The level design could use some work. The last level was the best one by far. Lots of momentum and the turret enemies added a little bit of spice and you could plow through the level. The stop and go on the collect map was a bit annoying. Also I wish there was a bit more contrast between the ui, player, and background. The character and sound design are great!
Thanks a bunch for playing!! Yes, the current level design is certainly not representative of the final game. It's more of a way of getting the main idea across, and I have lots of ideas to make the final levels a lot more exciting and such. I'm also trying to figure out what the graphics will look like in the end. I'm glad you like the character and sound design!!
Red = Where I want the camera to go Pink = Where the camera currently goes (violently moving every time I hit a new platform)
Black = Places the camera never needs to see. These could be collision volumes for the Camera, blocking the camera never from straying too far off of the main play area.
Ooooh, I love a visual aid! Thanks a bunch for playing. I definitely see what you're saying with camera hints. I hadn't thought of having collision volumes for the camera; what a fantastic idea. Gonna implement that right away. It's worth noting that there's a setting to adjust how much the camera moves with your movement. I had it on max by default, and have since switched it to half-active. Thanks again!
-The kerning on the letter 't' is quite bad. Distracting in otherwise good looking visuals.
-Options were a little weird at first, but I eventually got it and it's pretty unique.
-Gameplay is very fluid, I like it. Compared to other games, it feels a lot more like you're controlling a robot vs fleshman with robot skin. That said, I don't particularly like speed platformers.
-Music and SFX are good.
-Second level is neat, how it loops back to the beginning. At this point I'm getting a bit better at the controls, and compared to sonic it seems a bit easier for me to understand what's up ahead. It's also forgiving with the speed boost, since it both slows down time and you can do it mid-air to correct yourself.
-The last level, with the guns, had a small issue where the character was on the far right of the screen. Therefore it was a bit hard to see what was next, though it wasn't much of a problem since it was right at the end.
-Beat in 4'58''. Also when I select exit on main menu it just doesn't, lol(might be a web thing where it auto restarts?).
Thanks for playing! Nice catch on that 't' kerning; I'll fix that right now. Yes, the last level has a known bug, where the camera gets jammed. Still working on fixing that one... Damn, 4'58 is super quick; that's the fastest time that wasn't mine that I've heard so far! Oh yeah, the exit button doesn't do anything because it's HTML5. Should probably just remove it from this version, heh Thanks again!!
I like that you didn't copy Sonic mechanics 1:1 as these games are wont to do, but, as a result, the controls feel a bit janky and inconsistent. Wall jump inertia is odd, you get insane momentum by jumping on a specific type of slope, sometimes you just bounce off stuff flying into the sky, you can wall jump-dash back onto walls to cheese momentum checks, etc. I think sorting these out to feel good is higher priority than adding content. I got through the available levels and I agree with the sentiment that some spectacle early on would be nice; it might be a good idea to have those machine gun sequences in the first stage. That being said, I disagree that the level design is bad. It's perfectly fine; it's really the controls themselves that are getting in the way.
Thanks a bunch for playing, and for the feedback! I agree, there are certain parts of the slopes where the expected momentum kinda breaks. Definitely need to iron that out.. Being able to dash back onto the wall is kind of an intended thing, though I might need to look into nerfing it a bit, so it isn't too OP. As this is a "world 1" scenario, I'm trying to strike a balance between making it easy enough vs making it non-exploitable, within a game that has lots of mechanics at play. I'm curious as to what else in the controls is sticking out to you. Definitely planning on adding more story and spectacle to the future versions of these levels! These ones were only really made for playtesting purposes. More low stakes speed sections, more unique visuals and decor, etc, etc. Thanks again!
I don't know the specifics of implementation to articulate what feels off about the controls, but it's generally when going slow or moving over/jumping on sharp slopes that it's not quite right. I could try to record it the next time around. Part of it is the camera too, I think. It could be moving around too much while trying to execute finer platforming.
Yeah the game looks great already so it's hard to tell these are not final levels.
