How does it look?

Just curious on how it looks and all!

Please, any suggestions for the game would be appreciated!

I plan to have it done in a week.

(P.S. Sorry about the crappy video quality...)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....26646914161199

OK, here's a new link since I can't figure out how to make the video public...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=126646914161199&set=vb.100004476732432 &type=2&theater

Ok, I'm going to be honest with you... Based on this video alone, this game looks incredibly boring. The graphics are decent, and it has a nice overall visual style to it.

However, your video shows a completely flat level, with water/pitfall hazards that appear to not actually need to be jumped over, (you see the player jumping, but at the end of the video he just walks across them). Also, the pink critters which I can only assume are enemies - when ran into seem to just die and make the player jump without actually needing to jump on them first, which makes them sort of pointless as an obstacle.

If you really want to sell people on your game, you will need a MUCH more interesting level design and a wider variety of obstacles that actually need avoiding.

If I'm completely missing the point of your game then I apologize, but this movie definitely does not make me as a gamer want to play this game. You have a good start of something, that much is shown - but without seeing further gameplay I would recommend you keep working on this one.

Neither video is working for me. Just says they are private

Well, Chaos, it is only the first level, and everything you said is true, but in the end it will look like this:

Attachment 8673

the videos aren't working for me either

Nor me! Put it on the tube or something.

Umm ok! no video......?

if (Facebook)

lame = true;

Sorry...

Take a look here: http://xstargaming.webs.com/apps/vid...97-wonderjump-

So any suggestions?

I plan to have this done by next Wednesday, so suggest quickly!

I think it looks very nice! The level design could certainly be a bit more interesting. There's plenty of articles about this, but seeing that you're probably trying to get something like the Mario games, you should check this out: http://www.1up.com/features/learning-level-design-mario

There are many articles like this and, though some of them probably read too much into the games' designs, I'm sure they could be of help.

Keep us updated!

Cool, thanks for pointing it out!

You're clearly a good artist, but yes - the game just doesn't look fun, so it doesn't matter how good it looks when people turn off after 2 minutes.

You could add some effect to show the little blobs have been defeated as well - they seem to just disappear.

If you're aiming for a standard platformer then there's plenty of ideas you can whack into the game to flesh it out, such as floating platforms that drop, ones that move, hidden platforms, etc, etc

Alternatively, keep the game as it is, but add a reason for people to play it as it is - such as a timer, coin and kill count which works out a final score based on those values - that way it doesn't matter if it's simple.

Asholay, I tried doing that, but I didn't have a good enough effect on hand... If someone has one I could use that would match the style of the game, I would be more than happy to accept!

Also, after I release the base version in time for Christmas, I plan on making an update so you can play in multiple modes.

I like your ideas! Thanks!

You could contact whoever did the graphics for you and ask them to create a small blob orb particle, and then create a few of those on the blob death to simulate a splattering effect.

I've seen those graphics before:
http://polycode.tumblr.com/post/3767...-edited-in-the

Not sure if the polycode people made them or not, but make sure you actually own rights to them before using them in a commercial product.

EDIT:
Wait, found the original artist:
http://kenney.nl/page/1

Carry on...

I do, I contacted him, and he said it's fine. The game's going to be free anyway.

To Chaos: I did, but unfortunately he's a bit busy with his own app right now, Makeaway.

I gave him credit for his work in the game, so it's all good on that end.

However, the effects part of it still need to be fixed... I could create a small glob out of the original character, but if I'm doing that, would someone be willing to create a splatter example?

You don't have to, but I'm just curious, due to my limited deadline and all...

Thanks!

Ah I did wonder how quick your graphical skills had improved ;-)

But good luck with the game...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Asholay

You're clearly a good artist

---

I rescind my comment lol

Surprised there was no attempt to correct my false assumption?

Oh, that's not it, I just didn't see the comment... Sorry for any misleading information.

And yes, RedSquirrel, I would be amazed if my drawing skills had improved that quickly! :)

Before I go for now, does anyone have a splatter example?

Here you go

Blood With Gravity Example - Nostalgia
Author: unknown
Genre: example
Extensions Needed: none
Description:
Watch as the bees are shot and explode. From an old tgf file with an uknown date.
Instructions:
Automatic.

Link:
http://castles-of-britain.com/mmfexamples-a.htm

Marv

Thanks for both of your examples, I'll get right on it and post a new update as soon as it's done!

Here we go!

Updated for better performance! (Not the video quality, just the game, sorry...)

http://xstargaming.webs.com/apps/vid...erjump-video-2

Any last minute suggestions before I start making the other levels?

Its not my intention to be mean or anything, but the level is quite repetative ( both graphically, and gameplay wize )

I would suggest dividing your level into sections, like a Farm section, a windmill section, a cornfield section, a fishing pond section...
...And then, based on the theme of the section, modify the sections to have interesting gameplay. For example, elevated platforms and ladderrs and jumps to get past the Farmhouse, Enemies who hide in the cornfield, moving or sinking logs in the pond, and in general some elevation in the geography.

