Noise by Diventurer

[raw]
made by Diventurer for LD26 (COMPO)
- Light or Darkness? Noise.

Please read, at least, most of the text on here. It helps give you a better time playing the game.

== INTRODUCTION ==
You move using WASD keys, and you have to collect the rainbow-colour-thingies that are centered inside dark clouds absent of light. When you collect a rainbow-colour-thingy, the light rises and darkness diminishes. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that you move faster AND lose score at a faster rate. Oh, and did I tell you that negative score is a GOOD thing in this game?! The bad thing is that darkness only prevails where light does not reach, so you'll have to travel further to grow bigger. If you fail to grow bigger, the Noise will devour you! You'll hear the noise sounds as you lose sight of the light and darkness around you. You'll have to try again! The music doesn't stop, so why should you?!

== TIPS ==
* if you stand still, you will shrink at a faster rate and gain score (bad thing)
* the more light, the faster you move - the faster you move, the more score you lose (good thing)
* press 'r' to restart (Noise can't handle my magic)
* for every rainbow-colour-thingy you collect, you'll gain 50,000 points! (bad thing)
* light decreases at a slow rate
* darkness increases at a medium rate
* try to strategically collect rainbow-colour-thingies, because if you have TOO MUCH light, you will have a hard time reaching for them.

== BEFORE RATING ==
Did you at least play for 5 minutes?
The game can be frustrating at first, but once you get it, it'll get a bit addictive.

== WHILE RATING ==
How many rainbow-colour-thingies did you most see at once in a single frame?
What's your lowscore?
Did the Noise devour you?

Ratings

Coolness 74% 3
Overall 2.74 996
Audio 3.12 302
Fun 2.11 1209
Graphics 2.78 746
Humor 1.55 1015
Innovation 3.00 650
Mood 2.72 725
Theme 2.89 1097

Feedback

poohshoes
29. Apr 2013 路 08:09 UTC
Hard to get your guy to pickup the things, the controls are so sensitive that I always move past.
Ludipe
29. Apr 2013 路 08:17 UTC
I can't run it even when I installed the "Click here if you can't open the game (vc++redist2012)", what am I doing wrong? :(

(I'm using windows 7 32 bits )
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 08:34 UTC
@poohshoes
That's kind of the point. :)
Shame you didn't get into it I guess.
You're supposed to quickly change directions and just move as fast as you can around the world. Go wherever you want and everything will follow you. Don't just stay in the same place all the time. You haveto escape the light to find rainbow-colour-thingies.

@Ludipe
Do you get an error message? Tell me what it says if so, please.
Also, you might want to read the nocturne log - are there any errors reported in there?

Thanks for trying, guys. :)
Ludipe
29. Apr 2013 路 08:42 UTC
"Arguments:
C:\Users\Luis\Downloads\Ludum Dare 26 - Noise (Executable)\Ludum Dare 26 - Noise (Executable)\Game\Noise.exe
OpenGL initialised for 2D.
Failed to disable VSync because wglSwapIntervalEXT was not found.
FILEREAD: ..\sprites.nres
Indexed 2 sprites.
FILEREAD: ..\ttf.nres
Indexed 1 TrueType fonts.
FILEREAD: ..\music.nres
Indexed 2 tracks.
FILEREAD: ..\sounds.nres
Indexed 5 sound effects.
GRAPHICS: bool nImage::generateTexture(SDL_Surface*) - "SDL_Surface* SDL_DisplayFormatAlpha(SDL_Surface*)" call failed, returned pointer is NULL.
GRAPHICS: bool nImage::generateTexture(SDL_Surface*) - "SDL_Surface* SDL_DisplayFormatAlpha(SDL_Surface*)" call failed, returned pointer is NULL."

It just stops working, I don't get any message. Hope that helps.
BarrensZeppelin
29. Apr 2013 路 08:45 UTC
I couldn't get the game running on Windows XP (Error: Not a valid Win32-program)
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 09:02 UTC
@Ludipe
It doesn't say what resolution it set the game to...
Check your task manager. Is Noise.exe still running?
It seems like the window failed to initialise...
I'll see if I can fix it. But for now, I don't know. Try testing it on a different computer if you can, and bother. :)

@BarrensZeppelin
Yeah, I suppose you should upgrade? xD
I don't have a Windows XP machine to test on, so...
It's still weird that it doesn't run for you though, since it's a 32-bit program.
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 09:06 UTC
@Ludipe
Can you please download http://www.solidfiles.com/d/f4c628474a/
and replace that with the current noise.exe?
I don't know if it will work, but worth a shot.
Ludipe
29. Apr 2013 路 09:24 UTC
@Diventurer
I replaced noise.exe and didn't work. Besides, Noise.exe doesn't keep running after that.

