FoonLudum Dare ExplorerLD40 → The Exalted

The Exalted

By flubz

View on ldjam.com

CategoryRankScoreCount
Overall1753.6661
Fun1423.6761
Innovation1613.5561
Theme394.2162
Graphics804.0362
Audio3782.7954
Humor4382.3056
Mood2343.2860

Comments

flubz 2017-12-04 01:19

Press E if you're having issues with left click. It seems to want to drag click, should've fixed that but it just seems to be an issue with WebGL!

king-kujito 2017-12-04 02:17

Very nice visuals! I didn't quite understand what the goal was so I just grabbed a lot of powerups and admired the graphics.

flubz 2017-12-04 02:23

Thanks! :smiley: Did you try shooting at the red thing? :sweat_smile: I thought it would be quite obvious with the health bar + the core being the only thing that reacts to bullets.

king-kujito 2017-12-04 02:26

Oh, sorry. I tried shooting, but I didn't spot the health bar at all. I'm still a bit tired from 48h of working I guess :-)

frozencow 2017-12-04 03:12

This looks quite nice. I tried shooting the red orb with bursts of bullets. Once I got the hang of it bullets started going everywhere. It's quite hard! Still had a good time.

Initially I didn't realize there was a healthbar because I ran in web and it was out-of-frame. Try using 'Minimal' WebGL template in Unity's WebGL Player Settings and set the right frame size in Itch.

kurupapuru 2017-12-04 04:07

Bad configured UI

Also In WebGL better to don't use RMB (opening a tab in browser when the mouse moves with RMB pressed)

flubz 2017-12-04 16:28

@FrozenCow Thanks a whole bunch! That's exactly what I needed. I've updated it now :smiley: cheers!

flubz 2017-12-04 16:30

@kurupapuru The resolutions set were right but they needed a slight offset in itchio. I guess I was too tired to notice it :sob: Added alternative keys so you can play with the keyboard too! :tada: Thanks for letting me know.

damoy 2017-12-04 18:30

Interesting game, really well fills the theme, congratz for the work ! :)

imphenzia 2017-12-04 18:36

I like the visuals - I wish full screen would work with WebGL (I tried chrome and edge, I get the same with my game). Any chance of publishing a windows downloadable as well? I think it would be a smoother experience and it feels like the kind of game you want silky smooth when you play. Nice work!

rob-white 2017-12-04 18:37

I like the integration of the theme into the game - it got pretty hectic near the end! I'm not a fan of the movement controls (I would much prefer to drag the ship to control it rather than selecting the direction by clicking).

shrekshao 2017-12-04 18:39

Wow, awesome idea! Turns out to be harder than I thought. Really like the particle and lighting effects! 5 for graphics!

flubz 2017-12-04 19:13

@damoy Thanks for checking my game out! Cheers! :blush:

@imphenzia I've added fullscreen to the WebGL page now too! For Unity games, you build with the Default WebGL template and offset the resolution in itch.io :smiley: Thanks for the awesome feedback! I've also added the Windows build to the post.

@rob-white Quite a few people want this, patched it in now. :tada:

@shrekshao Yeah it worked out surprisingly well. Originally I was going to have all the bullets move towards the player when he moved. That turned out to be far too difficult, but it looked so awesome! :joy: But leaving the bullets alone just turned out to be far better gameplay! :slight_smile:

antti-haavikko 2017-12-04 19:29

Got me three tries but I beat it. On my first try I wasn't quite sure what to do and kept losing the core I didn't even know I was supposed to be shooting at. On the second try, I went a bit too ham because I didn't realize that those bullets were mine. So on the third try, I tried to maintain better accuracy (at first at least) and managed the powerups better (besides speed, that was trash) and it was a breeze.

