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r_type2600

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Posts posted by r_type2600

  1. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    Another great update!

     

    - the growth effect is a clever refinement. Yet another factor that could be used in level difficulty design :)

     

    - happy about the new eggs pattern! I find myself chasing them far more than before now :cool:

    It would be very nice if you could add some audiovisual effect that would confirm to the player that he has successfully picked up an egg. That should take out any hesitating moments and further smoothen the game flow.

    A short sound and briefly flashing the player in the root color would be cool.

    That simple visual clue would, as a side-effect, also be a neat evocation of the immunization principle (e.g. voluntary taking small doses of the poison) :)

     

    - the new color shading is just beautiful :lust:

     

    Eric

  2. Posted

    ....the ultimate gameplay element ™: the enemy now doesn't just grow towards the player, it moves towards the player !

    ...another addition to gameplay: new enemy cells are born from the corners of the playfield.

    simply - WOW! :lust:

    The game was already fun, but this represents a quantum leap - now we're facing a threatening, living, very real menace! :)

     

    I actually enjoy all 3 root classes so far (dumb, smart, and corner) and think they should all be kept in the game (at least in the full version).

     

    That would not only allow to address the difficulty issue raised by some, but also to design a multitude of increasingly difficult levels playing with a combination of the various roots and their respective speed and quantity! :)

     

    :arrow: suggestion for possibly another enemy type: indestructible "bacteriae". The idea is that these would be short (2-4 cells long and half a cell thick, solid for graphical distinction) "worms" that wander the playfield aimlessly (not hunting the player), basically only being obstacles that the player has to avoid. Touching them could either slow down (=sticky) or kill (=lethal) the player.

    These living obstacles could be introduced later in the game for added difficulty...

     

    :arrow: egg sequence: I finally noticed that the egg is undergoing two stages before finally hatching into the root - blinking and then for a short while solid to warn the player of the eminent hatching.

    I think the (firelight) concept is perfect, but it would be far more intuitive to revert it: e.g. solid first, and blinking in the last few seconds.

    IMO, the solid egg gets noticed much faster than the blinking one, giving the player a more likely option to go for it.

    Also, I find that the sequence solid-blinking-root, would make for a more realistic recreation of the hatching process (egg-crack-birth)

     

    And, for all you aesthetics purists, I have restored the 'full' border :)
    :thumbsup: :)

     

     

    Other possibilities: spawn (touching the borders makes the roots grow insanely fast for several seconds), fire control (alters how your cannon fires, slowing it down, making it sputter, or stop firing completely, again for several seconds), grow (makes your cannon a bigger target), spin (makes you spin around - you can move where you want, but you have no control over which way you're firing), reverse (reverses the directions of your controls), and so on. Plenty of opportunity for mischief there. :twisted:

    Cool, the spawn, fire control, and grow borders would make for some nice extra variations. :thumbsup:

    The spin one sounds fun, but would be too erratic for regular gameplay, IMO. However it could be a great fit for the suggested egg bonus/boss level (where the player would not risk much) :cool:

    I would drop the reverse one though, as it would make the game impossible in view of the frantic fast-reflex gameplay, IMO.

    wrap would also be cool:- no borders, the player reenters the playfield from the opposite side, risking to run into cells waiting there.

     

    :arrow: bonus round: it would indeed be very cool to see bonus/boss levels in omicron; hopefully in a full-blown version, where it could then crown the end of each (themed?)world...

    Maybe as a symbiosis of the evocated Joust bonus round and Centipede idea - which could look something like this:

    multiple eggs appearing in short intervalls, blinking, and then dying (=they disappear without hatching): logical explanation -> the player has mastered the world, the contagion can no longer spread, he only has to clean up the world from the last remaining, dead, eggs.

    The bonus challenge for the player is to rack up as many eggs as possible for a maximum of bonus points. To make it more challenging, these bonus levels would have a number of "indesctructible (sticky) worms". Each subsequent bonus level would then have more/faster such worms...

