TrapThem - creating a new arcade-classic

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-08-02 12:28:49 am

2012-08-02 12:28:11 am

Aha-moments is a mesuare for the game's variety and creativity demands. It is one of the most important attributes in a great puzzle-game.
You must be a boring gamer.

Poision Envy

2012-08-02 12:45:27 am

Club 27 Goals

if you consider me a "boring gamer" because I was asking you questions about your game, you must be a horrible game developer. Or perhaps that doesn't show what sort of game dev you are, but instead what kind of person you are in relation to dealing with people.

judging a puzzle game purely on "aha" moments is poor. Hell can you even explain what an "aha" moment really is? Is it just when the person figures out how to solve something? You never did comment on my previous questions and instead tried to insult me, so I'll just assume you don't have any idea what you're doing in relation to those either.

Time will tell if this game is just mediocre or actually interesting, but if you treat everyone who wants to talk about your game like this I won't hold my breath.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-08-02 08:32:41 pm

J_SNAKE: 2012-08-02 08:31:24 pm

2012-08-02 08:28:33 pm

I am entirely fair and have answered all the questions you are throwing at me.
The game is not only about aha-moments. It provides various types of challenges. There are videos explaining the rule-set. If you would be interested in knowing what it is you would look them up, instead of coming up with assumptions being remote to the actual game.

Regarding the score, most players will just be happy to solve the puzzles. Hardcores can make up challenges for themselves like solving a level in less steps possible, what often brings up new solution-ideas since many levels can be solved in multiple ways. Least steps and best times, those 2 things will be tracked down. I think it suffice. If publishing it on steam (the game should get there) requires me to add achievements then I will consider to add them in the most meaningfull way possible.

tomatobob

2012-08-02 08:46:59 pm

One shall stand, one shall ball.

Quote from J_SNAKE:

I am entirely fair and have answered all the questions you are throwing at me.

Putting together a string of words that are related to the question is not the same as answering the question.

J_SNAKE

2012-08-02 08:52:01 pm

Then tell me what I haven't answered. I can elaborate on progression and story. But it's not like it will add the meat which wasn't there already.

Silverthorne

2012-08-08 06:16:16 pm

!upmootk0mg

Quote from J_SNAKE:

Then tell me what I haven't answered. I can elaborate on progression and story. But it's not like it will add the meat which wasn't there already.

Why is your game Copypasta?

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-08-09 06:17:31 pm

2012-08-09 06:15:47 pm

I have an exercise for you to get higher system-awareness:

1. Implement rodent's revenge physics + gravity

2. Implement traphthem's physics

3. Compare them and you will get the best answer possible, that is you cannot apply copypaste to obtain trapthem

J_SNAKE

2012-08-24 08:00:37 pm

You can see the finished stones and blue crystals in this video. The video-quality is not good though. I better provide a screenshot later on.

ryu

2012-08-24 09:30:16 pm

that would be great

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-08-27 02:58:47 pm

2012-08-27 02:56:35 pm

Here is the current look. The gameplay-tiles and crystals are finished (except for the exit), I am ok with them. All the rest of the graphics will be changed in the process.

ryu

2012-08-29 10:56:25 pm

as far as tiles go that was the style i was originally going for as well. i ended up playing around though since i wasn't able to get it quite right (to my liking) fast enough. i should have kept trying i guess.

anyways that looks fine enough. i'd add more detail to the tiles though, they look way too polished for rocks. the gems are well done.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-09-25 08:42:26 am

J_SNAKE: 2012-09-25 08:42:04 am

2012-09-24 09:47:34 pm

The question you can discuss is why don't console-devs offer rebindable buttons. It used to be common in pc-space.

J_SNAKE

2012-11-20 08:50:21 pm

J_SNAKE

2012-12-22 07:09:08 pm

My main focus is gameplay but I hope it is also pleasant to look at.

The vid quality is a bit worse than expected but you get the idea.

Let me know what you think.

J_SNAKE

2013-02-04 07:37:49 pm

description:

next to come:
TrapThem - Trailer and the windows desktop-pc-demo. It is considered to be timed with the Steam Greenlight release.

If it captures your interest and you want to know more about the quality of the game right now:

The rule-set of the game you see is simple but clever, it is based on complementary elements. That allows to express and form a rich pool of action- and puzzle-gameplay. The puzzles can achieve mind-bending difficulty, but remain always fair.

Good rules mean nothing without competent implementation:
TrapThem is designed to offer best possible sportive/competitive quality by principle. It is one of very few games which offer ideal clockwork-perfect mechanics. Every little detail down to the specially designed game-loop is consciously analysed and implemented.

It is a serious attempt at providing gameplay-perfection. But it is also the intention to make thinking a fun process, and I hope some of you will value all that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxWiIpk7CsY

description:

next to come:
TrapThem - Trailer and the windows desktop-pc-demo. It is considered to be timed with the Steam Greenlight release.

If it captures your interest and you want to know more about the quality of the game right now:

The rule-set of the game you see is simple but clever, it is based on complementary elements. That allows to express and form a rich pool of action- and puzzle-gameplay. The puzzles can achieve mind-bending difficulty, but remain always fair.

Good rules mean nothing without competent implementation: 
TrapThem is designed to offer best possible sportive/competitive quality by principle. It is one of very few games which offer ideal clockwork-perfect mechanics. Every little detail down to the specially designed game-loop is consciously analysed and implemented.

It is a serious attempt at providing gameplay-perfection. But it is also the intention to make thinking a fun process, and I hope some of you will value all that.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2013-04-06 02:52:39 pm

2013-04-06 02:51:46 pm

I think some of you might represent the crowd on steam. So how do you like the prototype-trailer. The music isn't original and not in sync, just an inspiration for the composer.

