{"author_link":"\/users\/chipmonkey","author_name":"Chipmonkey","author_uid":"1006038","comments":[{"author_name":"SirPumpy","author_uid":"1056259","time":"2017-12-04T04:16:06Z","epoch":1512360966,"modified":1512360966,"text":"You owe me a new mouse :))","likes":1,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Odrez","author_uid":"1012039","time":"2017-12-04T11:43:06Z","epoch":1512387786,"modified":1512387786,"text":"This is really interesting. It takes a while to find out what the game is actually asking you to do, but once you get a grip at it, it gets fun. I like the slowly creeping storms and the tower-defence mechanics that come with it. However, the game does not make use of its core gameplay that well. Clicking the power button takes too long to generate meaningful income - or upgrades are just too expensive. To give players an early impression on what its like to play the game, things should increase faster. I would suggest increasing money and pollution automatically so that the player can focus on building stuff. The clicker-mechanic didn't add a lot to it and I just couldn't continue mashing my mouse button all the time, despite wanting to build a complex base and see the storms increase to an insane level.\n\nOverall I am a big fan of the idea. The execution needs more work in terms of pacing, visual feedback and graphics. But all in all I think you have created a great prototype.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"MoseGames","author_uid":"1049366","time":"2017-12-05T02:01:09Z","epoch":1512439269,"modified":1512439269,"text":"Needs a toturial.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"cerno-b","author_uid":"1001753","time":"2017-12-05T10:16:36Z","epoch":1512468996,"modified":1512468996,"text":"An impressive result for a first game. I enjoyed it a lot.\n\n![apocorp.PNG](\/\/\/raw\/9d6\/z\/d5e5.png)\n\nThere are a number of things to like. Maybe it wasn't that strictly intended, but there is a socio-economic commentary in that the player gets the feeling that at one point all the money you earn is eaten up by countermeasures against the natural disasters you create.\n\nOn a less serious note, the game is quite fun to play. Using number hotkeys was a great idea which improved playability a lot.\n\n**Some room for improvement:**\n\nI don't think the Surgers were very useful. They automate your cash flow for sure, but you can never really get rid of the clicking because the Surger reload for the Heat Lasers was too slow. And when you have to click anyway, you can simply go without the Surgers, which I quite successfully did.\n\nInstead of manually destroying the buildings, it should be possible to sell them to earn a bit of cash back (based on the damage of course).\n\nIt would be neat if there was a repair button, either as an on\/off switch or as a second clicker. Either have each repair action cost money or add a repair building type (or both).\n\nThe most problematic issue though is that the Heat Lasers' range seems to be computed based on the center of the storm which not only makes little sense in the logic of the world, but it also makes the game unplayable later on because the storms get so large that you can't even hit them anymore.\n\nOverall I think you can be proud of what you made and I would encourage you to continue working on the idea, maybe by adding more building types.\n\nShould you keep working on the game to fix the range issue, let me know. I would like to test how far I can take the strategy I've come up with.","likes":4,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Jani Nykanen","author_uid":"1000444","time":"2017-12-05T16:31:14Z","epoch":1512491474,"modified":1512491474,"text":"The game was a little confusing, some kind of guide\/tutorial could have been nice (even a short text in the game page could have been enough)","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"cerno-b","author_uid":"1001753","time":"2017-12-05T16:41:17Z","epoch":1512492077,"modified":1512492077,"text":"@jani-nykanen Look again, there's a tutorial :)","likes":2,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Chipmonkey","author_uid":"1006038","time":"2017-12-05T17:29:33Z","epoch":1512494973,"modified":1512494973,"text":"Tutorial button is on the title screen. :) i\u2019ll Update the post above with some instructions as well when I get home today","likes":1,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Jay2645","author_uid":"1065839","time":"2017-12-06T01:00:28Z","epoch":1512522028,"modified":1512522028,"text":"My poor fingers, haha. I had a lot of fun playing this game! One thing I'd like is a way to repair damaged buildings; I know I could delete them and remake them again, but maybe they could drain some of your cash in exchange for regenerating their health.