i have finally finished my very first game.Ã, I started it WAY back on December 11th, 2006.Ã, It has been pretty fun learning the software and learning how to ask questions on the message boards.Ã,Â
(http://deercrack.com/banana/games/images/room0.jpg)
(http://deercrack.com/banana/games/images/room1.jpg)
(http://deercrack.com/banana/games/images/room3.jpg)
The final version is complete and will be released on March 1st, 2007.Ã, Here is the address for the page to download the demo:
http://www.deercrack.com/banana/games/
STORY:
You are Andre Andre, a high school nutrition teachers who preaches the importance of potassium while dressed accordingly.Ã,Â
Your first mission is to change into Banana Man and get to the gymnasium to give a speech, but you will be interrupted by your nemesis, Gorilla Guy.Ã, Can you defeat Gorilla Guy and find out who he is?
UPDATE:
I am excited to announce that Mythopoea Games has picked up my game.Ã, I certainly could not have made this good of a game without the help from everyone on this board.Ã, Thanks for all the opinions, whether i liked them or not, they have certainly helped.Ã, The Mythopoea website is:
http://www.mythopoeagames.com/
And the Banana Man Demo is available at:
http://www.phoenix-racing.com/Bana/Banana%20Man%20Demo.zip
That man is not banana man, I can tell because his name isnt eric and he doesnt look like this:
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/images/173/bananaman.jpg)
Dude, not the same Banana Man.Ã, Mine is two words.Ã, And not English.Ã, I have never seen Bananaman, but I hear my puns are almost as bad.
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dudes, different Banana Man! that Bananaman is one word and does not have his own video game. but i was not posting about legal issues since i have been publishing my own banana man comic for 7 years now. i could publish my own Super Man comic or video game too as opposed to Superman. Actually, technically you can have a character named Superman, it just couldn't be an obvious ripoff. But please let me know what you think of the game.
Looks good...downloading now! Thanks for the effort.
Thank you, ninerfan. I hope the effort I put into it shows! Let me know what you think.
Yo.Ã, I'm on 43 points and I'm enjoying the game so far.
Spoiler
I love the bus-jumping game... all the little animations are hilarious.Ã, And the "you've found a bug" gag was poor in a good way.
I have noticed a real bug though.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f349/Captain_Stu/banana.gif
It says i need to change into the Banana Man cossie but I already am.
I'm a bit stuck at the moment, but I'm sure I'll work it out.
Thank you for finding the bug. I have fixed that now. you need to use the correct item there, and i now have it saying the correct message when you do not.
i will wait until i get some more responses so i can fix everything before releasing the next version.
Can the game still be completed in the version with the bug about changing into the proper costume or do I have to start over?
Not sure if I found another bug
Spoiler
I picked up a football outside on the football field but it doesn't seem to be in my inventory
Yes, the game can still be completed. You just need to use the correct item on Gorilla Guy.
Also, as far as the football, you don't get that in your inventory. He just kicks it a field goal for three points.
:-\
It's a bit hard to move from a screen to another when you've to go up, as the interface menu always pop up..
There're also some connection missing from a screen to another.. and... I can't finish it :-[
I thought I made it easy enough to go up even with the menu coming down, but i will make sure i go through to double check each screen where you can exit up. let me know any other problems you have.
a little typo when looking at the file cabinet, theres a / at the end.
Spoiler
and glasses don't work on gorilla guy
Fixed the typo. Thanks. And the glasses are supposed to work that way. Maybe his suit is made out of lead? Also, it would give away who he was...
I've started playing the game. It's pretty fun. I have 27 points. I will be writting a list of errors that I see and will report to you with them soon......
You have left 'Debug mode' on...
finished game but didn't get all the points so must not have done everything I was supposed to do. Also
I went behind the bleachers in the football field (from top of screen) and walked down and game froze on me.
Was a fun game to play though :)
I figured i would leave the debug mode while in beta if people wanted to use it to help report bugs. I will check out the problem with the bleachers on the football field.
