Global Engineering: Technology

Technology Notes.
Daedalus' End is a cross between massively multiplayer and strategy resource gathering game. Players have access to a chat interface and contacts, as well as a view of either the "live and actual landscape", the computer analyze landscape (top down), or historical maps and archives.

Live Landscape. The "live and actual" landscape populated by AI-driven characters who can be encountered by the player. This landscape is seen through a freely mobile first-person perspective. Graphically, this will look like the experience of walking/driving around an actual landscape. The landscape (buildings, vegetation, water landmarks etc) would change as development projects impact the area. This part of the game does not evolve in real time; rather, objects are created and placed in the landscape as is suggested by the simulations. To save costs, this could be a top-down isometric view.
Information Landscapes.
Computer-Analyzed Landscape. The player also has access to a "computer-analyzed" landscape, graphically represented as a muli-function "satellite map" with a range of selectable information overlay tools representing the actively changing demographics, ecologies, economic flows etc. This interface is very similar to that in Tropico and allows users opportunities to view information about the world graphically.
Engineering Information / Archive. Players have access to historical maps and archives that illuminate the various flows, relations, and histories of the multiple development projects across the landscape. The archive provides access to library simulations of technical engineering concepts as well.

Engine Notes:
The graphic appearance of Daedalus' End draws inspiration from Tropico, a third person, top-down game developed by Poptop software using the Railroad Tycoon Engine. In Tropico, the player is the governor of a small Caribbean island. By clicking on any of the island's inhabitants, the player gathers demographic informationranging from their age to their satisfaction with the player’s performance. Further, the player can examine the island’s demographics through maps that are overlayed on the screen, revealing information on property value, pollution, or corruption.

The visualizations in Daedalus' End are very similar to those in Tropico, with the only difference being that the player must enter 3D mode to collect information in the environment. Because Daedalus' End tries to situate the player in a very specific role where she has access to limited information, it employs a 1st person perspective. A third person perspective good be employed to save costs and integrate the gameplay into a more seemless interface; however, players need to be limited in the kinds of information they have access to, which is difficult to achieve through an ominpotent top down view.

Programs such as ActiveWorlds provide another interface model for Daedalus' End. Activeworlds is an enhanced browser program that allows players to interact in a 3D environment, chat, and access static information in 2D through a web-like interface. Daedalus' End could be developed with a platform such as Activeworlds, with the only challenge being integrating the simulation that underlies the development models with the 3D engine. With more resources, creating a multiplayer game where the simulated world runs in real time would not be unfeasible.