Riders of Asgard (Prototype)(Playable version now up!)

karl182

Hi Everyone.

This is a game I've been working on in my spare time for the last few months. I initially made it just as something fun for myself but I would like to share it with you, and would love to get some feedback/criticism/ideas if you have any.
It is a Viking BMX game, and you ride on a 2D lane like the Trials games, except there are more than one lane that you can thansfer between, and you can also turn around and go back and forth in the level. Making it a Viking themed game, allowed me to try some other gameplay mechanics, like gliding with your shield and reaching places that you otherwise could not.
This also added a bit of a platformer feel to the game that I would like to explore more.

Windows version:

I would really love to get some feedback on the gameplay and everything else that you can think of.
I've got a few sounds in, and a piece of music. I lost a lot of my original music I made for this to a corrupted file and remade this little piece to give an idea of the feel, but it may get monotonous so you can turn music off and on with 'M'.
And when you crash, enjoy the rider seeing his behind, and then press Backspace or the B button on a controller to reset.

Download link:
https://dropbox.com/s/jkq0o9in1tyds71/RidersOfAsgardv0.0.1.7z?dl=0

Link to ZIP file just in case someone prefers it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qxsc2ksudrx8n8b/RidersOfAsgardv0.0.1.zip?dl=0

Thanks a lot in advance for trying it out!
EDIT:

A few tips for anyone wanting to try is out:
- The right trigger(Accelerate/dive) should be released just before you leave the ramp, as you will then do a Bunnyhop and gain more height.
-Also press the right trigger again when you are at your highest point in the air, as this will make you dive down faster and gain speed.
-The Right Stick is used to do tricks in the air, but when you are on the ground, you select the transfer direction.
So when you are on the ground and push the stick down, the down arrow will appear at the bottom left, and you will transfer towards the camera the next time you leave the ground.
-If you push the stick left or right while on the ground, your rider will transfer over the edge of a halfpipe or quarter pipe(if it is possible)
-These transfer direction can also be set, in the same way, using the D-pad on your controller, or the numpad on the keyboard.

Please let me know if you are struggling with anything, and I will be more than happy to help! :)



The Game started out as a simple rolling-ball skatepark game, as I was in the mood for a skating or bmx game, and the Tony Hawk games of late were pretty disappointing.


I really enjoyed getting all the physics and controls working, and making it feel good.

After getting the ball rolling(pun intended…), I wanted to make it feel more like a BMX game, so I needed a new model.
I put one together with simple shapes, and it immediately made the game feel much cooler.
You could spin around and flip forward and backward.


After playing around with this little blocky guy for a while, I wanted to learn how to import 3d models and use them in game.(Everything up to this point where just BSP shapes)
So I found a 3d model of a bmx and managed to get that into the game.
I also learned a little bit about blender and made a Halfpipe to ride in, and added some assets from the Free Infinty Blade collection released on Unreal MarketPlace,
just to see how that would work.


I then wanted to add a rider on to the bmx to try and add tricks.
So I got a blue clay looking rig online and put it in there. I also learned how to animate it in Blender and import the animation into Unreal.
This added a whole lot to the feel of the game and it was fun jumping riding and jumping in the Halfpipe.
I then decided to try my hand at making my own little guy to ride the bmx.



After playing around a bit more and fine tuning controls and physics, I somehow decided to try and make
it a Viking Themed BMX game.
So I changed the character to a little Viking guy, and also made a Viking BMX for him to ride.



My wife got me a cool asset pack on the Marketplace for Christmas, that suited the style I am going for perfectly.
So I made a new level and started adding more gameplay elements and tricks and stuff.





Thanks for taking a look! :)
I know it's hard to judge the gameplay without actually playing it, and I will make video and a playable version available as soon as possible.

Have an awesome day!

Karl

Boysano

Looks neat!

quintond

Game looks very cool. I love the progression you made ... now get the sound in and make it playable already ... 8-p

Let me know if you need help packaging and stuff on Unreal. 8-}

petrc

Nice. I can't wait to play it.

karl182

Thanks @Boysano, @quintond and @petrc! :)
I am going to try and have a packaged version ready over the weekend and capture some footage!
Will keep you updated! :)
It is currently focused toward xbox controls, but I am trying out some keyboard layouts as well.