Also, two people have let me know they got stuck walking behind the bleachers. I have not been able to get stuck while walking back there so can you let me know how it is happening? i will play with the walkable area since nothing of importance happens there anyway. thanks.
Quote from: vjamesv on Sat 03/02/2007 16:53:25
I thought I made it easy enough to go up even with the menu coming down, but i will make sure i go through to double check each screen where you can exit up.Ã, let me know any other problems you have.
I also found it difficilt to go up in some screens until i realised that you could use the arrow keys to control Banana Man.
Rather than going round changing every screen you should just put a little message at the beginning of the game saying that the Arrow keys can be used to direct the chraracter.
I haven't played the game yet, but wasn't the arrow keys mentioned in the readme?
You did read the readme, right?
EDIT: Hmm there isn't a readme. Carry on!
I have made a manual for the game that will include the controls, i just have not put it on the website yet.
Quote from: TheVintageDemon on Fri 02/02/2007 16:53:08
Hmm, that's Bananaman out of the Beano. Looks like you have legal issues on your hands...
Who's a scared little idiot? Yes you are, yes you are. Seriously folks, big companies do not sue amature game and comic creators. There is no point. Copyright and trademark violation is about stolen potential profits. The only instance in which a law suit would be brought against someone for copyright violation is when that someone has a competeting product. For example, if I were to release a softdrink called coke which was in a red can, then I would be violating copyright law. But if released a book called coke, I would not.
Understand? Good. Now you can stop the fear mongering.
PS: the game looks good, might try it later.
Thanks, Sythe. I always appreciate replies from sane people! I thought more people would freak about me using the Spider-Man or Rocky themes... Ha. Glad you like the look of the game, play the game when you get a chance and let me know what you think.
In general the game was fine, apart from the points mentioned aleady and that banana man sometimes walks through thing, like cars and fotball goal.
I didn't care much for the fighting scene so I stopped playing before that, it's my personal preference and nothing to do with your game....I just can't see the point in kicking and punching. Maybe the game could have been resolved in other ways.
I've played worse and this is certainly a very good effort. I think you should keep creating games...they're bound to even better in the future.
Cheers
Well I have not been getting too much response lately so I think it is fair to assume that most of the bugs have been found. I will put the official release on my site hopefully later today. Thank you everyone for playing.
Love the game, what's cool about it is all those little extra points you can get by doing cool stuff,stuff that in old school game would just get some generic responses. the sound effects are cool.
I hope there will be sequels.
Two notes though, first people talked here abot the difficulty of moving screens sometimes and sometimes it's hard to even know which direction there are screens to go to and where not. Another thing is the extra mini games which are fun but I was really pissed when I got killed in the bike thingy after getting about 40 points and didn't save the game prior. What are you Sierra? Yeah there was a warning but too late. Next time I hope such a thing would prompt an option to save the game or will allow you to return to the point where you were before that. Because such deaths can be major turn-off for gamers. Especially since it's not actually a part of the main game, but an extra thingy.
Nostradamus, the warning prompted you for speed. You could have done what I did - put in 0mph.
yeah, i tried to make it easy to tell what direction you can go, and i think i learned a lot from making this game, so if i do make a sequel i will try to improve on that.
sorry about dying after you got 40 points, but i hope you take some satisfaction in knowing that i giggled when i read it since that was my intention. and it is not part of the main game, but you do get some points for it so hopefully it was worthwhile.
You should know that many people would quit a game if they died unexpectedly like that after completing almost half the game. It's very frustrating. You might not be giggling so much if it would cause people to abandon the game right? And it's only due to the humor and extra things in the game that I'm gonna go again.
How should I have known I should save games? At least in old school Sierra games you know you could die and hence saved once in a while. Here there was no way of knowing before it was too late.
I mean had it been a longer game and less entertaining me I wouldn't go again from the beginning, as it is boring and annoying to do everything again.
