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[Feedback Friday #5] - November 14, 2014

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by Gigiwoo, Nov 14, 2014.

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  1. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    Want design feedback for your new game? Then you've found the right thread! Post it here to find out what others think. Discuss to your heart's content, until next Friday, when we'll lock the old and start anew.

    How To Get Folks To Checkout Your Game?
    • Show - Be Interesting! Pics, videos, or best of all, a playable game!
    • Be Concise - Who's got time for Wall 'O Text? Be concise and interesting.
    • Read This - More great guidance in @@superpig's post.
    How To Give Good Feedback?
    • Be Positive - Finding a few redeeming qualities in the worst of games, is in itself a game.
    • Be Respectful - Whichever side you're on, play nice or don't play!
    • Focus On The Design - Not the designer.
    • Be Specific - "Your game sucks!" is for nubs.
    Good luck!
    Gigi

    [PS - Feedback Friday #4 is here]
     
  2. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    Hey guys! I'm trying some very slight level design changes in this prototype...

    Prototype

    Controls:
    A/D - Move
    Space - Jump
    X - Interact
    LMB - Cast Spells (Right now, still just Summon Block)

    Objectives:
    Get the treasure and get back to the entrance of the level.

    What do I want feedback on?
    First - per last week, I realize this prototype is no longer sufficient to talk about the larger context of my game. I'm working on a new prototype that provides combat as well as puzzle-platformer segments, but first, I want to clean up the Hall of Spikes.

    That being said. I've made some slight tweaks to the level balance the difficulty. Hall of Spikes is intended to be an early-game minidungeon. Does this level fit that level of challenge?

    I've also added a fire obstacle that gets turned on when you get the chest, so you can't just backtrack along the bottom route. If you intentionally throw yourself on it, does it feel like it's an adequate hazard?

    These are very low-level things.
     
  3. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    I was two weeks into my latest title, when I realized how much Tap Happy had drained me. My wife suggested something short and sweet, so I scrapped what I was working on and started with a simple idea. And now, 2 Sundays later, it's live!

    icon_144_trimmed.png

    Ready? Set. Crush the red ornaments before the explode! Christmas Crush is free on Google Play (Android - sorry, iOS takes time).

    IMAGE_1_lowres.png

    I'd love some feedback.
    Gigi.
     
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  4. TonyLi

    TonyLi

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    Looking forward to it!

    Yes. It has a single, simple, clear mechanic, which gave me time to learn the ropes without being overwhelmed with balancing multiple activities. And it felt like a reward to be able to blast through the top route faster by casting two blocks instead of one. I also like the position of the spell icon in the upper right much, much better.

    Yes. It gives the player guidance without throwing up a hard wall.

    The level feels a little quiet. Could you add in some ambient activity to help it feel more like a place rather than just a puzzle? Things like ambient sounds, animation, critters, etc.
     
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  5. ChrisSch

    ChrisSch

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    To be honest neither your nor GiGi's games are really the genres I usually play, but I can still give you feedback. Just thought I'd mention it.

    I'm a fan of conjuring and puzzle gameplay(conjuring is really lacking in games lol), so I really like that your game is about conjuring a block to solve level puzzles. :D

    What I'd recommend is, when you click to create a block, to show a ghost image of the block, either red or green, depending whether you can place it or not, instead of the cursor. It would allow faster placing, 'cause we can tell easier how much and where do we need to move the cursor to place it. Might not sound like much but it would definitely feel more comfortable and increase the speed.

    I like it, maybe the menu could be more Christmas-y. Some snow(or snow ornaments) around the edges? Also not sure if intended but an ad popped up in the middle of the game, I didn't mind it but maybe someone else would. If you didn't intend it like that, then its probably just a delayed menu ad. :)
     
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  6. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    Hey again guys! After taking notes of everything you guys said last week
    I'm back from the workshop and here's the latest version :D

    X^3

    I really tried to touch on everything you guys mentioned... Please tell me anything i might have missed!
    Also note that this is still the Non-Final version ^^
     
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  7. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    @Asvarduil Mostly what i have to say/said is what @TonyLi is saying right now...
    The world does feel really static, you should add something moving, to bring the level to life but i do
    understand that right now gameplay is whats important but it is something worth taking note of for the future :)

    @Gigiwoo I just lost my phone.. Sorry I can't give you feedback :(
     
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  8. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    Lots of great improvements! The new tutorial was simple, short and helpful. That plus a lot of little improvements throughout make the game tons better. One thing that could make it even stronger is to use LESS text. For example:

    * Current: "Let's Start with the Basics! That above is a Clicker, To Destroy a Clicker you simply click on it..."
    * LESS: "Clicker's need to be clicked. Try it!"

