Galactic Venture Homesite

Welcome to the Galactic Venture homesite!
I know the website sucks but at least it is a start!


News

September 19, 2007 : Updater

Added an updater and install program for online version. Get it here or below in download section.
Gonna get a new website designed soon. Gonna add register page and such, maybe a forum if I dare. The "guest" account below still work.

September 10, 2007 : Working on Online Version

Howdy... Last year about this time, I started serious work on Galactic Venture Online (GVO). Spent about 3 months on it until November when RPGWO needed my attention to wipe Nulona and create Xerxes.

So, I started back on this again and have made some progress. It really is just RPGWO Version 2.
Here is a list of some planned technical improvements:
  • graphics are isometric style
  • multi-maps: many different maps for surface, undeground, in buildings, ships, etc.
  • multi-character: have more than one character in game at the same time
  • AFK and offline play: characters will be allowed to stay "In World" while you are offline
  • uses Direct X
The client is in the download section. Right now, account creation has not been added so use the pre-made accounts: guest1, guest2, guest3, guest4 with password 1234. Do whatever you want to these accounts. Even login on more than one at a time!

The file dxg.dll needs to be registered with regsvr32.exe else the client will fail. I still haven't made an install program for that yet.
Keep in mind this is an Alpha version and has only basic things implemented. Therefore check back a couple times a month to see what is new.

March 28, 2005 : Game Update

Released a new version of the game. See the readme.txt file for details. Added a new file to download. GalacticVenture.zip which has a setup program that installs the VB runtime plus other dependencies.

March 16, 2005 : Game Update

Released a new version of the game. See the readme.txt file for details. Big thing added was using A* for pathfinding so now your employees don't get stuck! :)

March 4, 2005 : Game Update

Released a new version of the game. See the readme.txt file for details. Added mining!!!

February 15, 2005 : Game Update

Released a new version of the game. See the readme.txt file for details. It has a basic tutorial now!

February 7, 2005 : Game Update

Released a new version of the game. See the readme.txt file for details.

January 31, 2005 : Website Setup

Got my domain registered and redirected to here.

What is Galactic Venture?

Galactic Venture (GV) is a single player game written in Visual Basic 6.
It is a multi-character RPG(Role Playing Game) with RTS(Real Time Strategy) elements.
It uses an isometric graphic display and pop-up windows for the interface.
All your characters have skills which improve with use or by manual raising.
The theme is future technology based but the engine is flexible enough to support just about any theme.

As of January, 31, 2005, this game has left Alpha version and is now a Beta version.
To me Alpha means just some functionality but no real gameplay or purpose.
Beta means it is considered a game, with clear start and goals, etc, not just an engine.

This game is also the predessesor to the online, persistent, multi-player version.
So I am testing out some new algorithms and techniques in order to get ready for it.

What is the objective/story in Galactic Venture?

You just quit your job and have invested your life savings into making a new company.
Your objective is to run your new company effectively enough in order to make a profit.
You will be doing this by exploring and exploiting a newly discovered planet.
You will hire some employees and from orbit in the mothership, you will direct them to work.
You must harvest resources from the planet then sell them on the Space Market to earn credits.
Your employees have a salary based on their skills that you must pay else they will quit.

How do you play Galactic Venture?

It plays very similar to a standard RTS game. Left click selects an object on the map.
Right click on an object does an action. The action could be automatic like attacking an enemy
or it could give you a choice of actions like "Goto" or "Pickup". It all depends on the selected
object and what that object is holding or is armed with, etc. A specific example is you left click
to select one of your employees. You then right click on a nearby tree. Since the employee is
carrying a Laser Saw you get several choices like "Goto", "Attack" and "Harvest Wood". You would
then select "Harvest wood" from the popup menu and then your employee would carry out the command.

The buttons on the tool bar toggle the various view windows. An example is the "S" button which
toggles the Status view which displays information on units like Hitpoints, name, carrying,
skills, etc.

The "M" button is the Mothership view. That is where you will buy and sell goods. You will
need to use the dropship in order to get items to and from the mothership and the planet surface.
Only items in a Dropship Shipping Bin can be sent to the mothership. Left click on the bin then
right click on it and select "Dropship Pickup". The dropship will then be sent to pick the bin up
and carry it to the mothership. Once at the mothership you can then sell the goods. To send goods
to the surface, load the dropship with any goods then select "Send To Surface" and the mothership view
will disappear and you can select the spot on the map where you want the dropship to land the bin.
It takes about 10 seconds to go one way and the dropship never stays at the surface but always
returns to the mothership.

The "B" button toggles the building view. Building structures requires a blueprint and the resources
for building. It only shows buildings and their needed resources, skill, and tool requirements if you
own the blueprint for that building. You select a building in the list then you can left click on the map
where you you want it to be built. If you have the resources needed then it will place a "Site" there
and move the resources into the "site". Then you select an employee who has the tools and skills needed.
The right click the site and select "Build". That employee will then start working on the site.

What major features does Galactic Venture have so far?

  • Combat: melee and range based
  • Usage: use one item on another to get a new item (ie. laser saw on pine tree to get pine wood)
  • Mothership: buying and selling goods
  • Mini-map: for fast map navigation
  • Saving and loading
  • New games: custom team/company creation
  • Isometric view
  • Building and Resources
  • Skill system with levels and improvement
  • Status view to manipulate employees and objects

What is some of the content that Galactic Venture have so far?

  • Pine Tree forest map
  • Wolf wildlife that respawn
  • Wood Shack and Storage Bin
  • Portable Laser Sentry and Radar Station
  • Laser saw to get pine wood and planks resource

Wanted!

  • Artist to draw "near" professional graphics, can be 3D generated
  • Website Creator to make a "real" website

ScreenShots

Single Player Screenshot 1

Who programmed/designed Galactic Venture?

Michael "Mickey" Kudlo

What else has Mickey made?

RPG World Online www.rpgwo.com

Download: GVOSETUP.zip : Multi-player version. Setup program and updater.

Download: gv.zip : Single Player version. Just the game files, no setup

Download: GalacticVenture.zip : Single player version. Game files and the runtime setup file

Contact: mkudlo@hotmail.com (Please put "Galactic Venture" in the subject line.)




Copyright 2005-2007 by Michael Kudlo. All Rights Reserved.