I finished the game so I can answer your little poll now - yes I do think there should be a hit point status in the fight, preferably a bar ala Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter or any such combat game. I also think the battle was too easy, I won it without receving a single blow. As for rain\snow plug-in, if it is important for the plot or situation then yes.
Quote from: Nostradamus on Thu 15/02/2007 19:54:05How should I have known I should save games?Ã, At least in old school Sierra games you know you could die and hence saved once in a while. Here there was no way of knowing before it was too late.
I guess there's a lession there, save often no matter what you are playing. This isn't just because of random deaths, what if the game had crashed or the power had gone out? There have been many times in games which you cannot die that i have been glad i had those half a dozen save files backing me up.
Yeah the fight is pretty easy at the end, so i don't think i will go through the trouble of putting in a hit point bar. it is possible to lose once in a while, but since this is an adventure game i don't want this to be too difficult to ebat gorilla guy. i don't think the weather would really be relevant to the game either so i don't think i am going to put that in either. and i am still giggling...
Blackdragon, you're being a smartass. This game makes you expect it to be a short funny little game, I expected to finish it in 30 minutes max and that's why I felt no need to save. It's easy to say these things afterwards, but guess what I don't need you know to tell me about saves, I already know it.
vjamesv, what can I say, if you like the idea of people not playing your game to the end because they got killed unexpectedly and didn't have a save, if it's funny to you then I give up. I was just trying to help you ensure more people play it through. But if you as the game creator don't mind, then I give up, it's not my problem.
Nostradamus, seriously, i hope you enjoyed the game. i still think it is funny, but i do thank you for playing the game, and for posting on here about it.
I did enjoy the game and that's why I cared enough to post the above comments and all stuff I said were in favor of the game to succeed, constructive criticism.
Quote from: Nostradamus on Fri 16/02/2007 11:22:22
Blackdragon, you're being a smartass. This game makes you expect it to be a short funny little game, I expected to finish it in 30 minutes max and that's why I felt no need to save. It's easy to say these things afterwards, but guess what I don't need you know to tell me about saves, I already know it.
Sorry, didn't mean to be. I'm low level OCD so i tend to save a lot no matter what i'm playing. And on more than a few occasions i have been glad i did. You never know when a game will crash on you.
Played it, got killed, deleted it.
Not a very wise design choice imnsho :-\
if someone clearly asked you if you would like to use a motorcycle to jump 3 buses, would you think that there is any possibility that you might die?
bwah ha haha
man if the internet had been around back in the adventure gaming glory days, i cannot imagine how much people would complain about the deaths in quest for glory for doing stupid things!
Here's a hint: One of the least favourite aspects of Sierra's Quest games were the deaths - and how they were implemented.
Random death = terrible. Finding out that a certain thing that you need to do to continue with the game, has no retry functionality = not terrible, but still pretty annoying.
Westwood's games (Kyrandia 2: Hand of Fate and 3, Malcolm's Revenge) had that, that you could quit, load or retry after you died. I liked that.
Quoteif someone clearly asked you if you would like to use a motorcycle to jump 3 buses, would you think that there is any possibility that you might die?
So "use motorcycle", in your book, equals "jump over 3 buses"?
see vjamesv, I told you this will happen. People don't like to die with no warning. People got upset, people deleted the game and chose not to continue it.
And what do you do? you laugh about it, again.
I thought you'd like people to play your game to the end, do you really like people deleting and abandoning the game because of an annoying random death, do you really get such a kick from that that you want this to happen at this price?
funniest message board
ever
i had no idea people would be uptight on here! seriously though, when you "use motorcycle" it does ask if you want to jump three buses, you don't just automatically die. there is a 30% chance of living, and most people did figure out putting in 0 is an option.
i have gone through and fixed all reported bugs now, and i am changing some of the music a little bit, so it is a much cleaner looking game. adding animating doors helped a lot.
vjamesv, I'll only say this and then I'll be quiet - and kindly notice how much my attitude in the matter changed since I first posted about this issue.
