Incredibuilder

Featured Games
#1

Hello all!

Today is the time for me to present you my current game project. I would have present it sooner but I was too busy with work. So, it’s a puzzle-action game based on Tetris but is much different than that, so don’t think it’s just another Tetris clone ;). Anyway, here is the game context:

You’re a builder and your job is to build the structure as shown
by the plan to your left. To succeed, you must put the falling
pieces using various tools with your mouse. Each piece cost you
money and that’s why you have a budget, indicated to your right.

Keyboard Controls:
1: Select the stick tool.
2: Select the cutter tool.

Mouse Controls:
stick tool : Push left or right the falling piece. Click left or right button to rotate the falling piece.
cutter tool: Click left button to select one or more piece blocks to move them elsewhere in the structure.
Click right button to cancel the block selection.

Other Keyboard Controls:
a: Drop the falling piece.
z: Accelerate the falling piece.

The game is supported only for windows for now but I’ll support Linux and OS X too a bit later. Sorry for non-windows users, this is temporary. I made the graphics myself by modifying images with various Photoshop functions. Some of the images are totally made in Photoshop. There’s no sound for now but it’ll come some day.

What I’d like to know from you:

  • is the game working correctly?
  • how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?
  • you’re detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
  • any bug you may encounter

The game is hosted on my gave development web site.

Here is the link of the game: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/incredibuilder/game.jnlp

My web site: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin

There’s also a development blog on the game progress, screenshots, and a page about the games I’ve developed. Feel free to add you’re comments to the blog or write them here.

Thanks!

http://jeromeblouin.webs.com/photos/2009-09-15/ScreenShot001.jpg

#2

Good evening

You use Slick and LWJGL, you have no good reason to make it work only under Windows. It is not respectful to create a non cross-platform game in Java, it is an insult to non-windows users and I hope you will change this as soon as possible to allow me to add your game in the Java Game Tome. Good luck.

#3

Hi gouessej,

as I said, the windows only version IS a temporary solution. Again, sorry for this. I’ll provide an OS X and Linux version as soon as possible. Probably tonight. The issue though is that I’m not able to test it on these OSes. And please, don’t take it as an insult. It was never intended that way. We, as casual game developers, have our lives right?

#4

You might just replace your own lwjgl references in the jnlp with the extension provided by lwjgl.org. See this thread for details: http://www.java-gaming.org/forums/index.php?topic=18488.0

#5

  • is the game working correctly?
    yep

  • how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?
    its pretty slow and boring right now, doesnt seem to be much of a challenge

  • you’re detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
    winxp java 1.6 7600gt

  • any bug you may encounter
    any way to get back to the instructions? - i tryed esc but that quit it :wink: it seems you can place blocks on top of each other, is that a bug?

graphics are quite pretty :slight_smile:

#6

Thanks g666.

[quote]- how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?
its pretty slow and boring right now, doesnt seem to be much of a challenge
[/quote]
Yes it’s slow if you don’t use the A and Z keys. It’s explained in the game instructions screen. The A drops the piece and the Z accelerate it. A question: do you like puzzle games? Is it boring for an action puzzle game?

#7

Is the game working correctly? how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?

I didn’t play much (I don’t like puzzle games) but it seemed a very interesting take on Tetris. I liked the mouse pushing of blocks but had to use Z to push them down faster. How about you can push blocks down using mouse?

I think I should have won here but didn’t:

http://www.kev.talktalk.net/loose.jpg

  • you’re detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
    Geforce 8800GTS, Intel Q6600, Windows XP, Java6 early access build 14
#8 

java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:585)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeApplication(Launcher.java:1187)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeMainClass(Launcher.java:1125)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.continueLaunch(Launcher.java:968)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleApplicationDesc(Launcher.java:522)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleLaunchFile(Launcher.java:218)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.run(Launcher.java:165)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:613)
Caused by: java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: no lwjgl in java.library.path
	at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadLibrary(ClassLoader.java:1753)
	at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Runtime.java:822)
	at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(System.java:993)
	at org.lwjgl.Sys$1.run(Sys.java:75)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at org.lwjgl.Sys.doLoadLibrary(Sys.java:68)
	at org.lwjgl.Sys.loadLibrary(Sys.java:84)
	at org.lwjgl.Sys.<clinit>(Sys.java:101)
	at org.lwjgl.opengl.Display.<clinit>(Display.java:111)
	at org.newdawn.slick.AppGameContainer$1.run(AppGameContainer.java:38)
	at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
	at org.newdawn.slick.AppGameContainer.<clinit>(AppGameContainer.java:35)
	at buildergame.BuilderGame.main(BuilderGame.java:76)
	... 11 more

But, obviously the problem is that I am running on Mac OS X.