Thanks for playing! Yep, sonic was my main influence for this project. Been trying to make a sonic-like for years now.
A big inspiration for the main character was electric unicycles! I dunno, I just think they're cool, and incorporating them into the design worked for high-speed movement mechanics. I also borrowed a bit of influence from Jenny from MLaaTR, and even a little bit of GlaDOS from Portal.
fun stuff. you clearly have a solid idea of who your target audience is.
the game controls fine and plays as expected. the boost/burst button is a welcome addition.
the main thing i saw that i think is a negative is the level design. i think it's important for the first few levels to have as little "start/stop" design as possible, but to instead allow the player to easily to a "gotta go fast" move, where there's few non-jump skillchecks, so that the player can easily get used to their momentum, speed and capabilities. if the map is hard and the player is new, it will be hard to get a good grasp of the controls/movement, and thus make learning actual challenging levels even harder, due to a lack of established infrastructure. it's not that the levels are too hard, it's that it's too much too soon. spikes and holes are fine, i'm more focusing on the "tunnel" sections that rise and fall, and require many walljumps.
this might all sound like a "i need to get good" comment, but i just thought it'd point it out anyway, since i don't think i ever got this feeling with regards to the classic sonic levels.
Thanks a bunch for playing!! I'm glad it controlled well, and that you like the burst mechanic. I'm happy with that, too. I definitely see your point, about the first few levels needing more fast sections. Very fair, if you feel that there's too much too soon. Pacing is definitely something I'm continually working on to make better, and I will take note of this. Thanks again!
I played the first two levels to get a feel of it and the controls are really good. I like being able to go really fast and shoot up in the air. I don't really have any feedback as everything is pretty well made and that you should make more of this.
Also I'm not sure if this is a bug but spamming the burst button could lead to losing the wheel and just get stuck on the floor. It takes a few burst uses and momentum to "re enabled" the wheel. Perhaps I'm just using the mechanic wrong.
It's very fun and intuitive. I really like how the time slows down when you charge the sling. I had no problem except that the camera got stuck in the last level and it wouldn't let me advance, so I had to kill myself. Probably it's because of the turret. In the same level you can go on the roof of the structures and skip half the level. Finished in 7 minutes.
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you liked the time slowdown; I'm pretty proud of it. Yes, though, I am aware of the camera glitch. I really gotta get around to fixing that... Damn, 7 minutes is no joke! I think the average is around 10? Thanks again!!
3rd level with collecting CDs took me nearly 8 minutes (I had trouble getting to the higher part of the level) At first I also thought that level was just a loop and I was supposed to make 3 laps, and not collect 3 CDs.
I died in 4th level on spikes. I could not figure out how to build enough momentum on the big U shaped room.
I am sure the game is going to be big with sonic robot furry fandom.
I found it odd how the player cannot change the direction mid air, but maybe it would make the burst too good. I am not sure if it was your design decision, or just something you overlooked.
Yeahh, I want to make it a bit more obvious that you have a different kind of win state in levels like level three. Sorry to hear you got stuck on level four. I wonder how I can better communicate the strat for building momentum... it might just be a challenge type that's better suited for later levels. idk
Ye, I'm definitely aiming for sonic/furry/robot fandoms.
Nah, the inability to change direction in midair is intentional. This is where the burst comes in; it allows you to totally redirect your momentum, midair or not. Thanks much for playing!!
This is great, I loved it. Love the classic sega sound chip, love the retro sonic movement, although it is not exactly the same I think, love the momentum based jumping, loved the cute character design. I bought your previous game, pretty recently, think I am gonna buy this one too when the time comes.
One request as you develop this: this is just a demo but make sure the levels in the end are visually distinct from each other, environmental visuals was always a part of the charm of sonic 1 -3 , Knuckles and CD.
And one comment: I don't get the burst, I may have completely misunderstood how to use it.
