Low Orbit by quadtree

[raw]
made by quadtree for LD 38 (COMPO)

ScreenShot00043.png ScreenShot00041.png ScreenShot00009.png

In Low Orbit you must race to the other side of a small planet and back!

Tip: Proper speed control is key to winning. Going really fast is no good if it actually puts you in orbit!

Note that the web version is more resource intensive than the Win32 version, and it also has a few more bugs than the Win32 version, so please play the Win32 version if possible. The web version also requires WASM, and only seems to work in 64-bit Firefox (64-bit Chrome will be able to load it, but there's severe color distortion).

Controls:

  • WASD/Arrow Keys - Accelerate/turn
  • R - Reset to last checkpoint
  • Space - Fire jets (Jetcrane only)
  • Escape - Back to menu/exit

Links

  • WIN32: http://quadtree.info/ld/ld38/ld38.zip
  • WEB: http://quadtree.info/ld/ld38/HTML5/LD38-HTML5-Shipping.html
  • SOURCE CODE: https://github.com/Quadtree/LD38

Ratings

Overall 426th 2.926⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Fun 392th 2.815⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 313th 3.037⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Theme 277th 3.37⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 333th 3⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Audio 365th 2.296⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Humor 435th 1.792⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Mood 469th 2.462⭐ 28🧑‍⚖️
Given 22🗳️ 20🗨️

Feedback

Steve Johnson
02. May 2017 · 06:59 UTC
On OS X (Chrome) I get something about a 404 on `LD38.data`.
KabalaTrance
02. May 2017 · 08:07 UTC
Interesesting idea, but because of controls, it was very difficult to enjoy fully.
I loved planet selections, and differenet cars.
feips
08. May 2017 · 09:04 UTC
I quite like it, but I had a hard time controlling my car.
nekoballs
08. May 2017 · 15:05 UTC
Nice idea. I liked that you made a few levels and different vehicles, had to try them all. The controls where a bit clunky, didn't finish any race.
blaster391
08. May 2017 · 16:24 UTC
The controls are a bit all over the place, and sound seems to occasionally deafen you. I did like that you are free to find your own way from one side of the planet to the other, the only problem I found was with the trees, where the collision seems off.

But the one thing I really like was the mini-map, that is a super cool ways of seeing where the other drivers are.
Takusan
08. May 2017 · 17:30 UTC
A fun idea and a huge amount of work for compo.

Unfortunately, there's one crucial issue that probably bars players from fully enjoying the game: physics approach when it comes to car collisions and steering. The mechanics behind driving shows promise, but unfortunately basically every collision ends in car skidding uncontrollably - the same goes for rocket thrust.

I have a feeling, that making just two tracks and just one or two car types would leave you more time to work out the mechanics and camera work (it was easier to navigate with minimap than with the actual view).

Still, I cannot just simply ignore the amount of work you've put into all the content you've made. That's awesome, and now just work on the mechanics to make the races more enjoyable, and make feel players in control of the vehicles.

It's not a bad game - the idea and theme is there, it just needs more dev love when it comes to the basic mechanic, and that's not easy with compo restraints It's a valuable lesson for future jams ;)

Cheers!
PeachTreeOath
09. May 2017 · 04:42 UTC
I'm surprised this is the first racing game I've come across this jam. I do agree with the above, I ended up watching the map more than the actual game itself but it was an impressive effort nonetheless.
Richard Michael Smith
09. May 2017 · 09:32 UTC
This is a massive accomplishment considering the time constraints. As others have mentioned - the controls and handling could be improved somewhat but, overall, this is a great entry!
pcmaster
09. May 2017 · 10:07 UTC
I could only try the WebGL version on Firefox x64. The car keeps on flipping at higher velocities, its wheels fly apart a bit, I have problems finding the waypoint and orienting myself on the planet... I might still try the Windows version later...
Eli Delventhal
09. May 2017 · 17:22 UTC
A great amount of work in here. I think it's very impressive that you created so many different tracks and planets, and made a cohesive game too. Good stuff! However, as others have said, there are some pretty major issues with how it plays. For me, there were ugly red lights covering most of the screen the whole time (Mac OS X Chrome), which I assume was a bug. Worse, when I made it to the first checkpoint, it didn't seem to acknowledge that I had done so, and told me to backtrack. From then on, reaching checkpoints did nothing and I never saw any other cars.
Meaty McLazerPantz
09. May 2017 · 18:43 UTC
Oddly enough, the web version ran substantially better for me than the downloadable Windows version. The Windows version ran at like 1 frame every 3 seconds for me. Maybe make it so you can chance the resolution and possibly the details to make it more playable?

The little bit I managed to play in the web version had me either oversteering like crazy or seemingly unable to turn at all, I assume because I was going too fast. The "waypoint is this way!" indicator seemed to be off too. One second it was pointing behind me and the next it was pointing in front of me.

Despite it's flaws, this is REALLY impressive for 48 hours from scratch for one person, especially with multiple cars and tracks to race on. Very ambitious, and cudos for actually finishing.
raudaschl
10. May 2017 · 10:53 UTC
Super impressive for such a short development time! Tried it on Webgl and it played really well. Would love to see it developed further
benjamin
11. May 2017 · 21:06 UTC
IA seems to behave very strangely. I can see them when race begin then I meet them on rare occasions. The core idea is pretty good but it lacks some polish with execution especially for sfx and control. Still a lot of work for a 48h jam.
NedMakesGames
11. May 2017 · 22:59 UTC
Very impressive entry for the compo! The AI works pretty well though it's not the best. The rocket car is extremely hard to control! The music fit the feel of the game. Good job!
TeamMonumental
12. May 2017 · 21:04 UTC
Really cool idea, I like the implementation of the minimap and the multiple maps to choose from. The sounds could use a little bit of work and I found all cars but the catfish pretty hard to control. Nice entry!
masterkrepta
13. May 2017 · 02:45 UTC
This was a lot of work for a compo. collisions do cause some crazy movement when it comes into contact with other racers. My only other thought was some of the sound effects over power the rest of the gameplay.
Mordokay
13. May 2017 · 17:01 UTC
The planets I liked the most were New New Earth III and Silverius IIIc. The Silverius planet reminds me a lot of Trackmania which is awesome!. I didn't notice much difference between the Catfish and the Sedan but it was awesome to use the Jetcrane no jump over other cars. The soundtrack work very well in this game and definitely helps a lot in the gameplay experience. One thing I would change was the car turning. When you are going really fast it starts to be very hard to turn.
Overall a very good game! Good job!
zener
14. May 2017 · 07:44 UTC
Had great fun with this one, I'm liking the idea and the car suspension
japes
14. May 2017 · 10:17 UTC
Performance issues with the download version made this unplayable for me, was getting about 1fps. Pity, because it looks like a fun game, with a lot of work put into the models and environments.