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[Silkworm]

Working full time during the summer so not a lot of time for development. Save for a few music tracks the mountain area is pretty much done though. I've also made some progress for the next area, the volcano.

I realized most of my enemies fire towards you or in arcs and figured I wanted just a basic horizontal shooting turret enemy. Did some sketching and realized it was too tall. Just stuff to keep in mind when the playable character is so short.

So it evolved into this little guy.


I haven't done a lot of frame by frame animation in my game and I kinda want to do more since if you give it enough time it almost always looks superior. Some stuff you really can't do any other way too. I was a bit worried it would clash with the rest of the look of the game but I think it works fine.



Also made these gas cloud enemies that shoot at your position.


These flame enemies can be temporary disabled but are otherwise unkillable which means some timing and haste is required to get past them.


Also what is a fire themed level without some environmental hazards? The game's difficulty is ramping up at this point.


As always, feel free to try the demo (link in the OP) which covers the first 2 levels. Everything is subject to change and I'd really appreciate feedback to make the game better!
 

[PypeBros]

I'm also looking for tips on platformer games with really good design as I've been playing some games while taking notes. Feel free to give me suggestions (preferably PC or old school stuff as the last console I owned was the first Xbox).

I've got some such thing on the "designclass" thread of my blog. In the "Old PC classics", I'd recommend Commander Keen and Fury of the Furries...

Keep dev'ing

[Silkworm]

I'm also looking for tips on platformer games with really good design as I've been playing some games while taking notes. Feel free to give me suggestions (preferably PC or old school stuff as the last console I owned was the first Xbox).

I've got some such thing on the "designclass" thread of my blog. In the "Old PC classics", I'd recommend Commander Keen and Fury of the Furries...

Keep dev'ing

Thanks, I'll definitely check that out!

Now for some content. I found this carrot a while ago and there was only one thing to do.



My reference folder is actually filled with vegetables, fruits and microbes pretty much.



I also found the perfect place for a jam.

[Silkworm]

Last Ludum Dare I made a game about a hedgehog-catching-night-shift-working triangle in a balloon factory. I decided to turn it into the companion for the volcano level.

Now it pops things other than balloons though. At first it felt a bit too similar too other companions so I'm trying to see what I can do to make it a bit different.


Putting out fires with a net would work right?


I decided it had to use the net for something appropriate too so now it can catch the fire spitters and use them to fling fireballs back at enemies. I made it purple too because there's already so much orange going on in the level.

[Silkworm]

Started working on the next boss. It's kind of a twist on the last one and probably the biggest challenge yet. The game is getting darker too .



Here it is in action. There is a lot less floor to work with this time and you need to keep moving.

[Silkworm]

Hey there thread, nice to see you again. Been working (to live!) during the summer but I'm finally back to the game.

I also participated in Ludum Dare for the third time. Made a little microgame thing. You can check it out here.
http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-36/?action=preview&uid=47199 


As for the game, It's officially 50% done at this point! The later part of the game definitely has some challenges but so far I've been able to do pretty much everything I've wanted so I hope that trend continues.

Got multiple save slots implemented and it seems to be working. I think 3 is enough, my original plan was to not even have any but I'm glad I got it in there now.



Made a new background for the volcano too since I was just reusing the old cave background. Not a 100% happy with it. It's a bit too ..red I think. I dunno maybe it works but I don't want it to blend in too much and distract. Because the tileset is that mix of "Pitch black" and "Saturated red" you kinda have to find something that's neither dark or saturated for the BG. The cave one I used before worked pretty good but I want something different.

 

Also looking into shaders to maybe give the background a heat wave effect.

BEAUTIFUL!

The demo is updated as well so please give it a try if you haven't . (For anyone interested I also have a non-public, test-build with twice the amount of content).

[Pixel Noise]

That boss looks great, but definitely seems out of character for the more playful/cute overall tone of the rest of what I've seen. It looks like it's an undead sort of thing? I'm not saying it's a bad fit - just curious as to the story behind it.

[Silkworm]

That boss looks great, but definitely seems out of character for the more playful/cute overall tone of the rest of what I've seen. It looks like it's an undead sort of thing? I'm not saying it's a bad fit - just curious as to the story behind it.

