[Feedback Friday #63] - February 9th

FF 63 is closed until March 9th.

Feb has 28 days, which is just enough to make a game, start to finish! Bring it on! FF #63 is open until Friday, Feb 23rd.

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Want design feedback for your new game? Then you've found the right thread! Post here to get precious player feedback. Discuss until we lock the thread to start the two week break.

How To Ask For Feedback

• Show - Pics, videos, or best of all, a playable game!
• Be Concise - Who's got time for Wall 'O Text? Less is more

How To Give Feedback

• Be Positive - Finding redeeming qualities in the worst of games, is in itself a game
• Focus On The Design - Not the designer
• Be Specific - "Your game sucks!" is for nubs

What To Show

• Minimally Viable Product (MVP) - Core game play >>> everything else
• How To Scope Small (Unity tutorial)

Gigi

[PS - Feedback Friday #62 is here]

 

i have very simple question. is there anyone who want to work with me on my projects, becuase i am new there and if we will make something very good we can split earned money. also my pc is very slow at these and if someone know how to speed it up please tell me. i also need to ask how to publish game on play store. thanks for reading and i hope someone will take time and help me at my projects. if anyone need to know i am 17 years old and i dont know much about creating games, but i take creating games seriously, and i am prepared to spend all time that i have, to create huge games.
i know some bassic for using unity and i know little for dessigning, but i want to know more.
again thanks for reading and good night.

 

Hi,

Check out Unity Connect. You can also check sources like meetup.com for in-person meetups where find like-minded people to make game with.

 

Gigiwoo, I asked last week if I could post the same thing updated but there was no response...I'm gonna assume that's a yes

Same link:

https://eternalambiguity.itch.io/cave-escape?secret=aoZDYxRxhQSk9ViS7YaJvL5ps

My previous post is here. I fixed the stuff graciously mentioned by Habitablaba, so it should be fairly accessible.

Everything I said about the game previously (the stuff I'm looking for) pretty much still applies, but the main thing is this:

The entire purpose of this project is to showcase cellular automata. I thought creating terrains based on that was a straightforward way to do it, and the rest of the gameplay (the hangman aspect) followed from there. If you think some other type of implementation of the CA or gameplay (something other than hangman) would work better, by all means let me know.

Additionally, if you do think this gameplay is okay, does anyone have any suggestions for an art style or type of theme? "CAVE" is a backronym meaning "cellular automata virtualization entity," so I was thinking of something imitating a virtual world, but this is not really my strong suit.

I greatly appreciate any and all suggestions.

 

I think you've showcased CA well. It generates the map right in front of you.

However, the hangman concept with FPS controls was unconventional, counter-intuitive and cumbersome. I understand its relative ease of implementation versus 3D action, so kudos for banging out something functional with a minimalist approach.

I would suggest a hidden objects game where you locate key stones and then return to a door, and the stone leaves your inventory and appears inside the door. When all the stones are inserted, the door opens to a new area. You could also implement player health, traps which damage the player (like fire, pressure plates/arrows) and health pickups to restore HP (green or white floating +'s would work).

The game ends when you open the last door.

Give your player a torch and darken up the map for instant ambiance.

Success!

 

Do you see this as something where you go through these small generated maps continually? Or perhaps a single bigger one? I could see it working either way, but a single bigger map would probably not feel as exhausting and become boring.

 

For pacing, you could make it so that you only place 3 keys in the first map, then after each door you up the number of keys and size of the map.

 

@EternalAmbiguity - In the demo, I had an issue where if I rotated 180 degrees it would pop me back to 0 degrees. It made navigation kind of difficult.

 

Well phooey. I was having the same problem a little while ago, but it stopped happening so I thought it was gone. I really have no idea why that was happening, because I'm using the Unity "standard assets" controller. And I never witnessed it in the Editor at all. I'll take a look and see if I can figure out what might have gone wrong.

Edit: I have no idea. I made a PC build, walked around for a while...it works fine. I'm not sure what's up.

I've added a downloadable PC Build. I know that a working online build is preferable, but I truly have no idea how to solve this, and hopefully what is already only will show that it's "real."

Tomorrow on Friday I'll probably make this public. Given the advice I've gotten here (which I like, and which fits perfectly with other things I'm working on) I'm going to branch off from this and make it more like a "dungeon." As such I'll consider this prototype finished, and put the new version on the "Projects To Do" list.

 

Of course you can - iteration is the fastest path to success. Try, refine, repeat.

For your game, here's my feedback. I like that you are exploring the intersection of multiple aspects of game design. First person, word games, and collection mechanics. I also think that there are lot of ways, both small and large, that could help make this even stronger.

• Why do you need first person? Whether for education, or for fun, the game is strongest when it is true to itself. The mechanics should reinforce the learning which reinforce the experience you want the player to have. Remove everything that isn't core to your game. If it's worth leaving, then do it well.
• How can you minimize the violation of expectations? I thought this was a FPS. Then I thought it was some sort of cell maze algorithm. Then, i came to believe it's some sort of finding, collecting, word game. In the end, I realize i have no idea what you're trying to accomplish - only that I was left completely confused. Part of that is the lack of guidance. If you look at a game like Heartstone, even though it's a card game, they have a lovely process of guiding you into the experience so that you learn as you go, while playing and making decisions.
• Can you simplify? I can't tell what this game is trying to accomplish, so I don't know if you can simplify or not. My hunch is that the mixing of modalities is more a lack of focus/clarity than an important aspect of the game itself.

Gigi.

 

And that brings this Feedback Friday to a close. As we see - it's cool to keep bringing your ideas. Whether your idea is polished crap or golden carp, the community can help you make it stronger!

Until next time: try, refine, repeat.

Gigi.