You're scorning your players? It has been brought to your attention that something in your game is a HUGE turn-off that has made some people give on on your game and you laugh at them and call them "uptight"? People want to have fun when they're playing a game - bottom line. The motorcycle thing caused some people to lose all their fun, ergo they don't want to play anymore. And they let you know, because the game maker should know these things.
And you keep on laughing at them, and call them "uptight"? My friend, there have been some good things in the game, but this attitude of yours is a real disappointment. I used to be looking forward for your next game. Not anymore - I mean, what's the point, if you can't listen to your players? And newsflash - if the players give up on your game, who'll play it, and who are you making it for?
ha, dude i think sometimes attitudes do not come across well in message boards, or at least this message board. i certainly would never 'scorn' anyone that played my game, i am very thankful for everyone that played my game. their input has helped me a ton, and i learned a lot by utilizing this message board. and there were FAR more people that loved the whole motorcycle thing. and maybe 3 that did not. i mean, just because one person criticizes one part of a game does not mean i am going to change it for that one person. i promise my attitude is better than, mostly thanks to posts like these, and i am definitely looking forward to making more games, but certainly not designed just for message board posters. i do have other plans for my games now that i have some idea of what i am doing which may only make more dangerous so look out.
Personally, I thought the Bus Jumping seqeunce was an excellent bonus and very well scripted. Infact it was a lot of fun... It's not VJs fault if people don't save their games regularly.
At the risk of sounding like a contradiction, I have to agree with Stupot, because things have to be said. It was a nice scene, it was fun, I actually went through it at every possible speed I could in order to see it all. And no one wanted you to remove that scene. I understand that "3 who did not" isn't enough to go and make a dramatic change, but consider how many OTHER people, who didn't say anything, did the same... and you know, it might be as simple a thing to fix as giving the player a "Try Again" button, to take him to the bus scene or to the parking lot, maybe even working in a new joke as you did. Again, what I disliked was your responses, but I agree that attitude does not carry well on text, sometimes. :) My advice for the future is, be a bit more forgiving. Ayuh, Sierra had tons of regular deaths and walking deads and whatnot, but games have evolved since then, and players now view them as an annoyance rather than fun. There's a reason why walking deads have tended to disappear.
You tell me your game has unfair deaths in it, and I won't bother playing it.
Infact, hearing about this motorbike thing puts me off your game, mostly because of your attitude towards it.
So how many criticsms on the matter do you need to see it's generally bad design?
okay i am going to try to be serious, my previous posts have not been serious, frankly because i don't think i can believe some of these posts can be this serious, especially the last one. is anyone's life that bad that a hilarious motorcycle animation that causes them to lose points ruins their day? if you had 85 out of a 100 points which i believe is the most you can get before finishing the game, and you tried the motorcycle and died and had not saved, well that would be even funnier. the game does not take that long to finish. and debug mode is one so you can cheat. and technically it does not have "unfair deaths", just the possibility of one unfair death. okay that is my only serious post, i am going back to having fun if anyone still posts. i don't know if you could tell, but it is not that serious of a game, it is supposed to be fun and ridiculous, like me.
You don't get it. You're trying to persuade us to like it. We don't! And as the crowd who play your games, we're entitled to express it, for if not for the crowd who play your games, what and who is it for and what's the point?
The game maker should listen to his crowd if he wants people to play his next games, not laugh at them and tell them what to think and what to like.
And I agree with everything Rui Pires said. Exactly what I said in the first place, there should be an option to retry and\or get back to the point you were before the scene.
It's too bad your attitude gives a real cool game bad rep. And it doesn't matter what kind of person you are in your real life, outside from these forums, the way you act here is the way we know you, and if you feel it's not who you are then act as who you think you are in here.
I've been following this thread, but I haven't played the game yet, partly because vjamesv, your initial reaction to the motorbike criticism did put me off a little until I saw what you were getting at.