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"IllaBom","author_uid":"1015180","time":"2017-12-06T01:19:22Z","epoch":1512523162,"modified":1512523162,"text":"The game was very fun for a while. The tutorial is pretty funny well done, I love the art style and sounds. Great job overall 5 stars!\n\nCheck out my game if you would like!\nhttps:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/40\/virus-detected","likes":1,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"WoooWooo","author_uid":"1053918","time":"2017-12-06T01:43:30Z","epoch":1512524610,"modified":1512524610,"text":"Very very cool game! I dont like clicking so much, but this game sure made it interesting!","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"PhillSerrazina","author_uid":"1058471","time":"2017-12-06T01:54:48Z","epoch":1512525288,"modified":1512525288,"text":"I enjoyed this one! The only improvement I would like to see would be: obviously more structures, and an alternative way to create power, my hand really hurts... maybe space bar too?? And 2 seconds for the surger interval seems way too big so it doesn't feel very rewarding... 0.5-1.5 would be perfect. Great job!","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"deathray","author_uid":"1004196","time":"2017-12-06T03:43:05Z","epoch":1512531785,"modified":1512531785,"text":"I'm really enjoying this! As a fan of Cookie Clicker and Reactor Idle, I found this to be a great combo of clicker + base-building + tower-defense + environmental commentary.\n\n![apoc-corp.png](\/\/\/raw\/460\/1\/z\/dd26.png)","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Chipmonkey","author_uid":"1006038","time":"2017-12-06T04:36:03Z","epoch":1512534963,"modified":1512534963,"text":"Loving the feedback so far! I'm getting a bunch of good ideas from everyone. I look forward to working on this more and making it better. Thanks to all who have responded! :)","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"automatonvx","author_uid":"1004125","time":"2017-12-06T20:26:34Z","epoch":1512591994,"modified":1512591994,"text":"Interesting design, feels like it has potential. For me the pacing was a bit too slow, It was fun to begin but it took too long for storms to start appearing to make it interesting and then pretty often they went past me. Also personally i don't find having to do alot of repetitive clicking at all fun, i would rather it just worked on a timer automatically always, i know you can buy the surgers but still.. Obviously could use some polish in many ways, nicer background, info about the pieces when you hover over them, music, nicer font, more kinds of units etc etc. but for 48h you can't expect all that. For a first LD game its really great. I did a slightly similar entry for LD 38 in that it was a combination of town building meets tower defense: https:\/\/automatonvx.itch.io\/pixel-town (the original LD version was much less complete though) so I can appreciate these kind of things are quite a bit of work and hard to balance and make fun.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"KunoNoOni","author_uid":"1000045","time":"2017-12-07T01:23:37Z","epoch":1512609817,"modified":1512609817,"text":"First, congrats on submitting your first game to Ludum Dare! I really enjoyed this clicker-tower defense hybrid game. I thought the pacing was good. Tt gave me time to build up before I had to defend myself. I didn't noticed the lack of music to be something that hindered the game as I was focused on making money for that next upgrade. The same can be said for a background as well, but now that I think about it perhaps a green field background would have enhanced the game. I'm sure there are a hundred changes you could make that would make the game better but for what you do have I found it fun and engaging and I applaud you for a job well done!","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"PeachTreeOath","author_uid":"1006470","time":"2017-12-08T06:54:09Z","epoch":1512716049,"modified":1512716049,"text":"I love seeing the consequences of your actions in this game. After I saw the first tornado spawn I was like \"oh.............oh this is gonna get crazy\". As someone mentioned above, I ended up spending a ton of money building up countermeasures rather than actual mining. I thought the game was pretty fun and only wished there were more towers I could throw out or upgrades. I totally understand you were probably at the limit for a solo project but man the potential is too good to pass up.