Feedback Request: Shoop Beta v0.9

[alfie]

Hi All,

I would appreciatte your feedback for the following game:

Shoop (Beta v0.9) is a very simple Shooting Puzzle game designed with a minimalist graphical style (there is only one colour in different shades, excluding the background).

Here are fews screens:
http://www.redgames.net/shoopbeta1.jpg
http://www.redgames.net/shoopbeta2.jpg
http://www.redgames.net/shoopbeta3.jpg

All you need is a mouse and the filesize is about 700k:

Here is the link: http://www.redgames.net/ShoopBeta.exe

As for the type of feedback I am after, anything is appreciated from any bugs, suggestions or constructive criticism.

However, there are two particular things that I would specifically like your opinions on:

1. The game runs in a sort of Full Screen mode but with the ability to minimize. I dont do anything with the users resolution, so if they are running in anything higher than 640*480 then the game screen results in a tunnel effect. This is all done so the players can play whilst at work and therefore hide the game if the boss walks in. So, is it worth doing this? Is it still playable if you are in an high resolution?

2. There are 4 games playbale in Two modes and one of these games is "SPAMMERS". There is only 7 possible letters within the shooting zone, but obviously "SPAMMERS" consists of 8, so there is about 5 random combos of letters that can be the target e.g. "SPAMMER", "SPAMMES" etc. Does this work?, Will people get it?

The other thing about the "SPAMMERS" game is that when the player shoots a matching letter an insulting word pops up eg A=ASSHOLES. Will people think it's aimed at them? Does it make it fun?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[lakibuk]

1. I played in 1024x768. It was well playable. No problem with the resolution. Minimizing worked fine.
2. Will people get it? Don't know. To be honest i don't even get your question. I think this concept of insulting spammers is kind of bizarre to see in a video game. But i don't have a problem with that, to me the letters were just symbols like the other sets.

Now to some feedback/criticism:
- Had problem starting the game, the main menu is not very comprehendible. Selecting the game type (bugs...) and starting the game (arcade,casual) is all in own big column. Didn't know which button to press first.
- I had no idea how to play the game. I had to read the help page two times before i got an idea what to do. This is especially bad for a game that tries to be simple. First i tried to click in the upper row of elements, then on the lower row. But only thing it got was "MISMATCH".
- I still am not sure what's the point of the game. I only have to shoot one element and then the star? Why are there more elements than one, are they only good for bonus points? What if there's a blank element on bottom of the list? It's all rather confusing - again not good for a simple game.
- Mouse control: the way of moving the crosshair by holding the left mouse button seems non-intuitive to me. Maybe this would be more intuitive: Click once: Crosshair starts to move. Click second time: Shoo(p)t! Similar to Mario Golf.

[alfie]

First, thanks for the feedback Lakibuk.

2. Will people get it? Don't know. To be honest i don't even get your question. I think this concept of insulting spammers is kind of bizarre to see in a video game. But i don't have a problem with that, to me the letters were just symbols like the other sets.

The concept of insulting spammers, is like what happens when you (at least I do) when watching a TV programme and there is someone that acts stupid/or is not liked and you start shouting abuse at them.

I see what you mean about the letters just being symbols. I suppose that is what I was trying to get at but wasnt clear. If I refered to it as "SPAMERS", and only had that combo of letters then they could solve the puzzle, or part of it easier.

Any suggestions on that menu? eg put the Game s in a seperate column. Or, maybe a pop up text "Select a Game then a Mode"?

"how to play"
It can be confusing at first. People tend to point and click, which if implemented in this game would make the game play too easy. Maybe I could give them the option of playing in Point an Click style instead of Click only style and reduce the lowest amount of time and maximum per round? Any thoughts?


"The Point Of the game":

The more elements you shoot the more points you score. If there is a "blank" at the bottom or of the Stack then you have to figure out which one on the target base it is and then shoot it. At the start of a round there is 7 tiles in the Stack and 7 matching ones on the target base line.

I will have a look at that Click to go and Click to Shoot system and see how it plays.

Thanks once again.

[Martoon]

I'd pretty much second everything lakibuk said. I was very confused by the gameplay, even after reading the help a couple times. To me, it seems that the main problem is having a mouse cursor you can move around the screen, but the mouse cursor serves no purpose. Especially since it's a custom mouse cursor, and an unusual one (a sideways arrow), I really felt like I was supposed to point at something, when in fact it doesn't matter where I put the mouse.

[alfie]

Thanks for giving it a try Martoon,

To me, it seems that the main problem is having a mouse cursor you can move around the screen, but the mouse cursor serves no purpose. Especially since it's a custom mouse cursor, and an unusual one (a sideways arrow), I really felt like I was supposed to point at something, when in fact it doesn't matter where I put the mouse.

