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Rainer Deyke
Demon Hunter
Joined: 05 Jun 2002
Posts: 672
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 Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:13 am Post subject: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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Some of of you may remember Feyna's Quest from when I first released it in 2002. Well, I've improved almost every aspect of the original game to create Feyna's Quest version 2.0, which is currently in beta testing but is almost ready for the final release. I though I'd post it here in the hopes of getting some last minute bug reports and feedback before the actual release. Note to freeware purists: I intend to charge money for the full game, so if this offends you, stay away.
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Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:25 am Post subject: |
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As I mentioned over on iDevGames, the new version looks and feels very nice. The cosmetic thing I mentioned with the knights at the start is pretty minor compared to the overall polish of the game. I suspect you're going to get a fair number of paying customers.
I'd also like to say thanks for taking the time to make it a cross-platform game.
Any chance of seeing a postmortem article on the development of Feyna's Quest 2.0?
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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| Rainer Deyke wrote: | | I though I'd post it here in the hopes of getting some last minute bug reports and feedback before the actual release. |
Wow.
I really like it.:D
How much are you charging for the full game?
A few things that I think you need to attend to before releasing it:
1. there are a few glitches in the scrolling cathedral intro scene
- the tiles blink when they shift
- some tiles do not render completely, leaving black holes randomly. sometimes it renders fine, others it doesnt.
2. you need a map of somesort, finding your way through your maze of doors is extremely difficult ~ perhaps only give a map on easy mode or something if you think it would make it too easy.
3. when the human knights come into the scene after you climb the tower:
- it is impossible to navigate the hallways because the guards can run faster than you.
- there is no way to kill the guards
- they kill you way too fast, they shouldnt kill you in 4-5 swipes of their sword, at least certainly not on easy mode..maybe hardmode.
Well, thats as far as I can get, I cannot get out without getting killed by guards, no matter where I run to.
I am very impressed with the overall quality of the game, and I would like to get a copy of the full game if you address those issues I stated above. :D
Excellent job to you and your team.
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Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 7:07 pm Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| DeveloperX wrote: | | 1. there are a few glitches in the scrolling cathedral intro scene |
FWIW, I didn't see these issues on the Mac version. Looked pretty smooth to me.
| DeveloperX wrote: | | 2. you need a map of somesort, finding your way through your maze of doors is extremely difficult ~ perhaps only give a map on easy mode or something if you think it would make it too easy. |
I'd have to agree with this. It's very easy to get lost. One thing you might consider would be to drop in more room features like statues to differentiate the rooms, and have some signs on the walls that you can walk up to and read. This latter suggestion would add depth to the environments, too, because you could have "South Wing: Dormitories" or whatever to give a little more context to the setting. Another thing that would be nice would be to have different graphics for doors that have stairs behind them - maybe slap a symbol on the door, or perhaps make them archways. Also, a special door for things like the portal chamber and such would add visual interest.
Also, I found a secret door in a bookcase in the first chapter at one point, and it took me into a room with apparently nothing in it but a few slimes. Not sure what that's about, but it seems like there should be a powerup or a potion or something to pick up in there.
I played through the first chapter last night and got to the swamp area. I managed to heal the grandma, and that's where I quit. Not sure what I'm supposed to do after that, but I guess I'll figure it out.
The gameplay remained solid into the next chapter, and I liked seeing the different townspeople - it's pretty cool that you're not just re-using the same two sprites for townspeople - everyone you meet (with the exception of the knights) so far seems like individuals. Nice touch.
The environment graphics - especially those black-and-white brick tiles - for chapter two seem less polished than the really awesome brick tiles from chapter one - you might consider pulling the chapter one brick tiles into chapter two, even if you just change the hue on them or something.
Oh, and when you gain the new spell, it would be cool to notify the player with a message of some sort, so it feels like a reward for completing the first chapter. It took me a while to notice that my spell was different in chapter two, and didn't know what was up until I looked in my inventory.
Anyway, like I've mentioned before, these are just cosmetic suggestions. The game is very strong, playable, and enjoyable as is, and I think you've got a solid product on your hands.
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tcaudilllg
Dragonmaster
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 1731
Location: Cedar Bluff, VA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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This game tells me a lot about your personality, and I can't disagree with that. I'm probably going to learn something important from just playing your game, so I promise that I'll buy it eventually.
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Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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Creepy.