I'm sure many people enjoyed the motorbike puzzle - from what I heard of it, it sounds pretty clever, just put 0! - and I can see why the more people complained they died, the more gleeful you would feel. But there's something you have to remember: the AGS forums is made up not only of game players, but game makers as well. That's why they were completely serious when they were trying to tell you either to hint somewhere to save the game, or put in a retry button or whatever. When these guys tell you something, it's because they want your game to be better, and they know about good and bad game design simply because they make games themselves.
So sure, laugh and have fun, after all that's what games are about. But I personally think that the attitude of a game maker (indie or commercial or whatever) should be that every player counts. So even if one person in a hundred tells you that your game design might be bad, I'd listen. Because there may be another hundred silent people who aren't bothered to take time to tell you so: they'd just delete the game.
On the other hand, I like that you're making games to please yourself and not other people. That's a healthy attitude - just don't take it so far that you laugh off people who are honestly trying to help you.
Now having said so much... I'm going to go download the game now and see what the rest of the game is like!
thanks, please let me know what you think, and be careful in the parking lot, it is dangerous out there!
I'd just like to share with y'all, because people should know about these things before going ahead and buying, that after having bought many other AGS games I've now paid for Banana Man, and gotten the following e-mail:
QuoteDear Pedro Pires
Thank you for submitting your order for Banana Man-Full Version using Plimus.
Your order is currently being reviewed by our staff for quality purposes, this
process is usually completed within a few minutes, however, please allow up to
12 hours to hear back from us. If you wish to expedite your approval, please
reply to this email with a phone number we can reach you at.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, your order will be processed
shortly. If you have any question about your order, please contact us at:
********@*******.com
Important: Do not submit another order through our system as this will further
delay the processing and may cause a double-billing to your credit card.
Thanks for your patience,
(obviously the asterisks are mine, just for security's sake)
This was just a few minutes ago, I just wanted to let people know. After all, this is hardly standard procedure. Well, I mean, I've bought EVERY other commercial AGS game just last week, and this is the first time this soret of hitch happens. It's probably nothing much, but I figure people should know about these things *before* they pay.
EDIT -
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
You've sucessfully made me think the thing I played before was but a demo, and that there was more to it. So tell me, *what did I just spend money on*?
EDIT 2 - Ok, I got a refund. Now I'm calmer. Now tell us - the FIRST game you set here for download, is it the full version?
not sure what happened with store as that is with the publisher whom i sent the full game to. i will find out.
the version that was posted here before was the beta version. so it was a complete game kind of. i worked on it further to clean up a lot of things and get rid of any bugs and areas where you got stuck, and almost all the other issues that were brought up on this forum. although i would still appreciate you buying the game... thanks!
has anyone gotten a 100 points yet? so that they can see the awesome animation? it is ALMOST worth spending $4 to see it!
So.. basically the people that played your game were actually used as beta testers before you put a price tag on essentially the same game?
EDIT: Ah, you didn't know your game would be picked up? My bad.
DOUBLE EDIT: Hmph, their website is awfully designed. Well good luck with that.
i think i was pretty clear that it was a beta game, and i had no plans to publish at the time. and their site is improving...
At no time, before or after you published, did you let us know of your intentions to commercialize *the very same game you were then freely distributing*. And after you published you made the whole thing very unclear.
Well, at least it's all sorted out now. I guess.
i had no intentions of publishing it when i was making it. i think i said that. i could be wrong. and i was freely dristributing a beta version. i think i said that twice, but i may have not been clear. i edited the original post and put it in completed games. this is my first game so maybe that was not right. i think everything is sorted now. i hope!
The new website is up, as well as the demo for the game....you are right our last design was not the look and feel we wanted to give. I hope you will give us another chance, as well as the game. There has been plenty of good feedback on it.
John C Leutz II
Mythopoea Games Inc
www.mythopoeagames.com
I have put up a walkthrough on my site in case anyone was not able to complete the game or get the 100 points:
http://www.deercrack.com/banana/games/index.html