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[jeffrobot]

LATEST BUILD: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/bc0d3fc96c026327e07fb91554309ce5

Hi Guys,

This is my first entry into a TIGS competition. My game was originally inspired by Knight's Ninja Convention http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=14442.0  I tried to make a 3 player 2v1 thing based off the "blend in with the crowd" mechanic, but ended up looking for something else to do. But I liked the idea of players blending in, so I kept thinking about it. I came up with this last night, and programmed it today.

UPDATE:
Things to add (I know this isn't an epic game like Sandoval's or Hampuli's, but I want a list if features to add, too) :
declare winner screen
best-of-5 mode
different movement patterns for the squares



Basically, players move through these black/white squares, using their own color for camouflage. Try to sneak up on your opponent while not revealing yourself and then hit it with your generic red pixel bullet! And of course, the squares are moving around while you go!

It's 2 players. Player 1 uses ARROW keys and SHIFT to move/throw his weapon. Player 2 uses ESDF (A button was messing up) and SPACE.

The trick to this game is learning to judge your movements so you can move around through your own colored squares without revealing yourself. Also,  you'll do better if you can guess where your opponent is going.

I haven't playtested it much. Let me guys know if you think it's fun. I haven't included a game over screen. You'll only know if you killed a person because they disappear(which can be hard to tell at first, hehe...).

Also, please throw out any suggestions you have for building off this game play, where you think it could go, etc.

THANKS!

EDIT: Ah! Forgot to give a link! http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/1406c01e0d459bff895ce161c18cfe42 <-PLAY
-Bo

[Mitiz]

Player 2 controls dont seem to work for me.

[jeffrobot]

HRRGGHH of course.

Well, let's see. It could be your browser (I'm using Chrome). It could also be that you haven't updated to the latest Flash player, but that seems unlikely for a tigsource user...

I'd try updating Flash though. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Also, remember it's ESDF, not WASD for player 2.

Do none of the controls work at all, or just some of them?

[Mitiz]

Player 1 works, shooting for player 2 works. Just movement for player 2 does not. I'm fairly sure i have the latest flash player. Was trying the game in ie.. I'll try again tomorrow.

[Maikel_Ortega]

This works for me. I love the concept, hope you'll polish the graphics. I'll try to test this out with a friend asap, this looks really fun.

Some suggestions:
Maybe you should allow only 1 bullet on screen per player, so this doesn't turn into a versus shooter
And I think that making this a platformer would multiply the fun, cause the difficult of taking accurate shots and blending increases.

I'll follow this!

[knight]

Interesting idea. For now it looks a little visually chaotic which might be what your going for here. I'll give it an in depth play through with a friend some time soon.

[Fluff]

Oh yeah. This could be really cool. Especially with some cool shapes moving in interesting ways. It's like trying to hide in abstract art.

Also, please throw out any suggestions you have for building off this game play, where you think it could go, etc.

You could try slowing the shapes down a little and adding some variable sizes and speeds. I agree with the suggestion to limit shooting. Or maybe even replace it with something else? Maybe you can somehow flip color of certain shapes to reveal your opponent -- thereby winning? (Maybe you shoot the shapes, not the players?)

I imagine this would be pretty cool as a kind of meditative game about hiding. Whoever can hide longer wins? Players try to deduce their opponent's positions based on where they last saw them and how the shapes have moved. When you think you know where the enemy is, you can try to expose them but doing so also reveals yourself. SO, you want to be pretty sure you know where they are before trying to expose them.

Essentially players have to (1) make a best guess about where they are and (2) make a best guess about where the opponent is in order to (1) stay hidden and (2) reveal their opponent.

The other thing about slowing the shapes down is the the players can take notice of the interesting emergent compositions. I think it would be worth trying to craft the level to always be visually interesting. This is a great excuse to review some abstract art and compositional studies! You might find this interesting. He made a Little Big Planet level inspired by Kandinsky and wrote some interesting things about it.

[snowyowl]

Make something happen when one player wins. I'm not sure whether I've actually killed the other player or if he's just hiding very, very well.

[jeffrobot]

Hey guys, thanks for the positive feedback, and for the cool ideas. Adding platformer elements? Interesting.

Fluff, I'll give what you said about flipping squares some thought. Shooting people is not the most innovative/original mechanic, so if I can find one I like more, I'm pretty down.

I'm on the move right now, but as soon as I get back to school I'll throw in some of the basic changes you guys have addressed, like a winner screen, and limiting bullets on the screen - that was something I identified as needing to be changed, as well.

Thanks again Tiglets!

[irpwnu2]

It is a ninja game so you could use knifes and try to stab your enemy in the back, but that would require going out of hiding. Or if you wanted something more interesting than a bullet you could use a shuriken.

[jeffrobot]

Hey Guys,

I updated with death animations (placeholder) and a winner screen. Still no replay button, so hit that refresh button! Wooo!


Definitely need something besides that gray background.

[yokomeshi]

My suggestion: Have it flash to that, then spawn nothing but black shapes until they cover the whole screen, leaving only white's corpse.