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[Lurk]

Belbeeno: I have never played pachinko, so I wouldn't know where to start. How would I change the controls? Currently, the player can change the direction of the arm slump using the arrows, so he can achieve a kind of primitive shaky drunk aim if he wished to. Z shoots bullets at the same pace. I initially wanted a pachinko/pinball feel, but I didn't know if it was more about aim or strength of shot. If you could describe the experience for me, I'm still working on it right now, post-compo, so I could try a few things. I have currently added levels, and am working on a few features that didn't make it in time for the deadline.

Melly: I was shocked, but not really surprised, at how much time it still took to do a small thing like this. The problem I face usually, is the amount of graphics that creep in when I try to expand a game. Also, sometimes, an idea starts out really good, but the gameplay doesn't end up making sense; I have control elements and graphics, but they don't work well together to be enjoyable- I'm blaming the fact I'm not a real programmer, and can't do everything I want with mad skills

[J. Kyle Pittman]

There's a very authentic, distinctly 90s arcade aesthetic to this.  I dig it.

[belbeeno]

I have never played pachinko, so I wouldn't know where to start. How would I change the controls?

The controls for the game are fine and are actually like some pachinko cabinets.  The thing about pachinko is that it gives a false sense of control when in reality the game is mostly random and entirely hectic.  What keep people playing for are the huge payoffs from rare events that are near impossible to get (like the alien), as well as the usual loud noises and flashing lights. 

If it's easy to tweak and you want to try it, try jacking up the number of points you get for hitting event bumpers, keeping the slot bumpers on the screen but have them reset on a successful combo, and add more event bumpers like the revolver that require multiple hits but upon completion pay out a large amount of points.  I was going to say increase the speed of everything to make the game feel hectic, but playing it again now it actually feels pretty good.

I probably should have mentioned in my reply that I think this game is a hoot the way it is right now, but if you want it to feel like pachinko these changes and the usual formula of particle clusterfuck and sounds (which sounds great now but there needs to be more; especially as an indicator to how many points you're accumulating) are what you need.

[Oddball]

It looks scrumptious, but I suppose that's to be expected from Lurk. It was quite fun too, if a little short. A few suggestions, I'd like to be able to select which layout I play each game, and an online scoreboard would be awesome too. Still it's a really nice game as it is. Good work

[Dustin Smith]

Nice arcade-ish action. As always I love your graphics. 

[Farmergnome]

FANTASTIC ART DUDE    ahhh caps haha.  Great game dude, as always a fan of your comp games 

[Melly]

Also, sometimes, an idea starts out really good, but the gameplay doesn't end up making sense; I have control elements and graphics, but they don't work well together to be enjoyable- I'm blaming the fact I'm not a real programmer, and can't do everything I want with mad skills

I don't think it's the fact that you're not a programmer. Creating a good game is more than just a good idea. What seems awesome in your head may not make sense or simply not 'click' when you put it into practice.

The solution for that is to do the opposite of what in my experience badass artists like you do. You guys seem to have an instinct of making a ton of assets for a game that's barely formed (probably because you see them visually before you see them as a set of mechanics), using up a lot of time before you make a prototype and see if the game you're making actually achieves what you want (whether that is being fun or anything else).

So, the solution is to make small, dirty, ugly prototypes as fast as possible. They don't need to even work right and can have a lot of bugs, but as long as you can experiment with the gameplay and see if you find it has the potential to be what you envisioned, it's a very good way to test the feasability of an idea before you roll up your sleeves and get cranking. It's also great to let you discover complications with your concept that you had no idea you'd have to deal with, before you put too much commitment into it.