Briefly describe the game, including its objectives
For this peer evaluation, I selected Nadith's platformer game. For this game, he opted for much the same format as I did, creating a platform game, the objective of which was to procure all of the crystals available in the game. The game entails a myraid of enemies and powerups which are placed at strategic locations for a comfortable balance of challenge and opportunity.
List two strengths of the game
Perhaps the greatest asset to this game would have been the abundance of 'penalties'. For instance, the majority of the earlier portion is set upon precipitous heights, where falling results in either great incovenience or death. The addition of escape routes from the beds of spikes/fire bring both difficulty and enjoyment to the table, allowing victory only to those willing to dedicate the time and energy to achieving this goal. Yet another attraction of this game would be the carefully honed aesthetic features, as the addition of unnecessary but attractive elements (such as additional logs, backgrounds, etcetera) show a desire to create an enjoyable game, rather than achieve the bare minimum.
List one weakness of the game
The only real issue which I encountered (other than the fact that the game is incomplete and that certain glitches prevent access to all regions of the map), was that the game was a bit linear at times. The game, although using teleporters and other features to give dimension to it, was largely a stereotypical flash game in the sense that the entire game is merely a progression from left to right. I believe that if the game incorporated more underground and sky regions, it would be even more engaging that it currently is.
Answer the three questions provided by the game's designer
1. I found this game thoroughly enjoyable, as it kept me personally engaged from the beginning to the end. 'Fun' is an understatement.
2. Part of the reason why I found this game to be as interesting as I did was due to the difficulty of the game, as the challenge which it presented encouraged the gamer to exact several attempts.
3. The game, being somewhat linear, rendered the powerups quite readily available. The portion in which more than 10 powerups are available by teleporting more than accommodated for the difficulty of the game (example, beds of nails and fire). On the whole, quite enjoyable. Well done Nadith.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Evalulate
Describe your game (including title)
The game I have created is entitled "Trials and Tribulations". As the title would so blatantly imply, the game is comprised of several challenges which present themselves as both enemies and obstacles. The game is separated into two prominent segments (namely the sky and ground portions). The ground portion is secondary, and should ideally be accessed only after the sky portion has been finished. The game is arranged in order of increasing difficulty. The enemy difficult is directly proportional to the powerups which are accessible. Various teleporters are situated at regular locations in order to provide a readily available and swift transportation system.
What is the objective of the game?
The game's programming allows for only three modes of play. The simplest one would be to defeat all enemies, while the other two more challenging modes would be to access the escape pod, as well as to capture the crystals. The 'capture the crystals' option allows for greater versatility, and general freedom in terms of access to the game's many features. The objective of this game is to capture all seven crystals, some of which shall be located above ground, and the rest beneath the surface. They shall be accessible only by defeating enemies, acquiring keys, overcoming obstacles, etcetera.
Discuss two strengths and one weakness of your game.
Perhaps the greatest strengths of my game would be the complexity and attention to detail, as well as the general liberty that the character has. All regions of the game are connected in one way or another, and all available free space is utilized to some degree. The aesthetics are exemplary (or at least as detailed as the game's limited features permit). The walls and backgrounds are well-refined, and the many chambered (sometimes optional) passages give the gamer the freedom required to keep them entertained. The enemies/obstalces and powerups are also proportional in difficulty to one antoher (ie. the enemies and challenges become increasingly difficult with the appearance of more powerful bonuses. The primary weakness of my game would be the sheer difficulty, as it is only defeatable with great patience, skill, and even greater determination. The approximate time required to complete the game is 11 minutes.
What improvements could be made?
The detail and sheer effort invested in this game allow for little improvement in terms of aesthetics/particulars. The primary issue would then be the level of difficulty (in terms of the deadly obstacles and the abundance of enemies. Perhaps additional health packs could be provided at more regular destinations, so as to reduce the difficulty. While currently it is quite possible to defeat with perseverance and concentration (ie. one solid attempt, as opposed to several weaker attempts), it is nevertheless a challenge to complete. Some of the content could also be condensed, so as to increase the overall game speed. This would deter the ever-troublesome 'lag'.
What difficulties did you encounter while creating your game?
While the actual visualization and creation/manipulation of the features was readily come by, the main issue was the time it took to load with the increasing content. Everytime blocks are placed near the ends, corners, tops or bottoms or the game frames, the frame extends. While this is quite convenient for creating large scale games, the size of the file becomes a burden for the site to manage. As such, with increasing content, the speed decreased, to the point that it required 7 seconds of loading time to shift a single tile. In all, the game required the better part of a day to create, as the time lapses grew and grew as the game progressed. Not willing to cut any proverbial corners, the game understandably was time-consuming. This was the main, and perhaps only issue of note.
