Finally managed to put up a gameplay playthrough video! I’ll see if I can collect more videos from Ludum Dare Kajaani participants to put them all up to the same site.

(Now back to playing some  game entries.)

If you ask: “Why Ex-Dodge!?”

I got an answer for you.

Is this game Dodge?

You may say, no it isn’t, but know one thing. It actually is.

So what happened to it? To be honest, I don’t really know. It all started when I worked on the lighting. At first I wanted to do the actual lighting system, then I experimented with lamps to pick up and changed the graphics to be darker. Moment after moment, a game formed in my head. A not all to family friendly game. Then I started working on it and the outcome can be seen above. As this is definitely not Dodge anymore I changed the name to: Codename Orbit. This is only the temporary Codename if you get it..

And now. This is the update for this time.

– Folis

Just wanted to tell that I did some minor updates to my LD21 game, “Bunnies, Back Into Your Cage!”. This is something I don’t do often (working on a post-compo version always was a timewaster to me) but this time it felt like it was worth it. Even though some people really HATE the controls.

Well, at least I had some fun with it.

Updates include bug fixing (no invisible blocks anymore, also no double level loading), rebalancing (especially the last level) and a new control scheme (picking/dropping blocks only with shift key now, WASD added). The latest enhancement is the addition of text which serves the purpose of a tutorial and a “story” alike. Also, someone didn’t like that falling out of the level resetted it, so this was removed too.

The updates are for the Kongregate version only, so play it there.

The Ludum Dare entry page is here – please rate it (the unaltered LD version, of course), if you haven’t already! Thanks!

Tags: bunnies, flash, flashpunk, post-compo

You can play it on Kongregate – HMS Lightning BETA v0.2

Just an Update on my LD20 project, added in a menu (see below).

Improved the intro graphics, couldn’t resist adding a Scuba HUD.

Music and sound effects added but still quite a bit I would like to add!

Please give it a whirl and let me know what you think, on LD or Kongregate.

Cheers

Tags: further development, unity

Posted on my blog. I penned this last weekend but got caught up and forgot to publish… <sheepish grin/>

Hello everyone,

After some problem to capture my game i finally achieve to make a Walkthrough of it . I don’t know why but the game is darker in the video… if someone have an idea about that.

LD21 entry Walkthrough

how do you embed a Youtube video in a post?

A bit over a day ago I released the first post-compo version of my game, Facilitated Escape. I’ve done quite a bit with it in the two weeks since Ludum Dare 21, such as making it a bit easier, and improving the visuals. Anyway, for more I’ll direct you to my website.

A gameplay shot with the title overlayed.

Hi everyone, I had a blast doing this Ludum Dare! I’m really excited for the next one, I think qwezc and I will be a lot more prepared now that we’ve done it before. Also, we’ll both be using the same software so we’ll be able to collaborate on coding more. We also found a nice music generator that will allow us to make music in a short period of time.  Now about the MiniLD. I’ll might enter in it, but because of school starting, I might not have enough time for it. But I’m hoping to least make something!

I had originally started Ludum Dare 21 in hopes of finishing a complete and coherent product, but I had to stop my entry due to personal problems.  My final submission was a simple game with a meager four levels. I liked the concept, but the game lacked any substance to be of enjoyment.

So, now that I have the ability, I’ve decided to direct efforts into finishing the game. Its taken quite an upgrade and is now what I would actually call a game, rather than a concept. As of now, there are only 8 levels (World 1), but a world system is in place to make it easier to create more levels. The upgraded version also has a level select and a saving system which saves completed levels and the total amount of deaths. I want to have at least 5 worlds for the final version – the next ones should be coming soon.

Play World 1 here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2727127/Pressure/World1.swf

Upgraded Version

 For those of you who noticed, my game did in fact take a lot of inspiration from VVVVVV, specifically the tower level.

