Incredibuilder

Featured Games
#61

I’ve uploaded a temporary version which has modified input controls. In this version, you can control the falling piece only using the arrow keys:

  • left: move left
  • right: move right
  • up: rotate
  • down: accelerate the falling down

The space bar is no longer because of these changes. Same thing about the stick tool. So in the current levels you don’t have to select another tool. Also, don’t play the tutorials because they don’t match the changes. It’s a temporary version of the game to let you try the changes.

So again, this version is temporary. The previous version is still available at the same url.

The url of this temporary version: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/incredibuilder-tmp/game.jnlp

Please give me your feedback about the control changes or the level changes.

#62

Hey,

I’ve just came up with a new idea about controls. I’ve uploaded a new version that uses the mouse to move the falling piece. The idea is that it uses the mover tool to move left, right or down the piece. The mechanic is:

  • you click the pipe while moving the mouse to move the piece.
  • to rotate you click outside the pipe, but not on the piece
  • to drop you click on the piece
  • to switch the tool you press space bar

As I already said, this version is temporary. The previous version is still available at the same url.

The new url of this temporary version: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/incredibuilder-tmp2/game.jnlp

Take a look:

http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/ScreenShot001.jpg

It would be great if you could compare this version with the previous temporary one at http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/incredibuilder-tmp/game.jnlp

Thanks for your feedback!

#63

Hi,

a new version (0.45) is there. Here are the new features:

  • 5 new levels: new gameplay, new blocks and a new tool.
  • the game is offered in both english and french. I guess some members will be happy. You click on the link of the version of your choice. See freewebs.com/jeromeblouin for the french version.
  • now you move the falling piece in a completely new and more easy way. See tutorial for info.
  • click to the left or right of the piece to move it
  • click below the piece or use the mouse wheel to move the it downward
  • right click or click the beam to rotate the piece
  • use of right mouse button and mouse wheel. Note that they are optional and you can do the same in different ways.
  • click the piece to drop it
  • the tutorials were updated to the changed controls
  • the main menu now includes help, story, credits, info and game version at top left of the screen.

Thanks

#64

Could you rather use a menu to allow to change the language settings?

#65

No problem.

#66

Thank you.

#67

Good points:

  • I thought the typing sound while the instructions were being displayed was a very nice touch.
  • Overall presentation is very pleasant.

Unfortunately:

  • The first time I ran the game, using the link in your original post, it crashed (the application just disappeared) when I pressed the play button on the main menu. The link above (to the temporary version) worked okay.
  • On my widescreen laptop (max resolution 1366 x 768) it looks like the top and bottom of the game screen have been cut off. However looking at your screen shot above, I guess that that’s not the case. It just looks a bit odd because the central column doesn’t have a top or bottom. If you continued the blue edge of the column around to the top and bottom then it would reassure me that the game is being displayed correctly. :wink:
  • During the tutorial, the “drop” button wouldn’t work. (Yes, I moved the block into the correct position. At least I think I did!) It highlighted when my mouse went over it, but clicking didn’t do anything. So that’s as far as I got. I had to kill the application after that.

Sorry I can’t comment on the actual gameplay.

Simon

#68

[quote]The first time I ran the game, using the link in your original post, it crashed (the application just disappeared) when I pressed the play button on the main menu. The link above (to the temporary version) worked okay.
[/quote]
If you encounter thus issue again, could you give me the error in the webstart logs please?

[quote]On my widescreen laptop (max resolution 1366 x 768) it looks like the top and bottom of the game screen have been cut off. However looking at your screen shot above, I guess that that’s not the case. It just looks a bit odd because the central column doesn’t have a top or bottom.
[/quote]
Could you give me a screenshot of this issue please? Does your laptop support 1024x768 resolution? The game runs in this resolution.

[quote]During the tutorial, the “drop” button wouldn’t work. (Yes, I moved the block into the correct position. At least I think I did!) It highlighted when my mouse went over it, but clicking didn’t do anything. So that’s as far as I got. I had to kill the application after that.
[/quote]
The drop button is no more available in the game. With the mover tool you click the piece. With the block tool you quickly push downward the piece. Maybe you webstart cache wasn’t refreshed so you have played and older version? Delete the cache and restart the game to see if you have a newer version.

Thanks for testing and comments

#69

Tried the link again, worked fine. Just one of those things, I guess.

The screen is exactly like the screenshot above, but stretched horizontally by 33%, since the 1024x768 resolution is being made to cover a 1366x768 screen. (Take the screenshot above, load it into a paint application, rescale it to 1366x768 and you’ll see what I’m seeing. ;))

The game runs fine in this mode, but the stretching makes it look as if the top and bottom of the play area have been cut off. (They haven’t been. I’ve counted the squares, and the play area is entirely visible.) To make it look better, I’d suggest either (i) continuing the blue edges on the left and right of the central column so that they also run along the top and bottom; or (ii) see what screen modes are available on the machine, choose one that is Nx768 (for the largest N that’s supported) and then display your game only in the middle 1024 pixels (the background picture could cover the whole screen still, of course).

As I said, I was using the link to the ‘temporary’ version, so I guess that explains it.

