TrapThem - creating a new arcade-classic

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2011-06-06 10:16:51 am

J_SNAKE: 2011-06-06 09:18:31 am

J_SNAKE: 2011-06-06 09:09:30 am

2011-06-06 09:08:49 am

You will get the editor to quickly start the levels. It follows "what you see is what you play"-style so you can modify and playtest everything in real-time all the way through.

Yes, I think a time-counter makes sense. It is in the final game but not in the editor. The editor shows only the step-count. It is often interesting to find a solution requiering less steps. For speedrunners a time-counter serves a great purpose for sure.

J_SNAKE

2011-06-06 10:20:51 am

Ok, I will hand out the link for all of you. Just make sure to paste TrapThemMaps directly to C: before installing (windows only). For further editor-information please read the included editorREADME. It should cover all the issues you might have.

Link:
http://depositfiles.com/de/files/o18wfrm76

Ok, have fun to discover TrapThem and report me your experience:)

Ntsc

2011-06-07 04:02:33 am

I'll have to install the english XNA framework and play with it a bit tomorrow. Sorry I didn't know it was in german until I ran the installer.

J_SNAKE

2011-06-07 05:25:35 am

German is just the text on the install window. You don't need to read it. It is just trying to install the usual net runtime stuff of microsoft before installing the game, in case you don't have it already. If you install the complete framework to program with then this step will become obsolete anyway and it jumps to installing the game.

horscht(i)

Edit history:

horscht(i): 2011-06-07 10:25:43 am

2011-06-07 10:18:50 am

defrag in progress

Quote from J_SNAKE:

Here you go. Ishoot looks like a shitty worms clone or something close and it made the person a millionaire.

Two tanks battling each other...this is far older than Worms. I remember this game concept being a QBASIC advanced programming lesson. This was also installed on my old programmable calculator that had a BASIC engine. Ok, here you have the graphics and different weapons, but that`s it.

J_SNAKE

2011-06-07 12:06:37 pm

Doesn't matter anyway. TrapThem is simply too brainy and too much game to become popular or something.
Next games will maintain an innovative high-quality level and require less brain, but they will reward you for using it.

Anyway, if you give TrapThem a chance, you will see it is likely the most interesting and varied thing in its genre, featuring a beautiful consistent rule-set without many sharp edges.

J_SNAKE

2011-06-17 03:52:58 pm

So far it is really interesting to see how everyone approaches TrapThem differently, with individual view on the problem and individual set of tools. Many different solutions are provided but all of them are not too cheap. That is a great achievement from game-design perspective.

Another fun-part is that some are already claiming that some levels are not solveable. That is good news. You cannot expect to get a master in TrapThem in a week, he:P
Only poor games allow you to feel so.

J_SNAKE

2011-06-20 07:33:32 pm

It is cool to see how ambitious gamers approach TrapThem:

Enthusiast Play:

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2011-06-26 04:23:12 pm

2011-06-26 04:18:57 pm

This video will be private soon. Advanced Puzzle-Demo: Spoiler, do not watch

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2011-08-16 07:32:48 pm

J_SNAKE: 2011-08-16 07:32:25 pm

J_SNAKE: 2011-08-16 07:32:12 pm

2011-08-16 07:24:59 pm

Minimum Specs: Commodore64 ;)

J_SNAKE

2011-11-09 07:14:58 pm

Poision Envy

2011-11-09 09:23:07 pm

Club 27 Goals

heh, reminds me of Dwarf fortress.

J_SNAKE

2011-11-10 05:55:21 am

Little you see, young padawan

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2011-12-23 06:53:50 pm

J_SNAKE: 2011-12-23 06:49:59 pm

J_SNAKE: 2011-12-23 06:49:31 pm

2011-12-23 06:48:38 pm

So gamers, your opinion would help to take certain decisions:

I have finally some time to dedicate to TrapThem again. Currently I am integrating the tutorial-system into the game. The tut-levels are designed to teach you each piece of the rule-set through discovery. Now if a rule-set manual is going to be included, how about that you have to unlock it first in order to read it? It will be the reward and motivation for completing the tut-levels (since some seem to like to feel smart through discovery).

So the question is: Should the manual be included by default or through unlocking?
Do you think that sort of unlocking adds to the rewarding feel or is it just annoying?

ryu

2011-12-24 06:31:50 am

if there would be messages popping up, notifying me of how i've unlocked parts of the manual i'd definitely be annoyed. i'd wonder if that's some kind of joke, though that's probably just because i've got a set convention for a manual and how it's supposed to be used.

i'd say include the manual from the beginning. not everyone reads it anyways.