There are some tonal shifts in the game and the main storyline is quite serious and has some darkness to it. It won't go full blown Lovecraftian though . As for the bird boss, well, I don't want to spoil too much. It's not undead, rather it's pretty close to being just plain "dead". Turns out birds aren't really fireproof.

CONTENT
Working on the next area, the crystal caves. New area means a new companion.. it's a doggy! The dog will lick enemies, pacifiying them with LOVE!




I've also made some cat knights that can only be hit from behind.




These just charge you but I'd like to make a variation with a bit more of an A.I. I really love the Goldarmor enemies in Shovel Knight. To me they're "sniper joes" done right. A shielded enemy that's not just about waiting for the right time but that actively engages you and is fun to fight.



They don't like dog kisses though.



NAME CHANGE AGAIN?
On a finishing note, I'm seriously considering changing the name of the game again. Right now it's just a reference to a minor plot element but it sounds like it's about mechanics (a game about creating stuff.. from pools or something) which it's not. It's a game about a mortal Slug and an immortal Wizard going on an adventure.

Maybe I should just call it "Slug Story" or something simple like that. Something with "Slug" I think, slug is a fun word.

Please give me suggestions if you have any.

[TonyManfredonia]

Some brainstorming / writing as I come up with each. Each one may or may not be good at all, but maybe it'll give you some ideas to bounce around!

- A Slug's Mortality (a little harsh...)

- A Slug Tale

- Slug Tales

- I second your idea for "Slug Story," if that helps as well.

[Silkworm]

Some brainstorming / writing as I come up with each. Each one may or may not be good at all, but maybe it'll give you some ideas to bounce around!

- A Slug's Mortality (a little harsh...)

- A Slug Tale

- Slug Tales

- I second your idea for "Slug Story," if that helps as well.

I thought of A Slug Tale too or just plain Slug tale or Slugtale. Like with Slug Story, they're probably pretty good names. Not very original perhaps but maybe I shouldn't worry too much about that. It's usually better to go simple and not overthink too much. At the same time.. the story itself is actually not really about the Slug (player) but pretty much centered around the Wizard.

Anyway a couple of titles:

• Slug Story - Short and simple
• (A) Slug Tale - Same
• The Wizard and The Slug - This title got a bit of a fairy tale feel which I kinda like. Problem is, it's a bit long. I don't know, what are your opinions on long titles? Is it generally a thing to avoid?
• Wizard & Slug - Shorter but loses the fairy tale feel. Still, it's a pretty interesting combination of words while not being too weird.
• Immortal Slug or Slug Immortal - Kinda makes me think of Metal Slug which I'm not really going for .
• Immortal Besluged - Haha, I loved this title when I came up with it but that's the thing. It's only a good title for me. The reference will go over most peoples head too. I thought about something like Wizlug too but I think I'm going to stay away from weird made up words.

The game is pretty story focused (in comparison to most platformers) and I want to convey that in some way. I mean it's not "Super Meat Boy". Slug Story is pretty blatant and my current name "Pools of Creation" is too vague. If I didn't worry about the length I'd say The Wizard and The Slug is the title that best fits what I want to convey.

I feel like I'm starting to overthink now . The game already have had 2 titles both of which were bad, I don't trust myself anymore. Please help me! Tell me what you think and feel free to give me suggestions.

Just played around a bit. I like this font but it's not final since I'll probably have something custom made eventually. Visually, I'd say shorter title certainly looks better, at least when just laid out like this.

[Zorg]

twats

[ｂ∀ ｋｋｕｓａ]

what about Slugzard?

[Silkworm]

twats

Nice, already looks way better! Also lol, I hope I won't regret that acronym. I'm really feeling this title more and more. It's also the title from my own list that most people have picked and I've pretty much scrapped the other ones at this point.   

what about Slugzard?

I've actually gotten a bunch of suggestions like these, some might be pretty good but my brain is pretty much stuck on TWATS (oh god). I'll try to be open though.

