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[ThemsAllTook]

Microsoft has banned any non-360 controllers from programs on the Windows Store (which includes 100% of Metro apps), so if they get their way, that may become the defacto standard controller.

They won't. Windows Store isn't the only way to get applications on Windows, and Windows isn't the only PC operating system. Microsoft doesn't have enough reach to make their own controller the de facto standard on all PCs.

[s0]

They won't. Windows Store isn't the only way to get applications on Windows, and Windows isn't the only PC operating system. Microsoft doesn't have enough reach to make their own controller the de facto standard on all PCs.

practically all of the games released with controller support are designed with the xbox controller (or one with the same button layout) in mind though. i use a ps3 controller with motioninjoy and no recent game i know plays badly with it.

so yeah its basically a nonissue.

[Richard Kain]

so yeah its basically a nonissue.

The issue isn't that there are no options for controllers on the PC. The issue is that none of them come as the standard interface. Mouse and Keyboard are still considered standard for any PC, Windows, Mac, Linux, what have you. And the mouse and keyboard interface doesn't lend itself very well to local multiplayer.

Of course, when everyone brings a laptop you can have local multiplayer. But that's essentially a low-performance LAN party. And everyone having their own PC lacks the communal feel of playing a game together on a big screen.

The nature of the input isn't what's important. It's the ease of access and low barrier to entry that is hampering the PC from being an effective local multiplayer experience. Of course, that could change. There's a very obvious solution.

[EnigmaDevFan]

Why would anyone like tower fall for any platform? It's multiplayer and shooting static targets. That's it. Extremely limited, very typical platformer gameplay that has no variety. No story, no unlockable characters, on time attack there's no way to lose/die unless you decide to be retarded with explosive arrows. Every level fits on the screen.all the characters are the same but with different sprites which makes character select redundant. Most decent games that stand a chance on the market need to have a single player or co-op mode with some sort of enemy, bosses, etc. Nothing about the game stands out. The graphics are very poor and not original. Whyit costs over 10$ is beyond me. I bought it thinking the full version had a lot more to it and new/better gameplay modes. But all I got was new levels that are exactly the same as the demo's levels but just a different layout. I would request a refund butI'm certain they would't care and honestly it's not worth the effort contacting them over pocket change.

[Ouren]

asinine post

That game is about multiplayer. If you're playing it alone, you're missing the point completely.

[s0]

@Richard Kain: i was responding to the assertion that lack of a "standard controller" for pcs is a problem

but whatever:

Of course, when everyone brings a laptop you can have local multiplayer. But that's essentially a low-performance LAN party. And everyone having their own PC lacks the communal feel of playing a game together on a big screen.

do you speak from experience or are you just assuming that? because ive done this (LAN party w/ laptops) and the "feel" wasn't much different. i had plenty of fun. the real problem there is logistics and setup time.

[EnigmaDevFan]

Even if it was remotely logical to have a strictly multiplayer-only game, the multiplayer itself on this game lacks everything. Again, all the levels fit on screen, whatever excuse you have doesn't matter these major flaws still apply. Thegame play still has no variety, all the characters are the same - I seriously shouldn't have to repeat myself. Whether it's a multiplayer game or not, you are missing the point. Nintendo and sSega never made to my knowledge a single successful or well known game that is multiplayer-only. Even games like super Splash Bros and Mario party have a single player mode. This is the basics, something elementary game development. There is no requirement for indie games to be made of crap I don't know why so many people seem to have this mentality. It's not that have to be crap it's that they often are by developers choice to not put in any effort.

[ThemsAllTook]

You heard it here first, guys. Nintendo and sSega are the supreme authority on game design. Matt put no effort at all into TowerFall, and violated every basic rule of good gameplay with it.

[Ouren]

Even if it was remotely logical to have a strictly multiplayer-only game, the multiplayer itself on this game lacks everything. Again, all the levels fit on screen, whatever excuse you have doesn't matter these major flaws still apply. Thegame play still has no variety, all the characters are the same - I seriously shouldn't have to repeat myself. Whether it's a multiplayer game or not, you are missing the point. Nintendo and sSega never made to my knowledge a single successful or well known game that is multiplayer-only. Even games like super Splash Bros and Mario party have a single player mode. This is the basics, something elementary game development. There is no requirement for indie games to be made of crap I don't know why so many people seem to have this mentality. It's not that have to be crap it's that they often are by developers choice to not put in any effort.