    *Current:" Great! Let's Try Some more!"
    *LESS: "More!"

    *Current: "Nice! Next is a Slasher, to Destroy a Slasher Click and Hold the Mouse Button and Drag Across the Slasher's Blocks..."
    *LESS: "Slashers should be slashed. Simply click and drag!"

    *Current: "You may aso click on the Individual blocks to Destroy them..."
    *LESS: "Click or slash. Fast as you can."

    *Current: "Good Job! Next lets try a combo! Click on the clicker and while holding the mouse button drag across the slasher..."
    *LESS: "Can you combo? Click and slash, from one to the other!"

    *Current: "Hey Now You're Getting the Hang of this! This time try and combo these blocks ... remember just continuously hold the mouse button after destroying a block!"
    *LESS: "Click and slash in one swipe for a mega-combo!"

    * Current: "Well done ... blah blah blah blah ... heal blah blah ... larger ..."
    *LESS: "To heal, get a combo with 5 or more!"

    * Current: "Well done! Lastly introducing the Mash and Spinner"
    *LESS: "Masher's need lots of hits!"
    (Break into 2 screens, since the spinner is confusing.)

    And rather than 'Clicker', consider something more exciting like Glick or Blop, as in Click the Glick, Stop the blop. Something fun. You're making great progress.

    Gigi.
     
  9. ChrisSch

    ChrisSch

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    Nice, I played the previous version and it was fun. Here's my score from the previous version:

    B.PNG

    I really liked how it takes only a couple seconds to figure out how to use the main menu, and that's a tutorial in itself. :D
    But I didn't know how combo works so the new tut was a pleasant surprise. :)

    I don't know if you changed this in the new version, I only played a bit now, but the difficulty increases a bit slow. Takes too long to die.
     
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  10. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    @Gigiwoo I just knew someone was gonna say this...The whole too much text was in the back of my head and frankly i didn't want to use that much text but at the same time i really wanted it to be really straightforward for everyone but you just gave me the conformation i needed! thanks!

    @ChrisSch Okay the difficulty system works based off what your current score is, now that coupled with the randomized block spawn systems creates the situation you're talking about... If you don't get the "right" blocks that allow you to combo,bump your score quickly and progress then you end up in this sluggish sort of pace that even i dislike and i know 100% where you're coming from as it has happened to me a few times...At times I breeze through the difficulties well other times its okay and then sometimes it's just abit too slow.....Now i did try a time based difficulty system before the current one but i ended up scraping it for being too inconsistent... I have taken note of your problem and i'm now thinking of maybe a hybrid sort of difficulty system *sigh* *more scripting incoming* lol >.>

    EDIT: Thanks for the feedback btw! ChrisSch!
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2014
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  11. ChrisSch

    ChrisSch

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    Yeah a hybrid sounds good. Maybe you can just make it increase based on time a little bit but way more based on score. :)
    I'll try playing again and combo-ing more. :D

    Looking forward to the android version. I played it using my bamboo drawing pad instead of the mouse. Feels better. xD
     
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  12. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    To be honest I was having trouble scaling down everything down to fit onto mobile screens and tablet screens in a way that doesn't downgrade the visual effects... Its been hard and at the moment it looks like only certain screen sizes will be able to support this game (bummer)...... Anyway to sort of compensate the android version will be a bit different! i will add other game modes (maybe even a Co-op mode... Maybe!) and of course more variety of blocks! :D

    The key gameplay will still remain the same though... Click and drag ;)
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2014
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  13. Kellyrayj

    Kellyrayj

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    I'll bite. Looking for some specific feedback on difficulty.

    I've done a few specific changes to the last build I posted in my WIP thread. Instead of a count down, the orcs count up and you go until you are defeated.

