Programming Game: Difference between revisions

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Not to be confused with [[Interactive Fiction]]. Other genres of game can have elements of this through [[Gameplay Automation]].
Not to be confused with [[Interactive Fiction]]. Other genres of game can have elements of this through [[Gameplay Automation]].
{{examples}}
{{tropelist}}
* ''[[The Incredible Machine]]'' was one of the first such games and the [[Trope Codifier]] for many of the common elements of the genre (no characters, using an array of items that react to each other in various ways to set up a field to achieve a certain goal upon activation, steep difficulty curve).
* ''[[The Incredible Machine]]'' was one of the first such games and the [[Trope Codifier]] for many of the common elements of the genre (no characters, using an array of items that react to each other in various ways to set up a field to achieve a certain goal upon activation, steep difficulty curve).
* Every game by [http://www.zachtronicsindustries.com/ Zachtronics Industries] (former tagline “games for engineers”). Most notably:
* Every game by [http://www.zachtronicsindustries.com/ Zachtronics Industries] (former tagline “games for engineers”). Most notably:
** ''[http://www.kongregate.com/games/krispykrem/the-codex-of-alchemical-engineering The Codex of Alchemical Engineering]''. Quoting the description, 'As an Alchemical Engineer, you must build machines out of mechanical arms and magical glyphs that transform and combine atoms in order to create the compounds required for each level.'
** ''[http://www.kongregate.com/games/krispykrem/the-codex-of-alchemical-engineering The Codex of Alchemical Engineering]''. Quoting the description, 'As an Alchemical Engineer, you must build machines out of mechanical arms and magical glyphs that transform and combine atoms in order to create the compounds required for each level.'
** ''[[Space Chem (Video Game)|Space Chem]]''. Each 'reactor' is effectively a [[wikipedia:Finite-state machine|finite-state machine.]] (Arguably a refinement of Codex.)
** ''[[Space Chem]]''. Each 'reactor' is effectively a [[wikipedia:Finite-state machine|finite-state machine.]] (Arguably a refinement of Codex.)
** ''KOHCTPYKTOP: Engineer of the People'': design integrated circuits to meet set tasks by laying out doped silicon.
** ''KOHCTPYKTOP: Engineer of the People'': design integrated circuits to meet set tasks by laying out doped silicon.
*** The above word is a [[The Backwards R|Roman-alphabet approximation]] of a Cyrillic-alphabet word, pronounced "konstruktor".
*** The above word is a [[The Backwards R|Roman-alphabet approximation]] of a Cyrillic-alphabet word, pronounced "konstruktor".
* ''[[Final Fantasy XII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XII]]'' has you set up conditions that the AI-controlled characters use to fight - unless, of course, you want to control all of them yourself, which is an entirely valid option.
* ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' has you set up conditions that the AI-controlled characters use to fight - unless, of course, you want to control all of them yourself, which is an entirely valid option.
** ''[[Final Fantasy XIII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XIII]]'' uses Paradigms, which are simplified Gambits broken up into [[Class and Level System|distinct classes.]]
** ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' uses Paradigms, which are simplified Gambits broken up into [[Class and Level System|distinct classes.]]
** ''[[Dragon Age]]'' has combat procedures, simple AI-type selection and a list of conditions and responses. Since the player can only control one character in real time, you have to either rely on these, or pause every split second to micromanage.
** ''[[Dragon Age]]'' has combat procedures, simple AI-type selection and a list of conditions and responses. Since the player can only control one character in real time, you have to either rely on these, or pause every split second to micromanage.
* ''Robo Sport''
* ''Robo Sport''
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* Origin (of ''Ultima'' and ''Syndicate'' fame) published a game called ''Omega'' where you programmed robotic tanks using a structured form of BASIC, then set them battling each other.
* Origin (of ''Ultima'' and ''Syndicate'' fame) published a game called ''Omega'' where you programmed robotic tanks using a structured form of BASIC, then set them battling each other.
* ''Globulation 2'' is a partial example. It's freeware game which doesn't let you directly control your units; instead, you give various "orders" to all of your units of a certain type, and the game's AI takes over. For example, instead of leading your soldiers directly into an enemy base, you drop an "invasion flag," which attracts soldiers to come and knock stuff over. Workers are controlled by clicking on the building you want staffed and assigning more workers to it. You set a "forbidden zone" where you don't want the to go and "clear area" where you want workers to collect crops or wood. And units will automatically check out any new upgrade building you make. This concept wouldn't work if it weren't for the game's aversion of [[Artificial Stupidity]].
