Release Forget Me Not - new shooter/maze game from Nyarla Labs

[Link]

Ok, but how often do you succeed at a challenge level? If we're making them more frequent then scores are going to go higher as a result if you're skilled enough to pass them. If that's the case then I need to balance them better. Suggestions for making them even harder would be gratefully received.

I would say 60% of the time I pass the bonus level. But I rarely make it to the second one, having one at level 10 would break up the monoanarchy occuring. I don't know if they need to be made harder, as the design of the board is extremely challenging and if you can't pick up the key quick, suicide becomes reality quickly. Also the bombs of various sorts are harder here because of the opposite side explosion can cause certain death.


Making a challenge level on say 20 a blue/pink ninja room would be a challenge as I've found that setup to be one of the most mind racking. Add a horizontal or vertical slicer or two to the mix as they seem to make challenge levels difficult.


The advantage of the bonus levels is getting a health boost regardless of the outcome, it also gives time to really get some points on the level leading into the Bonus because you can run health down to a heart or two before proceeding through the door.


Do eating multiple power ups for the gun make it stronger?


Thanks for all the work both of you!

 

[ZXDunny]

Ok, but how often do you succeed at a challenge level? If we're making them more frequent then scores are going to go higher as a result if you're skilled enough to pass them. If that's the case then I need to balance them better. Suggestions for making them even harder would be gratefully received.

I would say 60% of the time I pass the bonus level. But I rarely make it to the second one, having one at level 10 would break up the monoanarchy occuring. I don't know if they need to be made harder, as the design of the board is extremely challenging and if you can't pick up the key quick, suicide becomes reality quickly. Also the bombs of various sorts are harder here because of the opposite side explosion can cause certain death.


Making a challenge level on say 20 a blue/pink ninja room would be a challenge as I've found that setup to be one of the most mind racking. Add a horizontal or vertical slicer or two to the mix as they seem to make challenge levels difficult.

Ok, I think I may leave them as-is, and increase the frequency to every 5 levels. You're obviously quite skilled and still have trouble with challenge levels occasionally! Nyarla did mention that he may think about "themed" levels with grids laid out in patterns and themed enemy styles, but I'm not sure that's going in officially. Might be nice to add in the future though

The advantage of the bonus levels is getting a health boost regardless of the outcome, it also gives time to really get some points on the level leading into the Bonus because you can run health down to a heart or two before proceeding through the door.


Do eating multiple power ups for the gun make it stronger?

No - the first makes it stronger, the next two will increase the fire rate.


D.

 

[Link]

No - the first makes it stronger, the next two will increase the fire rate.


D.

Have you considered changing colors to represent this? Perhaps the player or the color of the bullets.

 

[nyarla]

After the first power potion your bullets become thicker looking.. and yeah, getting further power potions increases your firing rate (though it's not just the next 2 potions, it's the next 5 until max firepower is reached IIRC).. I had played with changing the bullet colour and such originally but it became too hard to read. I feel that when you have levelled up firepower, you know it. Though as usual, Dunny, feel free to experiment if you wanna!


Something I was thinking of doing with the challenge levels, if I end up using them in the iOS version, is to make them like a bonus level, so rather than appearing at a set interval, they appear when a condition is met. Don't know what condition yet... but something like.... every <n> points you get, a bonus level appears. Or like, have some bubbles with the letters "BONUS" occasionally appear in the maze (like the "EXTEND" things in Bubble Bobble), and when you've collected them all to spell out the word, the key changes colour, which means when you go through the door you'll be taken to a bonus level.

 

[Emnasut]

The Bubble Bobble Bonus Extend collecting thing sounds like fun! Maybe make it something like "Forget Me Not" with multiple letters lighting up at the same time (i.e. the o, t and e) so they only have to be collected once, making it 8 characters to collect instead of 11? Just an idea. ^^

 

[Link]

After the first power potion your bullets become thicker looking.. and yeah, getting further power potions increases your firing rate (though it's not just the next 2 potions, it's the next 5 until max firepower is reached IIRC).. I had played with changing the bullet colour and such originally but it became too hard to read. I feel that when you have levelled up firepower, you know it. Though as usual, Dunny, feel free to experiment if you wanna!