Bernard

For some reason I thought combat would be nice in the future, perhaps out of line of what you are intending for the game. I just imagined riding past evil vikings and hacking at them as you pass just before doing another epic trick. I know it's too early to be thinking about that, just a thought.

karl182

@Bernard Oooh that may just be an awesome idea!! (If I can implement it well) I was planning on bringing in some Platformer Elements and this could be super awesome! Thanks for the idea man! I really appreciate it! :)
Karl

karl182

Hi Everyone!

I have captured a quick gameplay video, just to give you a better idea of the gameplay.
I promise to have a playable version ready this week! :D
Please have a look when you have a minute!(it's only a minute) :)

Have a great day!

Karl

Mexicanopiumdog

This is rad! I agree with @Bernard that bringing in some barbaric-mid-air slashing action would make this game so much fun! You could maybe think about even gearing out the bike to be THE weapon, which you can spin and fling around in different ways to get points and REK things. The particles in the air are pretty and it seems you already have a significant amount of polish on this - I would love to see more!

quintond

This is flipping awesome ... I love it ... I think the game is flipping cool. Your concept is unique and the game play looks fantastic ... my favourite part is the bailing at the end ... love it.

Not convinced about the combat part considering you initially started the game as a BMX trick game and not necessarily a combat game ... but if you can pull it off then it would be cool.

I would probably look at a trick only game play and then maybe a versus game play where you use the bike as a weapon and try to take your opponents out on a track while trying to rack up the most style points. *shrug*

Can't wait until you start adding your audio .,. it is going to be killer. 8-}

Denzil

I'm personally not a big fan of skate-boarding games that much, or things that slightly resemble sport :) But I have to say, that this looks brilliantly executed. The art and style looks ridiculously fantastic and I'm quite drawn to it. Well done!! Looking forward to the demo :)

karl182

@Mexicanopiumdog and @quintond thanks a lot for the feedback. I've been thinking a lot and I would love to implement more stuff to make the viking theme more than just a visual thing, but I also want to be careful not to lose the core bmx gameplay. I want the game to have that pick-up-and-play-a-quick-2minute-session appeal, and also have a deeper more unique side to it.
I have been thinking a lot about multiplayer and I would love to implement local multiplayer as well. The fighting that @Bernard and @Mexicanopiumdog mentioned could work really well for multiplayer then, as @quintond said.
Mmm you guys have given me a lot to think about now!
Thanks a lot!! :)

@Denzil Thank you very much! I would love to have people who aren't really sports game fans to be drawn to this as well so I am pleased to hear that it looks interesting to you as well.
I would love to have the Bmx mechanics at such a standard where it feels natural to both sports game fans and non-sports game fans, and even real bmx'ers. I used to ride bmx when I was younger and I am trying to capture that awesome feeling of working with physics to do cool tricks and fly through the air. :)

Thank you all very much for all the feedback so far!

Karl

farsicon

+1 for local multiplayer brawling (could also be like a tricks dance-off, with the possibility of hampering the opponent). Some co-op or racing style gameplay would also be awesome!

Well done with this, man. Love the way you are sharing your progress!

Denzil

@karl182 I just realised I said skate-boarding, derp :P Just shows you how little I know about these kinds of things :D That is a skateboard, right?

quintond

Denzil said:

@karl182 I just realised I said skate-boarding, derp :P Just shows you how little I know about these kinds of things :D That is a skateboard, right?

Nope ... it is a Viking BMX ... the Asgardian 2000 ... with the all new and improved studded wheel hubs, 8-}

karl182

@Delzil Haha nice I didn't even notice! I've got a suspicion that I may be slightly dyslexic...
@quintond seem to have done his homework! That is in fact modeled after the Asgardian 2000. I tried to get it as historically correct as possible! :)

karl182

@farsicon thanks a lot! I really appreciate the input! I was also thinking about of a race mode, and maybe implementing trick attacks or special meter boosting or something like that. You guys are giving me so many new ideas that can be really awesome!
Thanks again!

Karl

konman

@karl182 It ain't a proper BMX unless there's that peg and cardboard on the back wheel that makes it go... Brrrrrrrmmmmmm.

PS: I have also just broken a personal rule by commenting on a prototype before a playable demo is available. Damn me!

karl182

@konman Haha classic, I remember the cardboard trick!! :)

Thanks man I am working hard to get the demo ready and I should be able to upload it tomorrow!

Have an awesome evening and check back tomorrow morning! :)

Karl

karl182

Will 7zip be a problem for anyone?
I can get the game at it's smallest using 7zip.
I think winrar can unpack it as well if I am not mistaken?

karl182

Good morning.
I am finishing up the first build, just trying to get the sounds in and working correctly.
I am hoping to have it up later today. :)
Here's a screenshot of the first attempt at a main menu and logo so long:

Have an awesome day everyone!

