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PixelSmash
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PixelSmash
566 posts
Nomad

Hey all, for the past few weeks I've been working on a game idea, and by now there's a playable version. I didn't really know where to put this, so I just posted in this forum section.

In any case, please try it (here) and let me know what you think, any ideas and/or criticism is most welcome.
Please note, I haven't done much graphic-wise, so it doesn't look that awesome at all... but the overall idea should be clear.

And yes, PixelSmash == NeoPlasmicEagle...

  • 50 Replies
Captain_J_Sheridan
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Captain_J_Sheridan
313 posts
Nomad

It's a little confusing, the leveling system is confusing and happens too quickly, you could go with something a little easier

I guess there are a few bugs with evolution you shuld check, I got stuck at a point which I can't really describe what happened

I enjoyed the evolution concept, but couldn't find any reason to actually keep playing

Captain_J_Sheridan
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Captain_J_Sheridan
313 posts
Nomad

If it helps, here's a screen, I guess I evolved and then evolved back

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/1953/devourdf1.jpg

PixelSmash
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PixelSmash
566 posts
Nomad

Thanks for your reply, captain!

The reason the leveling happens so fast is simply because the game's still set to developer mode... all food have 10x their original food value. It can even occur that you're eating something, and get enough for two levels.

The evolution bug is something I'll have to look at. I have a vague idea why it happens, but I'm not sure yet.

As for what you said about not really wanting to keep playing... that's something that has been bothering me as well. As it is, it's nice, but not great. Though right now I don't really know what to do about that... I was thinking about a point system, perhaps with modifiers. This way it would also be possible to use some sort of leaderboard asl well. Let me know what you think

Captain_J_Sheridan
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Captain_J_Sheridan
313 posts
Nomad

Maybe a story like he wants to evolve to impress girls

IQAndreas
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IQAndreas
299 posts
Peasant

That is actually a really neat game. Keep going!

I'll write a more detailed review in a bit. At work now.

iPC
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iPC
146 posts
Nomad

For the evolution bug: Get to level 8, press the first evolution button, OK, and you are now multi celled. Get to level 9, press the first evolution button, OK. You are now a jellyfish. Get to level 10, press the first evolution button, OK, you are now single-celled.
So far, so good. Some suggestions:

Add more evolutionary things so that people have a choice of what to get. You could even make it so that getting some evolutionary traits cancels out others.
Make predators!
Allow food to be created.
Force the creature to get a certain amount of food or die. (starvation meter)
The connections between the upgrade trait buttons don't make sense.
Make pictures on the upgrade trait buttons so that people know what they without hovering their mouse over them.
Show the upgrades in a way that isn't an upgraded size. Like, put in cilia for the speed upgrades.
Add something in the background besides food so that people know that their cell is moving.

PixelSmash
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PixelSmash
566 posts
Nomad

iPC: You just confirmed what I already thought: evolution buttons don't become useless after you've used them once, so you can use them over and over again to evolve. Whoops! ^^;

Other than that... some of the things you suggested were indeed things I was thinking about myself. Especially the whole upgrade thing, I need to work that out a lot more... as it is now, it's just level up, click, level up, click, evolve. It should be something more dynamic than that... which is why I already made the connections between the buttons, although I haven't remade the upgrades themselves yet.
What you mean by 'allow food to be created' I'm not completely sure... spawn after a certain amount of time? Once the real food values are in place, that should be less of an issue, since you'll have to move around a lot more to feed - and that's when new food is spawned.

Thanks a whole lot for your comment! (And you too ofcourse, IqAndreas) This definately sparked some new ideas, and I can't wait to get to it again!

flappybob999
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flappybob999
797 posts
Peasant

I like the concept, but alas, it needs much more work.
I agree, make predators.
Make more evolution stages. I beat the game easily. It's sort of like bubble tanks. And yeah, the graphics are not ready to be submitted yet. Add some color. Maybe a weapon? And try and make the food grow back, and don't make the map everlasting. A minimap would help alot.

Overall, at the moment, your game in testing gets a worthy 6/10. Good job. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

samy
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samy
4,874 posts
Nomad

Good concept, but no story line and right now seems a lot like spore.

First, there needs to be things that eat you.
Second, there should be levels eat enough and you move to a new environment with new looks and edible things.
Third, You need GREAT music if you don't it will get boring fast.
Fourth, there should be power-ups of some sort.
Fifth, Maybe you could change the color of your cell.
Sixth, make your cell look better.
Seventh, good game over all.

Gladitator
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Gladitator
75 posts
Nomad

Well it was a pretty simple but good game although it would be even better like some of the people saod add some predators and a storyline, like why does he/she want to evolve?

TheSid
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TheSid
332 posts
Nomad

I don't really get what you need too do...
here are my suggestions...

I know you haven't made the graphics yet, but seeing the game is quite similar to the game "mikrobe wars", I suggest you try to go for a different style.

Second, it's pretty boring. No offense, but eating one enemy and then having to upgrade is really tedious. The upgrades should be a lot harder too get. I suppose it gets harder after a while, but making it easy as that in the start makes people want to quit quickly.

Third, i notice that every time you eat you grow bigger. This is no good. Soon you fill the whole screen and you barely have space for your mouse, making it real hard to move. Instead of growing so much, other things should happen, stretching a bit, growing some dots.... yeah.

Fourth, the upgrade system. It was very hard too understand and very boring. It needs a much more organized interface, with much better descriptions, and small pictures of what happens. I also never managed to evolve past the big blobby blob.

The game doesn't need a storyline, since it's such a simple game, but it does need enemies, obstacles, variation, maybe some walls that you can't touch and you need to go through mazes and other stuff like that. You could maybe add some feature when clicking the mouse, i don't know, shooting, stretching, your choice.

But - i really like the idea. A big evolving system with lots of choices, tons of enemies and a lot of fun. It's still pretty dull, and I hope you make it better. I'll be waiting for it's release.

;D

Bluydee
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Bluydee
3,426 posts
Nomad

I wonder why after I pressed the evolution thing I turned back into first evolve

PixelSmash
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PixelSmash
566 posts
Nomad

Probably because I didn't cap the evolve function... you can call it as many times as you want, so if you press the last button, you evolve again - which we don't want.

In any case... I'm migrating this project from AS2 to AS3, so it should be a bit better. This way I can reassess a lot of functions, and see if I can redo some of them. Also, it's just faster! I'm also still thinking about how I can improve the evolve menu, since it's still not completely the way I want it to be.
It's a shame, but college is having me completely swamped lately, so it'll be some more time before anything comes out.
ps. I didn't think anyone read this topic anymore! lol...

Aaroniscool
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Aaroniscool
254 posts
Nomad

This game kinda reminds me of Cosmis Crush. This does a good job although I got a bit confused about the evolution screen. I it stuck after evolving into a jellyfish and the evolution meter stopped working...

anatolytt
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anatolytt
64 posts
Peasant

Good work, but it's soooo Spore. Definitely needs at least something original.

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