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Tax Rebel
Tax Rebel
By lereveur
View on ldjam.com
| Category | Rank | Score | Count |
|
|---|
| Overall | 731 | 2.87 | 65 | |
| Fun | 547 | 2.95 | 65 | |
| Innovation | 503 | 2.93 | 65 | |
| Theme | 757 | 2.78 | 63 | |
| Graphics | 758 | 2.33 | 65 | |
| Humor | 390 | 2.45 | 61 | |
| Mood | 744 | 2.46 | 62 | |
Comments
Thanks for this game! I think overall it's fun. I think the map is well-designed. It takes a bit of figuring out and I find I can get immersed in trying to find my way.
Personally, I found the path-finding to be acceptable, because I only wanted to move short distances at a time. So the path-finding you mentioned in your post did not bother me at all. :-)
I also liked the behaviour of the robots once they saw you because: a) It's exciting, and b) it's possible to run away and eventually lose them if you choose your path carefully.
There was one question I found myself asking frequently during my play: How can I know what areas the robots can see? Are the thin grey things glass that they can see through? Can they see past the diagonal blocks in the middle? If you're thinking of taking this game farther (and if the following idea is compatible with your vision for the game), then I think having a visual cue of some kind (maybe spotlights or lighting tiles?) might be helpful. Just a thought though!
Anyway, was fun! Very happy to have played it. :-)
I thought this was really fun! It played well and made sense, the indicators on the guards are perfect. Nice job! (and thank you for the charming, flattering comment on my game, too!) :heart:
This is a cool stealth game. I agree that some kind of vision indicator or warning when they are close to seeing you would be nice, but the running from an aggro is also pretty fun. I would maybe have preferred arrow controls to clicking, but it isn't bad, and the pathfinding seems pretty good.
lereveur
2017-08-01 05:15
Hi, and thank you to played my game! First, I have to say that it was an exercise to learn how to make a pathfinder (each time I tried before, I failed, so I really had to understand how it works), and after I succeed to make it, I wanted to test another of my leaks : basic enemy IA. And in the middle of that, I find out that I didn't have to change my test configuration, with player character moving with pathfinding too - that's why I warn out about it. ;) About the robot-guards : be careful, the more you have stolen power, the faster they patrol! Then, the problematic part : the sight of the robot-guards. Theorically, I thinked it that way : they see 6 tiles far, while not moving, they watch 360° around for 3 seconds, and when moving they watch 120° (60 each side) in the direction they are moving. But in reality, even after debugging it long and hard, I'm not totally sure that they fulfill completly this task… And, yes, they can see throught the glass (I should have mentioned it, the bluish grey thin walls are glass). In the way I have coded this, they should not can see trought diagonals, but I had this feeling some times, so, as I said, I'm not sure of what they can do or not - what is kindly ironic for the one who coded them… Ha ha! Yes, I could try to materialize their sight, but I'm not sure this would be accurate (and easy, notably because of the walls - I'm afraid it's yet out of my competance today). I join you about the exciting of play hide and seek with the guards, I barely not passed the submission time, trying to get more points to make the entry game screen ha ha!
The pathfinding worked quite well and the AIs are damn good programmed. Good luck for your future games!
The pathfinding worked quite well and the AIs are damn good programmed. Good luck for your future games!
lereveur
2017-08-01 19:30
I corrected a bug with the guards's sight, added a debug mode (hit F6 to activate), and added some tips & infos in the description up there.
tyguy
2017-08-01 21:21
It took me a while to figure out but when I did it was challenging (it took me like 10 tries to capture my first charge)! I agree with an earlier post, materializing sight may have been out of the scope of a project in Ludum Dare but I think it would be a very helpful component for players. I am glad you were able to capture the frustration of having my TV shut off while drinking my oil beer :joy:
The pathfinding is really good, with both the player and AI, but man this game is unforgiving, the vision of enemies seem to spot you if you stand too close to corners.
Still, despite the difficulty I still wanted to try again and again to score a point, so it is pretty addictive.
The only improvement I could think of is to open up the middle area of the map, as on a couple of attempts I ended up stuck in there, sandwiched between too enemies
pjnovas
2017-08-01 21:35
At first I tried to move with ASDW and arrows and then discovered the clicking which lead me to find out the cool pathfinding you built there, nice entry!
lereveur
2017-08-01 22:26
Thank you all to play my game, and, yeah, it's the hardiest one I made, I think XD @ blaster : it's not very good looking, but as I said, I added a debug mode wich shows the sight of the guards when they are moving (hit F6 to activate the d.m.), and yes, they see fairly far away (6 tiles). If I find some spare time, I will try to make other levels (I designed this one in short time to test, and didn't have time to make a better one before the deadline)
mspawa
2017-08-01 22:49
Nice game, I like the concept :) I know you said that you haven't had enough time, but I kinda miss some music or sound effect. It was fun to find the way go and back without getting catched!