    I'm hoping for somewhere in a good balance between frustrating and rewarding. A good benchmark is killing 100 orcs in a single game.

    http://bit.ly/100orcs

     
  14. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    @Bridin

    Your game is off to a great start. The cutesy graphics and simple, clear interface work well to create a nice playable prototype. The graphics are fun, and the animations were surprisingly good. You're off to a nice start and with some iterations, could have a great product. Below are some things you might consider:

    • 100 Orcs is incredibly difficult. My high score was 13, before I set it aside.
    • Difficult games need to be EXTREMELY responsive (imagine Super Hexagon with MINOR timing glitches).
    • For such a hard game, I want perfect control over timing, which means attack, jump, and left/right should ALWAYS be available, at any time, regardless of what I'm doing. (Ex attack, press left, jump, press right while still in air, sword swaps side) (Note the animations CAN be less than perfect)
    • The feedback on hit boxes is too subtle. Sometimes, the mobs hit me, sometimes I run through them - maybe it's only their weapons? Not sure.
    • Visual feedback on getting hit and only having 3 hearts was not clear. Maybe make them bigger and add some juice when I get hit. BOOM! YOU ARE HIT! (Look at Jean Mareno's Cartoon FX particles)
    • Increasing difficulty over time. Maybe start with the grunts initially from the right. Then, add an archer (RANGED ATTACKS NEED TO BE 100% COMPLETELY OBVIOUS! LIKE THIS BOLD TEXT). Later, build up to the mini-boss mobs. And then have grunts come from other side. This might only take 15-20 seconds, as long as it builds.
    • Build a tension release - In Christmas Crush (pic above), I broke it into waves/levels, so the player has a brief pause to build tension, release, build, release. That's the interest curve.
    • Consider making the attack always happen, with or without input. (this enables mobile)
    • This could easily be ported to Mobile with buttons for Left/Right and then a jump button. Maybe an attack button also.
    • More Juice. LOTS more. Every hit - BAM! Every kill, BADING. Sounds, particles, camera shake, juice, juice, juice.
    Other than that, I recommend watching people play your game. 'Hey, would you play my game? Please don't ask me any questions, I just want to observe.' Such a difficult game will suffer from 'Curse of Knowledge' which makes it extremely difficult to balance and make fun for others. Test frequently and often.

    Gigi
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2014
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  15. DryTear

    DryTear

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  16. ChrisSch

    ChrisSch

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    I messed up my left arm, so I can't use it for anything without pain, but I played a bit, and I pretty much agree with GiGi. Also I would like it more if I could aim in different directions while in air, with bow. And not sure if its intended but you can pretty much run back and forth through enemies without them touching you.
     
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  17. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    HighScore.png

    @Bridin Love it! It's light-hearted graphics and simple controls got me drawn in instantly.... I'm a HUGE fan of the more mechanical games like this! I'll generally describe what i experienced:

    Firstly it was difficult when i played it with the classic Hack N' Slash strategy (AKA You're Rambo kill everything strategy :D ) and failed really quickly then after 2 or 3 more tries of getting like only 20 kills, i decided to actually take the game seriously and tried to play it with a real strategy and after observing the different orcs and their behaviors and how to adequately deal with them, I arrived at the fact that this game is all about mob control, how effectively can you manage the orcs, while killing them and not getting cornered by them

    Honestly after i discovered that it got really fun and intense! suddenly this game which i thought was a no-brainer actually took strategy to beat or get good at and that is what made it come to life to me! but alas there is a problem with that...A game that takes strategy and a bit of mechanic prowess like this one will not appeal to casual/non-gamer players...For example I don't see my girlfriend playing a game like this similar to what Gigi said, she would probably say that "it's too hard" for me it's different because originally i liked hard games and challenges soo people like me (hardcore players) would see the appeal of this....

    Question of difficulty comes down to what is your target audience? right now its more angled at hardcore players and if you want casual players to get on board too then again, like Gigi said you would want a curve of some sort... A cycle of tension-release! buuut if by some chance you do want this angled at mostly hardcore players then what i recommend is give us more tools to handle the mobs... Make your game a playground and let the player do whatever he/she wants to do with the tools you have given them... I can guarantee you, people will eat that up! (I know i will)

    Lastly the actual gameplay, great animations, controls didn't bothered me but please more feedback! on one play through i was concentrating so hard on the mobs, killed 60 of them, thinking i haven't been touched once, just to look up and find i have one life left :D .... A flash, something red across the screen,a bigger camera shake? really though you need to add something! also at times whenever i lost sight of the archer, the archer's arrows suddenly became invisible missiles, i want a bigger indicator on them or more prominent one! and the background is so argggggh especially with a game with as good looking sprites as this! I think you should do something about that...

    Its almost there! I really do love this and all it needs is tiny bit of work and tweaking! Don't mind my essay here, I'm looking forward to it's release! :D
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2014
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  18. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    The aerial strike was rewarding to find! Current high score at 110 xD
     
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  19. Kellyrayj

    Kellyrayj

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    Thanks for the feedback friends!
     