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Rainer Deyke
Demon Hunter
Joined: 05 Jun 2002
Posts: 672
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:39 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| DeveloperX wrote: |
How much are you charging for the full game? |
$20.
| Quote: | 1. there are a few glitches in the scrolling cathedral intro scene
- the tiles blink when they shift
- some tiles do not render completely, leaving black holes randomly. sometimes it renders fine, others it doesnt. |
Strange. I'm inclined to blame your graphics driver, since I've never experienced a problem like that. Did you use OpenGL acceleration, Direct3D acceleration, or neither (i.e. plain SDL)? Does the problem persist if you change the rendering backend through config->display->backend?
| Quote: | | 2. you need a map of somesort, finding your way through your maze of doors is extremely difficult ~ perhaps only give a map on easy mode or something if you think it would make it too easy. |
This would take quite a bit of work to implement. I'll think about it.
| Quote: | 3. when the human knights come into the scene after you climb the tower:
- it is impossible to navigate the hallways because the guards can run faster than you.
- there is no way to kill the guards
- they kill you way too fast, they shouldnt kill you in 4-5 swipes of their sword, at least certainly not on easy mode..maybe hardmode. |
It is possible to dodge the knights by jumping over them, and it is difficult but possible to defeat them by jumping over them and
then shooting them in the back. However, this seems to be a common complaint, so I have reduced the speed of the knights.
| Nephilim wrote: | | I'd have to agree with this. It's very easy to get lost. One thing you might consider would be to drop in more room features like statues to differentiate the rooms, and have some signs on the walls that you can walk up to and read. This latter suggestion would add depth to the environments, too, because you could have "South Wing: Dormitories" or whatever to give a little more context to the setting. Another thing that would be nice would be to have different graphics for doors that have stairs behind them - maybe slap a symbol on the door, or perhaps make them archways. Also, a special door for things like the portal chamber and such would add visual interest. |
The problem with adding additional artwork is that I only have one artist left, and it often takes weeks for that artist to get back to me with any new artwork, no matter how trivial. However, I'll think about it.
| Quote: | | Also, I found a secret door in a bookcase in the first chapter at one point, and it took me into a room with apparently nothing in it but a few slimes. Not sure what that's about, but it seems like there should be a powerup or a potion or something to pick up in there. |
There should be a secret item in the room, but I guess the low color contrast between the black secret item and the dark background makes the secret item effectively invisible. I'll go back and add additional items to the secrets.
| Quote: | | I played through the first chapter last night and got to the swamp area. I managed to heal the grandma, and that's where I quit. Not sure what I'm supposed to do after that, but I guess I'll figure it out. |
That's as far as it goes in the demo. In the full game, you can find the dragon by entering the cave near where you found the black mushroom.
| Quote: | | The environment graphics - especially those black-and-white brick tiles - for chapter two seem less polished than the really awesome brick tiles from chapter one - you might consider pulling the chapter one brick tiles into chapter two, even if you just change the hue on them or something. |
You have a point there. I'll see what I can do.
| Quote: | | Oh, and when you gain the new spell, it would be cool to notify the player with a message of some sort, so it feels like a reward for completing the first chapter. It took me a while to notice that my spell was different in chapter two, and didn't know what was up until I looked in my inventory. |
Well, the beginning of chapter 2 is a special case because several years have passed between the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. Normally it's very clear when you learn a new spell. Maybe I can add a line of dialogue to the cutscene at the beginning of the chapter that mentions the new spell.
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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| Rainer Deyke wrote: | | DeveloperX wrote: |
How much are you charging for the full game? |
$20.
| Quote: | 1. there are a few glitches in the scrolling cathedral intro scene
- the tiles blink when they shift
- some tiles do not render completely, leaving black holes randomly. sometimes it renders fine, others it doesnt. |
Strange. I'm inclined to blame your graphics driver, since I've never experienced a problem like that. Did you use OpenGL acceleration, Direct3D acceleration, or neither (i.e. plain SDL)? Does the problem persist if you change the rendering backend through config->display->backend?
| Quote: | | 2. you need a map of somesort, finding your way through your maze of doors is extremely difficult ~ perhaps only give a map on easy mode or something if you think it would make it too easy. |
This would take quite a bit of work to implement. I'll think about it.
| Quote: | 3. when the human knights come into the scene after you climb the tower:
- it is impossible to navigate the hallways because the guards can run faster than you.
- there is no way to kill the guards
- they kill you way too fast, they shouldnt kill you in 4-5 swipes of their sword, at least certainly not on easy mode..maybe hardmode. |
It is possible to dodge the knights by jumping over them, and it is difficult but possible to defeat them by jumping over them and
then shooting them in the back. However, this seems to be a common complaint, so I have reduced the speed of the knights.
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1. $20 sounds a bit high. How many levels (chapters) are there going to be in the full game? If theres any less than 10, then $20 is a bit too high man. I'd buy it for $10, but unless there were some significant additions to it, to increase the replay value, $20 is most certainly too much for this game.
