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[valrus]

This is a great approach for goomba-like enemies, but it would tricky to set up for different kinds of behavior.  Enemies that need to react to the player somehow (e.g. not attacking until they see the player, aiming at the player) wouldn't be synced up with the ghost copy.  This also applies when enemies die, as you mentioned at the end.  This could be solved by "resetting" the ghost version when a dynamic change in behavior happens, but at this point is it easier than predicting movement and making visions on the fly?  It's situational and worth me investigating more.

Hmm, if I wanted to make enemies that respond to the player's behavior, what I'd do is put the decision-making code in the *ghosts*, and have them react to (a) the positions of things in the ghost world and (b) a relatively naive forward extrapolation of the player's position.  (With added randomness in both the extrapolation and the resulting decision.)  Their real counterparts would be puppets without decision-making ability, executing those same actions at an appropriate delay. (Put another way, the ghosts *are* the decision-making ability of the real ones.  A ghost is a visual representation of the AI making decisions about the future.)

For example, the game could keep track of four future extrapolations of the player's position: where they'd be in N milliseconds assuming they keep doing what they're doing, where they'd be if they increased acceleration leftward, ditto rightward, and if they jumped.  (Some of these might be the same position, that's fine.)  The extrapolations can be very naive, maybe not even taking into account walls.  (The AI should be making mistakes, including sometimes "overcompensating" and firing into walls; if they decide perfectly it'd be unrealistic and too difficult.)  When it comes time for a ghost to make a decision, they choose one of those four positions and act as if the player is there.  After N milliseconds, the real counterpart does that action in the real world, occasionally having correctly predicted the position of the player but often having a close miss in a realistic way.

[quantumpotato]

I am really excited about this. Have you seen Primer, OP?

OP I wanted to discuss designing for time travel; didn't want to hijack your thread & figured you probably have secrets for the game so I created this thread to discuss butterfly effect in time travel games: https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=57922.0

[th3shark]

I am really excited about this. Have you seen Primer, OP?

OP I wanted to discuss designing for time travel; didn't want to hijack your thread & figured you probably have secrets for the game so I created this thread to discuss butterfly effect in time travel games: https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=57922.0

Unfortunately no, I have not seen Primer.  But that's a cool thread you started, I left my more general thoughts there!

One inspiration for Vision Soft Reset was also a time-travel movie: Edge of Tomorrow.  It was about a wimpy soldier that gradually learned more and more about how to take on an alien threat by living the same day over and over, trying new things each time.  The movie was also supposedly inspired by video games, where players could eventually get through a tough level playing it over and over, getting better each time.  I wanted to game-ify that in VSR, the main idea being that the player makes use of information they'd accumulate in the future.  This is where many of the puzzles and gameplay mechanics come from.  This is my first attempt at this and there aren't many sources to draw inspiration from; I sincerely hope what the game has in store will satisfy what players are imagining would happen.

Within the game's universe there actually is no "time travel" in the conventional sense.  There's the main protagonist Oracle, a clairvoyant, and that's about it.  Oracle has powers I'd imagine a clairvoyant could feasibly have, like seeing visions of attacks before they happen, but that doesn't include physically going back in time.  The time reverting in the Flashback mechanic is really just Oracle seeing what could happen from after the revert.

Having things make as much sense as possible is unfortunately the extent of my narrative skills at this time however.  I'm not really a writer, so even if I did attempt a huge narrative focus in VSR players would probably get annoyed.  Time travel is pretty hard to get right I'm sure.  Still there's conflict, agency, and twists as one would expect.  There's a story but it's mostly just there for context, and I expect players to be engaged by the gameplay rather than the story.

[th3shark]

It’s well known that players of a game will try to find the most optimal way to complete a challenge, even if it’s not necessarily the most entertaining way to play.  As such, one of the priorities in developing VSR is to make the optimal way and the fun way the same thing.  I was disappointed to find that, during a recent playtesting session during a Madison indies meetup, the game was failing to satisfy this goal.