What did you have to modify or change from the original design?
Very little was altered from the initial design. The underground cavern, although pre-meditated, amounted to far more than was at first anticipated. The addition of water to all areas underground was also a new concept, but rendered the passages much easier to traverse. It also permitted swifter and more ready access to what would otherwise be inaccessible chambers. Also, a large amount of optional chambers were included, which need not be entered at all for the completion of the game. Rather, these chambers allow for additional life/powerups/challenged/pure aesthetic refining.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of of your performance.
In terms of my dedication, perseverance, work ethic, and general attitude towads the completion of the assignment, I regarded my performance as exemplary. the game itself required, literally, a day's worth of time. Of course, my work spanned both class time and private time, as much additional time was invested in the creation of the game. While in class, I was bent towards the singular focus of completing the game to the best of my ability, and have deviated from this path only to assist others/address some issue or other. Despite my having completed the game more than two weeks prior to the due date, I believe my only true fault would have been time management, as the game could have been completed even sooner should I have spent more time working on it.
What did you do well at?
The highly refined aesthetic details, in concert with the well-regulated ratio of challenges/obstacles to powerups make for a game that is original, challenging and engaging. The ample combination of difficulty and features is what I believe was the primary attraction of my game; as the vast, explorable regions and, the myriad of optional chambers and passages make the game more of an experience, and less of a chore. Above all, the sheer detail of my game is what makes it unique, as the screen was extended to more than four times its original size. The inclusion of an intricate network of canals and sky-caverns all lend to its complexity. All of the game is connected however, and as such, any region is accessible. The game is not simply a linear experience in which the character moves from left to right. This game shifts the paradigm, as it is a many-dimensioned game in which crystals may be up, down, diagonal, or even through a teleporter. All regions are accessible at any point in the game (provided the right keys are in one's inventory). This method of space maximization by far exceeds the monotony of the typical left-to-right motion. For this purpose, I consider my game unique, and believe this feature to be its greatest asset.
What could you have done better at?
After having several people test beta versions of my game, and receiving feedback, it has become apparent that the difficulty of the game exceeds the capacity of the average gamer. Quite frequently, it requires several attempts for the gamer to become acquainted with the various passages and chambers. It is only then that they are able to progress a respectable amount in the game. Apart from the obvious issues of running out of jet fuel at awkward moments, as well as the 'falling' issue, in which the gamer ends up near the start after falling off of more precipitous heights. Besides this, certain obstacles/enemies are difficult to avoid and/or overcome. There is an abundance of health in the game, although widely diversified and far inbetween. While the intention was for the gamer to budget the health and retrieve the medical kits/cookies at more strategic points in the game, the vast majority of testers have neglected to practise such composure, and die quite easily, and quite frequently. The addition of health packs at more intervals might have enhanced the quality of the game by decreasing the difficulty.
Feedback Inquiry:
1. Were the enemies/obstacles too much of a challenge?
2. Were the 'lags' induced by the size of the game much of an issue?
3. Was the complexity of the caverns and canals (the orientation, passages, etcetera) too confusing?
The game I have created is entitled "Trials and Tribulations". As the title would so blatantly imply, the game is comprised of several challenges which present themselves as both enemies and obstacles. The game is separated into two prominent segments (namely the sky and ground portions). The ground portion is secondary, and should ideally be accessed only after the sky portion has been finished. The game is arranged in order of increasing difficulty. The enemy difficult is directly proportional to the powerups which are accessible. Various teleporters are situated at regular locations in order to provide a readily available and swift transportation system.
What is the objective of the game?
The game's programming allows for only three modes of play. The simplest one would be to defeat all enemies, while the other two more challenging modes would be to access the escape pod, as well as to capture the crystals. The 'capture the crystals' option allows for greater versatility, and general freedom in terms of access to the game's many features. The objective of this game is to capture all seven crystals, some of which shall be located above ground, and the rest beneath the surface. They shall be accessible only by defeating enemies, acquiring keys, overcoming obstacles, etcetera.
Discuss two strengths and one weakness of your game.
Perhaps the greatest strengths of my game would be the complexity and attention to detail, as well as the general liberty that the character has. All regions of the game are connected in one way or another, and all available free space is utilized to some degree. The aesthetics are exemplary (or at least as detailed as the game's limited features permit). The walls and backgrounds are well-refined, and the many chambered (sometimes optional) passages give the gamer the freedom required to keep them entertained. The enemies/obstalces and powerups are also proportional in difficulty to one antoher (ie. the enemies and challenges become increasingly difficult with the appearance of more powerful bonuses. The primary weakness of my game would be the sheer difficulty, as it is only defeatable with great patience, skill, and even greater determination. The approximate time required to complete the game is 11 minutes.
