Games Mad Mosh - Music (mostly metal) based game, request for Feedback

Working on a new project, been wanting to do for a while, for certain reasons (like relive the good old days maybe ?).

It's a game about being a metal head, going to a concert, going mad in a mosh pit / night club, score points for all kinds of things like busting cool moves.
Load your own dance tracks to "headline" in the pit, via mp3 or e.g wav format files.

Early gameplay vid (Updated):

Note that the above is a very early version, far from complete... working on lots of improvements especially related to the NPC/AI part.

Are there any metal heads out there, what are your thoughts to the above, is it boring, old or to weird?
I would very much love to hear your view on this. Or even if you are not into this kind of music, I would like to hear your thoughts, if any!


Please to announce that I have setup a free downloadable (not final) version of the game, via URL: https://khos85.itch.io/mad-mosh
Anyone can download this and play it.
I would like to invite anyone to give it a try, would appreciate your feedback!

 

Been adding more (still needs some e.g. stain/graffiti textures!):

Restroom (literally for some) area:
Need a break? Play some pool (not a minigame, should it be?)

Or go to bar area, get a drink:
Adding Singer/drummer...


Would be appreciative of comments, good bad or ugly!
Is the lighting ok, or too dark, although it is in a nightclub setting...

 

it's pretty cool. and funny to watch. people flipping around like Beavis and Butthead thrashing to metal. Or feels like a side room for Guitar Hero with those graphics.

The idea of busting cool moves for points is fine. But unlike a game like Tony Hawk, since you dont have rails and ramps, you need something more interesting to 'pull' sick moves off of. maybe jumping off high elevations(tables, speakers, even other people).
A more playable and visual 'fight' system may help. Combos etc.

It's like some after-Raid party at the City HUB on an RP server.
;p

It could be fun.

 

Maybe it's just me but the graphics seem really muddy. I thought those first two screenshots were just plain purple rectangles at first. If I strain my eyes, I can just barely make-out the character, but for objects in the background- I couldn't tell what they were.

 

Awesome, many thanks for feedback/views, much appreciated. The score system will include like an in-dance fighting style, with this kind of dancing/music you get moves like the "windmill" which is essentially someone just swinging their arms around violently, that can cause damage (I have experienced 1st hand, it's scary!), knock people down (Or being "Bodied" into a temporary ragdoll mode), still working on all of that/the animations.. game is still very early days, I think/hope it will look and play different when done with the plans I have I will probably stick with the graphic style, keep it a bit simple/cartoony.

 

Thanks, I think the lighting / view in the screenshots could be related to Rendering path I have set.
E.g.:
Forward:

Then deferred:


Deferred seems to handle shadows nicer, with forward set the shadows pop randomly, not good!
But also note, it will be a badly lit environment in a nightclub like this.
Appreciate the feedback!

 

Working on detecting song's BPM dynamically, if the music stops the NPC's stop too, or when music starts then the crowd (NPC's) springs into action. It's a start:

Still lots lots of work to do....
Your thoughts would be most welcome

 

Killer idea, i myself am a musician (guitar/bass/drums/keyboard), and love metal (like alot of peeps).

Best bro
Warthos

 

Awesome stuff, thanks and I wish you lots of success with your project, keeping an eye on that, it's shaping up nicely!

 

Adding some graffiti, decals, debris:

 

Hey peeps, been working on various parts, mainly the venue's lobby area, details/decals, see quick walk through video..
Warning!! If you prefer not to see rude signs, or dodgy toilets/urinals being used then skip this one:

Oh yeah and: Punks not dead, Oi!

 

Are you kidding? Thats what its about, lol. Drink, piss, drink, piss, lol

 

Little update, working on:
Simple dialog system (chooses relevant random phrases), NPC look at you if nearby, animations such as: sit on couch, drink at bar, toilet area improvements (hmm, that shake, ok then), objects like stage lights and band members animation/speed sync to music bpm.
Vid:

 

No graphics to share but I managed to get audio to load from external files (from streaming assets folder), game will load all audio contained in that folder to play, you can re-load at any time through the game menu. This will be a big part of the game, so that you can choose your set list so to speak. Also adding genres which will determine animations/dance styles (meaning lots of different dance animations to make )
Also I thought it is interesting that mp3's are not easy to work with (seems due to some licencing issue?) with Unity when loading these externally, so am limited to .wav files currently, I would welcome any info or feedback you may have on this, also if there are better options for loading external files.

 

I like the idea that you have going.
The graphics are always something that can be improved later, imo.

The lighting is kind of dark, but it works with the grunge/metal scene in the game.
When you first walk in, it reminds me of a grunge concert with a local band playing.
I dig it so far.

If the crowd had a circle pit going, it would of been sweet!

I think it would be cool to add in more hardcore dance moves.
(im sure you have all this in mind)
Throwing elbows, throwing kicks, and knocking the crowd around a bit.

 

Cool, many thanks for stopping by and your feedback.
Circle pit, should be easy, I just need to change the NPC's target path

Next big work parts will be the dancing/animations/interaction (i.e. elbows, kicks, knocks),scoring system, slowly starting with animations (experimenting), e.g.:

(Note just early tests)..
Headbang (basic):

Lawnmower:

Pickupchange:

Cartwheel:

Frontroll:

 

this your game, very nice, how long u take to make?

