Code a game comp - MIX-IT-UP - Aug 25th to Oct 20th 2019

[STEVIE G]

A couple of weeks for bug fixes is a bit OTT imo but happy to go with majority. 

that would give time for people to think up what they did or didn't like and may give some 'constructive' feedback as well, plus possible magazine thoughts for the entrants?

More detail and constructive feedback, including possible improvement/expansion from the voters would be good.

[3DzForMe]

A couple of weeks would suit me, I burnt the candle somewhat getting it where it is now. 1 week, 10 days, 2 weeks I'll go with the majority.

[3DzForMe]

Well, matured the AI a little - took more than I envisaged, Nearly threw the towel in as I thought B3D was broken - turns it my coding mojo is just at a low ebb.  Patch 6.....

https://gpsrunningdude.itch.io/wildestwest

[iWasAdam]

so... what's going on with the voting, etc now?

[RemiD]

ok i have (quickly) tested the games

first comment / suggestions for all entries :
add a way to configure the volume of the sound (because sometimes the volume was too high even with my system sound at 10%)
add a way to configure the keys for controls (because not everybody use uk/us keyboards) (not an issue for every game) !
add an ingame help screen when pressing F1 or H

good news for all entries : they all work well on my computer, no problem !

about the gameplay my preference is for gunstar and tyob , but this is more a matter of personal taste really. (i have found creepy crawlies and honey things easy to understand how to play, even if i have no idea about what is going on in honey things .

and i think that the graphics style of gunstar, tyob, honeythings, endless horde are good

one thing that struck me is how it is very important to have easy to control and easy to understand gameplay (objectives : what am i supposed to do)
and also how some graphics effects combined with appropriate sounds add some fun to the game (for example add the hits/particles + sounds of gunstar to creepy crawlies and it would have been way more fun !)

[Xerra]

I don't think Matty created a worklog for Endless Horde but I decided to give it a going over this evening and thought he might like some feedback.

Pro’s:
I like the concept of this game. Made me feel like I was playing Bards Tale 3 again on my old trusty C64.

This game was a lot easier to just pick up and play compared to the previous two games you did which were in the same vein.

Nice main char small sprites and char profiles. Background a little spartan though.


Con’s:
Right/left cursor seem to move the window slightly left/right? Any reason for this? Something I missed?

Trying to click off the screen as most action took place near the bottom in my games which was where I first saw the enemy.

It seemed to be an endless fight until your party no longer exist on the same screen? A little lacking in depth perhaps?

It gets a bit cluttered and hard to look at visually when there’s a lot of mobs on screen. With no real feedback when clicking the red hexagons to kill a mob you’re not sure how well your team are doing and if bonus such as the cleric healing are working.

The game felt a bit easier to play when i just had my solitary mage left and could concentrate on the main char because it got so cluttered that I didn’t even realise the other guys had died. It was kind of like a game of Risk when playing on a computer and it’s in fast mode.


Suggestions:
Minor grumble: I wanted to click on the descriptions and actually name the characters in the party. Always more meaningful - in a cannon-fodder kind of way - when you name all your mates in the party and they start getting wiped out.

I think the game needs some way of understanding what kind of decision is being made when you hit a mob. I’m assuming there’s a dice roll being simulated or is it a case of them just being able to move into your spot and doing so means you’re dead?

Music on title screen very quiet. Even volume ramped up on the computer I could hardly hear anything. Sounded like very distant drums - unless that was deliberate?

Movement as party could be an option where they can auto arrange themselves based on which character is the leader. I understand that might cause issues with the cleric only healing in certain scenario’s, however.


Conclusion:
Think this is your best game - even if most simple - so far. I can’t say I’m a huge fan as it stands but I do really like it and I think there’s potential with a bit of customisation for bigger graphics, a little more player feedback, some sound. All stuff that could be done now it’s outside the schedule of a competition game.

Additionally I really think you should be given credit for going for one of the harder options in the competition. I did briefly map up a few ideas for doing something in that category too but wimped out when my design got out of control. Well done.

I think you're in my top Three. Just haven't decided where yet.

[3DzForMe]

So..... Just so we're all on the same page, everyone alright for bug fixes vup until the 15th November.

Onto my reviews,

Creepy Crawlies: it would appear some of Xerras bugs have crept thru the tinternet Wreckit Ralph style, damn Xerra I knew u were good, but that's just not fair!

[RemiD]

@3dzforme>>i have tested your game, and while i appreciate your enthusiasm, it was rather confusing to play, and too slow.
however the graphics style with meshes made of cubes like the pixels of an image is interesting.

some constructive suggestions :
->instead of a remake with the same controls, why not make a similar game with mods / improvements in controls and gameplay ?
for example : remove this number of shots limit and add hits effect with particles and sounds, add dynamite ! add covers, add thingsthings to hit in the environment that can fall on the other player...
->the collision detection seems buggy, maybe use linepicks and pickables instead (and increase the size of the collision box)

[Qube]

so... what's going on with the voting, etc now?

Voting poll will go up tonight

[Xerra]

so... what's going on with the voting, etc now?

Voting poll will go up tonight

Cool. Something to watch out for then while I try and avoid the mother-in-law zipping around on her broomstick :-)

[3DzForMe]

@RemiD - attempted to address some of your concerns in the latest / last ? Release:

https://gpsrunningdude.itch.io/wildestwest

Regarding having no limitiation on bullets - I'd that up until a couple of days before the deadline - easy to re-invoke as an 'option' I suppose, spent some time making the 6 bullet version work though..... soz.

[Matty]

Thanks Xerra for the feedback.

Left and right cursor - a bug in a sense most likely - if it moves the window / canvas that's a bug...however it's often browser dependent, and I've only really tested in a version of Chrome and IE....if I'd made it full screen it wouldn't have that problem.

Thanks for the other comments.

The game was initially intended to satisfy the 'endless/retro' genre, however I realised upon completing it that it actually fits some of the other categories loosely as well.

[Derron]

Tried Matty's game too (hey I even broke the "highscore").

Think the melees need to swarm out .. .fight fight .. while the others wait in the center and "zapp" if possible. Once the health of the melees gets too low - return to the cleric for a heal.
Rinse and Repeat.
Just do not forget to kill the necromancers and kill the "two hit mobs" as they give 100 instead of 10 points (the skeletons can be zapped more easily).
If the mage does not have someone in range while the cleric (next to him) is healing: "bless" the melees so their attack gets a boost for 2-3 hits (spend them on the harder mobs).

Critics:
- often the units move while my mouse surely was clicking a mob's grid -> loosing movement points and of course no attack
- order of movement is fixed (sometimes I would prefer to heal a unit and then move away with that unit)
- while the cleric becames active (and I could "heal" or "zapp") the enemies move - this is kind of a "bug" and not intended to behave that way
- I would like to at least be able to "hover" my units so that I can see HP/attack/... without requiring the character to be active
- little thingie: "how to play" is a button visually - even if you are already in the "how to play" section after starting

The game "polishing" is not really existing yet (no nice "sound effect" when reaching a highscore, no shiny motivation bubble speech things of your characters ...) but the gameplay itself is something I assume making people to at least come back for another game ("want to beat the highscore"). For more returns to the game it needs bit more appeal and also small additions in the later game levels/moments. Maybe you have interest in improving the game a bit after the competition? Make it shine a bit more and maybe it at least gives some users pleasurable moments in their spare time procrastinating through the internet .
Feel free to share statistics later on - am sure you create some.


bye
Ron