Players weren’t using the Flashback mechanic (reverting time a few seconds) much.  This is one of VSR’s three big features, so by not using it they were missing out on what makes the game special.  As these players had zero experience with the game, they had yet to find the “most optimal” way to play the game, and they weren’t having much fun.

When I play VSR, I find it’s most fun to use Flashback often in short bursts.  I would weave between numerous attacks, shoot some enemies, but get hit by a stray projectile.  Then on instinct I would Flashback, reverting to just before getting hit, then dodge out of the way.  The Flashback takes only a second, which isn’t long enough to disrupt the game’s flow, and I don’t lose any health.  The tradeoff is that it costs phase, but the quicker it’s done the less phase is lost.  If Flashback is done every time to “undo” any damage taken, it’s reasonable to think of phase as health, but more fluid and robust.

However this isn’t how playtesters were playing the game.  They knew how to Flashback, as evidenced by them passing the tutorial and correctly using it during minor puzzle sections.  But it wasn’t used in combat that often.  Some players only used it when they were about to die, and others just plain didn’t think of using it.  Proficiency with using Flashback is something ideally the player should learn over the course of the game, but until that happens they’re not having fun.  So the question is, how can I encourage players to use Flashback more?

From the very start of development making Flashback useful has been a big priority.  Oracle has such little health compared to most adventure games (2 hearts / 4 HP) to make undoing mistakes more important.

But on the other hand, there are reasons why the player would feel hesitant towards using Flashback.  It runs off phase from a meter, a meter that does not automatically recharge (technically it does recharge but only in limited quantity, and it works in a somewhat obtuse way so it may be worth revamping), which gives the impression that it should be used sparingly.  The Vision ability would also be temporarily disabled if phase ran low enough, which felt weird, and such I’ve removed this mechanic.  I have more reasons to do this and plans regarding Vision’s constraints, but that’s an entirely different discussion.

From all this it’s clear that Flashback needs to made more appealing to the player.  And Flawless Clear is a mechanic I added to do just that.

If the player encounters an ambush and can defeat it without losing any health, they are awarded with a Flawless Clear.  Note that if Oracle takes damage, but it’s undone by performing a Flashback, then they’re still eligible for the Flawless Clear. The player is rewarded by having all their phase restored.  The player can also freely move when this bonus is being awarded (although this isn’t clear from the above gif), meaning the flow of the game doesn’t slow down either.

So here are two ways to approach an ambush:

• Fight → get hit → get hit some more → use Flashback only when near death → win.  This results in losing health and a little bit of phase.
• Fight → get hit → use Flashback → get hit some more → use Flashback → win → Flawless Clear.  This results in no health lost and no phase lost.

Scenario 1 is relatively bland, and ending an ambush with less health isn’t optimal play.  Scenario 2 is more involved and interesting, getting the Flawless Clear feels good, and the player finishes in good standing.  Scenario 2 is simultaneously more optimal and more fun.

This is all in theory, of course.  No playtesting has been done since this mechanic was implemented, so it’s possible there’s something wrong.

With my example it seems like there aren’t as many meaningful choices to make, and the seemingly “smart” option of conserving phase is no longer a good strategy.  However there are still reasons to not constantly use Flashback all the time (the phase meter is limited after all).  Flawless Clear also only applies to ambushes, whereas combat is a common occurrence outside ambushes as well.

It could make the game too easy.  But it’s very simple to make an easy game harder (e.g. having phase drain slightly faster)

So time will tell if this mechanic makes the Flashback mechanic more popular.  Of course the player has to know this mechanic even exists in the first place; whether this needs a splash screen tutorial or if the player can quickly figure it out themselves has yet to be determined.  At the very least getting a reward for playing well simply feels good, so even if Flawless Clears weren’t the change I needed they’d still be fun to have in the game anyway.

