Dark Octave
Banned
The music is pretty nice too.Kafel said:
I wonder, how would you have made it less repetitive? What could they have done to make you drop that dollar?
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Xbox LIVE Indie Games - The April 2011 Thread
- Thread starter toythatkills
- Start date
I wonder, how would you have made it less repetitive? What could they have done to make you drop that dollar?
toythatkills
Member
I dunno how you missed it, it was game o' the month last month! Yeah, a lot of the enjoyment comes from how much you like time attacking stuff. If you're a fan of Trials HD or Super Meat Boy and the leaderboards within, you'll love it. If you don't care about getting better times I can see how you wouldn't get as much from it.Kafel said:
Didn't think much to Monsters Swimming. It looks alright in screenshots but it's kind of a mess when you play it. The tail controls are pretty awful too, I never really felt in control of it at all. And the scores are SO VERY LOW. Two points per kill? Give me 200 per kill and make my score look impressive.
Dark Octave
Banned
I see, thanks.Kafel said:
toythatkills
Member
It's not really that kinda game, though. That's like complaining that Forza gets boring quickly because there isn't spike pits on the second lap.Kafel said:
It's a puzzle game, it's about working out how to manipulate the environment to achieve the insane times you need to get to get a gold medal. It's almost impossible not to go "whoa" when you watch a gold medal run, at just how ridiculously clever and impressive the game is.
It's not about getting to the end of levels, it's not about traditional platforming. You're expecting it/wanting it to be something it's not.
Dark Octave
Banned
This is pretty inspirational to any indies out there who are currently struggling. Maybe old news, but new to me.
http://thestartupfoundry.com/2011/03/11/angry-birds-overnight-success-only-took-8-years/
http://thestartupfoundry.com/2011/03/11/angry-birds-overnight-success-only-took-8-years/
toythatkills said:
I guess that's a good way of thinking about that game, and maybe explains why I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. The difference for me, though, is that the controls weren't as spot-on as I would have liked for time-trialing. I went for high ranks in every level in Meat Boy. Ninja 360 was just too frustrating to do that with.
Shield the Beat is out (in a minute) :
http://catalog.create.msdn.com/en-U...d=a6e39179-d326-4da0-acc4-81c76b74162d&type=2
http://catalog.create.msdn.com/en-U...d=a6e39179-d326-4da0-acc4-81c76b74162d&type=2
toythatkills
Member
There's an interview with the dev on my my blog, if you're interested. Thought it was pretty cool that he had the balls to ask bands like Franz Ferdinand, and pulled it off!
Cerebral Assassin
Member
Reposting from the March thread(as Im still stuck)
SmallCaveGames
Neo Member
Does Wizard's Keep have an xbox forum? (last I knew, devs have to ask for one) If so, that's where I look for questions about my games sometimes. I haven't played through it or else I would try to help.
The angry birds story is interesting from the "catch a break" perspective. Because that's essentially what it was, they caught and rode a wave of luck where success went viral. Physics games like that have been around a long time. It just took a cute approach on the right platform.
Speaking of which, I wonder how FishCraft did in it's first month.
The angry birds story is interesting from the "catch a break" perspective. Because that's essentially what it was, they caught and rode a wave of luck where success went viral. Physics games like that have been around a long time. It just took a cute approach on the right platform.
Speaking of which, I wonder how FishCraft did in it's first month.
Cerebral Assassin
Member
SmallCaveGames said:
Nah, Miner Dig Deep did but Wizards Keep doesn't unfortunately, guess I'll keep walking around the level hoping I've missed something obvious.
New video out for Sequence! Now everyone can actually understand the gameplay. = D
Sequence: How To Play
Sequence: How To Play
the_dannobot
Member
I assume you are talking about the Crash the Castle game. I've heard this assertion made before, since the gameplay is the same, but I think it's an invalid comparison. Angry Birds is more polished and crunchier, plus the game feel of playing this type of game on the touchscreen is better than in a browser.Cerebral Assassin said:
I think XBLIG devs could take a lesson from Angry Birds: marketing makes the game. Yes, the game is cute and a lot of fun, but that's not enough for a game. You need to have some sort of marketing campaign, and you can't depend on someone else (Microsoft or Apple) to do it for you.
Cerebral Assassin
Member
the_dannobot said:
OK 6 years to polish a flash game, that sounds much better.
Wow that looks hard.
SmallCaveGames
Neo Member
I am music-game-stupid too and I was okay once I got the hang of it (I tested it).
I thought it looked impossible too but:
Mana Screen: cannot hurt you - only there for recharging mana.
Magic Screen: only active when you're casting, also cannot hurt you directly (but can be a big miss if you can't land these as they are your only form of offense)
Defense Screen: This is really the only screen that can hurt you. And on "normal" in the early levels it's very easy to manage (or just ignore really since you have enough life to just absorb it)
That's not to say that it's easy to pick up and play, especially compared to most games on the platform. You need to invest in this game, at which point it'll pay off with more hours of enjoyment. My only concern for the dev is how this platform is basically designed to reward the opposite - but he knows that.