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  20. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    I try to avoid double-posting in a weekly topic, like I'm about to do...but, I have another very low-level prototype I could use some more immediate feedback on.

    Here It Is...

    Controls:
    A/D - Move
    Space - Jump
    X - Attack
    LMB - Cast Spells (still just Summon Block)

    Objective:
    Defeat the Doomsday Cultist.

    What I could really use feedback on
    Long made short: Sara's melee attack.

    ...So, this prototype isn't 'hard.' You can't lose, because I haven't really done a lot with the doomsday cultist enemy just yet. The way it works, is I decided to go with a cue from Gigiwoo: she projects shield magic to a short distance in front of her, which repels and damages an enemy. One thing I know that I need to add, is an 'on impact' effect to 'sell' that this effect actually slightly hurts an opponent.

    What's more, the default button is 'X'. I personally don't like that placement (it's too close to the default navigation). What would a better button for melee attacks be? Bear in mind, the focus of this game is the puzzle-platforming, not combat - combat is there to complicate things and potentially expedite the 'Try, Fail, Improve' loop that stimulates the player.
     
  21. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    @Asvarduil

    "X" as the melee button is too awkward for me and the melee attack is really weak, as a player I'm just not feeling it, maybe you could add some additional particles? make it shockwave-ish...Also I thought it would be cool to be able to summon or use spells in mid air! then maybe some spells can have different effects compared to if they were just used when you're grounded....

    To be honest if it's mainly a puzzle-platformer then focus on the puzzle part! the melee attack might give people the wrong idea, let people uses theirs wits and maybe the spells to survive against/defeat enemies, that in itself can be seen as a puzzle! the minute i saw "melee attack" i thought you wanted a action platformer till i saw you write "puzzle-platforming, not combat - combat".. I don't know I think it's counter-intuitive

    @DryTear

    Frankly i don't know what to think...No doubt you have some cool/ interesting features done, currently it's like counter-strike which i like but i really don't know what the game wants to be at the moment, so i invited my friend to try it out, aaand same reaction he's not sure about the game too, it feels like it has adopted a bunch of features from a number of shooters into one, battlefield like guns, a halo like jump, counter-strike's purchasing of weapons but still it doesn't feel quite right....You need to flesh out a better feel and a more clearer direction for your game o_O
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2014
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  22. Kellyrayj

    Kellyrayj

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    @Asvarduil Agree, the x melee button is strange for me. And as someone pointed out to me in my early prototypes there are some keyboards around the world that do not have a "x" key.

    If you really like having the a/d movement keys, J or K are good candidates for action keys as they are naturally easy to find.
     
  23. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    @Asvarduil Getting better! This is a nice iteration over the past few. I also agree with @Ra1den - consider removing the 'X' entirely. Currently, I'm using index, and ring finger, plus thumb on space, plus left click, and then I need to hit X? It's a lot. This version is much more spunky and responsive. The interface is much clearer, and I'm starting to get a feel for the game. Here's some thoughts:
    • It's so bright and bouncy now, I want to cast LOTS of blocks. Instead of waiting to charge up, I want a mana bar that lets me cast blocks in a rapid succession, with a moderately long range, ... Now it's the fast-paced block-based puzzle-solving game. Maybe they last 10 seconds or only allow X alive! Oh, that second has so many posibilities! 2 at first, 4 with upgrades, 7 late game. Now, you've got this unique block-summoning, stacking, falling mechanic where you're navigating, jumping, fast paced... A bit of minecraft, and a bit of platformer, and a bit of ice-block lady.
    • You can play with range.
    • If you go with something like the above, then clicking and holding could summon an ice-block in her hands, and then letting go of the mouse button could shoot it out (or clicking again maybe). I imagine summoning 3 blocks as platforms, then charging up my attack, jumping up to get on a top ledge, and blasting the one mob with my ice block. Fast, puzzley.
    Keep iterating, you're getting closer to the fun.
    Gigi
     
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  24. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    @Gigiwoo, @Bridin, @Ra1den - Thanks! It's good to know I wasn't crazy in feeling that 'X' was an awkward key.

    One thing I'm thinking about doing, is revising this melee attack like @Ra1den said. You're right; my goal is to make a puzzle platformer with a limited amount of combat, not a combat-centric game. I didn't - and still don't - want to lean on a stereotypical wizard. I might drop the 'firing' for instead expanding a sort of a shield bubble instead. More to the point, I might make it a spell, so you can use it with LMB instead of a keyboard key (no offense @Bridin, but as good of a suggestion as a home row key is, in my current setup, the user would only need three arms to play the game, and that's a bit excessive!)