2. I used neither API, because this computer doesnt like OpenGL, and DirectX crashed when I chose it.
I have an S3 Verge graphics card.
I cant use anything else, cause this is a laptop.
IBM ThinkPad T20
700Mhz, 128MB RAM
Windows 2000 Professional
3. I have some ideas for the map system, if you're interested, I can email some concept models.
4. Glad you've reduced their speed. It was extremely difficult to evade them.
I look forward to seeing the rest of the game.
Lower the price a bit, and polish it a little more (with said issues esp. the map.)
Also, if you need someone to draw the extra artwork, you can drop me an email. ccpsceo@gmail.com
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Rambling Indie Games, LLC
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Ninkazu
Demon Hunter
Joined: 08 Aug 2002
Posts: 945
Location: Location:
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I can buy Diablo 2 for $20. Ya. Too high.
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janus
Mage
Joined: 29 Jun 2002
Posts: 464
Location: Issaquah, WA
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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This game runs really terrible windowed. I have a hard time buying games that badly implement a feature I use whenever I play them. :(
In particular, if you switch to windowed mode and then alt-tab to another window, the game shits itself. It gets worse if you alt-tab back to the game. (This was in OpenGL mode; didn't try it in any other rendering modes.)
The game runs pretty smooth for me, though. I played around with it a little bit and gave up when I got lost in the maze of doors. You definitely need a map, or signs, or something. As it is, it's just a pain to navigate and it's frustrating enough to make me want to cheat or quit playing (guess which one I picked).
Oh, and a suggestion - Why not use some alpha transparency on those raindrops? They look kinda crappy as-is. :)
Also, the controls for firing spells (or whatever it is) feel really rough and unsatisfying. The way they autofire after a few seconds is pretty annoying considering that you ALSO have to charge them. I understand if it's by design, but it doesn't make the game very pleasant to play, at least for me.
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Rainer Deyke
Demon Hunter
Joined: 05 Jun 2002
Posts: 672
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:14 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| DeveloperX wrote: |
1. $20 sounds a bit high. How many levels (chapters) are there going to be in the full game? |
There are seven chapters in the full game.
| DeveloperX wrote: | | If theres any less than 10, then $20 is a bit too high man. I'd buy it for $10, but unless there were some significant additions to it, to increase the replay value, $20 is most certainly too much for this game. |
| Ninkazu wrote: | | I can buy Diablo 2 for $20. Ya. Too high. |
You can also buy boatloads of color matching games for $20 a piece, which is incidentally a big and profitable business. I tend to assume that the people who will buy my game will do so because they would rather play it than Diablo 2 or the color matching game of the week, not because they don't have $20 to pay for Diablo 2.
That said, I probably will reduce the price if the game sells poorly at its current price.
| DeveloperX wrote: | 2. I used neither API, because this computer doesnt like OpenGL, and DirectX crashed when I chose it.
I have an S3 Verge graphics card.
I cant use anything else, cause this is a laptop.
IBM ThinkPad T20
700Mhz, 128MB RAM
Windows 2000 Professional |
Ok. The problem might be caused by poor DirectDraw drivers, in which case you can fix it by turning off hardware acceleration (config->display->hardware acceleration->none). If that doesn't fix the problem, I'm out of ideas.
| DeveloperX wrote: | | 3. I have some ideas for the map system, if you're interested, I can email some concept models. |
The problem isn't ideas, it's the time I would need to invest to create the maps for the whole game world, which is considerable in size. With the lastest update in graphics (labeled stairways and such), it shouldn't be all that hard to navigate without a map.
| Janus wrote: | This game runs really terrible windowed. I have a hard time buying games that badly implement a feature I use whenever I play them. :(
In particular, if you switch to windowed mode and then alt-tab to another window, the game shits itself. It gets worse if you alt-tab back to the game. (This was in OpenGL mode; didn't try it in any other rendering modes.) |
Ah, the joys of Windows graphics drivers. The game pauses when you switch away from it, so it's expected that the window will show garbage until you switch back. Switching back should work without any problems, but appearently it doesn't on your computer. I've just made a small change to the game which should hopefully fix that problem.
| Janus wrote: | | Oh, and a suggestion - Why not use some alpha transparency on those raindrops? They look kinda crappy as-is. :) |
I had to choose between good looking raindrops and acceptable performance under DirectDraw, which doesn't accelerate alpha blits. I chose acceptable performance.
| Janus wrote: | | Also, the controls for firing spells (or whatever it is) feel really rough and unsatisfying. The way they autofire after a few seconds is pretty annoying considering that you ALSO have to charge them. I understand if it's by design, but it doesn't make the game very pleasant to play, at least for me. |
It is by design. I may change the design, but only if a significant number of people complain about this.
