The Gizzle Wap and the Terrible Blizzard of Firn (final)

[StanJr]

Some follow-up notes:

 

When you have the Eagle Eye power you can spam the ground by holding down the button while you move. You don't have to wait for the MM to find the spot, the creature just pops out, before the tune can even play. This means any level where you have the EE power is super easy. You cannot spam the ground without the EE power.

 

Also, spamming the tree is super easy when you position the tree in the center of the screen. I can reset all HP and time of day, and acquire the shield this way, no sweat.

 

I am getting the right side of the first tree on the left side of the screen when the game starts. If I move left the tree "artifact" disappears and is replaced by the frozen lake. I also get tree "artifacts" appearing on screen when a tree scrolls off to the right. I figure this is a clean-up detail you already know, but in the interest of being complete...

 

When going left, the yellow dog is almost impossible to catch when it runs away to the right (see picture).

 

During the Flood Finch battle, the GW occasionally will get stuck in mid air when hit by the BF or the Vortex. Moving left or right corrects this, but if you do not move he hangs in the air.

 

I had another oddball game wherein upon starting the second level I tried spamming the ground immediately and the tree turned into a ghost, which I captured. Once caught the tree returned. It may have just been a product of the ghost taking the place of the tree when being drawn, but I'm honestly not sure why the ghost appeared at all. Since the level just began, I obviously did not have EE. I have not been able to replicate this.

 

 

Managed to get to the 5th level without spamming the tree!

 

 

 

[Mountain King]

Played a couple of hours today. Here are some notes from the snowfield:

Oh you are determined to keep me working on this game through summer.

 

 

The blue bunipy can be very tricky to get in the hole. Is there a strategy I am not doing correctly? Occasionally he hops right in, but often he hops to the hole, but does not fall in. If this is just an aspect of the gameplay no worries, but if it's not executing correctly, I thought you'd want to know.

This is a weird bug that i basically ignored, but if you jump along with the Blue Bunipy he will fall into the hole. So I wrote it into the instructions

 

 

Vortices during the Blood Finch battle are definitely increasing the difficulty of those battles. This isn't a bad thing, but maybe they should start after level 3 or so to ramp the difficulty a little better? I certainly got better after multiple games, but the first few were instant death unless I had full health.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Does the number of creatures to be saved increase by 1 per level? It seems like that's what's happening, but I'm not sure. Could that be more randomized? Say level 1 you must save 3-5, level 2 4-6, and so on? Would add some variety. Not crucial, just a thought.

Right now it does. I think its the level +3. The issue I was having with making it too high is that it took you farther from the "x" and you would run out of time.

 

Do additional packages re-up your shield's duration if you acquire them while in possession of the shield?

They do. The game counts to 128 before it runs out. If you find another stone it will reset to 0.

 

The time reset twig is a great addition to the game! And it helps balance not getting the Eagle Eye as much.

Cool.

 

Trees are currently giving unlimited power-ups. You can dig the same tree forever and get as many power-ups as you want. This makes the game too easy.

Originally I had ground gnats attack you. If you dug too much under the same tree. But I found that they crashed the game. I haven't thought of another deterrent yet.

 

Going left creatures spawn in the center of the screen not from the hole you dig. (see picture) Going right they seem to spawn from the area near the hold, but not going left.

Hmm. I'll have to look at this.

 

I had something really odd happen in one game. Any time I picked up a present, the shield power and icon would disappear the minute I passed the tree I dug it up from. If I was traveling right and the present appeared on the left of the tree, I could pick it up and use the shield as long as I didn't pass the tree. But if I passed the tree, the shield and its icon would vanish. If I was traveling left, I could pick up the present from either side of the tree and continue going left, the shield and icon would remain. If I was traveling right and the present appeared on the right of the tree, the shield icon would appear very briefly and then vanish. This happened the entire game, but only this specific play through. Very odd.

This has happened to me too. I'm not really sure how to fix this. Something isn't clearing correctly when you start a new game.

 

Shield does not work during the Blood Finch boss fight. This makes me sad.

I was seriously considering this.It's on the list.

 

The star will occasionally still appear as a rainbow colored dash sometimes (see picture). I cannot determine what causes this.

The NUSIZ3 register causes this. But this register is tied to the Moum Moum. I i tried correctin it, but it made the Moum Moum act weird.