But good work! :)
lereveur
2017-08-01 23:33
Yes, I agree, I lost a lot of time to understand the concepts and make the pathfinder and IA, and if I had finished them earlier, I would have added at least some funny sounds, and maybe a quick-made little music, but with 14 LD, I learnt at least one thing : this *never* gonna be like you wanted to. There are always something that goes wrong. XD
@lereveur Yep it plays a bit better with the bug fix! Thanks for the update!. :-)
matkubik
2017-08-02 21:39
Overall a great game with simple ideas but efficent. It lacks just some sound environment. Otherwise It's pretty well-thought I like it !
This game is extremely good! This game's unique stealth mechanics (like the enemy's field of vision is sometimes 120 degrees or 360 degrees and also the pathfinding is pretty creative too) is awesome! The game's intro scene is also pretty funny! However, the theme in this game isn't really used that much and it could have been used to make the game even cooler(like there are lights in the level and the lights start to dim when you steal power, making it harder for the player to see). However, this game is a solid piece of good work and I am impressed!
the intro was pretty fun but the game it self could do with some polishing and different challenges other than going back and forth, or did I get impatient too fast?
pfeyffer
2017-08-02 22:14
A fun game to play! The graphics are very basic and it sure would help to know what the robots can see.
The feel of the game is quite good and, as other said, the pathfinding worked well.
It doesn't trouble me not to have a indication of the guards field of view since it's pretty clear when they are looking in a direction or in 360° (and it would be too easy otherwise).
I would have prefered arrows to move, though. I'm less reactive with the mouse. But that's not a major problem.
Like pacman with robotic ashes and path-finding! I actually quite liked the path-finding, as I didn't have to micro-manage every move the character made. It's a pity that you weren't able to develop it further in the time, but I get it - life gets in the way!
I loved the intro! The gameplay is challenging and simple, and the AI and pathfinding works flawlessly. Great job with the programming. I would've liked to have keyboard controls since I didn't have a mouse with me, but still, it was a great entry. Nice job!
Game was hard. I only got to 2 points. Would have been cool if there were different levels
Nice plot :D . Also cool mechanics, I would rather play without mouse, but is just my opinion. Yup, it's not easy, but fun :) .
caranha
2017-08-06 14:53
I am getting a screen "Made with Superpowers", but the game does not start. Do I have to download anything to play with it?
lereveur
2017-08-06 19:19
Under the text, there is a thin grey loading line - it's not obvious because the progression colour is a little darkest grey than pending one. But, it should not take more than one or two minutes…
I was very much not expecting to control this with the mouse :) The idea is neat, but I think it would have been nice to have more than one objective.
demi
2017-08-06 20:58
Cool Mechanics. Easy to understand but hard to master. Really nice way to control the Player.
I like the pathfinding, but since it will not always go the path to avoid robots I find myself always using the mouse in short distances. Anyway, it is a really cool game with nice mechanics! :smile:
bombjack
2017-08-07 09:48
I like the ided of this game. Nice work!
Really fun game to play, but gameplay needs polishing. I think, that the game is a little bit too hard.
Fun idea for a game. The guards seem to see me when I don't think they should. WASD movement might have also been a better idea instead of pathfinding (although pathfinding may work better for mobile devices).
Yes pathfinding worked great! I was burned to robotic ashes a LOT, but managed to get back to base after charging. Kudos for making it in such a short time!
aeveis
2017-08-08 06:22
I got to steal 2 before I got burned. Pretty nice stealth, though there is some "ok they see me now and I will run for my life" which made it exciting/scary. It is a good base!
The concept is definitely there. The game works really well. But there could be a lot of polish added to it. Maybe some extra particles when you stole power or a trail that you leave behind. Whatever it is, don't add things that change the gameplay, instead add things that makes the game feel better.
Here is a video more about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy0aCDmgnxg
All in all, Great Work and Congratulations! :smiley:
Nice scenario, I like the way you used the given theme. Nice game too, it was fun playing it, and the controls were smooth which made it very enjoyable. Congrats!
lereveur
2017-08-08 20:12
@tyranosaw : I didn't even have enough time to add some *blips* and others *bowink*, so, I was very far away of adding juicy parts XD Fun fact is that, few weeks ago, I watched a video precisely about juicy in games. Oh, and it was a little hard for me to understand all what was said in the video you shared, because I'm french and I'm not really fluent in english, but it was very interesting because of the good exemple choice, so thank you for sharing this :)
Hey !
