drmargarido 2017-04-24 02:23
Cool concept :grin:
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD38 → RASHLANDER
By ryguydavis
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 62 | 3.91 | 87 | |
| Fun | 67 | 3.78 | 87 | |
| Innovation | 318 | 3.02 | 84 | |
| Theme | 438 | 2.83 | 86 | |
| Graphics | 57 | 4.16 | 86 | |
| Audio | 223 | 3.07 | 81 | |
| Mood | 106 | 3.62 | 81 |
Cool concept :grin:
The game is really fun, and I love the art style :grinning: It's pretty frustrating, but the mechanics work like they're supposed to so I can't really complain. A suggestion would be to make the view slightly more zoomed out? The most frustrating part is when a random rock pops up from off screen and kills me. I think a bigger view could help with that, but it could also just be that I suck.
At first I thought the ship's movement was going to be frustrating. It took me some time to get used to it, but in my opinion getting used to the controls was part of the fun. I felt like giving up when I repeatedly crashed on (or next to) the landing platform. But after many tries I can finally land on them 100% of the time when the landing site is clear of any other obstacle. As you said, the game is ridiculously hard (I can't get past the third level), but it is also quite addictive. I might try again later to see if I can do better. Good job on this one !
Nice graphics, challenging but fun game! I included it in my Ludum Dare 38 compilation [video series](https://youtu.be/CCYaVM8tRMM), if you’d like to take a look :)
@klekky I agree about unfair deaths, they are never good. I have been working over the past week to design away from those, so hopefully fewer surprise explosions in the future. Thanks for playing!
@jebouin Thanks for the great write-up. I agree, I think learning to move is the strongest part of the game, which is why I didn't add too many bells and whistles. The post compo work has been pretty specifically focused on avoiding that "crash 10 times before feeling any reward" thing that happens before you're used to it. I'm glad you feel like coming back after being punished so much by my silly game.
@jupiter-hadley Thanks again Jupiter! Your videos are a highlight of LD.
Cool idea, everyone else was fighting asteroids, this is another point of view and I like it.
Really nice graphics, cool idea! It got a little bit frustrating but i like how hard it is :)
This is easily one of my favorite compo games. I really like the art style and the small polish details that you've put into it : when you die you can see some particles. The game is really hard, like really. It took me a while to finish the first level and when I realized that when I died I restart at level 1 and that the gas persists between levels I realized that the game was much harder than expected. I really liked the fact that you added gravity to obstacles, it really makes the game more fun, especially since you can land on some obstacles!
Pretty nice game, I get it's supposed to be hard, but sometimes it's just unfair. Like when I died coz I touched like 2px offset from the goal.
Wow looks great. Hard as hell, but I like it. It takes me a while to figure out how to land, maybe you should create easier first level ;) Graphics is super cool, the whole experience is very polished, thanks!
This is actually fantastic. One of my favorites so far! The controls feel just right and the physics are really fun. The graphics are great as well. The sound of exploding was really grating though. It'd be better if it was a bit less harsh. I absolutely loved this game though! (I also really liked the difficulty, but I wish that when I died I started over from the level I died in instead of level 1).
Love the programmer art! Nice use of cool effects to spruce up the style.
Honestly, I love everything about this other than the name. RASHlander!?
Still, best LD38 game I've played so far!
I'm in love with the style and feel of the game. The particle effects and the super fluid space flying is impressive. Excellent polish there!
The only complaint I have is purely personal: When playing this game I tended to try getting to the goal as fast as possible, semi-recklessly (trick landings and whatnot) which ended up in frequent deaths (that's not a problem!). After losing in the second level however I was disappointed to see that I got bumped back to the first level, which means playing this game requires a bit of patience and finesse, which doesn't work for all players. Despite that it was fun nonetheless!
What do you mean the fuel is not even replenished after reach level? Thats just cruel!! Excellent work, loved the updated visuals in a retro style and addition of gravity to the classic lander mechanics. Fun, and as advertised incredibly hard. What are all the strange clinky things floating around? Just decoration? I was hoping they might refuel me but seems not. Great game, love the polish.
Nice game, love the retro aesthetics. Rock hard like it says, got to stage 2.
Everything looks very good and moves very smooth. I love the retro style and the tiny details for example that you were able to push the small asteroids or that your spaceship exploded in different parts. It was only a bit frustrating that you have to start at the first area after you died.
