Great Exploitations

I like it - nice tune, nice colors, fun stuff.

 

The only suggestions I have are gameplay-related.

 

Specifically, the way the bug reacts to hitting the walls (grass?) is frustrating, a little. Right now you slow very quickly to a stop, then start moving again (assuming you are holding the accelerator down) very slowly.

 

Better would be: slow down not so fast, so that it is more forgiving of just nicking the walls, and don't bring the bug to a stop before allowing it to move again.

 

Also: what are all the powerups? The ice effect was unexpected, and very cool looking; what's the one that makes the walls brown and impassable?

 

I like it - nice tune, nice colors, fun stuff.

 

The only suggestions I have are gameplay-related.

 

Specifically, the way the bug reacts to hitting the walls (grass?) is frustrating, a little. Right now you slow very quickly to a stop, then start moving again (assuming you are holding the accelerator down) very slowly.

 

Better would be: slow down not so fast, so that it is more forgiving of just nicking the walls, and don't bring the bug to a stop before allowing it to move again.

 

Also: what are all the powerups? The ice effect was unexpected, and very cool looking; what's the one that makes the walls brown and impassable?

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll implement them and see how they play out. Though the "4 wheel drive" powerup is already kind of like what you describe.

 

As for the powerups, this pdf file is the basis for a flyer that Al will use at VgXpo, which tells all about them.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll implement them and see how they play out. Though the "4 wheel drive" powerup is already kind of like what you describe.

 

As for the powerups, this pdf file is the basis for a flyer that Al will use at VgXpo, which tells all about them.

Thanks for the link. EDIT: Link doesn't work.

 

To elaborate on my suggestions, just a bit: for me, racing video games are, to a large extent, about speed.

 

I can, and do, drive every day. I don't drive 150 mph every day, if ever. When I play a video game driving game, I want to go fast! Now, obviously, there has to be some challenge or the game will quickly be set aside, but IMO right now Superbug's physics frustrate my desire to go fast.

 

All that to say I look forward to playing the changes you make. I wasn't excited about this game yesterday, but for whatever reason (new colors? didn't give it enough of a chance before?), I really enjoyed playing this demo today and I'm looking forward to the final version.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll implement them and see how they play out. Though the "4 wheel drive" powerup is already kind of like what you describe.

 

As for the powerups, this pdf file is the basis for a flyer that Al will use at VgXpo, which tells all about them.

Thanks for the link. EDIT: Link doesn't work.

 

To elaborate on my suggestions, just a bit: for me, racing video games are, to a large extent, about speed.

 

I can, and do, drive every day. I don't drive 150 mph every day, if ever. When I play a video game driving game, I want to go fast! Now, obviously, there has to be some challenge or the game will quickly be set aside, but IMO right now Superbug's physics frustrate my desire to go fast.

 

All that to say I look forward to playing the changes you make. I wasn't excited about this game yesterday, but for whatever reason (new colors? didn't give it enough of a chance before?), I really enjoyed playing this demo today and I'm looking forward to the final version.

Link fixed (I think ) and added to main blog entry. Though the one in the message you quoted still probably won't work.

 

As for the physics, I am trying to make them realistic and similar enough to the original arcade game. The arcade game actually accelerates more slowly and stops for a long time at each crash. As far as speed goes, well, it IS a VW bug but yeah, I see your point.

 

Maybe I should add some tracks with longer straight stretches where you can really open 'er up, and make the grass slow you down a variable amount, depending on how long you contact it.

Maybe I should add some tracks with longer straight stretches where you can really open 'er up, and make the grass slow you down a variable amount, depending on how long you contact it.

I like those ideas. The slamming to a stop (while accurate to the arcade game) is very frustrating. Maybe this could be a difficulty switch option.

 

Instead I've been working on a track editor, but so far it's text-based, clunky, and needs a lot of work.

I thought you had a way to import .bmp files? Or was that a future plan?

 

Anyway, the new version is looking really nice! The different colors of the grass really give you a sense of movement now. The yellow bug is nice, too.

 

Possible other (and largely pointless) suggestions:

 

• Add a "superball" rubber wall powerup, where you just bounce insanely around the track for several seconds.

• Be able to unlock the ability to change the color of your bug. Perhaps by beating certain times on certain tracks.

• User-selectable multiple laps.

• "Career mode" where you play all of the tracks sequentially for an overall best time.