\n\nMoodwise, despite not having music there, I'm going to rate this very high. The first RTS I played was Dune 2 and I can't help but reminisce about that game when I play this.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"candlesan","author_uid":"1009980","time":"2017-12-09T18:41:55Z","epoch":1512844915,"modified":1512844915,"text":"This game was super fun! I really like the design and I think this core mechanic has a lot of promise.\nAt first I didn't realize that the lasers charged up based on clicks as well but it makes sense.\nI like the tension between wanting to figure out how to lay out your base for money generation vs. conduit efficiency vs. defence against storms. This was a very interesting tradeoff.","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"shrapx","author_uid":"1006484","time":"2017-12-09T22:19:39Z","epoch":1512857979,"modified":1512858062,"text":"Well done on your first submission for ludum dare! Its fun and challenging to try and get some infrastructure going, quite a panic. The clicking is kinda annoying for me though.\n","likes":1,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Rosik","author_uid":"1042074","time":"2017-12-10T19:41:43Z","epoch":1512934903,"modified":1512934903,"text":"First, thanks for tutorial. I love base building, connection mechanics remind me Perimeter and Creeper World. Also i love tension, when storms actually start to ruin your base again and again. Unfortunately I find clicking annoying and prefer more idle gameplay. But your game came out pretty solid, keep it up!","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"Arputikos","author_uid":"1007315","time":"2017-12-11T12:58:52Z","epoch":1512997132,"modified":1512997132,"text":"Amazing TD!","likes":0,"format":"md"},{"author_name":"jlreymendez","author_uid":"1056823","time":"2017-12-12T04:08:43Z","epoch":1513051723,"modified":1513051723,"text":"This was really great! My only complain is that I would prefer not to have to click the center at all. Let it be automatic and allow me to focus on the strategy. \n\nAs an addition I would maybe like a building that generates polution but fixes your buildings. That might be interesting. \n\nSolid use of the theme here, congrats!","likes":0,"format":"md"}],"format":"md","images":["ld40\/54142-0a3e7f27d2685e6005ba38f1dccad778.png"],"links":[{"url":"https:\/\/github.com\/jspearman3\/ApocalypseCorp","text":"Source code"},{"url":"https:\/\/chipmonkey0.itch.io\/apocalypse-corp","text":"HTML5 (web)"}],"metadata":{"g_key":"38546","g_author":"1006038","g_event":"LD40","g_eventkey":"70","g_subevent":"COMPO","g_urlkey":"221776","g_title":"Apocalypse Corp","g_status":"USEAR3","g_place":"189","g_commentcount":"21","g_site2_node_id":"54142","g_hide":"N","g_has_icon":"Y","g_rqueue":"0","g_random":"0"},"nds":{"n_key":"54142","n_urlkey":"221776","n_parent":"49883","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/40\/apocalypse-corp","n_slug":"apocalypse-corp","n_type":"item","n_subtype":"game","n_subsubtype":"compo","n_author":"6038","n_created":"1511791185","n_modified":"1512535607","n_version":"200469","n_status":"COMMIT"},"node":{"id":54142,"parent":49883,"superparent":9,"author":6038,"type":"item","subtype":"game","subsubtype":"compo","published":"2017-12-04T02:49:19Z","created":"2017-11-27T13:59:45Z","modified":"2017-12-06T04:46:47Z","version":200469,"slug":"apocalypse-corp","name":"Apocalypse Corp","body":"![apocolypsecorptitle.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/b099.png)\n\nHello fellow game designers! This is my first submission to ludum dare, and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out! The game is a tile-based building game where you try to gain as much money (or last as long) as possible. By expanding your mining network, you will gain more money to help you expand further. However, the machines you take advantage of also cause pollution, and this has very negative effects on the environment. This comes in the form of tornadoes that will come and destroy your mining network.\n\nSee how long you can last before the tornadoes destroy your empire!