I thought it was an alright game :P

You all arnt helping him at all.....

The tut really helps. Good work.

Hey, thanks for all the replies. They were very helpful.

I never realized how difficult and confusing the controls were for most people. I can assure you that once you get used to them they are extremely powerful, but that doesn't really help you at all. ;)

I will try to come up with a useful tutorial, one that explains the strategies of details of the controls. I guess the most important thing I can do is make sure the players know what they're supposed to be doing!

About the mouse control, well I know it's really weird, and causes a lot of problems. The ragdoll doesn't follow the mouse - moving the cursor 20 pixels to the right pushes the blue ragdoll's head to the right with a proportional amount of force.

Also, since the mouse button is used for crouching, I can't exactly put a menu button anywhere, or else it would be easy to click it accidentally. Instead the menu comes up when the cursor goes off the screen.

Eventually you learn to follow the ragdoll with the mouse cursor. It's pretty messed up, but once you're used to it, it's really powerful. Which, again, doesn't help you much.

Analog control sticks would be the best control scheme for this game. It would probably be a lot better on a console. But I think I'll experiment with controls where the ragdoll follows the mouse.

And let me clarify some things about the game. There is in fact an AI mode, because both players start out being controlled by the AI until someone drops in. If both red and blue (keyboard and mouse) have dropped in, then it becomes a multiplayer game. I'll probably make the AI start out better so it's easier to tell.

Also, you win by reducing your opponent's health to zero. It keeps track of the number of wins for each side, which you can reset by choosing 'new' from the menu.

And I'm still working on the sound. I'm working on programming some music that changes based on how you play.

So, once I get recorded games working, I'll release a movie of me playing against my brother so you can see what the game is supposed to be like! :p I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

After that, it's just a matter of making it easier for new players to get to that level of play.

I have to say that max0rz's comment was very enlightening for me. I realized that the game I was designing was structured differently than most games here on NG. It's designed for casual play, and it doesn't quite feel like a full game. I play it for the joy of feeling the *ahem* expertly designed physics, doing flips and handstands and such, setting up a big combo in slow motion.

Other games, even really bad ones, make you feel like you're accomplishing something. Like you're doing a lot, when you're only clicking as fast as you can, for example. I never bothered to even try to do that with my game. I didn't think of it. I just made a game that people who already understand the game and like playing it just for the fun of it, will like.

It was the first time I felt relieved and hopeful about the future of this game since its release, because it pointed towards a concrete direction for me to go with it. I need to show people how much there is to do in this game, because there is a lot more under the surface. I need to add music, to add recorded games so people can use it as an animation tool, as a social tool to show off and share their moves.

So, basically, I need to greatly improve the tutorial and controls, add the other features, and release gameplay videos and stuff to show what you can do with this game.

Thanks. And keep commenting! :)

I've updated the game a little, fixing a small bug and making the AI start out more aggressive.

But the big news is, I've added a NEON version! :D It's the exact same game, but re-skinned. See if you like that style better.

And rusender: nice to see you here, I didn't notice it was you until just now. :)

People auto vote for 0 to save time, and have a 50% to get blamming points?

Newbs.

I found it difficult to control my player with the mouse. Sometimes the mouse was on the other side of the screen. Maybe you make the player be controller with the keyboard rather than the mouse. It worked better for some of the ragdoll games I've played.

At 10/2/06 07:35 PM, GrimAnt wrote: I found it difficult to control my player with the mouse. Sometimes the mouse was on the other side of the screen. Maybe you make the player be controller with the keyboard rather than the mouse. It worked better for some of the ragdoll games I've played.

When you use the mouse, you kind of have to move your cursor back over the ragdoll periodically.

But you can use the keyboard also, if you want. Just press the space bar to activate the red player, and you can use the arrow keys and space bar instead of the mouse.

i gave it a 5 when i played it... I thought it passed...

At 10/2/06 12:05 AM, axcho wrote: Try it out here on deviantART .

Oh dear God. I'm sorry, but that has got to be the worst game I have ever played in my life. No wonder it got blammed!

1. WHAT THE HELL do I do? It seems like there is no point in this game.
2. Am I the red or the blue? Because it seems like I can control both of them. If this is the case, it really needs a Human vs Computer mode.
3. The instructions are crap and they don't tell me anything.
4. The controls are just plain horrible and frustrating. Especially the mouse controls.
5. No goal to this game.
6. How the hell do I attack or defend?
7. The graphics are shit...
8. What the hell are those coloured ropes for?
9. It needed more sound. The little amount of sound that was in it was incredibly annoying, too.
10. It is so confusing.
11. It needs levels, and a storyline.
12. More moves and controls would be good.