The look was nice. Sound and music volume were very low. The music didn't really fit the mood of the game and got kinda jarring the longer I played... but who am I to complain about it really, I completely suck at music :sob:

Good job!

flubz 2017-12-04 19:46

@antti-haavikko Well done! Don't think many people can beat it, there's definitely a winning strategy in the game. There're some upgrades you want to avoid, others to reserve or only take a few.

Also, cheers about the audio, it seems fine on my headphones but it's near inaudible on other audio devices.

sanvar 2017-12-04 20:04

Great game my dude! I can't come that far since I'm kinda generous with firing bullets, which come to bite me in the arse later on :P Very innovative and fun entry!

handle 2017-12-04 22:06

Well done! That's a clever use of the theme. I actively avoided speed upgrades though, as they seemed to do more harm than good. I stopped trying to avoid bullets and just tried to kill the core before I killed myself... which proved an effective strategy.

toboggan 2017-12-05 01:34

Really nice use of the theme. I enjoyed the minimal aesthetic. The music (what i could hear of it, not using headphones) sounded a little busy/distracting.

It'd be nice to be able to use WASD/arrows to move. ALso you should tag your windows build on itch so that i can download it in the app. :)

flubz 2017-12-05 02:22

@toboggan Thanks a bunch for the feedback! I increased the audio levels quite a tad earlier but the soundtrack isn't that great. This is the second time I've ever composed a track; it's just not my forte! 😂

WASD and itch both seem like a good idea for tomorrow! Cheers! 😊

toboggan 2017-12-05 03:01

@flubz maybe try pitching the music you have down to 50-75%? it would pitch _and_ slow it down, which i think would be good. its an easy way to get "twice the music" for half the storage space.