#9

OK, I’ve uploaded a new version that supports Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. I now use the slick java webstart extension. Please give it a try everybody.

I forgot to particularly thanks all the Slick contributors and particularly Kevin Glass for it’s great dedication!

g666, I’ve changed the falling piece delay to make it faster. I hope it’s going to be more challenging…

irreversible_kev, thanks for your comments and bug report. I agree with you that using the mouse the drop the falling piece would be great. It’s just that I wasn’t sure. I was more thinking about replacing the A and Z keys with icons that the player would click. These icons would be located just below the next piece windows. About the bug you reported, I’ve haven’t been able to reproduce it tonight. Could you try to reproduce it and give me details about what happened please?

#10

I can confirm that it works on Mac OS X.

Pretty fun concept, although I kept getting annoyed that I couldn’t rotate the blocks.

#11

Ok for Mandriva Linux 2007. I will add it into the Java Game Tome as soon as possible.

But my desktop is often covered by small straight lines when I use a game in LWJGL. I think I already spoke about this in the past, princec and bleb know a workaround.

#12

Worked fine here, XP, etc. etc.

I have to say though - I don’t think it’s very casual. Something about the complex (!) controls… switching between knife and stick. The stick couldn’t be used intuitively to bash the blocks downward either. And I was wondering, why bother with a switch at all, because when the blocks have settled at the bottom they can’t be manipulated by the stick anyway? For casual I think you need to figure out a mechanism in the control scheme that basically allows complete manipulation with a single mouse button (NO right mouse button!!).

Somewhere in this game lurks an interesting concept, that is “building” and “copying”… I’m not so sure that Tetris is the best meme to try and wrap it up in either. People are kind of used to how Tetris and its friends work, and you’re sort of bending the concept a bit too far. I was initially put off (“oh no another Tetris”) and then baffled (“aarrgh what am I supposed to do now?”) and then sort of… well, honestly a smidgen put off some how because it made me play Tetris and then didn’t do what it was supposed to do.

Maybe a sort of radical redesign on that front? Keeping the basic concepts of pushing the blocks around, and cutting them, but without the falling and rotating, and all using just the mouse only and the left button.

Cas :slight_smile:

#13

[quote]Pretty fun concept, although I kept getting annoyed that I couldn’t rotate the blocks.
[/quote]
Thanks Demonpants! About rotating the blocks, do you mean when you have cut them with the cutter tool? Otherwise you can rotate the falling piece using right and left mouse button.

gouessej, I guess that’s a good idea. Could you provide me the link to Java Game Tome because I don’t know what that is. Thanks!

princec, first, thanks for you comments. Have you read the game instructions when the game started? This is really important to understand how to play the game. And I’m sure that aspect needs significant improvements. A kind of tutorial would improve a lot I guess. I’m convinced that if players take the time to learn how to play the game in an easy and fun way then I’ll win the battle. The art of convincing people is really crucial in this type of game since it doesn’t play at all like tetris but it seems to be tetris at first. About the control scheme I mostly agree with you. I know that there’s too many keys to handle for a casual game. But the right mouse button? I think these days very most users are used to use it. It’s so commonly used in Windows, applications and other OSes. Getting rid of the falling piece and rotation? Why? What’s the problem with creating a game based on a popular one like tetris? Again, I’m pretty sure that it’s all in the art of convincing people. A good real case about a radical tetris variation that had a big success is Tetris DS - there’s a lot of new game modes never seen before. I read lots and lots of very positive reviews, both from professional and amateur reviews.

#14

I quite enjoyed it, though I’m a sucker for this sort of game. I do think you could get rid fo the two tools just by using the context of the mouse to decide what they’re trying to do - clicking on a static block, well I’m trying to cut it, moving the mouse near a falling block - I’m trying to push it. I also love the idea of being to push the block down the screen.

However, having to read the instructions = not casual enough :slight_smile:

I played for a bit before realising I could cut stuff up (didn’t read the instructions at all).

Overall, like the concept, presentation is tidy though presumably this is just early days. Not sure it needs to run in such a big window though, if it’s a little casual game run it small and polished I think.

Kev

#15

Thanks Kev!

[quote]I do think you could get rid of the two tools just by using the context of the mouse to decide what they’re trying to do
[/quote]
Well, this is not really feasible simply because I plan to introduce other tools in the game like a hammer and a hand. The hammer would break one block at a time. The hand would be used to move an entire piece that’s part of the construction.

[quote]I also love the idea of being to push the block down the screen.
[/quote]
Yes I agree that would be great. Do you mean pushing the block down the screen to drop it or accelerate it?