Thank you for the clairfication here. You are right, you know it as far as having more firepower, but mentally knowing that this is what happens is good enough.

 

[nyarla]

nyarla, maemo isn't the same as meego(harmattan), but should be compatible too(maemo have much common with pandora from my point of view)


we can't start pandora version due "unable to create egl surface, unable to initialize egl"

I'll hang fire until I've dicussed this with Nyarla. For what it's worth, I intend, again after discussion with Nyarla, to release the source - but only after a thorough code review by him, and after his contractual obligations have been met before I do.

I'm waiting to hear back from my porting guy.. even though it's not quite the same platform, best to make sure everything's cool, because the ports he is doing will be paid ports of the iOS version, not freeware I'll let you know...

Ok, I heard back and it's fine, they aren't targeting this platform.

 

[milkshake]

who arnt :ninja:

 

[ZXDunny]

nyarla, maemo isn't the same as meego(harmattan), but should be compatible too(maemo have much common with pandora from my point of view)


we can't start pandora version due "unable to create egl surface, unable to initialize egl"

I'll hang fire until I've dicussed this with Nyarla. For what it's worth, I intend, again after discussion with Nyarla, to release the source - but only after a thorough code review by him, and after his contractual obligations have been met before I do.

I'm waiting to hear back from my porting guy.. even though it's not quite the same platform, best to make sure everything's cool, because the ports he is doing will be paid ports of the iOS version, not freeware I'll let you know...

Ok, I heard back and it's fine, they aren't targeting this platform.

Excellent - let me know when your contracted ports are out, and I'll release the source to FMN/Pandora.


D.

 

[larry]

I'm probably a simpleton, but I don't quite get how to "grind" in the Pandora version.

 

[milkshake]

you just press direction of the dpad against any wall and is he travels forward he gets hot and starts to flash.

 

[Magic Sam]

Hi,


Bug report: sometimes you can't submit your hiscore. You can input your name but pressing [ENTER] does nothing


Bye and thanks, Magic Sam

 

[ZXDunny]

Bug report: sometimes you can't submit your hiscore. You can input your name but pressing [ENTER] does nothing

Yeah, I've seen that one and I have no idea why it happens


I've finally managed to get auto-frameskip into FMN now, and it runs at a proper 60fps rather than the "anywhere from 40 to 55" that we were actually getting! It's also quite smooth (unless you're playing in non-chunky mode, in which case it can get quite jittery). I'm not releasing a new PND yet however, as there's one or two bugs left - some flickering text on level changes and sam's bug above need to be fixed, and Nyarla's new Arena mode and bugfixes need to go in.


D.

 

[Magic Sam]

Hi,


About the hiscore submitting issue, I think I've found a work-around


When you are done with your name, just push RIGHT on the d-pad, "OK" should appear next to your nick. Push RIGHT again, and your hiscore is submitted


You don't need the ENTER key at all !


Bye, Magic Sam

 

[Link]

@Sam,


How many characters were you trying to enter for a Hi-Score?

 

[Magic Sam]

Hi,


@ Link: 3 characters plus 2 empty spaces. Sometimes pressing ENTER to submit your hiscore works, sometimes it doesn't...


The d-pad method is more reliable, IMHO


Bye, Magic Sam

 

[milkshake]

u can also add fruits to your highscore name which is cool

 

[Link]

I usually put in the monster that kills me. The characters are so cool in this game, the Pink ninja is my favorite.

 

[larry]

ZXDunny: Y U NO RELEASE NEW PND

 

[Link]

^


Larry,


How's the grinding going? I use a forward diagonal to increase speed and friction and release when things get too hot and fast.


I'm thinking Dunny might still be waiting on the aforementioned "Nyarla's new Arena mode and bugfixes need to go in."


I'm anxious too for the next release.