Game/Feature/Mod Ideas For Little Girl Whose Brother Passed

[TheReaperKing]

Howdy, as some of you may know I work with kids. On Sunday a 6 year old boy I work with and used to sub for his Pre-K class on a consistent basis was killed in a car accident. His 8 year old sister is in very rough shape at the hospital but it is looking like she will pull through thankfully. Both kids are super sweet and loved each other so much. I don't think that either has ever gotten in trouble. I am proud to say that even though both were on the quiet and shy side they'd always light up when they'd see me.

The little girl will be in the hospital for probably quite some time so I had the idea of purchasing a laptop for her so that she can play my edu version of Minetest and also hopefully join the kids at school in a server. Luckily I work with the kids that she is friends with in After School so she'd be able to fully interact with her buddies. For my game design class of 6-8th graders we are brainstorming on game design features and ideas for her to try to brighten up her life. I'd be super interested in ideas of what we could make for her to try to brighten her life up a bit and help her have some fun especially during her hospital stay. Even if you know any subgames and mods that might appeal that'd awesome. If anyone is interested I'd be happy to list the ideas that me and my kiddos have come up with and we'd certainly welcome any help if people would like to make anything for her.

If you are directly interested in helping here is a gofundme to try to help pay for his funeral:
https://www.gofundme.com/evwcfkkc

Here is what happened:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/2016 ... c=pg&tc=ar

I have started a post for the WIP Subgame here:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=14395

Thank you so much for any feedback and insight that could help brighten up the little girl's life and really the entire family. Take care.
-Mike

[oleastre]

Just a small suggestion: use Baden-Powell's principle: "Ask the Boy" !

The friends of that little girl probably knows better what she would prefer. What will make her happy.
Start from their experience and ideas. Make them elaborate something that they could do in minetest.

Maybe it will be a simple map with a specific build, maybe it will be something more complex that need some modding. And from there, the minetest community could help realizing their ideas.

[MineYoshi]

Just a small suggestion: use Baden-Powell's principle: "Ask the Boy" !

The friends of that little girl probably knows better what she would prefer. What will make her happy.
Start from their experience and ideas. Make them elaborate something that they could do in minetest.

Maybe it will be a simple map with a specific build, maybe it will be something more complex that need some modding. And from there, the minetest community could help realizing their ideas.

I will take this seriously!:
Well, i think you should do what oleastre wrote, first ask his friends, they should know what she in really likes, so you then can write it here, so the mod creators that want to help, will have a clearly idea, about what to do, something that will like the girl =D

Anyways, i remember about i had that age, and some friends i had, i remember the girls always liked the "Barbies" or the dolls to play!
Is better play with dolls in real life, a computer can't change that, even the best dolls Minetest mod!

Another thing!

The kids normally like a lot the school (i hope, where i live the kids hate the school, "maybe" because that , the people here is very stupid! So kids if you are reading this, enjoy the school that is a great time to learn a lot and have fun with your friends) if someone do a map of a school or a school mod with teachers, and everything of the school.
Or you can do this:
-Do a "roleplay" where you are the teacher (i think so, you wrote you work with kids, i think you are a teacher or something similar!) The girl, and his friends going to be students, i think is better you teach him how to play Minetest!
But at the time you will teach them some things of science and math, likely: i want to craft 3 Steel Pickaxes, how many sticks and steel ingots i need?
And, see this is how you do glass, you take the sand, you put it in the furnace and you smelt it, you wait and you have glass, to do real glass you need Silica Sand, then add sodium carbonate and calcium oxide to the sand...

If you are a teacher, then this will work a lot, the kids generally like videogames, i did it a lot trying to do my cousins learn multiplication and subtraction!

In really it works a lot, the kids generally think that study is boring and sucks a lot, but if you try they learn with videogames, they will learn a lot faster, because is fun and they enjoy it!

I think the little girl will also enjoy it, if she likes to go to school, then will be the best!

Other idea (If you aren't a teacher and i am wrong, then sorry, the other idea is useless!):

The kids want to be big people (or adult people if you don't understand) There are many maps of city in the forum, pick one and customize it a little, do some apartments and make a very nice house for her, he will like it, and some nice houses to his friends too!
Don't take too much time, will be very good!
Install the following mods:
-NPC(Surely, if you find a good NPC mod, but it haves some hostile NPC's is better disable them, ask the creator how, or simply search how to do it! You will need to spawn a lot of them to fill the city, but not so much!)
-Car (The kids always like the cars, do a personal for everyone, or just modify a bit textures to make good ones!, or simply say me, i take the "car:the_return" mod and i do a car specially for everyone of his friends! That will make a very nice city, so you don't need to walk to go to a store!)
-Mesecons (Install it to don't need to place torches, if you do some nice mechanisms will look nicer!)
-Homedecor or someone similar (That sofas and chairs will looks the virtual apartment of the girl look a lot nicer, and the ones of his friends too!)
-Skins mod (i recomend simple_skins is very easy to use and setup! And put in the mod the skin that uses the girl, or the one she would like, or do one for her instead!)
-Economy (Well, shopping it's something that the girls like, buy dresses, go to the supermarket...)
-Hunger - Not Obligatory! (Only a suggestion, only is for make her eat his vegetables! hahahaha, no, actually only make a restaurant, were she can eat fruits and healthy food, with his friends, something like a fancy restaurant!)
-Phone (A good thing for the girl, iangp created a "phone" mod, i think it can sends messages! or at least i think! ask him what to do and how works his mod! the url: https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13672)

The important thing is that everything be kid friendly, and don't show her how stressful is the life of the big people (or adult people)!

