Help Add Features To My Next Game

[Alex.]

With most exams out of the way, as well as the community contest being over, yesterday I started work on a new project (C/SDL). The base concept is similar to the classic snake game, with a couple of twists.

The snake can move in 360 degrees, no more of the up/right/down/left nonsense The level "map" can be of any size, with the camera following the snake as it moves about. There can be an unlimited number of objects to collect on-screen, as well as any number of walls to make things harder. One of the game modes I have in mind involves a linear play, advancing through progressively challenging levels, trying to collect everything (more objects may appear as you wolf down some). There will be two types of worms, a normal one (seen here), and a fatter one, which will move at slower speeds, thus being easier to control, but at the same time harder to avoid obstacles with. Oh, and the snake doesn't die if hitting its own tail, that's one frustrating part of the genre I'm leaving out

I'd like to hear game-mode requests, general feedback, anything that could influence me in a way or another. I hope to complete a demo of this by the 24th, and release it then. Until then, I'll listen to what you have to say here and update on my progress, along with due screenshots. Speaking of which, here's two:

It looks a lot more fun on the 2X, with the glowing animated bullets and smooth snake moving about Also, the large density of bullets is just an engine stress test, actual levels will have a proper design (also level design is not tile-mapped, so there is total freedom in placing things on the level map)

Controls are simple, A steers the snake to the left, and B to the right.

- Alex

 

[saehn]

Wow, I like the style of it. Minimalist, yet very attractive. Let me know if you'd like any graphics assistance, I'm interested in contributing to such a good-looking project.

 

[mrben]

I'd like to hear game-mode requests, general feedback, anything that could influence me in a way or another.

It looks really good - nice idea to make it 360.

Couple of suggestions for game modes:

1. Given that you're only using 2 of the keys, it opens up the potential for it to be a 2 player game.

2. Perhaps a time-trial level - eat all the dots in the quickest time.

 

[saehn]

1. Given that you're only using 2 of the keys, it opens up the potential for it to be a 2 player game.

Along these lines, I suggest a user-configurable interface (at least making all the buttons available as input).

 

[Alex.]

Wow, I like the style of it. Minimalist, yet very attractive. Let me know if you'd like any graphics assistance, I'm interested in contributing to such a good-looking project.

Thanks for the compliment! So far I'm managing the graphics part of it (hey, art school should be useful for something ), but if I'll need some done later on, I'll let you know for sure thanks for the offer.

1. Given that you're only using 2 of the keys, it opens up the potential for it to be a 2 player game.
2. Perhaps a time-trial level - eat all the dots in the quickest time.

The other player could use the left/right joypad. I'll definitely do the time-trial mode too. Thanks for the ideas!

I suggest a user-configurable interface (at least making all the buttons available as input).

Why not, I think the joypad and the L & R triggers would work just as fine

- Alex

 

[Guyfawkes]

Looks like an interesting twist on the snakes game. I will give some feedback after the demo is released as my mind works better when I have something to try and see what can be done with it.

 

[sam fisher]

Wow, that looks great. Could I suggest you put in an option about dying when colliding with your tail? As I liked that part of the game, I just like frustrating games lol.

 

[Alex.]

Well Sam, I'll make an extra-frustrating version just for you

Here's another screenshot, showing walls and the fat snake

- Alex

Edit: bleh the fat snake looks awful, no more fat snake from now on

 

[bhess]

Whoa, that looks awesome! It would be cool to have music support like Guyfawkes' Squares game.

 

[purple_goat]

looks great!!
suggestions:

1. different controller styles
left right
A B
L R
joystick left right
2. 2 or 3 different speeds (no more than 3!!) each speed should have its own scoring (maybe just for a high score mode, i REALLY like the idea of linear play)
3.customizeable snakes!!
for example: tiger skin, clown hat,pink, one-eyed-trouser-snake etc.

looks great

 

[tuomoz]

It looks just great! What about an on gp2x level-editor? And different extras like speedups, teleports, controller twisters and so on! This is gonna be a great game!

 

[sehs33]

That s a nice game, may I suggest something like poisoning mushroms that appear when you eat other items and kills the snake if it ate them? I got that idea from an MSX game called "Snake it", which I consider to be the mother of all snakes games (at least it is the oldest game involves a snake I can remember, and for me it is one of the best ).

