Montez - Prototype

edited in Projects
Hi there.
So earlier this week I posted a thread looking to find a pixel artist and some of you suggested that i post the prototype in an early state. And so i said that i will post the game on friday. I have come to a point where I am scared that I may be spending too much time on just a prototype. It has been 2 weeks now since I thought of the core idea so that is a bit long to spend on a project if your not going to finish it. Anyway I have made a level editor for me and my friends to make and share levels but mostly because I like making level editors. So now you can experiment with the concept and upload levels that will be in the final game.

So the game is about (going to be about) these two friends that come accross this mysterious object and when they touch it, they get separated. But the games focus is on the levels/gameplay. So the prime selling point is the fact that the player controls 2 characters instead of 1. So it is kinda a single player coop game.

The levels that are included was just made to test systems. More levels will come.
Also read the NB NB READ FIRST !!!.txt before playing before or after please.

You can download the current build here : linky

Some stuff that would be great to post if you have time:
-Your system specs IF lag was experienced.
-The levels you created.
-Any bugs that is not mentioned in the Known Bugs section of the NB NB READ FIRST !!!.txt file.
-Thoughts of the gameplay mechanic.
-Suggestions on mechanics to add. eg: key and door system

I also need music, but I have a contact in Canada although it would be cool to work with a local guy. So if you want to help out with the game just send me an email at Kobusvdwalt9[at]gmail.com or send an PM.

As an closing sentence just keep in mind this is the result of 2 weeks work. It is still VERY VERY prototypish.

Comments

  • is local musician ktnx :P
  • A new build will be uploaded tomorrow with the first crop of user generated content as well as multiple bug fixes. So if you want your level to be included you better post.
  • If you're keen to get feedback, the most effective way of kicking it off are:

    1. Gameplay video (I use OBS to capture footage, then use iPad's iMovie to edit/do voiceover)
    2. Screenshots!
    3. Specific questions to ask (you have a good start there, and heck the level editor is a really nice touch, but without showing off the mechanic first it seems like a lot of work)

    But honestly I think everyone is just busy right now - me for example I'm going to get my game's playable out tonight if it kills me :P So... Will try it when I can :)
  • THANKS for a reply, But yeah its the community night in cape town so i also think people are busy. I will post some screen shots.
  • And it's leading up to rAge! Lots of work to be done!
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  • Gameplay video will be uploaded later today. I just really need to know if I should consider this as a full game or move on... again...
  • Does anyone have ideas for what to do with the background ? I have been thinking maybe stars but i dont know..
  • edited
    Here is that video :
  • Hah! I really like the core mechanic there, had quite a few "aha" moments as the implications of the setup became clear.

    I do think that as teaching levels, the spike-stairs ones (where you have to use the fact that the top player can keep jumping) could do with just 1 set of the stairs though - you don't want to force players to keep proving that they've just learned the thing you want to teach them, doing it once is enough.

    My favorite level has to be the one with the non-aligned exits though. Smart!
  • Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did when first experimenting with this concept. That was just levels I made of the top of my head to test the systems, so I think there is a lot of room for exploration of this mechanic. But yeah I am leaning towards making this a full game. Shooting for a completion date of December so I should be finished by June 2014...
  • Ok here is the new build. Read the changelog in the Readme.txt to see what bugs have been fixed and what stuff has been added. Linky
  • Whats your plan re levels that might exceed a screen size? Or is that a limitation.

    Any plans on timing puzzles moving things to jump on mobs that walk back and forth that you need to avoid.

    I love the way you can move them off center. The puzzles where you move off center to solve and back again are going to be awesome.
  • Whats your plan re levels that might exceed a screen size? Or is that a limitation.
    If you mean the physical size of the levels then that is a limitation but i feel there is enough space to do even the most crazy of stuff. If you mean the game doesn't scroll with the character its a bug and has to be fixed. The maximum size of the levels are 64x48 tiles. And if you mean that the characters will go out of sight when they are at opposite ends of the vertical screen then I am busy building a system where the screen zooms out to make space for the characters. (ie the farther the two characters from each other the smaller the world gets)
    Any plans on timing puzzles moving things to jump on mobs that walk back and forth that you need to avoid.
    Cool ideas and yes there are plans to include a lot more mechanics.
    I love the way you can move them off center. The puzzles where you move off center to solve and back again are going to be awesome.
    I also thought so.