 

Hi, many thanks for taking look. Yes I am developing this, been on my to do list for quite some time, started in ernest maybe beginning January. BUT this is still very early stages of the project, there is a long way to go yet

 

Some more moves (might try IK animations for some!):

A bit more extreme headbanging (imagine this dude with long flexible hair):

Windmill (note will be much faster motion/speed, may convert to IK to get more extreme limbs stretching):

 

Sweet headbanging! Definitely look realistic with some hair!


Btw, this image of yours of the singer/drummer in the background is really cool.
This is like the cover of someones album bro.

 

Cool, glad you like it I have not worked much on the band members yet, still to come!

 

So moved onto another part of the game for now, managed to create a IK version of the Windmill move, now when used the arms limbs rotate/reach much more to my liking, also started to implement the "Damage" system (eventually for points), if you are doing moves like the windmill and hit/bump into other people (NPC's) they will fall (ragdoll), randomly get back up after a while.

Still early stages but making some progress

 

Been working on more player dance moves (almost like fight system on dance floor, woah!), NPC ragdoll / dance behaviour:

In the last bit I added a test move where if I press a certain key, all NPC's just drop

 

Haha I personally love watching him windmill into the crowd.

 

Cool, thanks, in real life that might be a bit dangerous

 

Adding health system (if colliding with NPC, find drinks to regain health), also mosh (windmill/side swipe) power system. hope you get 5 minutes of your life back soon after watching this:

 

Sooooo, I thought to try a weird combination as a test, which is add classical music to the choas! I think it kind of works. Check it out:

Would love to hear your feedback/views.

 

I love it's really cool!

 

Classical chaos. Very smooth sir.

 

Cool, thanks Sir!

 

Been working on stage area somewhat, Musician animations, NPC + player stage diving system / animations (like doing backflips off the stage), microphone cable (like a flexible rope/cable to some extent), NPC speed is still off, plan to adjust that, but to me it is forming into something I m liking

Short vid:

Would like to hear your feedback/thoughts on this.

 

Just playing my own game a bit, call it testing

Now what other music can play here...

 

If you just want to play your own game over and over for no reason, that's probably a sign that your game has a good feel to it.

 

Nice work bro, coming along nicely

 

Hi there, good point, to me it feels right, now I just finish the other planned features, oh and marketing (which I am rubbish at)!

Currently experimenting/researching way to make efficient hair sway (animated/physics for moshing/head banging for numerous NPC's), options I can think of are:
-Use cloth for mesh, with damping set
-Vertex anim assets
-Bones/joints on hair
-Softbody type script
-Normal animation, depending on head position it plays relevant animation
-Vertex gravity physics

Anyone have any ideas on this I would welcome very much.

 

Nice one, thanks Sir.

 

Progress is slow... but been working on some player customisation such as: hoodies, hats, pants, clothes/skin tones, want a belly or not?

Next stop NPC's to get similar treatment.

 

How about having/wearing concert t-shirts, and instead of using the real band names, just mod them like Slayer = Slayers. Look-wise, would really add to the game. When i was playing out in clubs with my thrash metal band, all i saw in the pit were concert t-shirts, sneakers, flailing arms/legs, and head banging, lol.

Love the game, memories... Keep kickin ass bro

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'd need to be very creative with band names...to avoid anyone sueing me I suppose..but one marketing strategy I plan is to speak to record labels/bands to allow their music to be played in game, that can help drive their sales/exposure, and help my game. Maybe on the back of that other merch in game might be possible. Who knows, I might add a Metal Font band creator name scene for shirts

 

Meanwhile back at the ranch: Been working on some NPC randomising character look, dancing stuff (so many variables to control the randomness!), random grouping, directions, speeds,dance moves, stage enter/dives, random circular mosh pits, to me that is starting to look ok'ish

 

I dig how the smaller groups split off from the larger groups, does their own thing, and then returns back to the pit.

I also notice the characters periodically jump on stage!
Nice work!

Are each of the individual characters animated?

 

this is brilliant and hilarious

 

Hi there, thanks for the feedback
The group stuff is fun, and so are the NPC stage divers, all at random really.
Yes, each of the individual characters animated, with varied attributes to make them dance differently/randomly, the effect is to make it look totally chaotic/crazy, I think it is starting to look like I want it to.
Cheers

 

Awesome, thanks

 

Experimenting with some camera stuff:

Side cameras test, to get a different angles of your moves:

Camera shake test.. (well small change of FOV and transform shake) per music BPM, trying to get a feeling of vibrations/loudness:

May not have these by default, not everyone's cup of tea.

 

Working on the outside area a bit, what you think of the night club's name in the game?

 

I like it, coming along nicely

 

I reckon kebab van is needed outside.

 

Have not updated this thread for a while...
After lots of searching/thinking...I'm pretty stoked to share the new hair physics, now if you do some headbanging the hair moves around quite realistically! Loving it:

 

Also added a new night club area (house music mainly), what do you think? Feedback would be appreciated.