I'll play it later on another computer.
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 09:26 UTC
@Ludipe
Okay, thanks for trying at least. ^_^
Hope it works on a different computer.
Mythalore
29. Apr 2013 路 09:58 UTC
Didn't really understand what was happening, an in game tutorial would be good.
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 10:01 UTC
@Mythalore
Read what I wrote in the entry.
It says everything you need to know. You're just a ball going around really fast trying to collect the rainbow-colour-thingies. :)

A friend of mine got a lowscore of -100,000,000... I then asked him, "So, going for a billion now?" xD
He didn't.
manabreak
29. Apr 2013 路 10:17 UTC
Really mixed feelings. On one hand, it's quite original idea, on the other hand, I have this unnerving feeling. Maybe it's a good thing? :)
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 10:21 UTC
@manabreak
Haha. :P
I know some people don't have the patience to understand the game, but I just hope some people get it and have as much fun playing it as I and my friend who tested it did!
Did you get a good lowscore? ;p
YM
29. Apr 2013 路 10:30 UTC
Never saw more than 2 rainbow sprites on screen at once and even 2 at once was quite rare.
Lowscore -315,296
I can only assume the noise devoured me lots. I had incredible trouble collecting the rainbowsprites. I could circle around one trying to hit it and missing every time for ages and ages. Then the noise suddenly vanished, my score jumped into positives and I can only assume the game reset, though there was no indication of that being the case.
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 10:52 UTC
@YM
- Thanks for answering my questions. Finally. :)
There is actually only one. I personally saw up to three because the brain was fucking with me. Lol.

- You should try to beat that lowscore! :D

- Haha, yeah, the game is really hard in that sense. When the noise devours you, you basically restart automatically. I did it like that because I wanted to make a really fastpaced game.

I'm uploading some gameplay to YouTube now, and it should be up there in about two hours (says YouTube.) I get -2,500,000 lowscore. :D (last two minutes of the video)

Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy-hWhCgdjw

Thanks for trying! :)
gokuhd
29. Apr 2013 路 13:17 UTC
Oh! it's difficult but fun :)
馃帳 Diventurer
29. Apr 2013 路 13:21 UTC
@gokuhd
Yay! :D
Thanks for playing ^_^
wonderwhy-er
29. Apr 2013 路 19:36 UTC
Ah, I lack some kind of dll.
MSVCR110.dll
What it comes with?
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 04:40 UTC
@wonderwhy-er
Click on the vc++ redist installer I have included in the download. ;)
How couldn't you've seen it lol
Topaz
30. Apr 2013 路 05:33 UTC
That's pretty awesome! Really like the music :)
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 05:45 UTC
@Topaz
Thanks a lot! :D
Topaz
30. Apr 2013 路 06:10 UTC
Thanks for the nice review of our game, too.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 06:31 UTC
@Topaz
Sure, no problem! :)
Szedouu
30. Apr 2013 路 09:42 UTC
very difficult
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 09:49 UTC
@Szedouu
Then play some more! :D
It's really difficult, yes. I was trying to balance it before uploading, but seems like I made it a bit TOO difficult. Before, it was really easy, and a friend got like -100,000,000 score.

If you get a better score than -2,000,000; you're doing it right. :)
Jubjub.
30. Apr 2013 路 11:00 UTC
My low score was -150,000 odd. I'm not sure if I was playing the game right or not. It looks very nice, and it was quite fun zooming through all the clouds 'n stuff. I saw two coloured rainbow thingies at once in a frame.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 11:02 UTC
@Jubjub
Thanks for playing! :D
You should try some more, as that lowscore is a bit too high D:
You have to move all the time, and stay still for as little as possible. Oh, and you didn't see two coloured rainbow thingies at once in a frame, because there only exists 1 at all times. Lol. O'well, glad you enjoyed it! ^_^
mire
30. Apr 2013 路 12:20 UTC
Kind of hard to understand even after reading the instructions. Nice soundtrack and graphical work.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 12:24 UTC
@mire
What graphical work? *smirk*
Anyway, you should try the game a bit more - it's really not THAT hard - but yeah, it definitely is TOO hard. :/
Thanks for feedback.
Definitely going to make a new version in around 4-5 months, and I'll have different difficulties and a more specific gameplay so it's not as confusing as it might be right now.
SuperDisk
30. Apr 2013 路 20:07 UTC
Wrugh. I had a hard time knowing what I was doing, the instructions were rather cryptic! Also, I had a hard time picking up those light thingies, but it was a neat concept anyways.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 20:17 UTC
@SuperDisk
Thanks, and yeah it is very hard. This would definitely be hard mode if there were difficulties. :P Too bad I didn't implement that. Would solve the difficulties people have playing it. :/ Thanks again for playing!
tiffi
30. Apr 2013 路 20:18 UTC
its a bit hard to pick up the rainbow things

