Beast Wars PC Video Game Project

[mcshooterz]

I am looking for people to help me with the creation of a video game. I have been modding games for years, but this will be the first attempt to do anything of such a scale as a full blown game. I have been learning as much as I can everyday by watching countless tutorial videos, reading tutorials, and messing around with the selected game engine. The unreal development kit is by far the most powerful game development kit I know of, and it's completely free to download. I envision a 3rd person shooter action adventure loosely based on the Beast Wars television show utilizing the unreal engine 3. I can understand if you don't wish to get caught up in this, but if you would like to take part please don't let the lack of experience hold you back. You don't even have to get the development kit, because there is so much that needs to be done in planning, prep work, concepts, and ideas. I created a forum at http://beast-wars-zero.org/ for the purpose of this project, but I don't really have much of a team yet. I have been working on the programming side to get the engine ready for content once some is created and ready for import, so as of right now I am mostly looking for concept artists, 3d artists, artists to do texture, but at the same time anyone anyone with some passion and computer able to run the development kit is also a plus. Anyone with adobe Flash or Photoshop also would be a big help. Once gameplay is achieved I will also could use writers, voice actors, cinematic directors. The more people helping the better this project will be off, so if you know of any Beast Wars fans/gamers you could help by spreading the word to them.

[Alak]

I have no knowledge on modding, source coding, etc. so I can't help you develop the program. I'm running a laptop made back in 2007 that has framerate lag when playing high intensity games (i.e.- shooters). Therefore, I can't beta test performance issues, only visuals and graphics. I could, however, help with advertising the finished product. Here's some of my paid work:

http://drewynn-designs.deviantart.com/

Here's some of my fun, free stuff:

http://alakdilion.deviantart.com/

While I could help out with concept art, I'd highly suggest using the original sourcebook pictures instead of piece of fan-art. We love this franchise not because of what the fans made, but what the creators have provided straight from their desks. I have the Beast Wars Omnibus (includes the sourcebook) so I can provide scans for you if necessary. I can also help with screenwriting and script editing, but I'll warn you that I am really honest and open with criticisms (only if you ask for my opinion).

[mcshooterz]

I have the source book, so I am good there. Once the story begins to be written I could definitely use help with screenwriting and scripts.

[Alak]

Also, I can make a banner for your forums. If you're down, just let me know what kind of skin you're getting first so that my design would match yours.

[mcshooterz]

I am good with technical stuff, but it's the artistic stuff I generally find need of, so yes if you are indeed willing to make a banner I could very much use one for my forum. I am thinking dark green and black as the major colors.

[Darkshadow14]

I can help with writing suff, aka scripts?

[Wicked Woman]

I know it's far away, but I can help with the Voice acting work, since I'm training myself (until I can get into college) to be a voice actress.

I can also help with the script too if you'd like.

But I'd also like to ask: Have you planned on any promotional tags or agencies to discuss this project or will it be a self published when completed?


WW

[mcshooterz]

Hasbro owns beast wars, so this is just a "homebrew" game to be distributed free on the interwebs. Once in a working distributable state I will try to get the word out on any Transformers website I can, and host it on as many sites I can find that will distribute it. Once I have enough characters that can jump, shoot, and transform I will start the planning for single player campaign. I will want to have voice actors if possible, and of course people to do character scripts.

[Darkshadow14]

I can do character scripts like I said, and if you do need more voice actors later down the road...I'd like to give a try.

[Alak]

Hasbro owns beast wars, so this is just a "homebrew" game to be distributed free on the interwebs. Once in a working distributable state I will try to get the word out on any Transformers website I can, and host it on as many sites I can find that will distribute it. Once I have enough characters that can jump, shoot, and transform I will start the planning for single player campaign. I will want to have voice actors if possible, and of course people to do character scripts.

Be sure to make it very clear and public that:

1) This is a fan-made project that is intended to be distributed for free. No money will be profited from this project.

2) This project has been started because Hasbro has discontinued the Beast Wars media, and therefore, the fans have nothing new to expect from the series.

3) Hasbro and Mainframe (now defunct) are to be credited for the creation and success of Beast Wars and anything pertaining to it.

4) All artists used for concept art, storyboards, references, etc. will be credited (i.e.- the authors of the Sourcebook images).

5) This project has nothing but purely good intentions for the Beast Wars franchise and its fanbase.

[mcshooterz]

Very good point, and I think you phrased it perfectly.

[JazZeke]

If this project manages to see production, I will offer my writing services. I know nothing about gaming scripts but I'm a good beta-reader and I can help polish the dialogue, which I've been told is my strength.

