View Full Version : Math Attack Revised!
Squid
21-10-2007, 01:33 PM
In my quest to make a maths based cellphone game I have gone through many different gameplay prototypes and puzzle ideas. This is my favourite one.
Download (http://www.squidcor.co.za/uploads/MathAttackPrototype.zip)
The concept is quite simple:
-There are two totals at the bottom of the screen
-You must try and build equations in the grid where the answer is equal to the totals
-After an ever decreasing timer runs out (the health bar) one number in the grid will become locked
-To unlock a number you must use it in an equation
-The game ends when there are no more possible answers because too many numbers are locked
Use the numpad to move the cursor around the grid, press numpad 5 to select a number and then another numpad direction to switch the two numbers.
Please let me know what you think.
Evil_Toaster
22-10-2007, 01:26 AM
I think it doesn't run under Vista? :(
Thaumaturge
22-10-2007, 05:32 AM
It's a nice expansion in the idea, Squid, and quite fun. ^_^
Have you considered having the program take note of the player's actions and offer advice on potential paths to solving the presented problems, perhaps at the end of the game?
Noting, for example, that a player focusses entirely on addition, and thus ends up struggling a bit, and so suggests that they try to concentrate on subtraction for a game or two? (Off of the top of my head - I imagine that with either some research or conversations with teachers you might come up with rather better patterns to watch for and advice to give.)
Squid
22-10-2007, 10:07 AM
Bah, here is the conversion. Vistarized (http://www.squidcor.co.za/uploads/MathAttackPrototypeVista.zip)
@Thaum: I'm still looking for new ways to expand the puzzle concept (Different tiles, operators etc.) I also don't want to overcomplicate things though. I also tend to use only addition till the late stages of the game when I get forced to use subtraction as well.
I'm thinking of implementing a combo system for using the same tiles, making quick answers etc. Thus allowing the player to build up some special abilities such as destroying all the locked blocks with one button press.
What do you guys think?
Evil_Toaster
22-10-2007, 05:58 PM
I like the game. First time I've seen it btw. (I think the comp ver also didn't run on Vista either)
Combos would be cool (perhaps timeout based?), the rewards could be unlocking of numbers, or increasing time left on / pausing the health bar, or just additional score.
Also, why not experiment with a few different modes? You can have a +|- one, and a *|/ one. I expect the latter could be very difficult though, considering fractions from divisions. A solution to that could be introducting DIV (whole number of division), and MOD (remainder of division), and lower target numbers.
I got this error while playing btw:
---------------------------
Error
---------------------------
ERROR in
action number 1
of Draw Event
for object control:
Error in code at line 11:
draw_healthbar(400,100,500,150,((alarm[0]/(lockstep/30))*3.3333),c_black,c_red,c_lime,0,true,true);
at position 45: Division by 0.
---------------------------
Abort Ignore
---------------------------
The timer bar was going ballistic, like reaching 0 in under a second.... Perhaps that lockstep variable hit 0?
Thaumaturge
23-10-2007, 02:44 AM
I'm thinking of implementing a combo system for using the same tiles, making quick answers etc. Thus allowing the player to build up some special abilities such as destroying all the locked blocks with one button press.
I like the idea of combos. ^_^
If you have them be player-initiated, then I would suggest placing icons for them somewhere on the screen so that the player can "save up" useful combo bonuses.
or increasing time left on / pausing the health bar
I definitely second this suggestion, specifically the idea of pausing the bar (which seems to me to be more often useful than adding a set amount, which is less useful when the bar is nearly full, I would imagine).
Squid
24-10-2007, 08:09 PM
I've got some really cool ideas up my sleeve for this one.
In the meantime here's the cellphone version: 6.5kb (MASSIVE) (http://www.squidcor.co.za/MathAttack.jar)
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