lowscore -250k ,but keeps resetting at -250k.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 20:50 UTC
@tiffi
Yeah, it's hard. Also, it resets because you die. You got devoured by the Noise, I presume?
I've played it for hours and never had a score reset bug. It's also impossible considering the code that handles the score. Thanks for playing.
HuvaaKoodia
30. Apr 2013 路 21:34 UTC
Here are a few pointers to make the gameplay feel less frustrating:
-Bigger initial hitbox, which shouldn't diminish overtime (like it does now). It could even get bigger when there was more noise around keeping the game flow intact for longer.
-The rainbow-thingies could give speed boost when in proximity without having to pick them up (relative to distance).
-The rainbow-thingies could be attracted to the player when close by.
-Stopping shouldn't reduce points so fast or at all, but rather make the darkness catch up faster.
-There could be a usable "light bomb" which resets the noise, but eats about 30-50% of points per use. (also with a cooldown timer maybe)
-Slowdown button (Less score, more control, noise catches up faster)
wonderwhy-er
30. Apr 2013 路 21:47 UTC
Ok, worked now, weird game :D
I did not god how to not die from noise, sometimes I just can't grab rainbows for some reason.

Still curious game.
Score -200K
At most may be 3-5, did not count but more then two for sure.
馃帳 Diventurer
30. Apr 2013 路 22:02 UTC
@HuvaaKoodia
Thanks a lot for the feedback. I'll consider the suggestions when I make the new version! :D

@wonderwhy-er
3-5? I meant in a single frame, and it was a trick question - as there's only one. xD
Thanks for playing, and yeah, it's hard to grab rainbow-colour-thingies! As long as you collide with it it should pick it up though. :)
Also, you can't really escape the noise. You're going to die sooner or later. :)

The thing that most people seem to do is play this game as a slowpaced game. It's a very fastpaced game and it requires you to pay attention to the whole screen at once - and really focus and be quick to change directions. If you see something dark, go for it and try to stay around that area as you might just get yourself a rainbow-thingie. Thanks for playing everyone. :)
lotusgame
02. May 2013 路 07:32 UTC
Your game is so dark that i see nothing. I will wait for the night to play it (my room seems too bright and there is too much reflection on my screen). See you later ;)
SuperlevelSebastian
04. May 2013 路 10:56 UTC
Will there be a Windows 32bit-version? :)
馃帳 Diventurer
04. May 2013 路 17:28 UTC
@SuperlevelSebastian
Uhm, it should work on 32-bit, as it's compiled for x86.
What OS are you on?
If you're on Windows XP, I'm pretty sure you should just upgrade your entire computer. ;P
If you get "msvcp110.dll" or something missing, then just click on the installer I included in the download.
If none of the above applies, then I can't help you pal.
KilledByAPixel
05. May 2013 路 18:55 UTC
I don't know if I'm missing something but I played for a few minutes and not very much seems to be happening. I wouldn't say it was frustrating more like boring, sorry. There was no sense of where to go or what to do. Cool visual style but maybe a little too dark. The music was good.
馃帳 Diventurer
05. May 2013 路 20:52 UTC
@KilledByAPixel
Thanks for your feedback. :)
I know what you mean. The idea was to keep the gameplay as minimalistic as possible. What's more minimalistic than being a ball-thingie trying to hunt for rainbow-colour-thingies to keep the Noise away?
Anyway, I understand your frustrations. Even though I think you should've played more than just a few minutes, to at least /try/ to get something more out of it. :)
Skulls
07. May 2013 路 10:55 UTC
I enjoyed playing this game when it was working well, the music was great and the gameplay was pretty fun when I could tell what was going on. I think a reason some people have trouble playing this is because it's really hard to tell what is going on a lot of the time. It's hard to tell where your character is on the screen and when you die it's not always obvious. Might help if your character was white and you could see him more easily and if there was a screen that said "game over" or something. Fun game I enjoyed playing it :)
馃帳 Diventurer
07. May 2013 路 14:44 UTC
What do you mean by "when it was working well"?
Thanks for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed playing! :)