If you fix the above problems, it will get through the portal. But in it's current state, it just plain sucks and it will be blammed.

i thought it was pretty fun.

At 10/2/06 08:12 PM, Pseudonym95 wrote:

At 10/2/06 12:05 AM, axcho wrote:

1. WHAT THE HELL do I do? It seems like there is no point in this game.

You fight.

2. Am I the red or the blue? Because it seems like I can control both of them. If this is

the case, it really needs a Human vs Computer mode.

It does have a Human v CPU mode, just hold space or hold down mouse.

3. The instructions are crap and they don't tell me anything.

I concur with you on that.

4. The controls are just plain horrible and frustrating. Especially the mouse controls.

I also concur about mouse controls.

5. No goal to this game.

As I said before, you fight.

6. How the hell do I attack or defend?

You move the ragdoll into the other ragdoll.

7. The graphics are shit...

It's sticks.

8. What the hell are those coloured ropes for?

Decoration. =3

9. It needed more sound. The little amount of sound that was in it was incredibly annoying, too.

I also concur.

10. It is so confusing.

Not really. Hold down space/mouse to be a guy, use arrow keys to move, or mouse to move.

11. It needs levels, and a storyline.

Once again, I concur.

12. More moves and controls would be good.

I've said "I concur" 4 times, and I will say it again. I concur.

Yay! My posts are being noticed for once! Thanks, Demeaning.

At 10/2/06 09:48 PM, Pseudonym95 wrote: Yay! My posts are being noticed for once! Thanks, Demeaning.

Hehe. :) You sound like me.

At 10/2/06 09:41 PM, Demeaning wrote:

At 10/2/06 08:12 PM, Pseudonym95 wrote:

At 10/2/06 12:05 AM, axcho wrote:

1. WHAT THE HELL do I do? It seems like there is no point in this game.

You fight.

Exactly. It even keeps score.

2. Am I the red or the blue? Because it seems like I can control both of them. If this is

the case, it really needs a Human vs Computer mode.

It does have a Human v CPU mode, just hold space or hold down mouse.

Correct again. If you hold down space, you play as red, with the keyboard. If you hold down the mouse button, you play as blue with the mouse. If you do both, well, then it helps to have another person to play against. Either that or it's practice mode. :p

3. The instructions are crap and they don't tell me anything.

I concur with you on that.

Yeah, I know. Though of course I'm the one who has to come up with better ones.

4. The controls are just plain horrible and frustrating. Especially the mouse controls.

I also concur about mouse controls.

I'm pretty good with the mouse. :) But I will try to come up with some easier control schemes.

5. No goal to this game.

As I said before, you fight.

Right.

6. How the hell do I attack or defend?

You move the ragdoll into the other ragdoll.

To attack, point your arms or legs in the direction of the other guy's head or body. Making a circular motion can help you flip around and get enough momentum to do some decent damage. But if the other guy's coming pretty fast, you can just stick out a leg or arm and they'll run into it.

To defend, either avoid getting hit, or try to block with your arms or legs. The ends are invincible. Basically arrange to have your arms sticking out so they get in the way of the attacking guy's arms or legs. Crouching is a good defensive position.

7. The graphics are shit...

It's sticks.

Well, they're simple. But have you tried the NEON version yet? There's a link a few posts up.

8. What the hell are those coloured ropes for?

Decoration. =3

Yeah. :p It was the first thing I thought of for a background, and no one had any better ideas. So I haven't bothered to change it. If you can think of a better background, tell me so I can make it!

9. It needed more sound. The little amount of sound that was in it was incredibly annoying, too.

I also concur.

The sound is unfinished. I am still working on the music. But was it really that annoying? You can turn it off, you know, in the options menu.

10. It is so confusing.

Not really. Hold down space/mouse to be a guy, use arrow keys to move, or mouse to move.

It definitely looks like I'm going to have to redo the structure of this game. I'll do my best to make it straightforward.

11. It needs levels, and a storyline.

Once again, I concur.

A storyline? What's that? :) I could probably do levels though. What would be the difference between the different levels? Different AI or something? Or would I have to add stuff like new enemies or powerups?

12. More moves and controls would be good.

I've said "I concur" 4 times, and I will say it again. I concur.

Hmmm, what do you mean? More buttons? Special abilities? Pre-made moves beyond the basic crouch?

Thanks for the detailed, though painful, explanation of your displeasure. :p

I changed the mouse control a little, so the ragdoll also follows the mouse, and the keyboard moves a little faster:
Braids
Braids NEON

What do you think?