also, i just wrote this pseudo tape wow code for my game, it could be cool for this if you're interested. :)

``` float increment = 0.015f; if (pitchUp && t > 0.98f) { pitchUp = false; } if (!pitchUp && t < 0.02f) { pitchUp = true; } t += (pitchUp) ? increment : -increment; audioPitch = Mathf.Lerp(pitchMin, pitchMax, t); audioSource.pitch = audioPitch; ```

2017-12-08 13:07

Nice graphics, fun game! I included it in my Ludum Dare 40 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0hdEq4T8dE

gruhh 2017-12-09 11:52

Good game integrated to the theme. The main mechanics are very solid and the controls respond efficiently. I think it would be important to have more visual feedback, to demonstrate more intensely the damage, it would give an even better feeling to the game. Congratulations.

Bom jogo integrado ao tema. A mecânica principal é bem sólida e os controles respondem de forma eficiente. Acredito que seria importante ter mais feedbacks visuais, demonstrar com mais intensidade o dano, isso daria um feeling ainda melhor para o jogo. Parabéns. :flag_br:

flubz 2017-12-11 18:48

@toboggan Sorry for taking so long. Thanks for the code :smiley: I messed around with the pitch quite a bit but I've concluded the soundtrack isn't that brilliant to begin with so I'm just going to leave it be. I added the WASD for movement as well.

@jupiter-hadley Hey Jupi, hope you're well! Thanks for checking my game out! Hope we have you around the Uni for our next game jam! :smiley_cat:

@gruhh Hey thanks mate! I did notice most people didn't understand that they were supposed to attack the core and that would definitely alleviate the issue.

athoka 2017-12-11 20:04

I like the idea! Nice graphics and nice music!

arron-fowler 2017-12-11 21:13

Nice clean graphics, simple concept well made. The music is good, it ramps up the intensity nicely when the bullets start to fly!

dj-depressive 2017-12-12 13:56

This is one of my favourite submissions so far! This game looks amazing and the UI is so clean. I really like the controls as well, even whilst using my mousepad I could dodge shots like a ninja. Well done!

cerno-b 2017-12-12 20:04

Great job, the visuals are awesome! It's a fun and challenging game

I found a good strategy to be slowly approaching the core and spamming it with shots. Any ricocheting shots may also hurt the core, but it should be enough to avoid them half-heartedly. Don't collect any extras except health, and only if it doesn't fill your bar completely (otherwise save them for later).

The downside would be audio for me. Not sure if it was intentional, but I found it a bit too cacophonous. I understand that you probably wanted to capture the chaotic nature of the game, but maybe something more chill may have worked better. Also sound effects are a big deal for this kind of game. Bfxr should make it possible to add a few shot and ricochet effects in no time.

Overall a pretty solid entry, congratulations!

flubz 2017-12-12 21:11

@cerno-b Thanks a million! :relaxed:

You've definitely got the strategy down, well done!

And I couldn't agree more, this is the 2nd time I've ever composed. It would have been more beneficial for me to focus on the ambience and build the mood but I spent a good 4 hours on it and just decided to call it done. :sweat_smile:

But thanks! Really glad you liked it! :smiley:

cerno-b 2017-12-12 21:28

@flubz Music is something I always struggle with in the Compo as I feel that it normally lags behind the rest of the game. Depending on where you want to go musically, I would recommend you start playing around with synth pads. The benefit is that you don't have to worry about writing complex melodies. Just play long notes and find chords that sound good together, then try to blend them together to create some sort of soundscape. Obviously only works in games where an atmospheric soundtrack fits the mood.

I wanted to do something similar this time, but since I ended up making a retro arcade game, it would have been totally out of place.

This is an awesome synth with a lot of presets to play around with: https://tal-software.com/products/tal-noisemaker

flubz 2017-12-12 23:58

@cerno-b Cheers mate, I'll definitely check it out! And same, music is the last thing I look into when the game is in a decent spot. In all honestly my composing just needs loads of practice! :sweat_smile:

We should've teamed up! What wonders we could have been accomplished! :innocent:

marc-jones 2017-12-13 01:40

A nice spin on the "bullet-hell" genre. There's definite strategy in knowing when to send off a volley of shots, and I suspect there are multiple different strategies possible to take out the core. I managed to beat the game by waiting until I had a few damage powerups and then going mad on the core, but it wasn't easy! Very nice graphics, although I would have appreciated a slightly wider perspective on the action, particularly when you've picked up a few speed powerups. I also sometimes found it difficult to find the core. I realise that's what the rays around the core are for, but perhaps a permanent arrow near the player might help? The music loop got repetitive quickly, and if this game was taken further I would like to see some sort of procedural music that gets more frantic the more bullets are on screen. Overall, though, a really solid little game that fits the theme well.