Karl

Mexicanopiumdog

Looking good! 7zip and winrar are both fine.

quintond

@karl182 -- The menu is looking good man. I like it. 8-}

Zaphire

This is really looking good! Hope it will come out on mobile because that is where I play most games similar to this one :D

karl182

Thanks @Mexicanopiumdog, @quintond and @zaphire!
I am definitely looking at mobile at a later stage and have even exported it to android because I was curious. I looked good but is not playable because no touch controls are set up yet.

karl182

Hi Everyone!
I finally got the Playable version ready and uploaded for you all to try! :)
You can just download, extract and play. Any updates and changes I make will be made available as small patches so you don't have to worry about downloading a new version of the game every time.

I would really love to get some feedback on the gameplay and everything else that you can think of.
I've got a few sounds in, and a piece of music. I lost a lot of my original music I made for this to a corrupted file and remade this little piece to give an idea of the feel, but it may get monotonous so you can turn music off and on with 'M'.
And when you crash, enjoy the rider seeing his behind, and then press Backspace or the B button on a controller to reset.

Download link:
https://dropbox.com/s/jkq0o9in1tyds71/RidersOfAsgardv0.0.1.7z?dl=0

Thanks a lot in advance for trying it out!

Have an awesome day!

Karl

karl182

Hi All! :)
Here's the current control layout in case anyone wanted to look at it so long.

konman

@karl182 Thanks for sharing your playable demo.

I fired it up and had quite a lot of fun with this. I started out playing with the controller, but then switched to the keyboard. I would prefer the keys to be near the WASD config as it feels more natural there. A key binding option would be ace in the future as well. There's a lot of keys to consider and I needed both hands on the keyboard.

I found the game pretty difficult to start with. I think it's just me though... I figured out how to switch the rider's weight around while in the air and I could feel myself improving with every minute. The moves look very slick and it feels good pulling off a stunt and landing on your wheels instead of on your face. :) I wanted to see if I could separate the bmx from the rider as much as possible, for the most insane wipe-out.

I switched the music off after a few minutes. Glad I did, because I could hear the wheels on the track which sounds pretty cool.

I really wanted to go and explore the rest of the track as well, but found it too hard to leave the initial half-pipe. I did manage to do it once, but wiped as I cleared a water jump. The wipe-outs are very funny and one can't help to cringe in empathy. Maybe as a start, let the player ride the terrain before having them drop into the half-pipe a bit further down the road?

Overall the game looks very polished! I like all the prop objects in the distance and the trees blowing in the wind is very pretty.

There's a lot of mechanics that you could still add. In the current form the riding and tricks might get a bit stale after awhile.
Also having the player auto start after a wipe instead of having to hit a restart button each time might improve the flow?

It could be cool to be able to steer the bike farther and closer to the screen on the pipe if that makes sense? Not sure how to do the trick where you transition from the back pipe to the front one like demo'ed in the video.

I think the game could benefit from having things to pickup, speed boosts, objects in the air - maybe try and hit a bird etc.
There used to be an arcade game called Wonderboy, where you ride on a skateboard, pickup items, avoid hazards etc. Something in that vein might be fun... anyways, just some random thoughts.

Overall I am very impressed by what you have created so far. Good luck with the next phase ;)

karl182

@konman Thank you very much for trying it out and for all you valuable feedback!

I thought that I might be throwing players into the deep end, with no tutorials or anything. My Bad! :)
I think this level actually turned out a little too advanced to start with, as it was actually built to test the different mechanics as they were added, and test out the feel and aesthetics I am going for.
It would probably be a good idea to have simple maps to start with, so that the player can be introduced to each mechanic one at a time.

I don't have a clue how to make a key remapping system yet, but I am sure someone somewhere will know! :)

I am definitely going to add challenges and pickups(like stat points to upgrade your rider, among other things) to the levels, to give the player something to do. :)

Thank you very much for the feedback!

I really appreciate it!

