Front End Programmer for Permaculture Game Required

Hello and Greetings from New Zealand,

I am currently working on a permaculture/agroecology game/simulator. (What to formally name it escapes me for the time being) Given the number of failed attempts at undertaking this venture, and given how little I actually enjoy working regular hours, I decided to quit my job to work on this full time.
And full time work it certainly is. Too much work for one person to complete within a sensible time-frame.

So to that end, I was wondering if anyone out there has had some experience in programming with Unity. I say Unity at this point due to the documentation, cost, and the asset store, but if someone else has a better idea, then I am all ears.

Looking at the back-end (soil science, plant interactions etc.) is more interesting from my perspective coming from a maths and science background, so I am currently getting stuck into that.

I was thinking of monetizing this on a platform like steam, but being poor, and having to save money, means that I am not in a position to offer proper wages. However, I was thinking that I will give part of profits (perhaps based on total hours worked as a fraction) to any people who help out in a meaningful way.

But such details as these can be thrashed out later. In the meantime, is there anyone out there who is interested?

Kind Regards,

Henry

P.S.: if this post is in the wrong part of permies, or there is something else amiss, please do let me know, so I can rectify the problem.

In my experience, I have found that a good way to get strangers on the internet excited about your project is to first demonstrate you have the ability to do actual work.

Looking back at your previous posts, I can't see any evidence that even one line of code exists for this game. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough. I'm not calling you a liar, just saying I can't see any evidence of any skill. You say you quit your job to work on this game. Surely there is something you can show us?

My advice is to create the "minimum viable product" yourself and then make it freely available. Maybe a simple demo of how you envisage a core feature of the game, such as the crafting UI and basic mechanics? Make youtube videos demonstrating the feature and what plans you have for it. That will be the fastest way to generate buzz.

I feel the tone of this message is a little negative, but I'd be interested in seeing your game. Unfortunately I don't have a computer that's capable of playing even remotely modern titles. It can't even play Age of Empires 2 HD

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the advice, it is useful, and I will consider it. I guess what I was trying to do here (but perhaps didn't enunciate all that well) is to get a feel for who is is interested in developing some sort of game at this point. Doesn't have to be my own special project, or whatever I don't really care. But there seems to be a real level of demand for something like this, which isn't being met. If someone out there is interested in front end development, or has had some experience, then I guess I would be interested more than anything else at this point. It is still early days.

Part of the reason that there is no code up on github/gitlab etc. is that I have been working in Unity mostly. As you may or may not know, Unity and Git mix like oil and water. Unity Collaborate is what is usually used, and the free version only allows for up to 3 developers.

I will try and see if I can make progress on the code front, and get something to show within the next few days.

Cheers,

Henry

Henry Coulson wrote:I will try and see if I can make progress on the code front, and get something to show within the next few days.

My advice is focus on getting a demo video up on youtube showing the broad principles of the game. Youtube is accessible to anyone on any device and it will communicate your idea much faster.

I would be interested to know :
what are the basics of the game?
what is the end goal? how would one get from start to finish?
what type of game would it be?
rpg, crafter type (minecraft)...ect.
does the player start with an empty lot of land and then build up? if so what and how does one obtain the needed items?
I used to help with online world building type of forum games...lol
just throwing something out there.

Hello Bernetta,

what are the basics of the game?

The synopsis is basically a tool which the user can muck about with, and experiment with ideas that they may have seen in the permaculture space.
How this manifests is that the user is presented with a blank slate of land (can choose different climate zones) whereupon they can raise garden beds, experiment with digging methods, put swales up on contour, etc. I was also envisaging (in future iterations) that permaculture designers might be able to import a terrain scan from google maps of their land, and get an instant contour profile of their land. From there, they can begin to design different features, run experiments and try things out, potentially saving a lot of time that might otherwise be wasted.

what is the end goal? how would one get from start to finish?

In real life, there is no end, it just keeps going on, but I understand that in games, being goal oriented is key. So besides a sandbox mode (user gets all the equipment and time they need to design whatever they want to) a realistic mode (where doing things like digging, ploughing, putting up fences cost time and or money) I was thinking perhaps a campaign mode, where you play a budding Permaculture designer, tasked with improving the land of various areas, until you are essentially greening the desert.

what type of game would it be?

rpg, crafter type (minecraft)...ect.

It would look, at first glance to be a strategy game (i.e. top down view, where you can place buildings/cultivate areas, like a omnipotent deity) However, I would REALLY like to also have a first person mode, so the player can walk among the orchards and fields they have planted. However, I would imagine it would look similar to a sim-city type experience for most of it.

does the player start with an empty lot of land and then build up? if so what and how does one obtain the needed items?

As above, there could be several modes. I have imagined that the project start more as a game. This is easier to accomplish than a full blown simulation, and a good starting point. However, as the project progresses, and more features are added, it should lean more towards "simulation" rather than a game. I would like for the player to be able to input the amount of time and money they have for the week, and then they would be able to see what they could get done on their lifestyle block/homestead (If I am not mistaken on the definition, in NZ we call homesteads: "lifestyle blocks").

I used to help with online world building type of forum games...lol

Cool, sounds interesting. What have you worked on? Would you happen to have any examples?

Nota Bene:

I am not so attached to the above ideas that I couldn't be persuaded away from them. This is just what I am aiming towards. I am happy to receive other peoples ideas and visions.

Even in a game form, this will take a lot of work, so it might be a while before something comes up.

Hope I answered all of your points satisfactorily, let me know if you have any further points/questions

Cheers,

Henry