[quote]However, having to read the instructions = not casual enough
[/quote]
Yeah, I know. I’m designing it in my head and will significantly improve it sooner than later. :slight_smile: If you have any suggestion, I’m all open…

[quote]presentation is tidy though presumably this is just early days.
[/quote]
Yes, it’s just early days. It’s going to completely change with a complete presentation and menu screen.

[quote]Not sure it needs to run in such a big window though, if it’s a little casual game run it small and polished I think.
[/quote]
I do need that screen size to allow other game play mechanics to come… :slight_smile:

#16

Yeah, I did read the instructions (twice - they appear in game too!). Problem is… I just don’t like the Tetris aspect of it at all. It’s a bit like bacon and egg flavoured ice cream - you’re expecting the taste of vanilla but instead get bacon and eggs in a creamy texture. It’s all weird and maybe interesting but the large majority of people go, “Yeuch!” at the thought. That’s what I think will happen here.

When you look at the game, it’s about building using a set of blocks to copy another pattern, using a few tools. I think that the Tetris aspect of it adds pretty much nothing fun to the game here - the goal is trying to make the copy, and the fun is derived from the satisfaction of completing a copy, and secondarily from the fun of interacting with the blocks. But having the blocks falling from the ceiling just doesn’t make any sense at all. Probably rotating them isn’t much use either.

How about just having a big playing area with the blocks all scattered around to begin with, and then you have to drag and chop them up to get the copy you want? Maybe within a time limit?

And definitely - right mouse button is a no-no for casual players. Not to mention the burgeoning Mac crowd, many of whom still soldier on grimly with their single button mice for some reason.

Cas :slight_smile:

#17

Interesting point of view. I understand what you say. The thing is that I want to express the idea of having tension to build the structure. Not taking your time. That’s where comes the idea of reusing some tetris game mechanics. Yes, having a limited time is definitely a good idea. Actually that’s what I planned to add to the game in the next version.

For the right mouse button issue, yes it’s very unfortunate that I must not use it. I couldn’t figure out why Apple doesn’t like that ??? Or maybe it’s just a cultural thing?

Another point, do you like the idea of having a budget to build the structure?

#18

I think you’ve got something great being cooked up here, just after reading some of these comments I definitely have realized what’s a problem at this juncture.

One is definitely the fact that it’s very frustrating (at least for me) trying to switch tools quickly. I want to be focusing on the mouse, not the keyboard, so I always get slowed down when I try to switch. I thought what might help is to add in gesture detection of some kind – if I slice the mouse upwards very quickly, I get the the pusher, whereas downwards gives me the cutter. This of course will require a bunch of tweaking so you don’t switch tools by accident, but if you get it to work I think it will make the game way more fun.

And a tutorial would be great. I read the instructions, but I found myself not knowing what I was expecting and therefore didn’t really understand any of it. As such, I forgot some of the core functionality, like rotate.

You should be able to push blocks downward with the mouse, once again eliminating all keyboard entries. If the mouse is above, the block should be pushed. Similarly if the mouse is below, maybe you slow the descent. It would be cool if you even had something like realistic physics in here that allow the block to “slide” down the angle of the pusher. Of course, deciding how to implement pusher rotation might just make things very difficult.

#19

Personally I’m not a great fan of budgets that I’d have to keep track of in realtime. That is, spending money when there’s a timer ticking down is basically “hard” - I find it impossible to make strategical decisions because I have to do a subtraction in my head while dealing with the other task at hand and my tiny brain can’t cope. But budgets are extra good in shops, for buying special powers and upgrades that you might be able to click on to use…

Cas :slight_smile:

#20

The idea of having both a budget and a limited time is that it forces the player to really try to put the pieces at the right locations and at the same time the time add a bit of tension to the game. Of course I have to carefully choose the time allowed to make sure the level difficulty is right.

Demonpants, thanks for your suggestions. I totally agree now with the keyboard control issues. People seem to have issues with the controls in the game. About your gesture suggestion, I don’t really like the idea because to me it’s not intuitive for the player. And I imagine how complicated it would be to implement. And this is without talking about detecting without error all the time. Here is how I see the controls:

Rotate the piece:
Click the left mouse button only. No more right button.

Accelerate the piece:
My idea is, like you and other suggested, to push downward the falling piece to accelerate it and double click anywhere to drop it.

Drop the piece:
You simply double click anywhere in the window. I’ve already thought about it but wasn’t able to figure out how to implement it with Slick. I guess Kev or anybody would be helpful to me here. Anyway, I’m going to check the API again.

Tool selection:
I was thinking about having icons to the left of the structure area, just next to it. The small issue with that is that you have to move the mouse to the icon, but you lose time doing that. The other idea with tool icons would be to press space bar to display a translucent window containing the icons just over the mouse cursor. You would click the icon in that window. Once clicked, the window would disappear. My problem is that I don’t know which solution I prefer.