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WiledBill
07-01-2011, 09:32 PM
READY FOR PLAY: Get the game here (6.1 MB) (http://www.box.net/shared/4eqn6sulz1)

http://img37.picoodle.com/i519/wiledbill/emda_264_uc768.jpg

Basic Idea
The idea I have is a simple one. Take our good friend, the snake game that gobbles up those random
apples. Mirror its play field, so that you have a west field and an east field. Put a baby snake
in each field.

[ORIGINAL DISCARDED IDEA: Now when you change direction with east snake, west snake also changes direction. When east runs up west runs up, when east runs down west runs down - but when east goes left, west goes right and when east goes right west goes left.]

When you change direction with east snake, west snake also changes to the same direction. But here is the twist: while east snake grows, west snake sleeps (and vice versa).

Quickly east snake and west snake will have different snake shapes. You need to have your wits about you to get a score of 300!

The prototype question: will this game be playable.

CHANGE #1 to original idea: Mechanics #2
The mirror mode was not much fun to play (too confusing). These new mechanics are much more fun.
East and west DO NOT move in mirror mode -- they now always move in the same direction. However,
when west snake bites an apple and grows, east snake stand still (and vice versa).

Over time the snake positions and shapes differ. If the player can figure out how to keep both approximately
the same shape, it is a bit easier to keep them alive.

Essential features
- Basic 2d lines to represent each snake. [done]
- There must be some way to identify the head from the tail [done]
- Apples can be green dots of some kind [red, but done]
- The score must be shown [done]
- Player actions and snake behaviour must be complete [done]

Nice to have
- A great looking snake [hmm, how?]
- Nice shiny apples [shine? what was i thinking :-) ]
- Sound effects [done]
- Music [done]
- High score list [for later]

Please note: For some reason I cannot reply to this thread. Thank you for your feedback!

edg3
08-01-2011, 08:06 AM
I like this, the world will not be complete without a decent Snake 2 successor (Snake 3 or 3D or whatever it was caled just sucked), I just hope you put in some kind of difficulty mechanic if you get the time!

herman.tulleken
08-01-2011, 01:01 PM
Yes, one of those games that give you an aneurysm if you play it too long; I love it!

edg3
08-01-2011, 01:10 PM
You dont reply to a specific post you reply to the whole thread :) I havent really though of decent difficulty mechanics, but try things out, maybe you find something that fits?

herman.tulleken
08-01-2011, 01:40 PM
My version of snake (the old QBasic one) had different levels. Each level had more walls (that would kill you if you ran into them), something like this:


#################
# #
# #
# #
# #
# #
#################

#################
# #
# #
# ######### #
# #
# #
#################


#################
# # # #
# # # # #
# # # # #
# # # # #
# # #
#################


Perhaps that's an idea you could use?

FuzzYspo0N
09-01-2011, 01:08 PM
Also, post screenshots!

Fengol
09-01-2011, 03:54 PM
I love the determinism of the game. You never lose because of some random event but because you weren't watching BOTH snakes, so the immediate impulse is to try again and be better at it.

Initially I thought the snakes slowly getting out of sync was a bug but it works in the games favour.

This should definitely get the Nandrew "It's so simple why hadn't someone else thought of it before" Award.

Gazza_N
09-01-2011, 07:03 PM
Can I be lazy and just repeat what Fengol said? :P

Silly comment for me to make, but what I especially like is that it's POSSIBLE to keep track of both screens. I mention this because the last two-screen game I played (TWEWY on the DS) had such disparate things occuring on both screens that it was impossible to keep track of what to do and how. This way, you have all the attention-diverging goodness, with none of the frustration of info overload.

herman.tulleken
11-01-2011, 04:12 PM
Turned out to be a nice game. I agree with Fengol about the out-of-synch issue.

Another idea, if you develop this further: instead of having levels, you could add more and more worms to control. (Start off with one, and once it' gobbled up a certain number of apples, the level restarts with two worms, etc.). Just a thought---it might be way too difficult to really be fun.

pieterator
11-01-2011, 10:12 PM
I have to agree with everyone, this is a brilliant idea. Watching both screens while keeping track of which snake is going to become longer and how you might manipulate the one that still moves. It tingles the cranium.

One comment though, making a U-turn after eating a apple always results in death (when the frozen snake wakes up he moves into himself). Maybe make the frozen snake perform an one block U-turn so it hugs its body, and not move inside itself.

Crudely illustrated,


o | o
o | o
o | o e
oe | o o
oo | ooooo

o = body
e = head

I think this would be a nice addition. Hope this helps :)