Release PuzzlePix Halloween

[iprice]

Because that's how it works already! You can't reveal a picture piece that's not on that layer and you can only reveal one when it is a possible move. The problem isn't about displaying puzzle pieces - it's the fact that you can use no skill to find them - just scribble on the screen and hope

 

[Neelix]

You could go the other way then,  allow any piece to be marked as a puzzle piece.  Instead of actually showing the picture as it's being solved just show the colour of the colour layer, then resolve the finished mosaic into the final picture.


-Neelix

 

[iprice]

I'm not sure players would particularly care about filling in colour blocks, only to reveal an image at the end. Showing glimpses of the puzzle helps to spur people on and looks far better in screenshots than just squares of seemingly meaningless colour...

 

[edgex004]

I really like the time penalty idea. Would you consider having two modes? One casual and one timed?


Or maybe simply a point system? +100 points for drawing a correct color square, -100 for an incorrect color, +10 points for a correct X, and -100 for a wrong X.  Minimum of 75% of total points to have the level be passed and unlock the next.


Might need to tweak the values a bit, but it makes sense to me to have correct X's worth less points, as for any given square/color combo, you have a 1 in 6 chance (assuming colors are equally distributed through the puzzle) of drawing a square and having it be correct, while you have a 5 in 6 chance of drawing an X and having it be correct.


It may even be better to have correct X's worth +0 if you want to avoid turning the game into a tedious maximization of points. To maximize points for a given square with correct X's gaining points:


1. Draw an X for all 5 colors known to be incorrect.


2. Draw correct color.


3. Repeat.


....


???. Puzzle takes 6 times as long because you were Scrooging all them points.


+0 for correct X's only encourages using X's when they are necessary to move forward. Incorrect X's could still be negative to discourage scribbling X's to reveal the puzzle.

 

[iprice]

Some good ideas there


BTW Colours are not equally distibuted - they are roughly based on the majority of the colour under a particular cell. eg If the puzzle picture has more red in it then there will be more red squares in the puzzle.


Your stats are correct for this puzzle in regard to 1 in 6, but other puzzles have fewer layers/colours and larger or smaller grids, so the scoring balance may be affected by following your example. It would need to be consistant across all boards...


I will investigate further, however, I'm still not sure about scoring though due to playing Picross eX on the 3DS. I've clocked up numerous errors as a result of touchscreen inaccuracies. I don't even bother looking at the time/score after a match - my only goal is to complete the picture.

 

[Neelix]

How about making it possible to flip some tiles in the wrong layer, if they contain enough of that layer's colour, that they could conceivably belong to it,  thus making it impossible to satisfy clues in the other layers if you make a mistake?


Of course the simplest solution could just be to turn off the "painting" mechanic altogether.  Make each tile require an individual click, and it would be a lot less rewarding to click aimlessly.


Incidentally I noticed that it sometimes takes a while for the game to notice that a clue is solvable, and enable the relevant tiles.  I didn't understand what was happening the first time I played it, and thought it was just my touch-screen playing up,  but for example after you mark the X's that make the 2 clue in the top row solvable,  you can't immediately flip the remaining two tiles, but have to wait a few seconds before you'll be able to flip them.


-Neelix

 

[iprice]

after you mark the X's that make the 2 clue in the top row solvable,  you can't immediately flip the remaining two tiles, but have to wait a few seconds before you'll be able to flip them.

That's because there's a deliberate touchscreen delay after placing a cross, to prevent painting crosses. BTWI can sort that. It's not a couple of seconds worth of delay though


As for turning off painting - I tried that already, and eveything becomes less fun/immediate. My original solution of putting up a "USE THE CLUES" nagscreen will sove that problem.

 

[Neelix]

You don't have to introduce delays to disable painting though, that seems like a very odd way to handle that.


I didn't even know painting was possible the first time though the puzzle.  The idea that it would be just didn't occur to me, and I honestly don't see why it should be needed or why it would make things any less fun to not have it.  (unless you were using delays for that too which doesn't make a lot of sense to me)


-Neelix

 

[iprice]

The delay isn't that significant and does prevent multiple accidental presses when using the cross. "Painting" wasn't initially used and the delay is just a hanger-on from an earlier version. It doesn't stop painting, it just delays the first stroke after placing a cross. As I said I'll sort this.


Remember this was a quick WIP done for Halloween and the final version is likely to be different in several areas. The process of development often starts with decisions that are refined, adapted or dismissed down the line...