A few tips for anyone wanting to try is out:
- The right trigger(Accelerate/dive) should be released just before you leave the ramp, as you will then do a Bunnyhop and gain more height.
-Also press the right trigger again when you are at your highest point in the air, as this will make you dive down faster and gain speed.
-The Right Stick is used to do tricks in the air, but when you are on the ground, you select the transfer direction.
So when you are on the ground and push the stick down, the down arrow will appear at the bottom left, and you will transfer towards the camera the next time you leave the ground.
-If you push the stick left or right while on the ground, your rider will transfer over the edge of a halfpipe or quarter pipe(if it is possible)
-These transfer direction can also be set, in the same way, using the D-pad on your controller, or the numpad on the keyboard.

Sorry for only posting this now.
If you have any questions please let me know and I will be more than happy to help.
This will also help me to know what I need to focus on to make everything easier to understand.

Thanks again!
Have an awesome day!

Karl

quintond

@karl182: I will sort out the key-remapping system ... don't stress about that. 8-}

karl182

@quintond Awesome thanks man! I was going to ask you if you knew how it works!:)

quintond

karl182 said:

@quintond Awesome thanks man! I was going to ask you if you knew how it works!:)

I'll sort you out with all the UE4 things ... you just keep making the visuals and sounds awesome. I will sort out the Trello Board and the Gitlab Repo for us today. 8-}

karl182

@quintond Thank you very much! You are going to have a heart attack when you see my blueprint...it's a bittle bit of a mess. :0 I will try and organize it a little.

pieter

Hey @karl182, I was a big fan of Tony Hawk back in the day, and I also played the first three SXX games to death (Platinum medals as far as the eye could see). So I was really amped to try out your game.

After paying Riders of Asgard for about 30 minutes, here are a few of my thoughts:

1.) The game look beautiful. It's not often you'll see a prototype with graphics this polished. Absolutely loved that it had controller support, otherwise my fingers would have been in knots by now. Well done on all fronts.

2.) When I jumped at the apex of the first halfpipe and spun left or right and did nothing else, the back wheel of my bike almost always clipped the edge of the halfpipe making me fall. The problem is that it didn't look as though it should have happened. Coming down it seemed as though I should have landed perfectly on the ramp. You should really look at making this more lenient as this is the first thing all new players will want to do when they start your game. It sets up the feeling for the rest of the game, and you don't want players to get frustrated this early into it.

3.) Rotating the character in the air feels very sluggish (front and back flips). Getting the flip started is fine, but then the character gets so much spinning momentum that it becomes hard to level them out before they land. SXX had a sort of auto levelling out system, aligning the player with the surface below them when the player wasn't pushing any directions. I think Riders of Asgard would benefit greatly from having something similar.

4.) I struggled crossing from one ramp to the next (left to right) using left and right on the D-pad. It just never got far enough across to land safely on the other side of the ramp. Do I have to continuously hold left or right, or can I just tap them like with moving up and down between ramps?

5.) I like the variety of tricks and combinations already in the game, and for a first stage is has a decent size with some interesting areas to visit.

6.) Adding in some one time score multipliers over certain gaps would give players incentive to explore past the first halfpipe and see the rest of the stage.

I managed a score of about 15 000 pts in a performance far less gracious than yours :) I really feel this could be a lot of fun once some of the rough edges have been polished.

karl182

Hi @pieter!
Thank you very much for trying it out! I am a really big fan of the Tony Hawk games, and used to play SSX Tricky and SSX On Tour a lot back on PS2! :)

I think the aesthetic of the game in very important to attract non-sportgame fans, and also adds some cool options for more fantastical elements as well. I am really glad people like the look and feel as a lot of thought has gone into getting to where it is now. :)

The steep difficulty curve is something that has been mentioned by quite a few people, and the back wheel catching the lip of the ramp seems to be a common problem. I do however know just how to fix it and it will be sorted out in the first update! :)
I think this map is pretty difficult because it mainly evolved to test out various mechanics and figure out the look and feel.
We will definitely be making a few simpler levels to ease the player into game one mechanic at a time.

I will look into the auto leveling you mentioned as it could make the game a bit easier. I just want to be careful not to sacrifice depth in order to make it easier, but if we can find the sweet spot it would be awesome! :)

As for incentive to visit the whole level, we are planning to ad challenges for the player, and also pickups to collect, like stat points to upgrade your player and maybe even gold or something to buy upgrades and customize your character. But your idea for score multipliers is a good one and we will look into that for sure! :)

Wow 15 000 is very respectable! well done! :)

Thanks again for your valuable feedback and taking time with the game! :)
I really appreciate it and we will be looking into and trying out each of your suggestions for sure! :)

Have an awesome evening!

