MAGS July “Shocking” (RESULT)

Started by Stupot, Sun 01/07/2018 00:02:16

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What is your favourite game of MAGS July?

Stories of the unexpected: 'Until further notice'
1 (5.6%)
The Lightning Spell
4 (22.2%)
Welcome to Nod River
2 (11.1%)
The Shaft
10 (55.6%)
Pizza Calls
1 (5.6%)

Total Members Voted: 18

Voting closed: Thu 16/08/2018 00:10:17

Kastchey

Thanks VampireWombat, good to know. If the file downloaded ok then it should be fine, my only issue was that I had to upload using my phone and wasn't sure if I had set google drive permissions right.

DBoyWheeler

Will be interesting to see the list of entries when the time comes.

And also, I shall look forward to what August's theme will be--I'm hoping to take part in that one.

VampireWombat

#122
Yeah... the closer I get to the deadline, the worse mine feels. 1 coupon and cat to go and then I try putting it all together and see if anything explodes.

Edit after submitting the game: So, it seems I messed up importing some of the graphics, didn't get an up walk cycle made, the left and right walk cycle sucks, and somehow I screwed the inventory up despite having change the inventory item size.
In a panic to get it done on time, I had to take a lot of shortcuts. I don't think there's any look interactions and no dialog.
I will add music and fix some of the issues this week.

VampireWombat

#123
Updated version submitted a couple minutes ago.


Stupot

Thanks for the entries guys. I'm a bit busy st the moment but keep an eye out for the voting hopefully some point today. Also keep an eye out for the new topic thread, coming soon.

Mandle

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 01/08/2018 01:21:17
keep an eye out for the voting hopefully some point today. Also keep an eye out for the new topic thread, coming soon.

Now you've made me go cross-eyed!

Mandle

#126
I'm playing the games and will update feedback in this post as I go:

The Shaft

Spoiler
Wow! Really fun game so far! The graphics are really nice on the eye, and the animations are cool! The main character's walkcycle is a little dainty though. I think maybe if you slowed down the animation speed and turned up the walkspeed he wouldn't mince quite so much.

I'm not sure if the music suits the mood for me. I think I would have prefered something a little more mysterious and ominous. The music used seems a bit generic.

I've gotten a bit stuck after making the
Spoiler
100% useable mallet. It seems like I should be able to hit either the smashed glass area or the cracked glass area with it but the game won't even let me try which is frustrating. I had really thought that this would be what was expected of me. There's no bug there at all is there? If not, then don't give a hint please. I want to figure it out but don't want to spend time trying if it is actually just a bug.
[close]

There are a few glitches: The message when I try to pick up a
Spoiler
second piece of broken glass tells me I can't because my gloves are ripped, but they aren't.
[close]

Also I can still
Spoiler
get a second piece of wire even when I'm down on the ground.
[close]

I can also pick up multiple
Spoiler
Shards of glass as long as I cover the previous one in goo from the moss
[close]

Great game though! Are you a rescue guy in RL?! You seem to know a lot about the equipment!
[close]

The Lightning Spell

Spoiler
Like I mentioned before: The graphics in this game are amazing! And I'm glad to see as well that the animations and special effects are also on par!

The title screen immediately grabs the player's attention and the rest of the game gets even better!

There are many spelling issues and sometimes the humour is a bit "surprising" especially the gay reference. It got a laugh from me though and was vindicated by the fact that the character didn't deny it, just explained why he was trying to impress a girl. So, tastefully done!

The game is short, of course, and the puzzles very simple, but that's not always a bad thing.

One of the worst game design sins IMO is making a game with 10 minutes of actual gameplay but with puzzles so obtuse that it takes an hour or more to finish the game.

I would have liked slightly more challenge but I'm not going to complain! It's obvious that your focus was more on beautiful graphics, animations, and effects than hardcore puzzle design, and there is only so much time in a month.

I had a great time and spent more time walking around in the lovely shadow effects and exploring the limits of the walkable areas than I did progressing the story... All-in-all, mission accomplished I'd say!

The game did make me itch to see what lay beyond the lake and what this "city" that was mentioned looked like as well! So, room for expansion!
[close]

Until Further Notice
Spoiler
Charming!!! Loved the main characters' look and the working-class crime genre. I'm a sucker for a good break-in or escape movie so this really had me excited!

I enjoyed the digging sequence although it was a bit confusing how to control movement. I swear I could have fit between a gap in the pipes but he just wouldn't do it!

The ending had me laughing. It's always great when a title doesn't make sense until the end, like in the movie "Drag Me To Hell", and becomes a nice punchline. Nice storytelling device there!

What I felt just a tiny bit let down about was that the gameplay mechanics were really just "use this on that".

I did expect maybe one or two more complex puzzles, but it's MAGS so no real complaint. Hey, at least you finished your game. More than I can say for, like, ages!