A great use of basic colors and posteffects to enhance the picture, I especially love how you implemented the CRT one. Physics and desctuction systems seem fair to me, though it would be better if you made a brake button to slightly slower the speed of the ship.
What is more important, link to the source doesn't work for me and gives 404, could you please reupload it as its abscence violates the rules?
Nice art and gameplay. I like the different FX and sound feedback (the explosion whoo). It's just very difficult but like the same retro game :) Good entry
@eveningwayward Oh shoot! Thank you for the heads up about the source link. It has been updated and works correctly now.
@martenscedric Landing on obstacles is one of my favorite parts!
@redpanda Agreed. Hard is one thing, but unfair is a different story. The current version is much more generous.
@spaceman I know, that explosion sound :( I'm working on it.
@secret-tunnel Yes, RASHlander :) I am open to anyone else telling me the name is no good, but overall I think it's better to get a visceral reaction than none at all.
@adrisj7 I know. It's fun to be reckless, but it's not currently rewarded. Maybe the goal should have some sort of timing bonus so that you can legitimately speed your way through. Thanks for that feedback, it was really great.
@automatonvx Yes, the clinky bits are just to enhance the shadow effect in this version. In the post competition version they play a role with certain upgrades. I think you were right on with your hope that they would restore fuel.
Nice game! I was pretty bad at it, but my friend finished all 5 areas it on his first try! I like the graphics, the shadows, the explosion effects, and how the asteroids look different in each level. Sometimes it is hard to see what is the front of the Rashlander. Really well done! :D
@papaver ...what?? First try? He deserves huge props. Thanks for playing!
Jesus, this is hard! I absolutely loved the art style. I read your post about how you did it and it's pretty awesome! Something that bothered me a little was the explosion SFX, it was super loud, at least on my computer. Lovely FX's though.
Effing great job!
very nice! But it is too hard to start from 1st level when you crashed on 2nd =)
I like the shadows a lot. The little *pink* sound was perfect for the little rocks. Certainly a hard game. Nice entry overall, good job. If you get a chance check out ours https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/down-the-rabbit-hole
Lovely shader work and aesthetics. Once I got used to the controls it got a bit easier but still had a fair bit of challenge to it, good job!
cool game, which i found difficult but still fun and refreshing. nice use of graphics, and odd choice of a name.
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:point_up:That's me banging my head on keyboard after dying for 20th time. Hardest game of this LD so far. Unforgiving gameplay and no saving, it doesn't get more retro than this. But i'm gonna finish it no matter what:rage:
Anyway it was fun and i loved the effects
Congratulations on making such a fun, addictive and complete game. The visuals are amazing and all the little sound effects add a lot to the atmosphere. The game has a surprising amount of depth in managing your fuel consumption and learning the effects of gravity. It feels very rewarding to learn the mechanics of the game.
I'd love it if it was possible to repeat a level after dieing instead of starting again from the beginning though. This game is great, it's the most fun I've had so far good job.
Oh yeah and sometimes when landing on the fuel pad a particle can get stuck between you and stop you from getting fuel.
This is a really fun and challenging game. The controls are not exceptionally intuitive and it took me a bit before I noticed that celestial bodies actully applied gravity upon the ship. Overall the game is great. The graphics look amazing, the audio fits in with the style and the overall gameplay mechanics help the player to feel like they are flying a ship that is stranded, low on fuel and unable to maneuvre effectively against the gravity. The game could use some more instruction in the earlier levels so that the learning curve is smoother. I love the whole retro video game style. It's rather nostalgic for me.
Yeah, super hard! Love the visuals and the FX though. I got to level 2, and almost was able to land, but the gravity from other things was too hard to adjust for. In general, crevices and gaps between two things were too hard for me too account for in terms of control and working against gravity. I liked how the shadows and floating things gave a much better sense of movement though.
Neat game! I beat two areas (It is super hard! Maybe ease up on the ship's rotation smoothing?) . I like the visual style a lot, I just wish there was more opportunity to see those sweet computationally rendered fx other than dying. If you keep working on it, consider adding an additional mechanic other than map navigation. At least in my case it seems like once you get good at navigating after the first area or so, the only hard part of the game is landing the ship, which ultimately ends up making navigating tedious. I like that obstacles have gravity and can pull you in, maybe add an effect that communicates that, like distortion/lensing or something? Also, how are you doing that explosion effect? Z-buffer abuse with a mask?
