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Xonatron
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« Reply #80 on: October 28, 2015, 09:31:32 AM » |
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Ottbot, thanks so much for the inspiration!
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Ottbot
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« Reply #81 on: October 29, 2015, 09:05:54 AM » |
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Ottbot, thanks so much for the inspiration!
You bet! Pixeljoint has some great resources for pixel artists, and the forums are a good place to get advice on your pixel art. You can drop me a line, too... I don't mind talking pixels! --- Rust Mites can be really awful. They eat metal objects... and even worse, your metal items! But, there are other types of vermin being introduced in the new area, with their own ways of making your life miserable:  Termites function much like Rust Mites, only instead of metal, they devour wood. Currently, this only applies to wood crates. Termite mounds impede progress, and when destroyed, release more Termites into the room. Stingflies seem harmless at first... but, go near them while you've got an empty heart, and they will devour it! These pests are drawn to the scent of blood, and will reduce your maximum health when you are injured. The make their nests in the husks of deceased Isopedes, and destroying these husks will release even more Stingflies. --- Today's daily puzzle is the first Thinky Thursday, featuring head-scratching combinations of mechanics. In this case, lots of doors and buttons:  Good luck! --- Kickstarter update: We are now at 35% to our initial goal! Thank you everyone who has contributed and/or helped spread the word! |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #82 on: October 30, 2015, 10:09:47 AM » |
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Yet more new stuff!! Giant ants are mobile and dangerous, but at times also useful. Unlike roaches, ants are very mobile and will not wait around for you to make a move:  Worker Ants hug the wall as they travel, attacking any living thing that wanders into their path. Completely single-minded, ants will only attack the tile directly in front of them. They also burrow through dirt walls, another new terrain type introduced in the Basin. This digging behavior is useful for clearing a path, and their aggressive nature can be utilized to take out vermin and other pests. Lastly, ants will enter any burrows they encounter, emerging elsewhere in the room. Today's daily puzzle is Field Note Friday again, which means we will be looking at another new variety of roach. Meet the Toxroach, a radioactive roach which is quite at home in pools of toxic waste. This is the first radioactive enemy to be introduced... attack at your own risk!  |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #83 on: October 31, 2015, 10:54:15 AM » |
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Happy Halloween! Not much to report at the moment other than the new daily puzzle. It's Swarming Saturday again, which means another roach-heavy room. This time, however, they are not for squishing:  Time to practice those roach-herding skills! |
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James Edward Smith
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« Reply #84 on: October 31, 2015, 11:31:03 AM » |
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These daily rooms are great.
A little nitpic, nuclear waste is not the same as toxic waste. Nuclear waste is radioactive material that is dangerous due to it's radioactivity, usually created when fuel for nuclear power generation degrades to the point it is no longer useful for power generation. Toxic waste is chemical waste that is dangerous due to its toxicity and is created any number of ways.
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ActualDog
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« Reply #85 on: October 31, 2015, 12:42:17 PM » |
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This is excellent! I just tried out the demo and had a lot of fun with it. The screenshots and gifs you've been posting are all good and cute, but the game itself is structured really nice too and it caught me by surprise. The worldbuilding you've done really elevates the experience and takes the game to the next level.
The only thing that kinda bugged me about what I played was the controls for the kick mechanic. I kept accidentally walking into things I wanted to kick and unintentionally pushing them first. I don't really have a great suggestion for another way of doing it though, because the controls for it make sense conceptually. Maybe if there was some sort of movement mode where you could walk around without your character pushing things he bumped into? It's also possible that the problem is exclusive to me.
Anyways, very good stuff!
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Ottbot
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« Reply #86 on: October 31, 2015, 12:51:19 PM » |
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A little nitpic, nuclear waste is not the same as toxic waste. Nuclear waste is radioactive material that is dangerous due to it's radioactivity, usually created when fuel for nuclear power generation degrades to the point it is no longer useful for power generation. Toxic waste is chemical waste that is dangerous due to its toxicity and is created any number of ways.
That's a good point... I'll make some changes next time I'm messing around with the text. You're right, it would make more sense for it to say "nuclear waste". Thanks! The only thing that kinda bugged me about what I played was the controls for the kick mechanic. I kept accidentally walking into things I wanted to kick and unintentionally pushing them first. I don't really have a great suggestion for another way of doing it though, because the controls for it make sense conceptually. Maybe if there was some sort of movement mode where you could walk around without your character pushing things he bumped into? It's also possible that the problem is exclusive to me.