What improvements could be made?
The detail and sheer effort invested in this game allow for little improvement in terms of aesthetics/particulars. The primary issue would then be the level of difficulty (in terms of the deadly obstacles and the abundance of enemies. Perhaps additional health packs could be provided at more regular destinations, so as to reduce the difficulty. While currently it is quite possible to defeat with perseverance and concentration (ie. one solid attempt, as opposed to several weaker attempts), it is nevertheless a challenge to complete. Some of the content could also be condensed, so as to increase the overall game speed. This would deter the ever-troublesome 'lag'.
What difficulties did you encounter while creating your game?
While the actual visualization and creation/manipulation of the features was readily come by, the main issue was the time it took to load with the increasing content. Everytime blocks are placed near the ends, corners, tops or bottoms or the game frames, the frame extends. While this is quite convenient for creating large scale games, the size of the file becomes a burden for the site to manage. As such, with increasing content, the speed decreased, to the point that it required 7 seconds of loading time to shift a single tile. In all, the game required the better part of a day to create, as the time lapses grew and grew as the game progressed. Not willing to cut any proverbial corners, the game understandably was time-consuming. This was the main, and perhaps only issue of note.
What did you have to modify or change from the original design?
Very little was altered from the initial design. The underground cavern, although pre-meditated, amounted to far more than was at first anticipated. The addition of water to all areas underground was also a new concept, but rendered the passages much easier to traverse. It also permitted swifter and more ready access to what would otherwise be inaccessible chambers. Also, a large amount of optional chambers were included, which need not be entered at all for the completion of the game. Rather, these chambers allow for additional life/powerups/challenged/pure aesthetic refining.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of of your performance.
In terms of my dedication, perseverance, work ethic, and general attitude towads the completion of the assignment, I regarded my performance as exemplary. the game itself required, literally, a day's worth of time. Of course, my work spanned both class time and private time, as much additional time was invested in the creation of the game. While in class, I was bent towards the singular focus of completing the game to the best of my ability, and have deviated from this path only to assist others/address some issue or other. Despite my having completed the game more than two weeks prior to the due date, I believe my only true fault would have been time management, as the game could have been completed even sooner should I have spent more time working on it.
What did you do well at?
The highly refined aesthetic details, in concert with the well-regulated ratio of challenges/obstacles to powerups make for a game that is original, challenging and engaging. The ample combination of difficulty and features is what I believe was the primary attraction of my game; as the vast, explorable regions and, the myriad of optional chambers and passages make the game more of an experience, and less of a chore. Above all, the sheer detail of my game is what makes it unique, as the screen was extended to more than four times its original size. The inclusion of an intricate network of canals and sky-caverns all lend to its complexity. All of the game is connected however, and as such, any region is accessible. The game is not simply a linear experience in which the character moves from left to right. This game shifts the paradigm, as it is a many-dimensioned game in which crystals may be up, down, diagonal, or even through a teleporter. All regions are accessible at any point in the game (provided the right keys are in one's inventory). This method of space maximization by far exceeds the monotony of the typical left-to-right motion. For this purpose, I consider my game unique, and believe this feature to be its greatest asset.
What could you have done better at?
After having several people test beta versions of my game, and receiving feedback, it has become apparent that the difficulty of the game exceeds the capacity of the average gamer. Quite frequently, it requires several attempts for the gamer to become acquainted with the various passages and chambers. It is only then that they are able to progress a respectable amount in the game. Apart from the obvious issues of running out of jet fuel at awkward moments, as well as the 'falling' issue, in which the gamer ends up near the start after falling off of more precipitous heights. Besides this, certain obstacles/enemies are difficult to avoid and/or overcome. There is an abundance of health in the game, although widely diversified and far inbetween. While the intention was for the gamer to budget the health and retrieve the medical kits/cookies at more strategic points in the game, the vast majority of testers have neglected to practise such composure, and die quite easily, and quite frequently. The addition of health packs at more intervals might have enhanced the quality of the game by decreasing the difficulty.
Feedback Inquiry:
1. Were the enemies/obstacles too much of a challenge?
2. Were the 'lags' induced by the size of the game much of an issue?
3. Was the complexity of the caverns and canals (the orientation, passages, etcetera) too confusing?
Friday, March 5, 2010
Trials and Tribulations
Battle through a series of obstacles and trials. 7 crystals are scattered about the grid. Your objective is to seek out and collect all seven of these. your journey will take you above land, below sea, and everytying in between. Acquire the keys to gain access to more difficult locations. Traverse the perilous terrain, travel to precipitous heights, and then into the heart of the underground network. You can only truly succeed once you have defeated these trials and tribulations.
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