One real complaint I will make though:
Spoiler
You have a laser puzzle. You give the player a mirror. But the solution is to hit the sensor with a hammer?! I tried so hard to combine the mirror with so many other items, and the game actually makes it seem that item combinations are possible because it replies. I then realized that, game-design-wise, it had to be an object that I already had from the start or this would be a dead-end because I couldn't leave the room. BUT then I found out that I COULD leave the room by clicking between the bars on the door. I felt this was a bug but wasn't 100% sure. So this meant that optional items in other rooms COULD maybe be needed?! But, yeah, eventually I just hit it with everything I had until the hammer worked... Battery-powered sensors don't seem very secure, but, okay... (laugh)
[close]

Anyway, like I said, the game was charming and the ending was well worth the playtime.
[close]

Kastchey

Thanks for the extensive feedback Mandle! I'll edit this post in the evening when I get back home and reply in detail, but for now to spare you some frustration - there is no bug. Though I *might* have unintentionally created a somewhat misleading puzzle, ironically in an attempt to make it easier :) More to come later!

Stupot

I won't have time to set up the voting tonight but I should be able to do it in about 12 hours or so. So consider this a chance to add those extra touches.

Meanwhile, check out the new topic for August.

Quote from: Mandle on Tue 31/07/2018 01:50:40
I will probably try to complete this game to be potentially included in the upcoming bake-sale.
There's an upcoming bake sale? How does one get to be in the secret club of people who know about them?

Mandle

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 01/08/2018 10:26:51
I won't have time to set up the voting tonight but I should be able to do it in about 12 hours or so. So consider this a chance to add those extra touches.

Oh, is this an extension?

I had thought that entries were closed but you didn't have time to open voting.

Well, I've been sitting around on my silly ass all day then!

Okay, maybe something even slightly more playable in the works!

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 01/08/2018 10:26:51
Quote from: Mandle on Tue 31/07/2018 01:50:40
I will probably try to complete this game to be potentially included in the upcoming bake-sale.
There's an upcoming bake sale? How does one get to be in the secret club of people who know about them?

There's no way unless "they" want you to know, or something, I guess... Ummmm, I'm going to get killed now aren't I?

Bugger!

Slasher

#130
Mandle:

When trying to combine anything with anything you will get you a message that you cannot combine those items or indeed any items.

Indeed you can leave the safe room if you have not got a needed item. Else you can't.

Spoiler

You can do the laser with various inventory items.
[close]

VampireWombat

Great. Now I have time to figure out where I screwed up with things.

Kastchey

Great, I'll be updating mine too then.

Cassiebsg

I'll wait patiently for all entries to be "final" before downloading and checking them out. (nod)
Good luck all in the last 100m run! (laugh)
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

VampireWombat

Thanks for the luck.
I've already discovered where I screwed up with the inventory.

Mandle

#135
I didn't get any actual gameplay done with the extension, but the intro is quite a bit cooler!

Oh, and I know the background looks a bit washed-out and 2D... I plan to adjust the contrast after adding lighting/shadows to make it pop a little bit more.

Kastchey

I'm still en route but should hopefully be able to post an updated version as soon as my wife stops messing with my laptop... ;)

Mandle, if you don't mind replaying the part you have progressed through (should be a fast replay) then the issues you found should be solved in the updated version.

Mandle

Quote from: Slasher on Wed 01/08/2018 10:59:21
Indeed you can leave the safe room if you have not got a needed item. Else you can't.

Ahhh, but I could. I just clicked between the bars on the closed door. The label there still said "Way Out".

I had to get past the eye scanner again each time to go back in but it didn't break the game.

Kastchey

#138
I have updated my previous post with a new link. I have corrected some issues, updated the music, tweaked the ending a little and reviewed one of the puzzles because the descriptions were unintentionally misleading.

@Mandle:
Glad you enjoyed the game so far! As for the specific things you pointed out:
Spoiler
Quote from: Mandle on Wed 01/08/2018 08:26:18
The main character's walkcycle is a little dainty though. I think maybe if you slowed down the animation speed and turned up the walkspeed he wouldn't mince quite so much.
"A little dainty"? Wow, you're being kind. It's horrible :) This is a placeholder walkcycle I would normally update later in the development, but didn't manage before the deadline. But I tweaked the speed as per your advice and it seems to have helped. Thanks!

QuoteI'm not sure if the music suits the mood for me. I think I would have prefered something a little more mysterious and ominous. The music used seems a bit generic.
That was the best I could pick within half an hour or so I had left. I have picked something else for v2, but I'm hoping I'll be able to find someone to write a dedicated piece of music for the post-MAGS release.

Quote
Spoiler
I've gotten a bit stuck after making the 100% useable mallet.
[close]
Well yeah. There was no bug, but like I said earlier, I realized I had made one of the puzzles a bit unfair to the player. I have redesigned it slightly in the updated version so that it doesn't have to be solved by "using everything on everything".

Quote
Spoiler
There are a few glitches: The message when I try to pick up second piece of broken glass tells me I can't because my gloves are ripped, but they aren't. Also I can still get a second piece of wire even when I'm down on the ground. I can also pick up multiple Shards of glass as long as I cover the previous one in goo from the moss.
[close]
Fixed, and fixed, and fixed. Thank you! In fact, I considered crediting you as a playtester in the end credits, but I'd rather put the game through more thorough testing first because I wouldn't want you to look like a lousy tester if it turned out there were more bugs hidden somewhere! :-D

QuoteGreat game though! Are you a rescue guy in RL?! You seem to know a lot about the equipment!
That would be cool but no :)  I just enjoy reading about lots of random stuff, from amoebas to makeshift welding machines.
But thank you! I was actually worried it might be obvious that I have no clue.
[close]

VampireWombat


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