 

Occasionally the Moum Moum will land and get stuck behind the Gizzle Wap on the ground. The GW completely obscures the MM so it looks like he's alone. (see picture) I've had this happen when the MM is eating or when struck by vortices.

I've seen this before. When the Moum Moum gets hit, he gets pushed down, If he is too close to the ground he sometimes gets pushed past his limit. I still have to fix this.

 

After much consideration, I think I like the score best. Without spamming the trees I have not yet been past level 4, so just getting 4 icons at the bottom of the screen for my efforts isn't overly rewarding. If you can work out a way to keep the code as well and make it a special pay off for beating the game, all the better, but I think I prefer score.

Cool, thanks for the input. I think I have an idea how I can do both.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

Some follow-up notes:

What you're not done?

 

When you have the Eagle Eye power you can spam the ground by holding down the button while you move. You don't have to wait for the MM to find the spot, the creature just pops out, before the tune can even play. This means any level where you have the EE power is super easy. You cannot spam the ground without the EE power.

Spamming is a concern but I'm really up in the air how I want to fix this. This has been on my hit list for a while.

 

Also, spamming the tree is super easy when you position the tree in the center of the screen. I can reset all HP and time of day, and acquire the shield this way, no sweat.

Hmm I did know about this bug. Thank you. (corrected in next update)

 

I am getting the right side of the first tree on the left side of the screen when the game starts. If I move left the tree "artifact" disappears and is replaced by the frozen lake. I also get tree "artifacts" appearing on screen when a tree scrolls off to the right. I figure this is a clean-up detail you already know, but in the interest of being complete...

The frozen Lake is deliberate. I didn't want the world to just "end" I hate invisible barriers in video games. The other bug I knew about it was just low on the priority list.

 

When going left, the yellow dog is almost impossible to catch when it runs away to the right (see picture)

I thought I fixed this I guess not.. (fixed in next update)

 

During the Flood Finch battle, the GW occasionally will get stuck in mid air when hit by the BF or the Vortex. Moving left or right corrects this, but if you do not move he hangs in the air.

I didn't know about this bug either.

 

I had another oddball game wherein upon starting the second level I tried spamming the ground immediately and the tree turned into a ghost, which I captured. Once caught the tree returned. It may have just been a product of the ghost taking the place of the tree when being drawn, but I'm honestly not sure why the ghost appeared at all. Since the level just began, I obviously did not have EE. I have not been able to replicate this.

I've seen this before but with the cruncher. I think I know what is causing this.

 

 

Managed to get to the 5th level without spamming the tree!

Woo hoo! You need to be kind to nature.

 

 

 

Thanks again Stan.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Mountain King

[Mountain King]

Update 60:But I don't want any spam... I'll have your spam. I love it.

 

1. The Firn Vortex appear at level 3 in the boss fight. It also gets bigger as the difficulty increases.

2. Vorticies damage you properly even when flying off screen.

3. Number of creatures needing rescued is random, but still scales per level. I'm not sure I like this yet. Sometimes you only need to save 1 other times you might have to save 10. More testing needed.

4. You can no longer spam the tree in the middle.

5. The shield now works during the boss fight.

6. The Moum Moum no longer hides behind the Gizzle Wap after eating Fraez. I'm not sure if this bug occurs at other times. But eating is fixed.

7. The score has been re implemented. You will score points when you save survivors and find the Map, but not finding items under trees.

8. Clues to the riddle now appear above the campfire at the end of each level. The first one is an Icicle.

9. You can no longer spam digging. You now have to wait until the hole fills up before digging a new hole or proceeding. Make sure you dig when the Moum Moum sings.

10. You now start at the ocean as intended The first tree is the Moum Moum hut. You might see unique trees in your travels now.

11. The yellow dog and the Alpha have been re positioned and slowed. You can catch them now; however they my reverse direction to avoid you.

12. Odd trees and creatures should no longer appear when you start the next level.

13. Snow drifts in the fore round have a semi random appearance.

 

Stan, I didn't fix all your bugs, but I hit a good chunk of them.

Updated BIN file is in the first post. Or click on the BIN.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Mountain King

[StanJr]

Ok, had a couple of hours to spend on it today and here's what I've got:

 

On the level 3 boss fight I have had the BF ignore the hole when the vortex is on screen several times. I'm trying to replicate this reliably to get more data.

