LudumData

Muzketeerz by Lord Shulky

[raw]
made by Lord Shulky for Ludum Dare 50 (JAM)

​Muzketeers, an action-strategy game of trying to hold with a square of musketeers/riflemen against hordes of zombies.

CONTROLS:

Left-click to move the soldiers in a square formation. MAKING A LINE: To make a line you first have to press the middle mouse button (scrollwheel button) to select the point where you want to move and then left-click in the direction you want to form the line. 8 directions made. FIRING: For firing press right click while in a line. To pause just press the Esc key.

Made by hmph. and Shulky. CHANGELOG FOR THE BUG FIXED VERSION 1. Fixed difficulty by removing musketeer spawning. (It also caused some bugs) 2. Fixed zombie spawning areas (They now spawn west and south as well, forgot to add the values for that or the script didn't save)

Play on itch.io (Bug fixed version, check changelog below) https://shulky.itch.io/muzketeerz
Jam version on itch.io https://shulky.itch.io/muzketeerz
Bug fixed version on itch.io https://shulky.itch.io/muzketeerz
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/50/muzketeerz

Ratings

Overall 991th 3.291⭐ 45🧑‍⚖️
Fun 801th 3.273⭐ 46🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 252th 3.739⭐ 46🧑‍⚖️
Theme 656th 3.682⭐ 46🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 928th 3.341⭐ 46🧑‍⚖️
Mood 856th 3.342⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Given 38🗳️ 56🗨️

Feedback

Gravityflip
05. Apr 2022 · 09:08 UTC
I had fun playing this <3 It's a cool idea that definitely has potential! What holds it back for me is the controls. They are a little bit unintuitive and I didn't understand the range of the muskets.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 09:15 UTC
@gravityflip Yes, you are right. With the time limit we didn't have time to add a small arrow indicator or something like that to show where is the line going to face. Each musketeer has its own range, which is basically a polygon collider shaped like a cone that detects the zombies. We may fix those problems after the jam ends to have a more polished version.
jazibobs
05. Apr 2022 · 09:17 UTC
I liked the 8-bit era graphics and thought the music was very charming. I think it would be nice if I could have greater control over where and when the muzketeerz fire their rounds as sometimes they didn't seem to aim for the most crowded areas of the horde.

Nice work with this!
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 09:29 UTC
@jazibobs On the aiming of the musketeers, they randomly get a target from inside their cone area and shoot. I guess changing it to attack the closest zombies first could be good.
The music is not ours, we just tried to get fitting themes to the graphics, got it from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com so credit goes to them.
fatPenguin
05. Apr 2022 · 09:52 UTC
Cool entry! Although the controls are very hard - I often made mistakes :sweat_smile: - The overall mechanics are really fun and innovative.

By kiting the zombies around the level I managed to stay alive really long :)
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 09:59 UTC
@fatpenguin The controls will probably be improved after the jam since there was no time remaining to improve them. Thanks for trying the game and glad that you enjoyed it. :P
Hamdogu
05. Apr 2022 · 11:12 UTC
Had a shocking amount of fun commanding my little troops into battle, the way they arranged themselves was so satisfying to watch! The graphics were very cute and the overall mechanics worked really well! I'd try to maybe increase the difficulty curve if with ranged attacks but overall amazing game :)
vrerabek
05. Apr 2022 · 11:14 UTC
Very cool idea, as others stated - the controls are kinda clunky, but hey it's game jam. :D

Killing bunch of zombies was very satisfying!
osh.studio
05. Apr 2022 · 11:17 UTC
Love that you can move the soldiers around and they stand to attention in formation, so cute! The line up and shoot mechanic is definitely unique and I can see it becoming quite a skill but maybe you're button choices could be better.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 11:19 UTC
@hamdogu Thanks for the feedback! Hmmmm ranged zombie attacks could be interesting... For now we were planning in adding bayonets in the future but that's a good idea.
Arttu Halonen
05. Apr 2022 · 11:22 UTC
I really liked this one! The art style of the graphics and sounds worked together really well, and the concept was great! With a bit more visual feedback (to see if the game registered my inputs the way I expect) and work on the controls (middle mouse in the browser version turns into the page scroll cursor), this will be an even more fun experience!
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 11:26 UTC
@vrerabek Yeah many are commenting on the controls and I agree with that. And yes, the combination of musketeers/riflemen with zombies turns out to be a good one. We will probably fix things after the game jam.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 11:29 UTC
@osh-studio They are like 18th-century lines of muskets with a reduced reload time. (If you had to stay in the same spot reloading for minutes you wouldn't last for long). When you play for a few minutes you get the hang of the controls but it is absolutely true that they can be confusing when you start playing.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 11:35 UTC
@arttu-halonen Will probably add a line direction indicator when the jam ends. I didn't notice the middle mouse problem in the browser version, but I guess that we will end up changing the keys anyways since everyone says the same thing about the game. :P
PhoenixofForce
05. Apr 2022 · 11:40 UTC
Maybe i should have read the instructions before playing :face_palm:

