JAM XM 1.1 - lesson learned

[berserker]

Greetings everyone!

JAM XM just got a whole lot faster. With new acceleration zones, fresh racing tracks and re-balanced game controls, JAM XM really flies.
I?ve managed to make version 1.1 of my game. I?ve tried to take into consideration all advices that I?ve heard here.

Here is brief list of changes:
- Major gameplay improvements: gameplay is faster and diverse, controls are better
- Totally new tracks with sand, water, dirt, rough terrain, and more
- Secret shortcuts and passages!
- Interactive scenery
- In-place speed boosters and bouncers
- More precise car animation
- More visual customization of your car
- Game interface is simpler and more user-friendly
- Game balance improved
- Fixed lot of bugs

Here is brief description of the game, if someone haven?t read previous topic:
JAM XM is a highly dynamical arcade racing game that brings you into the distant future to take part in the intergalactic racing tournament. Your goal is not just to race, but to destroy rivals who threaten your superiority with your car heavy weaponry, collect bonuses, and have fun on the journey. Between championships you can go to a mechanics bay to upgrade your car and improve your deadly arsenal.
Don?t hesitate to prove that you are truly the best racer in the galaxy!

Screenshots: 1 2 3

Download (~25 mb)

I would be glad to hear from those people who wrote some comments about first version of the game.

In any case, if anyone can say something about it ? you are welcome.

Thanks,
Yaroslav
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Half-baked

[the2bears]

Using Mozilla 1.7.3 I do not see any screen shots. The download link does appear to work.

Bill

[Reactor]

Yep, under Mozilla I see nothing either.

[berserker]

Using Mozilla 1.7.3 I do not see any screen shots. The download link does appear to work.

Bill

Screenshots:
http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/...c394f59691.jpg
http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/...0e2f5660dd.jpg
http://www.alawar.com/upload/iblock/...cf0f02728a.jpg

Download:
http://www.alawar.com/download/JamXM.exe

Can you see now?
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I-Unit

[techbear]

I've played the new version, and it's come a long way.

- the new tracks, with secret passages, littered with boxes, and different sufaces, are a major improvement.

- The UI does a much better job of showing how cars can be upgraded, but the actual upgrade screen still took a bit of figuring out. I know you wanted to provide an iconic interface that didn't use text, but I still took a few minutes to figure out that the check mark meant I already owned that item.

- I was still a bit confused about how many races were in each season, and how many different planets there are to look forward to.

- I have to say, though, that the basis of the game, that feeling of "I'll just play one more race", is fully present. Good game!

[berserker]

Thank you, techbear!
I must admit that your feedback on previous version did a great job for me and I think this couple of
new advices will serve me as well. Thanks!
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Mflb

[Sirrus]

How are Honda Civic looking cars considered Intergalatic? Or did I miss something?

[berserker]

How are Honda Civic looking cars considered Intergalatic? Or did I miss something?

Upgrade them well, and they will look more futuristic
But I know they should look more mean Probably in the next versions I'll consider that.
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Starcraft 2 Replays

[DangerCode]

I thought the game was a tad too easy. I won every race by a long shot. Admittedly, I only tried to easiest difficulty setting but I think even that should be a bit more challenging.

The game was very, very blurry on my flat-panel, which has a natural resolution of 1920x1200. Supporting a windowed mode would be a great help for me there.

I also couldn't figure out how to upgrade my car. Maybe you could work on making that more intuitive or something.

Good game, nonetheless. I wish you luck.

I’ve tried to take into consideration all advices that I’ve heard here.

Wow, some of those comments were super snotty. You took them well.

[berserker]

Thanks for your feedback, DangerCode.

I thought the game was a tad too easy. I won every race by a long shot. Admittedly, I only tried to easiest difficulty setting but I think even that should be a bit more challenging.

Actually, I am not sure about this. See, I've tested the game on casual gamers and it appears this rookie difficulty is hard enough for them.

The game was very, very blurry on my flat-panel, which has a natural resolution of 1920x1200. Supporting a windowed mode would be a great help for me there.

As a matter of fact windowed mode IS there I've totally forgotten to add windowed support to GUI, but it can be enabled through INI-file.
Open jamxm.ini and change line

Fullscreen=1

to

Fullscreen=0

I also couldn't figure out how to upgrade my car. Maybe you could work on making that more intuitive or something.