I thought it looked impossible too but:
Mana Screen: cannot hurt you - only there for recharging mana.
Magic Screen: only active when you're casting, also cannot hurt you directly (but can be a big miss if you can't land these as they are your only form of offense)
Defense Screen: This is really the only screen that can hurt you. And on "normal" in the early levels it's very easy to manage (or just ignore really since you have enough life to just absorb it)
That's not to say that it's easy to pick up and play, especially compared to most games on the platform. You need to invest in this game, at which point it'll pay off with more hours of enjoyment. My only concern for the dev is how this platform is basically designed to reward the opposite - but he knows that.
That's some serious high praise. = Dmujun said:
I actually informally met with an XBLA team member in September. It's VERY hard to get them to accept first-time devs...and to be honest, I probably shouldn't have shown off the game in that state. It was too early. = (
No worries. I'm pulling for Steam, even though I haven't quite figured out a great KB/M scheme yet.
I'll see what I can do. The trailer was made for humor, which I can definitely see compounding confusion for a non-native speaker. (By the way, I had no idea you weren't native. Rad English skillz.)Kafel said:
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Feep said:
Maybe just keep it simple, but also allow for customization. And don't forget to support the 360 controller, guitar and drums as well.
But for KB/M as defaults I would go with WASD, arrows, and 8426 on the 10-key and use the mouse to change columns. You could also give the option for an all mouse interface, LB,RB and scrolling up or down, though I dunno how well that would work. Or even a combo scheme might work well. Using the left and right mouse buttons for the up and down arrows and using A and D for the left and right, switch columns with Q and E or scroll up and down on the mouse. That would allow for some pretty fast gameplay while keeping it intense.
In any case, just give the PC dudes a lot of options and full customization and they'll more than likely be happy.
Dr Zhivago
Member
Not keen on Shield The Beat. I don't like the way your ship is at the bottom of a perspective well, like a sort of inverse Gyruss. Pity, as it's really well put together.
toythatkills
Member
I like it. Mainly for the music, but I didn't have any issue with the perspective, because everything's on-beat, so you know when it's gonna hit.Dr Zhivago said:
Shifters is an awesome looking drag racing game, with customisable cars. You control the acceleration and clutch, and when to change gears and use your boost. You bet on races, and can use your winnings to buy new parts and go faster. I never quite got the hang of it, but did go faster and faster each time so was getting there. It's interesting, certainly, but I'm not sure you'll play it for very long.
Cell is a kind of puzzle game. You're a cell, and you press A to move around, which makes you slightly smaller. You then absorb smaller cells than yourself to get bigger again, and keep going until you've consumed everything or met the level's target. Three different modes to keep it interesting. Some people might say it's a rip-off of Osmos. They might be right.
Cow Catch could almost be alright, if the controls weren't so ridiculously twitchy so as to make it barely possible to play. You just catch cows in a basket at the bottom of the screen, the more you catch without dying, the quicker they fall, the more you curse the terrible responsiveness.
Origin X is some kind of space colony shooting asteroid simulation game. I'd tell you how to play it but I don't have the faintest idea because it has one of the worst tutorials ever. Dev, your game is complex and weird and baffling and there's too much going on, telling me what's on screen is useless, I can see that, tell me how I'm supposed to play the damn thing.
BUNKER BUSTER trailer, the new game from the Platformance: Castle Pain devs :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgDdEAwdLXI&feature=player_embedded
That's a totally different thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgDdEAwdLXI&feature=player_embedded
That's a totally different thing.
Feep said:
that looks more like an xbla game than an indie game
may pick this up despite being insanely stingy on buying indie games no matter how much praise they get lol
btw what controller do u recommend for the game?
wondering since my friend currently has my guitar hero controller
Dark Octave
Banned
Hmmm...Someone needs to.Ronabo said:
Nice video Feep. Nice game as well.
= D Thanks. Though, of course, you should check out the trial first, before spending your hard earned three dollars.Nelo Ice said:
As far as controller, honestly, all three are fun. I'm used to the controller since that's all that was available for the majority of testing, but several playtesters preferred the guitar, and I'm sure there are some DDR nuts out there, too.
I'm playing a bit of Hexothermic to relax now. It's a game released at the very beginning of the service that got overlooked I think.
You should try it for the calm atmosphere if you haven't done it yet (and also to wave at me in the credits).
You should try it for the calm atmosphere if you haven't done it yet (and also to wave at me in the credits).
Kafel said:
No I recommended this back when it first came out on here, the facebook indie page and on the GRcade Indie page I do. It's changed price a few times hasn't it. Isn't it back at 240pts now? Did you playtest it, I haven't looked yet at what you in the credits for.
Can I be cheeky and ask if people could look at the front page on the link below and suggest games that are missing that should be recommended?
http://www.grcade.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11888&p=760583#p760583
I am sure you'll find some gems in the lists.
http://www.grcade.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11888&p=760583#p760583
I am sure you'll find some gems in the lists.
At first sight.
Action & Adventure :
Platformer :
Puzzle & Trivia :
Sport :
Strategy & Simulation :
Once your list is updated, why not make a "best of XBLIG" thread on GAf if you don't mind ? For those doing some catch-up, just like in the iPod thread where every other page someone asks what are the best games that should be tried.