\n\n\n## About the Game\n\nApocalypse Corp was inspired by 2D tile-based builder games and the clicker mechanic from cookie clicker. By combining the two, I hoped to achieve a unique experience where you looked to improve click efficiency while also having to think strategically about building placement. The storms in the game were an extra addition that I hoped would fit nicely with the theme of the contest: the more you have the worse it gets. The announcement of this theme spawned the idea of having pollution as a byproduct of building that would make the experience more difficult.\n\n![apocolypsecorpgame.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/b0ee.png)\n\n\n## How to Play\n\nOn the title screen of the game, there is a quick slideshow of a tutorial that briefly explains concepts within the game. Here I'll go into a bit more detail. The purpose of the game is to last as long as possible, build the largest grid, make the most money, and\/or get the highest pollution level you can before you succumb to the incoming onslaught of storms. Once you lose your central power plant, the game is over and you lose.\n\n### Buildings\n\n![PowerPlant.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc17.png)\nThe power plant is the most important structure in the game. You cannot build any more and if it gets destroyed you lose. You generate power for your grid by clicking the power plant. This sends a \"surge\" of power that allows for certain buildings to perform their given function.\n\n![Conduit.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc19.png)\nThe conduit is responsible for carrying power to any of your structures. ANY BUILDING MUST BE ADJACENT TO EITHER A CONDUIT OR THE POWER PLANT IN ORDER TO WORK! Choose carefully where these are positioned! Try not to block in your conduit network with buildings! You need to be able to expand your conduit network further out to power buildings that are farther away.\n\n![Miner.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc1d.png)\nThe miner is the way you make money (thus granting the ability to buy more structures) in this game. When this building receives a surge of power, you will make $1. It also produces pollution at the same time which will cause larger storms.\n\n![HeatLaser.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc1f.png)\nThe heat laser is your means of defense against the storm. A pulse from the power plant will \"charge\" the laser. A laser must have enough power charged up to fire at nearby storms. Each click generates 2 power (max 100) and each shot by a laser takes 20 power. The laser cooldown is 3 seconds.\n\n![Surger.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc24.png)\nThe last and most expensive structure is the surger. This will automatically pulse every 2 seconds as a way to automate your power grid.\n\n\n### Controls\n\n__**Buidling:**__\n\nSelect a building to build using the buttons on the UI or one of the hotkeys (see below)\nClick the space on the map where you want the building (you must have enough cash for this operation to succeed)\n\n__**Camera:**__\n\nYou can use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out.\n\nMoving your mouse to the edge of the screen will translate the camera laterally.\n\n__**HotKeys:**__\n\n[ 1 ] - select a conduit for building\n\n[ 2 ] - select a miner for building\n\n[ 3 ] - select a heat laser for building\n\n[ 4 ] - select a surger for building\n\n[ D ] - destroy the selected building (DO NOT CLICK THIS WITH THE POWER PLANT SELECTED OR YOU WILL LOSE)\n \n[ LEFTSHIFT ] - When building, holding left shift will let you place multiple of the selected building\n\n","meta":{"author":[6038],"grade-06-out":"1","allow-anonymous-comments":"1","cover":"\/\/\/content\/697\/1\/z\/b090.png","link-01":"https:\/\/github.com\/jspearman3\/ApocalypseCorp","link-01-tag":"42332","link-02":"https:\/\/chipmonkey0.itch.io\/apocalypse-corp","link-02-tag":"42336","link-03-tag":"42337"},"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/40\/apocalypse-corp","parents":[1,5,9,49883],"love":0,"notes":21,"notes-timestamp":"2017-12-12T04:08:43Z","grade":{"grade-01":23,"grade-02":23,"grade-03":23,"grade-04":23,"grade-05":23,"grade-07":18,"grade-08":21},"magic":{"cool":115.27216156938,"feedback":25,"given":24.25,"grade":22,"grade-01-average":3.643,"grade-01-result":189,"grade-02-average":3.667,"grade-02-result":144,"grade-03-average":3.69,"grade-03-result":111,"grade-04-average":4.167,"grade-04-result":53,"grade-05-average":3.119,"grade-05-result":410,"grade-07-average":3,"grade-07-result":241,"grade-08-average":3.368,"grade-08-result":198,"smart":23.743686707646}},"text":"![apocolypsecorptitle.