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[Flimgoblin]

Oooh very nice, I like the flowers and the effect they give off. I think I'm very terrible at it though.

I may have to make my next game about burly space marines and rocket launchers just to regain some machismo

noooo

Awww OK I will have to go back to Stomp! for a bit I think though (giant smashing up houses, that's blokey enough I suppose).

Thanks Initial playtesting suggests that the current level is monstrously difficult (at least for picking the game up ) - so you're not alone in struggling, plan is to put a few standard levels in there with a ramping difficulty curve.

Things to do still:

1. first 4 tunes/levels of slightly easier difficulty. A bit more of Clair de Lune for level 5 (this also involves making the editor a bit better)
2. indications of when you should be playing a note (so you can go for all "excellent"s)
3. More models, rigging of the flowers, animation of teh flowers
4. indicator of where the next note is (when it's off screen)
5. swing ropes (everything needs swing ropes)
6. some sort of background/skybox/thingie (procedural? who knows)

[J. R. Hill]

I may have to make my next game about burly space marines and rocket launchers just to regain some machismo

Only if they are also all lumberjacks and their spaceships are also monster trucks.

[Flimgoblin]

I may have to make my next game about burly space marines and rocket launchers just to regain some machismo

Only if they are also all lumberjacks and their spaceships are also monster trucks.

That's actually an awesome concept, FPC - first person CHOPPER! *chop chop chop*. Hmm jousting on monster trucks with axes. What's not to like?

Might just start doing that... NO! *must stay focused, think of the flowers, the music...*

[J. R. Hill]

We can make it some day in the future.  Also, all the voice-acting will have to be ripped from 90's pro wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage.

[Flimgoblin]

Another update...

* sparkles to show which note is next (and when you should hit it - go for green)
* arrows if the next note is off the screen (so you know where to land)
* traps! currently just a sphere that turns red (ooh) but eventually will be something better.
* Levels! two of them! One harder than the other, in theory
* Double jump is gone... not sure about this yet
* down arrow to plummet faster (so you can get your timing right)

[ThetaGames]

I like the flowers, and the higher-jump things look a bit like marshmallows, which is kind of funny.

What is the synth patch that you are using?  I feel like it has the right amount of "grittiness" - it is definitely not a "clean" sound.  I like the pitch-bending as well.  Clair de Lune sounds very different with this sound.  I don't think you should use a piano sound, though - that would be somewhat boring (unless you could give the player the ability to choose which patch they want to hear).

[Flimgoblin]

I like the flowers, and the higher-jump things look a bit like marshmallows, which is kind of funny.

What is the synth patch that you are using?  I feel like it has the right amount of "grittiness" - it is definitely not a "clean" sound.  I like the pitch-bending as well.  Clair de Lune sounds very different with this sound.  I don't think you should use a piano sound, though - that would be somewhat boring (unless you could give the player the ability to choose which patch they want to hear).

Currently it's just a sampled old piano (I'll be changing that as it's not my sample) - could change it to something synth (though the plan was to sample my own piano as soon as I work out the best way...), will need to think about it

The doppler effects are all just Unity's 3d sound. Quite funny when you drop off a note though

[ThetaGames]

The doppler effects are all just Unity's 3d sound. Quite funny when you drop off a note though

Yeah, I noticed that, too. 

[Flimgoblin]

Double jump is back, just because

[Melly]

The gameplay's pretty interesting, though the visual cues to hit the platforms in time is honestly very hard to decipher most of the time. I advise something like a shrinking circle.

Also, when you land on a platform your vertical speed is not reset, so if you just walk out of it you instantly fall at full speed.

[Flimgoblin]

Good points both - I'm hoping I can somehow get some ball lightning effect for the "next note" was going to have it change colour but shrinking sounds better. Initially growing (so you know not to land too early).

Good catch on the fall bug.

Thanks!


Edit: also noticed it's not respawning at the moment when you do fall - doh!

[Melly]

I advise always showing the timing cues for every platform ahead of you, to function like the notes rolling down the screen in most rythim games and make sure people can prepare themselves for the actions they have to do next.

[Flimgoblin]

I advise always showing the timing cues for every platform ahead of you, to function like the notes rolling down the screen in most rythim games and make sure people can prepare themselves for the actions they have to do next.

Hmm, that could be tricky - I could put cues 2 or 3 notes ahead though (it updates based on when you hit the previous note - so if you mess up the rhythm it doesn't run off ahead).

I.e. go slow on A you don't have to suddenly go twice as fast for B and C (which in its current state is pretty tricky).

I tried slowing down the tempo and making it more rhythm action (i.e. the challenge being more about the timing) but it didn't feel right - so the main challenge is getting between the platforms and if you can time it better between each note = bonus

Point taken though to allow people to take a run at it (I'm also planning on putting in a bonus for hitting several in a row on time).

Thanks again for the feedback :D

[Flimgoblin]

* some awful attempts at modelling (which you don't get to see Wink)
* resized some flowers (and recoloured, aimign to have different models for each...)
* fixed the plummeting bug
* fixed the "no respawn" bug on twinkle twinkle
* changed the "this note!" effect (still need to have it appear above later notes)
* put in some background clutter
* a rubbish wobble on the petals when you land.

[ThetaGames]

I like the background flowers, and the growing spheres were also a nice addition.

However, I feel like something changed with the re-introduction of double-jump - now it feels unresponsive and hard to control.

[Flimgoblin]

I like the background flowers, and the growing spheres were also a nice addition.

However, I feel like something changed with the re-introduction of double-jump - now it feels unresponsive and hard to control.

Yeah something is stopping it picking up that you've landed - not sure what but it's really annoying. On the list to squash.

[Flimgoblin]

* some more awful models (including a venus flytrap, yes, that's what it's meant to be...)
* programmer art skybox/water texture
* more of clair de lune (have the entire thing but the later parts don't work right - need some mechanics changes for that)
* jump bug should be fixed
* sparkle to show both the next note and the one after
* scores are saved/shown on the menu

PS. it takes ages to load clair de lune - it's currently building the level on the fly, looking in to ways of pre-loading that one.

[Melly]

A suggestion I can make it to add variable jump height. This would allow people to better control the ball.

Maybe you should make the circle light up as it reaches its 'perfect' spot, for even better feedback (it's already better than before).

It was difficult following the notes, but I imagine that's a matter of practice.

You could add a few extra atmospheric effects to the songs related to their tone and theme.

Overall very interesting, and could be really good with some tweaking.

[Flimgoblin]

Thanks almost feels like a real game now. Still a little way to go.

Good idea on the circle - need to make the second circle less bright too (so you don't go for that over the first if it's just an arrow)

Will experiment with hold to jump longer - should play better that way I think.

Thanks for all the great feedback

[Flimgoblin]

* higher jumps the longer you hold the button (to a point) - replacing doublejump
* changed the highlights on the note pickers

What did you mean by atmospheric effects?

Had I any modelling skill (or maybe after the compo when I have time to make some more models) I was pondering things like moths/butterflys/bats/whatever flying around as you go through the levels. That sort of thing?

Hmm, random thought for another mechanic: occasional things falling from above catch them between notes for bonus points.