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[JasonPickering]

well I am making a small platformer to get better at programming, so I chose specific things and tried to work a game around that. this time I am working on the loading and unloading of art assets and getting better at setting that up. plus also variables.

I am using Gamemaker, so any help would be appreciated. anyways here we go

The game is named färg. you run from a moving wall of death and collect "glorbs" to add color back into your world.





Tech Demo WOOOOOOO

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?t3yjtdy2t0y

arrow keys move.
A jumps (can triple jump while in air)

the tech demo shows off the color changing ability.

I have a new demo coming soon I hope. the wall of death works, and I have enemies that go left and right. Also the platformer has been tweaked, its faster and a lot less floaty.

character and "glorbs" are only placeholders.

the main problem I have now, is with the tech I am using. I needed 4 backgrounds for just this level. now I can just do this with simple tiles and it would be much easier, but that would only be sold colors, having these large patterns. is what I like so thats what I am fighting with. if you have any ideas that might work let me know. I am wishing that I can just make the level and then map the pattern to it, but this may be impossible.

wow this was a long post.

[Saint]

Pretty.

I would personally increase the pull of gravity somewhat, now it feels like you're jumping around on the moon. Not really important, though.

The color mechanic seems like it could be interesting. Do you have an additional plans of how it will work?

[JasonPickering]

I redid a lot of the platforming to get a more tangible feel. it definetly felt super floaty. basically. I have put thought into the color collecting and I had a couple different ideas:

1. Score based, get to the end, and calculate your score.
2. You are given 10 levels, and have to collect 100 orbs across the 10 levels to open the next 10.
3. slows down the wall chasing you. if all are collected in a level the enemys are killed.

those are just some of my ideas.

[pen]

I redid a lot of the platforming to get a more tangible feel. it definetly felt super floaty. basically. I have put thought into the color collecting and I had a couple different ideas:

1. Score based, get to the end, and calculate your score.
2. You are given 10 levels, and have to collect 100 orbs across the 10 levels to open the next 10.
3. slows down the wall chasing you. if all are collected in a level the enemys are killed.

those are just some of my ideas.

With what you've got going on I would seriously consider things like  getting all orbs of certain colours opens up new passageways (when new, 100% opaque platforms can materialize), and/or orbs that only affect small areas or certain objects in areas (like the different-coloured blocks in SMW).

[Saint]

With what you've got going on I would seriously consider things like  getting all orbs of certain colours opens up new passageways (when new, 100% opaque platforms can materialize), and/or orbs that only affect small areas or certain objects in areas (like the different-coloured blocks in SMW).

This.

As it is now, the background changing color is an interesting feedback system for a general collectible, but the fact that the items are connected to the background color doesn't affect the gameplay. Of course you don't *have* to do that, but it would be cool if it mattered, say maybe different colors give surfaces different properties so in some places you'd have to color a surface before walking past/climbing/whatever, but in others coloring it would make it dangerous so you'd need to hold back doing so until you're done passing through it. Or something.

[JasonPickering]

hmm. I will have to take all this in. it would be cool to have it be more of an actual tangible thing. I will have to play around with this tonight. does everyone like the patterns? should I work on keeping these?

[The-Imp]

Looks lovely!
 

[Chris Whitman]

I think it looks a little too busy with everything being patterned and patterned differently.

I really like the idea of having patterned objects, but I kind of feel like either the hills should be plain or the same pattern as the background.

[JasonPickering]

I definetly agree with it being super busy. I will try and even it out, perhaps using one pattern for an entire level.

so i had some ideas.

the colors add to the world, but also add to a players power. so different colors increase you speed, jumping power, and double jumping power.

also same idea but with only one color, the player is a grey blob but once you start grabbing blue you will notice that now your guy is getting some color, so you are striving to get all the blues in that level, to help you survive. grabbing a red resets you so your jumping and speed are back to normal. (little to De Blob)

[Μarkham]

What if getting one color would not just add one to a power, but take one from each other category and add it to that power (if there were any in every category), so that there would have to be a strategy to choosing what color to get next in order to maximize your acquisition of power (and to avoid draining all other powers)?

[JasonPickering]

still working on this. I am really having trouble finding a color changing idea that coincides with the constant platforming I ahd envisioned of you having to stay ahead of a wall of death.

in regards to collecting orbs, I am afraid the player may miss certain orbs needed, perhaps they need a red one to continue (be it by turning on a platform, making you jump high enough or killing enemies) if the player does not grab that and it passes beyond the wall of death then the player is effectivley boned. this could be taken care of by level design, but then I am afraid it becomes rather hand holdy (i need a red to turn on this platform. oh look there is one right here.

the only effective idea I have had so far was allowing the player to collect the orbs and add color to the world, but he can deposit the orbs into enemy teleporters. it will sap the color from the world, but he will at least get a head of the wall of death. using it as a shortcut.

on a side note a couple questions.
1. what is a good game size (mb).
2. should I go with a taller vertical screen like donkey kong. I think it helps the vertical play but I also feel that it might be a little to much like Meatboy
3. what format do you guys usually use for saving image files? pngs? gifs? what gets the best quality for the smallest size.

[JasonPickering]

still working.

mostly code work not much art.

enemy


he does animate but not sure how to upload an animated gif

[JasonPickering]

new build.

this is most likely what a level would consist of.(aside from the shortcuts) not sure, it just seems very shallow to me at the moment, not sure what else to do to spice it up. all suggestions are welcome.

been playing lots of vertical games and platforming and i seem to be lacking that one thing that makes the player want to continue. yes I got all the colors, and turned this level bright, but why do i do the next one. so that is the struggle now

or am i just over thinking this.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7e64f2c2bbf97997d2db6fb9a8902bda
(2mb)

[Saint]

Nice. It seems you've tied double-jumping to the current velocity so getting the highest altitude requires careful timing, and a possible alternative to this is to... well, *not* do it and have it depend only on how long you hold the button so you can do things like fall down a pit to reach a collectible and jump out again. But it's more a question of level design, just something to think about.

this is most likely what a level would consist of.(aside from the shortcuts) not sure, it just seems very shallow to me at the moment, not sure what else to do to spice it up. all suggestions are welcome.

Well, your only obstacles are the environment and the one type of enemy. You might want to either add more types of enemies, more types of environments (like blocks that you can slide on, jump higher from, break, things like that) or try to make more difficult combinations of the ones you have so the player feels there's at least some progression in that the game is getting harder. Or include powerups, or - again - make it so the colors themselves fill a gameplay function.

[JasonPickering]

yeah I sat down with a stack of old school and new school platformers, and wrote down every single envirometn trap and obstacle I cam across. so I will definelty be makign the enviroments more of a challenge ( not "I want to be the guy challenging" but close)

I have been fiddling with the the controls, I will try and make the double jump work exactly like the regular jump, I will see how that works.