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[ChevyRay]

Thanks!

I've already updated several things, if you check out the changelog. But I've got some serious updates planned as well, which I've been discussing with Battlerager to make it an official Proper Undead game as well. Nothing huge and epic, but definitely some extra special features and additions to the game.

Before any of that, though, I have to get the base formula working as good as possible.

I really hope you win the LD15! 

If I did, with 144 entries, I would seriously be very excited. But we'll see, there are plenty of awesome games entered that could potentially win. Either way, it was rewarding enough an experience for me already!

[ElijahKatz]

Well I just beat it and I'm impressed by what you've done with a little over 48 hours...
One suggestion is that you replace the black wall for level transitions with something else...
It just doesn't fit with the game...

[ChevyRay]

Ah, that's just the edge of the drawing region. I'll extend it outwards, and make it so the room ends before you get to that point. I actually noticed that it seemed kind of ugly, but haven't bothered to fix it yet good suggestion.

[ChevyRay]

Another Update! The game now has subtle ambient background music.

ZIP (3.36 MB) [VERSION 1.10]
RAR (3.13 MB) [VERSION 1.10]

VERSION 1.10 CHANGES

• Added ambient background track courtesy of Ronan McGrath.
• Fixed tiling issue with certain tiles next to spikes.

[ElijahKatz]

So I decided to download the new version just to hear the music because I worried it would ruin the mood. I'm quite amazed that the music only enhanced the mood. Though I found it a bit to loud at times... maybe make it more quit and in the background.

[ChevyRay]

I think you're right about that. I'll see about pushing the sound back a bit in the next version, but I'm glad you liked it. The guy I got to do music specializes in this kind of stuff, so I was confident that the music was a positive addition to the game.

[ChevyRay]

Beacon on this week's ByteJacker episode, in the Free Indie Rapid Fire.

[Iamthejuggler]

Haha, the ending is ace! Really nice work, and mindboggling the amount of time it took ... 

[shrimp]

Nice, the atmosphere is excellent, love the creepy "music" and the slightly evil behaviour of the Beacon (I've only played 5-6 rooms so far though)

I get a crash on exiting, but that seems to happen a lot on this PC with GM games.
The crash dialog made me laugh:
"Chevy Ray Johnston has stopped working" 

[ElijahKatz]

Beacon on this week's ByteJacker episode, in the Free Indie Rapid Fire.

BTW I'm ProfessorKatz on Bytejacker...
I love Beacon but you released it on the same week as Canabalt!

Beacon would have been my second choice...
Time Donkey is going down!

[ChevyRay]

Haha yeah... Canabalt is like, a completely opposite type of game as Beacon, in its design (cocaine/mystery), presentation (explosive/subtle), and accessibility (browser/downloadable). Unfortunately for me, that first combination is a near-guaranteed success over the second, but I'm still glad I took the approach I did. Besides, getting put up there against one of the most popular Flash game developers and one of the most successful indie gaming companies is an honor enough, for me! More than enough publicity for a small-timer like me.

Mostly, I'm just really glad that the people who are playing the game seem to be enjoying it. <3

[Afinostux]

I got a massive lovecraft vibe from this. Well done.

[Healy]

Are you still thinking about making a hard mode for Beacon? Because that may solve some of the balance problems you mentioned earlier in the thread.

[ElijahKatz]

Haha yeah... Canabalt is like, a completely opposite type of game as Beacon, in its design (cocaine/mystery), presentation (explosive/subtle), and accessibility (browser/downloadable). Unfortunately for me, that first combination is a near-guaranteed success over the second, but I'm still glad I took the approach I did. Besides, getting put up there against one of the most popular Flash game developers and one of the most successful indie gaming companies is an honor enough, for me! More than enough publicity for a small-timer like me.

Mostly, I'm just really glad that the people who are playing the game seem to be enjoying it. <3

Dude I totally get what you are saying. I really enjoy beacon and skullpogo (On Bytejacker too!) and I can't wait to see what more comes out of you...