schu 2017-12-13 02:08

Really well done! Fits the theme super well and it's a unique idea! I love the minimalist graphics as well and the tight hitboxes. It was very fun just dodging all the bullets.

flubz 2017-12-13 02:10

@marc-jones Thanks for the feedback Marc! :smiley:

Yeah, there're definitely quite a few strategies to win, I prefer to get a single damage, let a few healths spawn whilst avoiding speed and go then ballistic on the core!

I really wanted to add more to the soundtrack but I just ran out of time, 4 hours of composing there for that awful mess! :joy: (My 2nd time ever composing.)

Wider perspective would be easy to add but I'm going to hold back on adding more to the game, I've made enough adjustments! :sweat_smile:

Bang on with the rays on the core! I didn't add a pointer in because, well I don't think I'd have had the time, and also I wanted the player to feel more immersed but then again, I had screen space health bars :confounded:

Cheers, thanks for playing! :innocent:

illabom 2017-12-13 03:39

Very nice game! super good graphics and i love concept

check out my game if you like! https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/40/virus-detected

ebot102 2017-12-13 03:50

The graphics look amazing for a shooter game like this! Very nice!

piscythe 2017-12-13 04:10

This just might be the best version of the "self-inflicted bullet hell" concept I've played. From reading the comments, I can see that the powerup system allows for different playstyles. Mine was to grab health and damage pickups and trust my dodging skills to keep me ahead, allowing me to hammer down the core in my first attempt. It was hard for me to burst because of some control issues that were almost certainly WebGL's fault and not yours. The graphics are appealing, if simplistic. Unlike some other reviewers, I really enjoyed the soundtrack. Good work!

flubz 2017-12-13 04:30

@piscythe Thanks a million! Health + Damage Is definitely my preferred strat and to win own your first attempt is actually amazing! Well done!

Yeah WebGL doesn't work very well with the control scheme but I've added quite a few alternatives. I definitely should've added controller support.

I know! People are definitely quite conflicted about that soundtrack :joy: But as someone who's only composed once before, I'm just glad it's not a complete disaster. :clap::innocent:

jozgames 2017-12-13 04:36

Os gráficos e a musica ficaram bem agradáveis, só senti falta de efeitos sonoros

A ideia é interessante, existe uma quantidade de power-ups e a jogabilidade é bem diferenciada, mas funcional

A unica dica que eu daria seria diminuir a velocidade dos tiros para ser humanamente possivel desviar deles xD

Joguei por uma boa meia hora e não consegui, mas foi divertido.

E um bom jogo

Parabéns!

2017-12-13 04:40

Shouldn't you post the source code for the compo to qualify?

flubz 2017-12-13 04:43

@Anonymous It's available on the itch.io website, bottom of the page. :slight_smile:

kyle-pham 2017-12-13 04:55

This game is excellent in every single aspect. Really nice delineation of the theme. The game is rather difficult though, and I don't really know after how many shots that I get hit with do I actually die.

flubz 2017-12-13 05:00

@kyle-pham There's definitely a winning strategy and it has to do with the upgrades. Every upgrade you pick up hiders you as much as it aids, so you have to find the right balance, it definitely makes the game a lot easier.

Cheers, thanks for playing!

cerno-b 2017-12-13 05:21

@flubz And we have somewhat similar games, too. ;)

yishalee 2017-12-13 06:53

Challenging fun game. Yet it's really hard. I feel the direction changes too sharp considering that the background can't help to adjudge my movement. So the turning is really confuzing. Shoot is hard for me. Atmosphere is really great.

mainghia95 2017-12-13 08:40

A really good game with fun mood. However the control feel kinda weird to me. And sometimes it feels buggy when you shoot the core from close distance. Also the HUD is really hard to keep track since 1 is on top and 1 is on the bottom of the screen. The game has several ways to win and it's awesome to me. Anw great entry. Check out our game in my profile. Cheer mate

saramartins 2017-12-13 09:14

Definitely one of the best I've seen. Really polished, great gameplay and visuals, music fast paced but not too much, great UI. The visual effects were really cool too. The possibility of having two sets of controls was helpful to me which allowed me to combine mouse and keyboard. Fits very well with the theme too.

I think the only thing missing are some sound effects (not too loud, to not overstep the music). The whole game is really nice and a great work. Congratulations :)

iluvatar 2017-12-13 10:08

You got the theme perfectly. I love the graphics and physics. It is funny how more people have this idea of dealing with your own ricochet shots. What I mean is that it is interesting how people can have similar ideas. You obviously werent copying anyone since we were all working at the same time. From all of these "ricochet games" I liked yours the best. Overall great game :-)