There are some control issues that still need to be addressed, it's not just you. Right now things are still a bit too "slippery"... next update I will be trying a "resistance" mechanic for movement. By that I mean, when you press against a pushable object, there will be a slight delay rather than instantly pushing. I believe I will do the same for toxic nuclear waste, to prevent accidental radiation burns. I might even have a slight delay when you start moving from a standstill. I think a little bit more inertia on the player and objects may help a lot. I had also pondered a movement mode that could be toggled where you move one tile per keystroke, and holding the direction does not continue your movement. This might be redundant if the resistance mechanic works out, though. I really appreciate the feedback and support! |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #87 on: November 01, 2015, 10:44:12 AM » |
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As of today, we are 40% of the way to our initial goal! Thank you everyone for helping us get this far, but we still have a ways to go! There are still 2 custom characters up for grabs, so if you or anyone know would be interested in seeing their own character in the game... now is the time!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1781334061/puzzle-depot--- Today is once again Sokoban Sunday, so enjoy some nice, simple box-pushing while you work off your sugar hangover:  |
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James Edward Smith
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« Reply #88 on: November 01, 2015, 05:23:29 PM » |
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I hope you guys can make it. I love this game. Though I wonder if the low amount of money you are asking for is making people think that you don't need the kickstarter to finish the game or something.
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Ottbot
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« Reply #89 on: November 02, 2015, 11:16:16 AM » |
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I hope you guys can make it. I love this game. Though I wonder if the low amount of money you are asking for is making people think that you don't need the kickstarter to finish the game or something.
I think it's more that we're not a known name yet, coupled with the fact that we are right in the middle of the campaign... most Kickstarter campaigns have a slump in the middle, before it really ramps up towards the end. But, you're right, it might be a factor. We don't need a lot to get the tools we need to continue production, and we didn't want to set too high of a goal for out first Kickstarter. We had a good start and I feel like we'll have a strong finish... I would say that I'm cautiously optimistic :] --- Today is "Merciful" Monday again, and since I'm such a nice guy I'm giving you 3200 points for this room. That should be more than enough to afford the items you'll need to get through it >:]  |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #90 on: November 03, 2015, 10:13:31 AM » |
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Over the next few days, we will be answering questions about Puzzle Depot in our daily Kickstarter updates. Whether it be about the gameplay, future levels, the art, the music, the characters, or whatever else... ask away! Post your questions here, through twitter ( @OttoGermain or @LaughingManatee), or on the Kickstarter.--- Today is Toxic Tuesday again, but don't worry, I left plenty of Hazcaps for you. I figured after yesterday, you could use a bit of a break...  Remember, Hazcaps can take out more than just toxic waste... --- We are currently at 43% of our initial goal, with 18 days to go! The ninth custom character was claimed yesterday, meaning there is only ONE left! It's the last chance to get your own custom character into Puzzle Depot! |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #91 on: November 04, 2015, 10:30:37 AM » |
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Yesterday was a great day for us, and we are now 56% of the way to our initial goal!    Thank you everyone who has helped us so far! We couldn't do it without you! We received a question about how boss battles were going to work in Puzzle Depot, so within the next couple days I'll be making a more extensive post about it, including some visual aids for a sample boss encounter. Hopefully it will prove enlightening! --- Today's daily puzzle is another Weaponry Wednesday. This time, you'll get to play around with some un-rusty items, for a change!  |
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SirNiko
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« Reply #92 on: November 04, 2015, 04:15:23 PM » |
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One thing that seems unusual to me is that you're using objects that behave outside a turn based system (eg, the pits that collapse after two seconds or the ants that move out of sync with the player). What's your reasoning behind choosing free-moving puzzle elements instead of typical turn-based elements? The latter seems more logical for this sort of game.
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Ottbot
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« Reply #93 on: November 05, 2015, 01:51:19 PM » |
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One thing that seems unusual to me is that you're using objects that behave outside a turn based system (eg, the pits that collapse after two seconds or the ants that move out of sync with the player). What's your reasoning behind choosing free-moving puzzle elements instead of typical turn-based elements? The latter seems more logical for this sort of game.
Puzzle Depot's predecessor, Depot Dungeons, actually was fully turn-based. Given the ASCII style of that game, the numerous nethack references, and the type of gameplay, it made a lot of sense to do it that way.  When I started designing Puzzle Depot, early on I made the decision to move away from a strictly turn-based system. I felt that with the smoother movement, this system would be more intuitive for players, especially for people who aren't normally into these type of puzzle games. Also, this brings the gameplay closer to one of my biggest inspirations for this project, The Adventures of Lolo for the NES, by HAL Corporation.  The Adventures of Lolo, copyright 1989 HAL CorporationLolo has a lot of similar ideas, featuring Sokoban-style puzzles and creatures with particular behaviors. Gameplay in Lolo is not turn-based, much like how Puzzle Depot functions now. There won't be an over-abundance of objects/creatures that act independently of the player's moves, for now the only ones are crumbling floors, ants, and mobile robots (more on the robots in a later update!). (SirNiko, I hope you don't mind but I used this question for today's Q + A on my daily update. It's a really good question!) --- Today's daily puzzle is another Thinky Thursday, and we are examining the relationship between 2x2 rusty crates, rust mites, and pits:  This one is especially tricky! Remember that crates can be kicked... and that's the only hint you'll get! To my embarrassment, a graphical bug was discovered when breaking down 2x2 crates to a 1x2 crate with the aid of rust mites, where the wrong sprite is displayed:  There is no mechanical difference, it just looks a little weird when it happens. Oops! --- We had another great day for pledges, and we are now at 63% of the way to our initial goal! We hope to keep up this momentum! |
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SirNiko
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« Reply #94 on: November 05, 2015, 03:24:46 PM » |
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(SirNiko, I hope you don't mind but I used this question for today's Q + A on my daily update. It's a really good question!)