Absolutely love the style of your game :smiley: Well done :slight_smile:
I think THAT is the BEST game of this Jam. That game is just amazing!
Interesting art style, very clean and retro. The controls were pure frustration though, but I guess that was the goal... :rage:
I got to area three on my first try, then messed around with a bomb and died because I forgot about permadeath. Yeah. This game was great though. The art was incredible (nice use of shaders) and the sound effects were spot on. I loved the one when you hit a little space rock. The gameplay was great as well. It definitely encourages patience, and sitting there watching the screen and trying to use gravity to slingshot myself made me feel like a real space-pilot. This game was incredible, and it's definitely going on my list of favorite games this time around, but the one bit of criticism I have is that it fit the theme really loosely. Aside from that everything was spot on. Great work.
EDIT: I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the rocket particles. Watching them hit asteroids was exhilarating.
@glimaleite Thanks! I agree, totally.
@bwalter I was going for something visceral, but it might have been a rash decision.
@hdteav Unfortunately and fortunately retro is pretty synonymous with stupid hard. I'm working on better mechanisms to make it seem worth it. Thanks for playing :)
@adamalexander It's amazing how setting a limit like fuel makes simple tasks suddenly more engaging. Thanks for noticing and playing!
@dracominer I wondered how to signal gravity better, too. It's a tough nut to crack.
@samlo Yeah! The explosion is two circles, both grow at more or less the same speed, but the second circle cuts into the first one. Took my 5 minutes, ironically.
@dragon-coder This made my day, thanks.
@morrilet I love the little plink sounds and the rocket particles, too! Spent more time on that than was probably necessary, haha. Thanks so much!
Thought you had to do all levels one tank of fuel. Not *that* would be hard (hint). Not sure if it's doable or not though. But, I actually liked the game better when I thought you had very limited fuel. Made it so that you had to go *super* easy on the gas pedal.
Why you start back at 1!!!!!!!!???
@symmsaur It's really a strange effect, isn't it? There's something about a sort of "famine mode" that's interesting. I'll keep that in mind.
@nbilyk Haha I said it was hard..? Let's just call it a roguelike.
I never imagined there would be a game that would get a 5 from me in more than three categories, but you've really managed to nail this down. The gameplay is solid and I love all the little details! Extremely impressive and surprisingly fun for a compo game. I personally enjoy challenges, and this game certainly didn't disappoint on that front either! ;)
Hope you will have a try at my game too! It lacks some polish, but for my first game jam I think it came out pretty well; the link is https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/invasion
**EDIT:** **I'm currently trying to beat RASHLANDER without refueling**. Here is my first attempt - do note the awesome strat test at AREA 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R3TIdmfqf8
At this rate I'll both get the Steam key and prove that this is possible before the end of the day.
**UPDATE:** Things are going pretty smoothly; I took a break and headed back amidst the asteroids. Here's how that went:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ca55w_ne4
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**UPDATE THE SECOND:** After just 36 attempts, **I beat the game in 3:40 with only a single refuel.** You are welcome to try better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3clFRB8ZRY
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Unless someone can improve, I think that marks the end of my journey with this game. It sure was a blast!
I gotta say, more than difficult, this seems to be unbalanced.
World generation doesn't seem to account for the fact that you'll have to maneuver around planet(s) to get to the station. At times, simply trying to apply enough force to launch you toward the station (or simply away from a planet) will make you get grabbed by another planet's gravity faster than you can react.
The game end up being more luck than skill based, since having a good world gen. helps way more than any skill...
Still, you were able to make me keep playing for quite a while, getting as far as area 5... So, yeah... I quite liked it! :sweat_smile:
The light effects and the death animation are really cool!
EDIT: Forgot to add a picture of my failure... just because XD
gfm_rashlander_score_000.png
Rashlander is a superb name. Tells me right away what I need to know: it's a bit like the mechanics of Lander but I will be taking ALL the risks.
A great game, but yeah pretty unforgiving. Area 4 was the furthest I could get.
I do like that saving fuel in early good performance is important, but perhaps some kind of refuelling mechanic (powerups, time bonus etc) so that it doesn't just feel like a lost cause if you have low fuel by area 2.
