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[lobstersteve]

Hey TIG-people

So i've started a small project once again, with which i wanted to learn some new things, such as:

• Telling a small story, that will give players a goal and the will to progress
• An isometric view
• Good player feedback (which is just partly done, i guess)
• Somewhat puzzly gamestyle, in a sense that, you'll have to plan your jumps ahead

Stuff that would be interesting:

• Are the controls alright?
• Did you die on one of the levels?
• Did a level feel boring and should be shorter?
• Generel feeling
• Improvement ideas

CONTROLS: ARROW KEYS - RUN
          X - JUMP
          X+X - DOUBLEJUMP

http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/42766777e1771f9bdd76c96513de764a

http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/28c61d168503da379d123636b650e405

http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/c6ea83fee436fe5d37c0b85f582a863f

I'll try to upload new builds with improvements once in a while

[lobstersteve]

If you witness a level looping - then you've finished the game for now 

[Quicksand-S]

There are some typos. Even "Emprisoned" should be "Imprisoned" unless you wrote it that way on purpose. The first bit of dialogue suggests that you didn't, though.

There is a tiny line at the top right corner of each platform.

There was a long pause at the end of the music track before it started again.

There are some weird issues if you press against the side of a vertically-moving platform, but that doesn't really happen here unless you're looking for problems.

Visually, it's fine. I don't find it incredibly appealing, but that's mostly because of the palette, I think.

In terms of gameplay, I think it feels quite good. I didn't have any issues controlling it, although using the C key for jumping feels very strange to me. I like the various elements you've included in the game and the "story" of the game is a nice idea.

[lobstersteve]

Thx for the feedback.

When you say you don't like the color palette, do you mean the desaturated colors or the color-palette in general?
Does satturating the colors help?

[lobstersteve]

Slightly improved version:  http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/28c61d168503da379d123636b650e405

Includes:
3 more levels
jumping changed to x
in-game control explanation
slightly fancier background
(hopefully) removed typos
music starts looping faster
conveyor belts show the direction they go

[kampy]

Every mechanic is intuitive and feels good. This game looks like it could ramp up in difficulty quickly. I like the final level the most, where the player has to time the portal jump in order to land on the moving platform below while keeping an eye on the moving saw blade at the same time.

The moving platforms are a little buggy. For example, there is a level where a vertically-moving platform is next to a wall. If the player is on it while hugging the wall they can randomly die.

If you make new music this will feel like a complete package to me. SMW Fortress music is great and all, but...

Some fixes to consider:
-On the intro stage, the devil character is behind the chained-up princess if he walks over to her. Maybe he should be in front of her.

-The player's control of the character should be taken away as soon as they walk through a door. It just seems awkward to continue moving around as the screen fades to black.

-Consider resetting any moving object's position in a room when the player dies. Offering consistency can make things seem more fair.

-Try having different sounds for the first and second jump.

-Have a level number indicator on-screen. That way playtesters can refer to the level by number instead of having to describe it.

[lobstersteve]

thx
Good points 
I guess i'll have to change the music anyway, to avoid getting sued and stuff^^

[Boder]

I got to the level looping part 
Good level design. I wasn't sure about always having the double jump, but I see that it's an essential part of the game.
You spend a lot of time looking at the main character, I think he looks a little funny right now.
Also the dungeon seemed to be a strange mixed of future-techy platforms and medieval torture devices and hazards (was this on purpose?).

I like the fast-pacing and the instant respawn, so don't mess with that.

[keenPenguin]

I also got to the looping part!

I think it's a really good game. Mechanics and controls feel natural and tight. The portal mechanics in this medieval/fantasy context works well, reminds me that Portal was once a princess. The pacing was good except for the level where you have to jump over several spike pits for the first time (I struggled and felt the levels before and after were a lot easier). I like this game and I would play more puzzles

[Deftoneish]

Again, I got to the Looping section, This is a lovely start and I really enjoyed it, It gave me the same feeling I had when I played Meat Boy for the first time.

A few things I noticed, There seems to be a wall jumping feature? Unsure as to whether this is intended or whether it's a bug, If it's a bug, I actually quite like it and you should figure what's causing it so you can implement it further potentially.

As of now the character looks a little strange, perhaps a bit of time spent on some visuals when you're ready to do so, as of now it's unimportant as you want to get the mechanics out of the way first.

Thanks for sharing, I really like it so far.

