I answered your feedback form, but I'd like to present it here too: It wasn't immediately obvious to me that the game wanted me to drift the ship, rather than shoot and avoid the asteroids. Only...
I answered your feedback form, but I'd like to present it here too: It wasn't immediately obvious to me that the game wanted me to drift the ship, rather than shoot and avoid the asteroids. Only when I was hit by one and didn't die it occurred to me that I was meant to drift around them. If the asteroids aren't enemies, then why do I have a gun? They didn't have a hood-mounted machine gun in Initial D either. Instead, maybe have the ship bounce off the asteroids, which breaks the current combo like in Forza Horizon.
The ship's controls feel good, but with only two axes (speed and rotation) it can hardly be called drifting. Real drifting of a motor vehicle requires a differential lock that allows both wheels to spin at the same speed regardless of their position, sending the car into a controlled partial spin (the oversteering that you see in drifting). I'd love to see a creative approach as to how this could be handled with a rear-drive spaceship, because as of now, you're not really drifting but just oversteering.
It also means that in microgravity, you can't cancel that oversteering without significant compensation. You'd have to turn into the opposite direction and fire a reverse or RCS thruster. I know what you're trying to do - you want to slingshot around asteroids, and in the relevant literature this is called "fuckin' sick, bro", but it's not really drifting as you've presented it if there's no source of friction. That friction can come from the ground with a car, but can also come from grazing the atmosphere, a magnetic medium, or gravity from, say, a bunch of asteroids.
The aesthetic is fine, I quite like Asteroids and really enjoy games that ape its aesthetic like Utopia Must Fall, so this is an easy win for me.
Thanks for taking the time to play it & give feedback. I have to admit that I didn’t think at all about implementing “realistic” drifting. The goalpost I kept in mind was my (fuzzy) memory of the...
Thanks for taking the time to play it & give feedback. I have to admit that I didn’t think at all about implementing “realistic” drifting. The goalpost I kept in mind was my (fuzzy) memory of the drifting mechanic in Race Driver GRID, and Need For Speed Pro Street. So I am curious (genuinely) about what made you expect a realistic implementation of drifting?
Instead, maybe have the ship bounce off the asteroids, which breaks the current combo like in Forza Horizon.
This, and your DMC-like scoring system are good suggestions & something I also have in mind. Right now I’m trying to gauge if this is a fun loop for anyone, before sinking even more time into the project.
Though I would add that, the drifting multiplier is higher based on how many asteroids you’re drifting near. Which should make the guns more useful than you described.
I've been learning game dev lately, and I decided to make “clones" of old games, as I’ve heard being recommended. I started with a clone of the classic arcade game Asteroids, but while working on...
I've been learning game dev lately, and I decided to make “clones" of old games, as I’ve heard being recommended. I started with a clone of the classic arcade game Asteroids, but while working on it I started having more and more ideas that were, frankly, more interesting than the original gameplay. To me at least.
I've been working on this every day for the past three weeks or so, and it's finally in a shape where all of my main ideas are implemented. As I've read online, this is a good time to start gathering feedback - which means playtesting. So, here I am!
This project has grown in scope quite a bit compared to what I initially set out to do, and it is by far the most complex and well designed project (that is, compared to previous games) I have made so far.
The concept: Asteroids, but with drifting. The goal is getting a high score, by drifting. Drifting closer to the asteroids results in even more points! You can drift by going fast and turning, or by tapping the break while moving. Keep your drifts going for as long as possible, by controlling your angle & velocity. The prototype is fully playable in the browser on itch.
It would be very helpful if you gave it a try, and shared some of your feedback with me! You can use this anonymous survey on Google Forms to share your thoughts with me. Or just write them here.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: perhaps I should clarify what kind of feedback I’m looking for. Since this is a prototype, there is a lot of stuff that’s missing. Such as a game menu, loss state, sounds, etc. I am mainly interested in: are you having fun with the game loop, as it is? Which means: the ship’s controls, the drifting mechanic, and the scoring system.
I answered your feedback form, but I'd like to present it here too: It wasn't immediately obvious to me that the game wanted me to drift the ship, rather than shoot and avoid the asteroids. Only when I was hit by one and didn't die it occurred to me that I was meant to drift around them. If the asteroids aren't enemies, then why do I have a gun? They didn't have a hood-mounted machine gun in Initial D either. Instead, maybe have the ship bounce off the asteroids, which breaks the current combo like in Forza Horizon.
The ship's controls feel good, but with only two axes (speed and rotation) it can hardly be called drifting. Real drifting of a motor vehicle requires a differential lock that allows both wheels to spin at the same speed regardless of their position, sending the car into a controlled partial spin (the oversteering that you see in drifting). I'd love to see a creative approach as to how this could be handled with a rear-drive spaceship, because as of now, you're not really drifting but just oversteering.
It also means that in microgravity, you can't cancel that oversteering without significant compensation. You'd have to turn into the opposite direction and fire a reverse or RCS thruster. I know what you're trying to do - you want to slingshot around asteroids, and in the relevant literature this is called "fuckin' sick, bro", but it's not really drifting as you've presented it if there's no source of friction. That friction can come from the ground with a car, but can also come from grazing the atmosphere, a magnetic medium, or gravity from, say, a bunch of asteroids.
The aesthetic is fine, I quite like Asteroids and really enjoy games that ape its aesthetic like Utopia Must Fall, so this is an easy win for me.
Looking forward to seeing this game evolve!
Thanks for taking the time to play it & give feedback. I have to admit that I didn’t think at all about implementing “realistic” drifting. The goalpost I kept in mind was my (fuzzy) memory of the drifting mechanic in Race Driver GRID, and Need For Speed Pro Street. So I am curious (genuinely) about what made you expect a realistic implementation of drifting?
This, and your DMC-like scoring system are good suggestions & something I also have in mind. Right now I’m trying to gauge if this is a fun loop for anyone, before sinking even more time into the project.
Though I would add that, the drifting multiplier is higher based on how many asteroids you’re drifting near. Which should make the guns more useful than you described.
Again, thanks for taking the time to help out!
I've been learning game dev lately, and I decided to make “clones" of old games, as I’ve heard being recommended. I started with a clone of the classic arcade game Asteroids, but while working on it I started having more and more ideas that were, frankly, more interesting than the original gameplay. To me at least.
I've been working on this every day for the past three weeks or so, and it's finally in a shape where all of my main ideas are implemented. As I've read online, this is a good time to start gathering feedback - which means playtesting. So, here I am!
This project has grown in scope quite a bit compared to what I initially set out to do, and it is by far the most complex and well designed project (that is, compared to previous games) I have made so far.
The concept: Asteroids, but with drifting. The goal is getting a high score, by drifting. Drifting closer to the asteroids results in even more points! You can drift by going fast and turning, or by tapping the break while moving. Keep your drifts going for as long as possible, by controlling your angle & velocity. The prototype is fully playable in the browser on itch.
It would be very helpful if you gave it a try, and shared some of your feedback with me! You can use this anonymous survey on Google Forms to share your thoughts with me. Or just write them here.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: perhaps I should clarify what kind of feedback I’m looking for. Since this is a prototype, there is a lot of stuff that’s missing. Such as a game menu, loss state, sounds, etc. I am mainly interested in: are you having fun with the game loop, as it is? Which means: the ship’s controls, the drifting mechanic, and the scoring system.