Can you give me more details please? What GUI elements/actions you found confusing?

Good game, nonetheless. I wish you luck.

Thanks!
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YAMAHA MO SPECIFICATIONS

[Emmanuel]

I suggest to offer a much smaller demo download.

25 MB is fast on 2 Mbit ADSL for me, but for your players you might lose a lot of eyeballs (people that won't bother downloading something so large just to see if they want to buy it or not).

[berserker]

Yeah, I know. We had problems with our installer, so we switched to CI and it generates installation file 5 mb larger that original.
I am seriously considered about installer size, but at this moment 25 mb is sad reality

BTW, Have you downloaded the game? Can you say something about the game? About it's gameplay?
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HONDA CR450

[Vectrex]

isn't nsis a good tiny installer? By the winamp dudes http://nsis.sourceforge.net

I haven't played it yet but I assume you've uses ogg for sound, jpeg for backdrop? jpeg2000 has crazy good compression if you want to try that out (jasper is an opensource version)

[berserker]

isn't nsis a good tiny installer? By the winamp dudes http://nsis.sourceforge.net

I haven't played it yet but I assume you've uses ogg for sound, jpeg for backdrop? jpeg2000 has crazy good compression if you want to try that out (jasper is an opensource version)

Vectrex,
Thanks for your input
I use internal format for art. I will sovle this problem, I have some ideas about it, but I am more concerned about game and it's gameplay. Can you give me some feedback about gameplay?
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CHEVROLET S-10 EV

[Emmanuel]

BTW, Have you downloaded the game? Can you say something about the game? About it's gameplay?

I did download it, I haven't installed it yet (weekends are packed when you work all week and you have twin baby girls ). I got intrigued by the screenshots, and your game generally sounds like Super Cars II, a game I used to really enjoy on the Amiga.

I'll play it and tell you my impressions !

[Emmanuel]

BTW, Have you downloaded the game? Can you say something about the game? About it's gameplay?

I just played it now. First, I need to say that technically speaking, it's great. Worked without a hitch, good graphics, music is up to par. SFX (voices) are a bit on the cheesy side but I don't think it's costing you sales.

I would suggest to:
- Add mouse-based controls (unless I missed them)
- Improve usability a bit (don't tell me I have to go back to the menu to change controls for instance)
- Maybe reduce the demo play time and/or increase variety? I played what seemed like a long time and races don't seem to vary much, and I haven't paid a cent for it yet
- Increase the "rookie" difficulty a bit, I too found it real easy, with no challenge to beat.

Great game tho!

[berserker]

Thank you, Emmanuel!

May I ask you some questions?

- Maybe reduce the demo play time and/or increase variety? I played what seemed like a long time and races don't seem to vary much, and I haven't paid a cent for it yet

Can you describe a bit, what kind of "variety" you would be pleased to see?
Are you talking about visual variety to tracks, their look-and-feel or is it something else?

- Increase the "rookie" difficulty a bit, I too found it real easy, with no challenge to beat.

Looks like every second person tells me about this, but I suppose most of them are hardcore gamers. Would it be acceptable to casual gamers?
At rookie difficulty opponents don't use their weapons at first time. Maybe I just enable weaponry, thus slightly increasing difficulty?

To everyone, who played demo:
What do you think about car movement speed and number of laps?
Is it ok?
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PORTABLE VAPORIER REVIEW

[Emmanuel]

Can you describe a bit, what kind of "variety" you would be pleased to see?
Are you talking about visual variety to tracks, their look-and-feel or is it something else?

Well the only variety is the track shape, and even that can be beaten fairly intuitively (I win the first time I play each track).

Maybe you could add obstacles or really tricky turns that you don't see coming?

Get more feedback than just mine before you invest time in this though !

[the2bears]

Can you see now?

Sorry for taking so long, yes, I can see them now. Great looking graphics!

Bill

[berserker]

Emmanuel,
Well, I thought boxes, different terrain types, bounce tires, speed boosters, secret shortcuts can be considered as
"variety" but it seems it is not enough. Maybe more obstacles would be good thing, but I am afraid that some
people might find it annoying.

2 All:
Anyway, I am looking forward to more feedback
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MFLB VAPORIZER

[Emmanuel]

but it seems it is not enough. Maybe more obstacles would be good thing, but I am afraid that some
people might find it annoying.

