Comments on: NPAI – Game Feel P2 Pitch and Prototype

By: skro

skro — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:40:59 +0000

I really love shooting the cannons in this game, the sounds and shaking of the camera make for a great feel. Also the ship’s movement is just right, smooth but with a little resistance to make it feel like you’re getting up to speed in the water.

The changing views was cool, although in 3D mode I didn’t like how you couldn’t change the angle while moving the ship. Also it doesn’t seem like the enemies have any way of damaging you at this point and that would be good for adding some challenge to the game.

It’s a good concept and made well, but could use more challenge. Depth of enemy behaviors and maybe a way to upgrade movement/the cannon would be the mechanics I would suggest adding. Well done.

By: hedgehog

hedgehog — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:17:15 +0000

I love the idea for this game. I remember playing the same type of games as a kid controlling ships in a similar fashion and your game has a very similar feel. The slow turning and acceleration only forward feel just like a boat, and from a top down view it is very easy to control. The cannon/bullets follow the original trajectory which I like and firing from only 1 side also fits the whole ship feeling. Small things like the smoke effects and water trail also enhance the feel.

There isn’t much I would add to the game as I really do like it. Possibly adding an indicator showing what side the ship shooting is currently on would help, especially if the shooting wasn’t unlimited as knowing what side I’m shooting at would help with limited bullets.

By: squarehelius

squarehelius — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 09:43:39 +0000

The game is really great. I like the 2D/3D switch functionality. In 2D, it’s like a strategy game and in 3D, it’s like a action game, so it is great to have two kinds of experience for the user. Which reminds me of the game total war which has two phases. In the overview phase, you place your troops like a strategy game, but in the war phase, you play as a hero like an action game. I think this would be a great example for your further development. Some suggestions would be the amount of bullet you have. It makes the game too easy to just hold the space bar and nothing would get near in range to me. Other things would different type of weapon, different type of enemies, etc. It would be a great game, or even go public if you work hard 😀

By: masterchief

masterchief — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 07:08:12 +0000

I think the best part of this is the feeling of momentum, like you mentioned in the description. It really does become harder to turn and maneuver once you have gained a bit of speed. The cannons feel really powerful and are fun, but should probably be tuned down a bit to be more balanced in the final version. AI could be improved like you mentioned, maybe have some patterns where they circle around you firing missles / cannons or something.

By: lion

lion — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:41:34 +0000

Hi!
My favorite aspects of the game is definitely the secondary mouse-controlled view. The first view seemed a little 2D, which made the game too easy. Have the two options is great for the purpose of a prototype tho!
I like the red explosions as well as the sound of the canon, but agree with stonewall that we should have more ambient noise -which you also mention in your post! 🙂
One thing you should definitely consider changing is not being able to hold down spacebar and send an endless wave of death at end enemies. Its always hard to figure out how to cheat your own game since you probably play it the way you want it to be played.
And yes, powerups would def be a sweet addition!
Keep it up

By: stonewall

stonewall — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 18:29:34 +0000

Sweet mother of Christ, that is the most efficient cannon reloading I’ve ever seen! XD

This is a wonderfully fun prototype. I love the feeling of the moving ship and shooting the cannons. It’s very satisfying to turn just right and mow down the enemies before sailing away again.

The polish on this game is fantastic. The skybox and water really make me feel like I’m on the open sea, especially the wake behind the boat. The cannon fire, camera shake, and enemy explosions make my actions seem appropriately powerful and devastating to the other ships. The cannon fire is nice as well, although the lack of any ambient noise makes its absence a bit eerie.

Camera change is great. I might some can of arrows in the overhead view to point me back. I actually got a little lost. Given the scale of this prototype though, it’s not really a big concern.

10/10. would sink pirates again.