Match3 Game - Dragon's Cavern Puzzle Quest

[Derron]

Just looked for a pirate match 3 game ... and found Ron Gilbert's Scurvy Scallywags:
https://grumpygamer.com/scurvy_almost_here

And it looks like a similar idea ... match 3 + rpg. Here you move your units right on the game field ... maybe this is also an idea for you?

bye
Ron

[Steve Elliott]

lol @ Scurvy Scallywags 

[Matty]

@Adam - the only reason audio fails on your device has nothing to do with my code, and more to do with my choice of audio file attached:

And the flame animation ought to show its not running at 1fps.

And input - you were simply touching the wrong place.

My local safari users have no problems.

Re loading bar - some portals demand it.

Framework stays- it works a treat.

[Derron]

Think I am done here for now.


bye
Ron

[Steve Elliott]

Matty, the language you're using should by definition run on Windows, MacOS and Linux, it doesn't (properly)...Even if that is an over simplication, you have once again shown no interest in producing a work around for anyone that wants to run your software.  It works ok for me, so tough!

If you only want to run your games on your own computer then that's fine.  But you also want to sell and enter game competitions too, and that kind of arrogance/laziness is not ok, it just won't cut the mustard.

[GfK]

Re loading bar - some portals demand it.

Framework stays- it works a treat.

If you're seriously considering approaching portals with this, then forget innovation - their customers expect a genre of game to function in a pretty specific way.  And this does not function like any tile matching game I've ever seen.

Just from the feedback here, tech issues aside, pretty much nobody could work out how to play it.  I know it's way off a finished game but if you don't get the mechanic right, then I guarantee this will crash and burn.  Potential customers will utterly slay you.

A wise man once said, "don't be wrong for the sake of being different".

[Qube]

I didn’t mind the clicking between the two tiles once I figured out that that was how it works. If you want to stick with that system then the player is really going to need visual aids / feedback like highlighting the line and showing which two tiles will swap.

As others have said, this method is not the norm and the click > great in swiping swipe in a direction is pretty much universal and expected.

( not sure what I was writing with "great in swiping" )

[MikeHart]

As someone who has worked with a portal before i can tell you that they have very specific rules on how a game has to be coded and what technology it has to use. From sound formats over what system of font display, quality of assets, game sizes, localization, game play etc etc. For an eyample my game was rejected because they required thw usage of webfonts instead of bitmap fonts.
You have to develop for their needs, not for yourself.
But the HTML5 market dried off anyway. So i see no point in following it for the few bucks you can make from a non exclusive license.

[iWasAdam]

ok. I'm not going to comment on what you said - I think you know what I (and many others) think there.

But here are some things to think hard about:
1. windows/macos and linux are the primary desktop markets and the primary platforms tackled here.
2. getting a desktop app to work across these platforms consistently is not a simple task, but can be done especially when you start using things like agk, godot, etc as they take care of all the nasties for you.

3. web apps/games are much more difficult to get working on different browsers. and that is before factoring in different os. so you task here is far greater and has a far greater risk of failure.
4. web games are pretty much DOA. The only thing you are getting here is data metrics. And unfortunately 'Garbage in, Garbage out' also factors here...

5. android and ios and to some extent steam all need very specific coding to work, and market

Now I am not saying I am a good programmer, or my advice is good or correct advice. But I do have certain skills that people come to me for (i don't tout for business). And I have a constant feed of people downloading my software, commenting, use groups, etc:
|f I am contacted by even one user with an issue. I will check that issue out, seek other information, be courteous and respond. I have halted dev on project to track an issue, rewound code, and dumped and rewritten code if it needs it. Sometimes bugs, etc can either be lived with or can be pushed into later releases. But I take on board everything that is said. even if I feel it is wrong - it is an indication that I am wrong!

I'm going to recommend a book for you to get:
User Interface Design for Programmers - Joel Spolsky. he's an amazing guid on how to write and not write good software, game, anything...
In the book you find the following:

A User interface is well designed when the program behaves exactly how the user thought it would

So clicking on a red button in a top corner would generally close a window/app - if it did something else (even if deliberately programmed that way) the end user would think something was wrong with the program.

So if it has an icon (lets say one for sound) and clicking it did nothing. the user thinks there is something wrong.
If everything you use uses tough and drag to do something and it doesn't do that (for whatever reason). then the user thinks there is a bug, etc

It is NOT the users fault when they cant use your program. it IS YOUR fault for not following standards / accepted behaviour. That is regardless of how many times you have 'do it this way cause I like it'. IT IS WRONG and it's YOUR FAULT!

The key thing here is to observe, listen and learn.

If one person points something out - check it and see if they are right. it might be something that has slipped through or an indication that much more testing/dev needs to be done.

If more than one person points something out (even if other are not having the issue). Then there IS a problem somewhere that needs investigating - you might need to buy more equipment to be able to properly test things.

Whatever the issue, If something is unusable for any reason, you should address it!

[GfK]

So if it has an icon (lets say one for sound) and clicking it did nothing. the user thinks there is something wrong.

Which is precisely why we still use a floppy disk "save" icon in the 21st century - because that's what people are familiar with, even though a growing number of people don't even know what a floppy disk is.

[Derron]

Reminds me of the oddness I feel when I see "cloud + arrow down/up". It always cries "download to cloud" (eg into your google storage) ... I accept hard drives and floppy discs as "download" icon


bye
Ron

[iWasAdam]

I couldn't resist this one with all the talk about floppy icons:


I'm replicating a UI from 1986(ish) which had a button bar (before this sort of thing existed). Above are two versions of the button which went to the file/directory page.
No 3 is the original with DIR
No 2 is my new version. Which won't annoy old users and make new users feel more at home. I could have used a folder - but the floppy disk just looked much better and more in keeping

[Matty]

Good Day folks.

I decided to learn a new programming language (C#) and started doing so yesterday about 3pm..

I have put together 'Dragons Cavern Puzzle Quest' into C# language (utilising SDL2) (written 2,600 lines of code since 3pm yesterday).

You can download a zip file from here and try it on your PC (extract and run the executable fantasymatch.exe - it is the same as the web version).

I have implemented some of the alterations suggested by people including rewriting the code entirely (of course - since it's a Desktop Application in a completely different language not a Web Browser page)

Adam - the sound should work on your PC now, and I'd say the little icon does what it says....

Anyway - don't be too harsh - your previous comments were all based on a program that had at that stage had only 2 days work on it.

https://www.mattiesgames.com/match3/fantasymatch_pc.zip



Thanks.

from Matt

[iWasAdam]

I'll download and let you now - lol

OK. First I must say that you have taken a bold and brave step moving from web to desktop. You have a load of skills that seem to be serving you well with C# considering you've only had a few days with it - kudos to you 

[Steve Elliott]

OK. First I must say that you have taken a bold and brave step moving from web to desktop.

Cool, to be honest I hate web based games, they don't offer a proper immersive experience, the experience is always awkward and technical issues arise.