* ''Globulation 2'' is a partial example. It's freeware game which doesn't let you directly control your units; instead, you give various "orders" to all of your units of a certain type, and the game's AI takes over. For example, instead of leading your soldiers directly into an enemy base, you drop an "invasion flag," which attracts soldiers to come and knock stuff over. Workers are controlled by clicking on the building you want staffed and assigning more workers to it. You set a "forbidden zone" where you don't want the to go and "clear area" where you want workers to collect crops or wood. And units will automatically check out any new upgrade building you make. This concept wouldn't work if it weren't for the game's aversion of [[Artificial Stupidity]].
* The Neo Geo Pocket Color game ''[[Faselei]]!'' was played by loading commands into the CPU of your [[A Mech By Any Other Name|Toy Soldier]]. Naturally, upgrades included the amount of commands you could execute in a turn, the amount of commands you could store in your CPU, and the quality and versatility of the commands themselves.
* The Neo Geo Pocket Color game ''[[Faselei]]!'' was played by loading commands into the CPU of your [[A Mech by Any Other Name|Toy Soldier]]. Naturally, upgrades included the amount of commands you could execute in a turn, the amount of commands you could store in your CPU, and the quality and versatility of the commands themselves.
* The strategy game ''Spartan'' is like this. In an effort to simulate the difficulty of communicating over the din of battle on ancient battlefields and the rarity of complex tactics, it gives you a limited number of commands you can issue at the start of battle and only three options (all charge, rally, and all retreat) for modifying your army's behavior in the midst of combat. ''The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome'' uses a modified version of the same engine which allows a limited degree of direct control over your units during battle, but it remains a partial example.
* The strategy game ''Spartan'' is like this. In an effort to simulate the difficulty of communicating over the din of battle on ancient battlefields and the rarity of complex tactics, it gives you a limited number of commands you can issue at the start of battle and only three options (all charge, rally, and all retreat) for modifying your army's behavior in the midst of combat. ''The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome'' uses a modified version of the same engine which allows a limited degree of direct control over your units during battle, but it remains a partial example.
* ''The Experiment'' is an adventure game with the premise that you aren't actually the one doing the exploration in the game. You're trapped in a room from which you use an advanced surveillance system to enable another character's exploration of the wrecked ship/lab the game is set in.
* ''The Experiment'' is an adventure game with the premise that you aren't actually the one doing the exploration in the game. You're trapped in a room from which you use an advanced surveillance system to enable another character's exploration of the wrecked ship/lab the game is set in.
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* ''Toribash'' somewhat fits into this category. Two players fight each other with 3D stickmen, but they have to control all limbs individually. Each player gets about 20 seconds to make adjustments, then the fight advances slightly, adjust again until pre-determined victory conditions are set.
* ''Toribash'' somewhat fits into this category. Two players fight each other with 3D stickmen, but they have to control all limbs individually. Each player gets about 20 seconds to make adjustments, then the fight advances slightly, adjust again until pre-determined victory conditions are set.
* ''[[Colobot]]'' allows you to write your very own AI for the titular bots.
* ''[[Colobot]]'' allows you to write your very own AI for the titular bots.
* There was a ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' platform game on the Commodore 64, where Colin Baker's Doctor had a robot cat, Splinx, which could be programmed through a series of simple commands to go to various markers (which you can drop or throw), pick things up, put them down, return to the Doctor, and so forth. Since Splinx was invisible and invulnerable to the many monsters, this was the technique of choice for getting objects out of dangerous territory. It probably helped that most C64 users had some exposure to programming anyway, since BASIC was pretty much the C64's entire operating system.
* There was a ''[[Doctor Who]]'' platform game on the Commodore 64, where Colin Baker's Doctor had a robot cat, Splinx, which could be programmed through a series of simple commands to go to various markers (which you can drop or throw), pick things up, put them down, return to the Doctor, and so forth. Since Splinx was invisible and invulnerable to the many monsters, this was the technique of choice for getting objects out of dangerous territory. It probably helped that most C64 users had some exposure to programming anyway, since BASIC was pretty much the C64's entire operating system.
* ''[[Gran Turismo]] 4'' has the B-Spec mode, where the AI controls the car and you specify how hard it should be with the throttle (which affects the life of your tires and your fuel tank), as well as when it should pass or pit-stop. You can also control the simulation speed. While it's not very impressive, it becomes quite useful to clear the endurance races, which can be as long as ''24 simulated hours''.