Here are some more title suggestions I've gotten:

Wizug
The slugromancer
Slugromancy
Slugcery
The Slugronomican
Slugs and Sorcery
Sluzzard
Slugika

[io3 creations]

How about something with Quest?

Slug's Quest
Sluggy's Quest

Does the slug have a name?  How about Slick or Slicky?
Then:
Slick's Quest
Slicky's Quest

[Silkworm]

How about something with Quest?

Slug's Quest
Sluggy's Quest

Does the slug have a name?  How about Slick or Slicky?
Then:
Slick's Quest
Slicky's Quest

It kinda has ..a stupid name, or maybe it's the name of the species? It won't be mentioned in the game though. My working title was actually this name (Prölen or The Pröl).

One of the reasons I've kinda moved away from calling it Slug Tale, Slug Story or similar is because the story itself is really centered around the Wizard. Although you play as the Slug, it's pretty much a blank slate character.

The Wizard has a name though, it's Charm. It could be a direction to focus more on the wizard but straight up calling it "Wizard Quest" or similar doesn't feel right either since it implies you play as a wizard.

Charm is a pretty nice word too, you could probably do some stuff with it.
A Charming Tale, Slug Charmer etc.

I dunno, too many options man . I guess I'm still open to suggestions but more importantly I'd like some opinions. If you guys had to pick one of the ones already mentioned, which would you pick (or pick your favourites)? I'll just list them all even though I think I've motivated why I probably won't choose some of them. My gut is telling me to go for The Wizard And The Slug but if you have strong feelings against it I'd like to know why.  

Original title
Pools of Creation

Slug focused:
Slug's Quest
Sluggy's Quest
Slug Story
Slug Tale

Wizard + Slug
The Wizard and The Slug (My personal pick)
Wizard & Slug

Word mesh
Slugzard
Wizug
The Slugromancer
Slugromancy
Slugcery
The Slugronomican
Slugs and Sorcery
Sluzzard
Slugika

Charm
A Charming Tale
Slug Charmer

[Superb Joe]

call it [after considerable period of deep reflection] Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

[Superb Joe]

call it Slug's Trail

[Silkworm]

call it [after considerable period of deep reflection] Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

This made me chuckle. Quite an acceptable shit post I'd say. Good on you Superb Joe, good on you .

[io3 creations]

My gut is telling me to go for TWATS but if you have strong feelings against it I'd like to know why.

In another devlog, the word blaze came up and someone mentioned a pot related reference but there the distinction is obvious.  However, twat has some usage that might be more vulgar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twat

The word twat is widely used as a derogatory epithet, especially in British English, referring to a person considered obnoxious or stupid.[1][2] It is also used informally as a verb in British English to mean "to hit or punch a person".[2] In British English and Commonwealth English, it is pronounced /twæt/ to rhyme with that, or sometimes /twɒt/, to rhyme with hot.[3] In North American English, it is pronounced /twɑːt/, to rhyme with squat.[1] Twat is also used in the United States as vulgar slang for the human vulva.[1]

On the other hand, there's also ball, beaver, pussy, cock, etc ...

[Silkworm]

My gut is telling me to go for TWATS but if you have strong feelings against it I'd like to know why.

In another devlog, the word blaze came up and someone mentioned a pot related reference but there the distinction is obvious.  However, twat has some usage that might be more vulgar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twat

The word twat is widely used as a derogatory epithet, especially in British English, referring to a person considered obnoxious or stupid.[1][2] It is also used informally as a verb in British English to mean "to hit or punch a person".[2] In British English and Commonwealth English, it is pronounced /twæt/ to rhyme with that, or sometimes /twɒt/, to rhyme with hot.[3] In North American English, it is pronounced /twɑːt/, to rhyme with squat.[1] Twat is also used in the United States as vulgar slang for the human vulva.[1]

On the other hand, there's also ball, beaver, pussy, cock, etc ...

Haha, I'm well aware of what twat means . I'm NOT calling my game TWATS, it is simply what the acronym turned out to be for "The Wizard And The Slug". Zorg noticed it and I've used the acronym kinda jokingly since (and now I regret it). Hopefully that clears things up.. But maybe you were just joking, I can't tell .