 

[mrben]

Had another idea - how about some sort of mode whereby you have to control 2 (small) snakes simultaneously?

 

[Alex.]

It would be cool to have music support like Guyfawkes' Squares game.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into it. I already have some great tracks here courtesy of a very talented musician, but I may work on a track browser when the game reaches a more mature stage.

1. different controller styles
left right
A B
L R
joystick left right
2. 2 or 3 different speeds (no more than 3!!) each speed should have its own scoring (maybe just for a high score mode, i REALLY like the idea of linear play)
3.customizeable snakes!!
for example: tiger skin, clown hat,pink, one-eyed-trouser-snake etc.

1. Definitely, will do!
2. I was thinking of either having a separate scoreboard for each speed, or each speed earning a different amount of points, and stick them all together (I'm inclined for the latter, keeps things more unified)
3. YES! That's a very fun idea, and I'll do it for sure! :lol:

It looks just great! What about an on gp2x level-editor? And different extras like speedups, teleports, controller twisters and so on! This is gonna be a great game!

Level editor, perhaps at a later time. The way levels are implemented right now is kind of hard-coded. I'll probably switch to reading from a file after the first release, so that would allow for user-editable levels. Until then I'll combat this by including a lot of built-in levels. Thanks for the ideas on special features

That s a nice game, may I suggest something like poisoning mushroms that appear when you eat other items and kills the snake if it ate them? I got that idea from an MSX game called "Snake it", which I consider to be the mother of all snakes games (at least it is the oldest game involves a snake I can remember, and for me it is one of the best ).

Special objects are a definite feature. On a side note, when I googled "msx snake it", the first result was a blank Gamespot page... that's so shitty the way they steal page ranks, and I've seen them do the same for plenty of other older games. <_<

Had another idea - how about some sort of mode whereby you have to control 2 (small) snakes simultaneously?

That would be crazy, I'll definitely have a mode that does just that, great idea!



Thanks for your awesome feedback and kind words everyone! Here's a new screenshot. The next design-wise overhaul will be the stats bar.

- Alex

 

[fargo]

This is really cool

I hope you can do something similar to Nokia Snake game. That would be AWESOME!!

 

[thejoeandchip]

this game looks very nice! i was thinking and got a few ideas.
1. one of the "special objects" could be a sort of "gravity mode" where the tail of the snake is constantly pulled to one of the sides and the player has to move against it (or with it). it could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the level.

2. computer controlled bad guy snakes? the player would try to bite its tail before it bites yours, or they could compete for number of items collected.

3. a "flashlight" mode. the level could be completely dark except for what is directly ahead of the snake.

i don't mean to sound demanding and i don't expect to see very elaborate features in the first release, this is just thought for things in the future. i would love to see new ideas in this old game.

 

[purple_goat]

It would be cool to have music support like Guyfawkes' Squares game.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into it. I already have some great tracks here courtesy of a very talented musician, but I may work on a track browser when the game reaches a more mature stage.

1. different controller styles
left right
A B
L R
joystick left right
2. 2 or 3 different speeds (no more than 3!!) each speed should have its own scoring (maybe just for a high score mode, i REALLY like the idea of linear play)
3.customizeable snakes!!
for example: tiger skin, clown hat,pink, one-eyed-trouser-snake etc.

1. Definitely, will do!
2. I was thinking of either having a separate scoreboard for each speed, or each speed earning a different amount of points, and stick them all together (I'm inclined for the latter, keeps things more unified)
3. YES! That's a very fun idea, and I'll do it for sure! :lol:

thanks and i totally agree:
what i meant was put all the different speed's high scores together but have them score differently

 

[Guyfawkes]

depending on how popular my Squares game is I will continue working on the media player so its fully useable and I will release the code for devs to use in their own games. at the moment its very basic and does have some errors but when its finished it should be very useful for devs and users.

 

[sam fisher]

depending on how popular my Squares game is I will continue working on the media player so its fully useable and I will release the code for devs to use in their own games. at the moment its very basic and does have some errors but when its finished it should be very useful for devs and users.

Nice.

 

[prairiefire]

depending on how popular my Squares game is I will continue working on the media player so its fully useable and I will release the code for devs to use in their own games. at the moment its very basic and does have some errors but when its finished it should be very useful for devs and users.

I would definitely like to see your media player incorporated into other homebrew games!