Wow, thanks a bunch! I'm really glad you like the sound profile. I made all the SFX in deflemask, a genesis soundchip emulator, and my bf did all the music instruments primarily with a similar VST. So it's definitely made with that console in mind. Thanks so much for your support! I'm hoping to get this game done as soon as I can. I also have a big update for Fall For You in the works. Yes, I agree that levels need to be more visually distinct. As this is an alpha build, I didn't want to spend too much time doing a ton of unique assets that might not make the final cut. I'm trying to find out how to properly tutorialize the burst; that ability isn't really meant for this demo's levels; it's more of a "world 2" mechanic. It channels the player's speed into whatever direction you give it. It's useful for getting to a good speed from a stop quickly, or to change directions.
Fun! I also love the design of the main character, very cute. That one level that loops infinitely fucked me up because i'm used to the top path being the best in these types of games. The game is at it's best when you get into a flow and are flying through the levels at top speed. Good job!
Thanks so much for playing!! Yes, the loopy level is a bit easy to get lost in. Fair point, about the higher path generally being best. I also need to make more visual assets to distinguish between areas.
Years of trial and error lol, I've been trying to make a game like this for quite awhile. I wish I could show you a demo I used but I realy don't have anything like that. IMO, the key components are:
-make the player have a top "running" speed that you can get to by holding right/left, as well as a higher top "movement" speed that you can get to by utilizing physics/momentum mechanics
-make the player's jump direction perpendicular to the slope they're on, rather than always straight up
-convert falling speed to running speed when landing
Comments
this is clearly sonic, and you have done a great job at capturing that feel both with the ost, main design and mechanics.
but i have to say, i'm not a big fan of the overall color palette you went for, but i guess that's subjective
Thanks a bunch! Sonic is probably this project's biggest inspiration.
Fair! I'm still noodling with the color palette; I want each world to have its own unique look and feel to it in that respect.
The level design could use some work. The last level was the best one by far. Lots of momentum and the turret enemies added a little bit of spice and you could plow through the level. The stop and go on the collect map was a bit annoying. Also I wish there was a bit more contrast between the ui, player, and background. The character and sound design are great!
Thanks a bunch for playing!! Yes, the current level design is certainly not representative of the final game. It's more of a way of getting the main idea across, and I have lots of ideas to make the final levels a lot more exciting and such. I'm also trying to figure out what the graphics will look like in the end. I'm glad you like the character and sound design!!
You have great vision cradle dev. I believe in you!
This could use some camera hints in the level
Red = Where I want the camera to go
Pink = Where the camera currently goes (violently moving every time I hit a new platform)
Black = Places the camera never needs to see. These could be collision volumes for the Camera, blocking the camera never from straying too far off of the main play area.
Or just zoom out a bunch
Ooooh, I love a visual aid! Thanks a bunch for playing. I definitely see what you're saying with camera hints. I hadn't thought of having collision volumes for the camera; what a fantastic idea. Gonna implement that right away. It's worth noting that there's a setting to adjust how much the camera moves with your movement. I had it on max by default, and have since switched it to half-active.
Thanks again!
-The kerning on the letter 't' is quite bad. Distracting in otherwise good looking visuals.
-Options were a little weird at first, but I eventually got it and it's pretty unique.
-Gameplay is very fluid, I like it. Compared to other games, it feels a lot more like you're controlling a robot vs fleshman with robot skin. That said, I don't particularly like speed platformers.
-Music and SFX are good.
-Second level is neat, how it loops back to the beginning. At this point I'm getting a bit better at the controls, and compared to sonic it seems a bit easier for me to understand what's up ahead. It's also forgiving with the speed boost, since it both slows down time and you can do it mid-air to correct yourself.
-The last level, with the guns, had a small issue where the character was on the far right of the screen. Therefore it was a bit hard to see what was next, though it wasn't much of a problem since it was right at the end.
-Beat in 4'58''. Also when I select exit on main menu it just doesn't, lol(might be a web thing where it auto restarts?).
Looks good, keep it up.
Thanks for playing! Nice catch on that 't' kerning; I'll fix that right now.
