Author Topic: [COMPLETE] BAKE SALE: Indiana Rodent (Read 3393 times) Tweet Share

Radiant · « **on:** 02 Sep 2011, 10:53 »

Indiana Rodent and the Raiders of the Lost Cheese
Current one-level demo
Older MAGS version

A scrolling platform game in AGS. Your evil twin Rattoq has stolen the cheese! Can Indiana Rodent traverse the perilous platforms, bottomless pits, and lots of spikes to make it to the end? Of course he can, he's got infinite lives!

Made for this month's OROW and MAGS contests. This is the second version, which primarily should have better controls than the first. I'm planning on adding more levels (and enemies and stuff) later this year. Comments welcome.

Monsieur OUXX · « **Reply #1 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 11:21 »

The "key" sprite is still alive and kicking :-)

DoorKnobHandle · « **Reply #2 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 11:25 »

Dang, another game I would have loved to record my first impressions on but it's also made with an old version of AGS that doesn't support the Direct3D drivers that are necessary for recording with FRAPS. Never knew so many people were still using ancient 2.something versions

I'll just play it and write my thoughts down in this thread then. Looking forward to playing it!

Radiant · « **Reply #3 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 11:46 »

Quote from: dkh on 02 Sep 2011, 11:25

Never knew so many people were still using ancient 2.something versions

To my best knowledge, AGS 2 works on Linux, whereas AGS 3 does not. That's the main reason.

DoorKnobHandle · « **Reply #4 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 12:03 »

Oh ok, well, it's your choice.

First impressions:

LEFT and RIGHT controls feel sluggish, have the rodent accelerate and decelerate faster. You know these ice-blocks in lots of similar games that reduce your traction? Right now it feels like you're constantly on these. I DID get used to that after a while but it isn't very precise.

Allow the rodent to jump through the top of the screen instead of bumping against it. Not only is that the cause for many frustrating deaths, it also doesn't feel 'right' to me. Hard to explain.

If possible, try and fix the problems with getting stuck on ramps when you're not jumping and being stuck in walls when jumping into these.

There are some questionable level design decisions such as death traps in there but with additional levels that can be rectified.

Re-design the vanishing blocks so it's more obvious when they'll appear and disappear. Right now, when there's only a lower part of the block visible, you fall through them - and in general it's hard to tell if a block is appearing or disappearing. Maybe there's another design that clearly shows when the block is solid and when it isn't.

For reference, this is how Keen did it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGIDVLls1Xc

Apart from that, it's a great jump'n'run game! Very impressive and fun!

Mods · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 13:43 »

Is this using that tile system thingy that Dirk has shown me? Or have you built it from fresh? Either way, looks pretty cool.

CaptainD · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 13:45 »

Love the title!

Reminds me a little of an old Atari ST game called "Mousetrap".

Radiant · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 13:48 »

Quote from: Mods on 02 Sep 2011, 13:43

Is this using that tile system thingy that Dirk has shown me?

The what shown by who?

Nope, I built it from scratch.

Mods · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 13:50 »

Quote from: Radiant on 02 Sep 2011, 13:48

Quote from: Mods on 02 Sep 2011, 13:43
Is this using that tile system thingy that Dirk has shown me?
The what shown by who?

Nope, I built it from scratch.

Cool - aye abstauber was recently showing me a tile system that he says he's had available for people to use for a long while but they haven't used it - I was wondering if you had. Using a map editor AGS can import the levels and stuff, it was quite impressive. But I can't remember its name precisely. Good luck with Indy Rat...

abstauber · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 13:59 »

Does it even use tiles?

Anyway, my first impression was quite frustrating, because I thought it would be some kind of Mario-type platformer.

But now I understand the concept of this puzzlejumper and enjoy it. Although it crashed on "Don't give up" after being minimized to tray. Damn.

Still - a fun game

@Mods: it's called PlaTENG. Mappy is the tile editor I used.

edit: Yay.... Cheesetopia! Once you get used to its controls, it's pretty easy

Wonkyth · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 14:05 »

Downloading!

Eggie · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 15:49 »

So much death... death music... permanently stuck in...brain

Buckethead · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 Sep 2011, 18:15 »

I didn't think the older controles were making the game too hard. But I guess I'm used to tricky platform games. Will be enjoying this I'm sure!

EDIT:

Well it was enjoyable again.

Will this get a real save function and more levels? The spawn points are nice but if you restart the game all progress is gone. It would be nice if you could save. Play to the next check point and quit. Then came back later to play some more.

DoorKnobHandle · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 Sep 2011, 19:39 »

This is very enjoyable. Kinda addicting actually. I want more levels!

I'm wondering, how did you go about implementing the slopes Radiant? I can see they aren't working 100% all the time but it works out okay. Do you have special 'end slope' tiles or something?

Radiant · « **Reply #14 on:** 04 Sep 2011, 02:44 »

Quote from: abstauber on 02 Sep 2011, 13:59

Does it even use tiles?

Yes, it's a tile engine.

Quote from: Buckethead on 02 Sep 2011, 18:15

Will this get a real save function and more levels?

That's the plan.

Quote from: dkh on 03 Sep 2011, 19:39

I'm wondering, how did you go about implementing the slopes Radiant?

That was the most difficult part, really. It still needs some tweaking. There are basically three tiles, one is a square block, one is an upslope, one is a downslope. It needs lots of pixel checking to prevent the mouse from entering a wall.

abstauber · « **Reply #15 on:** 04 Sep 2011, 11:27 »

Quote from: Radiant on 04 Sep 2011, 02:44

That was the most difficult part, really. It still needs some tweaking. There are basically three tiles, one is a square block, one is an upslope, one is a downslope. It needs lots of pixel checking to prevent the mouse from entering a wall.

Radiant · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 Sep 2011, 20:28 »

Quote from: dkh on 02 Sep 2011, 12:03

LEFT and RIGHT controls feel sluggish, have the rodent accelerate and decelerate faster.

Yep. This is the most important part to get right, it'll take some fiddling on my part (and I'm sure some more demos).

Quote

Allow the rodent to jump through the top of the screen instead of bumping against it.

I'll implement vertical scrolling, how's that?

Quote

Re-design the vanishing blocks so it's more obvious when they'll appear and disappear.

Yeah, these were the best graphics I could get in one week. I've found a site that has more, though.

Quote

For reference, this is how Keen did it:

<3 Keen.

Quote from: abstauber on 04 Sep 2011, 11:27

Oh, you're using "real slopes" then? Impressive!

Quote

One day you have to tell me how you did the meat grinder - I just love cluster foes!

Basic trigonometry

Radiant · « **Reply #17 on:** 30 Sep 2011, 17:49 »

Indiana Rodent portrait, courtesy of Snake.

Lumpupu · « **Reply #18 on:** 04 Oct 2011, 06:20 »

THAT'LL DEFINETELY BE MY NEW MSN AVATAR.

Gosh. Damn, the talent of these AGSers...

Tenacious Stu · « **Reply #19 on:** 04 Oct 2011, 08:23 »

Quote from: Radiant on 30 Sep 2011, 17:49

Indiana Rodent portrait, courtesy of Snake.

How ironic, I always thought Indiana hated Snakes

Nice game, I like it when I play something and think AGS made THIS?

Quote from: Radiant on 04 Sep 2011, 02:44

It needs lots of pixel checking to prevent the mouse from entering a wall.

I entered a wall when playing

. It was after that first big jump where it says 'You can Make it!', I thought I had made it, but realized I was stuck in the wall.

Great game though, look forward to when it is tweaked and finished