Indie Game exam Question 1

Discounting things like graphics or sound, and focusing on purely the game design, why is this game ill conceived?

Hint: It is described as Braid meets FPS.

First person to provide an answer that's a B+ or better gets a prize.

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Honestly, I don't know what you think is wrong with it… It seems like a somewhat clever concept, though not one with a ton of depth… at least not so far.

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Honestly, I don't know what you think is wrong with it… It seems like a somewhat clever concept, though not one with a ton of depth… at least not so far.

Provided no analysis on why you thought the concept was clever, nor any analysis on the 'depth' which you say it lacks. Shows no sign of critical analysis at all. See me after class.

P.S. Don't worry about what I think. Analyze it for yourself. Heck, even write an essay on why you think it's GOOD. If it's compelling you could still win the prize.

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Honestly, I don't know what you think is wrong with it… It seems like a somewhat clever concept, though not one with a ton of depth… at least not so far.

F

Provided no analysis on why you thought the concept was clever, nor any analysis on the 'depth' which you say it lacks. Shows no sign of critical analysis at all. See me after class.

P.S. Don't worry about what I think. Analyze it for yourself. Heck, even write an essay on why you think it's GOOD. If it's compelling you could still win the prize.

Ok, fine. :)

The game's main element (time only advancing time when you move) changed it from a fps (where time and everything flows normally) to… well… Frogger. Your hitting a target is pretty much assured since you have a near infinite amount of time to aim, so the game descends into a series of movements you perform in order to cross lanes of traffic created by the enemy's near frozen bullets. Running out of ammo and having to melee someone to get more really isn't much different, tactic wise, than dodging around gaps in the bullet lanes in order to get a clear shot. Both involve Froggering around the levels until everyone is dead. Maybe there is more to it in later levels, but I got bored by the time I reached the level where "they just keep coming."

I thought the game was clever because I haven't played with one that bent time in this particular way, but I was hoping for a bit more. For instance I expected doors that would only open in response to standing on a pressure plate or pressing a button and then having to finagle time and thus my movements to slip through at just the right moment. Not that I'd actually like such a game since I pretty much max out at Portal's difficultyness of puzzles. Anything more tricky than that and I throw my hands up and go play Halo.

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Ok, fine. :)

The game's main element (time only advancing time when you move) changed it from a fps (where time and everything flows normally) to… well… Frogger. Your hitting a target is pretty much assured since you have a near infinite amount of time to aim, so the game descends into a series of movements you perform in order to cross lanes of traffic created by the enemy's near frozen bullets. Running out of ammo and having to melee someone to get more really isn't much different, tactic wise, than dodging around gaps in the bullet lanes in order to get a clear shot. Both involve Froggering around the levels until everyone is dead. Maybe there is more to it in later levels, but I got bored by the time I reached the level where "they just keep coming."

I'm going to be rude and stop here.

So, it's a game with no challenge?

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Ok, fine. :)

The game's main element (time only advancing time when you move) changed it from a fps (where time and everything flows normally) to… well… Frogger. Your hitting a target is pretty much assured since you have a near infinite amount of time to aim, so the game descends into a series of movements you perform in order to cross lanes of traffic created by the enemy's near frozen bullets. Running out of ammo and having to melee someone to get more really isn't much different, tactic wise, than dodging around gaps in the bullet lanes in order to get a clear shot. Both involve Froggering around the levels until everyone is dead. Maybe there is more to it in later levels, but I got bored by the time I reached the level where "they just keep coming."

I'm going to be rude and stop here.

So, it's a game with no challenge?

Not entirely. But after a while it seems to only offer the same challenge.

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Personally, part of why I find shooters fun is the havoc involved in a firefight with a group of enemies, and the split second decisions you need to make to shoot and/or dodge in order to take out the bad guys. Superhot, because of the time mechanic, seems to take away the havoc and split second decision making which, for me, takes away some of the fun.

That's about all I got. I think it's an interesting idea, and may be a bit fun to play initially, but I don't think I would enjoy it for very long.

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Personally, part of why I find shooters fun is the havoc involved in a firefight with a group of enemies, and the split second decisions you need to make to shoot and/or dodge in order to take out the bad guys. Superhot, because of the time mechanic, seems to take away the havoc and split second decision making which, for me, takes away some of the fun.

You begin to identify and analyze central mechanics of genres, and begin to discuss how superhot weakens them, but you could go further. Not all FPS games are about split second decisions and intense firefights. In such games, what else makes play interesting? In other games what makes the time mechanic interesting? Why not here? You have a good start.

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The fact that they heavily stress "time doesn't move unless you do" is kind of a pain when you quickly learn that time does move, which is a dumb contradiction.

Also, because you don't see the entire level from the start, you're forced to run multiple trials of a level because of hidden enemies (or enemies who haven't even spawned yet), which is kind of a crappy thing to do for a game designed around the guise of solving a puzzle and precision of execution.

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The fact that they heavily stress "time doesn't move unless you do" is kind of a pain when you quickly learn that time does move, which is a dumb contradiction.

Also, because you don't see the entire level from the start, you're forced to run multiple trials of a level because of hidden enemies (or enemies who haven't even spawned yet), which is kind of a crappy thing to do for a game designed around the guise of solving a puzzle and precision of execution.

These are good points, but need to be ultimately incorporated back into why the time mechanic is flawed in SuperHot but works in other games. Think of Braid. How did the time mechanic work in Braid? How is this different than Superhot? Why is the SuperHot version inferior and ultimately less complex?

Also, the time mechanic precludes precision of execution instead of enabling it.

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These are good points, but need to be ultimately incorporated back into why the time mechanic is flawed in SuperHot but works in other games. Think of Braid. How did the time mechanic work in Braid? How is this different than Superhot? Why is the SuperHot version inferior and ultimately less complex?

