For everyone who loved Nifflas' previous games and for everyone who can't run Bioshock on their computer:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=02Knytt_Stories
I was planning to draw something for Dave Gilbert's fanart contest, but this completly change my plans. :-\
I'll check it out. I found WADF to be an awesome game (it's on my top-twelve list (http://crystalshard.net?f=playlist)), although I found the original Knytt rather boring.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know! I'm gonna check this out as soon as possible! :) I just loved Nifflas' games.
Hurrah! I betatested this, so I know that it is brilliant.
Quote from: Radiant on Tue 28/08/2007 18:02:02
I'll check it out. I found WADF to be an awesome game (it's on my top-twelve list (http://crystalshard.net?f=playlist)), although I found the original Knytt rather boring.
I played WADF and was confused by the completely unrelated intro, then I hopped around until I became frustrated with the control scheme and killed myself 10 times.
I played Knytt and enjoyed a vast and atmospheric world with tons of detail which proved to be a simple, yet relaxing experience.
As far as Knytt Stories:
I just finished all the levels and I liked the original Knytt better. It seemed like the two BIG levels were designed around dead ends and collecting up power ups to proceed past the dead ends. This kind of annoyed me because the first Knytt was rather non-linear, with the power ups being additional to get past dead ends (I can't remember, but it seemed like you could beat the game without the power ups, but it would be alot harder). And even if you did run into a dead-end, I recall there being many ways to get around them.
Also, in Knytt Stories, you have to collect keys (at least on one level) to complete the level. This was kind of tedious especially since you lost your "homing ray" from Knytt. That had me wandering around over and over, backtracking trying to look for random secret passages.
Anyway, it's still a good game with excellent, yet simple graphics and very nice music. My favorite level was probably the undersea water one.
So far I've finished the Tutorial and The Machine levels and I'm loving it. This guy has the strange ability to create games that generate emotions, I went from joy to sadness, fear, calm, wonder, anger, surprise and accomplishment while playing The Machine level.
Regarding Knytt, for what reason you didn't like it compared to WADF? Was it because there were no powerup to find or because it offered little challenge? Because if the problem was the lack of challenge, I suggest you to give the eXtra Hard version (http://yaaay.net/niffpage/?stuff=Addons) a try. At first glance it might looks like it's the same old Knytt with a few more things that can kill you or some critters turned into enemies, but later on you'll quickly discover the most nefarious things this version add are dead-ends and one way roads in several crucial places to really force you to use your brain to find how to reach the ship parts or the next area.
If you don't use the codes to run faster and jump higher, you'll often find yourself walking into a one way road, forcing you to walk all the way to the area you were before. There's also a few ship parts that can only be reached by some secret passages, several times the game will play some tricks with your mind and you'll find yourself completly lost, turning in circle and trapped in an areas with no visible exit. It's simply labyrinth exploration pushed to the extreme.
It took me 4 hours non-stop to collect all of the ship parts without using the powerups codes, and for at least 3 of the hardest parts I've simply been lucky to quickly spot how to reach them. If you liked Knytt but found it wasn't challenging enough, you should definitivly try the eXtra Hard version.
I think you just outlined it. One-way roads, dead ends, and lengthy walkabouts are not my idea of a challenge. It is the kind of game that is solved through persistence, rather than skill.
(edit) just completed Knytt stories. Nicely atmospherical, as to be expected from Nifflas, good graphics and ambients, but way too short and easy.
Adorable little game.
I made a level.
It's called Rain (http://www.achtungfranz.com/Ghormak%20-%20Rain%201.01.knytt.bin)
It is an excellent level, Ghormak, you should submit it on the KS forum. :)
I had fun with the tutorial and the first adventure, but it just got frustrating as soon as I played the other levels (save for that one where when you go left you enter the same room from the right, whatever it was called, that one was fun).
Cute graphics though :)
Whee, thanks Blueskirt! I think I'll fix a few things (there's at least one animal in there that walks on air) and maybe add a hint about the secret area you need to find, and then it'd be ready for an "official" release.
edit:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?topic=1156.0 done!
Quote from: voh on Wed 05/09/2007 14:33:17
(save for that one where when you go left you enter the same room from the right, whatever it was called, that one was fun)
Do you know what it was called?
Quote from: Radiant on Wed 05/09/2007 22:08:27
Quote from: voh on Wed 05/09/2007 14:33:17
(save for that one where when you go left you enter the same room from the right, whatever it was called, that one was fun)
Do you know what it was called?