Karl

quintond

@karl182: We can make the auto-leveling a difficulty setting in the game. This way veterans can switch it off for the extra challenge. Just a thought. 8-}

I have created the Trello boards and added the repo to our Gitlab Server. 8-}

karl182

@quintond cool I think that is an awesome Idea!
Thanks a lot man I will check it all out tomorrow morning first thing! :)
Have an awesome evening!

Karl

roguecode

Some feedback from playing the game at the meetup:

- Graphics are great, DOF adds a lot
- When things come in front of the camera they go semi-transparent, but that transparency has weird grain. That bothers me and I'm not sure why.
- Controller support is a winner, and I wouldn't consider playing with a keyboard.
- In Trials, leaning forward and back makes the player move on the bike considerably and gives it a real feeling of weight. I think that is some juice worth working on.
- I know you're working on sound, but you should really bring out the floor sounds over the music. It's was really cool how the audio changed as the wheels go over different surfaces.
- I'm *not* a Tony Hawk/BMX game fan. I am a massive Trails fan. Because of that, naturally I'm going to say that the progression of getting to the end of the track is what would drive me, not getting points on a single halfpipe. However that might be against the goal of the game, so ignore me.

Oh, and 15 000? Pffft, I got like 45k or something in a single trick. @quintond you got a pic didn't you?

quintond

@roguecode: Sorry man, I looked away from the screen when that happened so I think I missed it. 8-p

@karl182: There is nothing stopping us adding different game modes, I guess we just need to prioritise on the Trello board what we can do before the next phase. 8-}

karl182

Good morning!
@roguecode thank you very much for the feedback!
I had some trouble making the objects go transparent in the beginning but, after learning a lot i will revisit it and hopefully get them fading out smoothly! :)
We will definitely look into getting the weight feeling nicer like you suggested! I am also a huge Trials fan and I know exactly what you mean! :D
I have already adjusted the audio levels and you will be able to hear everything much nicer in the next update! :)
45k!?! well done sir! I think you may have beaten me at my own game! :0

@quintond I think the game modes are a good idea, and we can even try different track types in the campaign. Maybe have some timed courses, some where you may not crash at all.
I will get on the trello board today and we can start planning everything.

Thanks again for all the feedback!
You guys are awesome!

Karl

roguecode

@karl182 I was kidding. There was a bug that kept me mid-air slammed against the side of the halfpipe, so I could do tricks forever.

karl182

@roguecode haha wow you had me worried there for a second! :)

quintond

@karl182: Handed it to some colleagues here at work ... they played it for their entire lunch time ... each one trying to outdo the other one with tricks. Even the boss got involved ... was the funniest thing ever to watch. 8-}

karl182

@quintond Haha awesome! Thanks Quinton! I am glad they liked it! I think one of the things we can focus on, is to get this element of "Party-play" as fun as possible!

karl182

Hi Everyone.
We are hard at work getting all the changes, fixes and suggestions implemented in the game.
I just saw this and thought I would share it with you all.
Riders of Asgard got featured on the homepage of IndieDB.



Have an awesome day!

Karl

TheFuntastic

Massive Tony Hawk fan here, so when I saw the level of polish I decided to take this for a spin.

First off, well done on the graphics, the look and feel is awesome so far! However, this creates a large disconnect that makes me concerned it would be difficult to sell the game:

I think the aesthetic of the game in very important to attract non-sportgame fans, and also adds some cool options for more fantastical elements as well

Let's call non-sportgame fans "casual" - my impression going in was that this would be a casual experience, not a hardcore BMX sim where just figuring out how to drop in took the better part of 5 minutes. It's clear you're stoked about the subject matter, but I would hate for you to pour loads of effort into this only to get slaughtered by reviews of people who don't understand what this game is about. I think if you're going to be keeping the ultra difficult controls, the only way I could see it appealing to a wider audience is if the humour factor of failing was rewarding (ie the internet loves funny fail generators).

quintond

@TheFuntastic: We are currently working on a tutorial and a easy/difficult game setting that will hopefully address your concerns.

Thanks for the feedback and we will post updates when they are ready. 8-}

karl182

@TheFuntastic Thank you very much for trying it out and for your valuable feedback! :)
The difficulty and accessibility are things we have been looking at closely lately, as it came up a lot during play tests by a wide variety of people.
As @quintond mentioned we are working on an in depth tutorial, and a difficulty system that will allow us do have some assists in place to help the player.
The feedback so far has been invaluable and we really appreciate it!
Thanks to every one for taking the time to help us out.

Karl