    As cool as the Shield Magic attack is, the reason it feels off to me is because that's really not how Sara rolls. I'm going to try something different. I also like the idea of designing individual enemy agents as miniature puzzles, I'm gonna mess with that. I bet if I design opponents as puzzles instead of sacks o' HP, I can create some really cool fights, and puzzles, and puzzles that are fights!
     
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  25. Ra1den

    Ra1den

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    Can't wait :D
     
  26. GarBenjamin

    GarBenjamin

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    @Gigiwoo
    I rarely play cell games but wanted to check your game out to return the play-testing favor.
    It is a very simple game presented remarkably well. From the beginning to the end the presentation is very polished.
    I made it through several rounds initially crushing ornaments and then also opening presents.
    The only suggestion I have for improvement is actually outside the game. On the Google Play Store page the logo says "Christmas Crunch" and the game itself seems to actually be called "Christmas Crush".
    Overall, I think it is a very solid simple game! Well done.

    @Asvarduil
    I really like the look of the forest level. A very different feel from the cavern. Obviously, there was not much to interact with this time around but that makes sense in the context of your feedback request.
    The green arrow and red arrow indicators make it much easier to understand when you can and cannot use your magic.
    The melee attack was simple enough especially since the enemy just stood there.
    The only thing I noticed (and this is not something you asked about) is that when I ran to the end of the level and reached the gray wall... I jumped up and the screen stuck in that position vertically. Meaning I could no longer see the ground below. I could still move fine. I took a screenshot so you can see what I mean:


    @Ra1den
    I like the tutorial a lot. However, I never did figure out what I am supposed to be doing, I guess. Because no matter how many times I tried I remained on the combo tutorial screen: "Try again..." "The combo count may help you".
    This is likely not so much a reflection on your game and more this is just not the kind of game I normally play.

    @Bridin

    The presentation of your game is excellent. The animation is ultra smooth and the display is clean and easy to "read".
    I tried it several times and made it to 39 orcs. The game is very challenging to say the least.
    Not sure if this is entire game play or you are simply testing the combat system?
    This is just my opinion here but I think with all of the work you have put into the presentation it would be a shame to not add more to this game. It could become a very interesting platformer for instance. As it is, it looks like a very well done test of the combat and animation systems. That's just how it comes across to me. Like an impossible Gauntlet challenge and has the potential to be very cool as a platformer or something along those lines.
     
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  27. TonyLi

    TonyLi

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    I'm just seconding feedback others have given:

    @Bridin
    Yes, more feedback and more juice to do justice to the nice animation and graphics. I'd also like more intermediate congratulations so even if I don't make it to 100 orcs I can still feel some accomplishment about reaching, say, the 20, 50, or 80-orc achievements. Can I get a wee bit more time to read the initial controls text at the bottom of the screen when the game starts?

    @Ra1den
    Huge advances since the previous version; I felt prepared and eager to play instead of confused and overwhelmed. I also agree with @Gigiwoo - briefer text.

    @Asvarduil
    Nice forest level! Just a thought - what if instead of the green/red arrow, the casting cursor showed ghost blocks in transparent white or red? Is RMB reserved for anything? Can you map the melee attack (or whatever replaces it) to RMB?
     
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  28. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    So...funny thing. You're not supposed to be able to see the big wall 'o soil at the ends of the map. The reason the camera stops, is because you've entered a Camera Freeze Trigger, which as the name may suggest, halts the camera's motion.

    This proves to me that A) I need to make the CFT a bit taller, and B) I need to add some sort of vertical obstacle to ensure that the camera stops at the X and (roughly) Y that I want it to. So, good find!

    The reason I went with the arrow cursor, is because I couldn't tint the effect ghost before - I was having all sorts of problems getting it to work, and I never did. So, I settled on a mouse cursor instead, at least for the time being.

    As far as RMB, I want to avoid using it - while I'm not sure if this is still true, some people use Macs, and I think Mac mice don't have a RMB. What's more, something I've sort of seized on as a good UI technique, is to bind actions to the minimum number of controls that make sense. Since - as I've said - Sara the Shieldmage is a puzzle-platformer, with some incidental combat, I want to de-emphasize Sara's "melee" attack, probably by making a new spell which will 'approximate' the effect (but, have some problem solving application as well.)

