Blockland

Infobox VG| title = Blockland


developer = Eric 'Badspot' Hartman, Ben Garney
publisher = Eric 'Badspot' Hartman
designer = Eric 'Badspot' Hartman
engine = Torque Game Engine
released = February 24, 2007
genre = Sandbox/Freeform, but can emulate any other genre (Racing, FPS, sports, etc)
modes = Singleplayer, LAN Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
platforms = PC, GNU/Linux, Macintosh
minimum system requirements = 800MHz CPU, 512MB RAM, 32MB OpenGL, Compatible video card

Blockland, is a competitive multiplayer computer game built on the Torque Game Engine, in which players build with LEGO-type blocks in virtual online worlds. Users can construct massive buildings and artwork across numerous servers and then have the freedom to roleplay, explore or have a deathmatch within their constructions. The game is neither endorsed by, nor affiliated with, the LEGO brand. Although at one point, LEGO were in talks to Eric about buying Blockland.Cite web|url=http://www.blockland.us/smf/index.php?topic=4374.0|title=Retail Status|accessdate=2008-07-23|year=2006] It was spotlighted on The Screen SaversCite web|url=http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/episodes/3887/Pauly_Shore_Blockland_Avion.html|title=Pauly Shore, Blockland, Avion|accessdate=2007-10-11|year=2005] February 11, 2005, drastically increasing the user base overnight. Blockland has also been featured on Shack NewsCite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=654&page=2|title=The Games of IGC 07|accessdate=2008-06-05|year=2007] November 1, 2007.

Blockland is available for $9.95 from the main website, a demo is also available for download. The demo restricts access to online play and limits construction to 150 bricks. You do not need to download any other necessities once you have entered a key. The game is currently available on Windows and Macintosh.

Features

Structures of immense sizes can be built in a single or multiplayer setting. Using various tools in the game, a player can add certain effects to bricks such as lighting, specularity, and animated particles, although these are not the only effects available. The game also features a variety of vehicles players can control, weapons, saving and loading of constructions, automated construction through , to a zombie survival game. One of the strengths of this system is that some players on a server can be in a mini-game while the other players can continue to build, giving the user much more freedom in the way they play the game.

Blockland uses a trigger and event based system that uses a scripting language to create very basic interactive objects. This enables players to create anything from a simple light switch to missile launchersCite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPFI9p0mdeo|title=Missile Launcher Video|accessdate=2008-06-05|year=2007] or even a game of PongCite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ak94e_TJBw|title=Pong Video|accessdate=2008-06-05|year=2008] .

Add-Ons

Blockland was designed with easy way to add things in mind. Blockland Add-ons are very similar in both design and function to add-ons made on other Torque Engine games. Add-ons are scripted in Torquescript; custom maps (called missions) and GUIs can be designed using a documented in-game editor.

Blockland features a versatile add-on system to aid users in managing custom content, allowing custom content to be installed by simply dragging and dropping it into the add-on folder. Users do not need to (and cannot) modify source code for the game, and various add-ons can be enabled or disabled from within the game. The system will be improved in the next update to automatically check that an add-on is formatted correctly, helping reduce incorrect installations (which greatly increase client load times when connecting to a server). If a server contains add-ons that a client does not have, it automatically sends any resources (typically 3D and 2D art) the client requires. This makes it possible for servers to run public betas or unique add-ons that hosts would otherwise not want distributed publicly, without the issue of people being unable to connect.

Development

Blockland's development was planned from the start of the first beta (Known as v0001). It is still unclear to anyone but Badspot what the future of Blockland holds.

The large number of user mods for the Beta version (most notably RTB (Return to Blockland), AiO (All-in-One) and TBM (The Builder's Mod)) led to the development of a plugin add-on system, making it much easier to manage the large amount of user created content available for the game.

Eric was approached by LEGO for a job but declined, and after this event, LEGO announced that they would be making a game similar to Blockland in some aspects. And even before Eric was approached by LEGO he had plans to make a "Retail" version of Blockland, and following the LEGO incident he started work on it.

References

External links

* [http://www.blockland.us Blockland Official Homepage]
* [http://forum.blockland.us/ Blockland Official Forums]
* [http://www.garagegames.com/docs/tge/general/ch05s02.php The TorqueScript Scripting Language]
* [http://radio.laml.org/lamlradio-13-blockland/ Interview With Eric Hartman]