 

Upon restarting a new game (from the end of an old one, wherein I did not return to the title screen first), I had a game killing situation. Instead of starting at the ocean, I started with a dead tree to the right. I could not go left and once I dug a hole, it would not fill and I could not progress to the right (see picture).

 

Any time I dig a hole, if the vortex is on the screen, it reverses direction and heads for the ground. While this isn't really a bug, it can be used as a poor man's shield when you don't have the actual shield power. Doesn't mean it has to go away, just wanted you to be aware.

 

While I like the randomization, I think my reach may have exceeded my grasp. The game is significantly harder now and I'm having a lot of trouble getting past level 3. The main issue seems to be with how far you have to go to find the star impact point. Is there a way to limit that to something like: Star Impact point is never farther than X from the spot where the map is found, wherein X is a good, but not unreasonable distance from where the map is found?

That said, I think the randomization can go. I had originally envisioned it being something like: creatures to be rescued must be greater than 3, but not more than 8. The range of 1-10 is too broad and with the passage of time already scaling up with the level, it means that there is an unwinnable level somewhere out there wherein you have to save 10 in just a couple of minutes. The idea for randomizing had more to do with keeping the levels varied and the score dynamic, however with the time limit already scaling and the creature generation completely random (throw in evil creatures to up the "find" rate per level), the game already had enough factors to keep it dynamic and keep scores from being too static. This was a bad suggestion from me.

 

The snow drifts seem to undulate as you move across the screen. Is that what you meant by them being having random appearance?

 

The shield does not work if there is no vortex on the screen. Not a big deal since it keeps me from wasting it when not needed. Just noted it as occurring.

 

MM does not sing if there is a hole dug. Not overly problematic, but it does prevent me from "sounding" out the proper location if I have dug improperly while I wait for my hole to fill. I don't think it was like this before the "hole must fill" rule was introduced.

 

I'm having a lot more difficulty getting the White Crunch-Not into the hole to capture him (see picture of him coasting over the hole), but less trouble with the Blue Bunipy. Go figure. Previously it seemed like when I jumped he moved down, so if I jumped at the right time he would fall in the hole. That doesn't seem to work as reliably as before.

 

Jumping repeatedly like a spaz pushes the MM up into the highest part of the sky beyond where he can normally fly. Not sure that's an issue, but I don't want him to run out of oxygen..

 

 

Back into the blizzard I go...

Edited January 8, 2018 by StanJr

[Mountain King]

Ok, had a couple of hours to spend on it today and here's what I've got:

I am working on update 61 currently.

 

On the level 3 boss fight I have had the BF ignore the hole when the vortex is on screen several times. I'm trying to replicate this reliably to get more data.

I can see this happening. If both the votex and the Bloodfinch are at the ground, the collision detection can get confused. I think i fixed this.

 

Upon restarting a new game (from the end of an old one, wherein I did not return to the title screen first), I had a game killing situation. Instead of starting at the ocean, I started with a dead tree to the right. I could not go left and once I dug a hole, it would not fill and I could not progress to the right (see picture).

This should be fixed in 61 thank you.

 

Any time I dig a hole, if the vortex is on the screen, it reverses direction and heads for the ground. While this isn't really a bug, it can be used as a poor man's shield when you don't have the actual shield power. Doesn't mean it has to go away, just wanted you to be aware.

I thought the same thing. Now in 61 the Vortex may change direction but it will always drop to the ground.

 

While I like the randomization, I think my reach may have exceeded my grasp. The game is significantly harder now and I'm having a lot of trouble getting past level 3. The main issue seems to be with how far you have to go to find the star impact point. Is there a way to limit that to something like: Star Impact point is never farther than X from the spot where the map is found, wherein X is a good, but not unreasonable distance from where the map is found?

That said, I think the randomization can go. I had originally envisioned it being something like: creatures to be rescued must be greater than 3, but not more than 8. The range of 1-10 is too broad and with the passage of time already scaling up with the level, it means that there is an unwinnable level somewhere out there wherein you have to save 10 in just a couple of minutes. The idea for randomizing had more to do with keeping the levels varied and the score dynamic, however with the time limit already scaling and the creature generation completely random (throw in evil creatures to up the "find" rate per level), the game already had enough factors to keep it dynamic and keep scores from being too static. This was a bad suggestion from me.

