Spiderball4k [updated, new map]

Spiderball website and map archive:
http://www.x2d.org/java/4k/spiderball/

Spiderball4k:
http://www.x2d.org/java/4k/spiderball4k.jnlp

SpiderEditor:
http://www.x2d.org/java/4k/spidereditor.jnlp

Spiderball with replays (currently not 4k):
http://www.x2d.org/java/4k/spiderballreplay.jnlp

Currently, there’s a pretty low number of maps. It weighs in at ~3950 bytes, so there’s a bit of space for more maps (at least low-poly maps). Might replace some of these maps, too. I’m not doing injection so that just might decrease size further, at least for the maps?

Any maps made in the editor can be saved as a string (notepad, yay) and loaded again, and they can be loaded from within the game itself by pressing “L”. I’d love to see any maps you make (the map editor should be fairly easy to use), and I might use one or two of them in the game if you post them here :slight_smile:

Controls:

  • Left click to fire yellow rope, right click to fire red rope.
  • Z and X fires yellow/red ropes too, for mac users.
  • Alternatively, holding CTRL lets you fire the red rope with left-clicks.
  • Q and W to skip levels backwards and forward.
  • L to load a map.
  • Map editor has instructions in the editor window.
  • In the replay version, press A to save a replay when it says “click to begin”, and A to load when in a game.

Above are screens of the game and editor.

As always, any comments or thoughts are appreciated and very welcome! :slight_smile:

UPDATE: Better mac support.

UPDATE2: I’ve altered key firing. Now holding CTRL lets you shoot the red one with left-mouse, yellow is fired as usual (left-mouse with no key). Also, I’ve added Q and W for level skip.

UPDATE3: I’ve added a link to the version with replays, added a timer to both versions, and added a link to the game’s website.
Thanks to Laundon for website backend (map preview generation and stuff like that) and the very awesome replay functionality! :slight_smile:

UPDATE4: Z and X fires the yellow/red ropes respectively for macs (ctrl+mouse works too). Also, one new map, level 10 (tricky one!).

That was fun! :slight_smile:

maybe you could limit the amount of shots per level so you can’t advance in micro steps or reward the player with a bonus score for not using all shots. Really nice game.

Sweet game!

Captures the spirit of Gish!

Very satisfying completing it! ;D

Thanks! I’d never heard of gish until now :slight_smile:
Regarding the small steps, I think it’s okay - most people seem to think it’s too hard as it is, but I don’t know.
Please, feel free to post levels! I want more to put in the game :>

Great game!!

Oohh, addictive! Feels really solid, nice game. =)

Great fun!

Very well implemented also. Simple to control, yet quite challenging. Yes, hope to see some more levels. Maybe give score according to how fast one completes a level? It does have a bit of Gish spirit, and a good dose of extremeclimbing

Have to test the editor now.

It’s so awesome! :open_mouth:

Hey, this is cool! Great idea!! 8) - and very well done

Very nice. One option you could add to the map editor is the ability to clear the entire level to start over.

Try this map. I was able to complete it by luck.

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:stuck_out_tongue:

Here’s another tricky one.

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Some more levels.

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1a4e7361735135021d062a066d52,

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Thanks for all the responses! I’ll be sure to test all those levels, Captain :slight_smile:
Also, you can “sort of” clear the map. Just press L and load an empty string, it’ll reset the whole thing and say “could not load map”.

EDIT: Hadn’t seen extremeclimbing either - yeah, it’s similar :slight_smile:

EDIT2: The first one was really simple if you know a little trick - if you fire ropes into thin air at regular, long intervals (1 sec or more) you can “fly”, sort of. I’ve thought of disabling this feature but I kind of like it as it is :slight_smile:

The second one was really good. With your permission I might add it into the game.

EDIT3: I’ve now completed them all. Number 3 was interesting, with all those balls. Number 4 on the easy side, and number five I liked - quite a challenge, although some of the passages seemed to have balls that weren’t really needed :slight_smile:

Good stuff! Just one thing, I try to keep it so that the ball will always start out attached to something (never falling towards its death in the start). Dunno. :slight_smile:

Thanks. You can use any of the levels that you want.

Yeah, I was thinking about that first one, but left it with the spider falling because the ball is close.

Some of the balls in number 5 were to just provide an obsticle.

3 more

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Do the rocks move after a level starts? I have some rocks placed in a specific spot, but some of them don’t end up where I placed them.

Yes. All rocks have a speed of “1”, which is… pretty slow, to the right, when they start. They then gradually slow down and stop. Should I alter this behaviour?

I’m uploading a new version with overhauled levels 1 and 2 (easier, I hope), and two new levels. One is mine, one is a slightly altered version of a level CaptainJester did. :slight_smile:

I also changed key behaviour (now holding CTRL works as a modifier that lets you shoot the red one with mouse1 instead of the yellow).

Also, I added Q and W - level skip keys, backwards and forward respectively.

There seems to be quite a few people that suggest adding time limits, timers (for speed runs) or limited number of shots? Personally I’d think a timer was okay but only for high-scores, not limits. What does everyone think?

EDIT: I managed to complete two of your maps, but they were very tricky. The first one I go to the very end and then died just by the goal :slight_smile:

It is up to you if you want the rocks to move. The level still works.

Definitely keep the flying behaviour.

Got another level for you. There are a couple of graphics glitches I can’t fix, but maybe you can.


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Passed, pretty cool map :slight_smile:

As you may or may not have noticed, old maps are slightly altered - this is because I had a bug that displayed maps differently with different window layouts. I’ve fixed this, but it led to some maps being slightly broken (not very much for the most part), and I’ve updated the 9 official maps accordingly. I’ve also replaced level 1 with an easier map. There’s also a version with replay functionality, but it’s some 4350 bytes. I’ll try to squeeze it down but if I can’t, I’ll put it up too as a non-4k version (because speed runs are fun!).

Also, there’s a map archive in the works. Will link to it as soon as it’s ready :slight_smile:

EDIT: There - the map archive and a non4k version with replays is up. Laundon made both the website backend and added the replay functionality - very thoughtful! Please let me know if you think I should keep working on adding replays to the 4k version, or if I should use the space for more maps instead :slight_smile:

Here’s a link: http://www.x2d.org/java/4k/spiderball/