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BlackShipsFillt
02-02-2011, 07:43 AM
I really enjoyed the game jam again this year, but sadly this time we didn't finish our project.

So I've spent a bit of extra time ironing out the worst bugs and including sound effects and recording music.

If you are curious, then here is the game... except I don't really recommend it... it is very hard, and I usually like very hard games. http://www.blackshipsfillthesky.com/APlaceToBuryStrangers/APlaceToBuryStrangersWindows.zip (fixed)

This year it was just me and Filip Orekhov in our team. Our game was only ever going to be thematically linked to "Extinction". It was kind of lazy of us not to push the mechanics of extinction, but the free rein resulted in quite a pretty game. It's a platformer, and it's kind of moody and barren (dead, as in extinction). There are two kinds of creepy spirits that the player comes across, a couple of upgrades for the player's platforming abilities, and one other thing.

I haven't actually played this through in its entirety, I have a feeling that it's kind of a 20-30 minute game and there are no save points (yet). There is a lot of fat in the game that should really be trimmed (so I apologize in advance if you find yourself feeling lost in some repetitive cave thing)

In particular the beginning bit, before you learn to climb, is quite painful. That needs to be shortened significantly.

There probably are a bunch of bugs and nasty things that can happen (especially in the transition between screens), let me know where it breaks, and what you think.

Enjoy!

Fengol
02-02-2011, 09:12 AM
Very Limbo!

I would love to know how you did the swaying grass, trees and flags. Is it just skewing a plane?

Any chance of a code share?

BlackShipsFillt
02-02-2011, 07:50 PM
Sure, I'll make a package... but it is provided As Is.

The current version has some problems... I made the enemies taller and then didn't check to see whether that made some bits impossible.

My internet is weak right now... but I'll try upload a fully playable version soon.

Evolution
02-02-2011, 08:53 PM
I think GGJ2011 games have been judged because they have been put in an order that seems to suggest quality of game not how many views it got. Correct me if I'm wrong.

1487 games was submitted. QCF had the best results out of the UCT bunch with 32nd place. I came 176th place :( O well better luck next time.

edg3
02-02-2011, 09:23 PM
Well uh, nobody is playing 1500 games in 3 WORKING days, also, just because you cant see an order doesnt mean there isnt one, or that it is ordered by some judging. Also, from that first page of games listed I can tell you for free there are dozens of much better games quality wise (and their fulfillment of the theme too) that are better then a lot of the games that are on that first page.

Also, if they had been judged Im rather certain there would be a much bigger deal about it.

OT: Cant wait to look at the source for your game, I enjoyed playing the version you uploaded as your final version for the GGJ

Evolution
02-02-2011, 09:30 PM
I think they judging on originality and they don't care if you game looks good.

Evolution
02-02-2011, 10:04 PM
Ok I played one of the games on page 1 and it was bad. Now I'm just puzzled in what order they are placing these games?

BlackShipsFillt
02-02-2011, 11:43 PM
I think they are listed according to how many ratings the community has given. So if you want your game to be number one get 20 people to give it 5 out of 5 (but because reviewers are not going to trawl through 1500 games the GGJ ratings are not that important).

Although I'm not sure. They may be just listed in order of submission... which page are you looking at... I can't see a page anywhere that ranks them.

Although 32 out of 1500 is really impressive! (edit: actually it turns out they are around 3 out of 1500 according to GameSauce)

BlackShipsFillt
03-02-2011, 04:20 PM
Okay, the linked version in the first post actually works now.

If anyone actually plays it through then I'm interested in some feedback.

Particularly: Is this game worth completing (and maybe releasing for free or something), and what would it need to have added to it to make it a worthwhile play?

I feel that if the game was taken further it would end up in the same space as Aquaria. What Aquaria does to get over it's expansiveness is having very "alive" worlds, lot's of things to interact with, lots of little animals, some of which attack you, that can be killed and collected (so even just swimming around is mildly entertaining).

And some of the player's abilities must interact with the collection of killed enemies, either through purchase of upgrades, or powering up of abilities based on collection. There needs to be some kind of progression, Aquaria had the learning of recipes and gaining new powers (which I felt wasn't quite enough), but as it stands A Place To Bury Strangers is very lacking in this regard.

Also obviously there needs to be more bosses, more story, some different looking levels to explore, some more abilities, and, probably, some offensive abilities.


So the question is, should I drop it, or take it further at some point? And if I should take it further, what should I do to it?

Otherwise what I've got is a fairly nice platformer base to do something else with... (I even included Diorgo Jonkers suggestion about allowing jumping even just after leaving a platform)

dislekcia
03-02-2011, 08:56 PM
They're probably being ranked based on what the jam leaders sent through as their top games. There were a bunch of additional competitions running alongside the game jam itself and each leader had the option of entering one game from their jam. The Last Fleet got invited to Casual Connect in Germany thanks to the GameSauce competition: http://gamesauce.org/news/2011/02/02/gamesauce-challenge-announces-global-game-jam-winners

BlackShipsFillt
04-02-2011, 12:04 AM
You know what... I played through the entire thing now, and I don't recommend it. At least until I implement save points, there is at least one section that is nearly impossible.

Also there are a couple places where the levels do not meet up very nicely and the player gets shoved into the middle of the rock or keeps transitioning back and forth... It didn't stop my game, but it's a bit of a big problem anyway.

xyber
04-02-2011, 09:36 AM
You know what... I played through the entire thing now, and I don't recommend it. At least until I implement save points, there is at least one section that is nearly impossible.

Cool, so it was not just me sucking at playing it :P

BlackShipsFillt
04-02-2011, 12:40 PM
Aaargh!

I so want to fix this, but I can't right now.

Check this out... a TimeLapse of my desktop during the Game Jam: http://vimeo.com/groups/77053/videos/19363480

Evolution
04-02-2011, 07:46 PM
Awesome clip.