[Feedback] OSX pre-alpha upload of my new platformer!

[SpacedGamer]

Click below for the very first version of my new game. The engine is almost there, although gameplay needs a fair bit of work. Graphics will definitely change a bit. As yet no build for PC. OSX only.

Pico Pico [working title]
==============


Use the arrow keys to walk.

[z] is jump.
[x] is attack: the following combos are available...

[forward]-[forward+x] - while landed = flying kick
[x]-[x] = kick then punch
[x]-[x]-[x+up] = kick, punch then uppercut
[x]-[x]-[x+down] = kick, punch then spinning kick
[x]- while in the air = flying kick
[x]-[x+down] = flying kick then thrust kick

[c] is throw coconut, should you pick one up (hold longer for further throw)


[Try playing with the coconuts, see if you can jump on the trees. See if you can find all the cards.]
_________________________________


I know there are plenty of bugs still, but I think it is finally worthy of an upload. I want feedback from as many of you as possible because I need to work out if this game is worth continuing with. It would require an enormous commitment, but I am prepared to undertake it if I feel like other people like the idea as much as I've enjoyed making it so far.

Let the comments rip!

Thanks,
SpacedGamer

Pico Pico (pre-alpha v0.43) (http://www.spacerecordings.co.uk/picopicov0-43.zip)

http://www.spacerecordings.co.uk/images/aruku_1.jpg

[SpacedGamer]

I should mention a few things about it.

Test Machine
========

1GHz G4 Titanium 15" Powerbook.
OSX 10.3 Panther / 512 Mb Ram.

If there are problems with yours please let me know.

Bugs
===

I'm interested to see what you think of the feel, so I should mention the bugs that I already know about.

1. Occasional falling through platforms when switches are flicked.
2. Enemy AI forcing them into rapid left-right turns.
3. Lots more enemy AI 'quirks'.
4. There's a tree top in the middle of the stage.
5. The y-sorting of sprite's draw order is a little quirky (ok very).
5. No jump anim / sound.
6. Coconut will have a timer, so you can't keep it forever.
7. Destructible blocks will cause shards to fly out as they break.
8. You can't win!

Editor
====

The editor is included. Press E to enter it.
From there you'll have to figure out the key commands as I can't be bothered to list them all.

Here are some of them if you fancy a go!

[T] go to tileset page
[M] switch edit mode
[P] turn preview mode on/off
[, and .] flip between planes

Press [shift] in tilepage to cycle through tilesets
Press [space] to cycle through options

[SpacedGamer]

Sorry, one more thing as I don't seem to be able to edit my posts.
I know many of you are PC users, but I'd also appreciate feedback on the screeny. Are the production values in the right ballpark?

[SpacedGamer]

119 views and nobody has made a comment? I only want a little feedback on the screenshot, and for those mac users with time to give my game a go.
I know I'm a newbie on this forum, and maybe you're just busy, but I respect the posters on this board, having hovered as a guest for quite some time. Anyone who could take the time to help me with my big decision as to whether to continue this to completion would be deeply appreciated
Sorry, don't take my comments as angry, it's not that way at all... I just want anyone with an opinion on my idea to speak up - even to flame me and tell me not to quit the day job!

ps Having had some good feedback from other boards, I should mention that if you by accident press [B] on the keyboard, it will enter a pause mode I set up for doing screenshots. Don't panic if the machine appears to freeze, just press [P] to exit pause mode (I know - not logical!). It's an early version, but it's fully playable. So please have a try and see if you think I'm aiming in the right place, or way short of the mark.

Thanks again,

SpacedGamer

[Rainer Deyke]

I tried it and didn't like it. Specifically: The zooming made me dizzy. It would be better to remove this feature entirely.
The controls felt wrong. Way too much inertia. Too difficult to cover any horizontal ground while jumping.
I didn't like the look of the game.
The music was annoying.
Fighting enemies and breaking blocks takes too much time.
Too many combos to remember. Of course this might be less of a problem if the combos are introduced over the course of a longer game instead of just dumped on you at the beginning.
Too many bugs. For example, pressing 'down' between two signs causes the screen to flicker as it tries to zoom in on both signs at the same time.

[SpacedGamer]

Well thankyou for some constructive criticism. It does sound from your post as if you think the idea itself, even with the things you mention ironed out, is not really worth pursuing.

My plan was as you said to introduce more moves as the game went along, with sub-quests to collect certain special cards for different teachers who would teach you a move in return. The move-system is potentially quite deep, and they are far from complete.

The music and possibly even the main character are placeholders atm.

Breaking blocks and signs were only added this week, and they are far from refined.

The zooming I had also planned to look at. I guess I wanted to try something different - to have a distant camera while 'platforming' and a close one while 'fighting'. I was going to add more rules to it causing it to only move when really necessary, rather than, as it stands, going in when you attack, and out when you jump.

As I have experienced while making a point'n'cick adventure on the Amiga, certain genres of 2D game have an enormous time commitment involved, and the scrolling platform game is definitely in that category.

I appreciate your honesty, and you might well have influenced me in my decision as to whether to continue or not. If the look, the music, the gameplay and what I thought to be the 'innovations' are all off, then maybe I really am saving myself a lot of time.

[Chris Evans]

I gave it a whirl on my i-Mac, G4, 10.3 OSX.

