So for the past few days I’ve been working on an Atari-like side scroller with some modern convictions (particle systems for example). It’s nothing too advanced, but I’m having fun making it and might dedicate full-time to finishing it. As such I need thoughts on how the current game is, and how I can improve it. I know that it does lack music though.
So, if you’re interested, click the below picture to launch the webplayer game.
Removed
UPDATE [12/29/10]:
The game received a colorful graphical overhaul to visually enhance the scenery.
Added a fifth level.
Added coins, which don’t have any overall purpose yet until later in the game.
Added an options menu [Note - only affects stand alone client]
Hitting “ESC” in-game will send you back to the main menu. Hitting it in the main menu displays a quit dialogue window
Added the ability to change direction mid-air.
Added the ability to skip all cut-scenes by pressing “Enter” twice.
Are you talking about the random capital letters (which, in my honest opinion, are pretty obviously intentional)? I was trying to go for a somewhat robotic-tone to things, as this isn’t a person instructing you on what to do. It’s meant to be an automated voice system. As such, if you were to take any voice synthesizer out right now, it’d probably tend to emphasize random parts of words. That’s what I was going for, but if no one ever catches on to that naturally, I’ll just drop it.
Here is the dialogue directly copy/pasted from the game, then converted to lower-case so you can put them in any word editor and see that the only wrong word is “metanetrons”, which I made up.
So, if it truly is showing up wrong for you, I have no clue why. The only thing I can think of is that I compiled this on Windows and you’re on Macs. I’ll have to test this on my Macbook Pro just to see.
Edit: Yep, it’s doing this on my Macbook Pro. Very weird bug. I wonder if it does the same thing if I make the game stand-alone and not browser-based.
Edit x2: Still happens with the stand alone. That is the weirdest thing x.x I guess if I ever want to release this for OS X, I’ll need to compile the game on OS X.
A teletype label script is a fairly basic thing, unless you’re doing it in a funky way instead of appending to a single label. Without knowing your implementation details I haven’t a clue why there would be a platform difference.
I used a looping array, set to add +1 letter every 0.1 seconds.
What I used is a bit more complex than that (as mine checks when the sentence is done being written, then executes another command), but that’s the basis of it.
Off-topic (since I know this thread is about your spelling): I like the game, very challenging. Took me a bit to realize that the bombs pushed you not only up and down by side to side…only made it to the fourth level. Gave up about about six tries…that stupid third bomb jump is tricky!
I found it a bit frustrating that there’s no character control when you’re jumping, really makes it tough, but I guess that’s what you’re going for. Graphics are nice and moody.
You aren’t off topic! The text issue is the result of a weird bug for Unity OS X. If you have a spare Windows machine lying around, launch the game up in it. You’ll see the text display properly.
Anyhow, the fourth level is currently the last level. It’s meant to further reinforce the bomb jumps and teach the player how to utilize them better. I’ve considered giving the player control of their direction mid-flight, but I wanted to emphasize using the bombs skillfully to make the jump.
Alright, I think the issue was due to (A) the font size, (B) the line spacing. I decreased the font size of the text from 16 pts to 14pts, loaded up the player on my Macbook Pro and the issue seems to no longer occur. Can anyone else verify this?