    Also, to everyone - I know it's in the wrong place, but I'm going to ask anyways. In The Hero's Journey I used some 3D Trees that were spawned in Satan's left toenail. I know this, because everyone hated them. The trees I'm using in my forest scene are a bit different. On a scale of 1-10 how effective are they as trees? What's more, do they burn your eyes any?
     
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  29. TonyLi

    TonyLi

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    Might be worth keeping on a "wish list" if a solution offers itself. I still feel like it would streamline the UI visually because there would be fewer types of UI graphics.

    Good point. How will the player switch spells?

    7. They could use a tiny bit more detail to match the level of detail on the blocks. Some animation, such as swaying in the breeze, or little critter eyes peering out, or bats flying between them, would give the scene more life.
     
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  30. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    Definently, that's why I went with it in the first place. The interesting thing, though, is I think dropping the effect ghost has also somewhat simplified my UI a bit, for most of the players. But, time and more iterations will tell me if I'm interpreting the feedback correctly, or am just off my rocker (more than usual, that is.)

    I'm thinking when I get her Repel spell set up (that'll be her new 'melee' attack), that spell toggling will be put on Left Shift. That'll be in my next prototype, though.

    Noted. I'm going to figure out some ways to add motion to my scenes.

    The cave is actually an easier thing to change, because I can add a pulsating effect to the lights that the large crystal formations give off. I don't want there to be plant or even fungal life in it - just lots and lots of rocks (and, spikes.)

    As for this forest, that's harder. Having a mobile enemy will help things along, but I'll probably have to figure out some way to deform my tree meshes. It'd be ideal if I could create a Wind Zone and write code to hook into using that for a gentle, configurable deform. The problem is, I don't even know where to start with that.
     
  31. TonyLi

    TonyLi

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    Wind would be a really nice effect, but simpler effects would add a lot, too, such as a sprite of animal eyes blinking on and off, or squirrels scurrying around (perhaps even away from characters), or birds flying.
     
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  32. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    iOS used to be my primary platform. And now I'm falling in love with the rapid deployment cycle of Android. @GarBenjamin - that's a fantastic catch on the store art! I keep calling my game Christmas Crunch, instead of crush... Doah! And thank you so much for the kind feedback. I've put a lot of heart into polish!

    I did the 'Observe Players' test this week. That gave me great improvement ideas such as flashing the ornaments/presents before exploding, highlighting why a player died (maybe with slow-mo + zoom-in), and increasing contrast on the level text. Hoping to have a new version for tomorrow's feedback thread.

    Gigi
     
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  33. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    @Asvarduil - Have you tried one of the cartoon shaders in the asset store? Even though it takes a little finagling to apply them correctly, we find it gives our scenes a nice smooth, cartoon look.

    Lowres_2014-11-06_13h41_57.png

    (That's an image from our Safe Surgery Trainer)
    Gigi
     
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  34. TonyLi

    TonyLi

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    I finally installed Christmas Crush, and then you pre-empted all my feedback. :) I like the idea of slow-mo replay at the end. Since you're polishing, could you make the audio more dynamic? Perhaps a faster tempo or increasing volume as the spawns speed up, or more desperate sounds when you start to get too many ornaments onscreen.
     
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  35. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    I did try the Skinned Toon shader that ships with Unity at one point. The problem isn't the trees, though (my rendering style would actually work great for a toon shader, as it fits great with a cel shaded style naturally) - it's the terrain. Each of the terrain blocks, even with a mesh combiner script, leaves unsightly lines in awkward places. If it were otherwise, I'd use a Toon shader in a moment, and make the slight modifications necessary to the sprites to get them to blend in with that style more.

    What's more, I'm not that good at 3D animation, otherwise I'd just create simple 3D characters instead of sprites. Using 2D means I have to partially re-pixel every frame of a sprite, but the tools to help make that animation look better are more mature. 3D makes it easier for me to build the base model, but the animation process is significantly more labor-intensive, and the tools simply aren't there to help me animate my models in a meaningful way without brute-forcing it. My visual style is a mixture of actual aesthetic vision, compromise (I'm a one-man band), but also mitigating my own weaknesses.

    If I do things properly - that is, make things consistent, like you and others are saying - it won't matter anyhow. The reason classic games like Final Fantasy VI are loved isn't because of their eye-splitting, photorealistic, HD 1080P graphics. They're loved because the experience is good and consistent. If I can tap that, I'll be doing just fine.

    That's not a bad idea. That will also help me develop some AI ideas that I've wanted to try for a bit. Thanks for the excellent ideas - both of you!
     
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  36. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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