No, not a bad idea at all. It just wasn't implemented as well as it could have been. I was actually racking my brain on this last night. Even going so far as making a test calculator in Excel. I think I improved it in 61.

 

The snow drifts seem to undulate as you move across the screen. Is that what you meant by them being having random appearance?

Yes, its actually a less drastic transition than previous versions.

 

The shield does not work if there is no vortex on the screen. Not a big deal since it keeps me from wasting it when not needed. Just noted it as occurring.

Yes this is deliberate.

 

MM does not sing if there is a hole dug. Not overly problematic, but it does prevent me from "sounding" out the proper location if I have dug improperly while I wait for my hole to fill. I don't think it was like this before the "hole must fill" rule was introduced.

This was the "side effect" of addressing the spam problem.

 

I'm having a lot more difficulty getting the White Crunch-Not into the hole to capture him (see picture of him coasting over the hole), but less trouble with the Blue Bunipy. Go figure. Previously it seemed like when I jumped he moved down, so if I jumped at the right time he would fall in the hole. That doesn't seem to work as reliably as before.

You might just be unlucky. He was designed to "glide" over the hole.

 

Jumping repeatedly like a spaz pushes the MM up into the highest part of the sky beyond where he can normally fly. Not sure that's an issue, but I don't want him to run out of oxygen..

Haha. If this really bothers you I can fix this.

 

 

Back into the blizzard I go...

I hope you're having fun.

 

 

By the way I stumbled on your Electric Frankfurter site a few months ago, but I didn't realized it was your site until like a week ago. I enjoyed your honest and thorough assessment on the games you reviewed. I almost asked you to beta test my game. And here we are.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Mountain King

[StanJr]

I was so enamored with Strange Red Tree that when I saw this announced I had great interest in seeing what was coming next from the Gizzle Wap! Thanks for checking out the blog and for the kind words. I'm the best kept secret on the internet.

 

Anxiously awaiting 61...

[Mountain King]

Update 62:Why would you be out in this weather? or this game is hard to balance the difficulty.

 

1. Adjusted the number of survivors needed to be rescued.

2. Adjusted the distance needed to get to the X.

3. Lengthened the day slightly.

4. Fixed a bug where the Blood Finch doesn't hit the hole. Now he looks like he may not hit it, but he does.

5. Fixed a big bug where the game does not restart correctly.

6. The Moum Moum no longer jumps beyond his apex and no loner jumps while he is eating.

7. Added an attract scene where Belanis paladins are walking through the snow. Let the music play through at the title screen and the scene will start.

 

Hopefully the game is a little more balance. I was able to get to the 4th clue.

Get the Bin Here.

Or at the first post.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Mountain King

[StanJr]

The "You're Gonna Wish I Never Heard of This Game" Notes:

 

My first game out I had a situation in level 1 where I rescued the required creatures, the Paladin showed up, but dropped no map. I rescued 2 more Paladins before a map appeared. I noticed that at times the star was no longer in the sky. I have had this happen in 3 different play throughs. Something is causing the star to disappear and any creature found while the star is gone does not drop a map. In one game, I got the star to appear, it disappeared, I rescued a Bunipy, the star reappeared and I then rescued a Paladin who gave me the map. (see pictures of Paladin walking off with star in sky and then screen with no map but star still in sky)

 

Jumping over a power-up collects it, even if you do not make contact with it.

 

The GW can still dig holes beneath him even in mid-jump. Not sure if that's a big deal, but it's there.

 

BF is still ignoring holes dug in its honor. Sometimes 2 or 3 passes. The hole does not close and he just buzzes by. I know you said it would still register, but I don't think it is, or if it is, it is hard to know.

 

I cannot dig in the spot directly above a snow hill if there is a tree on the screen. (see picture)

 

I'm not seeing any frozen ponds or shrubs anymore, only the snow hills. I liked the ponds and shrubs.

 

MM no longer breaks the atmosphere when jumping with hole dug, but I do get a double bird image when jumping while there is a hole on the screen.

 

There is a delay after the BF crashes in the hole before I can dig a new hole. When the BF contacts the hole and it fills, I cannot dig a new hole for about 2 beats. This becomes problematic once the vortices appear in the boss fight and I need to have a hole in play at all times.