Was really nice, had a lot of fun
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 11:54 UTC
@phoenixofforce Haha yes the controls are not very good. :D Still good that people are enjoying it. Thanks for the feedback.
AndyZYZ
05. Apr 2022 · 14:27 UTC
At first the control feels really weird. But it really matches the feelings and the difficulty of leading a squad to formation like that. Once you get into it, it's tons of fun. I guess the magic is the sound effect and music.
Poppy Entertainment
05. Apr 2022 · 14:30 UTC
the game was nice, t took me a bit of time to get the hang of the controls but the simplistic art sytle and the music where really nice
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 15:00 UTC
@andyzyz @poppy-entertainment The controls do work but they need improvement. And yeah if you get into it and get to more difficult waves then it becomes a challenge. The music is not ours but we definitely found fitting one because there are many comments about that.
reneantunes
05. Apr 2022 · 15:33 UTC
Love the art style.
Nick Saulnier
05. Apr 2022 · 15:34 UTC
I think the controls are a bit hard to overcome ATM, but I kind of like the obtuseness of it considering you're doing such a weird thing in-game? I _did_ get used to the control scheme, but the latency between my input and the army moving was what seemed like the highest skill cap in the end! Really cool idea, and aesthetically really cohesive and strong, GJ!
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 15:38 UTC
@reneantunes Thanks!!! That is thanks to @hmph that made most of the cool art.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 15:40 UTC
@nick-saulnier Well the idea is that moving an entire line of soldiers takes time so you have to make good decisions on where you want do place the line and towards. Its true that the controls don't make that easier. :P
Thanks for the feeback :)
Tieran
05. Apr 2022 · 15:53 UTC
I had fun playing it I like how all the soldiers move together. I found the controls a bit tricky to get use to but once I figured it out it was fun to play.

Depending how technical you wanted to go I would recommend to take a look at flocking algorithms which are quite simple to implement as its only three basic rules: Separation/Alignment/Cohesion. That could improve how the soldiers walk together as I noticed they can overlap each other. It may also be cool for the zombies to flock as horde with that method

Overall its a good game, good job!
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 16:03 UTC
@tieran Hmmm... I will take a look into that since it certainly sounds interesting. I just made them overlap because that was the easy way for me, but at the same time I guess it can be fun to implement that.
shizuka
05. Apr 2022 · 18:22 UTC
very unique and challenge gameplay, i have take some time to understand how it works, but nothing that interfered with the experience.
real_flamingicecubegames
05. Apr 2022 · 18:25 UTC
Interesting game. I only wish there were more enemy types and weapons. Maybe some more locations? Anyways, for what the game is right now it's pretty good.
ruruie
05. Apr 2022 · 18:28 UTC
This is a great concept but I just couldn't seem to get the controls. Now and again they'd form a line but often they'd stand in place or just move into another square.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 18:41 UTC
@shizuka Nice to hear that! When you understand the controls (and the small bugs that happen when spamming buttons) then the game gets better indeed.
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 18:43 UTC
@real-flamingicecubegames Well, after all this is a jam game so we didn't have time to add more content. We would have really liked to add bayonets and a better map, but we had to scrap that.
omi
05. Apr 2022 · 18:44 UTC
A very cool mechanic! The sound of volleys is surprisingly satisfying. Kept playing just to hear the guns go off in harmony, haha!
🎤 Lord Shulky
05. Apr 2022 · 18:48 UTC
@ruruie Sad that you didn't get the controls, but it is our fault for not polishing that. On the "but often they'd stand in place or just move into another square." It is true that there is a small bug that makes it so when you issue many orders in a somewhat short period of time it doesn't work very well. :)
Marc Grabow
06. Apr 2022 · 03:04 UTC
As others have said, the controls are tricky to grasp and more UI feedback would be cool, maybe simple buttons for what kind of formation you want would be cool. I'd really like a ring formation, shooting outside for example. Or drawing the line yourself and all your men align along it would be very cool.