I'm okay with this. And I do really like the Eggerland games, as well as DRoD, which your screenshot reveals you also like. |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #95 on: November 06, 2015, 04:34:10 PM » |
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As mentioned before, I wanted to show an example of how a potential boss battle may play out. Here is a rough animation showing a confrontation with a rogue AI, which controls a variety of turrets in the room:  Round 1: Avoid getting into the line of fire of the turrets, and don't linger too long in front of the central laser emitter. Pressing the 4 blue buttons activates one of the buttons in the center of the room, and pressing that will damage Dark Blue and cause it to change its pattern. Round 2: The turret pattern changes, making it impossible to avoid their line of fire without using crates to block them. Metal crates fall from above during this phase... don't stand under them, or you will be crushed! The central laser is still a danger to avoid. Round 3: New laser emitters emerge from the sides of the room, sweeping through and destroying the crates. The central laser now fires at regular intervals, and turrets pop up between the sweeping lasers. Watch the patterns carefully to avoid the lasers and get to the buttons, shutting down Dark Blue for good! This is just an example of how a boss encounter might play out. Bosses will vary wildly in appearance and function, some battles may span across multiple rooms, or require exploration of the level to find items needed to fight them... many, many possibilities! --- Today's daily puzzle is another Field Note Friday, which means we will be analyzing another variety of roach. Meet the Darkroach:  I should note that there is currently a bug with the exit, which allows you to leave the room while at zero hearts... this means that this room has a much easier solution available than intended. Oops! I will iron that out in the next update... |
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Ottbot
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« Reply #96 on: November 07, 2015, 11:16:56 AM » |
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Today's Kickstarter update discussed the various "families" of creature present in Puzzle Depot. Here's some of them that I haven't talked about yet on the dev log: Rats: Not mentioned yet, rats appeared in Depot Dungeons and will likely be returning, though will slightly different behaviors. Rats prey on roaches and vermin, making them useful at times. Lab Rats are friendly around people, a rare case of a creature that DOESN'T want to eat you. Turrets: If you happen to become aligned with a turret either horizontally or vertically, you're in for a world of hurt. Different models exist with different weaponry, but on the bright side, they also fire on roaches and other creatures! Turrets can be toggled with buttons, like other mechanisms. Robots: A variety of robots will be present in Puzzle Depot, some harmless, and others deadly. A mobile entity, we will be discussing their movement and behaviors in a future update. The most troublesome are the different types of security robots, who behave much like mobile turrets (anyone remember Don Medusa from The Adventures of Lolo?). Zombies: Failed Labor Clones with faulty behavior imprints, these abominations walk straight towards you if they spot you at a distance. Once in range... well, you know what zombies do. The good news is that they are very, very stupid and easily lured into hazards. There are some other families that I won't reveal quite yet, but rest assured there will be plenty of dangers to contend with. If you have some clever ideas for a type of creature you'd like to see in Puzzle Depot, remember that we now have a Create a Creature rewards tier! --- Today is Swarming Saturday again, and although this may look like a small swarm, you'll still have your hands full with these three Darkroaches:  |
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Cranktrain
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« Reply #97 on: November 07, 2015, 11:26:36 AM » |
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Usually Sokoban-type games are deathly-dull, but this looks great! Really like how you're fusing together RPG type-stuff (inventories, dialogue) with some very lovely pixel-art.
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Ottbot
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« Reply #98 on: November 08, 2015, 10:26:23 AM » |
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Usually Sokoban-type games are deathly-dull, but this looks great! Really like how you're fusing together RPG type-stuff (inventories, dialogue) with some very lovely pixel-art.
I know what you mean, I've been trying hard to make a not-dull puzzle game with this one! Q: What exactly will be included in the Kickstarter Puzzle Pack? A: The Puzzle Pack will include all 30 daily rooms that are running during the Kickstarter, available to play any time! In addition, there will be a couple extra features included. There will be a "designer's commentary" note in each room, so you can get some insight into the design process that goes into these puzzles. Also, each room will have a set of challenges to complete, similar to the demo level, to give some longevity and replayability. The Puzzle Pack is included with every reward tier of $25 or more, so check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1781334061/puzzle-depot--- Today is Sokoban Sunday, so here are some precariously perched crates to sort out:  See you tomorrow for "Merciful" Monday >:] |
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SirNiko
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« Reply #99 on: November 08, 2015, 04:01:03 PM » |
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"Precipice" stumped me. It's the first one since the kickstarter started to do so. Congrats!
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Community