• "SpyHunter" Easter Egg, where you can unlock a speedboat! And the roadway turns into water. (I'll be glad to whip up a sprite for it.)

 

Driving games are my favorite videogame genre, and I'm really looking forward to this one!

Maybe I should add some tracks with longer straight stretches where you can really open 'er up, and make the grass slow you down a variable amount, depending on how long you contact it.

I like those ideas. The slamming to a stop (while accurate to the arcade game) is very frustrating. Maybe this could be a difficulty switch option.

 

Instead I've been working on a track editor, but so far it's text-based, clunky, and needs a lot of work.

I thought you had a way to import .bmp files? Or was that a future plan?

Yes, I do, but I don't have a way to add powerups to them except by tediously hand-modifying data tables.

 

The editor is two different programs, one that converts the BMP to a 128x128 text file. Then you add powerups by inserting letters into the file with your favorite text editor, and running it through the second program to convert it to code (this part isn't working right yet.) A real GUI would be nice but beyond my programming know-how at the moment.

 

The other issue is that the game can actually support 4 sets of powerups per track (e.g. a different set for each lap) but there's no way to take advantage of this yet, except by hand.

Anyway, the new version is looking really nice! The different colors of the grass really give you a sense of movement now. The yellow bug is nice, too.

 

Possible other (and largely pointless) suggestions:

 

• Add a "superball" rubber wall powerup, where you just bounce insanely around the track for several seconds.

• Be able to unlock the ability to change the color of your bug. Perhaps by beating certain times on certain tracks.

• User-selectable multiple laps.

• "Career mode" where you play all of the tracks sequentially for an overall best time.

• "SpyHunter" Easter Egg, where you can unlock a speedboat! And the roadway turns into water. (I'll be glad to whip up a sprite for it.)

 

Driving games are my favorite videogame genre, and I'm really looking forward to this one!

I like your suggestions It's possible to do all of the above.

OK, added second version to original entry where crashing doesn't totally stop you, unless left difficulty switch is set to A. I need to send something to Al soon, so let me know what y'all think.

Much better! Far less frustrating.

I prefer the feel of the second version. I'm not sure if you could do this before, but you can actually driver over the walls to take a shortcut? The game goes a bit weird if you just keep heading downward over the walls for a while.

 

Chris

2nd version is better.

 

My next suggestion...

 

There should be some indicator when you collect a powerup - the most obvious way would be to have the powerups disappear when you run over them, but a "ding" sound would be good as well.

The editor is two different programs, one that converts the BMP to a 128x128 text file. Then you add powerups by inserting letters into the file with your favorite text editor, and running it through the second program to convert it to code (this part isn't working right yet.) A real GUI would be nice but beyond my programming know-how at the moment.

Have you talked to Kirk Israel about this? He has written some very nifty web-based (Javascript) editors. His Leprechaun level editor is really slick, as are his player/playfield editors.

 

Actually, if my brother has time, he might be able to whip up a Java applet that would work as well.

I prefer the feel of the second version. I'm not sure if you could do this before, but you can actually driver over the walls to take a shortcut? The game goes a bit weird if you just keep heading downward over the walls for a while.

 

Yep - you could shortcut in the previous version.

 

It seems though, if you cut across the track too soon, you won't get the finish line at the end of the lap. So there must be some check in place to prevent cheating.

The editor is two different programs, one that converts the BMP to a 128x128 text file. Then you add powerups by inserting letters into the file with your favorite text editor, and running it through the second program to convert it to code (this part isn't working right yet.) A real GUI would be nice but beyond my programming know-how at the moment.

Have you talked to Kirk Israel about this? He has written some very nifty web-based (Javascript) editors. His Leprechaun level editor is really slick, as are his player/playfield editors.

 

Actually, if my brother has time, he might be able to whip up a Java applet that would work as well.

I've mentioned it in a thread somewhere, but I don't feel the track editor is far along enough to seriously talk about a GUI front end just yet.

 

That said, I intend to develop a text-based approach first, then maybe a GUI could just spit out text and pipe it to my existing program?

 

Even such, right now a 32k version of the game will only hold 5 tracks. However, I heard somewhere that Al's boards could do 64k with a different PLD program? If so, I could fit 13 tracks.

It seems though, if you cut across the track too soon, you won't get the finish line at the end of the lap. So there must be some check in place to prevent cheating.

Indeed there is