Sorry, I got bored with the demo before I got to see all of these

[3dben]

I notice lots of people saying maybe the rookie mode is too easy, maybe consider if the player is really ahead then to give the computer cars a boost, make them faster until they are caught up or something like that. I sadly have not tried your game yet, but its on my list; looks like it might be fun.

-=ben

[berserker]

Emmanuel,
Can you tell me how many tracks you have played, before you get bored?

3dben,
You are genius! What a brilliant idea!
I hope you will find some time to play it and tell me your impressions!
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Porn videos

[Darky]

I would be glad to hear from those people who wrote some comments about first version of the game. Oh, BTW, if any of you want registration key for this game, leave me your contact e-mail here and I will send it to you.

Sorry if I'm being quite rude, but, Darkyoshi1@gmail.com

The game is pretty good all around, but it is lacking a bit of quality. For example, the voices. No offese, but there should be more "excitement" put into the voices. Have you played the arcade game "Hydro Thunder?" Think of when the announcer in the game says "GO GO GO!!!!!!!!!'
Oh, I also think the game is capable of having a level editor and online play.
Just my two cents.

-Darky

[Vectrex]

ok I've played it. Generally cool, nice gfx. Here are my suggestions

- car sound. Sound needs to change pitch depending on the acceleration and speed. At the moment it feels very underwelming when the car sounds the same regardless of speed. You need a skidding sound (when the dust appears). A gravelly sound would be good which changes volume depending on the skid amount (and perhaps surface type).
- the physics are wrong.. just wrong . There doesn't feel to be any real acceleration/monentum or sliding happening. It feels very 'faked'. For instance you can't 'powerslide' round a corner and the speed changes at strange moments. The car doesn't seem to have momentum but it also doesn't seem to be effected much by the direction and acceleration... it's just weird This is the major fun aspect that's missing. The game should be fun without anything else other than just driving about. This is where you should play perhaps powerslide (awesome older 3d game that had a brilliant feel and physics) and nitro (old amiga game and my favorite game like this). I really feel this is where the main complaints are from even if they don't know it.
- I think the acceleration should be 'heavier'.
- When you run into a wall at a shallow angle it should align the car parallel to the wall as if you really did run into it, but take a speed and damage hit (maybe have sparks)
- I like the secret bits and the the level I had most fun on was the one with loads of speedups and alternate routes. I think the speedup strip shouldn't be instant but a gradual thing over the length of the strip and in the direction you are facing, not in the direction of the arrow.
- of course the courses should have roads not just at 90 degrees, but I'm sure you know this But it would make it loads more interesting especially with the acceleration strips with alternative paths going off say 30 degrees from each other etc.
- some of the maps were really short, only like 2 laps
- camera might be good if it showed you more of what's ahead (from the momentum of the car, not just the direction)
- the speech on the little pickups is maybe a bit much Maybe have that speech when youve picked up a big one.
- the menu's sliding effect should be about twice as fast.
- maybe after each race take them to the shop by default as I couldn't be bothered going there because I wanted to race.

of course the physics don't have to be realistic because that probably wouldn't be much fun but something with the same dynmanics but exagerated. Here's an interesting article which is way over the top with realism but might give you some idea's
http://home.planet.nl/~monstrous/tutcar.html (oddly enough their demo isn't much fun because they don't reset the steering and it's too heavy)

[Dan MacDonald]

I thought rock'n'roll racing was almost a perfect execution of games of this type. If you want to get an idea for the handling that people are referring to you should try the web version of RnR Racing.

Rock'n'Roll Racing

[berserker]

Thanks everybody.
Well, what can I say? I really don't know, but it seems there is something very wrong with this game, very very wrong.
This game generated only couple of sales and currently it doesn't do sales at all. The strange thing is that new version
sells even worse than previous despite the fact it is better in every way.
Or maybe this genre is not well-suited for shareware?
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Medical Marijuana Card

[Vectrex]

eh just do what I said hehe, oh btw how many people download it? I'd say the 25meg bit is hurting it. Trust me, it doesn't take much for a game to go from being simply 'not fun' to fun. Your game could easily be turned into something quite cool.

Dan MacDonald: wow.. I really don't like that game at all. I think it's quite awful, go figure Have you played ignition, nitro (amiga), death rally, or even super off road?

[berserker]

oh btw how many people download it? I'd say the 25meg bit is hurting it.

downloads are ok, about 500-100 dl's per day
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Vn2000