I don't think it's as bad as Rainer says, but it's obvious that it's very early. It has potential though. Here's a few random thoughts:

- I thought the graphics were nice (as did my sister-in-law). If you have enough varied environments, I think the visuals will be just fine.
- The Zooming is pretty cool, but you may need to tone it down just a little. Also, it might be good to have an option to disable the zoom feature for those who get dizzy.
- The attack combos seem good (though I couldn't kick because the game would crash). But there's a possibility that you might have too many key configurations for your target audience even if you introduce the moves slowly. With colorful computer platformers, you want to keep the control scheme relatively simple. If you want a more complex control scheme then you need to make the graphics/theme edgier to attract more core gamers.
- There's A LOT of bugs...

I think with this forum at least, you're better served posting betas for feedback rather than a pre-alpha build. I could make a dozen other comments but with the game so early I'm not sure how valid they would be. Also, people tend to look at things a little bit more negatively when they keep running into bugs.

So I personally think the game has potential, but it obviously needs a lot of work and it's way too early for me to make a judgment if the game is good or not.

[pls]

... this is not my "cup of tea", I don't think I played a 2d scrolling platform game since Super Mario on the nes, and frankly I don't miss playing this type of game. Anyway...

I liked your temporary graphics (really enjoy cartoonish visuals), I think the engine (that's what you are focusing on and asking for feedback) "scrolls", "zooms", allows a sprite to be live happily in these with everything she needs and deserves to be happy. Control (or rather missing it) is weird and needs some work...

If you are making a game you want to play, and having fun coding it, there is no reason why someone's opinion should make you question your goals. If you think there is a market for the game you have in mind, and that is what you are pursuing, the same applies. If none of this applies, yeah, you should probably try something else... otherwise see it thru. Like Steve Jobs said "great programers release".

I am also coding a game called Su Doku Live (also on Mac OS X first). It's a labour of love. It's fun. Yes, takes a lot of time, a lot frustration at some stages of development, a lot of hard work, a lot of problems with my wife claiming her fair share of attention. I have no idea if it will sell a single copy.

To be honest: it's not the destination, it was the journey I was looking for. Been fun. Now I'm almost there. Really liked it. So I'll probably code another after I release this one. And if it sells I am going to buy something for the lady of the house. :o

PLS

[Rainer Deyke]

FWIW, I do think that the game has potential. It just needs a lot of polishing and some rework. Adding a plot/quest structure would do a lot to increase my interest in the game.

About the graphics: The colors are too faded and too obvious, which gives the game a very generic look. I don't like the gradients. Cell shading or even flat colors would look better IMO. And if you're going to use a vector-graphics cartoony style, you really need to give your main character some animated facial expressions. Of course my real preference is pixel art, but that's probably beyond your abilities (and incompatible with smooth zooming).

Some nice sparkly particle effects could also improve the appearance of the game tremendously for relatively little work.

[Chris Evans]

I will say I'd rather see more platformers around here, than endless match-3 games. Good 2D platformers such as Bud redhead, Goldminer Joe, and Gish can do pretty well. They may not top the portal charts, but they do well enough. You also might have some good results with Mac crowd if you give them a first release. There's a market, so if you really enjoy making the game as you say, then just go ahead with it.

I'll definitely keep an eye on your game if it keeps improving.

[SpacedGamer]

Thanks for the honest and useful comments everyone. I really appreciate you taking your time to advise me.

I feel I should give some background to myself and this project...

I am a full-time, pro music producer and DJ, and have been in that industry for over ten years.

In my childhood, I was a very keen programmer, and released several titles for the Amiga in my teens. I began with simple freeware games, and moved on to what was my biggest project to date: a 2d point'n'click, Monkey-Island style game called 'Keith's Quest' (look it up if you like - it's available on some abandonware sites). The was classified Licenseware (the bracket slightly more expensive than shareware). It was a two year project, one of which was totally devoted to the game. I was lucky in that I had a spare year to devote to it, unlucky in that, by the time I released, the Amiga was on its last legs (c.1995), and sales were severely down.

Anyway, I'm mentioning this to show that I have the necessary in me to finish a large project (I have also finished a couple of music albums and a book - I tend to see things through once I have begun).

I know this is a risky genre, and producing a AAA platformer title is a very high aim for my first project, however, I would be prepared to put in the time if I really thought my idea had potential. Obviously the pre-alpha I have released is in no state to show off, but to even get it to the beta stage would require several more months of debugging / level-writing and playtesting.

I needed to know if it's even worth reaching that point. I perhaps did upload too early, however I don't know if I have the time in my life to commit unless I believed that, like me, the other indie developers thought I had something quite cool on my hands.

I am at a stage in my life where I would quite like a career change, and I know I have it in me to write some decent games, as it is my biggest love besides music, and I have the necessary experience and the technical knowledge (I have a degree in Comp. Science. from a decent uni.)

Now I am thinking I should follow the crowd and try a title with the scope of a match-3 (which by the way I am really fed-up with!) in order to make the funds available for a project I'd really like to do. I wouldn't make a match-3 itself, just a title with the same level of simplicity, as it [sadly] seems to be the only sure-fire way to make a living. I felt that this attitude was damaging the indie scene, as no-one was brave enough to attempt something different, but now I'm moving towards the opinion that - if you can't beat 'em up, join 'em up (sorry, bad joke). At least until I can fund a project like this.

I have several 'mini' game ideas, one of which has been in the works since about '92 and my brothers and I still play. This might be the kind of thing I need to get started on... Build up my company's profile to the point where I can get a team together for a bigger project like this.

So chances are, this will get shelved (something I really dislike to do) until such time as I can feel more secure in devoting two years to it (I had planned to take as much time as was needed - it took the best part of 4 months to get the game and tools to this point.)

Thanks everybody for getting back to me, I really appreciate your feedback.

[DanMarshall]

I love the graphics. The screeny is sweet. Nice work.

Can't play as I'm at work, but this is the sort of thing that'd be right up my street...