Update: I still had a backup somewhere of these files! The linux build is gone, but I'm gonna re-build it when I'm able to use GMS:1.4999 again and upload it right away!
ThisSignGames
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This game had me on my toes: having something to chase through an obstacle-ridden area creates some very fun and engaging gameplay. The only thing that came to mind after playing it is that the game lacks some visual feedback: it looks nice and is very legible, but it's not always easy to tell whether or not I've hit something or if I've been hit, and it doesn't look/feel as impactful as it maybe could. A little white flash, a short pause in shooting, and perhaps a single extended frame of the enemy being hurt (old-school style) could go a really long way. Altogether it is a very nice jam entry. Gonna check your updated version right now!
Props to you for beating the game! The final wave was a bit rushed (it was quite a bit too easy in earlier iterations) and I couldn't really manage the difficulty curve very well, so I might have to tone it down a little bit in a post-jam update, but it's very nice to hear you liked it! Thanks a ton!
Thank you so much for checking it out! I'm glad you liked the story, I hoped it helped evoke the spectacle feeling that is somewhat inherent to bullet hell games and that was also reflected in the music. And yeah, the game definitely had several flaws, I might update it sometime after the jam if I find the time for it. Thank you for the feedback :)
No.
A non-Euclidean geometry is just a geometry in which not all Euclidean postulates are honoured. Wikipedia gives "replacing the parallel postulate" as an example, which is defied by this game: we can draw a straight line, have two other non-parallel lines intersect with it at different points, and yet manage to have them not intersect with each other by guiding one of them through a portal. It actually more closely resembles hyperbolic geometry under the right circumstances (i.e. at least one portal is present closer to the given line R than to point P).
Thank you so much for the feedback! It's a really thorough and in-depth analysis, that's so awesome! It's really interesting to me to see what you pointed out and what highlights caught your eye. I fully agree with everything you said: the game was rough. This is the first time I really got into time trouble in a jam, and it shows. I generally expect a higher level of polish from the games I release (or at least, I like to think so), but some unforeseen time sinks (making the game use a retro resolution, various switches of bounce systems and the re-doing of all art assets, especially) got me in slightly more trouble than I actually could manage. Having said that, it's very informative for me to know what parts show most when they don't get enough attention.
Specifically, I couldn't agree more with your two main points. I was afraid the game would be confusing, and I fully concur with your statement about the tutorial. I hold a big grudge against tutorials. Usually, when a game I bought has a large, extensive or intrusive tutorial/prologue (e.g. XCOM 2, Warsaw, Middle Earth: Shadow of War), I just quit them. I have to force myself to start playing them again (which can be really rewarding: XCOM 2 is one of the best strategy games I've ever played, I think) but introductions like these barely ever work. I'm more of a "show, don't tell"-kinda guy, so I totally see how this could cause confusion.
Your point about frustration and reward also makes complete sense. I didn't playtest and iterate enough - I barely playtested or iterated - to find out whether or not the core gameplay loop felt fulfilling. That information is really insightful to me! It helps me straighten my priorities for my following projects, which are undoubtedly to come, and hopefully allows me to improve my game devving and the product I create. So once again, thank you so much for the feedback you're giving.
Additional notes of interest: I found it really funny to notice we had such similar ideas for our games. In effect, we both made pinball variations that allow the player to change the terrain rather than just use flippers. That immediately got into my mind when I saw your game, and I thought it was a fun similarity. Other than that, I'm definitely spending more time on technicalities for any larger release I'd do, such as the installing of DirectX like you said, and I would look into exporting to Mac.
One final time: super much thanks for your feedback. It helps a lot. I hope you have a great day!
Sadly not :( I still use an old 1.4 version of Gamemaker Studio and I haven't upgraded to GM:S 2 yet, so I can't use HTML exports, and I don't have a mac so I can't build to mac either. That's a shame. I will keep this in mind for my following projects though (specifically my Devtober project), but for now I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. If you have access to a Linux machine, I could try and make a build for that?
I really liked it! It starts nice and easy, but as the speed of the enemies ramps up, so does the tension. It felt really cool to first miss, acrobat your way around the enemies, pick the shuriken back up and land a sweet double kill mid-air. For being made in a day, it felt really well thought-out and neat. If you plan on updating it sometime, improving the player feedback could make it excel (although I already admire the fact that you implemented screenshake when landing a shot, it adds a lot). All together, a really well-done jam entry!
Thanks for the feedback! I am not a fan of story/text-based games either, but I felt like it did fit this game haha. Pause menu's and spicing up scenery are always on my to-do list in a jam, but always end up getting cut in the end due to time management (I only slept 4 hours during the final night fixing other stuff haha), but you're definitely right in saying that it would improve the experience. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
These sounds are really cool! I love westerns and I love your other works I know (especially the Grand Adventure Music Mega Pack) so I figured I'd use this pack for my entry for the 125th trijam. I figured you might like to see it. Thanks for all the good stuff!