Your right, but like I said before:

Attachment 8682

That's what it'll sort of end up looking like. I will incorporate more of a zones style, it'll get more like that as the game goes on.

Thanks for the suggestion! If you have any more suggestions please let me know!

OK, I have run into a small problem...

I want the audio to fade out at the end of the frame, so what I do is:

User clicks on load game >>> Activate group fade music and jump to screen 2

That's a basic version of what it does. But even after reordering, and adding a needed transition, it will only fade if it isn't transitioning...

Please help!

Gracillis V comes to mind, and not to mention that game of mine that you were trying to sell...

Snail pretty much said everything that I was about to type, although he put it much more politely than I would have. I will be honest here, you are pretty much flat out abusing the helpfulness of the forum members here, and you have been doing so for months. If I recall, I think this is the game LB was trying to help you with, and that thread went on for ages with you just requesting people make you examples. Like Snail said... take some initiative and do some searching for examples that have already been made. Nivram has a HUGE repository of brilliant MMF/TGF tutorials, I'm sure you would have been able to find something similar to your needs there.

If you don't start showing some initiative, people are eventually going to start ignoring you and begin to completely discredit your work. It's not too late to change some opinions people have about you, and I suggest you start working on that. Pronto.

Sorry... I was just curious if anyone wanted something else for me to add in.

I already have the sound thing done as an example if you'd like to see it.

The game is almost ready, but now I have to deal with the sound issue, you can end the thread now if you want.

I'll go ahead and deal with it.

Thank you for helping me.

The super easiest way to do particles like a slime splatter is just set the object with Pinball movement and then adjust the movement so that there is some gravity/initial direction/speed, etc... You can get amazing looking (and random) explosions/splatters like this. Then you just have the "particles" destroy when they collide with the ground or whatever.

As for people talking about the level design. I feel that if you focus on each area and give it purpose, your overall levels will be much better. Right now it's just vast expanses of nothing. It almost looks random generated, or like you just went through and randomly placed down objects with no thought as to their placement. Each small section of a platformer game should have some new challenges or at least a mixup of previous challenges. Something as simple as larger gaps to have to leap across, or you know... having the character move up the screen vertically for a bit. One HUGE change you can make to a platformer with little effort is just to make the land not all flat across. Add some cliffs that you climb, some valleys and peaks. Not just "super straight across with a few gaps here and there"

Also I'm not sure what's up with your collision detection but someone else earlier had mentioned the character can basically just run over gaps and run into blobs without anything happening. It looks especially bad when you constantly jump too late in the video and the blob explodes but nothing else happens... It's as if there is no reason to jump on the blobs at all.

Also it seems the character just jumps through the ! blocks? Seeing a variety of platforms makes all the difference as well. Moving platforms, swinging platforms, platforms you can jump through, disappearing platforms, etc. Stuff that makes you need timing. Platforming is almost always about timing things. Timing jumps, timing movements, etc.

Oh, I fixed the sound problem, sort of... I made it fade before the frame transitions, and then when it's volume is zero, the frame transitions.

I'll try to work on those clouds, didn't realize that was disorienting... Sorry!

To Konidias:

1. Yep, that's exactly what I'll do, the reason this one's flat is because it's the very first level and I just want people to get the hang of moving and bouncing.

2. I'm still not sure how to register only hitting the top of the blob... I tried detectors, but the character could still run at them and they'd get destroyed...

3. Oh yeah! Definitely! The cave levels are going to have disappearing blocks and future levels are going to have hidden spikes and stuff!

Thanks for all your suggestions, but I'd better get to work! I'll let you all know when it's done!

OK, I tried redoing the top collision for slimes, but

Attachment 8695

It won't register the top collision, and if I set it to collide with the top then they can run straight through and kill it anyway.

So to solve it I made a side detector, but all my attempts to create a bounce back hit thingy have failed.

I have already searched the forums for help, but found naught something that can help me in my endeavors.

I'm not asking for an example, but just an explanation of how to do this.

Thanks again!

XStar
Are you using the 'Platform Movement Object' for your Players movement?

No, I'm using a custom one of mine.

Instead of detectors, just test for you colliding and that your Y Speed is positive, meaning you are moving downward. It's a much easier and friendlier approach to goomba style enemies.

Does you Player have different States?

I mean, is your Application able to adress which State the player is in ( Stopped, Walking, Jumping, Falling, etc )?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jacob

Instead of detectors, just test for you colliding and that your Y Speed is positive, meaning you are moving downward. It's a much easier and friendlier approach to goomba style enemies.

---

Depending on how the gravity code is, this might not work.

I'll try it Jacob, but I don't know if it will work...

Yes King_Cool there are stopped, walking, and jumping states for both directions.