  3. Posted

    Feedback on the latest version:

     

    - really like the eggs concept, does indeed add variation. :thumbsup:

    One problem though - it makes the game much easier and waters down the frantic nature of the gameplay: if you choose not the hunt the eggs, you have now far more time to focus on new roots and shoot them all down before they can spread. The playfield now often remains almost empty for looong periods....

    Hopefully there's a way to keep both - the eggs and the 'frenzy' :P

     

    - slower ship: YES! :)

     

    - no-corners border: hmm, must say I preferred the original full border, which IMO looked smoother and more elegant. Since the game graphics already are blocky (= imperfect), the full border (= perfect, in its limited way) makes for a refreshing contrast for the eye - IMO.

    :idea: - inspired by the corner gaps in the border: what about instead opening a 'door' (maybe 3 cells wide) at the end of a level somewhere in the border (at random)? The faster the player would then 'escape' through this door to reach the next level, the more bonus points he would rack up: introduces a bonus/chance element to the scoring..

    Later levels could then built upon the idea, by introducing wandering doors, etc.

     

    Sure enough this and other ideas would cry for a full-blown (8k?) version of Omicron ;)

    Keeping my fingers crossed :)

  4. Posted

    ...I would actually prefer a smaller border (e.g. half-size): on one hand to make it graphically distinguishable from the enemy cells, on the other hand to preserve some more of the actual game area.

    Great to see that the above concerns have already been fully addressed by the solid and lowered border in the latest version :thumbsup: :)

  5. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    Hi Simone - good to see you back after your well-deserved break! :)

     

    Cool new version!

    The new cell-behavior is definitely an improvement, the gameplay now is quite intense and addicting. :cool:

     

    Also, the borders are a great new gameplay element :thumbsup: , opening up a lot of possibilities to broaden the game experience and gradually build up the difficulty:

     

    - amount of borders: the game could start with no borders, then introduce horizontal/vertical borders, finally moving to full borders.

    - border characteristics: increasingly dangerous: sticky at first (e.g. delaying player movement for a few moments), bouncy after that (throwing the player back into the playfield, with the risk of landing right into an enemy), more bouncy after that (e.g. throws the player twice as far back, and so on), and finally, as the ultimate challenge, "deadly".

    - border size:

    In reply to Devin's comment, I would actually prefer a smaller border (e.g. half-size): on one hand to make it graphically distinguishable from the enemy cells, on the other hand to preserve some more of the actual game area.

    :idea: ... however - gradually increasing the border size could serve as yet another difficulty operant :)

     

    EDIT: comments are referring to the 29Feb version...

  7. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    Your microscopic ship has been implanted into the President's brain to destroy a dangerous growth, which is impeding his ability to make competent decisions. ;)

    One logic error here - you are assuming an existing ability?? ;)

     

    Agree though that the gameplay almost imposes itself for the "contagion" theme. :cool:

    Not only in the medical field, it would also beautifully evocate the dangers of computer viri, political doctrines, religious fanatism, philosophical credos, etc.

    If it is technically possible to include sprites in the action, their graphical appearance could then serve as the bearers of the respective theme by using typical/credible symbols.

    The various themes would then make the framework for different set of levels.

    Such extra dimensions would foster a free-floating aura similar to Lead, built upon a strong underlying message: "contagion" is bad, enslaving you physically and mentally.

  8. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    I'm used to the Atari 8-bit version since that's what I played long ago. If it comes down to sacrificing color elsewhere in order to color Jumpman, I'd rather have the white Jumpman. :)

     

    ..Al

     

    But while you are playing, you look at Jumpman all the time... wouldn't that justify to try hard to let him look as nice as possible ?

    Maybe a different approach to make him look "nicer" in view of the apparent color limitations: (butter)smooth animation?

    That could boost Jumpman's personality and make him as likable and memorable as the famous Game & Watch stickmen, despite being only monochrome...

    If there's room for such, why not improve on the originals in spots?

