Bloop:A cozy sightsea-ing quest (online MMO Game Prototype)

Play Bloop.quest

In the year 1998 (the year I started writing code) if you asked anyone writing code why they started doing so, the most probable answer would be that they wanted to make a game. Games are in many ways the purest expression of software engineering. They have always been a technical driver of trying to achieve more with cheaper computing devices to achieve the constantly unreachable creative vision of the game’s designers.

Of course, when I began my journey into software, it was of course with the goal to make a game. I had a book on HTML and the C++ complete reference which seemed like the basic info I needed. Quickly it became obvious that not only did I not possess the skills to create my vision, but that the tools available to me would not allow me to achieve what I wanted. Game development then went on the back burner for me, with the exception of a few text-based adventures lovingly programmed under my school desk for the TI-83 and passed around calculus classrooms in the midwest via the incredibly inconvenient link cable.

I went ahead and built a career in engineering that was focused on not making games. I saw games as things that were built by huge creative teams which, tend to zap the fun out of the process.

However, a few weekends ago, I realized that all of the really fundamentally tough technical building blocks for games that I liked are close to solved out in the amazing world of open source software.

It is now totally possible to create a browser multiplayer game focused on whatever you would like. In the past six months I’ve seen several examples pop up built not by large teams but by individuals. Unfortunately, all of the themes in these games are not interesting to me. Many of them focus on combat or confrontational ideas which although addictive, I do not find enjoyable or interesting.

I’ve always found games that inspire wonder and curiosity, decreasing my cortisol levels not increasing them by being shot at by others.

In the past few years I have done a lot of work in ocean robotics / ocean science. This work is incredibly interesting and sometimes fun, but it is very expensive, arduous and the fun moments are filled with many more moments of boredom or type 2 fun.

So I thought, piloting an ocean robot would be a great idea for a game, since it theory, it could represent mostly the fun parts of the experience.

I took a weekend and started building.

May I present my earliest prototype of that game:

Bloop: A cozy sightsea-ing quest

The game is live and you can play it now at the link below. It’s named after THE mysterious bloop.

Play Bloop.quest

I have lots of ideas for how to keep developing the game. Things like building out real environments, lots more multiplayer features, the ability to customize your ROV, better sound design, and much more.

If you find it compelling, or interesting and want to follow along as I build it or contribute ideas, you can:

• Chat with me in the discord server

• Comment or leave your ideas for the game on the comments here

• Join the game reddit

• Support me financially to help cover the costs of hosting this / motivate me to keep building it. This is very much a side project, so anything helps