 

The sound that is made when GW digs a hole only sounds maybe one out of four digs, and for some reason usually more often under a tree (anecdotal speculation)

 

In one game the star was in the sky (before getting the map), but my next dig was a golden dog, not the paladin. It might have been a time when the star was missing, I cannot confirm. I tried to catch the dog, but when I jumped over him he changed direction, then ran off. I feel like I contacted him on the way down, but he was in mid-turn so maybe it did not register?

 

If I start the game immediately after the new cutscene (after the title screen, which I love by the way), I get everything in threes (see pictures). Three sushi, three ghosts, three bunipy, etc. I have successfully reproduced this multiple times.

 

The Star in the sky appears on the left after I get the map. Maybe it has always done this, but I seem to be paying much more attention to where the star is this time around. Is this intentional?

 

Is there anyway to make the hole close faster after a creature pops out? This would make it much easier to catch the ghost rather than waiting. Absolutely non-essential, just me wanting to play faster.

 

MM detects buried creatures from the apex of this flight without Eagle Eye power after map is obtained and X is being sought.

 

Is there a way to keep the current score on the screen after the game reverts to the title screen? Or maybe have the score appear on the title screen as well? I keep trying to catch my score, but I'm too busy jotting down notes!

 

GW is still getting stuck just above the ground after being hit during the boss fight (see picture).

 

I can get to level 4 consistently, but it still takes forever to get to the X once the map is found. I tend to freeze to death during the BF boss fight at the end of level 4. Maybe make the time twig more effective to help prolong the day?

 

 

See, I told you you'd be sorry...

[Mountain King]

The "You're Gonna Wish I Never Heard of This Game" Notes:

Ha ha funny.

 

My first game out I had a situation in level 1 where I rescued the required creatures, the Paladin showed up, but dropped no map. I rescued 2 more Paladins before a map appeared. I noticed that at times the star was no longer in the sky. I have had this happen in 3 different play throughs. Something is causing the star to disappear and any creature found while the star is gone does not drop a map. In one game, I got the star to appear, it disappeared, I rescued a Bunipy, the star reappeared and I then rescued a Paladin who gave me the map. (see pictures of Paladin walking off with star in sky and then screen with no map but star still in sky)

This is a by product of making the find count random. How bothersome is this? I might keep this in. I was actually considering removing the initial appearance of the star anyway. And the star appearing randomly is kind of cool.

 

Jumping over a power-up collects it, even if you do not make contact with it.

Yeah, this forces you to pick the item up in a sense.

 

The GW can still dig holes beneath him even in mid-jump. Not sure if that's a big deal, but it's there.

I didn't think was a big deal. This is a might or might not fix item.

 

BF is still ignoring holes dug in its honor. Sometimes 2 or 3 passes. The hole does not close and he just buzzes by. I know you said it would still register, but I don't think it is, or if it is, it is hard to know.

I'll have to look at this again.

 

I cannot dig in the spot directly above a snow hill if there is a tree on the screen. (see picture)

I can't seem to repeat this and there is no gap in the Hole data. You might be trying dig right after you a hole without moving. You do have to move left or right to initiate the dig routine.

 

I'm not seeing any frozen ponds or shrubs anymore, only the snow hills. I liked the ponds and shrubs.

I took these out, but I might bring back the ponds. I like the colors.

 

MM no longer breaks the atmosphere when jumping with hole dug, but I do get a double bird image when jumping while there is a hole on the screen.

I think I fixed this. The draw back is that the Moum Moum's height ceiling is lower when there is a hole. I don't think this is a big deal.

 

There is a delay after the BF crashes in the hole before I can dig a new hole. When the BF contacts the hole and it fills, I cannot dig a new hole for about 2 beats. This becomes problematic once the vortices appear in the boss fight and I need to have a hole in play at all times.

Hmm, I would need to lessen the hole delay for the whole game. Well lets see how it plays.

 

The sound that is made when GW digs a hole only sounds maybe one out of four digs, and for some reason usually more often under a tree (anecdotal speculation)

Yes is a partial sound of a Vortex. I haven't tried to get rid of it since a winter wonderland can't always be quiet. Side note I tried to implement a constant wind sound, but I found it annoying.

 

In one game the star was in the sky (before getting the map), but my next dig was a golden dog, not the paladin. It might have been a time when the star was missing, I cannot confirm. I tried to catch the dog, but when I jumped over him he changed direction, then ran off. I feel like I contacted him on the way down, but he was in mid-turn so maybe it did not register?