  11. Posted

    Cool game core with great potential!

    Already has: smooth and fast gameplay, clever game controls, and atmospheric, entrancing music. :thumbsup:

     

    Main missing ingredients:

    - purpose. What's the long-term motivation of shooting blocks? It's sure fun, but becomes pointless quite quickly. (A bit like punching holes into a sheet of paper).

    - punch. As a result of above, the player can as well content himself with just avoiding the blocks. That's not so good, since excitement mostly stems from keeping the player on his toes, be it through relentless action or challenging puzzles.

     

    Suggestion:

    (of course subject to technical feasibility)

    - introduce "rescue" items. A single sprite would already be sufficient to implement this idea. Displayed at random on the screen for a limited time, the player would have to race to get it before it vanishes. One level would then last for 10 or 20 such consecutive sprites. Get all of them for a "perfect" score bonus. (a counter could keep track of the rescue items).

    Additional "punch" factor: the score for rescued sprites decreases with time: say, 30 pts. within the first 5 secs., 20 pts between 6-15 secs, 10 pts until 30 secs. The sprite then disappears (= 0 pts)

    Later game levels could then raise in difficulty by giving increasing motion to these sprites (from static to 8-ways, fix pattern to random, different speeds, etc.)

     

    This could at once fill the deficits described before, keep the player motivated and in constant motion, and open lots of possibilities for a full-blown, multi-level, exciting game experience...

    (thinking about it: it's basically Robotron's success ingredient. How boring would that be without all the little humans to rescue?)

  12. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    I notified, that the Atari colors are pretty "psychodelic". E.g. where the C64 tries to display a bright white (except for amoeba levels) for maximum contrast (and IMO "cleaner" graphics), the Atari version uses a bright color instead.

     

    Not sure if I like that...

    Got to agree - the C64's version colors are more easy on the eyes, the color combinations in the Atari version are really a bit unusual.

    On the other hand, the Atari is the original and one could guess its colors were intentional to emphasize the outworldish game experience...

     

    Best of course would be an option to switch between the two version's palettes :)

    But that would be quite a waste of ROM, I guess... :?

  13. Posted

    The idea would be to expand the diamonds to 5 pixels, and then animate them back and forth one pixel horizontally (instead or in addition to the current vertical animation).

    The problem is, that we are absolutely limited to 4 pixels horizontally. So no chance for 5 pixels.

     

    But I am always open for good suggestions. Within the limitations. ;)

     

    Hm, maybe I expressed myself overcomplicated - what I meant is that any given time the visible diamond would be 4 pixels wide, but since it would animate back and forth horizontally, the first and fifth pixel would both be visible half-time.

    That might work to burn the picture of the full 5-pixel wide diamond into the player's mind...

  14. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    Since this is my first comment here: awesome looking conversion, hope this will make it to cart! :)

     

    Not a big issue, but about the only thing that looks off in the graphics is the diamonds' shape.

    Obviously that's due to the 4-pixels horizontal limitation, so I was wondering whether a different approach might work here?

    Since the 4 pixels don't seem to allow for a convincing recreation of the original's diamonds, why not try to trick the observer to perceive them as such:

    The idea would be to expand the diamonds to 5 pixels, and then animate them back and forth one pixel horizontally (instead or in addition to the current vertical animation).

    Not sure, but I think that if done at a decent speed, this animation could convincingly recreate the original diamond's shape in the player's perception.

    A 6-line diamond could then look similar to this:

     

    - - o - -

    - o - o -

    o - - - o

    o - - - o

    - o - o -

    - - o - -

     

    That may then perhaps also allow to fill the inner parts in a different color, making the diamonds further distinct from the rocks.

    Just thinking loud; don't know whether this would make sense (and be doable) in reality...

  15. Posted

    $50 would be fitting for such a special homebrew release.

    For one, the licensing issue and technical challenges would justify the higher price.

    Also, I feel that the game's profile, gameplay and depth are so attractive that most players will accept the higher price, and it will probably go as fast as Adventure II.