That was very fun. The concept is quite original, and even though simple, very fun to play with. I especially liked when I had to figure out if the best was to run for it or be patient.. :p
Well done !
tddawson
2017-08-09 02:32
I'm going to comment without reading any of the other comments so it's only based on my experience. So apologies if I add nothing new :)
I really liked the gameplay. It feels so different than the other games I've played in this and previous jams, which I found refreshing. I liked that it was a mix of moving quickly and also planning ahead. Trying to do both at the same time--especially after you've been seen--is an exciting and fun challenge. I think it might be nice to have a clearer idea of where the guards are looking and what they can see. I think it's great that you added the variety in what they can see based off of movement, status, and presence of windows. Mentally, it was just hard to put that all together and so sometimes I was surprised that I could be seen. That might get better with practice, just my two cents. It sounds like you have a number of ideas in mind for improvement, which I think would be fun to see. But great job on getting this done with all the constraints of a game jam!
g12345
2017-08-09 08:35
This was an interesting game, the pathfinding and how the guards still can see you even if you shouldnt be seen.
It's also interesting that your ball can only move to the centre of a tile and not near a corner or near a wall.
There were also times that when you click, nothing happens, but i think it just makes the game more challenging.
As for the maze, there seems to be only a few routes from A to B. But that's fine.
It was fun to play.
I normally do not like stealth games but this one is minimalistic enough for me to enjoy. It was much more challenging than I first though. My suggestions of things to improve the game would be adding some sounds and a few more levels.
I Recently played your game during a live stream at your request. You can find the video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEKsM8vugRs) .
I really thought the click adventure / path finding was awesome! I have avoided that in my own games because I know it is isn't easy. Great job
if you haven't already please give my game a try [Zombie Power Station](https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/39/zombie-power-station) HTML5 Thanks
cttfow
2017-08-11 08:04
I personally wasn't a fan of pathfinding but apparently a lot of people thought it worked well in this game, so maybe it's just me. The guards work very nicely though, they're definitely smarter than you average stealth game guards!
Wow this was a simple game but sooo clever. So clever! The search algorithm, the pathfinding, amazing! Amazing application of AI. That allows it to be ported to smartphones really easily, you just need yourself some cool art and bam! Also missed sounds, but with AI who can blame you for not having the time? Overall really clever, simple and tricky gameplay that complemet eachother really well. Congratulations, great job! Let me know when you release it on Google Play ;)
C'est un bon jeu - la prog est vraiment bien faite, particulièrement l'IA. The pathfinding works well and the AI is good enough. I would like to play with keyboard, but I could'nt. No sounds? A clever game. Bravo ++
quadtree
2017-08-14 06:13
Simple, yet pretty good stealth game. You certainly don't see that many stealth games in the LD. I often found that just running from the guards was a better strategy that trying to outwit them, but that's probably intentional.
belga54
2017-08-15 23:09
Est ce que tu est francais ? Je ne suis pas francais mais je suis un francophone. Anyways ! This was a great stealth game that needs a lot of concentration ! Would be better if you added some sounds. Otherwise, good entry!
axoona
2017-08-17 13:31
It's a pretty hard game (at least for me ;) the AI of the enemies is very good! *chapeau bas!*
it surely has potential it there was more stuff (more levels, mucic & sounds, objectives.. but I think you already said this yourself :)
Pathfinding is definitely challenging stuff as I discovered back in my first Ludum Dare some years ago, so congratulations on implementing it! It's obviously not perfect and sometimes the player and enemies don't quite move as intended but for the most part, it worked well enough. The graphics were nothing to write home about, but I understand not everyone is an artist. Sound would have helped giving the game some much needed character. A lot can be done on making things more clear as well (such as for example giving the enemies an FoV cone). The main objective is also pretty simple and not very engaging. I did like the opening screen, though. While I didn't love the experience as a whole, as a pathfinding exercise it worked well enough, so I commend you on that front!
lereveur
2017-08-18 11:49
Thank you all for your comments, I read it with great attention, even if I do not answer (mainly because many of the comments are about something I do know and/or I yet answered previously). I just wanna say something about the art : even if it was not intended to be refined nor polished, I did it as a kind of pixel-art, but I got an issue that I didn't find out how to fix it, nor if I could : Superpowers have some intersting tools, and definitly is a good html5 game maker, that I probably will never use full of its potential, but I could not figure how to get a _fixed-size_ result. And with the auto-sized result, you'll probably never see the art as I draw it, instead of that you have a half-blured thing, that is not good looking at all, especially with pixel-art sprites. :/
coauctor
2017-08-19 20:35
Funny enough to steal some energy! It's great that robots pursue you upon spotting. I suppose there's an optimal level solving algorithm, but that did not spoil the fun. Thanks for the game!
One of the funniest entries I've played. It was an immersive challenge to run away from the guards, nice AI :)
I loved this game. One of the games a played for the longest time yet. AI was great. Nice Humor. And it was very challenging(I've yet to beat the first level). I hope you update it and add some controls or tips and possibly make the first level a tad easier. Good work!! :smile:
lereveur
2017-08-21 21:41
I'm afraid that there is only one level for now. XD But after reading all the comments I had for this LD, I'm seriously considering about working on this entry to make a more complete and polished game with it. This would be a serious improvement of my habits regarding LD's ha ha :D
2017-11-07 15:57
Tough game! 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=zr1O4LytQqQ