[th3shark]

Hi everyone.  It’s been a while since the last post, and a lot of things have been added and tweaked. Not least of which is refining a large and very important new mechanic.  We’ve seen how Oracle can peek a few seconds into the future with the Vision and Flashback mechanics.  But her clairvoyance is not limited to this short amount of time.  Vision Soft Reset also features the Chamber Flashback, a unique mechanic that not only allows us to revert time by several minutes, but also allow us to revisit different locations and scenarios created from altered timelines.  This is a beefy mechanic that will force players to rethink how they approach these kinds of adventure games.

But first let’s talk about something else: game saving.  A pretty standard feature in games, saving creates a record of the player’s progress that can be resumed later.  Many games use automatic saves, although it’s somewhat of a tradition to have manual saves in retro-inspired adventures.  But as we’ll see, this format is very deliberately chosen to integrate with Vision Soft Reset’s other mechanics.

Saving is done on Chamber Platforms.

Each platform is identified by a unique icon.

It works how most gamers would expect.  Explore further and you’ll come across more save platforms.

Each save records Oracle’s location, time, and max health (among other things).  These saves are visualized in an in-game menu known as a Time Tree.  Each node on the Time Tree represents a time the player saved.  The horizontal position of the node represents the time the game was saved, the icon represents the location, and the dots represent the player’s health.  There is also an additional node which shows the player’s current time and location.

What an average player’s Time Tree might look like shortly after saving at the second platform.

Let’s continue the game.  Here’s a good chance to showcase some new areas and obstacles made since the last update.  Notably we found a health upgrade (bringing our max health to 3 hearts), and the Charge Shot decryptor (decryptors are codes that unlock features of Oracle’s suit).

A mysterious set of panels and a locked door. Might have to come back here later.


Obtaining health upgrades increases maximum health by 1 heart.


Decryptors unlock one of Oracle’s suit’s abilities. This one in particular gives us the Charge Shot.


Breaking down barriers with the Charge Shot.


Peculiarly arranged breakable tiles.


An update on the Time Tree at this point. It’s been some time since the last save, but we covered more ground.

We end up in a room containing some familiar looking symbols.  Unfortunately, we’re also stuck.  We can’t jump back up the way we came, and there doesn’t seem to be another way out.  What can we do now?

Trapped at the bottom of a room.  Is this the end of our journey?

Here’s where the Chamber Flashback comes in handy.  By selecting a node on the Time Tree, we’re able to revert back to a previous time that we recorded at a Chamber Platform.

Observing the time in the upper right, we see that we didn’t teleport to a different location, rather we reverted to where we were a few minutes ago.  It’s kinda like reloading an old save file.  Well now that we’re out of that sticky situation, what else can we do?

The puzzles get more complex later in the game, no really!

So naturally we solve that puzzle from before and open a nearby barrier.  But how did Oracle know the correct combination?  She hasn’t gone into the room revealing the solution yet.  As it turns out, everything from when we last saved up until we got stuck in that room never actually happened.  It was all just one big vision that Oracle had.  We were able to take information we found from one possible future, and apply it to problems encountered in the present.  Pretty neat!

Oracle can still use the Charge Shot as well.

Codes are also sources of information that can be recalled through time.  Remember that the Charge Shot decryptor isn’t exactly an upgrade, it’s a code that unlocks abilities that have always been a part of Oracle’s suit.  Just like how we remembered the combination that unlocked the barrier, Oracle remembers the code that lets her shoot charge shots.  Since we’re not using upgrades, everything resulting from a Chamber Flashback sounds pretty good, right?

Wally might be ruining the mood, but he brings up a good point.

Not quite.  Even though we saw a vision of a health upgrade, remember that in this timeline we never actually collected it yet.  Health upgrades are examples of physical items, things that don’t transfer across visions.  We should probably go back and get it before continuing into the unknown.  Note that if we reverted to a time after we picked up the upgrade, we wouldn’t be having this problem.  We should probably save after picking it back up again (which will also record the newly opened barrier).

