next »

[Nition]

The first time I landed on an already broken platform, I couldn't tell beforehand, and so when I didn't bounce and fell after landing, I felt cheated.  Perhaps you should make those more noticeable, or at least teach the player earlier on about them.  I encountered one for the first time while I was gaining my high score and it bummed me out because I could have easily avoided it had I known it was a bad platform.

I wasn't sure if they were obvious enough so this is great feedback. You will sometimes encounter them early on, but the chance increases as you go. What I'll do is as well as having the darker tint and cracked texture they have now, I'll also give them a different mesh that's a little bit "broken" looking.

It would be nice if I could see my robot legs at a shallower angle rather than straight down, otherwise it's hard to judge some landings.  That, or you could show the arms while moving forward so there's a somewhat better sense of where exactly your character is.

I'll adjust it forward a little, I just didn't want the robot body to fill up too much off the screen. The game is also fairly forgiving with the hitbox - you can slam into the side of the platform for instance and still get bounced up. Also, if you hit a broken platform from below you smash it with your head and keep going.

I really like the musical aspect, I think it would be even better if it were somehow more melodic or had multi layered tracks, or something.  Perhaps you could land on a drum tile to add a drum loop into the soundtrack, and maybe you could get a score multiplier by having the whole band playing, or something to that effect.

See my earlier reply about music. I'm not going to go that complex but I am thinking of doing more.

[Nition]

I've put up version 0.83.

- New design for high score screen, also shows your progress towards the end
- Changed high scores to save the top 5 instead of only one
- High scores actually save (did they do that in the  previous release?)
- Added high score view screen accessible from the main menu. You can also clear the scores there
- Added progress bar to the main HUD (are you still following this yuotta? I finally added your distance meter!)
- Some tweaks to level generation and environment (this is ongoing)

Seandanger, I've made a couple fo changes per your comments.
- Moved the robot model slightly forward, so your legs more accurately represent where you'll land. This also reminds me that the model could do with better texturing
- Replaced the mesh when platforms get damaged with progressively damaged meshes, so it's easier to see when a platform is damaged. This might not help the player to know what will happen when they land on a damaged platform, but at least they'll be able to easily recognise them.

You'll also notice that I've slowed down the version numbering. I've decided to do a bit more work on this than I was origially going to - mostly to the sound and making the world a bit more interesting. Then I'm going to see if I can actually sell this little game for, say, $2.50US. Is that a crazy idea?

[Nition]

No new version just yet, but here's a preview of what's coming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoMn_FWKmi4

[Nition]

Right, so, update.

The big update here is the Music Engine, which still needs a few minor tweaks. Instead of hitting platforms generating simple piano notes in ascending order, it now produces some sort of music (check out the video above). I'm going to make a video explaining how it works in more detail, but basically it has a pool of samples to choose from, and it selects ones that will harmonise with whatever chord is active. That and a whole lot of Random.range().

The High Score screen is also improved and level load times are improved a little as well. Feedback is very welcome as always. I also can't test on Mac - I'd be grateful if someone could confirm that the Mac version works correctly.

[Nition]

I made a video going into the details of how the music generator works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_idPIjOptjs

It covers some music theory and how it's used in the Music Engine. Might be useful/interesting to someone.

[Jammo]

Yo, I'm back and I played the new version. Lots better. Again I have to emphasise how much I love the sound design. I didn't realise it got better the further you went because I kept dying haha. Those broken tiles are pretty unforgiving! Not that that's a bad thing. I can't really think of much else to critique so I'll just throw some ideas out there. I kind of don't like that you constantly have to be looking down to see where you're landing. I guess a remedy to this would be a third person view? I realise that's not easy and it might be personal opinion, just thinking out loud. Also liked the idea of different sounds. Maybe different coloured tiles play different instruments? I also thought it would be kind of cool if the broken tiles were slightly out of tune, and the really broken tiles were completely non-melodic or in a different key. Other than that it's pretty relaxing to just chill out and listen to the music. Would be cool if it eventually got to using a controller too. This is also going to be way too hard to implement but I kind of pictured it as an audiosurf type deal where paths are generated by the player's song. More interesting than any other music based game in my opinion. And I still think multiple paths would make this game so so much better (sorry to hassle).

edit: And I just realised we're both from New Zealand! Don't see too many exciting games coming out of New Zealand, I wish you the best of luck. If you need help with anything I would be glad to help, I don't know how much help I can be as I am more into the music side of things but all the same.

[Nition]

Nice to get a post that isn't me! Some responses:

Those broken tiles are pretty unforgiving! Not that that's a bad thing.

Yeah, I can't really even finish it myself anymore (although I can reliably get to about 50%). I think it may have moved a little into the too-hard basket and the next update will have single-use continue platforms every x number of platforms (probably 50). So you die, and you go back to the last continue platform you landed on, but unless you reach the NEXT continue platform you'll die for real next time. Tiles in front of the continue point will get reset to how they were so you won't have gaping holes or anything.

Someone elsewhere suggested I add metrics reporting - would be smart to add something that tells me how far each person is getting.

I kind of don't like that you constantly have to be looking down to see where you're landing. I guess a remedy to this would be a third person view?

Yeah. Although, I can judge well enough now that I hardly have to look down, but that's not really a good excuse. I'd like to try adding 3rd-person but it won't be till I've got the rest sorted at least.

Also liked the idea of different sounds. Maybe different coloured tiles play different instruments? I also thought it would be kind of cool if the broken tiles were slightly out of tune, and the really broken tiles were completely non-melodic or in a different key. Other than that it's pretty relaxing to just chill out and listen to the music.