If you want to give a "work" to her and his friends, in that city, to make the experience more real, make a "work" that be of 5 to 10 Min. That be about whatever they want, be a miner, a seller, a lumberjack, a builder, give many possibilities, to make a very good game!


Or if you simply don't have time:

Let they make buildings in creative with you, that make the kids express what they think, what they see, and they will express his creativity!

It's a great time to pass with them!

If you need help, with the mods or something that you don't understand!, say me!
I am very sad about what happened with the kid, i don't have money to give, also i don't have anyway to donate, actually i don't have visa or master card , i hope he can Rest In Peace! ; _ ;
My condolences!


Sorry for the long of the post, but here are very good ideas to do, read it all and see what to do and tell me!

[Napiophelios]

These are is pretty cheerful
Cutepie Mod by Don


CUTE CUBIC MOBS by RHR


Jump Challenge by rubenwardy is just a fun time killer


Moon Flower
by MirceaKitsune



Weird SubGame by Wuzzy
Texture Pack: Weird

[TheReaperKing]

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me all of this insight! I have a huge huge huge list of ideas from the kiddos but the main thing that EVERY single little girl that I ask is.... they want unicorns! haha. I guess unicorns have rainbows too associated with them and can fly? I am trying to figure out why unicorns specifically and not pegasuses but if that's what works for them :) Not sure if any unicorns exist in minetest but if someone wanted to step up to the challenge it'd be sweet. I'd make one but my modeling skills are not up there, the thing would look like deformity. I will be trying to type up all the ideas today or tomorrow :)

[Napiophelios]

Did you say rainbows

Might have to find a blender wiz to make you a unicorn model to go with them.

[TheReaperKing]

I wonder if I could just take one of the horses already made in minetest and just add a cone to its head haha.

[Napiophelios]

I think KGB Mobs has a horse..couldnt hurt to try.
NathanS and Exeterdad are very good at that stuff,
if they have the time I am sure they would help out.
Both stay pretty busy though in the real world

[TG-MyinaWD]

Jordach the blender grandmaster. But idk he will Unicorn through.
But yeah all, the girls might be watching MLP the reason for unicorns.

But yeah, wish could help out in many ways but hardy can.
Other then guess ideas and such.

[TheReaperKing]

I have all the kiddos ideas to write up still, some involve just making a rainbow castle and town for her :D

[garywhite]

I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the girl and her family. My plan now is to build a memorial garden for them on a public server as well as my own server.

[MineYoshi]

I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the girl and her family. My plan now is to build a memorial garden for them on a public server as well as my own server.

I well check out that, when your server be open!

I have all the kiddos ideas to write up still, some involve just making a rainbow castle and town for her :D

I will see in what i can help! , the unicorns idea sounds pretty good, but still there are some ideas to do!

[TheReaperKing]

I have to find my ideas list for her but I was thinking of maybe even doing a commercial game for her and then donating the proceeds to help pay for the funeral and the little girls medical expenses and anything else they need. I'm excited to say I purchased a computer for her too. I was thinking it could be an adventure where she is the main character and is a princess using rainbow magic to save people and find treasure and whatever else I can think up.

[ExeterDad]

Unicorn eh? I'll blow the dust off of my Blender install and see if it still works. My nine year old daughter might help me come up with a "Girl Approved" design or two.

I think I just freaked myself out. I don't think I've touched Blender in nearly a year *gulp*

[TheReaperKing]

I think it'd save us a lot of time to just try to track down a minetest horse model and hopefully there is a blend available and slap a cone on it :D We can make it look cool in skinning :)

[benrob0329]

@ExeterDad heres a little something to refresh your memory :-)

https://youtu.be/CWgKrFk5gU4

[npx]

I've made this
https://github.com/NPXcoot/Nssm-models- ... ip/unicorn
I hope she will like it!

[MineYoshi]

I've made this
https://github.com/NPXcoot/Nssm-models- ... ip/unicorn
I hope she will like it!

Cool, that remember me to MLP!

[TheReaperKing]

Thanks!! That is so nice of you NPX, thank you! I can't wait to check out it out this weekend! I didn't see a license in the git, is there one? I was thinking of making it into a commercial game with the proceeds going to them. Maybe even some kind of Steven memorial fund, hmm and definitely something for Shy's college fund.

