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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperPlaytestingTERROR SQUID
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mandarin
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« on: January 16, 2020, 04:07:13 AM »



Trailer:



TERROR SQUID is a game where you create your own bullet hell.

We turned the genre convention of providing tightly choreographed bullet patterns on its head, and instead put the player in charge of choreographing the bullet patterns. Projectiles orbit the sphere and will always return to the player. How you move dictates the pattern you'll meet a few seconds after. Different patterns requires different ways of planning and reacting. When multiple patterns come together, it can quickly get quite hectic.

Back in January 2019, we won the Norwegian Championship of Gameplay with TERROR SQUID. One of the prizes was to get the game installed on a physical arcade cabinet at Tilt, a local arcade bar. TERROR SQUID is also the first Norwegian arcade game.

Today we're working on a release for Nintendo Switch and Steam. Everything is going fine. The game runs stable on Windows, MacOS and the Switch and is getting close to being feature complete.

We just released beta 3 on our Discord server, and are seeking feedback. The feedback on the previous two betas has been positive. We have a few testers who has been playing the game for 12+ hours each, and have been streaming it on Twitch.

We're specifically looking for feedback on the bullet patterns.
- Do you like them? Or do you hate them? Which patterns, and why?
- How do you like the sequence of the patterns? Could the sequence be improved, how and why?

Of course, if you find bugs or things that needs fixing, let us know.

For convenience, I've put the betas up here.
Win32 - https://developer.cloud.unity3d.com/share/share.html?shareId=WknUZDpiwB
Win64 - https://developer.cloud.unity3d.com/share/share.html?shareId=bJI5QHTjDB
Mac - https://developer.cloud.unity3d.com/share/share.html?shareId=ZJhZ_9pivB

There is an issue with hot-swapping of game controllers while in the game. The icons in the UI doesn't update. Other than that, hot-swapping should work.

For beta 4, we're working on:
  • Balancing
  • Improved visuals.
  • New soundtrack.
  • New voice overs.
  • New sound effects.
  • Steam integration. To begin with, only highscores.

We'd love for you to join our community!

Discord: https://discord.gg/9wsFA4Z
Website: https://terrorsquid.ink
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mandarin
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« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2020, 04:09:13 AM »

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michaelplzno
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« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2020, 03:41:36 PM »

I did a similar SHMUP once a while ago so I figured I'd give it a playthrough:



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mandarin
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« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2020, 03:28:20 AM »

Hi Michael!

Awesome that you took the time to make a video feedback! It was super valuable for us to see how you figure out the game. We should do this more often! :D

I see that we seriously need to give players a little more information on how to play. We're principally against tutorials, and will never ever make one. But, we should display the only two buttons you can use during play, in the play UI. And that's one for dashing and one for detonating. The exact keys varies on your input device. They're remappable from the config menu.

If you don't mind, would it be too much to ask for that you record a new video where you figure out how dashing and detonating works? It would be super useful to get insight into how you figure out the game, when you know all the keys. :-)

You're more than welcome to join our Discord server!

In advance, thanks!
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mandarin
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« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2020, 03:35:37 AM »

About your game. We found Don't shoot yourself when we were doing market research for TERROR SQUID. We found it interesting, because it has some similarities to TERROR SQUID. Would you care to share some info on how your game's been selling, how you marketed it and details like that? We can keep it private on email, if you prefer.
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michaelplzno
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« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2020, 04:02:42 PM »

I will try your game again in a bit just because it seems like I missed a big chunk of it!

I don't have any great secrets revealed from DSY. It was launched first on IOS where I did a somewhat innovative offset pointer control system that actually got critiqued pretty harshly by some IOS fans.



I thought this was a good idea: your finger goes on the right side and the controller pointer appears on the left side so that your finger isn't blocking your view. Some of the hardcore IOS fans were not happy about that, so launch week we pushed an update that added a "virtual joystick" which imo was an inferior system but the players wanted it so there ya go.

The game was originally designed to exist in a blog post hence being trapped in a ring. And I was sort of dealing with my own "terror squid" of my IRL environment, Los Angeles, so I can see why there is some connection to it being a bit of a horror idea. But in the end I wanted a colorful upbeat game and even considered making the ending a sort of celebration where there are a ton of other characters waiting to greet you.

In terms of sales, I can say it is my most successful game so far, but my business counterpart has forbidden me from discussing numbers. I teamed up with Ayopa Games who helped me improve the game/ do press outreach/ and communicate with Apple. We were featured on iOS, not the big feature, and then later on my own without Ayopa I made it through steam green light after a long time in limbo. I have yet to include it in any bundles.

I wish I had a magic bullet (that's what I call the 100th bullet in DSY) that would break through the barrier and get you out there. I'll try the thing again but if I had just bought it I would be confused at how the level progression works as you can see from my video. Hope this helps, I'll post my replay when I do it!

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mandarin
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« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2020, 05:46:33 AM »

Thanks! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
After we saw your video, we realized a part of the user interface was disabled. We pushed new builds which enables a legend at the bottom of the screen, giving you hints to which keys can be pressed when, and what they do. You can find the builds at our Discord.

Sounds like the first control system was perfect for the game. Sometimes innovative solutions needs to grow on you in order to appreciate it. If it negatively affects sales, then it’s probably wise to add alternative solutions.

Funny how we’ve worked on such a similar concept, and ended up with completely opposite presentations. :-)

I understand. Judging by the number of reviews on Steam, I assume you had most of your success on iOS. Have you any thoughts on why the game did better on iOS? Was it perceived more as a mobile game than a desktop game? Was it marketed differently?

You kind of have a magic bullet. The horizontal lines in the UI shows a charge. It builds up with each bullet you fire. When the charge is full, the circular lines around the squid starts pulsating. That’s when you can detonate. I won’t explain everything to you, as that might take away the joy of exploring the game. But, we still have more to do on polishing and communication. Thanks for the feedback! It’s super valuable!

Hope you enjoy the latest builds!
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mandarin
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« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2020, 02:00:24 AM »

Today, we worked on the replay functionality, and finally got it working. Or so the tests shows. The main challenge is that recording a play session will happen at a variable frame rate, and so will the playback of the recording. A recording has to be played in the same speed as the recording was recorded. After a few hours of discussing, scribbling and testing different implementations, we nailed it.

Now we need to implement the changes and test it thoroughly on PC, Mac and the Switch. We already have a test setup that automates the process. We simply start the test, and the game will play itself with a simple "AI". These tests runs for at least 12 hours to gather enough data to be able to safely conclude that features are in fact correctly implemented.
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jbarrios
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« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2020, 08:56:52 AM »

Hello mandarin,

I played your game.  I recorded it and my thoughts:


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