* ''[[Gran Turismo]] 4'' has the B-Spec mode, where the AI controls the car and you specify how hard it should be with the throttle (which affects the life of your tires and your fuel tank), as well as when it should pass or pit-stop. You can also control the simulation speed. While it's not very impressive, it becomes quite useful to clear the endurance races, which can be as long as ''24 simulated hours''.
* ''[[Robot Odyssey]]: Escape from Robotropolis'' was a game created by [[The Learning Company]] using the engine from ''Adventure'', the famous Atari game where you had to program and coordinate the efforts of a handful of robots to complete specific goals to escape the titular city. The method used for programming? [[wikipedia:Logic gate|Logic gates]]. There's a reason that the game was at one time considered a good tutorial for Digital Logic college courses.
* ''[[Robot Odyssey]]: Escape from Robotropolis'' was a game created by [[The Learning Company]] using the engine from ''Adventure'', the famous Atari game where you had to program and coordinate the efforts of a handful of robots to complete specific goals to escape the titular city. The method used for programming? [[wikipedia:Logic gate|Logic gates]]. There's a reason that the game was at one time considered a good tutorial for Digital Logic college courses.
* Sports management games such as ''[[Football Manager (Video Game)|Football Manager]]'', in which the manager chooses their team and sets tactics to use during each match, but does not directly control any of the players.
* Sports management games such as ''[[Football Manager]]'', in which the manager chooses their team and sets tactics to use during each match, but does not directly control any of the players.
* ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]] 2'' has a robot that follows the same sort of English commands you use to control your own character.
* ''[[Zork]] 2'' has a robot that follows the same sort of English commands you use to control your own character.
** You could tell any NPC to do something, and the interpreter would understand that's what you were trying to do. The robot was one of those rare characters that more or less followed any order that it could.
** You could tell any NPC to do something, and the interpreter would understand that's what you were trying to do. The robot was one of those rare characters that more or less followed any order that it could.
* In ''[[Ogre Battle]]: March of the Black Queen'' you can arrange units and set up their formations and tactics, but aside from using tarot cards have no direct influence on battles.
* In ''[[Ogre Battle]]: March of the Black Queen'' you can arrange units and set up their formations and tactics, but aside from using tarot cards have no direct influence on battles.
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* ''[http://galaxyhack.sourceforge.net/screenshots.php Galaxy Hack]'' sets entire fleets of spaceships against each other, helpless except for the AI you write and assign them. Oh, and their weapons.
* ''[http://galaxyhack.sourceforge.net/screenshots.php Galaxy Hack]'' sets entire fleets of spaceships against each other, helpless except for the AI you write and assign them. Oh, and their weapons.
* The (now open-source) robot fighting game ''Roboforge'' is built around this.
* The (now open-source) robot fighting game ''Roboforge'' is built around this.
* The dojo missions in ''[[Wario Ware (Video Game)|Wario Ware]] DIY''.
* The dojo missions in ''[[Wario Ware]] DIY''.
* Episode 3 of ''[[Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People (Video Game)|Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' features a cross between this and [[Script Swap]]. You can change the order of records in a DJ's set (and add two from elsewhere), and the DJ will play them in order, scratching each so that it sounds like a movement instruction. His rap partner, dancing on stage, will follow these instructions - even the useless 'do the Wigglie'. {{spoiler|The goal is to get the dancer to punch the DJ in the face.}}
* Episode 3 of ''[[Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People|Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' features a cross between this and [[Script Swap]]. You can change the order of records in a DJ's set (and add two from elsewhere), and the DJ will play them in order, scratching each so that it sounds like a movement instruction. His rap partner, dancing on stage, will follow these instructions - even the useless 'do the Wigglie'. {{spoiler|The goal is to get the dancer to punch the DJ in the face.}}
* ''Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'' swapped out traditional Pac-Man gameplay for a combination of this and [[Escort Mission]]. The player gives directions to Pac-Man... who may or may not actually choose to follow them.
* ''Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'' swapped out traditional Pac-Man gameplay for a combination of this and [[Escort Mission]]. The player gives directions to Pac-Man... who may or may not actually choose to follow them.
* ''[http://cosmicsupremacy.com/ Cosmic Supremacy]'' Fixes the micromanagement bloat of 4X games and the requirement to be online at all times in a persistent real time strategy by letting the player script almost all the economy management and much of the combat.
* ''[http://cosmicsupremacy.com/ Cosmic Supremacy]'' Fixes the micromanagement bloat of 4X games and the requirement to be online at all times in a persistent real time strategy by letting the player script almost all the economy management and much of the combat.
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