In my youth, my preferred table-top game was a hex-based tactical space battle game. While it may not sound very exciting, it involved flying a ship around in space and engaging in battles. The main games were Star Fleet Battles and StarFire. This was before the widespread popularity of table-top gaming, when options included Monopoly, Stratego, and Sorry for family play, and Avalon-Hill bookcase games for more complex simulations like re-enacting WWII. There were no intermediate games such as Catan, Ticket-to-Ride or Wingspan.
Today, there is a significant increase in the variety of table-top games available. Occasionally, I reflect on those space battle games and wonder why more of them have not been adapted into PC games or online. Recently, I decided to explore how challenging it would be to create a hex-grid using CSS. Modern CSS proved effective, and with the help of a blog post about hex-math, I was able to develop something quickly.
In anticipation of the upcoming Global Game Jam event, I began considering the development of a project that would pay homage to classic games. Utilizing web technologies that I am proficient in could make for an engaging endeavor. My daily work involves programming, primarily creating content for the eLearning industry. With the rising popularity of “Gamification” in learning environments, I have developed several interactive modules that incorporate storytelling and animation elements more akin to game design than traditional eLearning courses. This appears to be an opportune moment to merge these skill sets and develop a game.
Yesterday, the theme for Global Game Jam was revealed. Although I doubted that “tactical space battle” would be selected, I was optimistic about finding a theme that could be adapted to my interests. The announced theme was “Bubble.” Initially, this did not seem particularly promising; however, I hoped that additional “diversifiers” might provide more direction. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Still, there were aspects related to open collaboration, which is something I value, so there remains potential.
Today, I finalized the name for the Jam edition of the game: “StarBubble.” While it may sound whimsical, it also holds potential. I set up an Oqtane site on one of the CodeChops web servers and initiated an open-source repository on GitHub. I installed modules for a blog and a wiki, as well as demonstration modules for Lottie Animations, Ink script execution, Hex-Grid implementation, and a sample control panel. Although substantive work on the game cannot commence until the team assembles on Friday, I am currently preparing the necessary tools for future development.
I’ll be making more blog posts and such about the game on the game site itself as part of the Jam. That link should be http://starbubble.xyz when the jam starts.