Maybe because there is really nothing about the time mechanic that needs to be there in the first place. Without it, the game is a dull first person shooter with not appeal, and the time mechanic is in place as the game's only sort-of notable feature. The flaw there being that the time flow is a superficial or aesthetic part of the gameplay added as an extra, rather than being the focus and being essential to the game as a real working component.

The main difference, then, is that Braid was built around the time component and is absolutely essential to the game, but Superhot is a no-feature FPS that also happens to slow down when you aren't moving.

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The website launched my work computer into a endless cycle of crashing I.E., restoring I.E., and then crashing again.

That was kind of lol, but I have nothing to really add beyond what's been commented on here. I'll try and circle back at a later time.

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...and because I'm not entirely sure I even want to, here goes. Toss Ragashingo's thoughts in here, along with what I read online, and take it for the likely uneducated mess that it is.

What exactly is the game? It's not a first person shooter. Sure, it has a first person perspective. Sure, it has guns. It's also got punching. But the way those get mixed in together appear to be more like a Moving the Mouse Training Simulator than anything approaching a FPS.

I mean hey, if it had wonky phyics it could be a big hit like some of those other Simulators, but yeah I don't think so.

FPS mechanics are not mastered solely by thinking, by staring at the screen and determining the best way to navigate. If I wanted that kind of challenge, I'd get a good book of maze puzzels. You have to learn behaviors, learn button presses, learn all kinds of things, as if you were learning to play a sport or some other board game to master a good FPS.

I can't even tell if there's anything to master here; if there's any challenge at all (see the paragraph of Ragash's that I responded to above). It's not a game, but a clever experience.

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Ragash's

Who? :p

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I have a hard time remembering your entire name. Not sure why. Working on it. :)

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You can only go forwards. Essentially all it does is let you pause the game arbitrarily and take your time to execute a move. This doesn't make the game any more interesting than if it played out in real time outside of your control.

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You can only go forwards. Essentially all it does is let you pause the game arbitrarily and take your time to execute a move. This doesn't make the game any more interesting than if it played out in real time outside of your control.

Short and Sweet.

You win the game on Steam. Tell me your name and I'll gift it to you.

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He realizes the game is inherently flawed and his gift is said flawed game?

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Superhot is a tiny little browser-based game, and not a good one at that. It's not something available on Steam so whatever he won is an entirely different game that may or may not be a decent title.

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Superhot is a tiny little browser-based game, and not a good one at that. It's not something available on Steam so whatever he won is an entirely different game that may or may not be a decent title.

Superhot is on Steam Early Access through Steam Greenlight I believe.

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It would seem that you're right, but you still can't purchase the game. I just wonder how much they will charge since you can play it for free in a browser. I just hope it's an "expanded" version when it's finally available to purchase.

So the question still remains as to what Cody is going to gift here

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So the question still remains as to what Cody is going to gift here

I have a feeling it's going to be something by Platinum, just to try and ‘educate’ me ;)

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So the question still remains as to what Cody is going to gift here

I have a feeling it's going to be something by Platinum, just to try and ‘educate’ me ;)

Why, do you WANT something besides this? If so tell me, and I'll get you something under ten bucks that I think is good. Simply tell me what genres you are into.

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Why, do you WANT something besides this? If so tell me, and I'll get you something under ten bucks that I think is good. Simply tell me what genres you are into.

Nah, you're okay.

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It would seem that you're right, but you still can't purchase the game. I just wonder how much they will charge since you can play it for free in a browser. I just hope it's an "expanded" version when it's finally available to purchase.

So the question still remains as to what Cody is going to gift here

It will be. Supposedly the steam version will be bigger.

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You win the game on Steam. Tell me your name and I'll gift it to you.

[image]

I'm ‘kapowaz’ on Steam too. Which game have I won?

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You win the game on Steam. Tell me your name and I'll gift it to you.

I'm ‘kapowaz’ on Steam too. Which game have I won?

SuperHot, when it comes to Steam :-D

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Which game have I won?

SuperHot, when it comes to Steam :-D

It's now on Kickstarter.

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You can only go forwards. Essentially all it does is let you pause the game arbitrarily and take your time to execute a move. This doesn't make the game any more interesting than if it played out in real time outside of your control.

Lolwut? I haven't even played it and I'm 100% certain that is lame.

Really, if anything it's much less interesting. It might be attention-getting for a few seconds just on account of being weird, but sounds like it would get old really fast.

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As kapowaz pointed out, the main problem is the time mechanic only goes forward!

The analogous section in Braid would be the third world, where time moves forward when you move right, but moves backward when you move left. This presents you with a puzzle since you have to figure out how to navigate the levels this way. Additionally, Braid has objects unaffected by the usage of time reversal. Without that, the time rewind mechanic becomes pointless: it's just an infinite amount of tries essentially. Add in objects that behave differently, and you have the makings of a puzzle.

So the main problem with SuperHot is that the time mechanic only moves forward. Because of this, there are no puzzles to be had, for even if like Braid there were things that could move while you don't, they'd essentially behave like a regular FPS.

So, you essentially have a first person shooter, with the ability to easily dodge bullets, and take as much time as you want for headshots.

Easy FPS elements because of that, and easy puzzle elements because time only moves forward.

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[image]

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Max Payne is how to do it right!

Why? Because it's a limited power, and the game is balanced around that.

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Indie Game exam Question 1 (Gaming)

Because Cody Miller says so? :p

Because Cody Miller says so? :p

Because Cody Miller says so? :p

Because Cody Miller says so? :p

Because Cody Miller says so? :p

I'm kinda sad I never got regraded. :p

Psh, at least you got graded.

My short answer

My short answer

Conception or execution?

Conception or execution?

Conception or execution?

Conception or execution?