Physics Cubies from Outer space (working title)
**Before I pitch the new game**
Just some advice that I found helpful and feel that other new devs/hobbiest can learn from. People often ask what is the best Engine to start in (unity/GM etc) and the answer from all the experienced people is always the same : try them all and then use the one you like the most/feel most comfortable in. But @dislekcia recently added something to that advice:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ah3j9yi66y52478/Skk8vfS9ra
As mentioned above it came from a tutorial, which I started tweaking.
Controls:
WASD = movement
Mouse = look
Left mouse button = Interact/pick up/drop cubes
space = jump
P button = Reload level
GOAL = reach the green portal
First 4 stages are "tutorial" like and a bit boring. Stages 5 & 6 is better. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Just some advice that I found helpful and feel that other new devs/hobbiest can learn from. People often ask what is the best Engine to start in (unity/GM etc) and the answer from all the experienced people is always the same : try them all and then use the one you like the most/feel most comfortable in. But @dislekcia recently added something to that advice:
That is where this project came from. Also, we sometimes get hung up on what language or engine to use, and it really isn't important. Use whatever you need/can use in order to make a game. That is why this community exists is it not? - TO MAKE GAMES. So here's my new project.see which one you end up tweaking the tutorial games in
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ah3j9yi66y52478/Skk8vfS9ra
As mentioned above it came from a tutorial, which I started tweaking.
Controls:
WASD = movement
Mouse = look
Left mouse button = Interact/pick up/drop cubes
space = jump
P button = Reload level
GOAL = reach the green portal
First 4 stages are "tutorial" like and a bit boring. Stages 5 & 6 is better. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Comments
I'll try running it with both files downloaded to my computer, I intend, but it might be a good idea to try to get the html file to simply open from Dropbox. Are the files in a sub-folder of your public folder? If not, try that -- it might allow one to open the html page from there.
First, it seems like a decent concept. ^_^
I do have a few critiques:
* The spaces feel a little big at the moment, and traversing them feels a little slow; I'm inclined to suggest either making them smaller or -- perhaps better -- making the player faster.
* It might be a good idea to have the blocks that the player can pick up collide with scenery physics objects: at the moment it's quite possible to have the physics do some odd things by dropping a box into a piece of scenery, and enabling collisions might help the player to "feel" proximity to floating scenery.
* I think that I'd like the interaction distance to increase a bit, allowing me to grab boxes from a little further away.
* It might be a good idea to have some means of telling the player that they're close enough to an object to interact -- perhaps something as simple as change the size of the targeting dot.
[edit] Oh, one more thing, sorry:
* This may have been something that I did, but it seems that the cursor isn't locked into the play area. This means that every so often it leaves the plugin region as a result of my turnings about, and thus clicks no longer have effect until I bring it back in. If you're already doing something about this, then don't worry too much about it -- as I said, it could be something that I did. If not, does Unity have some means of forcing the mouse to stay at the centre of the screen? If so, I recommend using that, and if not look for a means to warp the mouse cursor the the centre of the screen after using its offset for turning.
1) I will increase the move speed of the player. Totally agree that the speed is a bit too slow.
2) Problem with the blocks are, that once you have picked them up they become Kinematic (so unity basically ignores their Rigidbodies) so that they can rotate with the fps controller, so I am not sure how I can work around this. More research on my part is needed, but if anybody have got some hints for me, it would be greatly appreciated.
3) Will increase the interaction distance a bit for the next build.
4) I have a "you're looking at a..." script that I can employ here, which will be able to tell you what you are looking at when you look at something. Also like the idea of the reticle changing..Mmmm maybe colour instead of size...but thanks for the hint.
5) I have been struggling quite a bit with this issue over the last 2 days (thanks to @Rigormortis for the advice so far). So far my only solution has been to run the game in full screen (Windows build). It is better now in windowed mode thanks to the advice I received (where it removes the mouse cursor from the playable window space), but still not completely fixed. I will research more.
This again proves the importance of posting prototypes here early and often. Really valuable feedback that will help me make my game more fun.
1) On the size. As I played it it feels a bit like a series of fetch quests in any of the Elder Scrolls games... They're long and unnecessarily drawn out. Whereas those games had other side quests, enemies, treasures, etc, to entertain/obstruct you on the way, this feels like you're just... Getting there. I'd take a cue from Portal regarding this - their stages are typically small, with the player being able to easily see much of the puzzle, concentrate on the thinking of the puzzle, think of something, and quickly act on that thought (it's like prototyping), instead of waaaaaallllkkkkingggg theeeerrrrre. So it's both in the player's move speed AND the level's size, AND the movement speed of the objects - for example, missing one of those lift things is SUPER painful cos now you have to wait for it to get to the top then come back down. It really diminishes the drive to solve. Make the level as small as is necessary for the mechanic to work. The magic comes in the solving, not the getting there. The more quickly the player can try and try again the more fun it is.
