Prototype: PuZZZZZZles!

[Dav999]

Today I got an idea for a game of some sort, and it works well as a VVVVVV level!

I made a prototype to test it. It only has one level, but it's a prototype, after all.

Each room contains squares with one open side, like this:



The squares can be rotated clockwise, so you can walk to an adjacent square:



Like that, you can find your way to the exit.

I also have some other ideas that might fit within this game:
-Squares with more than one entrance
-Squares with no entrance (they will always block the way)
-Red squares that can't be rotated
-Blue squares that can only be rotated when you're in them (this will be hard to make in VVVVVV, because you will need a lot of rooms, especially when you have more of them in one room)
-Yellow squares that can only be rotated when you're NOT in them (this will also be hard)
-Squares with one-way walls in a certain direction
-Squares which can only be rotated a limited amount of times, after which they will become permanent
-Special squares which can be frozen and unfrozen, so they don't move if you rotate everything (also squares which can only be frozen one time)
-And so on.

I'm not sure if I will do anything with it, but I thought it was a good idea. Maybe I will make it in Game Maker, but then I need to do it on a Windows computer. The Mac version of Game Maker is a trial version with a limited time period (I thought?), that is too short to actually finish the game (and the game would be Mac only, unless I can just copy the .gmk file to a Windows computer and compile it into an .exe from there). The Windows version is also a trial version but at least it never expires. I also tried the Windows version in a Windows emulator, but it always gives an error message when I try to run a game. So, it may take a while before I get it done.

Until then, here's the first prototype as a VVVVVV level! Feel free to criticize!

VERSION HISTORY:

0.0
First prototype, downloaded 7 times

0.1
Disabled the map
Red, stationary blocks (and with more than one entrance)

[FIQ]

Remember that the amount of rooms possible in the editor is infinite. By avoiding certain rooms that leads to segfault, you can make a working level utilizing more than 400 rooms.

Oh, and disabling the map.

[Dav999]

Remember that the amount of rooms possible in the editor is infinite. By avoiding certain rooms that leads to segfault, you can make a working level utilizing more than 400 rooms.

That's the first time I hear that. How do you do it? Edit something in the VVVVVV file?

Oh, and disabling the map.

Right, I forgot that. But it will be disabled in 0.1!

[FIQ]

        <mapwidth>1</mapwidth>
        <mapheight>1</mapheight>

That. Just edit it to something bigger than 20x20. But as I said, some rooms crash the game completly, but you *will* get some fully working rooms outside the "normal" 20x20 range.

[Hilbert]

I like this concept. It uses I.S., right?
Also, I have something called Game Develop, not as good a GM, but it works. If you'd like, I could make a prototype and send it to you.

[ToasterApocalypse]

An original concept? This is amazing!

I shall have to play this when I get bored.

[Dav999]

I like this concept. It uses I.S., right?
Also, I have something called Game Develop, not as good a GM, but it works. If you'd like, I could make a prototype and send it to you.

I know about Game Develop, but I first have to know how it works. And guess what it works on: Windows and Ubuntu . That means I -can- run it, unless it gives an error. I think i'll just work with Game Maker for Mac, because I know how it works, and then hope the trial period system is broken so I can actually use it forever

I'll just first make the graphics, and when that's done, then rush to complete the game in whatever time period is left, but that's just impossible. And I thought the full version was like $40?

Maybe I just have to make the game in the Windows version without the ability to test it, then move the .gmk to the Mac version and test it from there.

[Dav999]

I'm trying to build a room now, and I think there is a bug in Game Maker. It seems like the top-left coordinate of the room is (-15,-22)

[Dav999]

Very first screenshot (the blocks don't rotate, they flip for some reason... )



For some reason, the trial period is over now Before the last time I started it, I had 53 minutes, I used it for 5 minutes, and when I closed it, the trial period was over

[Dav999]

Ok, I updated the prototype! In version 0.1, the map is disabled, and there are red blocks which don't move!

[ToasterApocalypse]

I'm gonna review the 0.0.

WHAT I LIKED:
The originality. This is maybe the first level to add rotating blocks with the gotoroom command. Great feature.
The confusion: Very good. I got kinda confused, and it took me around 10 minutes to figure out what to do. Nice.

WHAT I DISLIKED:
The difficulty. It was too easy. Maybe, in future stages of this level, add spike blocks as an obstacle. I'd like that.
The floating terminals. I don't think there's a way to prevent this, sadly. I'll have to make do.

RATING #2
7/10. The originality is brilliant, and to succeed you need to have masses of mental strength. I like that in a level.

[Dav999]

Were there red blocks in the level you reviewed?

[ToasterApocalypse]

Were there red blocks in the level you reviewed?

No

I said I played the 0.0

not the 0.1.

I'm looking forward to the completed thing, though!

[ToasterApocalypse]

I'd still like to see more of this, so if you're working on it, then woo.

[Dav999]

I'd still like to see more of this, so if you're working on it, then woo.

Well, I used Game Maker for making the game, but there are some problems with that now:

• The trial period of the Mac version of Game Maker is over
• I can use Game Maker for Windows in Virtualbox, but when I try to run games, I get an error message (and you can't make and release games without any testing at all)
• Apparently, Game Maker now puts an ugly, persistent watermark on games

I haven't tried GameDevelop yet, so I'll try that out instead and look how that works.