After a process which was longer than it needed to be I’ve finished up a first installment of the post-compo Urth(for android only at the moment). And it works. Let’s have a look at lessons learned:

• never EVER hardcode menus ever again
• good coding practices aren’t necessarily compatible across programming languages
• having a deadline positively influences productivity
• next time use a real font and not gimp+a tablet
• some things just aren’t meant for 3D and fancy lighting

• reduced processor load
• improved the gui so it doesn’t look like it’s held together with duct tape and chewing gum
• replaced difficulty cliff with difficulty curve

Main menu: Merged two buttons and added a new one

The level menu now matches the main menu and has pagination

A sneak preview of one of the new levels

 COMPO ENTRY ~ IN THE MARKET

Tags: android, postmortem, progress, screenshot

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 4th, 2011 at 7:03 am and is filed under LD #21. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I’m planning on releasing an updated version of Stranded called “Stranded Again” that will include a lot of the suggestions I’ve been receiving from the Ludum Dare community!  This release will be free, and will include all the original content, plus episode two, and more puzzles and more fun gameplay.  The original Stranded was made for the Ludum Dare 21 (48 hour compo), so there’s really not a lot there right now — I want to fix that and bring a lot more of the story to the community.

Here’s the deal – I’m new to Twitter and I’m trying to build up followers who are honestly interested in unique, fun, challenging games; and have strong opinions on game design that they don’t mind sharing.  I’m sure I could find a few people that fit that description somewhere around here 😀

Let me know that you want me to keep working on Stranded Again by following me on Twitter @tulrath

The more followers I receive, the more features I’ll build into Stranded Again:

• 50 Followers:  Episode Two Story, improved game graphics, new backgrounds and effects
• 75 Followers:  Everything above plus Enhanced Puzzle Mechanics for the core gameplay
• 100 Followers: Everything above plus Additional Puzzle Mechanics for the advanced game play (100 Follows is my goal)
• 125 Followers: Everything above plus 3 Mini-Games that can be played at specific points of the story (once unlocked, can be played at any time)
• 150 Followers: Everything above plus Achievements System with at least 18 Achievements that can be earned
• 200 Followers:  The 200th follower gets to CHOOSE what he/she wants added to the game from this list: 2 Additional Mini-Games; or 10 New Achievements; or 2 New Enemies of your own design; or 5 New Story Branches that provide more back-story around the core game story.

I incorporated feedback, added a new room in the prison, fixed bugs, and more!

You check it out from my page.

Look for the the post-compo version.(in big letters and everything!)

Also, if you haven’t, please play and rate the original version of my game (If you have time. I know some people have lives 😉 )

The Collapse

After my failed attempt to make a video post mortem (video editing tools are just a pain in the ass) i’ll just write them down in a non-flashy manner.

Can't touch this

So, what went right?

In the given time, i was able to create and design a solid game concept that potientially could be fun. It has a continuous artstyle, although very generic at this point.

The game features a level editor, which actually consumed most time developing. I wanted to make sure to have a solid base to work on the game, which is for puzzle games obviously the level generation. It turned out to be quite useful. You can design levels fairly quick and immediately test them, which eases the level testing and balancing in the long run.

Also i am glad that i was able to spend some time working on a catchy soundtrack, although it is not very long and kind of repetitive.

What went wrong?

THIS went wrong

I got a lot of feedback that the game wont run correctly or crashes on startup. This was a fault in the coding, and still isn’t fixed completely at this point. But it should work for the vast majority currently, or at least i hope so.

Another disadvantage is the design of the levels, or rather, the order i released them in. I was getting used to the controls while developing and testing it, so they didn’t feel too difficult to me. I didnt realise that new players wouldn’t have enough time to get used to the controls and getting frustrated too quickly. Some of the earlier levels require you to control quite accurately, followed up by some rather easy levels.
This was partially due to designing the levels just few hours before the deadline. I should try saving up more time for that the next time.

Another result of the late implementation and testing of levels is the bump sound. At the point i realized it is quite annoying, and bugging at some points, it was too late to fix. However i didn’t want to remove it completely as it is important to have some audible feedback. I should have just made it less loud.

So, what are you going to do with it?

I will continue to work on it. I will make changes on things pointed out in the comments, mostly a more decent difficulty curve for the levels and better controls.

One thing that was bugging me with it though, was the art direction. I kind of like simple minimalist design, and it certainly works for a protoype for a game compo. But to capture more attention it’d need a more artsy design, something that will be recognized easily. So i was sitting down with a friend, who is concept artist, brainstorming about different themes, and he came up with a cool idea.