[GoktimusPrime]

Hmm... I don't know if Hasbro has fully 'discontinued' Beast Wars... because we recently had Universe Dinobot and Cheetor, and both Hasbro and TOMY have recently done Beast Wars reissues. They've also released Beast Wars characters in Robot Heroes. Furthermore, didn't Hasbro say they're going to consider doing more about Beast Wars since Dinobot got voted in as the fan favourite character this year?

Sorry, don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but thought I'd just point that out. But I think as long as it's kept free and is openly stated as a service by fans for fans, then there shouldn't be too much problem. Hasbro is well aware of fan projects like... well, FanProject! (the people who made unlicensed toys like City Commander (the trailer-armour for Classics Ultra Magnus) etc.) -- and those people charge money (a lot of money) for their wares, so I suspect that making something free like this should be okay. The only problem I could envisage is if Hasbro or TOMY wanted to make an official game, then they could shut you down (similar to how tfarchive.com and tengu's site with all the G1 TFU profiles had to pull down a lot of their G1 and G2 comic scans when Hasbro gave Titan Books the license to reprint the old Marvel Transformers comics - and even though IDW have dimished rights to reprint them (e.g. they cannot reprint G1 #3 because characters like Spider-Man and Nick Fury appear in it)). Again, sorry to be a wet blanket :/

Does War For Cybertron run off the Unreal engine? If so, would it be possible to make this game compatible with War For Cybertron? Like maybe for those of us who already own the PC version of WFC we could download this Beast Wars game as some kind of add-on patch. *shrug* I know sweet FA about how computers and games work so... meh. :p

I'd be willing to volunteer my services for voice acting (I naturally speak with received pronunciation, which may be useful for characters like Megatron). I would also be able to help as a consultant for anything regarding story continuity to ensure that your stories don't conflict with existing canon (which I find is the most common flaw with many fan-written stories).

In any case, good luck.

[Alak]

Not entirely sure of the extent mcshooterz's abilities, but using the PC version of WFC would be improbable for several reasons. He'd only be able to change the skins of the models, which means smaller BW characters such as Rattrap would look like he's on steroids. The vehicle modes in game would make the beast modes unbelievable, especially since they wouldn't be able to climb, melee, interact, etc. I've helped modders on games like Halo CE, and there's only so much you can do with an existing game. If he wanted to use the Unreal Engine by itself to create a new game, he'd have to contact Unreal and pay to use their technology. Then, he'd have to create everything by himself from there. It's not a bad suggestion, it's just I doubt he'd be willing to put that much effort into a fan project.

Now, there's another question I have about this project. What exactly is the story (thus far) and who will be the enemies. Transformers games normally have you select a fan favorite character and then start killing generic opponents. Beast Wars isn't exactly capable of this due to the limited cast, and that we need the main characters to live to maintain canon. Is this going to be more of an adventure/exploration type where canon characters become bosses who prevent us from obtaining the objectives? WFC didn't allow us to kill canon characters (i.e.- Starscream and Soundwave) even though they were bosses. However, it still compensated this with allowing us to kill hoards of generics.

[mcshooterz]

The question of doing a War for Cyberton mod/addon; it's a no can do. As much as I would like WFC to be moddable the fact of the matter is the data files are encrypted, so I can't get to them. UKD(Unreal Development Kit) is free to download and make games, but to sell said games requires you to buy a license from relic. If it's a free game, then no license required. What I am trying to do is build from the ground up using the free UKD, which does mean it will be literally a ton of work. At a team of three I hope to be able to release an Alpha build within a year.

The first playable release as of right now is planned to be a single player death match versus AI bots.
The second playable release planned is the death match expanded into multiplayer.
The third build will be the point of developing single player campaign episodes. Ideally I want to release updates for the core game, but also seperately release episodes as collections of story missions. All missions will have three characters to select from, and the two not selected will follow you as friendly AI bots.
The final point of the game design plan is three person multiplayer campaign support.

For story I want it to be free from canon limitations. Like they say one event can spawn an infinite number of alternate realities, well I want to start with the Darkside and Axalon doing through the transwarp hole, but they come out in a completely different place. I envision a jungle world on the edge of the galaxy that has a strange ability to disable star ship engines. The planet is covered in ships that got too close to it and ultimately crash landed; these ships can be of any culture/race writers can think up, the ships can be large places to explore. Even if a faction repairs there ships they still need to find a way to overcome or disable whatever is preventing star ship engines from working near the planet. The planet is covered in energon, so beast forms are required to protect them from it. I plan of using the enemy factions transformers as enemies, but with the idea that once they get so far down on health there is a little cinematic where they flee. Non transformer enemies, possibly from one of the downed vessels, will be cannon fodder. For the campaign I want it to be very much story driven with lots of cinematics.