TEA: Welcome party

[PkR]

Hey guys, long time no see!

I'd like to show you a 2-player hotseat game I created a couple of days ago. The basic idea is quite similar to the Competition stages in Sonic 3, though mine is a little more advanced.

The game is intended for 2 players only. It's like one of those old games that are played with one's friends on one PC. I know using the keyboard for 2 players is a bit complicated, but you can attach a gamepad and redefine the controls anyway.

The game is called "TEA: Welcome party" and has gameplay, characters and special moves from the main game I'm working on: "The Emeralds Awakening". So, "Welcome party" sort of represents what TEA Multiplayer will look like.

I'm not sure if anybody remembers the original game, but it used to be quite popular around here. I'll make a post related to TEA when I'm ready.

Here are some screenshots of TEA: Welcome party:

http://tea.studenthost.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/teacp1.png

http://tea.studenthost.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/teacp2.png

http://tea.studenthost.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/teacp3.png

http://tea.studenthost.ru/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/teacp4.png

Please tell me what you think. I'm almost sure there'll be performance issues on some machines, so please tell me your PC specs if you're having a problem. You can make the game run faster if you disable the special effects in the options though.

If people like this game, I might actually add network play, new levels, etc.

So here it is: download

[DimensionWarped]

This isn't hot seat. A hot seat game is a turn based game where the players literally get out of the chair (though truthfully, they could always just pass the keyboard/mouse or huddle around it awkwardly) to make way for the other player to use the same control set, hence the term 'hot seat'. The hot, or active player occupies the chair.

Technicals like that aside...

No performance issues on my machine, but I have to comment... the level design in its current state is bad. Like pretty damn bad even. Way too much up and down, it's enough to give a guy motion sickness. So yeah, it needs work. The physics seem a little funky but not unforgivably so.

It's a neat concept, but to put it one way... I don't really have anyone who cares to huddle around a computer and play a Sonic racing game with me, so that really makes this one less than ideal for me. It's a good concept, don't get me wrong, but I just think you'll have trouble finding an audience for a game which is based entirely on split screen competition.

[Sparks]

I'm really not digging the fan character.

[PkR]

Uh... okay.

So far, no comments on the graphics and music (that are totally original btw), I just got it that the concept is "nice" but useless.

As for the motion sickness... correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it what Sonic games are all about? I think the gameplay has to be fast and there should be lots of "going up and down". The way the level is constructed has to do with a number of ways of getting through it faster by using characters' special moves, cutting paths etc...

I guess I made a mistake by making a post about a spinoff game, well then I should have introduced the original game first so that the others would get who the fan character actually is...

Thank you for the comments though. It's kind of a pity to get those remarks about the concept I deemed innovative, but I guess I was wrong.

[Sparks]

I usually don't check out demos unless the screens (or video) manage to catch my interest.

Just tried it, I can't even judge the game itself because it runs like a slug.

:I

[LarkSS]

Finally got around to trying this. Runs fine on my computer.

The title and menu feels tight and almost professional. I wasn't much for the menu's graphical design, but it felt nice all the same. I don't know if I agree with having each player control part of the menu, but it's interesting I suppose.

Going on in-game, I immediately thought that the level graphics were somewhat interesting, even in how the parallax object was set to change offset at intervals for a more old school effect. Progressing through the level though, it felt very plain. There weren't many foreground details if any, making it feel very repetitive.

I have to agree with DW on the level design issue too. It really IS way too up and down. Sure a Sonic level should hold the premise of speed, but using relentless downhills (that don't even provide you with lasting speed in this engine) is almost as bad as using speed panels everywhere as an excuse to gain faster speeds. Aside from that, it felt like there were many holes forcing you to drop down, else you had to try and perform high jumps by spindashing up walls (which was difficult as you would decelerate very fast when spinning) or attempt to fly (which in a race made you lose a lot of time due to the sluggish speed). One final issue that comes to mind about level design was a section with hangbars and spikes below the right-most hangbar. It was simply impossible for me to get past those spikes and to the ground to the right of it without taking damage. You really shouldn't set up the player like that, especially in races when the player will go past that section repeatedly.

Now one of my bigger concerns was toward the engine. It has definitely aged since the time it was made. One factor is that your speed is comprised of integers rather than decimals, so when you start acceleration, you jump between speed intervals and it makes it hard to keep steady and align yourself to positions you're trying to get into. Another thing is that your fall speed isn't converted into movement speed upon landing on slopes. This really hurt my experience since you would decelerate very quickly while rolling, so when I attempted to roll up your huge hills at the beginning and failed, I fell down and lost all my speed because it didn't transition when landing on the hill's slope at the bottom. My other complaints are that the camera shouldn't scroll immediately when holding up or down, it's VERY sluggish with scrolling up and down, and the rolling deceleration being too strong like I've probably mentioned 3 times already.

Just some technical/miscellaneous comments. I didn't really like having the blue animated background between the player displays. You probably should have used a less intense color with something less eye-distracting. I didn't really like the idea of having battle mode in the one stage too, as it doesn't feel like it was designed for that mode, and since you started between the two steep hills, it's difficult to move anywhere else and hence makes me hesitant to do anything outside of the small area. Finally, I don't have anyone irl that I'd play this with, so I can't give any opinions on how entertaining the multiplayer itself is, which is probably what DW was referring to in terms of the idea having a limited audience.

I suppose as a concluding comment toward the music (you should have mentioned it was original if you wanted feedback on it), I just love the title music; looping it for the past hour I believe. The stage music is interesting, but not really interesting enough for me to want to keep hearing it after awhile, if that makes any sense.

Edit: I'm actually surprised the engine has ceiling run, and on top of that your jump speed is changed to walking speed when switching to the ceiling run. If the engine can do that, then I'm sure you can get normal landing speed conversion implemented. :>

[PkR]

Thanks!

Well, I think I'll have to do a large-scale research and rewrite the engine from scratch because, as you said just right, it's outdated (though to me it felt quite old-school) and hasn't changed much since 2006 or so. I'll post about it if I succeed.

Anyway, now I realize that it's too late to post something like this. Back in 2006 the reaction might have turned out to be different. So, I'll quit for a while to investigate and address the issues.