Street Fighter, Smash Brothers, Columns, Magical Drop, Pacman VS, Sportsfriends, Borderlands, Endless Forest, and all MMOs confirmed for bad game design.

What's elementary, sir are board and field games. The root of all games is multiplayer.

[Schoq]

and half of all first person shooters from about 1998 to 2008

[Ouren]

and half of all first person shooters from about 1998 to 2008

HOW COULD I FORGET
Unreal Tournament is my shit.

[Blambo]

Even if it was remotely logical to have a strictly multiplayer-only game, the multiplayer itself on this game lacks everything. Again, all the levels fit on screen, whatever excuse you have doesn't matter these major flaws still apply. Thegame play still has no variety, all the characters are the same - I seriously shouldn't have to repeat myself. Whether it's a multiplayer game or not, you are missing the point. Nintendo and sSega never made to my knowledge a single successful or well known game that is multiplayer-only. Even games like super Splash Bros and Mario party have a single player mode. This is the basics, something elementary game development. There is no requirement for indie games to be made of crap I don't know why so many people seem to have this mentality. It's not that have to be crap it's that they often are by developers choice to not put in any effort.

the variety and nuance of towerfall comes out of the interactions within this simple ruleset between human players. it's kind of like football or basketball; simple mechanics and unambiguous goals make player maneuvering around the simple ruleset the focus of the game

if you were playing basketball with yourself obviously you need more stuff to make your game more interesting, and that can be either finding people to play or making up new rules tailored to playing basketball by yourself

or you could give lebron james a jetpack because it's not "varied enough"

maybe you don't have enough friends to play multiplayer

[ink.inc]

hhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Ouren]

or you could give lebron james a jetpack because it's not "varied enough"

maybe you don't have enough friends to play multiplayer

[Udderdude]

You can't expect a tiny indie dev to make a single player mode for their multi player focused game like Nintendo did with Smash Bros.  The time and budget just isn't there .. D:

Maybe if it ever gets big enough it might have this, but I doubt it would be anything fancy.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

that isn't really true. armjoe had a single player mode and it was completely free for example (japanese indie fighting game base on les miserables). my game alphasix, my first game maker game, also freeware, was multiplayer primarily but had a single player mode with enemy AI's. saying that indies simply don't have the budget to make single player modes makes no sense

i'm sure most of the stuff that guy said about towerfall is stupid (though i haven't played the game yet) but i think expecting a single player mode and not getting one after you spent 10 dollars for it is a reasonable complaint, unless it was specifically advertised as requiring more than one player

[Udderdude]

Have you ever even seen Smash Bros single player mode?  It's a hell of a lot more complex than you're letting on.  It's not just your standard "Fight all the characters one on one" thing you see in almost every fighting game ever made ..

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

was he really asking for something like that? i thought he was asking for something more standard: the ability to play a multiplayer game single player against AI's, like street fighter 2 had. i don't think that's too much to expect from a 10$ indie game at all, especially considering i've done it myself for free games

[Udderdude]

I don't think he specifically mentioned it, but this sounds more complex than your average fighter.  The only fighting games I can think of with this much stuff in the single player mode are ones like Injustice and MK 9.

I haven't played that armjoe game but I don't think it has any of this stuff either.

No story, no unlockable characters ... Every level fits on the screen. Most decent games that stand a chance on the market need to have a single player or co-op mode with some sort of enemy, bosses, etc.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

depends on how you read it; normal enemies could be enemies, and the final one you fight could be a boss. most fighting games with AI's have 'normal opponents' and then a boss or two at the end

i think a lot of his criticisms are just things subject to personal taste (such as all the characters being exactly the same and just differing aesthetically; there could sometimes be a good gameplay reason to do that) but i don't think saying that you bought a game and were disappointed that you couldn't even play it without a friend is such a terrible thing; if i bought a game thinking it was single player and wasn't able to play it that way i'd be annoyed too

thankfully, the pc version will have a single player mode: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/07/31/tower-full-towerfall-pc-getting-full-single-player-mode/

I’m also planning a fully fleshed-out single player mode for players who don’t have friends to play versus mode with.

i guess that means he isn't indie anymore?? /sarc