You will play a bacterium, or virus, and navigate through bovels and intestines. Fighting your way through to that one cell you need to infect. It will receive a new, more organic (quite literally) level design. That, however, requires a complete rewrite of the game, which i am working on currently. That theme is kind of neglecting the Escape topic, but the gameplay will basically stay the same.

I might be able to show some mockup, or ingame wip screens in the next couple of days.

For a little project I’m working on, I made a flowchart to help with the design aspect of it.  After finishing the flowchart, I realized exactly how important and helpful it is to make one…

A few reasons why flowcharts are good to have in your game.

• You can see how each menu connects to others
• It will allow to decide what to make public and what to make private based on connections
• It shows how the game will flow
• They can look pretty nifty
• It’s something to put in the Bonus Features

1.  go to www.gliffy.com.
2. make a flowchart
3. Use the print screen (prt scrn) key on your keyboard
4. paste image into image editor of your choice.
5. edit as desired
6. save file
7. your done!

Tags: design, Flowchart

Click here to play the enhanced version of Glissaria

So for the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to find time to work on my Ludum Dare 21 entry (Glissaria) in order to improve it for a widespread release. I wasn’t able to put all that much time into it, and I’ve often been distracted as there are quite a few projects I am looking forward to working on, but I managed to greatly improve it.

The original release had all the basic elements of gameplay there, but unfortunately there wasn’t any balanced content to actually play. The game started off incredibly hard, and if you managed to survive long enough, took a turn to incredibly easy (and after a certain point it became impossible to lose). Mostly this stems from the fact that I chose to make a game in 48 hours that was way overscoped, which led to me spend every last minute working on features, and not have any time to playtest and balance.

But with the latest enhanced version, that has changed. There is now an 8 chapter story mode (with an in game tutorial to help ease up the learning curve), and an endless mode where you can try to survive as long as possible. There are also a set of achievements to give you something to work towards, even if you just want to play around. I’ve added new tower types, new gem types, new enemies, improved graphics, and a greatly improved user interface. I’ve also managed to improve a ton of small things that just made the game less fun than it could be.

Before release though, I would like to get one last round of feedback from anyone who has some spare time (which I know is hard to come by around here with all these games to judge!) I don’t plan on making any large scale changes, simply because I am transitioning what I am working on rather quickly, but anything you guys think of that could improve the game (especially around balance and bugs), please let me know, as I will take it into account for any last tweaks before release!

The improved interface and graphics

Thanks for your time! Click here to play the enhanced version of the game. If you want to play the original competition version of the game, view the competition entry page here. But as always, remember to vote based on the competition version.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 5th, 2011 at 9:51 pm and is filed under LD #21. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

…er, it would be good for business if I had a business (or ads), that is.

My entry is bringing in quite a bit of traffic (quite a bit for me, anyway). Thanks again to everybody who checked it out.

Nobody mentioned it so I thought I would declare it for anyone who missed out (and everyone else) but in my entry drive backwards over your wife for some bonus gasoline. Inhumane? Maybe but the gas is important if you want an edge against the police.

Just Like This

also check out the super cool alternate version I did where you can drive over the police while a man raps about spelling Mississippi. What more could anyone possibly want in anything really.

Hello, I have released a post-Compo Beta 1 version of my Ludum Dare #21 Entry Untitled.

You can download it from the IndieDB page:

http://www.indiedb.com/games/untitled/downloads/untitled-beta-1

The changes include:

– New controls, that make the game faster to play, and more immerse.

– New configuration file, that has options of the sounds, music, level generation, and language settings.

– Multiple Language support, there are detailed instructions for translating the game in the ReadMe file.

This is a screenshot of the game generating 9000 pickups, as set in the configuration file.

Over 9000 Pickups

And it is time for a post mortem, I have posted it on our blog, please read here:

http://rs.gam3dev.com/2011/09/07/post-mortem-avalanche-2/

The finished game

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 2:48 am and is filed under LD #21. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Over at the Beercave blog.

tl, dr version:

Pros – I learned a bunch of stuff

Cons – I didn’t know what the hell I was doing!

In conclusion  – prepare better next time, dumbass.