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[DustyDrake]

auuuugh unity in website!
I pressed a button and kept walking in that direction. Nothing I could do to stop it...

Using chrome by the way.

[Inanimate]

Just wanted to pop in and say that this is a lovely idea! I can't wait to see it refined into a real game. (:

[Lexonite]

I feel like the gateways are constricting. For a game about this pivoting thing, it seems like a shortcoming to constrain the pivoting to only predefined spots. Why does it have to be like this? couldn't you just use some movement that hugs the cube better so that it can all be automated regardless of which edge you cross?

[Ralkarin]

auuuugh unity in website! I pressed a button and kept walking in that direction. Nothing I could do to stop it...

<3 Yeah, that's Unity in a website. I will have other platforms available when it's refined, but it makes the prototyping / playtesting phase super easy for everyone.  If I can fix the controls for this bug, I will. Thanks for trying it out! 

I feel like the gateways are constricting. For a game about this pivoting thing, it seems like a shortcoming to constrain the pivoting to only predefined spots. Why does it have to be like this? couldn't you just use some movement that hugs the cube better so that it can all be automated regardless of which edge you cross?

Thanks for mentioning this Alex... I have to say, I've been struggling with this from day 1.  The initial concept used the approach you describe, which I find amazingly free from constraint (and equally challenging on the puzzle/level design).  I ran into a few problems with this approach, which I need to address before I tackle it again.  For consistency, the player either needs to a) rotate around every edge they can fall from or b) be told plainly where they will and will not rotate.
I want to make the rules crystal clear to the player, so it's not a guessing game of will it pivot or won't it?
If I put a mountain in the middle of a fragment, should the player be able to walk on the side of the mountain?

I made a scene to address some of these concerns and the few people I let playtest seemed to have mixed expectations about how the world rotation mechanics should work.  You got me thinking though...  I think with enough mini barriers and a good level design, I might be able to prevent unexpected rotations and still keep the feeling of world rotation freedom without the explicit use of pivot points.  So rather than explicit places to rotate, add explicit places where you cannot. 

I'm gonna try that, I'll post a new build when I get this mechanic implemented and see what you guys think.

[Lexonite]

Yea, I think a more precise looking/well-built level would help clear up confusion as to what is collide-able and not, etc.. You could even have trees/mountains/etc that wrap around edges(essentially taking up 3 spaces in an L shape). That would help remove some of the ambiguity of the edges.

[Ralkarin]

New Playtest Build - New World Rotation Mechanics

Following the suggestion from AlexHW, this playtest build shows a revised world rotation mechanic that does not utilize specific rotation points.  Instead, all edges are now rotation points and edges that do not allow rotation are blocked in some way. Before integrating this into the rest of the game, I want to see what you think.  Personally, I think it feels (and looks) much better than having static pivot points.  Thanks for your feedback so far!

[Edit]: There's a small glitch where you can actually walk on the fence if you rotate from a certain edge.  This is not intended in the final version, so just refresh if it happens.

URL: Playtest Build

[Lexonite]

Awesome, I like the feel of that. Feels more like an adventure now. 

[Swaggermuffin]

I think it feels (and looks) much better than having static pivot points.

And you are absolutely right.

[Udderdude]

Tried out the test version.  I didn't see any of the blue orbs or orange spaces mentioned.  From what I saw though, it has a lot of potential for cool stuff.  I would suggest some levels have more barriers around each side to make it more puzzle-like.

[Ralkarin]

Thanks Udder!  You're right, no blue orbs or orange spaces in the demo.  That design is being reworked right now and the posted build was merely to playtest the world rotation mechanic.

I am trying to get an update posted soon!

[mauz]

I think it flows much better without the static rotation points too. 
And I like the idea, following this. 

[poe]

Flows much better and feels much cooler now

[Ralkarin]

A Forest Sprout draws near!


Here they are in game:

[Swaggermuffin]

A Forest Sprout draws near!

OH SHIT

RUTABAGAS

[Linkshot]

Ran into a few things in the first playtest.

1) I ended up clipping into a couple pivot points. One of them I could easily just walk out of. The second was where it spawned me and I was stuck permanently.
2) Mashing the "bomb" button next to lava will cause all but one bomb to launch into the air.

In the mechanics one, I opened the chest from the side and the gem spawned in midair, not bound by gravity, so as the world flipped, the gem did not.

[Ralkarin]

Ran into a few things in the first playtest.

1) I ended up clipping into a couple pivot points. One of them I could easily just walk out of. The second was where it spawned me and I was stuck permanently.
2) Mashing the "bomb" button next to lava will cause all but one bomb to launch into the air.

In the mechanics one, I opened the chest from the side and the gem spawned in midair, not bound by gravity, so as the world flipped, the gem did not.

Thanks for the feedback Linkshot!  I personally enjoy mashing the bomb button in that build, and so does my son. 

Good call on the gem, I still need to fix that, a trivial item on my list of things to do, but important either way.  Thanks for pointing it out!

New build incoming...

[DustyDrake]

I wish I could play this, it looks like a lot of fun.
Is there any way we could get a version not bound to a web-browser?

[Ralkarin]

Playtest Build 0.2 is up!
As always, you can check the first post for latest links instead of digging here.

Browser:WebPlayer
Windows:Pivot_v0_2_win32.zip

This build includes:

• New character controller - smoother world rotation, blocky avatar, more fluid movement
• Sticks to swing
• Sprouts - Sprouts are the inhabitants of the world and you use them as tools to solve puzzles.  They can be picked up by pressing L and carried around and dropped again.  Forest and Fire sprouts are implemented, but their mechanics are not finished.  More to come...
• More fragments & better transitions
• A windows version for @DustyDrake 

Fire Sprouts!

I apologize for not having more in game controls and the proper progression is not there, so it's like a sandbox, so here are the controls for this build:

Objectives:Activate devices by facing them and pressing 'L' on every fragment to rebuild the world!
WASD: Move
Q,E: Rotate Camera
J: Swing Weapon
L: Action [Activate Device, Pickup/Drop Sprouts]

At this point, I know there are bugs with pivoting and transitioning and dropping Sprouts and other obvious bugs... what I'm looking for now are possible mechanic ideas or other design pitfalls.  Perhaps it's too boring, it doesn't utilize the rotation enough, it needs more mechanics, it needs more or less things to whack with your stick.  Your feedback like that is important to me, so if you have any suggestions or advice around the core design, I'd love to hear it!

Enjoy?

[DustyDrake]

I think there may be a problem with picking up those yellow orb things.
I was trying to put one on a pedestal on top of a hill and I ended up in the ground

[Ralkarin]

I think there may be a problem with picking up those yellow orb things.
I was trying to put one on a pedestal on top of a hill and I ended up in the ground

Indeed you did!  The original idea was that you had to place the orbs on the pedestal [good on ya mate!], but I temporarily disabled requiring the orbs and never tested what may happen if you put one back on.  The pedestals can simply be activated in that demo, so I don't know what I'm gonna do about those yet, but I still think moving SOMETHING to the pedestal is a good idea.  Ultimately the puzzles on each fragment are there to gate you from reaching the orbs.  Just not sure how to manifest it yet.  Thanks for sharing!