Action & Adventure :
Platformer :
Puzzle & Trivia :
Sport :
Strategy & Simulation :
Once your list is updated, why not make a "best of XBLIG" thread on GAf if you don't mind ? For those doing some catch-up, just like in the iPod thread where every other page someone asks what are the best games that should be tried.
toythatkills
Member
Whoa, someone just posted this on Eurogamer:toythatkills said:
This changes EVERYTHING
Thank you Kafel.
I had Pluckys and Junkyard on there before but had a major change around on the front page and knocked them off for some reason. It was previously based on points.
I need to update it to have direct links for each game to the marketplace too. It takes ages to update each part. I really appreciate you looking though.
The other games you have mentioned I haven't played yet.
@Toythatkills - Think I shall give Shifters a go sounds interesting.
I had Pluckys and Junkyard on there before but had a major change around on the front page and knocked them off for some reason. It was previously based on points.
I need to update it to have direct links for each game to the marketplace too. It takes ages to update each part. I really appreciate you looking though.
The other games you have mentioned I haven't played yet.
@Toythatkills - Think I shall give Shifters a go sounds interesting.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
toythatkills said:
Holy shit that is amazing.
I am very disappointed in Shield the Beat. It could have been a great game.
If you've watched the trailer you can easily see what it does well so I'll write about what it does wrong : you don't feel a thing playing this game. (Noooooooo, that's the point of the whole genre!)
Why am I not rewarded for protecting the ship in rythm ? In fact I WANT TO LOSE at this game because when the missiles and beams touch you that's actually when the controller rumbles! :facepalm.gif:
Another issue arises with how much the player is involved by the control scheme. While the sole use of the sticks may seem original for a music game, that's not enough to get sucked up in the game. Quarters of circles performed by your tumbs are just not exciting.
If you've watched the trailer you can easily see what it does well so I'll write about what it does wrong : you don't feel a thing playing this game. (Noooooooo, that's the point of the whole genre!)
Why am I not rewarded for protecting the ship in rythm ? In fact I WANT TO LOSE at this game because when the missiles and beams touch you that's actually when the controller rumbles! :facepalm.gif:
Another issue arises with how much the player is involved by the control scheme. While the sole use of the sticks may seem original for a music game, that's not enough to get sucked up in the game. Quarters of circles performed by your tumbs are just not exciting.
SmallCaveGames
Neo Member
qupe1975 said:
Was sad not to see Opac's Journey on the platformer list.
We're rated higher than some of those others, but I'll admit the competition is heavy. Thanks remembering Light's End in the RPG's - that game is still one of my favorites.
Alpha Squad? (it's patched and solid now - actually sitting on the top rated list)
toythatkills
Member
Looks like it's not true. There's a bug that puts "AI" at the end of a player's name when you're actually racing them in real time over Xbox LIVE. So that person thought they were playing offline when they weren't.PepsimanVsJoe said:
Shame, it would have been amazing. Totally illegal, but hilarious.
SmallCaveGames said:Was sad not to see Opac's Journey on the platformer list.
Thanks remembering Light's End in the RPG's - that game is still one of my favorites.
Alpha Squad? (it's patched and solid now - actually sitting on the top rated list)
@SmallCaveGames
Sorry I haven't played your game and no one in the topic has mentioned it. I'll give it a go.
As for Alpha Squad and I only played it pre patch and didn't like it at all, but if you and others think it's worth recommending I will put it on the list.
The ratings system on Marketplace has left me feeling a little bit sceptical lately I have seen some fairly average/poor games rise up the lists. And this was before the recent issues that have been raised.
@ToythatKills
I played Shifters, it's a game I can see people getting bored of quickly, but if you persevere and can use the risk versus reward system to upgrade your vehicle then it will offer some longer plays as you attempt to get a faster time but it is pretty limited in what it does at the end of the day. Hope the "online" players don't dry up, as Indie games do tend to do this quickly.
It's also fairly glitchy. I had over 3 races where the other vehicle DNF and yet I lost the race.
SmallCaveGames
Neo Member
I tried Shifters as well and while the menus and graphics are flashy, I was having a pretty hard time navigating and racing. I am not sure a drag race game can hold my interest in general though - not my thing. Does looks really nice though and the custimization options seem fun.
@quepe1975 no problem man, it's from last July and did pretty well, but it's a crowded space - it did win a silver award on these forums though (thanks to ttk)
@quepe1975 no problem man, it's from last July and did pretty well, but it's a crowded space - it did win a silver award on these forums though (thanks to ttk)
HadesGigas
Member
Fortress Craft passed peer review and should be up Thursday/Friday.
HadesGigas
Member
Ranger X said:
Can submit it once a week. From what I've read the developer has been working pretty hard on bug fixing since the first submission.
This is a list of bugs they fixed and ones that still remain:
http://forum.fortresscraft.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=132
toythatkills
Member
That seems a bit suspicious to me.HadesGigas said:
There was a blatant fail, and then suddenly it passes peer review in about an hour or so? Not sure about that at all.