It’s up to the player to manage physical items when utilizing Chamber Flashbacks.  It’s an evil necessary for preserving consistency with the game’s rules.  It’ll take some getting used to, but smart players should have no trouble adjusting to this new style of gameplay (hint: save often).  It’s not as simple as it appears though.  In a later update I’ll explain how precious time is in Vision Soft Reset, and why using time to snag some upgrades instead of taking the fastest route might be a disadvantageous tradeoff.

Finally, visiting different areas after reverting to a previous save will result in branching timelines.  After saving at the first platform we traveled right, but what happens when we instead go left?  Each new destination is recorded as a different branch in the Time Tree.  These branches are completely custom built by the player’s actions, and it’s up to them to find the best branch that gets through the game.  What will your Time Tree look like?

Time Trees become more complex over time.

We’ve only scratched the surface of the depth the Chamber Flashback and Time Tree mechanics bring to Vision Soft Reset.  More will revealed in later updates!

[quantumpotato]

Looks cool mate!

[wizered67]

Looking great! I love the idea of seeing into the future to solve puzzles. Looking forward to seeing more!

[th3shark]

Introducing a new mechanic: the Spin Dodge.  Once unlocked with a decryptor, the Spin Dodge allows Oracle to dodge in one of 8 directions.  The dodge contains a reasonable amount of invincibility frames that can be used to cross obstacles without taking damage.  It has obvious use in combat as a defensive move as well.

The dodge doubles as a mobility upgrade, as dodging upwards allows Oracle to reach heights she couldn’t get by jumping.  Only one can be done in mid-air before touching the ground however, can’t just go flying anywhere.

While the introduction of the spin dodge was just created recently, the maneuver itself was actually implemented very early on in development.  This was done so levels could be built with the spin dodge’s added mobility in mind.  Early areas may be accessed before acquiring this ability, but that doesn’t mean the player won’t return to those areas after getting it.  Rooms should be interesting to traverse no matter what abilities the player has at the time.

Notably absent is any kind of “stamina meter” that’s drained by the Spin Dodge.  While this meter is common in games for mechanics like this, I have a personal hatred for when actions that feel like a natural extension of the player character are arbitrarily limited.  Nothing feels worse than pressing a button but the player character doesn’t respond.  The move is still sensibly balanced however, just without taking control away from the player.  Invincibility frames do not last for the entire move, and there’s a brief period at the end where Oracle can barely move.  I also made sure that repeatedly dodging in a straight line is assuredly not faster than just running.  In this kind of game players will surely be searching for the fastest way to get around.  If the way to do that is to dodge a lot, players will do it, despite how silly it would be.  The most optimal way to play should also be the most fun.

[quantumpotato]

I also made sure that repeatedly dodging in a straight line is assuredly not faster than just running.

thank you

[th3shark]

Here’s a video showcasing many new areas and features.  Over 20 minutes of new content!

New areas include the caves, deep caves, lava peak, roots, and old lab.

New mechanics include charge shots, the chamber flashback / time tree, environmental puzzles, water, boiling water, countdown timer, world changing events, and the aforementioned spin dodge ability.

This build can be played here (windows): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-AJyCYu2DKFeE5pb0EtTExEbEk

[quantumpotato]

Dang, Unity logo loaded with wine but then crashed

[th3shark]

Sorry to hear that.  Unity can export to Mac and Linux but I have no easy way to test them at the moment.  Hopefully I will get the chance soon.

[smgorden]

Man, this is a fascinating game design. Took me a minute to see what was going on in the videos with seeing the future and the other mechanics, but I like where you're going with this.

Enemy animations are looking great, and I enjoy the scale of these creatures.

Looking good! Carry on.

[quantumpotato]

Sorry to hear that.  Unity can export to Mac and Linux but I have no easy way to test them at the moment.  Hopefully I will get the chance soon.

Hey if you upload a build I'm happy to test for you; let me know what you want me to look for.

[Xitilon]

Nice game. Dropped you a message at itch.io. You really should keep that one going.

Also, maybe it's about time to change the thread icon to something more than 20%.

[quantumpotato]

Latest updates?