My god, I now have a burning desire to complete this monster of a game. Really well made. I didn't realise the asteroids applied gravity for a while. And looking at other comments, you can refuel too?? Now I have to complete it. Really nice aesthetics, great gameplay, love the sound effects, consider this a CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
Seriously, in my top 5 LD games so far, great work
randomly appeared stuck at the start of the level a few times. I did't like the almost 'on/off' level of gravity impact from the objects. it almost seemed like there was a boundary box that gravity would turn on and a significant level. made it nearly impossible to do gravity assisted maneuvering.
controls works basically as expected.
I really like the game and the difficulty but i'm not a fan of the permadeath. Having to replay level 1 after i had finished it a bunch of times got a bit annoying. I really like the controls even though they're hard at first. Really gives you something to master. The shadows are incredible as well. Nice job!
Wow, nice game! The graphics are simple, but really pack a punch. I really wanted to keep playing this but I have to stop at some point and do Homework! Good work. Here, if you want to check my game out too I'd really appreciate it: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/slovenly-shopper
i really liked the style and the combination of filters used for it gameplay is hard but very smooth great entry!
The game looks and feels great, but it was a bit difficult for me. Good job!
What a devilish way of getting people to keep playing and not quit from the death restart ;) I liked the visual effects, you got away with simpler graphics just with the shaders and juice. Very challenging game but seems doable enough that you're willing to continue (until you die on the 4th level for the 10th time)
It's very challenging, but it captures and amplifies the feeling of the Atari Lunar Lander game. The visuals are great.
Wow. That was a hell of a trip. And I enjoyed every bit of it.
Well, actually, upon my first contact with game, I was convinced that the ship was too unmanageable and astounded by the fact that you only get one tank of fuel for the whole game (this is a side-effect of me actually not reading the description before playing; I discovered that you can refuel by accident in the 6th/7th try). But after many (many, many) failed attemps, my love for the simple yet challenging controls grew steady and now every element of the game feels just in the right place.
Needless to say, the graphics and sfxs were amazing as well, I especially like how you combined old school 8-bit pixelart with modern image effect techniques and shaders, it looks amazing!
I don't know what else I can say, for me this is a 5☆ entry no doubt. Awesome job, be proud of your little game!
Oh, yeah, right, I get way too excited when I finally beat the last level, so I take a shot with my phone's camera instead of a screenshot, here it is:
index.jpg
Awesomely made game, the retro aesthetics are very well handled and the game is hard as shit. I'm really really bad at it but I still love it, didn't even manage to beat the first level xD
So I just had to do this too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHybPJT-QAg
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The more I play, the more I appreciate all the visual and mechanics-related details. Fantastic compo entry!
Man your game is difficult! Managed to finish area 1 at least once before running out of fuel. Really like how you used the scanlines and shadow effects.
This was great. Was a good combination of difficult and kind of loopy cartoony fun. I thought the only thing that felt off was the controls seem a bit slidey. That might be intentional, but whenever I play a game like this I feel like there should be room for a little bit of fine tuned maneuvering. Otherwise if you tossed in some alternate environments that you could end up teleporting into I think this could very easily make for a nice game entry to the really hardcore games. Like I think the Impossible game was one of them, or maybe even the next Flappy Bird that torments folks on mobile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE-Jd01zDgs
**"Tough", as in "trying to thread a needle while being beaten by a gorilla on bath salts"? Oh, well then, indeed.**
But yes, learning how to play is half the fun ;)
Very well done - didn't notice any bugs, game is unforgiving to the point I feel it's unfair, though I **know** every crash is my fault.
Exceptional graphics, very nice shaders you got there, and very good feel overall, including the fitting sounds. Feels very professional - surprisingly polished for compo restraints, might I add.
Although I still feel that while hinting at dynamic gameplay doesn't sit well here, I believe that with much practice it could be dynamic indeed, it's just me who tries to beat the level going grandpa speed.
One of the better entries this LD. Great job!
I LOVE this game! I have a huge soft spot for brutal but fluid arcade games, and this fits perfectly. You can probably see the same DNA in my entry.
Love: the shaders, the difficulty, the level palette changes (very nostalgic somehow), the mechanics. I also love the shadows and the floating debris, those are shocking flourishes for a compo entry.
Uncertain: I'm on the fence about the gravitation. The game might be difficult enough without the subtle gravitation removing some of the players' control. That said, it does feel cool
Wishes: I wish that the spawn points had a guaranteed distance from obstacles. Sometimes I have spawned within pixels of an obstacle and was essentially instagibbed. I also wish there was music, to which you say "LOL @mwcz do you even compo?" and then I slink away.