Allthough it's not obvious, or mentioned in the help, the mouse cursor is a Left/Right directional movement indicator. So, if someone is on a Resting spot and looking at the Stack of tiles and they forget which direction they are going in then a look at the Mouse arrow will tell them. The same goes if they minimize the game and comeback to it later.

[Devman]

Hello gentlemen,

I launched the game and for the life of me could not figure out how to get it to start at the menu screen. I clicked Arcade about 20 times, hit the enter key over it, spacebar, etc. I was confused because I saw icons with the names "Bugs", and "Blocks" beside them, but the icon looked the same. What on earth does it mean? Can I either play as a bug or block? I thought it was telling me what bugs look like in the game versus blocks, but they look the same! I randomly clicked on bugs and noticed a little icon selector appeared to the right. Ah, now I can click arcade.

I get into the game, it says go, I use the mouse arrow to click at the column. I don't know what's going on at all. Something moves at the bottom of the screen and tells me mismatch, or no matches, then times up. Repeat two more times, then game over. Huh? Click around at the bottom until I get back to the menu screen. Go to help. Read the help, can't really figure out what is going on, but got the idea to hold the mouse button down and then match the bottom most thing on the stack.

Go back to the game, manage to destroy one or two little icons on the stack before times up, then game over.

Incidentally, I didn't see it in the game but I suggest you don't use any profanity in your game. It adds little for people who tolerate it, and is a complete turnoff for many (including myself).

Why is the time so short? It seems way to quick to me. I suggest a small tutorial mode for the first level that has some text printed to the screen indicating what you should do, without a time limit, so they can see to Hold the mouse button down then release it when the selector is over the icon that matches the bottom one on the stack.

Also, might I suggest having more than one color, and icons that are more colorful animals. These icons reminded me of some strange bonus items on 8-bit nintendo's Solomon's Key.

Forgive my candidness. I just want you to get a perspective from someone using your game for the first time.

[lakibuk]

Forgot one thing that really annoyed me. Your installer didn't let me choose an install dir. The [..] icon was disabled.

[Martoon]

Allthough it's not obvious, or mentioned in the help, the mouse cursor is a Left/Right directional movement indicator. So, if someone is on a Resting spot and looking at the Stack of tiles and they forget which direction they are going in then a look at the Mouse arrow will tell them. The same goes if they minimize the game and comeback to it later.

Yes, I did realize after playing for a minute (once I figured out how the game worked) that the mouse cursor shape indicated the direction, but there's still no purpose to having a mouse cursor. The direction indicator could be anywhere. Having a mouse cursor you move around just implies that there's someing you should be clicking on, and I think you're going to keep finding that new players are going to be confused by this.

Overall, the game does have a kinda nice, stylish minimalism to its appearance. I like that. Also, kudos on the "here comes the boss" function. I think a lot more games could benefit from that. Although, I think I might prefer if it just ran in a window, instead of the pseudo-fullscreen thing.

[alfie]

Thanks to those who have tried Shoop.

I have just uploaded a new version 0.91 and would appreciate further feedback.

Whats new:

1. The SPAMMERS game has been removed, it just does not seem to work as a concept. It's been replaced with a game called NUMBERS, which consists of the numbers 0-9.

2. The main click and release gameplay has been replaced with an intuitive point and click to shoot system. It's not the end of click and release though, because I plan to include it (although slightly modified) for full version buyers.

3. There are shorter possible times for a round in the Arcade mode. Any opinions on this would be nice.

4. You can choose which directory to install to, this was an oversight in the original.

By the way, the STATS section was included initially when I was testing and I left it in for this Beta. Does it add value to the game?, any other thoughts?

Cheers,

[alfie]

Because the nature of the main gameplay mechanic has changed from the original "click and release" to "point and click" (mainly to make it more intuitive and accessible) it's resulted in a problem. I want to include both the "point and click" and "click and release" as game types/styles because they are in effect different games. Both being able to play the 4 Games ie Bugs, Blocks, Bugs and Blocks and Numbers in Arcade and Casual modes.

So, any ideas what I can call these? Bearing in mind that I already have "Games" and "Modes". Something short and snappy would be prefered e.g. Style = Super

Hope you guys can help.

[Robert Cummings]

Hiya,

Should make it optional for psuedo-fullscreen or windowed.

Menu screen is too complicated. Could not figure out what was what. Take control! less options, more fun.

Could not work out what to do in game at all.

Not having a go, it seems good, just isn't friendly enough...

[alfie]

Hiya,

Should make it optional for psuedo-fullscreen or windowed.

Menu screen is too complicated. Could not figure out what was what. Take control! less options, more fun.

Could not work out what to do in game at all.

Not having a go, it seems good, just isn't friendly enough...

Thanks for giving it a go, all feedback is appreciated.

Because in the full version a html splash will appear on exit I dont really want to let the user have windowed mode.

I will have a look at breaking the menu screen up into sections.

Maybe I should take them to the help section on the first run, because allthough the premise of the game is simple it's original and unfamiliar to players(as far as I know).