    Thanks for the kind words and time you spent.
  • I love the mechanic! The video tells the story so well :) Has a Thomas was Alone feeling to it. I'm really no good with designing puzzle levels but I can appreciate it :P

    I somehow feel like a two-player component could work with this, but that's just me, I like the multiplayer engagement :P

    The mechanic also lends itself to some pretty existential themes, which is pretty cool these days (Braid, Thomas was Alone, Limbo, etc)

    Good stuff :)
  • One other option for the characters getting to far apart would be a split screen where each half scrolls independently. That having been said I think the zoom out is cooler.

    Also you could have 'teleporters' like Mario pipes. And buttons that open doors on the other side. Its like you have the opportunity to remake every platform game ever made with a fresh take on it.

    Whatever you final plan is I hope it includes a lvl builder.
  • (he already has a level builder! :P)
    Thanked by 2tbulford tbulford
  • edited
    Well at least a menu item for one :p. Going to downlaod and play a bit.
  • All great suggestions thanks a lot will try to do weekly build updates with user made content (some from me) and when the game releases a story with 4 chapters with 15 levels each will be included.
    I somehow feel like a two-player component could work with this, but that's just me, I like the multiplayer engagement :P
    I was thinking more versus because it would be entirely different from the single player experience (witch coop isn't) can you imagine that (versus) being fun ?
  • That looks quite cool; I especially like the trick of making one character "fly" by repeatedly having the other jump. ^_^
  • I am thinking about more of these character quality sharing mechanics like if one character freezes then the other one also freezes but the game world doesnt freez.
  • So I have to say it is looking really good so far.

    Visually I really like the clean visual aesthetic, and I think with a bit of background star parallax the art would almost feel complete. Though I feel as if there is some kind of pixel interpolation going on that is stoping the game from having a really crisp pixel look.

    The characters are slightly chunky, but nothing really bad. To be honest I am really not seeing the need for an artist here. It looks good!

    ---

    Gameplay:

    I might just be a bit tired, but the continual jumping feels like it took me too long to get. I see how you introduced the jumping one character to fly the other on you can jump, but for some reason it just didn't click with me that that's what I should have done on the next level even though I can see it had good conveyance.

    I kinda stopped playing at this is the hard part since I couldn't really get much further with it.

    But really it is shaping up really well so far.

    ---

    General

    Why do I have to scroll through so many menus to find the levels! I know you want to have the menu structures sorted out for in the end. But when I get to a chapter one menu I kinda assume that is where to start.

    There is an odd kind of bug that if you are really well huddled against a left wall the jump doesn't seem to work that well.

    But overall these are rather minor annoyances for something that is shaping up really well.
  • @Karuji

    Thanks for you time.
    Although you like the visual style I really don't think it is good enough. There is linear interpolation going on good catch. The next version will have fixed that and will include a background that is suitable and better scrolling to characters.

    The chapters will be designed so that they teach you all of the mechanics in the first chapter. Again these levels are not in anyway final they are user levels.

    On the "so many menus" : The game will be updated through development but I didn't want to put the whole game out there so I decided to release the level editor and include all the user made content each month.
    When the game releases the chapters and story will be included as well as good levels.
  • Although you like the visual style I really don't think it is good enough.
    I have to agree, unfortunately or fortunately people are going to judge the game first and foremost on how it looks. I also just for the record am not a big fan of "pixel" art. I feel that good clean crisp art will always look better. On the up side your game probably wont require 1000's of animations.

    Do you have a theme/context for the game. Something that the art style could be drawn from. I actually like the general look of the main characters with the box over there head looking a little like they in some weird space suit.
  • I think a better way to talk about the art is. For what the game is now the art is good enough. I certainly believe that at a point there will be better art in the game, but now is not this point.

    Right now just keep focusing on your mechanics and levels. Get people interested. You have a cool level editor, why not add that people could add their own tile set? I may stand to be correct, but I think this would be a great boon as it will allow people to make art, and when you get an artist it will allow them to rapidly iterate and test their art in the game.

