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Nandrew
03-01-2009, 07:01 PM
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4066/promo1sh6.png

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/463/promo2mu1.png


Doctor Warp's Marvellous Machines v0.01
AKA Yet Another Damn Prototype

Those of you who have been keeping tabs on my efforts (goodness knows why) may be aware that I'm now on something of a crusade to try devise a fun, varied and balanced puzzle game based on the core philosophy of "force node things" acting upon sprites to get them to some sort of goal.

As a result, I've been brainstorming and prototyping about trying to find the right game dynamic with which to woo players. This particular one has you manually place down limited-range, differently-oriented "force nodes" which continuously act upon a steady stream of "warpions". Your objective is to guide this stream to the exit.

It's about as different from Gravwarp as Gravwarp is different from the original game, but it takes the strengths and lessons of the previous two incarnations to (hopefully) hit the nail on the head with that X-factor which I felt was missing.

I'm rather pleased with the result -- level ideas are far easier to come by (I plotted a full 40 without breaking a sweat: 10 included in this proto) and the gameplay is ... well, it feels a lot more satisfying and balanced than the previous two.

Of course, I cannot be absolutely sure of my findings without first consulting my dear community members about it! Play this game and give me some feedback! Really, anything goes, even the unlikely. If I can't put your suggestions into effect here, I'm not afraid of scrapping this project and starting on proto number 4!

Hitmehitmehitme. And have fun with the game.

http://www.quickshare.co.za/files/a1dru85y/MarvelMachines_v001.exe.html

(--EDIT--)

New version with UNDO and ghost path functionality. Should make things a LOT less finicky for players.

http://www.quickshare.co.za/files/ms340sok/MarvelMachines_v002.exe.html

(--EDIT2--)

Slightly revised version with a few bugfixes and synced rotation nodes. Grab it if you want.

http://www.quickshare.co.za/files/43ou7fdx/MarvelMachines_v003.exe.html

Gazza_N
03-01-2009, 07:48 PM
The Nandrewbrain strikes again! I'm enjoying this game immensely, but two quick suggestions:

(1) An undo button, for those errant component placements. Single-step should be fine.

(2) A "ghost" warpion stream would be awesome to see the effects a component would have before you place it. That may even negate the need for that undo button. You could consider removing the stream in later levels or at higher difficulties.

Otherwise, awesome. And Aeq is now obligated to wear a monocle. At all times. Even while showering.

Kensei
03-01-2009, 07:52 PM
Otherwise, awesome. And Aeq is now obligated to wear a monocle. At all times. Even while showering.

Seconded :D

Will have a playthrough when I return from the Doors tonight :p
Looks good though

SkinkLizzard
03-01-2009, 09:32 PM
wonerfully done there master nadrewicus.
now if only I had a limited use soldering iron for moving those
nodes I haphazzardly drop on the boards of poor unwitting machines.
:) :)

Nandrew
03-01-2009, 11:37 PM
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/8059/undobuttonyayuv0.png

A wild SINGLE-STEP UNDO BUTTON appears! \O/

Due to popular demand, I've quickly slapped together an undo function and "ghost pathing" (both should be bug-free, hopefully).

The ghosts are primitive, but they're helping out loads with path planning. Undo functionality is unlimited, but can only go back one step at any given point. So you can reverse an immediate "whoops" move easily, but long-term planning still needs to take place. :P

Will leave it like that for this version and see how it affects gameplay. Whatever the case, I'm sure that any frustration experienced by early testers will be eliminated. Thanks for the feedback, guys -- both here and on IRC. ;)

Link in first post.

Nandrew
03-01-2009, 11:50 PM
I've also received feedback concerning the issue of the ROTATING nodes being difficult to get into synch, particularly in the last level. I'm keeping this in mind and will probably be throwing a universal counter into the code to make sure that they rotate on a standard timer rather than on their own.

---

Another little problem, ghost paths are incorrectly altered by dormant nodes. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see them. Thanks, Chippit.

Kensei
04-01-2009, 02:04 AM
Oh. My. God.

Nandrew, this game is made of pure win!!! I LOVE it :D Reminds me strongly of The Incredible Machine :)

dislekcia
04-01-2009, 12:30 PM
I've also received feedback concerning the issue of the ROTATING nodes being difficult to get into synch, particularly in the last level. I'm keeping this in mind and will probably be throwing a universal counter into the code to make sure that they rotate on a standard timer rather than on their own.

In SODAplay, the olde java-based constraint building system, they used a global sin-wave with markers on it to indicate the sync of extending and contracting links. You could slide the marker up the wave to be earlier than the cycle and down the wave to be later... Just a thought for a possible solution.

01DT!m3r
04-01-2009, 03:17 PM
Is a level editor in the works . I would be more than happy to help with one . Ive already got the save/load code from my own puzzle prototypes . . It looks awesome .