I got to see Shy today too which was awesome! She's in kinda rough shape but she loved the idea of a game being made for her and of course unicorns haha. I'll have lots more info soon and I've been writing down all the kiddos ideas into a document that I'll share. Thanks again everyone for your support!

[npx]

It is nice to hear this news from you!
The license for all my models is CC BY-SA 4.0!

[MineYoshi]

Thanks!! That is so nice of you NPX, thank you! I can't wait to check out it out this weekend! I didn't see a license in the git, is there one? I was thinking of making it into a commercial game with the proceeds going to them. Maybe even some kind of Steven memorial fund, hmm and definitely something for Shy's college fund.

I got to see Shy today too which was awesome! She's in kinda rough shape but she loved the idea of a game being made for her and of course unicorns haha. I'll have lots more info soon and I've been writing down all the kiddos ideas into a document that I'll share. Thanks again everyone for your support!

So, this is what you will do:

-Take some info from the kiddos
-Make the commercial game to Steven memorial fund.
-Make a Minetest Game for her?

[TheReaperKing]

That's the plan :) I have also bought a computer for her and I am picking up tomorrow so that she can play minetest and skype with us at school. This weekend I plan to set up a webpage and forum specifically for the game. I was thinking of setting up a .git too on github so people could easily contribute resources and also help test the prototype and even help with the project if they want. I should have a list this weekend of the ideas from the kiddos and also my goals for it. I think I will do a "WIP Subgame" post. The end goal will be to get the game on Steam :)

[TheReaperKing]

I have started a rough writeup for the subgame here:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=14395

[MineYoshi]

That's the plan :) I have also bought a computer for her and I am picking up tomorrow so that she can play minetest and skype with us at school. This weekend I plan to set up a webpage and forum specifically for the game. I was thinking of setting up a .git too on github so people could easily contribute resources and also help test the prototype and even help with the project if they want. I should have a list this weekend of the ideas from the kiddos and also my goals for it. I think I will do a "WIP Subgame" post. The end goal will be to get the game on Steam :)

Good idea!

I don't know if i can help, i don't think i have all the c++, c or lua knowledge...

Anyways i will try to buy at least when be finished!

Looks like a good idea, only make it special for the girl!
Another question, before have the ideas from the kiddos you going to do the game based in that?

When you have it uploaded in Github say me to check it out, and help you being a tester of the game!

[TheReaperKing]

You can absolutely be a tester and I plan on keeping the git public :)

[MineYoshi]

You can absolutely be a tester and I plan on keeping the git public :)

ok, just keep it nice!

I will help you in what i can!

[taikedz]

Hello

I wanted to know where this project was at?

I am tutoring a young girl who was adamant she wanted to learn some computing and blender..... and make unicorns a reality in Minetest...!

If nobody has started on this, I will probably be taking her down the route of making unicorns! I just wanted to ask a couple questions:

1. I wanted to first say that I am very sorry to hear of the circumstances that have brought this project about; my condoleances to the family and the young lady. Have you considered setting up a patreon (maybe even for maintaining the base costs of a server) with any proceeds going to whatever cause you are wanting? A digitalOcean or Linode server would cost only $5 a month, and with just some swap space should tick over nicely, leaving plenty for the charity/cause/organization you are aiming for. It would also be more similar in spirit with the open-source and good-will vibe of minetest. Just a suggestion, of course, you know best, but I'm sure sympathetic members here would be happy to fuly get behind such an endeavour!

2. Also, I am a complete newbie to Blender; I should be able to figure out most things, but can someone tell me how to best convert the b3d files to something we can work with? (planning on modifying a horse, or course!) Or if we need to find original file from the original modder? I tried to look for import/conversion modules (albeit quickly, it was just fact checking whilst typing an email), and I still have some ways to go as I have not yet found the answer, but was hoping for a quick answer here? Will conversion from b3d to another format cause lost information?

My best wishes to the young miss, to you, and this project

DuCake

[KCoombes]

-snip-
2. Also, I am a complete newbie to Blender; I should be able to figure out most things, but can someone tell me how to best convert the b3d files to something we can work with? (planning on modifying a horse, or course!) Or if we need to find original file from the original modder? I tried to look for import/conversion modules (albeit quickly, it was just fact checking whilst typing an email), and I still have some ways to go as I have not yet found the answer, but was hoping for a quick answer here? Will conversion from b3d to another format cause lost information?

.b3d files come from Blitz3D (now opensource - get it on GitHub)

[TheReaperKing]

She did come back to the school so she's healed up physically but unfortunately the Mom never called me. I had a computer ready for her and I was working on the game. When a lot of time had gone by and I still hadn't heard from the Mom I just decided to work on my "game design" version of minetest where I want to make it as easy as possible for the kids to learn coding, design, texturing, sounds, and music and if possible even some 3D modeling. There was actually a unicorn made for us too, I'll have to dig up the link.

Nathan has some great tutorials on his site if you are interested in the blender aspects:
http://nathansalapat.com/minetest/modding

Perhaps we could even discuss some collaboration :) Take care and have a great night!
-Mike