Bridge Building Games Explored

Thanks to DIYGames for their review of Bridge Construction Set, the "the second game in the hit engineering simulation series" from Chronic Logic and Garage Games. There are Windows and Linux demos available for this title, which lets you "...design and build bridges, and then stress test them [with trains and other vehicles] to see how your creations hold up under pressure", and there's even an independent fansite, BridgeBuilder-Game.com, which bills itself as "the ultimate bridge builder game website", and deals with the original Bridge Builder and Pontifex games, as well as the forthcoming Bridge It!, which sports much more impressive graphics thanks to the Auran Jet 3D engine.

Why must all games go to 3D?

[Brian_rts]

This new version of BCS (pontflex) runs like a absolute dog on my system...the framerate is horrible compared to the speed and easy of use of the first version. Now the mouse lags to hell and all the non essential fancy 3d stuff is slowing the entire program down. I have a 2ghz P4 w/ 512 meg ram and a GF2 64meg Pro... If it isnt broke..dont fix it.

Re:Why must all games go to 3D?

[SmallFurryCreature]

While I would agree in principal, I am currently playing Monkey Island 4 (who came up with that interface should be shot), I don't agree here. I am not going to say it runs fine on my hardware, it does and it is only marginally better.

Instead I am going to wonder how the hell the original works. Bridges are 3D construcs by devinition. Certainly building them would require you to think in 3D as well. Would be odd to then be forced to do this in a 2D world.

The game really works. I am not sure if it is worth

Re:Why must all games go to 3D?

[GigsVT]

I played a 2D bridge constructor years and years ago. Basically you just designed it looking at a side view, and it's understood that the other side is identical, and they are firmly attached somehow.

I guess since it's not medeling anything fancy like resonance or wind profile, the interconnections between the two halves don't matter as much. It seemed pretty accurate, it was surprisingly hard to build a bridge that didn't collapse under its own weight.

Re:Why must all games go to 3D?

[FreekyGeek]

This game is 3D for a very good reason: it would look like shit in 2D. Plus, 3D allows... wait for it... THREE dimensions, as opposed to two. I don't know about you, but I like looking at my bridge from all sides.

The game runs fine on my system. Don't whine just because you are having a problem on your system, and don't automatically assume it's the game's fault.

Re:Why must all games go to 3D?

[danila]

I think the problem is the idiot programmers don't know how to code, not 3D per se. I had the same problems with their BridgeBuilder with GeForce4 Ti4200. On highest quality settings it runs at 10 fucking fps. Does it look a lot better than Doom3? Nope, it fucking doesn't.

West Point Bridge Designer!

[StormForge]

See: http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/ for a really nifty piece of free bridge design & testing software from West Point (the Army military academy). It's lots of fun and the best bridges each year win scholarships (to any college) with nice notebook PCs for the runner ups. -Bill

Excellent

[Mr. Piddle]

Finally, a game that lets people explore the old saying, "If we built bridges like we do software...."

Does it have a deathmatch mode?

[stefanlasiewski]

Yes, but if it's 3D it must have a deathmatch mode.

I can see it now:

TacomaNarrowsBridge: I'm gonna kick your ass, wanker.

BayBridge89: lol

L0nd0nBr!dg3 finds Quakeifyer

L0nd0nBr!dg3 earthquakes BayBridge89, -40 million tons of damage.

BayBridge89 finds health cable: Capacity restored by +10 million metric tons
BayBridge89 finds health cable: Capacity restored by +10 million metric tons
BayBridge89 finds health cable: Capacity restored by +10 million metric tons

BayBridge89 dumps 20,000 pedestrians onto L0nd0nBr!dg3.
BayBridge89 overloads L0nd0nBr!dg3's capacity
**KILL** L0nd0nBr!dg3 is falling down, falling down, falling down...

BayBridge89 uses resonance frequency against TacomaNarrowsBridge.

**KILL**: TacomaNarrowsBridge flutters and disintigrates.

TacomaNarrowsBridge: Camping loser!

BridgeBuilder-Game.com

[Anonymous Coward]

which bills itself as "the ultimate bridge builder game website"

Yeah, those 1000 or so others are pretty sucky...

For bare-bones fun

[Chilltowner]

There is construo [nongnu.org], which is free software (as in beer and speech) and runs on Linux. Is has nothing for graphics and is strictly 2D, but it is still a hell of a lot of fun. Plus, you aren't just restricted to bridges--you can build almost anything you like. It's like the Tetris of the construction game genre--it ain't pretty, but it is very addictive.

Free stuff

[Chillum]

These games really are addictive, and a lot more fun than they might sound. Also, the Bridge Builder [bridgebuilder-game.com] site runs regular contests where you can win other Chronic Logic [chroniclogic.com] games, the next one should be starting anytime now...

Re:Free stuff

[gorgon_123]

On a whim I downloaded it and you're right, it is a lot more fun that it sounds. And while I am quite horrible at keeping those bridges from collapsing it still is a hoot when you get it right.