I would like to hear what impression you got from it (unfortunately it is really hard to make the game justice within a short time-window). I am all ears.

It is also available in 720p now.

J_SNAKE

2013-04-07 06:53:53 pm

Prototype - version 2. Now communicating the goal at the beginning and added camera work (audio still placeholder)

Tell me how you like it.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2013-04-08 07:39:40 pm

2013-04-08 07:39:01 pm

new iteration: less amount of mechanics, more elaboration on the shown ones, still kick ass format

J_SNAKE

2013-04-09 10:43:41 am

Now I shortened the clips in places where it is safe, added a rounder ending, still under 2 minutes. Let me know how you like the ending. (audio still placeholder, of course)

J_SNAKE

2013-04-13 08:21:51 am

Working out a description. Would be nice one of you native speakers can confirm it reads well:

5 data chips, containing groundbreaking scientific knowledge, have been sealed in crystals and scattered inside the mountain of Fermi Island. The RoboTTech corporation has already sent their robots to search for those data chips. Your agency now fears the abuse of this knowledge and sends you on a top secret mission to find the data chips first.

TrapThem is a puzzle game about exploring a non-linear interconnected system of caves. Search for the data chips, outsmart the robots and avoid being caught. Face a large variety of challenging and mentally stimulating problems. Most caves offer multiple solutions and reward the creativity of the player.

features:

- innovative block-physics

- large variety of problems

- multiple solutions rewarding player's creativity

- puzzles which will bend even the strongest minds

- 100+ hours of playtime

- solid game mechanics

- smooth gameplay in 60fps

Working out a description. Would be nice one of you native speakers can confirm it reads well:

5 data chips, containing groundbreaking scientific knowledge, have been sealed in crystals and scattered inside the mountain of Fermi Island. The RoboTTech corporation has already sent their robots to search for those data chips. Your agency now fears the abuse of this knowledge and sends you on a top secret mission to find the data chips first.    
                                                                                
TrapThem is a puzzle game about exploring a non-linear interconnected system of caves. Search for the data chips, outsmart the robots and avoid being caught. Face a large variety of challenging and mentally stimulating problems. Most caves offer multiple solutions and reward the creativity of the player.

features:

- innovative block-physics

- large variety of problems

- multiple solutions rewarding player's creativity

- puzzles which will bend even the strongest minds

- 100+ hours of playtime

- solid game mechanics

- smooth gameplay in 60fps

J_SNAKE

2013-05-04 12:23:40 pm

Working on the trailer now.

Da Dood

2013-05-04 01:42:57 pm

Dood Trigger™

"Large variety of problems" may not be the best way to advertise your product... just saying.

Kitsune_Phoenix

2013-05-04 03:11:34 pm

Ta'kaya as "Teyla the Demiphoenix"

I think he meant "problems" as in "puzzles".

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2013-05-04 07:14:03 pm

J_SNAKE: 2013-05-04 03:46:32 pm

J_SNAKE: 2013-05-04 03:45:58 pm

2013-05-04 03:45:31 pm

Yeah, thanks, I changed that for the feature list to "challenges". Btw. both of the videos represent footage from the final game. It should be possible to understand the point in both of them just by watching the presented stuff. I hope these 2 vids + the trailer will suffice to give a good taste for the game.

I have polished up the description a bit. This how it looks now:

5 data chips, containing groundbreaking scientific knowledge, have been sealed in crystals and scattered inside the mountain of Fermi Island. The notorious RoboTTech corporation has already sent numerous robots to search for those invaluable objects. Your agency now fears the abuse of this knowledge and sends you on a top secret mission to find the data chips before they fall into wrong hands.

TrapThem is a puzzle game about exploring a non-linear interconnected system of caves. Search for the data chips, outsmart the robots and avoid being caught. Face a large variety of mentally stimulating challenges. Most caves offer multiple solutions and reward the creativity of the player.

features:

- innovative block physics

- large variety of challenges

- multiple solutions rewarding player's creativity

- puzzles which will bend even the strongest minds

- 100+ caves to explore

- smooth gameplay in 60fps

Yeah, thanks, I changed that for the feature list to "challenges". Btw. both of the videos represent footage from the final game. It should be possible to understand the point in both of them just by watching the presented stuff. I hope these 2 vids + the trailer will suffice to give a good taste for the game.

I have polished up the description a bit. This how it looks now:

5 data chips, containing groundbreaking scientific knowledge, have been sealed in crystals and scattered inside the mountain of Fermi Island. The notorious RoboTTech corporation has already sent numerous robots to search for those invaluable objects. Your agency now fears the abuse of this knowledge and sends you on a top secret mission to find the data chips before they fall into wrong hands.  
                                                                              
TrapThem is a puzzle game about exploring a non-linear interconnected system of caves. Search for the data chips, outsmart the robots and avoid being caught. Face a large variety of mentally stimulating challenges. Most caves offer multiple solutions and reward the creativity of the player.

features:

- innovative block physics

- large variety of challenges

- multiple solutions rewarding player's creativity

- puzzles which will bend even the strongest minds

- 100+ caves to explore

- smooth gameplay in 60fps

Da Dood

2013-05-04 04:32:49 pm

Dood Trigger™

Quote from Kitsune_Phoenix:

I think he meant "problems" as in "puzzles".

Yeah. It's just best to avoid that word when you're promoting something. I used to work at an ad agency and the director would flip out when people used the word "no" in a short text... heh.