I have played through all 4 maps and really enjoyed the game. Some random thoughts that occurred to me while playing:
1) The "organic" feel to the game is quite unique. I think the only game that I have played that was anything like this was LocoRoco on the PSP, although the gameplay is quite different. I really like the way that new levels bubble and explode, and everything has a nice gloopy feel to it.
Glad you liked it and thanks so much for playing and writing detailed feedback.
It actually did not start out intending to look biological but it ended up that way. I've added a bit more gloopyness in the next version (in the map screens), and I have some ideas for beefing up the graphics to gloop-up the look of it even more.
2) The game would work very well on an iPad and other tablet devices. It seems like it was designed to work with a touch-based interface? You would probably get a much bigger audience if it was an Android or iOS app. I found the Java installer to be a bit cumbersome as there was no file association for JNLP and the installer took an age to verify at the end.
It was not designed originally for touch screens but a few people have mentioned that it would work well. I'm going to get the Win/OSX/Linux version finished before I think too much about porting to Android / iOS. JNLP download: not sure whay you don't have the file association? Was this on Windows? If so, what browser? All the other windows machines I have tested have started javaws based on clicking the link to the jnlp file. On Linux and MacOSX I don't think they have the association. On the verification times, there are quite a few jars in there which I don't actually use so I will look into removing these to make the download / verification quicker.
3) It would be nice if you could drag from the tricones back to the synthesizing unit - I found myself trying to drag in the wrong direction all the time.
Interesting. Technically you mean dragging from a resource (small white node) to a catalyst (large white node), rather than dragging from catalyst to resource, which is the only possible direction at the moment. I observed another player trying this early on but it wasn't a problem for him after a few levels. There's nothing in the game to stop me adding this in, but it sort of seems wrong in the sense that it is the catalysts which have the power to synthesize, whereas I see the resources as more inert. I'll think about it.
4) Is there any reason not to synthesize automatically when all of the connections have been made? The "synthesize" button seems a bit unnecessary.
Yes, a couple of reasons. One is that I think it is clearer for the user that the connections and synthesis happen in two steps. The second reason is that sometimes, depending on the level design, a synthesis might be possible but you don't actually want to do it.
5) I didn't use the undo, redo, and pause buttons. I think the UI could be simplified down to just quit and restart buttons (break could be done with a double click)? At the moment I think it looks a bit clunky with the large buttons and text. Using icons instead of text would also let you internationalize the game more easily.
Some people do use undo and redo, it's especially useful if you make a silly mistake on a complex level. However, maybe it makes the game too easy? Not sure. Also not sure if undo should pause the gameplay or not.
I've thought about icons but I think the text buttons are actually very clear. Personally I find icons more confusing than text unless it is very clear what they do. If it does get internationalized, translating the button text is not a big deal, as there is quite a bit of other text to be translated anyway (e.g. node descriptions). I might combine icons and text e.g. with tooltips.
I will definitely consider adding double-click as a way to perform the selected node's main action (i.e. synthesize or break in the current map set). Good idea!
6) The game could really use some sound effects to add atmosphere. I wonder if it would be possible to automatically generate bubbling and popping noises in response to the actions of the player? A Google search for "sounding liquids" turned up some interesting articles.
Yes! I'll cover this in another post on this thread.
7) The game could use some cool particle effects when things happen, such as breaking line segments and synthesizing tricones.
I guess you mean apart from the little dots which burst out? Things like smoke effects etc?
Some ideas for additional game mechanics:
a) Combine multiple tricones to produce new cells
b) Magnetic particles could be interesting
c) More use of colour, e.g. tricones of the same colour, mixing coloured regions (similar to the + and - areas), colored line segments.
d) Fluid and gravity would be cool, e.g. fluid that drops down when you open a cell, but probably extremely hard to program!
e) The rubber-banding effect is cool - could it be used to fling particles together, or into dangerous areas?
f) Anti-tricones that must be kept separate from normal tricones
g) Heat or radiation could add a timing dimension to the levels, e.g. you have to complete some tasks before the cell gets too hot, or radiation destroys it.
Lots of ideas there!
a -- Yes! There are two new mechanics in the pipeline which will allow the user to create new cells. One is a movable node which, when activated, inflates into a bubble which becomes a new cell. Not sure what to call these ones, maybe "cellformers" or "bubblers"?. Another mechanic which is coming soon is the "constructor" node. Dragging a line out from this node creates a new border, so it can be used for example to create a new floating cell, or it can be dragged to part of the existing cell structure to connect things or subdivide the existing cells.
b, d and g -- I want the game to be a pure logic puzzle so things like aiming accuracy and timing do not matter. So, I'm staying away from mechanics which would introduce a skill requirement into the game. I could see how these would be fun for a lot of people, but it would be a different game.
c -- I may bring in more color later in order to represent new mechanics. Originally the + and - cells were purple and yellow, and the neutral cells were green. But, apart from this being way too garish, I found that using + and - symbols gave a more understandable look because you can see them flowing between cells when a border is broken.
e -- The line-dragging is already used to combine and move nodes, I guess. Other than that if you had to aim where to fling things I think it might become a skill game?
f -- Yes! I've got a new node type (in my head) called the "anti-catalyst". It is like an "enemy" catalyst which is out of the user's control. It grabs hold of any resources it can in the same cell, removing them from use by the player. So it needs to be kept apart from these resources, therefore motivating use of the "constructor" nodes.
I'm hoping you will produce more maps soon?
The next version has got a large number of "engine" enhancements, which I have already completed. I've left the new level design until last as I find that the most fun bit. So the next version will have a new "transporter" node type and there will be at least one new level map, containing a set of levels based on this new node type.
Future versions will contain more new puzzles, but this time round I had a lot of feedback on the engine stuff so I focused on that.
Thanks again for the feedback!
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