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/b099.png)\n\nHello fellow game designers! This is my first submission to ludum dare, and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out! The game is a tile-based building game where you try to gain as much money (or last as long) as possible. By expanding your mining network, you will gain more money to help you expand further. However, the machines you take advantage of also cause pollution, and this has very negative effects on the environment. This comes in the form of tornadoes that will come and destroy your mining network.\n\nSee how long you can last before the tornadoes destroy your empire!\n\n\n## About the Game\n\nApocalypse Corp was inspired by 2D tile-based builder games and the clicker mechanic from cookie clicker. By combining the two, I hoped to achieve a unique experience where you looked to improve click efficiency while also having to think strategically about building placement. The storms in the game were an extra addition that I hoped would fit nicely with the theme of the contest: the more you have the worse it gets. The announcement of this theme spawned the idea of having pollution as a byproduct of building that would make the experience more difficult.\n\n![apocolypsecorpgame.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/b0ee.png)\n\n\n## How to Play\n\nOn the title screen of the game, there is a quick slideshow of a tutorial that briefly explains concepts within the game. Here I'll go into a bit more detail. The purpose of the game is to last as long as possible, build the largest grid, make the most money, and\/or get the highest pollution level you can before you succumb to the incoming onslaught of storms. Once you lose your central power plant, the game is over and you lose.\n\n### Buildings\n\n![PowerPlant.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc17.png)\nThe power plant is the most important structure in the game. You cannot build any more and if it gets destroyed you lose. You generate power for your grid by clicking the power plant. This sends a \"surge\" of power that allows for certain buildings to perform their given function.\n\n![Conduit.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc19.png)\nThe conduit is responsible for carrying power to any of your structures. ANY BUILDING MUST BE ADJACENT TO EITHER A CONDUIT OR THE POWER PLANT IN ORDER TO WORK! Choose carefully where these are positioned! Try not to block in your conduit network with buildings! You need to be able to expand your conduit network further out to power buildings that are farther away.\n\n![Miner.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc1d.png)\nThe miner is the way you make money (thus granting the ability to buy more structures) in this game. When this building receives a surge of power, you will make $1. It also produces pollution at the same time which will cause larger storms.\n\n![HeatLaser.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc1f.png)\nThe heat laser is your means of defense against the storm. A pulse from the power plant will \"charge\" the laser. A laser must have enough power charged up to fire at nearby storms. Each click generates 2 power (max 100) and each shot by a laser takes 20 power. The laser cooldown is 3 seconds.\n\n![Surger.png](\/\/\/raw\/697\/1\/z\/dc24.png)\nThe last and most expensive structure is the surger. This will automatically pulse every 2 seconds as a way to automate your power grid.\n\n\n### Controls\n\n__**Buidling:**__\n\nSelect a building to build using the buttons on the UI or one of the hotkeys (see below)\nClick the space on the map where you want the building (you must have enough cash for this operation to succeed)\n\n__**Camera:**__\n\nYou can use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out.\n\nMoving your mouse to the edge of the screen will translate the camera laterally.\n\n__**HotKeys:**__\n\n[ 1 ] - select a conduit for building\n\n[ 2 ] - select a miner for building\n\n[ 3 ] - select a heat laser for building\n\n[ 4 ] - select a surger for building\n\n[ D ] - destroy the selected building (DO NOT CLICK THIS WITH THE POWER PLANT SELECTED OR YOU WILL LOSE)\n \n[ LEFTSHIFT ] - When building, holding left shift will let you place multiple of the selected building\n\n","title":"Apocalypse Corp"}