Have thought about some of this. The way the sound works is just kind of evolving organically from simple beginnings. I think adding slightly discordant sounds would negatively affect that last part though - it might break the relaxing flow of the music too much.

Would be cool if it eventually got to using a controller too. This is also going to be way too hard to implement but I kind of pictured it as an audiosurf type deal where paths are generated by the player's song. More interesting than any other music based game in my opinion. And I still think multiple paths would make this game so so much better (sorry to hassle).

edit: And I just realised we're both from New Zealand! Don't see too many exciting games coming out of New Zealand, I wish you the best of luck. If you need help with anything I would be glad to help, I don't know how much help I can be as I am more into the music side of things but all the same.

It's just time constraints. All of that is good ideas. I'm at least managing to implement some of the good suggestions I'm getting.

The thing I'm worst at is 3D modelling, followed by graphic design. I know just enough to recognize what's bad, but not enough to fix it! But I'm getting by in Skylight by making everything simple and cel-shaded (the robot model still needs a revamp), so I think I'm pretty well set. If you are interested in interesting music by the way, I did also release an album recently, but it's nothing like what's in Skylight, it's piano folk-rock type stuff.

[Jammo]

The thing I'm worst at is 3D modelling, followed by graphic design. I know just enough to recognize what's bad, but not enough to fix it! But I'm getting by in Skylight by making everything simple and cel-shaded (the robot model still needs a revamp), so I think I'm pretty well set. If you are interested in interesting music by the way, I did also release an album recently, but it's nothing like what's in Skylight, it's piano folk-rock type stuff.

I'm not going to keep talking about my critiques, I feel like I've done it to death now. Wish I could help out with the 3D stuff, but I mostly do 2D pixelly stuff because I don't have the time or motivation to learn about Unity or anything like that. I am actually really enjoying your album and intend to purchase it, it's the kind of genre that I'm only just moving into.

I will say that you've inspired me in both game developing and music, so thank you for that. I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to finish this project. I'll be keeping an eye on it for sure.

[Nition]

Unity is pretty awesome. It's like they actually took the time to work out the best way of doing everything - for the interface and the scripting - and then actually spent the time to implement it properly. That's the best thing about it really: When you do something, it does what you expect. If you know basic object-oriented coding and you want to try some 3D stuff it's not hard to get into.

Also, musician game developers represent! Everyone says "I designed and coded this game myself - except the sound and music."

[Nition]

Update! Version 0.87 is now in the OP.



Main thing is, I added continue points to make things slightly easier. However, there are only three continue points and they're single use only, so it's not much easier. They work like this:
- Hit a continue platform (they glow). Don't skip it! It stops glowing.
- Later on, you fall
- You automatically go back to the continue platform! Your score is reset to what it was when you hit the platform. All the platforms you hit after hitting the continue platform are reset to their original damage level (destroyed platforms are restored)
- If you fall again before you get to another continue platform, this time you lose.

I got a bit disheartened with this update because I had to implement a whole system for remembering the game state so I could reset it when you went back to a continue point, and I didn't know how to do it. In the end it didn't end up so hard.

I also fixed fall deaths so you don't have to fall alllll the way down to the cloud layer before you die. It's now really good at detecting when you've fallen too far to recover; so good that I've removed the R key to reset because it's no longer needed.

[Jammo]

Update! Version 0.87 is now in the OP.



Main thing is, I added continue points to make things slightly easier. However, there are only three continue points and they're single use only, so it's not much easier. They work like this:
- Hit a continue platform (they glow). Don't skip it! It stops glowing.
- Later on, you fall
- You automatically go back to the continue platform! Your score is reset to what it was when you hit the platform. All the platforms you hit after hitting the continue platform are reset to their original damage level (destroyed platforms are restored)
- If you fall again before you get to another continue platform, this time you lose.

I got a bit disheartened with this update because I had to implement a whole system for remembering the game state so I could reset it when you went back to a continue point, and I didn't know how to do it. In the end it didn't end up so hard.

I also fixed fall deaths so you don't have to fall alllll the way down to the cloud layer before you die. It's now really good at detecting when you've fallen too far to recover; so good that I've removed the R key to reset because it's no longer needed.

Hmm, liking the checkpoints. Not really sure what kind of difficulty category you're going for but the furthest I've got is about 43%, at which point I punched a wall. Not that it's particularly frustrating, it just took me a while to get that far haha.

[Nition]

So what you're saying, is I need to make it possible to punch a virtual wall via the High Score screen, to prevent real-life damage.

[impulse9]

This is such a great idea. It would possibly be nice if you could collect items in mid-air as well, adding something to the music by doing so. The game is really mesmerizing. I played it for a while and I really enjoyed it.

[Nition]

I've added a basic switchable third-person mode (press C when in-game) for those who prefer to play the game that way.



I think I've got it switching now without any weirdness happening. It should be persistent between attempts, but not through quitting and restarting. I don't really want to have it save your choice permanently, as a little passive encouragement to play in first-person. I feel it's more immersive. It's more like it's you playing.

A couple things I think it feels like it still needs:
- Little visible thrusters that fire on the robot's body so it makes some sense that he can move about in mid-air. But the whole model needs an update anyway (the 1st-person version too).
- A slight camera "bounce" when you hit a platform

I also added a basic blob shadow for the player in either view mode.

As always, latest download is in the OP.

Edit: Added view bob when hitting platforms.

[Nition]

As you can see here, I am a master of modelling and animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSN4z9EpAig