He's talking about "Sky Flower." That level only goes vertical with no horizontal screens.
Nice level Ghormak. I loved the music and the little creatures afraid of the rain. The only thing I didn't like was that some of the tiles appeared to be in the foreground while actually being in the background. I jumped on several tiles and fell to my death because they looked exactly like the ones I was standing on. :-X
Okay, am I doing something wrong here? I can find a download for all third-party levels, which this is not, and for all Nifflas levels except this one??
Here's where I downloaded it from.
http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=02Knytt_Stories&sub=04Get_More_Levels
"Sky Flower" comes included with "A Strange Dream."
Quote from: TheJBurger on Wed 05/09/2007 23:02:08
"Sky Flower" comes included with "A Strange Dream."
Ah, that explains why I couldn't find it. Nifflas is better at game design than at webpage design ;) Thanks.
Wow, I love the original Knytt. Can't wait to give this one a go!
Quote from: Ghormak on Wed 05/09/2007 01:32:35
I made a level.
It's called Rain (http://www.achtungfranz.com/Ghormak%20-%20Rain%201.01.knytt.bin)
Very nice atmosphere.
While we're on the subject of nice user-created levels, this (http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?topic=1133.0) is also pretty great.
Not to break up a loyal fanbase or anything but I didn't find this game particularly interesting. Sure it has tons of rooms, and several powerups, but aside from the hologram generator none of the gameplay is new or creative. The game's goal is also too paper-thin for my liking and constructed purely around getting one upgrade to get another to get the next. I like a bit more interactivity than that, so I can't really say this game is anything special. Just because I don't particularly like the game doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the level of effort invested in making it, however. I just think the author has the skill to do more than simplistic jump and avoid gameplay.
Just my opinion!
I will agree with ProgZ, but the thing is that I don't think that it's always necessary to be THAT creative, that unique, etc. I kinda liked that all I had to do is chase down power ups and the atmosphere did fill me up, which was great!
It's not something I will "not forget" or anything, but it sure is good fun... And that's enough for me, at this point.
In my opinion the game is more about running around in interesting worlds and navigating them. Nifflas's levels are nicely made, well planned out and atmospheric and they entertain me. Some rooms challenge me game play wise and some are just nice to run around in.
I agree with ProgZ too in that it's important to give new experiences to the players, but I thought that a platformer that manage to strike emotionnal strings with the players is something you don't see often. It's not a complex gameplay experience like it was in Within A Deep Forest, but it was still new or rare.
QuoteI will agree with ProgZ, but the thing is that I don't think that it's always necessary to be THAT creative, that unique, etc.
I think that when a genres reach a point where every new games looks like the previous one, like shoot 'em up for example, it's important to try to shine out of the lot. I'm not a shmup fan, so people who play a lot of them will probably correct me, but when I see screenshots and read reviews for shmups on the 2 or 3 indies games websites I visit, it seems like the sole improvements the new shoot 'em ups bring to the genre are trying to get even more abstract graphics and add one more bullet to number of bullet fired in the game, to a point where every games are unmemorable and offer the same experience: Dodging one hundred thousand millions bullets fired at the same time and killing generic baddies. I'm slowly getting the same problem with adventure games.
Game makers should always try to create a new or rare gameplay experience, not aim to be another unmemorable drop in the ocean.
Quote from: Blueskirt on Sat 08/09/2007 17:20:41
Game makers should always try to create a new or rare gameplay experience, not aim to be another unmemorable drop in the ocean.
You do realise that this applies to everything that is creative in life really. Art, music, poetry, writing, game making, film making, etc.
Now think about how easy it is to do it, and think about the aesthetics part, which is also important in art. (because I do consider that some computer games could be perceived as art as well, or at least for the arguements shake).
It's easy to say, but I think that it near impossible to be original, and you also need to consider other aspects as well in combination to make a good game.
I also made a level:
http://nifflas.ni2.se/forum/index.php?topic=1282.msg18470#msg18470
WOOP!
Very nice atmosphere, MrColossal.
Spoiler
I'm a bit deceived I got all frightened for no reason after all. :)
The black and white got annoying, and it's short. Fun to play through, sure, but you relied heavily on jumps, didn't you :P
Voh: Th..thanks?
There were no monsters I wanted to add because they would have clashed with the look I wanted. Spiders would be the only thing to add.
Wow, that was cool Eric.
Spoiler
When that music started playing I thought something is going to jump at me any second.
Do you accept credit cards?
It was fun to play but waayyy too short. Make something longer :P
Also, isn't it possible to change the enemy images or something?