TIGSource Forums

Martian Lander - prototype (http://www.openprocessing.org/sketch/70504)

Hi all,

Here's a little prototype of a lunar-lander-like game. Main difference is the controls: you control two thrusters (left and right) that rotate the craft when pressed separately and thrust it forward when pressed together.

Feedback questions:
- Good control scheme? The idea is to be simple but challenging.
- Where do you see this going? I was thinking either the classic lunar-lander type game with several planets to land on OR lots of short levels with different challenges being introduces such as playing with gravity, moving obstacles etc.

Thanks!

Control scheme is simple but challenging. Takes a while to get the hang of it

Think it has a lot of potential but not much else to say

I like that the controls are spread out. I've played a game like this before, but I think that one had two keys beside one another which wasn't ideal.

The background would look better with parallax scrolling. I like how the terrain looks and the color scheme is good.

I think short, focused challenges would work well. You could also have fun with very different landing zones, like spherical objects or a high-orbit aircraft carrier.

Moving obstacles might be a bit much, since it's tricky enough just to get the thing to move where you want it to, let alone dodge obstacles. I think I'd like it better if it was less realistic, with faster rotational acceleration and a speed cap on the rotation. That way, you can more precisely aim your lander and when you let go of a key it won't keep rotating in that direction very long. That said, I imagine you're probably going for the more realistic approach.

As far as landings go, I think it'd be nice to have the lander be bottom-heavy. Too often, I come close to landing nicely and then the thing topples over.

One thing I'd love to see, even during this prototype stage, is a quick "Restart" button/option.

Thanks for the feedback.

I would like to keep the "realistic" controls. I quite like games that provide challenge with something as simple as the input (see QWOP). There's then an intrinsic reward for mastering those controls.

Perhaps a simple lander game would be a good place to start, before adding increasingly difficult challenges?

You know, I went back and tried again today and found the controls a lot easier to use. Weird.

Anyway, I still think the lander should be bottom-heavy. It seems to fit with your goal of realism, while also making the game a little less frustrating.

Some flatter ground would be nice, either in valleys or maybe plateaus. The difficulty would come from trying to get to those areas without losing control.

Starting with a simple lander game might work. I would recommend thinking about the sorts of challenges you might set up in the future, though. Do your coding with a plan in mind or things will likely get messy later on when you start adding features.