Hey. I've tried the demo(0.517). The game looks good. So i have a few words, but don't take it too seriously.
- tutorial is nice and clear. Though there was a bug so i couldn't complete it.
(The error was on activating shield card)
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############################################################################################
FATAL ERROR in
action number 1
of Step Event0
for object obj_character:
Variable obj_enemy_security_guard_melee.abilityName(100415, -2147483648) not set before reading it.
at gml_Script_state_enemy_ai_start
############################################################################################
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
stack frame is
gml_Script_state_enemy_ai_start (line -1)
gml_Object_obj_character_Step_0
- Couldn't find any major issues with the UI or controls. The UI is good. (At first, i confused left & right mouse keys for a few times, also i thought that the 'end turn' button works separately for each of player's units, but these misunderstandings were cured after first gameover.
)
- the inactive character's icon is a bit too shadowed, i think. I remember that common turn-based games shadow character's icon when he is out of action points so at first i thought it was the same here too.
- when unit stays in the bottom of the screen, he is hidden by the cards sometimes.
- i'm not sure about the target of the game. Right now it's only death
. I completed 7-8 combat screens but they never stops. At some point you enter the location with just 5-7 HP left for both of your units and you know it is the end. So i mean, is there any 'Positive' outcome? (Well, maybe i'm just a weak player).
- Sometimes the level's topology has meaning, sometimes not. Actually, most of the time i recycle movements cards for points since there is not enough points for both attacking and maneuvering at the same turn, and since i want to reduce my hp loss i need to finish the fight as soon as possible so i concentrate on attack most of the time.
Maybe it's incorrect tactic, but for now i couldn't find anything better.
- i've got some 'upgrade' cards, but i'm not sure if they are too useful, since by the time i received them i was thinking more about how to stay alive rather than experimenting with some advanced tactics
- i don't understand how the shield works. It has the points, but sometimes breaks down from one attack. Don't know if it's explained in the tutorial.
- i think it'd be nice to give a little text information on enemies? So player can decide which one to attack first and which one to avoid. Since i'm new player, they all seem the same to me now.
- The game suddenly stuck on enemy unit's turn. There were one my unit and one enemy unit left alive in the location.
Menu buttons were working, but the turn was freezed and the enemy unit was just staying still, so i couldn't continue with my turn and had to exit to menu.
- is there a way to somehow shape up and build certain strategies of winning? I mean, right now i'm just adjusting for current hand of cards, not planning anything certain or thinking about future turns. To me it looks like that the card system has great potential to implement different tactics, but the gameplay doesn't really allow player to do that.
I know this will break the whole balance, but what do you think of:
- different roles to the units. Right now they are both damagers.
- allowing the player to make an initial cards deck by himself(so he can decide whether to go on hit-and-run strategy or everything-into-damage one)
- more interactive environmental objects the player can use for his advantage(explosion crates, fire extinguishers, healing spots, traps, lasers etc)
- defeating the enemies not only by shooting them but by other means(like pushing them into some acid area or something)
(i like to mess into other people's blogs with this annoying question, so you can ignore me here
)
It's all for now.