2) Then the blocks - yeah if they can bump into things it'll just feel more alive, though for prototyping purposes I think they're fine. The mouse locking is kinda important though. I had the same problem with my game, and found a script that could set the mouse's pointer location, so maybe try see if can find that - I locked the mouse location to dead centre, then immediately set the view to change according to the mouse's X and Y relative to centre - then it loops, and the game is constantly getting the mouse's X and Y, setting the view, then putting the mouse back to centre. Of course you'd need an esc to give the pointer back to the player (and on-screen prompt to say so, like ESC:"menu" or something).
3) Initially, I wasn't sure what any of the stuff meant, and that kinda goes with the expectation of the visual communication. Is there any reason why the coloured areas aren't, say, buttons or pressure plates on the floor, whether big ones or small ones, that you put the right colour block on? What I mean is - does it have to be a coloured area? Because that doesn't as immediately communicate "this is where that block fits". Of course if you plan to have that mechanic (large area for the block to target) mean something, sure. But I think it'll benefit from some kind of visual tweak to enhance understanding. Again, look at Portal. They did a very good job of their visual communication and player understanding with colours and signage.
4) Oh, especially since the bridge is ALSO the same as the area to put the block in. It's very easy to misunderstand and try to put the block in the coloured block where the bridge is instead of the trigger area. The trigger and the result needs to be visually distinct. Maybe the affected item has a dotted outline, or something.
5) There's a bit of a metrovania sort of progression going on, which is nice - I gotta get this to access that, and once I access that this bit is now different then I can do that, etc. The more it intertwines (like the bit where the yellow lift both reveals a new route and becomes a lift to a new area) the better.
6) It would be nice for these things to have a bit of flavour to them. It's a mechanical prototype so that's alright, but give the flavour and theme a think - don't front-row it, but keep it in mind :)
7) Oh and close up the gaps - it's quite irritating when I set the block in the right place, walk right back to the bridge, and fall to the ground cos I didn't realise the gap that was there was big enough to fall through. I mean, I made the bridge, why're you punishing me for not jumping when there's a bridge?! :P
Got potential :) Good luck with it! :)
1) As per my feedback to @Thaumaturge - I agree with the pacing issue, due to size and speed of levels. I think the speed is the bigger issue as I am sure that when i start fleshing out the theme of the game, I will be able to make use of the extra space I created now (have some additional ideas in mind - which can be seen as side quests of sorts & also enemy AI will be introduced at some point in the future). That being said I will keep it in mind not to make the areas too big (know level 6 is way out of proportion, but really wanted to show off the large pin ball wall thing).
2) Will post next build as a full screen version to eliminate the mouse locking issue.
3,4 & 6) This will be corrected when I start working on the theme/graphics. They are only coloured areas now so that I can sort out the planning of the puzzles first. When all my stages of done I will move over to designing better models for everything. I will at least make an effort to better communicate what is a trigger and what is a level object(bridge etc) for now, but won't focus on anything graphical until the levels are complete. This is due to time constraints (have a day job) and because i am not much of an artist for another thing. I think it is still too early to worry about flavour/theme, but your feedback is valid and valued. Watch this space.
7) Gaps will be closed. Rushed the last 2 levels as I wanted to post as soon as possible (had an off day today, but then working for 2 weeks straight before next off day). This way I at least have something to consider during breaks at work and will be able to use the little bit of time I have with the game as well as possible. So thank you for giving me something to think about and for saving me a ton of time.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/go0g7ribfitrbbi/MBMf_Uckcs
Changes include:
Enemies have pathfinding route
Enemies have a very basic animation.
enemies will turn and attack once they can see you
Enemies will deal damage when close enough (will turn red to indicate this)
You now have health (top left corner of screen) if reach zero you die and have to redo stage.
Bullets will apply bulletholes and particle effects to surfaces when hit (enemies and walls)
Health potions are now available to pick up, by simply moving over them.
Left click is now shoot button and right click is to pick up cubes.
There is a lot more to do (don't want to list ALL of the work left here). Started with the AI to better utilise large spaces in further levels, so that player no longer feels like they are simply waaaaalllllkiiiiinnggg to get there. Let me know what you guys think.