[kenesque]

My only major problem with the game were some parts of the levels you could survive in a lot of darkness for extended periods of time, and in others you died if you wandered off by like a single pixel (mostly going inbetween red crystals). The last set of red crystals were a huge problem (the one with the lone bat sitting on a platform) because you pretty much have absolutely no idea that there's a lack of ground around there, and when you wander into it, it feels like you died because of a lack of light, not that there were twp holes there, there's pretty much no indication telling you you have to jump after that bat especially.  A little less deadly darkness or whatever inbetween red crystals and a little more light on that jump would be really helpful.  I think it took me 25 tries through simple trial and error to realize there was just a lack of ground there.

The atmosphere was superb though, and the ending was awesome.

Edit: Oh and a minor nitpick, but I don't recall the game telling me that Z jumps, or showing the player you can survive next to a red crystal for extended periods of time.

[ChevyRay]

Edit: Oh and a minor nitpick, but I don't recall the game telling me that Z jumps, or showing the player you can survive next to a red crystal for extended periods of time.

The first is stated in the instructions in the first room. The 2nd isn't meant to be told. Explaining how the game mechanics work right when I've got them pulled into the experience isn't a trade off I'd be willing to make.

Besides, why wouldn't you be able to survive next to the red crystals? They're still giving off light, and you can see your player when he's in front of them. Darkness can't kill you when you're in the light that's the first thing you learn.

[kenesque]

I'm not asking you to show, not tell, obviously, when it comes to red crystals.  They're going from purple to red (not a very friendly color), and the light they give off is extremely dim when they turn red, and you have to stand next to them to survive (and you are often shrouded in darkness anyway). It just seems a little harder to grasp than it needs to be, is all. Even if you designed it the way you did, not all people will recognize that.  Making them give off a hint of more 'positive' color would probably make it more intuitive (and fix that last jump).  I thought the crystals being red was simply so I could identify they were there for when their light came back, not that you could survive them, at first anyway.

Also one minor problem was I got stuck on a ledge that led directly into a spike (no ground to move onto). Only happened once though.

Sorry if I'm being overly critical

[ChevyRay]

Making them give off a hint of more 'positive' color would probably make it more intuitive (and fix that last jump).

This could work. I liked the idea of the red being a warning of the lights receding, and I also liked the effect the color had on the atmosphere of the game, but it might serve to make the color a less dangerous looking one.

It just seems a little harder to grasp than it needs to be, is all.

It's tough to find a fine balance between player's understanding what to do and being able to do it versus immersiveness. I tried to find a good in-between, and I think I was pretty close, because I have very few people who get confused with concepts (and even those, it's not for very long, because the nature of the game drives them to figure it out in curiosity). Several get stuck around the very end, but many also agree that the difficulty is just right, so it's not that I'm dismissing feedback, it's just that if it's the first I've heard of it, it won't be immediately changed until I find that several people are experiencing the same issues

Sorry if I'm being overly critical

Definitely not! Every bit of feedback helps me make the game better and gives me more ideas how to improve for future versions, and little tidbits and considerations to add to my growing list.

[ChevyRay]

Are you still thinking about making a hard mode for Beacon? Because that may solve some of the balance problems you mentioned earlier in the thread.

I realized I missed this comment earlier. Sorry Healy

Yeah, I still am planning on making the easy mode easier, and doing a hard version with a few more secrets, and a few other fortune cookies. Not just to appease hardcore players, but because I'd like to see how the difficult version is received, and how well the design works without the shallow->shallow->STEEP difficulty curve, and just being difficult throughout. Would like to try it just with easy as well, see how people's interpretations and enjoyment levels vary.

[sergiocornaga]

I think that forcing the player to think for themselves when reaching red crystals works fine as it is. On my first encounter I was probably tossing up in my head whether to go towards them or not, and was forced to try as the beacon began moving on without me. Something like that fits well with the atmosphere of the game.

I like it, but that's just my opinion.