I will definitely be coming back to this one periodically to try to beat it.
(btw, on the game's page, the <title> is "New project")
Exceptional game. Even though it's hard, it's more fun than Lunar Lander, probably because of the multiple gravity wells.
This game is so addictive, I can't stop playing until I finished him. The only thing you can do to improve it is to add a music, good job!
Holy, crap. You are right, the game is outrageously hard!
If you didn't restart at Area 1 after each death and there weren't any unfair levels (that you apparently know of already), then this difficulty level would be acceptable. But restarting every time from 0 is not hard, that's frustrating.
That's pretty sad, because the game itself is super slick. Reminds me of a modernized Crazy Gravity, with actual gravity.
Super sexy shader and particles. But after making it to level 3 twice and then having to restart from zero... trying one more time would mean I have to buy a new laptop because I'd unavoidably thrash this one.
This game would be my favorite so far, if it wasn't for the frustrating restarting...
An enjoyable space debris navigating game. The graphics and sounds are both quite simple, but i realise that's the style you were aiming for. The shadow casting is the main thing which stands out for me, as I haven't seen it used before in this kind of environment. So some novelty value there. Beneath that, the gameplay is quite difficult, and the permadeath is a bit annoying. I only managed level 2. Overall though, it seems to be well designed and executed. :)
I love how harsh this game is, reminds me of trying to dock in the original Elite on my Amiga 500. Had this game been available then, we'd played it to bits. Pretty amazing that now it's just someone's 48 hour project!
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Really nice job, my favorite so far.
Very polished, and fun!
This was really too hard for me, although I'm not really a difficulty guy at all so probably not the target audience. I played for a while though and did the first couple of areas, I did really appreciate the aesthetic and the audio as it created a great lo-fi mood
This game is awesome and has amazing retro graphics.I liked it. Please rate my game here to get 20 pleeeeaaaase. https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/monster-island
Super fun, I really like the artstyle, altough some ardacic(?) music would have been great. Also you hardly feel the gravity of the objects unless you are in close proximity, so the gravity feature doesn't add that much to the experience.
Nice touch on the old retro style graphics which are very simple, but the shading and graphic effects really make it pop. Landing the little craft is quite difficult, but it kept me hooked for several retries. I expected to be able to shoot stuff, but wasn't really all that disappointed I had no guns. I sometimes got distracted looking at the lovely graphical effects while my ship crashed lol. This is one of the better entries I've seen. Nice job!
Really difficult, but as your post said, it is clear that the game is "hard but fair".
Graphics are minimal but very consistent and likewise with the audio.
The particle effects and tiny collision objects are a really nice detail that add a sense of polish to an otherwise rather simple game.
Personally I do feel the learning curve is a bit too steep, especially given that you must touch down on the landing pad to win (as opposed to reaching a target area), but then again some people like that.
All in all, I think it stands as-is very nicely while still leaving room for further mechanics down the road.
The game was hard from the start but it wasn't so hard that I got frustrated and quit, and I could feel myself getting better every try. I had loads of fun playing this game. The graphics were so well made and the sound effects really fitted in. Great job!!
One of my favorites in LD 38. The retro style kills me. I love pixels and scan line.
Though the permanent death is really frustrating. Want a checkpoint...
I think, I would appreciate this game more without the janky pixel art. at times, I don't even know where my feet are. also, the difficulty feels artificial and unfair at times. but I really like the concept so good job on that!
P.S. RATE MORE GAMES! some people are really struggling to get enough votes
Tough game, but possible if you're cautious and take it slow! Managed to get to stage 5, but then I got spawned inside a cluster of asteroids and couldn't orient myself fast enough to get out before the invincibility wore off. The asteroids masking the light was a nice touch that added a sense of claustrophobia without actually impairing situational awareness.
Really liked the retro graphics and sound effects. Gameplay was challenging but fun.
I enjoyed playing. The movement was challenging to get the hang of, but it felt rewarding when you got things just right. It would have been nice if you restarted from the stage you were on when you die, though.
Great game, really challenging, I truely enjoyed it !!! It was first a bit hard to get used to the controls and inertia, but once you understand how it works it becomes really amusing.
The only frustrating thing is that sometimes, when ou change level, you appear close to a "planet" and get instantly crushed.
Now give me the steam key ! :grin:
Finisher2.png