    I mean if there was some tileset I could go and paint stuff over I would likely go and make a set or two just because it has been so long since I did some art that I would think that it would be fun.
  • I'm stupidly busy at the moment, but if you don't mind waiting until December at the earliest, I think I could help out with art. (Assuming more paid game work doesn't keep rolling in and taking priority.)
  • Do you have a theme/context for the game. Something that the art style could be drawn from. I actually like the general look of the main characters with the box over there head looking a little like they in some weird space suit.
    @tbulford
    Well I kind of just figured it should be in space and yes I also like the main characters I really want to keep them in the game perhaps I will make them more distinctive.

    @Karuji
    It would be cool to have "Mod support" like minecraft where the player can paint over the default tileset. This is already possible but it requires a little bit of knowledge. I will look into streamlining the process and then post the instructions here.

    At the moment I am focusing on the mechanics and features. Here is a list of stuff that is done but not bug free that will be included in next sundays release :
    1. Ladders
    2. Slopes
    3. Physics Push/Pull box
    4. Background with stars and planets.
    5. The new scrolling and scaling system as @tbulford suggested. The screen now zooms out when the characters get close to the screen.
    6. Gravity flippers

    I am not sitting around waiting for an artist but it would be nice for someone to join the team.

    @Elyaradine
    Thats a bit long to wait but I will see. If I run out of stuff to do before then I might have to find someone else (If I can) Otherwise it would be great to work with you thanks.
  • I generally like the concept of simultaneous character control, though I admit I was looking forward to a more puzzle-oriented game than a precision dexterity challenge (for example, "figuring out" the level that @dislekcia mentioned felt challenging and clever in the right ways).

    Hopefully when more components are added there will be a move towards this style of play?
  • @Nandrew I am trying to mix these 2 elements at the moment. Sort of like a vvvvvv puzzle game. Or super braid boy. We will see what happens but I do agree the aha moments are a really rewarding motivation mechanism.
  • edited
    Well I have been quiet the last few days and the reason for that is I FOUND AN ARTIST !!! So now we can kick things up a notch. Here is a mockup of the art :
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    We are shooting for a abstract stitchy vibe, I know this is a lot different from the original neon focussed art style but I think this suites it better.

    Tell me what you think>>
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  • edited
    Oh rad :) cool style :) after some staring I figured out those are supposed to be portals, right? But they don't really read like portals, but electric cactus or something :P That's cos I think the background is dark and you got a light outline with dark shape, making it look more like a round cactus shape than a hole in space :)

    But argh I'm getting ahead of you. Still rough! Yeah that's definitely looking cool :) Kinda Castle-Crashery :)

    Though - I have just one thing to add - don't you wanna figure out a theme before doing art? Unless you want to do themeless, kinda anything-goes story/non-story. In which case ok. I just think that if you ever had a different thought about the setting then you'd have to change all the art and that would be a waste of resources.

    And I say figure out a setting because it feels like this mechanic can be quite theme rich. Shadows... Twins... Something.
  • @Kobusvdwalt9 picky side note on the art, I would avoid making the on character the same color as the primary level.
    Thanked by 1Nitrogen
  • edited
    Hi there all you guys.
    So its been a while since I posted something and I just wanted to give you guys a glimpse on what I am working on now.
    So there has been changes tech-wise, I am now using unity 4.3 for development of Montez as its much better performance wise than Construct 2.
    I bloged about it here : http://www.cevianlabs.com/blog.html (also please subscribe to the blog or follow me on twitter as I will notify you when a new post goes up. Kobusvdwalt9)

    This change of engine is the result that the weekly builds have not been uploaded over the last couple of weeks and the first prototype build will only be up in 2 months or so.

    So I just wanted to tell you that work is being continued on Montez and that I will try to get the first playable out as fast as possible.

    @tbulford Suggestion on the art noted.
  • @Kobusvdwalt9 you picked a 2d engine for Unity yet? Rolling your own? Unity has its pluses GUI and 2d not currently ratting amongst them.

