I finally got to play your game on linux.
The video of me playing it can be found at https://mega.nz/folder/WQ91HBxL#X4-j8Mj7H30Ai3aevWFEmA
Viewing post in Alchemickal jam comments
Hey, thanks a bunch for playing and taking the time to do this! Sorry for not replying to you last time, I had the intention of doing it but forgot... I'll address some points you made in the commentary now.
Mixing menu breaks the flow of gameplay ... you could use number keys for mixing and a corner UI to make it better.
I've received this specific piece of criticism/feedback many times. I experimented with this idea a little more shortly after this DD ended, but it felt really clunky to me. Having to take your hand off WASD to mix stuff renders you completely defenseless, not to mention you have to stretch your hand all the way to the 6 key. To me, this could only work if the time slow-down also happened when you're mixing with the number keys, but then it might still break the flow of gameplay. What do you think?
Secondary fire doesn't do anything.
That's just because the current weapons have no secondary fire, sorry.
It would be nice if rooms had indestructible environmental pieces.
Absolutely, other people have also requested this. I'll add some pillars and stuff.
It's not clear when the room is cleared ... you could have a progress bar on top.
I agree, I'm working on sorting this out. I'm going to add a distinct "room cleared" sound effect, and I'll also add an objective display on top of the screen which will change depending on what room type you're in.
Is there a reason for [the mixing menu] to be timed like that?
Yes, the mixing menu slows time down but lets you walk around. If there was no timer on the menu, the player could stay in slow-motion forever, using it to easily dodge everything and only coming out to occasionally attack. I can make the timer last longer, but the timer stays.
Maybe you should be able to use your utility while in the mixing menu?
Good suggestion, but then again, that encourages people to stay in the mixing menu for as long as possible. I'll try it out and see if it feels balanced.
Right-clicking in the mixing menu causes you to dash if you use your utility (if dash is bound to right-click.)
Wow, nice find. I'll try to fix it.
It gets to a point where there's a lot of down-time and you don't know where you're supposed to be going, so you could use a full map.
Good point, I should add that. It could be a fog-of-war kind of thing where you can't see the entire dungeon at once, only rooms you've visited and nearby rooms.
I expect the second level to have different enemies with different colors.
Yes, that'll be the case soon. There's a miniscule amount of content in the game right now, so it just repeats the same stuff.
I would expect healing to get rid of the poison.
That was the case for a while, but it made healing way too strong and too versatile. Instead, that functionality is relegated to purifying wash, which you make with water and healing.
If you stand still, the enemies stand still. They should move, even if just by little a bit.
Good point, I'll try that.
Really fun game ... I'll see you next DD.
I will be there for sure. You didn't find any of the cool combos you can pull off, I'm tempted to record a video to show them... Anyway, thanks a lot for being so helpful!
I've received this specific piece of criticism/feedback many times. I experimented with this idea a little more shortly after this DD ended, but it felt really clunky to me. Having to take your hand off WASD to mix stuff renders you completely defenseless, not to mention you have to stretch your hand all the way to the 6 key. To me, this could only work if the time slow-down also happened when you're mixing with the number keys, but then it might still break the flow of gameplay. What do you think?I assume you want to keep movement as WSAD, and not make it so you can move with mouse instead.
I guess your reasons are that players have more control over movement with WSAD compared to just clicking to move. My suggestiong would be to make it so you move with WSAD, but when holding a mixing key, you can mix with WSAD. At first I thought you could maybe keep the last movement direction before pressing the mixing key, so it would allow you to move while mixing, but I think if you do it the way I described you are not going to need slowing down or anything, since every mix would be Hold Mixing + Rapid Keyboard clicks, so I don't think a moment to stop would be bad.
If you can make mixing faster without breaking the flow of combat, then players will be able to mix a lot more in combat. When Magicka went online PvP in Wizard Wars, they made it so each cast/mix was limited to 3 inputs, unlike the original game with 5 - What I mean by that is you would make all the spells by choosing 3 keys to press out of 8 (not counting extra combo elements like steam, or ice). That way it allowed for fast paced combos in form of multiple spells chained one after the other, rather than spending more time on clicking combinations inbetween each shot. Example of combos I am talking about
It is much more fun when you can make enemies wet with first spell, and then quickly zap them and freeze them with second, and then finish them off with a giant rock in 3rd cast and everything lasting split second.
You also want more enemy variety, so quick mixing when changing from one target to the other mid fight is going to be even more important in future.I can make the timer last longer, but the timer stays.
I think I already explained above how else you can do it without both timer, and slowing down time.
I expect the second level to have different enemies with different colors.
Yes, that'll be the case soon. There's a miniscule amount of content in the game right now, so it just repeats the same stuff.
I hope in future you plan to have more enemy variety in each room, and not just changing them on different floors.
You didn't find any of the cool combos you can pull off
I could definitely do more, but right now the game doesn't "require" me to do it after you find just one combo that works, and the way mixing is done right now does not make it fun (breaking the flow, taking too long). Let me know what you think of my control suggestions. I am curious what you are going to say. I will be happy to brainstorm more if you give me good reasons why you wouldn't want to do things in certain ways.