I really like the idea and with a bit more polish you could make this super fun!
AlgeBRUH
06. Apr 2022 · 05:05 UTC
Interesting idea, I had fun playing it for a while and the music was just right, but I think you should write something in the control that immediately after the shot the musketeers cannot walk (or maybe this is a bug?). But overall, the game is good, nice job.
🎤 Lord Shulky
06. Apr 2022 · 08:20 UTC
@algebruh Partially a bug. While the soldiers are shooting it is made so they can't move while shooting. The problem is that if the second line or the third line don't find targets because they are already killed, the cooldown for firing is still the same.
🎤 Lord Shulky
06. Apr 2022 · 08:27 UTC
@marc-grabow Controls will be improved, but we will see if we add more content after that. I think that a ring formation would indeed be cool. :)
Mike Baldwin
06. Apr 2022 · 15:06 UTC
I had a lot of fun! I actually found it easier after I had fewer guys left as I could just run them in a circle to bunch up the zombies and then spend my time picking them off. Great job!
🎤 Lord Shulky
06. Apr 2022 · 19:23 UTC
@mike-baldwin I did notice that running around circles as you say makes it a lot easier. I guess that you would end up dying one day, but I should look into flocking algorithm as someone previously commented or change the AI to make it harder. Idk if I will change that for this project, but I will definitely try to make a better AI for the next one instead of just following in a straight line.
JHax
06. Apr 2022 · 21:08 UTC
Enjoyed this! Definitely a cool idea and I'm glad to hear you're thinking of adding a few more things after the jam is over. Particularly intrigued to see what you do with bayonets!

Might be interesting to see some options for other formations as well but that's just a vague idea floating around my head, I'm not totally sure where you could go with it or whether it'd add much XD
vetu11
06. Apr 2022 · 21:35 UTC
Very nice! I agree as others have commented, that the controls could be improved, but I'd enphasise on the feedback of it, it was hard to figure out how the musketeers where gonna form line and how the cycles of shooting work. Otherwise, it's an interesting and fun idea!
paulhocker
07. Apr 2022 · 01:49 UTC
it was really hard to figure out if i was making the line and no indication if they were firing or not. i did like moving them around and running over zombies tho. thanks for making the game.
p-r
07. Apr 2022 · 18:48 UTC
You should change the line command to disable moving while still in line. To disengage the line you would only require to click on the middle button again. Other than that I really enjoyed the idea, and programming groups and formations is actually very hard but you killed in that section.
BiOs3008
08. Apr 2022 · 00:41 UTC
Awesome! A Strategie game
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 09:11 UTC
@jhax Someone suggested a ring formation which could be pretty good in case you are surrounded and it is a good idea. Thanks for the feedback :)
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 09:13 UTC
@vetu11 I guess you are right. We should have added an indicator to show where is the line forming and the direction of firing.
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 09:14 UTC
@paulhocker True, we made the mistake of not adding enough feedback.
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 09:17 UTC
@p-r Hmmmm I guess it could be nice to add moving lines without having to reform them. Yeah I am not a really experienced programmer in general and after a good start in coding lines I had to spent some time randomly changing values to make all directions and the code is a bit of a mess. :)
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 09:17 UTC
@bios3008 Thanks for the feedback! :)
wEEWSA
08. Apr 2022 · 12:38 UTC
It looks interesting. But management is difficult to understand. Decent game.
🎤 Lord Shulky
08. Apr 2022 · 14:15 UTC
@weewsa Even if we didn't make a great job with the controls we are satisfied with the game in general. Thanks for the feedback! :P
Tan games
08. Apr 2022 · 21:08 UTC
Nice game. Good concept. Movement was fine but I was having some trouble lining up the troops at first. Figured out after a couple of tries, this aspect can be improved/made more intuitive, like maybe have hovering direction buttons around the troops or use keyboard keys to direct line of fire. Otherwise, good game and well done.
Slecornu
09. Apr 2022 · 13:42 UTC
This was a really fun game, I should have read the instructions before my first play though haha. I had no idea you can fire! But the fact I still had fun says a lot, good job!
MOOOKS
09. Apr 2022 · 20:30 UTC
Interesting Idea, I like the art and music and it was fun the move around and shoot the zombies. But like others, I also felt that the controls were a bit clunky. But it was a nice game with lots of potential!
alpharock6
21. Apr 2022 · 18:54 UTC
Controls were a bit tricky at first, but I also find it very refreshing to try exploring something different than most. Overall I had a lot of fun, could use some polish but what jam game doesn't! Great entry :)
TOminerTV
21. Apr 2022 · 19:10 UTC
Great idear, but the controls are very wierd
JOZGames
21. Apr 2022 · 19:14 UTC
Não consegui atirar de jeito nenhum 😓

Google Translator:
I couldn't shoot at all 😓