Since the main link worked for me this time, I can comment on the game at last! ;D

I think that overall the game’s well put together and very polished. But I found it too complicated to enjoy playing for long. I’m tempted to suggest that you try simplifying the gameplay - but there’s a danger that if you do that you’ll end up with just another version of Tetris, and clearly this deserves to be something more than just a Tetris clone.

One specific point: perhaps I didn’t play enough levels to appreciate it, but the ‘cutter’ tool seemed to me to undermine the gameplay. I found it easier to drop the blocks quickly, then cut them into bits and re-position them, than to move them around in the way that’s intended.

Simon

#70

Hey dishmoth,

sorry for the late reply. I’m very busy at work…

For the screen resolution issue, I’ll have to investigate that.

I don’t understand why you find the game too complicated? Could you elaborate more on that?
About the cutter issue, that’s a very good catch. I didn’t think about this possible cheat. I’ll modify some levels to fix this issue. Thanks

#71

It’s looking better and better! Glad to see that you’re really sticking with this game. That’s great!

#72

Hey Demonpants, thanks! :slight_smile:

#73

It mainly comes down to the controls. You need the mouse for some operations, the keyboard for others. You’ve got to switch back and forth between (at last count) four different tools. Basic operations like moving a piece left or right by clicking or pushing are un-intuitive – simple and well-executed, but still un-intuitive compared to, for example, pressing the left or right cursor key.

I find I have to stop and think for a second any time I have to do even something as simple as rotating a block. Can I rotate the block with my current tool? Which control is it to switch tools? Which tool do I have to switch to? Do I rotate the block by clicking on it or does that do something else?

Of course, given time players will memorize the controls. But the game levels at the moment don’t make that easy. You get a description of how a new tool works, a level to try it out on, and then the game moves on to a new tool. I’d expect a game like this to have maybe four or five levels before introducing a new tool.

Simon

#74

Hi dishmoth,

I realize that, again, some controls are too complicated. I introduced the mover tool to move the piece in the hope to ease the game play but it didn’t solve the problem at all. I’m thinking about removing this tool for now and only use the block tool to push the piece. It might not be intuitive because people might think my game plays like Tetris but I think it’s easy to use. I mean, you always push the piece or click to rotate and the mouse cursor is now much bigger. I also enhanced the way to push the piece downward.

About the keyboard control, how is that complicated? You simply press one key to switch the current tool. No other key used.

All in all, if you have a level using the block and hammer tools, you don’t have that much controls to learn in my opinion.

[quote]Of course, given time players will memorize the controls. But the game levels at the moment don’t make that easy. You get a description of how a new tool works, a level to try it out on, and then the game moves on to a new tool. I’d expect a game like this to have maybe four or five levels before introducing a new tool.
[/quote]
I agree with that. I think I’ll rearrange the levels to slowly introduce new tools.

#75

Hi!

You can play with the new version 0.47. Here are the features/improvements:

  • Now 15 levels
  • All the levels (except the tutorials) were redesigned to be more focused on a particular game play variation.
  • I came back with the original idea on how to move the falling piece. You use a block (new graphic) to move left, right and down the piece. Click the drop button to drop the piece.
  • The knife tool (previously named cutter) has changed a lot because a player told me that it was too easy to cheat with it. So now you’re required to move 2 blocks at a time except when a block is in the lowest row or when there’s no block below it.
  • The game now asks you if you want to retry a failed level.
  • A level can be game over when the falling piece overflows the construction.
  • A bunch of fixes.
#76

I’d like to know if some you you have issues with the game. A Java Game Tome member isn’t able to start the game.

Thanks

#77

Hey.

I tried the game. Looks quite nice, runs very smoothly.
I have a couple of suggestions/thougts:
Very nice tutorial!
The game’s logo is too hard for me to read. Perhaps a black outline could help out on this.
I played the game on a widescreen monitor. While i think it’s great to see my monitor being used, it’s a bit annoying having to look from side to side all the time.

You’re asking for system specs in the first post. It should be sufficient to say it’s an high-end laptop running windows vista and lastest java version.
All in all a pretty good game, even though it’s not my genre really :slight_smile:

  • Scarzzurs
#78

Thanks Scarzzurs.

Title: ok for the outline. Should be a matter of minutes in Photoshop.
Yes, you have to look from side to side because of the plan. You’re not the first one reporting that. I think I’ll integrate the plan to the construction.

Expect a new release with lots of new stuff soon. :slight_smile:

Thanks!

#79

Hey, watch version 0.49! It got a lot of cool new features: ;D

  • Engaging music in menus and in game.
  • Great background graphics in menus and in game. 8)
  • The plan is now directly displayed within the construction. Red x indicates incorrect match.
  • Bonuses. Try them to discover all the subtle particularities. :stuck_out_tongue:
  • Some new sounds in game.
  • 1 new level inserted between level 3 and 4.

Ho, and there’re forums too. Don’t be afraid to speak at http://www.freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/apps/forums ok?

Have a great fun! :slight_smile:

UPDATE: Here are a few screenshots

http://www.freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/photos/2009-01-06/ScreenShot001.jpg

http://www.freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/photos/2009-01-06/ScreenShot008.jpg

#80

Hey Scarzzurs, what do you think about the last version?