    Also you noted your artist wanted shadders. I can only think of one artist here that would want shadders :) sounds like a very unusual guy.
  • unity will support 2D with tons of new features in 4.3 :) not long...
  • Hey guys. Don't know if you noticed but I mentioned that I am using 4.3(I got the beta link) and the 2D workflow fixes all of the problems that we have encountered thus far.
  • edited
    Here is the link for those of you that cant wait ***link removed***
  • Thanks a lot! I'm going to check it out :)
  • Please don't repost the unity beta link apparently it is supposed to be private.
  • Suggest you delete it out then @Kobusvdwalt9
  • Ok so I was wondering if some of the unity geniuses could help me out here. I am having a problem with moving platforms in unity. I have done my research but I found nothing that I could use or understand.
    http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/8207/charactercontroller-falls-through-or-slips-off-mov.html (this was the nearest I could get)

    Ok so I am using a rather long character control script that uses the character controller to move my players. And on the elevator there is a trigger to see if the player is on the elevator. Attached to that trigger is this script :
    var Activator : GameObject;
    var RiseAmount : float = 3f;
    var Rate : float = 0.1;
    
    var Player1 : GameObject;
    var Player2 : GameObject;
    
    private var PlayerOnBoard : boolean = true;
    private var startpos : Vector3;
    
    function Start () {
    	startpos = transform.position;
    	Player1 = GameObject.Find("Player1");
    	Player2 = GameObject.Find("Player2");
    }
    function FixedUpdate () 
    {
    	if (Activator.GetComponent(Pushplate_scr).Active == true)
    	{
    		if (transform.position.y < startpos.y + RiseAmount * transform.localScale.x)
    		{
    			transform.parent.gameObject.transform.position.y += Rate;
    			if (PlayerOnBoard == true)
    			{ 
    				Player1.GetComponent(CharacterController).Move(Vector3(-Player1.GetComponent(Player1Control_scr).SpeedX * Time.deltaTime,Rate,0f));
    			}
    		}
    	}
    	else
    	{
    		if (transform.position.y > startpos.y)
    		{
    			transform.parent.gameObject.gameObject.transform.position.y -= Rate;
    			if (PlayerOnBoard == true)
    			{
    			}
    		}	
    	}
    }
    function OnTriggerEnter (myCol : Collider)
    {
    	if (myCol.gameObject.name == "Player1" || myCol.gameObject.name == "Player2")
    	{
    		PlayerOnBoard = true;
    	}
    }
    function OnTriggerExit (myCol : Collider)
    {
    	if (myCol.gameObject.name == "Player1" || myCol.gameObject.name == "Player2")
    	{
    		PlayerOnBoard = false;


    But the player keeps going through the elevator.
    It would be great if someone could help.
  • edited
    Here is a video of the problem.
  • edited
    when you made the elevator's collider a trigger did you still keep the collider i.e. is the box collider still ticked? Also how are you moving the elevator - with an animation or by changing it's transform.y? if it is with an animation, you could check if you are not changing the z by accident. I am not good with 2d, so it might be that I am misunderstanding your problem. What is suppose to happen when playerOnBoard == true?
  • Uhm, ok so the ellevator is moved via changing its transform.y. I had no luck with any other methods. If you could provide an alternate method it would be great. When playerOnBoard is true the player should move with the elevator upwards.

    This is only in 2d perspective. I am still using the unity physx. So every collider is in 3d as well as the character controller.
  • @Kobusvdwalt9 - Maybe you can make the player's Iskinematic true when he enters the trigger, so that unity ignores his physics and then reactivate it when he exits the triggers. These are guesses at best. I am still very new to Unity myself, so maybe somebody else will have a better suggestion. Won't the character controller move along with the lift automatically when it starts moving without having to tell it to in script .i.e without :

    Player1.GetComponent(CharacterController).Move(Vector3(-Player1.GetComponent(Player1Control_scr).SpeedX * Time.deltaTime,Rate,0f));
  • edited
    @FanieG No, thats the problem. Sometimes it moves through the elevator.
  • @Kobusvdwalt9 - Oh, I see. Does your Character Controller have a rigidbody attached to it? Then you could try playing around with the IsKinematic property to see if it stops it from falling through the lift.
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