Yes, the last level has a known bug, where the camera gets jammed. Still working on fixing that one...
Damn, 4'58 is super quick; that's the fastest time that wasn't mine that I've heard so far! Oh yeah, the exit button doesn't do anything because it's HTML5. Should probably just remove it from this version, heh
Thanks again!!
I like that you didn't copy Sonic mechanics 1:1 as these games are wont to do, but, as a result, the controls feel a bit janky and inconsistent. Wall jump inertia is odd, you get insane momentum by jumping on a specific type of slope, sometimes you just bounce off stuff flying into the sky, you can wall jump-dash back onto walls to cheese momentum checks, etc. I think sorting these out to feel good is higher priority than adding content. I got through the available levels and I agree with the sentiment that some spectacle early on would be nice; it might be a good idea to have those machine gun sequences in the first stage. That being said, I disagree that the level design is bad. It's perfectly fine; it's really the controls themselves that are getting in the way.
Thanks a bunch for playing, and for the feedback!
I agree, there are certain parts of the slopes where the expected momentum kinda breaks. Definitely need to iron that out.. Being able to dash back onto the wall is kind of an intended thing, though I might need to look into nerfing it a bit, so it isn't too OP. As this is a "world 1" scenario, I'm trying to strike a balance between making it easy enough vs making it non-exploitable, within a game that has lots of mechanics at play. I'm curious as to what else in the controls is sticking out to you.
Definitely planning on adding more story and spectacle to the future versions of these levels! These ones were only really made for playtesting purposes. More low stakes speed sections, more unique visuals and decor, etc, etc.
Thanks again!
I don't know the specifics of implementation to articulate what feels off about the controls, but it's generally when going slow or moving over/jumping on sharp slopes that it's not quite right. I could try to record it the next time around. Part of it is the camera too, I think. It could be moving around too much while trying to execute finer platforming.
Yeah the game looks great already so it's hard to tell these are not final levels.
It was fun and challenging.
I assume Sonic was a big influence here.
What inspired the main character's design?
Thanks for playing! Yep, sonic was my main influence for this project. Been trying to make a sonic-like for years now.
A big inspiration for the main character was electric unicycles! I dunno, I just think they're cool, and incorporating them into the design worked for high-speed movement mechanics. I also borrowed a bit of influence from Jenny from MLaaTR, and even a little bit of GlaDOS from Portal.
fun stuff. you clearly have a solid idea of who your target audience is.
the game controls fine and plays as expected. the boost/burst button is a welcome addition.
the main thing i saw that i think is a negative is the level design. i think it's important for the first few levels to have as little "start/stop" design as possible, but to instead allow the player to easily to a "gotta go fast" move, where there's few non-jump skillchecks, so that the player can easily get used to their momentum, speed and capabilities. if the map is hard and the player is new, it will be hard to get a good grasp of the controls/movement, and thus make learning actual challenging levels even harder, due to a lack of established infrastructure. it's not that the levels are too hard, it's that it's too much too soon. spikes and holes are fine, i'm more focusing on the "tunnel" sections that rise and fall, and require many walljumps.
this might all sound like a "i need to get good" comment, but i just thought it'd point it out anyway, since i don't think i ever got this feeling with regards to the classic sonic levels.
good stuff. keep it up
Thanks a bunch for playing!! I'm glad it controlled well, and that you like the burst mechanic. I'm happy with that, too.
I definitely see your point, about the first few levels needing more fast sections. Very fair, if you feel that there's too much too soon. Pacing is definitely something I'm continually working on to make better, and I will take note of this.
Thanks again!
I played the first two levels to get a feel of it and the controls are really good. I like being able to go really fast and shoot up in the air. I don't really have any feedback as everything is pretty well made and that you should make more of this.
Cute game is cute!
Also I'm not sure if this is a bug but spamming the burst button could lead to losing the wheel and just get stuck on the floor. It takes a few burst uses and momentum to "re enabled" the wheel. Perhaps I'm just using the mechanic wrong.
