock
Dominic White

Cobalt: Countless games managed it somehow. Just look at the Wing Commander series for inspiration.
poewwo

Oh my goodness. I didn’t see this coming.

As I always have dreams of making my own 3d flight combat type of games I still sort of lack programming knowledge and the motivation of it because of college of course.

May be too late for me now.
Unreal

Bus Driver 2?
Valkyrie

I totally hope someone does a Mechwarrior demake. That would be beyond awesome.
Gite

I totally hope someone does a Battle Engine Aquila demake. That would be behind awesome, struggling to catch up.
Lord Tim

Hooray, this is awesome. I am totally going to do something for this. Totally.
Alteisentier

Oh lord is that some Sewer Shark?
Radix

Makes me want to make a thing I thought about in the shower the other day, but I probably won’t.
PHeMoX

Nice idea for a compo Derek and co., there’s plenty of things we could make with this in mind. I take it the cockpit screen is something all games will share or are we allowed to changed it a bit?
Cobalt

@Dominic White: I know, and a game for the 2600 comes to mind. I was just wondering how you’d do pseudo-3D like that. Boggles me mind.
Bill

You just know someone’s going to make a game about a pit of cocks.

It’ll probably win, too.
FISH

i want a game compatible with the steel batallion controller.
Sparky

I’m seeing some really good game ideas come out of this already. I’m looking forward to the games this generates.

Best wishes, everyone!
http://lumberingdream.com/ !CE-9

I’m in love again.
http://rmvx.gameclover.com RMVX

A pit full of roosters :D
Tye The Czar

Since he said “human eyes”, anyone want to try a FPS but with a more immersive view? I mean being able to see ALL of your body below your neck in such a perspective. I’m sick of how FPS games never really immerse me no matter what they do… I think the closest one got was Metroid Prime(hint-hint)
Ezuku

Eh, aren’t there quite a few FPS games already where you can see your body?…

Tribes 2, Crysis… etc?

Unless you want to be able to like see your body at the same time as looking straight forward, which would just be scary.
Novichock

“Unless you want to be able to like see your body at the same time as looking straight forward, which would just be scary.”

Some sort of zero-g training sim?
Tye The Czar

@ 23: No, silly. I mean being able to see your shoulders and below. That way maybe the guns you hold in 1st-person don’t look as awkward, as if you’re viewing from your chest…
Ezuku

Bleh, picky picky… clearly not good enough seeing your waist and below, now you want to see your shouders too… :P
diaskeaus

I want to see someone turn Daggerfall into a Mechwarrior game. A giant robot blazing through Tamriel, gaining levels and shooting missiles at Frost Giants. Hum.
jute

I concur.
Seth

no, a human cockpit game would be where you are some being that controls the human behind the eyes of the human, so as the controlling being you can see the inside of the human’s head
Seth

think Calvin and Hobbes style homunculi
Seth

like this: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4901.0
http://rockstarramblings.blogspot.com/ Bronze Dog

Cockpits can be nice when they actually contribute to gameplay. I’ve seen a few old games where they have some non-functioning dials just taking up screen space.

Anyway, had an idea earlier today some people might find interesting for a later compo or whatever you call these things: How much can you do with just a joystick and a single button? Probably make for some interesting mechanics with some games.
Foppy

>> How much can you do with just a joystick and a single button?

Hmm.. about every 8 and 16 bit game ever made? :)
adam

Why is a navy dude flying the airplane in that picture?
http://www.mawsoft.com/blog Impossible

@Tye The Czar: Mirror’s Edge does what you want I think.
Radix

Tye The Czar: There was that dinosaur game, Tresspasser or whatever. Don’t look there if you’re expecting less awkwardness.