Ten Second Samurai by davvblack

[raw]
made by davvblack for LD27 (JAM)
We created a hybrid puzzle/fighting game for the theme. The concept is that you play as a samurai from feudal japan. You are notoriously powerful because you can predict enemy actions 10 seconds in advance, and react to them very easily.

http://madleedesign.com/projects/tensecondsamurai/

To create this game, we used only raw javascript, no frameworks of any sort (out of some sense of samurai-like honor/nobility.)

There were also many sprites created on sunday, but we couldn't get them integrated/registered in time and we sadly had to scrap them:

http://madleedesign.com/misc/tenseconds/samurai2.html

General gameplay:

Almost every key on the keyboard is a control. Each of the four rows of keys (1-0, q-p, a-;, z-/) is a type of move: High Attack, High Block, Low Attack, Low Block respectively. The further right on the keyboard you press the key, the cheaper the move is to queue, and it goes to a corresponding part of the move queue. The further left the key you press is, the more expensive it is, but the less time the enemy has to react to it (and the more time you had to react to the enemy).

There are a few other nice little features: Blocking stance stays so long as you don't take damage. To break someone's block, you can stack multiple attacks into one big power attack. This also staggers them, reducing their damage somewhat for a few seconds. Another way to stagger the enemy is to start a new block (not the same stance you are already in) exactly when that type of attack arrives. It takes some skill, but has tremendous strategic benefits.

We have 10 unique opponents, each with their own AI/fighting style, so hopefully you enjoy our little game :)

Feedback

Mclogenog
27. Aug 2013 · 20:13 UTC
I've tried giving this a go twice, but I'm too confused by the controls and the interface. Maybe it would be clearer if the wide variety of block and attack types were introduced more gradually, so that it started out more like rock paper scissors, and then became as complex as its current form over time? The predictive gameplay seems like an interesting idea with a lot of potential, turning something reflexive into a pure strategy game and lowering the required skill for entry, but right now it's just too confusing.
whiteravens
28. Aug 2013 · 06:06 UTC
I really have no idea what is going on, and how to play it, sorry :(
nathanhoffer
30. Aug 2013 · 03:36 UTC
Also sorry.. confused. Looks good, but unsure.
acro
01. Sep 2013 · 01:28 UTC
The stylised graphics look kinda cool, but... the overall design doesn't work as it is. Well done for trying something bold and different, I really mean that. If I may offer some observations - the problem I had is that there's no clear correlation between the keys I press and what's happening on screen. The "camera" moves to follow the lurching motions between the two combatants, but this constant motion means I don't know when I've done something by hitting a key, or whether it would have happened anyway. This is more of a problem than it might be, because I can't tell which combatant I'm meant to be, so I have no sense of what I'm actually controlling. I can guess one of the red bars is my health (I think it was the top one?) and a blue bar is my stamina (top right?). I'm still not sure about that, but the blue stamina bar seemed to have the most immediate change when I pressed a key. Perhaps a different colour association could make the player more prominent and underline his HP and stamina bars). The red/blue kendo stances at the top and bottom didn't seem to correlate to key/direct events either.
Metatheos
07. Sep 2013 · 22:20 UTC
I think I had little trouble following this because I had made something similar myself once. The one thing I feel this game really lacks is a grid (though you probably have intended hitting an intended spot as part of the skill). Other than that its really fun to try your take on the concept, since due to how rare games like this are, they are bound to have significant differences. With some tweaking I can imagine this becoming a really great game.

For everyone struggling with the game I'll try to explain the fundamentals in my words. There is a timeline at the top and at the bottom. You have four actions: [attack or defend] x [high or low], these correspond to the four rows on your keyboard the game uses. The leftmost key in the row places the action at the left end of the timeline, the rightmost at the right end. Actions move to the left and are executed when they hit the left end (queuing further to the right is cheaper on the stamina-bar).