Star issue was stated above. The dog changing direction was mentioned in the last update. I like it. I think I'm keeping it in.

 

If I start the game immediately after the new cutscene (after the title screen, which I love by the way), I get everything in threes (see pictures). Three sushi, three ghosts, three bunipy, etc. I have successfully reproduced this multiple times.

Yes, this is a NUSIZ conflict. I'm changing the attract scene anyway and there will only be 1 soldier from now on. This will correct the triple sprite bug.

 

The Star in the sky appears on the left after I get the map. Maybe it has always done this, but I seem to be paying much more attention to where the star is this time around. Is this intentional?

The star will appear in the direction of the "X" Early on I was considering just having the star lead you to the Blood Finch instead of the arrow indicator. But it was too hard to see. So I kept both in.

 

Is there anyway to make the hole close faster after a creature pops out? This would make it much easier to catch the ghost rather than waiting. Absolutely non-essential, just me wanting to play faster.

Maybe, I'll look at the code. I'm pretty much out of variables by the way.

 

MM detects buried creatures from the apex of this flight without Eagle Eye power after map is obtained and X is being sought.

This will happen if a vortex crosses the marker. This is also on the might, might not fix.

 

Is there a way to keep the current score on the screen after the game reverts to the title screen? Or maybe have the score appear on the title screen as well? I keep trying to catch my score, but I'm too busy jotting down notes!

Sadly this a major bug which has been troubling me for some time. The score is clearing after each game. And I can't pinpoint where this is happening. It may be beyond my skill to fix.

 

GW is still getting stuck just above the ground after being hit during the boss fight (see picture).

I still need too look at this.

 

I can get to level 4 consistently, but it still takes forever to get to the X once the map is found. I tend to freeze to death during the BF boss fight at the end of level 4. Maybe make the time twig more effective to help prolong the day?

Game Balance is a real challenge in this Game since the player controls his position in the game and there is no way to know where the "x" is.

 

 

See, I told you you'd be sorry...

Haha. I'm just working on the game longer than expected. Luckily I have no deadline.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Mountain King

[StanJr]

I'm not married to the star appearing at any point before the map appears. It's cool if it does, but nothing is lost if it doesn't.

 

I only mentioned the gold dog thing, because I think it should have registered the catch when I contacted it, but may not have because it was in the middle of turning around. Not sure if that's an issue. I like the dog being extra tricky too.

 

I'll try to reduce variables and lock down exactly what is going on with the tree/hole/no dig issue.

 

How many levels are there total? Is there a final boss fight like in Strange Red Tree?

[Mountain King]

I'm not married to the star appearing at any point before the map appears. It's cool if it does, but nothing is lost if it doesn't.

The Star is an oddity. Have you ever seen a star in the middle of a snow storm? In the Sundra Mythology Belanis worshiped and watched the stars closely. They believed one of the 7 Gods or Garva was slowly extinguishing all the stars in the sky and one day would return to extinguish the sun. So a star that behaved weirdly would catch their attention. So I'm inclined to keep it the way it is.

 

I only mentioned the gold dog thing, because I think it should have registered the catch when I contacted it, but may not have because it was in the middle of turning around. Not sure if that's an issue. I like the dog being extra tricky too.

Getting into a little of the mechanics, the dog previously moved at a rate of 1. So it was easy for the Gizzle Wap and the dog to have an equal X value. This would register a catch and the Moum Moum would take him away. So to make the dog easier to catch I had to slow the dog down to a rate of .9 so now the math doesn't work out so easy. I actually like this change a lot.

 

I'll try to reduce variables and lock down exactly what is going on with the tree/hole/no dig issue.

Yeah trying to dig right after digging was the only way I found that caused this problem.

 

How many levels are there total? Is there a final boss fight like in Strange Red Tree?

Right now there are 255 level. But the difficulty scales so you may never see anything past 10. There is a boss at level 7 which will give you the final clue.But the game keeps on going. The Strange Red Tree ended at level 8 which gave you an ending cut scene and changed the opening cut scene. I planned the Blizzard to change the death ending. So if you beat level 7 you could keep on going, but wouldn't see the final cut scene until the Gizzle Wap or the Moum Moum died.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Mountain King

[Mountain King]

Update 64: Dog goes splat or I hope this goes better than the last update.

