When I first started making City, it was an adventure game. As an adventure game, one expects to get stuck at certain points on puzzles, but the way City is going I really want to make such things optional for players who *like* solving puzzles, rather than a necessity to play the game.
One part of the demo has really been bothering me lately. Everyone who seems to play it gets a bit stuck on this part, and if I was making an adventure game that's fine. I'd usually just adjust what the characters say to give the players a better hint at what to do. In fact, I nearly did that here, too.
But then I remembered, I'm not making a normal adventure game anymore. I want City to be different, to give you choices. So today I am putting in a second path, involving two elements, to beat the demo's obstacle. Where once there were two steps you had to take, you can now choose between two different options for the first step, and two different options for the second step. I plan to adjust them slightly so the less obvious one is slightly more rewarding, but in effect both allow you to finish the demo.
The point of doing all this when I could have solved it just as easily by making one of the characters give you a hint? I want to try and adjust the demo slightly to better fit with the concept I have for the rest of the game. I've been worried that the demo is now too linear, and this removes some of that worry from my mind.
Anyway, time to go for an early morning walk and then go and build my ideas into the game. Release something has now been going for over a week and the thread is full of amazing stuff, so if you haven't checked it out, do so, and maybe even release something of your own. There's also now a release something themed Sprite Jam that even has an awesome City themed entry! What with this and the swarm development activity it's a super exciting time over at the AGS forums, and there's something for pretty much everyone to join in on!
Video: IGF 2012 Preview
1 hour ago
7 comments:
Ideally, every solution to a puzzle that makes sense must be a valid solution to a puzzle. Unless there're interesting reasons why only one or two particular approaches would work. Then figuring out these reasons would make for additional fun, gameplay and interest fuel.
Agreed - in fact *ideally* every attempted action by the player should show the player character trying to carry out that action, and then consequence. Ideally, I should simply be able to stab a guard with a screwdriver and then get into the place he was guarding, dealing with the consequences of this action later.
Sadly, as we are limited by time, motivation, resources, ability and the like, no game will ever be 100% ideal. But yes, the more solutions to a puzzle, the better (in a sense; I appreciate that certain gamers *enjoy* solving hard obstacles in games).
I think I'll be deeply impressed...
Even if you're not, and the demo fails to achieve the goals I set out to hit when building it, it has been very valuable experience in game design experimentation!
I was surprised at how quickly I managed to incorporate the second path today, and it gives me some hope that this philosophy could just work for a full game. I should have the demo ready for testing tomorrow, so those of you who have offered, do keep an eye on your inboxes!
wtf dude that freaked me the hell out becaue my name is ben and i see the number 304 everyday in everything i see and do. your creating a game and im searching for a meaning behind this to see if good or evil is sending me a message
Hello :)
Synchronicity, my dear sir. Of this I am sure.
Impressed and now scared. Potentially scarred too.
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