LudumData

Car Lancers by jwolf

[raw]
made by jwolf for LD26 (COMPO)
Okay, cross-platform jar and Windows .exe file are now up as well.

This may perhaps be the only--and thus the best--game about rocket-propelled, nuclear-armed, automotive jousting. If there are any others, well...

To play, hit the spacebar key or click on your mouse. You'll need two players at your keyboard--couldn't quite get to creating an AI in time.

Left/Bottom player is controlled with A/Z

Right/Top player is controlled with the UP / DOWN arrow keys.

Note:

There are a few serious bugs, including some inconsistent projection with the split-screen views, as well as a major slowdown after the first game round. Probably didn't reset / dispose of something properly. Well, it'll run at least...

The game was built using Java and LibGDX. Music was created with iNudge (very convenient) and a bit of Audacity. Artwork was created via some unholy combination of MS Paint and GIMP.

Windows https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76008988/CarLancers.exe
Cross-platform Jar https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76008988/CarLancers.jar
Source https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76008988/carLancers-source.zip
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-26/?action=preview&uid=11073

Ratings

Coolness 57% 3
Overall 2.79 954
Audio 2.86 459
Fun 2.20 1175
Graphics 2.94 623
Humor 3.46 93
Innovation 3.12 560
Mood 2.69 754
Theme 3.45 646

Feedback

imagnity
29. Apr 2013 路 07:47 UTC
You definitely should continue development. It will be a great game. The key control might be better if they were side by side. Say A and D key for the bottom player.
Zim the Fox
30. Apr 2013 路 00:39 UTC
Didn't vote on fun because I don't have anybody to play it with :C Also, it is kind of hard to distinguish a win. I kept the two tanks straight and the top tank exploded, but it gave a point to that one. I think.

I love the idea, the graphics and the audio, though, and this is indeed the best game about rocket-propelled, nuclear-armed, automotive jousting.
Xelanon
30. Apr 2013 路 00:55 UTC
Really cool idea. I tried to play it by myself but it didn't exactly work out. Anyway, this game has a lot of potential! Also, thanks for the ideas you gave me for my game. I love them and will definitely be implementing them if I develop further.
FlashRocks
30. Apr 2013 路 01:03 UTC
I didn't have anyone to play it with, but playing against myself, it is already pretty fun. The vector-esque graphics and the fact that it is FRICKEN ROCKET-PROPELLED, NUCLEAR-ARMED TANKS are just icing on an already delicious cake.
馃帳 jwolf
30. Apr 2013 路 03:02 UTC
Thank you so much for the comments! I was actually thinking of using left/right controls like A/D, imagnity, but wasn't sure which felt more natural. Thank you for the input!

I can understand the hesitation to rate a game that needs two players. Feel free to go ahead, though, unless there are rules against it (I'm not aware of any, aside from the rule against rating unrunnable entries, which presumably is for technical issues). I don't mind.
metadept
30. Apr 2013 路 03:53 UTC
Nice game, I really like the concept! Aside from the difficulty of playing it by myself with the touchy controls, my main suggestion is to somehow make it clearer how the cars are coming together, and give more impression of speed? Good job, though.

If only I had a Virtual Boy, I could play it in 3D...
sP0CkEr2
30. Apr 2013 路 05:09 UTC
did not hear any music or sound -- you definitely had minimal color -- nice effort
Gremlin
30. Apr 2013 路 05:47 UTC
I, too, was unable to properly judge the fun. Playing by myself, the controls felt a bit twitchy. Hilarious setup that I can see developing into something fun. It's all about anticipating that clash.

What about adding some additional cues so that the players have a better idea how closely they're lined up when still offscreen? Some kind of hint line or arrow or something to suggest vertical positioning, maybe...
AestheticGamer
30. Apr 2013 路 10:15 UTC
A very neat and fun concept! I only was able to play with myself this time, but I could see this being a lot of fun with a friend. If expanded, it also could make a wonderful sort of miniature game. Music was great for the type of game it was, and would say that it has potential to be grown upon. Definitely a fun and original experience that was very simple. I would say though there maybe should be a way to determine who wins a bit more as it wasn't always clear before the score popped up. Adding some extra 'satisfaction' to winning could probably add a lot.
Kashi
30. Apr 2013 路 23:08 UTC
Why is everybody using Z?
No heart for QWERTZ-keyboard users .... ;(
Salamander3
30. Apr 2013 路 23:18 UTC
Nice visual themeing, however first play through had no idea what I was doing, and the tanks didn't even get a chance to collide. Interesting idea (I mean come on, it's tanks jousting, what's not to love?) but I didn't really feel the gameplay much on this. Sorry.
ocmu
01. May 2013 路 01:55 UTC
Vector graphics are cool
dalbinblue
01. May 2013 路 04:11 UTC
One thing I think you can improve on in the game the ramp up time before the cars come together is way to long (unless I missed something).
whilefun
02. May 2013 路 02:40 UTC
I thought the music was cool, but couldn't really figure out how to play properly. The cars never seemed to go at each other properly...it took ages :(
badlydrawnrod
02. May 2013 路 20:57 UTC
Shame about the split screen bug as that hampers replayability and marital harmony. I now need to give my wife chocolates to apologise for "you were nowhere near me!" But keep developing this - it's a fun concept.
Jim Haslett
04. May 2013 路 01:36 UTC
Interesting game, but it took WAY too long for the cars to meet.
NateNaterson
04. May 2013 路 02:15 UTC
Loved the Virtual Boy graphics, ha ha. The rounds really took a while, though. I guess it was to build up tension?
nintendoeats
04. May 2013 路 04:11 UTC
I couldn't get the EXE to work, but the jar was fine.

I love the way that looks and sounds. Get the feel down, chuck in one or two additional mechanics (and get me some friends to play it with) and you could have the next Micro Machines.

Was it supposed to look like a Virtual Boy?
tsb
04. May 2013 路 21:46 UTC
I really liked the 80s style of the graphics. Love it
lorancou
14. May 2013 路 21:32 UTC
Well we didn't really understand who wins for what reason, but that was fun!
stefan
20. May 2013 路 21:27 UTC
Nice game! I really like this entry, its a great minimalistic game :)