It is a bit unfortunate it requires installing a whole browser to play. I tried but I could not figure out the goal of the game. To end the game I had to kill the browser, I could not figure out the exit key. I liked the graphics.
Yea, I'm using a free version of GameMaker, it would require a subscription to export to PC. I guess I failed there, I assumed that a player seeing a health bar will instinctively try to reduce it to 0, should have mentioned that before. I think you have to HOLD esc for like 2 second (to exit full screen), I think it's a bit weird, but probably to allow the use of esc as a key in the game (menu).
As a GMS2 user myself, I went ahead and downloaded the browser for you - and any other free GM users I'll encounter doing ratings.
Their policy since Opera bought them out to only allow free users to export to their bloated, proprietary, niche browser is pretty frustrating. It's terrible for hobbyists/jammers and newbies, and I think over time it's going to have a negative effect on the GM community and growth. It's not your fault.
If you need to remain free going forward, Godot's a good alternative. It's not quite as beginner friendly on the whole, but it's got a very solid tutorial and community ecosystem out there eager to help newbies out, and one of its big benefits is that implementing UI is just a breeze compared to GM.
Now as to your game!
It took me a little while to realize that I'm the truck! Then I realized what the indicators in the upper left meant, and I made Izzy and Norman dance. They're actually pretty good at dodging the attacks, so nice work on the enemy AI!
@ellaris Game giving me a bit of anxiety honestly, I think probably the sound effects are a little too harsh and the AI being able to wander offscreen to avoid attacks is too strong / I'm not able to land any hits at all. Pretty arduous to slowly fail to this AI guy. Definitely a good go at it! 👍
@nathan-franck Thanks for trying hard and playing. If you wait and observe you might find that there is a pattern ... . Also when you reach half hp bars you enter "enraged" second stage (unfortunately it's only little visual effect, so it's probably hard to notice) you deal double damage and the attacks have a shorter warning period. Battling Izzy will also help.
The enemy going off-screen is something I didn't have time to take care of, but I thought it would be too easy to take him take damage for free, but I agree it feels unfair.
Also a big "thank you" to anybody installing a browser just to try this game 😄
Sorry but will add to the concerns about requiring a special browser to play. The browser isn't even available for my platform. I hope you will consider using some different technology next jam so more people can play! :)
Cool concept for a game. It feels almost like playing as the boss in a boss battle! I'm pretty impressed by how smart the enemy AI is - it does a good job of dodging the attacks. It can be a bit tricky trying to hit them, but it's satisfying when you manage to take them down.
Some of the elements could be made more clear. Choosing a character at the start made me think I was going to control them, so it took me a while to realise I was actually controlling the mail truck. I'm also not sure why there are multiple health bars. It would've been more intuitive with just one large health bar.
@veralos It was supposed to be you playing as the boss in a boss battle, I wanted it to be a little surprise that you're playing as the boss, but it seems like people didn't like that surprise so I should have probably came clean from the start.
For the heath bars, I was kind of modeling it after (JRPGs/MMOs which I don't play), I agree it would probably be more intuitive with one health bar, but there is one reason which is probably more obvious with multiple health bars (as to what happens when one gets reduced to 0, rather than reaching some break point on the health bar which the player could overlook), that being said I think it's that it feels like the health is running out with the black bar behind it that is problematic. I actually wanted it to have the other health bar behind it and have them change color when designing it, but I forgot to implement it 😕
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I guess I failed there, I assumed that a player seeing a health bar will instinctively try to reduce it to 0, should have mentioned that before.
I think you have to HOLD esc for like 2 second (to exit full screen), I think it's a bit weird, but probably to allow the use of esc as a key in the game (menu).
Overall, however, it was a fine experience.
Their policy since Opera bought them out to only allow free users to export to their bloated, proprietary, niche browser is pretty frustrating. It's terrible for hobbyists/jammers and newbies, and I think over time it's going to have a negative effect on the GM community and growth. It's not your fault.
If you need to remain free going forward, Godot's a good alternative. It's not quite as beginner friendly on the whole, but it's got a very solid tutorial and community ecosystem out there eager to help newbies out, and one of its big benefits is that implementing UI is just a breeze compared to GM.
Now as to your game!
It took me a little while to realize that I'm the truck! Then I realized what the indicators in the upper left meant, and I made Izzy and Norman dance. They're actually pretty good at dodging the attacks, so nice work on the enemy AI!
Definitely a patience game as you say ha ha.
Congratulations on your first Compo!
...
I'm using the chrome/edge extension -> User Agent Switcher
By emulating Opera (Apply to current window) then hitting refresh, by golly it can be played.
The enemy going off-screen is something I didn't have time to take care of, but I thought it would be too easy to take him take damage for free, but I agree it feels unfair.
Also a big "thank you" to anybody installing a browser just to try this game 😄
Some of the elements could be made more clear. Choosing a character at the start made me think I was going to control them, so it took me a while to realise I was actually controlling the mail truck. I'm also not sure why there are multiple health bars. It would've been more intuitive with just one large health bar.
For the heath bars, I was kind of modeling it after (JRPGs/MMOs which I don't play), I agree it would probably be more intuitive with one health bar, but there is one reason which is probably more obvious with multiple health bars (as to what happens when one gets reduced to 0, rather than reaching some break point on the health bar which the player could overlook), that being said I think it's that it feels like the health is running out with the black bar behind it that is problematic. I actually wanted it to have the other health bar behind it and have them change color when designing it, but I forgot to implement it 😕
Cool game! I think gameplay was a bit confusing at first. Still good job :)
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