Thanks a bunch for playing!!
I'm not sure I've seen the glitch you're referring to. The wheel gets stuck to the floor? Does this happen when you burst at the floor, or?
On the floor and near the floor. Maybe the issue is collisions?
An actually good platformer? No way.
It's very fun and intuitive. I really like how the time slows down when you charge the sling. I had no problem except that the camera got stuck in the last level and it wouldn't let me advance, so I had to kill myself. Probably it's because of the turret. In the same level you can go on the roof of the structures and skip half the level. Finished in 7 minutes.
The character is also very cute. Keep it up!
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you liked the time slowdown; I'm pretty proud of it. Yes, though, I am aware of the camera glitch. I really gotta get around to fixing that...
Damn, 7 minutes is no joke! I think the average is around 10? Thanks again!!
I played in firefox browser with no issues.
3rd level with collecting CDs took me nearly 8 minutes (I had trouble getting to the higher part of the level) At first I also thought that level was just a loop and I was supposed to make 3 laps, and not collect 3 CDs.
I died in 4th level on spikes. I could not figure out how to build enough momentum on the big U shaped room.
I am sure the game is going to be big with sonic robot furry fandom.
I found it odd how the player cannot change the direction mid air, but maybe it would make the burst too good. I am not sure if it was your design decision, or just something you overlooked.
Yeahh, I want to make it a bit more obvious that you have a different kind of win state in levels like level three.
Sorry to hear you got stuck on level four. I wonder how I can better communicate the strat for building momentum... it might just be a challenge type that's better suited for later levels. idk
Ye, I'm definitely aiming for sonic/furry/robot fandoms.
Nah, the inability to change direction in midair is intentional. This is where the burst comes in; it allows you to totally redirect your momentum, midair or not.
Thanks much for playing!!
This is great, I loved it. Love the classic sega sound chip, love the retro sonic movement, although it is not exactly the same I think, love the momentum based jumping, loved the cute character design. I bought your previous game, pretty recently, think I am gonna buy this one too when the time comes.
One request as you develop this: this is just a demo but make sure the levels in the end are visually distinct from each other, environmental visuals was always a part of the charm of sonic 1 -3 , Knuckles and CD.
And one comment: I don't get the burst, I may have completely misunderstood how to use it.
Wow, thanks a bunch! I'm really glad you like the sound profile. I made all the SFX in deflemask, a genesis soundchip emulator, and my bf did all the music instruments primarily with a similar VST. So it's definitely made with that console in mind.
Thanks so much for your support! I'm hoping to get this game done as soon as I can. I also have a big update for Fall For You in the works.
Yes, I agree that levels need to be more visually distinct. As this is an alpha build, I didn't want to spend too much time doing a ton of unique assets that might not make the final cut.
I'm trying to find out how to properly tutorialize the burst; that ability isn't really meant for this demo's levels; it's more of a "world 2" mechanic. It channels the player's speed into whatever direction you give it. It's useful for getting to a good speed from a stop quickly, or to change directions.
Fun! I also love the design of the main character, very cute. That one level that loops infinitely fucked me up because i'm used to the top path being the best in these types of games. The game is at it's best when you get into a flow and are flying through the levels at top speed. Good job!
Thanks so much for playing!! Yes, the loopy level is a bit easy to get lost in. Fair point, about the higher path generally being best. I also need to make more visual assets to distinguish between areas.
Oh one more thing, where did you learn to implement Sonic physics like that? I wanna try doing something similar but idk where to look
Years of trial and error lol, I've been trying to make a game like this for quite awhile. I wish I could show you a demo I used but I realy don't have anything like that. IMO, the key components are:
-make the player have a top "running" speed that you can get to by holding right/left, as well as a higher top "movement" speed that you can get to by utilizing physics/momentum mechanics
-make the player's jump direction perpendicular to the slope they're on, rather than always straight up
-convert falling speed to running speed when landing
I hope that makes any sense