Down in the Light Mine

g-o 2017-07-31 11:37

Mmm feels a little unfinished but could be really awesome if u had more time.

I liked

* The graphics * you really made great mood with it and showed skill/effort in terms of shaders. * The models were simple but still very appealing and asthetically pleasing. * The mood was great visually.

I kinda disliked

* Unfinished/buggy state [after game over all bars are zeroed but the actual values are fine, I can shoot etc] * lack of instructions - I think the instructions in the post are great, but just one picture saying I need to look for that arrow would go a long way. I was kinda confused at the first attempts at this game, improving this can really increase in orders of magnitude reception. * lack of music - the mood is a little stale without music. It's kinda a shame since visually you did great. * only one level - kinda takes away from the systems you prepared for the game. I really appreciate you made the upgrade system and it kinda bothers me it wasn't really used because there's only one level.

I guess the dislike list looks a bit long but rly I guess it's the time restriction and management to blame for all of this. So if there's a real criticism to take away is that next LD try to time management better. Still - if this is your first [kinda looks like it] I'm sure you've learned a lot! In that regard you did really well - it seem you learned a lot of pieces and implemented them quite well, it's the assembling of all of the components that was lacking.

Good job =]

g-o 2017-07-31 11:37

[mistake | bad internet connection | pls delete]

g-o 2017-07-31 11:37

[mistake pls delete]

gnerkus 2017-07-31 12:36

Thanks @g-o for the feedback. I'm most grateful. I know what to improve on.

This wasn't my first Ludum Dare but it's the first I've done with 3d art.

avitt 2017-07-31 13:12

This is really well done and has great style. Just missing a few sounds to finish it off. Good work!

polywolf 2017-07-31 15:02

Great concept for a game, but a bit underwhelming.

It mostly is a point-and-click shooter with cool glowy visuals, but there are some bugs that make it not so fun. The GUI glitches out when you restart, the ghosts sometimes lie down on the floor, and there aren't enough levels to make use of the generator functionality.

Still quite good for an LD game.

tuism 2017-07-31 15:07

The visual style is quite cool, I liked the bold textures and glows. But the game itself is lacking from several angles: The bugs have been mentioned already - they're all pretty obvious and glaring, so I won't go over them again.

The core mechanic is interesting but as soon as you know that you can just walk around with the lights off and you know where the trap is, that's it. There needs to be a counterbalance to that so that the dark is actually frightening and you want to keep your lights on.

As with many of these games, I feel like the *feeling* of the character movement can really be improved, and that would add a lot to it. A linear straight-line movement is very... unappealing. A little animation, bobbing up and down, would have made a huge difference, for example.

Yes g-o made a great point - this looks like iti was overscoped for the time and skill level. it's great to challenge oneself, but finishing is also a worthy challenge to tackle :) Good luck :)

nintendoeats 2017-07-31 15:22

Play again doesn't work properly for me on Windows. It loads up with empty meters and then gets super weird when I die.

Basically, I'm really confused. I get what the buttons do, and that enemies won't shoot at you if you turn off the light, but beyond that I have no clue. The post above mine sums it up pretty well and I think you know where the issues are.

The actual use of light is quite nice. I like the overall aesthetic.

boundtotheearth 2017-08-01 14:16

Apart from what was already mentioned (GUI, tutorials, etc), I think the design of the level can be improved. After my first playthrough, i realised that I never even saw more than half the level (i went straight for the arrow once I saw it), including the big enemy and the rest of the ore veins. At the risk of making the game seem more linear, I think just placing the enemies and arrow differently would have helped to showcase all the work you put in for the game.

The glow effect is probably the best part about this game because it does so much in setting the mood and providing visual indicators for the player to follow. I think a good way to fix the problem described by @tusim (being able to just play with lights off), is to REMOVE the glow from the enemies and traps. It'll create a interesting situation where the player needs to turn on the light to see the enemies, but having the light on also attracts the enemies to the player, so the player needs to manage having the light on/off a lot more carefully. Maybe removing the ability to attack the enemies would also help to create the fear/tension.

shezard 2017-08-01 23:43

Aesthetically the game is very beautifull, specilly the glowing orbs (You have to tell me how you did that) But besides the smooth gameplay I think you have to improve the experience in diferent aspects, Level design and some game mechanics. But here we came to learn. Good job!

imphenzia 2017-08-02 07:45

I completed the level and would have liked to continue as I reached the level exit fairly fast. I ran out of shots early and then I just made a mad dash through the level so it could do with some more balancing but I understand that under the time constraints it's difficult to get that just right. The menus looked very primitive too, but again I understand your priorities =) Nice dark mood and it felt fairly responsive to the controls. Nice work and congratulations on your entry.

simple-ghost 2017-08-03 19:06

I like the visual style and general idea. It seems there are multiple interesting game mechanics, but I cannot really understand them. Like ..why monsters don't attack when there is no light etc. It could use some simple tooltips to teach player the basic concept.

simonhutchinson 2017-08-03 19:46

Neat game. I like the hybrid pixel/3D graphics. Really nice work for 48 hours. It makes me want to study Blender more.

thepelranthean 2017-08-03 23:43

So, I think I just like glowing games. This is a glowing game. It glows; I like it.

Of course, it's too bad you didn't have time to finish it, but good job making it look cool.

Also, I liked how the light mechanic played into the game, stopping the enemies but impairing your navigational abilities. It was intriguing. I'd love to see more levels that take advantage of this.

mactinite 2017-08-04 01:11

Like everyone else before me, the visuals are good for sure. The glow adds a lot. Some issues, besides the reset bug and lack of audio, the player controller is kind of weird, the character continues to move after I let up the key, but then comes to a halt. Maybe gravity value on the input? Anyways nice job, these jams are hard and you did something new to you and I'm sure you've learned a lot. :)

excitemike 2017-08-04 03:20

I like the direction it's going!

davideperozzi 2017-08-05 21:12

Looks good but i think it needs a bit more animations on the enemies and the character itself. This would make the game a lot more "juicier" i think. But i like the mood and the shaders u used for it and overall it looked great! :)

cnoble 2017-08-06 14:40

Hello! I really enjoyed the mood on this one, the graphics and the dark setting really pulls you in. I also like the raycast your player sends out prior to the shot. That gives some awesome feedback to the player before they use up their energy, I wish my game had incorporated a similar concept.

A couple of constructive criticism comments, once you die, the bars don't seem to reset. I also wish there was some sort of music vibe going on, you could probably get away with a lot, depending on the atmosphere you are looking for - a slow minimalistic groove for stealth or a fast, heavy downbeat, blast through the enemies sort of track.

Overall, it is a great start to the game, adding more levels will automatically give it some more depth so keep up the great work!! :)

player2point0 2017-08-06 22:42

Great work with the lighting and feel of the game. But I found it a bit confusing, due to the bugs and lack of tutorial.

2017-09-14 13:09

Neat lighting! I included it in my Ludum Dare 39 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eXpztmcl_M