Travelling Light (2008 remix)

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#1


http://www.dishmoth.com/pic_tl_small.jpg

This is an improved version of a game from some years ago. It’s sort of a retro-styled, Zelda-esqe action-adventure.

I’ve removed the vast majority of the dialogue that people (quite rightly!) objected to in the original. There’s still a bit of text to read, but it shouldn’t get in the way of the game.

I haven’t changed the Manic Miner-style jumping that people (quite wrongly :P) objected to in the original. Sorry if you don’t like it, but it is fundamental to the game.

I’m looking forward to hearing what you think - especially if you played the original version!

Simon

P.S. In the unlikely event that you have played the original version recently, it may have created a save file (webstart muffin) recording your progress. When prompted, DO NOT continue your saved game or it will revert to the original version.

#2

Nice graphics, and it looks very nice and polished and smooth. But yeah there’s still too much dialogue! And what’s the deal with train tickets?!

At any moment I was expecting some big bad dude to come along and make mince meat out of that annoying side-kick love interest, and then you had to fight that baddy. Well, to me :stuck_out_tongue: , that’s better than chasing after train tickets.

The way dialogue is presented is very nice - the speech bubbles work well.

#3

The source code is available, very good! Thank you very much! I’m waiting for your permission to add your game into the incubator of the Java™ Game Tome. The incubator is a special place for games that are not completely playable. If you estimate that it is playable enough, your game can be put with the other games.

#4

Hi, Keith. Thanks for giving it a go.

I thought that a calm, non-violent game would be good for you. Actually the train takes you to a post-apocalyptic landscape where you battle against a horde of zombie cockroaches armed only with a flame-thrower and a monster truck with really big, spiked wheels! :wink:

Cheers,
Simon

#5

Thanks. I’ll add games myself when the JGT site has stabilized and the deep-linking issues are resolved.
Simon

#6

I remember playing the earlier version. Unfortunately, I played it at work last time, as did I this time, meaning I didn’t have the time to get into what feels like a fairly slow game, so I can’t really provide any “fair” feedback, but:

The polish bits feel really nice, like showing the controls and introducing new features in a fairly logical way, without holding the players hand TOO much.
The cross fading backgrounds are kinda annoying, imo. :-
Even though the graphics isn’t technically perfect, they are consistent and clear, and fit the game really well.
I didn’t find the controls annoying, except for the game being a bit slow. I would have preferred faster movement, but the inability to jump didn’t bother me since the level design seemed to have this in mind.

#7

Deep-linking issues? There is no issue as everyone can update the URLs and replace the deep link by a link to the game’s website. I will go on using deep links when the authors agree with this thing.

#8

Thanks for the comments, Markus.

You’re right about the character moving slowly. That’s not something I’d thought of as a problem before, but the pace of the game is certainly quite sedate. It takes me about 15 minutes to play the game from beginning to end, and that’s knowing exactly which route to take!

If anyone wants to tell me, I’d be interested in knowing how far people get in the game before giving up - and whether anyone’s actually made it to the end! With hindsight I suspect that I saved too much of the interesting stuff until the second half of the game, and in practice it sounds like most people lose interest long before that.

Cheers,
Simon

#9

Well, I don’t even get far enough to get to the first ticket machine… but that’s not because I get bored, it’s because I play at work.

#10

I got to the end!

happy sigh - another hour successfully wasted! Thanks! :wink:

#11

I need to get back to revising for my exams but, from what I have seen, it looks really cool. I like the talking characters - but I guess It might become annoying if there is too much of it. Now, for the biggest problem I have with it - the physics/ controls could be so much better! It feels SO sticky and awkward. Controls and physics more like Mario would be better where you can turn mid-air and not get stopped by hitting the ceiling etc…

#12

Well done! For that achievement you should be made a JGO Ninja! ;D

Yes, you’re right. The lesson I’ve learned is:

  • retro games: good
  • retro graphics: good
  • retro control schemes: very, very bad!
    I’ll know better for next time.

Thanks for the comments!
Simon

#13

Very nice and retro in a good way. Don’t really have any new comments from the ones above.

Yup, turn midair would improve game tremendously. I think that games like bomb jack and other even older ones you could turn mid air iirc.