Dr Sparkz - 5th place at Abbuc Software Contest 2020

[Estece]

Hi gamers!

The creators of software that helped me to make this game are:

Radek "Raster" Sterba for Raster Music Tracker,

Tomasz "Tebe" Biela for Mad assembler and Graph2Font,

Avery "Phaeron" Lee for Altirra an Atari emulator (game was not tested on real hardware but it works! that how good this emulator is! ),

Mark Schmelzenbach and Jakub Husak for EnvisionPC-Reborn 0.8.51 an atari font editor,

Magnus Lind  for Exomizer 3.0.2.

Thank You software developers!

Also thanks to:

Zdeněk "PG" Eisenhammer for title and game songs,
Petr "FLY" Svoboda for all graphics.

For all that like games of this type You can download it here:

Dr Sparkz

https://atari.panprase.cz/?action=detail&co=6621

https://atari.panprase.cz/download.php?soubor=6621

 

 

[+Mr Robot]

Thank you for making this game, I really enjoyed playing it. I think everyone agrees the controls could use a little work to make them a little less twitchy but other than that I thought it was a great game idea and an interesting mechanic. The graphics and sound were also both perfect for the game style. 

 

Please consider reworking the controls, you would have one of the better homebrew games on your hands if you did that, it might even be worth doing a limited cartridge run.

[+TrekMD]

Thank you!

[Estece]

There was no one to test the game and game play.

One drop in the sea don't make the difference, but when it's rain or storm then maybe....

I don't understand "twitchy" or "reworking the controls".

Could You be more specific and detailed?

The delay is 200 ms or 4 frames, You want to make it more like 5 or custom from 4-9 for example?

 

[+Mr Robot]

9 minutes ago, Estece said:

Could You be more specific and detailed?

It's almost impossible to get the blocks to rotate a single step, no matter how fast you hit the fire button it will almost always rotate two or three steps, this makes it really frustrating to get the block orientated correctly in the time available. 

 

If the block rotates a single step on button release instead of button press it would fix the issue, or you could rotate on button press but only once and not accept another button press event until a button release event has happened.

 

EDIT: There has been much discussion on the abbuc forum about this and also some in the abbuc competition thread here, I think everyone agrees this game would have scored much higher if there wasn't an issue with the controls.

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Mr Robot
Added context

[+Mr Robot]

Here's a little discussion

 

 

slx on the abbuc forums also said this

 

Quote

Dr. Sparkz: although I think the idea is a good one and am also a Zenji fan, I had quite a problem with the controls and often didn't manage to turn a stone into a certain position or just move it one space to the left or right. With a little readjustment in the controls, I would have judged it even better.

 

[Mclaneinc]

Just had a play and I also found the rotation almost impossible to get spot on..There's actually quite a bit of rain here

[Estece]

I don't have access to real hardware.

I'm programmer first then designer second.

I got a score above 2700 points in this game.

If any fans of this game want a personal fitted controls then

if You have a excellent communication skill contact me to be a game tester.

For now You have to press controls very lightly.

 

[DjayBee]

40 minutes ago, Estece said:

I don't have access to real hardware.

 

This is no problem of real hardware.

First I tried your game in Altirra and stumbled over this far too quick rotation of the pieces.

I suspected that it was a problem of Altirra and only then played on real hardware. Just to find out that it behaves the same.

 

The behaviour is much like a keyboard wich has no debounce and therefore repeats a key several times when it actually has been pressed only once.

Edited November 30, 2020 by DjayBee

[Yautja]

It is clear that, first, the gentleman feels attacked, criticized by the opinions regarding his (interesting) game.

And second, he has no interest in adjusting the game's controls despite popular request.

So, move on, fellow atarians.

 

[+Mr Robot]

13 minutes ago, Yautja said:

It is clear that, first, the gentleman feels attacked, criticized by the opinions regarding his (interesting) game.

 

I tried very hard not to sound attacking, I very much enjoyed his game and just wished that it was more playable, but's his game, if he wants it to play like that, that's his choice.

 

[AHA]

see what you mean about being light on the control, but found it very playable (and fun!) on a real atari setup.

 

cheers, good game!.

[Estece]

Yautja please tell everyone how i feel right now.

This is why i need tester with excellent communication skill , not a one that are bad with mind reading :)

There is above 60 downloads but not a single comment on site.

Mr Robot or slx or Mclaneinc or DjayBee are You a potential testers?

Maybe you are only a fans? Thank You that is a popular demand sponsored by number "4".

Constructive feedback is very informative to get things done, other "things" are obstacles that i have to fight alone...

 

[+Mr Robot]

I'm happy to test the game for you

[Yautja]

41 minutes ago, Estece said:

Yautja please tell everyone how i feel right now.

This is why i need tester with excellent communication skill , not a one that are bad with mind reading

There is above 60 downloads but not a single comment on site.

Mr Robot or slx or Mclaneinc or DjayBee are You a potential testers?

Maybe you are only a fans? Thank You that is a popular demand sponsored by number "4".

Constructive feedback is very informative to get things done, other "things" are obstacles that i have to fight alone...

 

Your answer just confirms that expecting a (simple) improvement to the game is a waste of time.

 

 

[DjayBee]

I am also happy to test the game for you.

[Mclaneinc]

I'll also test the game for you, it would be a pleasure..

 

I apologise if it came across as attacking, I didn't think I was, I thought I was bringing some humour in to it.

[+Philsan]

Hi Michal.

 

I received your game on ABBUC magazin, I played it on real hardware and I liked it.

Eventually I played it on emulator too.

 

Like other people, I found that fire button should be tuned.

 

It would be nice if you'll work on it, thanks!