{"author_name":"AdamW","cat":"LD #32","comments":[{"author_name":"KunoNoOni","time":"April 23, 2015 5:04 pm","epoch":1429826640,"text":"Yes Limb by Limb is a good game, but I gotta have more cowbell!","spam":"N"}],"epoch":1429806300,"likes":1,"metadata":{"p_key":"17736","p_author":"AdamW","p_authorkey":"31339","p_urlkey":"53042","p_title":"Limb by Limb \u2013 Post Mortem","p_cat":"LD #32","p_event":"LD32","p_time":"1429806300","p_likes":"1","p_comments":"1","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"31339","us_name":"AdamW","us_username":"adamw","event_start":"1429228800","event_key":"27","event_name":"LD32"},"text":"

All previous Ludum Dares that I’ve tried to participate in have failed miserably. For the first one I had no experience. For the second I had very little time. For the third I had no good idea.<\/p>\n

For this one I had a good plan that I followed through with, and I managed my time well. I didn’t try to make anything more than I was planning on from the beginning.<\/p>\n

Due to my inexperience with exporting Java programs, I didn’t manage to export the game with the sound library, so the submitted version has no audio. This is however something that I’ve “solved” afterwards using somewhat of a workaround.<\/p>\n

The submitted version can be played here:
\n Limb by Limb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"post\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When I saw the theme I immediately came up with this idea (I don’t really know why). This was probably the first Ludum Dare I’ve entered where I actually liked the theme, and also came up with the concept even before starting to program.<\/p>\n

The idea was to not only use an unconventional weapon, but also to use it in an unconventional way; I didn’t just want to make a normal shoot-em-up game and just switch the gun textures for a banana or something. I actually wanted to use the weapon as more than just a weapon. So I used it as both a health system, and as a level-puzzle-thingy.<\/p>\n

In the beginning I planned to actually have enemies in the game, but I didn’t manage to add that in time, so I settled for making a puzzle platformer (although a later version of the game probably will include some simple enemies). So I guess I failed in making it a “weapon”, but rather a tool.<\/p>\n

I quickly knew that I wanted to use the limbs as a health system, because it added a lot of possibillities regarding level design. I also came up with the idea of only being able to interact with levers if you have arms to further support level design.<\/p>\n

In earlier projects I’ve saved all levels using a png file, but it has its limitations. And since the fun part about Ludum Dare is to always learn or try something new, I decided to use Tiled as level editor and implement methods that read json files. Which made level designing a whole lot more fun to do.<\/p>\n

\"arms\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ve decided to work on this project a bit more, but I want to finish it in a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n

Some updates\/changes that I plan on making (and have done) are as follows:
\n – Make sound work (done)- Add a new type of lever, further enhancing level design (done)
\n – Add falling damage (done) as a comical effect, and also to enhance level design
\n – Make some new bigger, more difficult, and more thought out levels (done)
\n – Add some sort of enemy
\n – Add some sort of trap block
\n – Add particle effects
\n – Add usable items (maybe)
\n – Add more decorations
\n – Add more cowbell
\n – Add sound effects
\n – Add pressure plates (works without arms, obviously)
\n – Fix the bad platform physics (done)
\n – Remix the music (I made it in a very lazy way)
\n – Add fullscreen mode<\/p>\n

ps. Some alternate titles I thought about using were “ARMageddon” and “Man at Arms”. Sadly I think that “Limbo” has already been taken…<\/p>\n \n

Tags: ARMageddon<\/a>, post-mortem<\/a><\/p>","time":"April 23rd, 2015 11:25 am","title":"Limb by Limb \u2013 Post Mortem"}