It dun work. I'm actually kind of glad, though, because Vanquisher is apparently a tower defense game, which I don't have a great track record with...
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26630
Sunday, November 17, 2013
VAMMOS
Oh how I love it when games listen to what I have to say. A little while ago, I said that gaming really has to move past the whole "death as penalty" thing, and along comes VAMMOS with an innovative death system that attempts to punish mistakes without being too frustrating. Before I get to that, though, let me give you some background.
VAMMOS is a physics-based platformer wherein you move blocks around to get from point A to point B. Nothing special so far. The levels are designed fairly well, allowing you to figure out the mechanics by using them. For instance, the game didn't feel the need to tell me that dropping blocks on enemies makes them go boom. It just put a block and an enemy in a narrow corridor and let my primal side take the reins.
So, about this death system. Every time you get asploded, you have three seconds to press space, which will instantly respawn you exactly where you were. If you don't press space, you restart from the nearest checkpoint. The mentality behind this mechanic was that you wouldn't have to be sent back for cheap deaths, like an enemy that you couldn't see or accidentally dropping a block on yourself because your thumb cramped up or whatever. Meanwhile, if you commit a truly unforgivable sin like, say, falling into a spike trap, respwning exactly where you died isn't exactly helpful, so you'll still incur a slight penalty. The checkpoints are close enough together to make the penalty not too annoying.
The problem with this system is that it essentially negates any threat an enemy can pose, since they either fire projectiles or move in a set path. Both of these attack strategies can be easily overcome with the "spam space" method. Maybe the game designers just wanted to give you some toys to destroy along your journey, which I have no problem with, but it still smells a bit like oops.
What made me ragequit the game is something I really don't take that much umbrage with. I got to a point where I had to ascend vertically using blocks, but for some reason, I died whenever I landed the blocks. So yeah, the game glitched me right out of the experience, but that just means it needed to be a bit more fine tuned, which I don't hold against a school project since I have firsthand experience with the hellish pressure a school deadline can apply to a person.
While I can't quite give this game my seal of approval, I can say it's worth your time if you want to check out an interesting platformer. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay random.
Links
Capital Letters: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24365
VAMMOS is a physics-based platformer wherein you move blocks around to get from point A to point B. Nothing special so far. The levels are designed fairly well, allowing you to figure out the mechanics by using them. For instance, the game didn't feel the need to tell me that dropping blocks on enemies makes them go boom. It just put a block and an enemy in a narrow corridor and let my primal side take the reins.
So, about this death system. Every time you get asploded, you have three seconds to press space, which will instantly respawn you exactly where you were. If you don't press space, you restart from the nearest checkpoint. The mentality behind this mechanic was that you wouldn't have to be sent back for cheap deaths, like an enemy that you couldn't see or accidentally dropping a block on yourself because your thumb cramped up or whatever. Meanwhile, if you commit a truly unforgivable sin like, say, falling into a spike trap, respwning exactly where you died isn't exactly helpful, so you'll still incur a slight penalty. The checkpoints are close enough together to make the penalty not too annoying.
The problem with this system is that it essentially negates any threat an enemy can pose, since they either fire projectiles or move in a set path. Both of these attack strategies can be easily overcome with the "spam space" method. Maybe the game designers just wanted to give you some toys to destroy along your journey, which I have no problem with, but it still smells a bit like oops.
What made me ragequit the game is something I really don't take that much umbrage with. I got to a point where I had to ascend vertically using blocks, but for some reason, I died whenever I landed the blocks. So yeah, the game glitched me right out of the experience, but that just means it needed to be a bit more fine tuned, which I don't hold against a school project since I have firsthand experience with the hellish pressure a school deadline can apply to a person.
While I can't quite give this game my seal of approval, I can say it's worth your time if you want to check out an interesting platformer. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay random.
Links
Capital Letters: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24365
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