J_SNAKE

2011-12-24 08:06:22 am

The manual is supposed to be unlocked just once when you get through all the tut-levels.

ryu

2011-12-24 09:33:28 am

oh. yeah, that makes sense. sounds fine as long as you don't have a text message popping up telling the player about it. just have it locked in the menu and then suddenly unlocked after the tut levels.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-01-30 12:18:09 am

2012-01-29 12:23:31 am

This example also shows how quickly TrapThem can turn into an action-beast. Hardcore players are all welcome. I think Cpadolf will have some fun with this one.

J_SNAKE

2012-01-30 10:06:20 pm

Mastering Network of Doom, presenting some of the best gameplay-elements in video-game history

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-02-09 07:51:43 pm

2012-02-09 07:43:59 pm

some C64-gameplay: Poison Envy, if you manage to watch it to the end then Gothic2 will look pleasant to your eyes, hehe.

Metroid_Zelda Fan

2012-02-27 12:08:08 am

I've just watched through all these videos and I have to say that this looks like a great game. Is there a current download link to it? I'd love to play it and give some feedback, but the current link doesn't seem to work. Is there no released version at this point?

J_SNAKE

2012-02-27 08:06:40 pm

Thanks. My part of the game is almost done. The remaining challenge is just continuing adding quality maps. Every map is treated with serious dedication and respect.

At this point I decided to provide the finished thing.
The problem is only the music and the artist part. I was not satisfied with some people I currently worked with so I need to search for some other people. Good people are not easy to find for me since it is my first commercial side-project and no one knows my qualities yet.

The gone link was the editor and I found it is a better habit to provide this thing to dedicated players/testers since on average people are too lazy to read a readme to work with it, they will be turned off.

But I might provide a tutorial-demo. That is where feedback is required most. It is intended to have a nice flow and teach you the rules almost just by playing with least text possible. But I would prefer to release it when the polish is there. It is hard to impress people with gameplay alone. I will let you know here and on the youtube-channel. TrapThem will certainly not be delayed for too long from now on.

Thanks. My part of the game is almost done. The remaining challenge is just continuing adding quality maps. Every map is treated with serious dedication and respect.

At this point I decided to provide the finished thing.
The problem is only the music and the artist part. I was not satisfied with some people I currently worked with so I need to search for some other people. Good people are not easy to find for me since it is my first commercial side-project and no one knows my qualities yet.

The gone link was the editor and I found it is a better habit to provide this thing to dedicated players/testers since on average people are too lazy to read a readme to work with it, they will be turned off.

But I might provide a tutorial-demo. That is where feedback is required most. It is intended to have a nice flow and teach you the rules almost just by playing with least text possible. But I would prefer to release it when the polish is there. It is hard to impress people with gameplay alone. I will let you know here and on the youtube-channel. TrapThem will certainly not be delayed for too long from now on.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-04-22 11:34:00 am

2012-04-15 08:24:53 pm

J_SNAKE

2012-05-21 06:52:38 pm

Phase 1 of final playtesting is complete. The feedback has been overwhelming. Even people turned off by puzzle games got addicted. The variety of gameplay and the psychological tricks it plays on the testers has never failed to succeed. Their mind was blown. I take it as a great sign.

Tutorial is the critical point. If the player manages to go smoothly through it he is sold. Otherwise he will give up, not realising the phenomenal potential the game has to offer. So I am still optimizing the tutorial-levels to keep a smooth introduction but ensuring the player consciously discovers the rule-set and the basic problem-solving-ideas of the game.

TrapThem is actually an important step to my Metroid-Rethought. TrapThem-physics and its igniter-bomb-play will be a component of it.

I recently found some artists. Let's hope they are able to endure my critical mind.

J_SNAKE

Edit history:

J_SNAKE: 2012-05-26 12:50:18 am

J_SNAKE: 2012-05-26 12:26:28 am

J_SNAKE: 2012-05-25 01:58:27 pm

J_SNAKE: 2012-05-25 01:57:47 pm

2012-05-25 01:55:31 pm

New Physics-Add: The crystals fall with the blocks. It has been a tough decision. But I feel it is a good one at this point. Btw. that biting-robot is the first thing that is supposed to be finished by my artist(only the small jet-stream is missing down below) (everything else just placeholders). How do you like its look?