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Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:34 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| Rainer Deyke wrote: | | Janus wrote: | | Also, the controls for firing spells (or whatever it is) feel really rough and unsatisfying. The way they autofire after a few seconds is pretty annoying considering that you ALSO have to charge them. I understand if it's by design, but it doesn't make the game very pleasant to play, at least for me. |
It is by design. I may change the design, but only if a significant number of people complain about this. |
Actually, I agree with Janus. I found myself a bit frustrated at times that I would charge up a blast to wait for a slime to jump at me, the avatar would throw it without me asking to and miss the slime, and then the slime would jump and hit me before I could charge up another blast. It feels a little odd that the avatar does something fundamentally important to gameplay like casting an offensive spell without your consent. I think players can get used to it, but I think it would feel more natural to only cast the spell when you release.
You could always make it an option in the preferences for the game whether to throw continuously or to only throw on release.
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DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:13 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| Nephilim wrote: | | Rainer Deyke wrote: | | Janus wrote: | | Also, the controls for firing spells (or whatever it is) feel really rough and unsatisfying. The way they autofire after a few seconds is pretty annoying considering that you ALSO have to charge them. I understand if it's by design, but it doesn't make the game very pleasant to play, at least for me. |
It is by design. I may change the design, but only if a significant number of people complain about this. |
Actually, I agree with Janus. I found myself a bit frustrated at times that I would charge up a blast to wait for a slime to jump at me, the avatar would throw it without me asking to and miss the slime, and then the slime would jump and hit me before I could charge up another blast. It feels a little odd that the avatar does something fundamentally important to gameplay like casting an offensive spell without your consent. I think players can get used to it, but I think it would feel more natural to only cast the spell when you release.
You could always make it an option in the preferences for the game whether to throw continuously or to only throw on release. |
And I have to agree with Nephilim.
An optional control configuration setting would be nice.
Maybe give a chance to choose your own control scheme? I know that my cousin cannot play any games with the arrow keys...he maps the w(up)a(left)d(right)z(down) keys usually for the directions...so custom controls would increase your number of people that will play the game.
I doubt that I'll buy it for $20, unless its much more polished. Sorry.
I'll give $10 for a copy of the final game.
I'll make a 'gamer's guide' for the game for you to sell as well, if you provide me with a 'cheat' where I cannot die, so I can get screens of all the levels, or maybe you can provide screens yourself. Let me know.
Oh yeah, and the DirectDraw thing only bugs out on my laptop.
My desktop plays the game fine in all modes. (500 Mhz, AMD K6-2, 640MB RAM, nVidia geForce MX200 32MB video)
OpenGL caused my laptop to reboot though...I thought it wasnt your game, but it did it 10 times in a row...so OpenGL dont work for me on this comp. :D
Anyway, great lil game, needs a lil more work, but its got potential, and I would enjoy making a guide for it.
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Principal Software Architect
Rambling Indie Games, LLC
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Rainer Deyke
Demon Hunter
Joined: 05 Jun 2002
Posts: 672
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| DeveloperX wrote: | | And I have to agree with Nephilim. |
Ok, that's three votes. I changed the game so that there is no more time limit on how long you can hold a charged spell.
| Quote: | An optional control configuration setting would be nice.
Maybe give a chance to choose your own control scheme? |
That feature has been in the game since long before the first beta release, along with gamepad support. Config->Input->Keyboard Setup. However, wasd (not wazd) is a standardized control used by many games, so I added support for that without having to reconfigure the keyboard input.
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janus
Mage
Joined: 29 Jun 2002
Posts: 464
Location: Issaquah, WA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 11:10 am Post subject: Re: Feyna's Quest v2.0 |
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| Rainer Deyke wrote: | | Janus wrote: | This game runs really terrible windowed. I have a hard time buying games that badly implement a feature I use whenever I play them. :(
In particular, if you switch to windowed mode and then alt-tab to another window, the game shits itself. It gets worse if you alt-tab back to the game. (This was in OpenGL mode; didn't try it in any other rendering modes.) |
Ah, the joys of Windows graphics drivers. The game pauses when you switch away from it, so it's expected that the window will show garbage until you switch back. Switching back should work without any problems, but appearently it doesn't on your computer. I've just made a small change to the game which should hopefully fix that problem. |
Sorry, I assumed that you just hadn't thoroughly tested windowed mode, but it appears I have a system-specific problem:
When I run the game windowed and switch to another program, switching from/to the game causes the game to set me into a seemingly random fullscreen mode without resizing the game window. I then see a portion of the game display in a 640x480 screen, or something like that.
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