 

1. The days stay the same length and no longer scales.

2. Really fixed the bloodfinch this time, honest

3. Shortened the hole fill delay.

4. Shortened the distance between the trees, so it will feel like you are covering more distance.

5. The Gizzle Wap shouldn't hang in the air after being hit. Well hang in the air for very long.

6. There is no longer a double image of the Moum Moum when a hole is dug.

7. Lengthened the day slightly.

8. The opening screen has changed. You will see a Belanis Paladin following the star or the Alpha dog chasing the star. If either take a direct hit by a firn vortex, they will fall to the ground. This should also have fixed the triple sprite bug.

9. Extended the delay at the end of the game before it loops back to the title screen.

10. The time twig is more powerful.

 

Get the bin here.

Or at the first post.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Mountain King

[StanJr]

That poor dog...

 

 

I think I figured out my digging problem. I am not moving far enough away from the original dig spot to allow for a new hole. This must be a function of the anti-spamming problem you solved earlier. I can now dig any where I like as long as I am not next to the spot where I just dug a hole.

 

I ran into a game killing scenario tonight. I was on level 4 (still can't beat it) and I dug up a Bunipy, but when I trapped him back in a hole, MM would not pick him up and carry him off for anything. Needless to say, with a Bunipy stuck in a hole the game would not progress.

 

Everything else is playing along swimmingly so far.

[Mountain King]

Stan I sent you a PM. I am working on the final cut scene. Once I finish that I will put all my focus on game balance. I was able to get to level 5. And testing level 7 I found it very difficult.

[StanJr]

Made it to level 5 today, but by the time I got the map the moon was already at crescent. I did not make it to the X in time, I passed 6 trees, if that is any help in indicating how far away the X was.

[StanJr]

If I dig under a tree and no prize pops out, the hole fills immediately with no delay.

 

Everything except the Lef-A Docile seems to spawn from the center of the screen when uncovered instead of the hole location. I originally thought this was only happening when traveling to the left, but it's occurring in both directions. Not a major issue, but if you want them to appear to pop from the hole, then it might want to be looked at.

[Mountain King]

Update 68:The End

This might be it for the major updates.

 

1. Found and fixed the Blue Bunipy bug, hopefully.

2. Added some more unique trees, including an Atari Age Tree

3. Re balanced the game. You can actually get to the end, although I have yet to beat the boss that gives you the final clue.

4. Added the final cut scene. If you can beat the 7th boss, you can keep on playing until the moum moum or the Gizzle Wap dies. when they do it will trigger the alternate ending.

5. In the opening scene the star moves slightly faster than the paladin and the dog.

6. The ghost, crab and cruncher do slightly more damage.

 

Get the Bin here, or at the first post.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Mountain King

[Mountain King]

Update 73c: The ponds are back

 

1. The ponds, snow drifts, shrubs and clouds have been implemented in the game.

2. The sky has a softer transition to the back ground.

3. Creature appearance has been balanced so that more difficult creatures don't appear right away in the early levels.

4. Scoring has been revamped.

The Lef and Paladin = 250 poins

Dog and Purple Bunipy = 300 points

Cruncher and Ghost = 500 points

Blue Bunipy and Crab = 700 points

Defeat the Blood finch = 1000 points

Bonus Points at the end of levels 1-6 = 5000 points

Bonus Points at the end of levels 7-up = 10000 points

5. You now lose points after level 1 the longer creatures stay "unsaved" deal with them quickly to maximize points.

6 If you can travel to the end of the continent, although highly unlikely, your path will be stopped by the giant tree.

 

Get the Bin here or at the first Post

Edited January 29, 2018 by Mountain King

[Mountain King]

Update 80:Squeezing the salubrious stone.

 

1. Fixed a bug that caused a crash at tree 30

2. Removed the tree silhouette at night time (it was hard to see anyway)

3. Removed the fat tree at the end of the continent. (the likely hood of anyone seeing is practically nil). You are still stopped at the very last tree.

4. If you find and save the White dog you get 1000 bonus points.

5. Fixed the final cut scene where the snow would stop.

6. In the final cut scene, the paladin heals the Gizzle wap and the moum moum and their health is replenished slightly, reflected in their life bars.

7. The Paladin looks better and is animated better.

Get the bin here, or at the first post.

[Mountain King]

New cartridge labels at the first post.