I also think that your game offers something more original than most games around here. It has its own ambiance (I love the mutant''s dance when you die lol), its own features, its own gameplay. I''m pretty sure other positive comments will follow

Hired Guns and Space Hulks used a similar gameplay it''s good to see that kind of gameplay coming back.

Both excellent games, I see youre a fan of old school gameplay like myself

Im glad you liked the dance animation, it took me a week to put together from start to finish. Have you seen the winning animation yet? That also took a week to do. If not, keep playing (tip - there is a secret stash in a fairly obvious secret place on the Boom scenario).

Though it is an impressive alpha release, it needs a lot of work. Though I don''t think the sound between turns sounds like masterbating zombies (actually it is a very good sound), I have to agree that the interface is not too nice. This is the point of an alpha release isn''t it? To get constructive critism so that we, the audience, may help you, the developer, see some problem with the game so you may fix it. I think right now, the main problem is the GUI. It is not easy to navigate, I could not pick up my glove after I had thrown it at the woman (just seeing what it would do). I got the pickup screen and was able to hightlight the item, but could not pick it up. While I was meandering around the building the terrain kept disapearing and at one time, when I turned to face the woman all I saw was her head, hands, and feet. The gameplay was fluid (I suppose) and everything seemed to be working correctly (except the itemp pickup). The controls could be a bit easier. moving around with the keyboard, then ending turn with the mouse. The controls were not obvious and were not convenient. Finally, while I was walking around with the guy, I was about eye level with the woman''s waist. While this gave me an interesting vantage point, it gave the impression that she was about 5 meters tall!

Suggestions: Add some basic rewards/goals and variety. Allow players to start with some amount of money at the beginning of the game and then ''purchase'' their weapons/armor/misc items. Create a mini-radar or the ability to purchase a radar type system. Create an auto-mapper so you don''t run in circles too much. Add the ability to destroy walls. Add ''strategic'' weapons such as proximity mines, sniper rifles, etc..

Anal, but change the faces to be more unique. Add a black guy, add an asian guy, etc.. Make them look distinctly unique so its easier to put yourself into the character''s position.. rather than feeling like your controlling an army of clones. Put more random items on the map. Allow ''special'' movements such as sneaking or hiding, etc..

In general, make the game unique.. and make the player ''want'' to complete the level because they gain something. In RPG''s for example, you kill dozens of the same monster for no reason other than a promise that you will gain a few points on your character''s statistics.

In reply to ah_bk88:

I think you have some good points about the pickup screen. To pickup an item, you must right click it and then select pickup from a popup menu. I''ll change this to make picking up on left clicking the default behaviour.

What video card do you have? The disappearing terrain, and abnormally large woman, sounds like an issue with the video card and my game.


In reply to haro:

Proximity mines, and grenades, are already in the game. Check out the "Boom" scenario.

Purchasing equipment is a good idea but the scenarios revolve around certain ideas, such as close combat, so to implement something like that I think I would have to restrict the available goodies on a per scenario basis. Good idea though, its got me thinking...

An automapper is on the todo list for the first beta test, it is difficult to find your way around the scenarios at first even though the maps are only small.

In the final game I was going to have some of the scenarios locked until others had been completed. Would this be enough of an incentive to complete them, or should I rethink this idea?

Lastly, how would sneaking or hiding work? The enemy has to be closer to you to spot you?

The movement is like.. bad..

Yep I read that the first time you put it, but unless you have a suggestion for how to stop it from being "bad", you are not being much help to me...

PipoDeClown you kinda.. suck..
Moron.

quote: Original post by kingy
In the final game I was going to have some of the scenarios locked until others had been completed. Would this be enough of an incentive to complete them, or should I rethink this idea?

Lastly, how would sneaking or hiding work? The enemy has to be closer to you to spot you?

I''d assume you would have some gameplay story line in the final game. Even if its: The United States was hit with a huge chemical bomb, 99.9997% of the population was turned into zombies from the bomb. Your team is all that''s left of your military base in Fort Blah. You decide you will fight for humanity.. blah blah.. Go kill alot of zombies until you can track down the guy that launched the bomb and find the magical antitode bomb to undo what happened. When you have a story line its imperative that scenarios be unlocked in a linear fashion.. So I don''t think its enough of an incentive by itself.

Maybe give your character''s levels. If you haven''t played "Fallout 2" I strongly recommend it for ideas. It was an RPG with turn based strategy combat.. but with a tremendous amount of novel and well implemented aspects in the turn based area.

Sneaking takes up two times the normal mobility for each movement (not looking) but there is a 70% chance that any hostiles will not notice you moving. If you can attack a monster while sneaking that is not aware of you, then you do double damage. Hiding costs 15 mobility. Once hidden there is a 80% chance that any hostiles moving by you during their turn will not see you.

Again, just very generic ideas.. but ones that can add alot to most games.

Some very good ideas there, Im going to have to think about how to implement them. With the game being turn based, and the enemies not having ranged attacks, it doesnt matter whether they notice you or not until it is their turn (exception - attacking them from the front allows them to fight back if they have remaining action points)... so I guess a sort of "hide" or "crouch" option is the right way to go.

I have played Fallout but only briefly. It did seem very good though. I wasnt going to have anything carry over from scenario to scenario but maybe I should rethink this somewhat... even if it is only how many medals you get as a general (maybe extra medals provide extra money / items on a buy equipment screen). Im not sure about carrying the soldiers over from one scenario to another as it would change the game design quite a bit.

The basic plot to this game follows on from Necrotech, the RPG that is its predecessor. The basics of it are that a city has been overun by strange creatures and the deep space cancer research company Necrotech is at the heart of it. The first game ends where you rescue the prime minister and he mobilises the military to save the city.

[edited by - kingy on June 24, 2003 9:37:10 AM]