[Quicksand-S]

There's still some weird grammar in the initial dialogue.

"I've build the most dangerous" -> "I've built the most dangerous"

"Since you've build it" -> "Since you've built it"

I'd also recommend changing "How do you get..." to "How will you get..." and possibly adding a comma before "yourself".

Anyway, the game feels good to play. I don't remember the old version well enough to make a comparison, but I like it. One thing I found a bit strange is that when I died and reset, the platforms and traps didn't seem to be in the same positions they had been when I previously started the level. Maybe that was just my imagination. I don't know. I also got stuck on the side of a moving platform. I actually got stuck on both sides. On the right, I just seemed to sit there and move with it. When I got stuck on the left (the direction it was moving), I died.

Apart from those minor issues, I like it quite a bit and hope to try new levels in the not-too-distant future.

[lobstersteve]

Thx for the posts everyone

"I've build the most dangerous" -> "I've built the most dangerous"

"Since you've build it" -> "Since you've built it"

I'd also recommend changing "How do you get..." to "How will you get..." and possibly adding a comma before "yourself".

Thx, english is not my native language obviously

There seems to be a wall jumping feature? Unsure as to whether this is intended or whether it's a bug, If it's a bug, I actually quite like it and you should figure what's causing it so you can implement it further potentially.

Yeah, you're right, i reused a platformer engine i used in a prior game that had walljumping, so that might have happened.
I think the game is too far in development to add walljumping, as all the levels are based around double jumping as the main mechanic. One of the reasons why i didn't add walljumping is, because i wanted to try out a new mechanic, so sorry - no walljumping 

As of now the character looks a little strange

You spend a lot of time looking at the main character, I think he looks a little funny right now.
Also the dungeon seemed to be a strange mixed of future-techy platforms and medieval torture devices and hazards (was this on purpose?).

The reason for that is, that i suck at art.  It takes me a whole bunch of iterations to make something decent looking and when it looks good enough i stick with it^^ i also have some problems with matching colors + i want to make obstacles distinguishable, so that's probably why the dungeon looks "mixed".


thx for the positive comments also..for now i decided to replace levels 8 & 9 with a wagon ride à la donkey kong to add some variety. new build will come soon

[surt]

• An isometric view (this is not done yet, as the layering is the last thing i'll do. It will look wrong sometimes now)

Have you got this done yet? I'm curious to see how this will work in isometric projection.

[lobstersteve]

hey surt

hm..i was talking about the projection i already have (is isometric a completly wrong term for this?), but for now all the tiles are in the background, which is wrong.


some parts of the character should be covered by the tiles that are in the foreground.

..i guess it's even not that problematic the way it is now, but the collision box of the character is really big. if it would be 100 % right, i guess it should look something like this:



ps: i really like your pixel art stuff

[Quicksand-S]

Random bit of info: Technically, I think it's an "oblique projection" (I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive). In any case, a lot of people would not understand that. All people really need to know is it's got a slight angle to it, and the word "isometric" does fulfill that purpose at least even if it isn't 100% accurate.

[debugchicken]

interesting

isnt the music from super mario boss stages? well at least reminds me greatly

i like how the story began, very funny indeed

the game lacks detail on the art in general

also it lacks a twist in the gameplay (most of the games I see on tigsource lacks it)

also I'd change the portal colors at least not to remember Portal so much

[debugchicken]

Random bit of info: Technically, I think it's an "oblique projection" (I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive). In any case, a lot of people would not understand that. All people really need to know is it's got a slight angle to it, and the word "isometric" does fulfill that purpose at least even if it isn't 100% accurate.

yeah I don't think the game is isometric as well. isometric games are 45 degrees turned.

[syawqy]

I like the art and the movement is good so far, the levels have a good pace
sometime, the fire projectile is shown on top of level transition animation
and level transition when restarting or moving to the next level still rough, you need to make it smoother

[Dreii]

This is great for a prototype! I can barely find anything wrong with it, I had some strangeness with the moving platforms and wanting to jump off as soon as I landed, but im not sure if that was the games fault or not. Might be something to look at if you have nothing else. otherwise, Id add more levels, juice and graphics and an ending and you've got a great game! 

[Deftoneish]

I guess that Isometric is a decent overall Laymans term for it, Most people wouldn't bat an eyelid to the actual perspective. I would consider the game as 2D with depth personally. Though Oblique would be the correct term I think.