     

    On the other hand, a price beyond $50 would IMO dramatically reduce the number of potential buyers and limit it to hardcore collectors (and maybe a handful of BD fanatics) only.

     

    IMO, if you're targeting a specific total $ revenue for the release, the more promising approach would be a higher number release than a high price (e.g. 300 x 50 instead of 200 x 75).

    You could then release a fraction of these as boxed editions (say 75) at $75 to milk "satisfy" the hardcore collectors (including myself ;) ).

  16. Posted

    when you set it on 'easy' mode

    - your score is displayed in red

    - if you die, you continue from the level you died in

    - the ending is 'reduced'

     

    when you set it on 'hard' mode the game behaves just like before, and you get the 'full' ending.

    :cool: What a salomonic solution to restore Christmas peace ;)

    You must have become a master of code optimization, to be able to come back and add last minute features again :thumbsup:

     

    Does the screen display a cute little teddy bear when in "easy" mode, so Rom Hunter knows which one to play? ;) :D :P

    :rolling: :lol:

  19. Posted

    The difficulty maxes with level 9, so it is supposed to kick your butt from there onwards :P

     

    Given the many hours of practise I have, I still made it to Squad 15 yesterday. Score was something close to 350K :)

     

    Ok, got your point ;)

    Was just thinking that since the squad counter now does go up to 99, it would be nice to have something like a hypothetical chance to at least get halfway there :lol:

     

    Will just shift the focus from squad numbers to high score then, great fun either way :thumbsup: :)

  20. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    The new Squad font looks great! :)

    Hmm, shouldn't the other text be adjusted in size as well, for consistency?

     

    Manuel, the current version always starts at Squad 9 with a score of 080808 (check Nathan's screenshot) :?:

    For playtesting reasons, I guess? ;)

     

    Well, C7 certainly does not suffer from being too easy now. :P

    Seems impossible to me to get beyond the 10er squads, even when playing with a joystick.

    Would still wish for some difficulty finetuning... :twisted:

  22. Posted

    Great release candidate :thumbsup:

    Can't wait to play this game on the real thing, should grant a higher score than using the arrow keys :D

     

    Wanted to playtest this long enough to see what happens after squad 9, but glad to hear that the level number display has already been upgraded :thumbsup:

    (and yes, SQD is definetely preferable to SQUA :) )

     

    Cool what you all managed to fit into the limited space - no reasonable wishes left open! ;)

    What's most important, the game now really is fun to play, being both challenging and long-term motivating (with the improved SQD# feature).

    Only a small issue here maybe: any chance to still address the "all cities gone = automatic doom" problem?

    What about just renewing the colony shields after a set number of levels (every 5? or 8? something along these lines). Should hopefully be simple to implement, and give players a fairer chance to survive longer...

     

    Hmm, and I guess the enemy reset switch option had to be sacrified on the altar of ROM? ;)

     

    Really like the extra sound bits for the scout and bomb intercept, btw, they nicely enrichen the atmosphere and game experience... :)

  23. Posted

    I'm also not very keen of the half rate fire: while it does make the game more difficult, it feels unfair to further reduce the player's odds after he already lost a cannon...

     

    Maybe this feature could be included in another way?

    What about halfing the fire rate of the (remaining) cannon(s) for a short while after shooting a particular enemy, and return to the normal fire rate after 5 seconds or so? I was thinking of the white alien here, who does not seem to have any particular characteristic at the moment.

    That way the game would also get a nice little tactical component (go for the extra score or play it safe)...

  24. Posted · Edited by r_type2600

    :party: ... Awesome!

    :lust: ... Perfect!

    :cool: ... Rules!

    :thumbsup: ... :!:

     

    Congratulations for finalizing this masterpiece Simone!

     

    (only a miniscule observation: pressing the fire button during the demo screen will first bring you to the title screen, and not directly start a game. Only reporting it for the records, a completely negligible issue actually)

     

    Cheers, Eric

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