2017-12-13 12:50

Is the HMTL 5 game on itch.io the original or the postjam updated version?

crdmrn 2017-12-13 15:16

I like the concept, though i think the controls make everything super hard :( Did you try to implement joysticks input?

flubz 2017-12-13 17:02

@Anonymous I've made some minor changes, primarily to the controls & bug fixes. [Dev Log](https://flubz.itch.io/the-exalted/devlog/17279/change-log)

The original submission is available on [itch.io](https://flubz.itch.io/the-exalted). (bottom of the page) The video above also shows the original submitted version. Cheers!

Sorry, hope I haven't done anything wrong, it is my first LD :sweat_smile:

flubz 2017-12-13 20:09

@crdmrn I'm surprised I didn't think of that until now, I've just added it in. :relaxed: But to be honest it feels like that just made the game harder. :joy:

vija02 2017-12-13 20:33

I really like the theme. The game itself was ok, music wise it's a bit lackluster to me. I'd rather hear some ambient sounds or none at all rather than random notes played over and over again. Controls are very hard. Not sure if it's just me or that's really your intention. But I feel as if my bullet doesn't really shoot to where i point it towards. Theme wise, it's a 5 from me. Looking forward to seeing you next LD :)

flubz 2017-12-13 20:51

@vija02 Thanks a ton!

Just noticed the bullets not going where they're supposed to, I added controller support earlier, I'm assuming that probably caused it :sweat:

The overall feedback has been quite torn with the music but it's definitely the weakest point of the game and I couldn't agree more, an ambient soundtrack would have really killed it here but alas, I am no composer. :sob:

I've added controller options now as well, I'm not sure how to make the controls even more user friendly :sob:

2017-12-13 21:50

@flubz - So when the scores come out, just remember that you got it by cheating. As you won't win anything, you're just lying to yourself and messing with everybody's else rankings.

flubz 2017-12-13 22:43

From the Rules: > Certain Bug Fixes are allowed. You can’t add new features, but if something broke or didn’t work correctly as you were finishing up, you can fix this after the deadline. You are asked to highlight the changes you make in your submission (a short change log). You probably wont get a 2nd chance with some players, but at least it wont be a problem for future players.

@Anonymous If you have a look at the video or play the original submission. I haven't added any new features into the game. I've only removed bugs and made it more accessible and I've kept a [log of the changes](https://flubz.itch.io/the-exalted/devlog/17279/change-log), that said, if I have made a mistake, all I can do is apologize at this point and I am really sorry if that's the case.

**Edit** It's on the original version now, just in case. But again if you look at both versions, there is very little difference, just the controls and all the changes have been [dev logged](https://flubz.itch.io/the-exalted/devlog/17279/change-log).

jadw1 2017-12-14 17:10

i really enjoy game, nice idea :D but i'm a bit confused with this control :/ maybe do some rotating control with arrows ar a/d so you'll be able to avoid shots better? :D

check and rate my game also https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/40/drunken-soviet

flubz 2017-12-14 17:17

@jadw1 Thanks a bunch! I've added controller support as well as wasd movement in the post-jam version if you'd like to check that out instead. :D

And will definitely do! Cheers! ^_^

jordgubben 2017-12-16 16:58

Very cool, and astonishingly simple, idea. Graphics remind me a lot of good old geometry wars.

Had a lot of problems with the controls at first. Then I plugged in an external mouse. Suprising no one: Plays a lot better with mouse than with touch pad. I wonder how it plays on a (wacom-)tablet or an (ipad-)tablet.

(I'm not sure why, but audio volume is very low. While playing I can just barely hear sound effects and music)

wheffle 2017-12-19 23:34

Cool simple game and I love the graphics. It was a little confusing at first. It's very easy to kill yourself but that's part of the game, which is cool.

porcus-pie 2017-12-21 07:33

So, I tried playing your game but I kept getting this error

2017-12-21.png

Due to the other comments, I can assume this was something due to my computer, however if you know how to fix it can you please tell me, the game looks really nice!

secretpocketcat 2017-12-27 21:27

I really like the premise, but I'm not a fan of the controls. Even in the postjam version, there's still the continuous movement so in order to stay in place the player has to alternate between 2 directions, which may work for some games, but I don't think it does for a bullet-hell game. I'd also consider destroying bullets on hit.

flubz 2017-12-29 11:47

@porcus-pie I'm sorry, I tried looking something up but I've got no clue. Maybe try updating Java? I'm quite clueless otherwise. :shrug:

@secretpocketcat Hey, thanks. It's not too bad with the controller, I hope? And yeah making a twin stick bullet hell game on PC might not have been the best idea. :sob: