B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

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ZephyrMC
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B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by ZephyrMC »

This is an idea that I've had for awhile, and finally got around to cranking out a demo over the last week or so. Allow me to wax poetic for a moment.

In case you couldn't guess, You Are A Magnet.

"B" (working title) is a puzzle platformer, similar in intent to Portal. The aim each level is to make it from the start to the goal without dying. You can move around and jump, but those abilities won't be sufficient to reach the goal.

That's what the magnets are for.

Scattered through the level are magnets of every size. Some are solitary, while some form structures and mechanisms; some move, while others are still. You, the player, can change your "polarity" to attract yourself to or repel yourself from these magnets, allowing you a much greater freedom of movement -- within the limits of your creativity and reflexes.

Movement keys are WASD, but W and S don't do anything (yet).
Jump is H.
Polarity changes are (hold down) KL. Red and blue stand for north and south. Like repels like, and opposites attract.
Escape is "pause" (really just stops updating the simulation and puts you back at the main menu)

There are a few known bugs and a lot of stuff is stubbed or only partially implemented:
-There is only one short level, since it is just a demo
-If you stand next to a wall you have infinite jumps
-Lag is a possibility since collision detection has no broad phase (there aren't that many shapes though)
-Death pits and goal areas are stubbed, so you'll have to pretend :)
-The graphics are solid-color rectangles and circles, and there is no audio of any kind.

I want to take this project as far as it can go, so constructive criticism is most welcome (I do know a lot of the code is a mess though).
Thanks!
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lots_of_birds
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by lots_of_birds »

Very nice concept. It seems to me that it fits the the philosophy of "game design as a way to explore the universe".

The concept works well, the possibility for puzzles seems really deep. (I really enjoyed the prototype)

Here are my (trying to be) constructive complaints

Control mapping seems a bit weird. It's hard for me to get used to it
Maybe it would be good spread the commands a little less.
Here are two proposition:
A:Left
D:right
W and S: for polarity
Space: for jumping

Or
A:Left
D:right
W: jump
S: switch polarity (toggle)

----
I like the kind of elevator thing, but it's really hard to do the combo you ask the player to do.

-------

I'm looking forward to see how far this concept can be pushed.
Last edited by lots_of_birds on Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Robin
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Robin »

Hard, in a great way. :P

H for jumping is really confusing, half of the time I'm looking at my keyboard, trying to remember the keys to use.

I like lots_of_birds' first control mapping suggestion.
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Tesselode
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Tesselode »

I think A and D should be movement, W for jump, and completely different buttons (for the other hand) for polarity.
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kikito
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by kikito »

A:Left
D:right
W: jump
S: switch polarity (toggle)
Please.
When I write def I mean function.
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Jasoco
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Jasoco »

kikito wrote:
A:Left
D:right
W: jump
S: switch polarity (toggle)
Please.
I say offer both WSAD and arrows with the same commands. A/Left=Left, D/Right=Right, W/Up=Jump, S/Down=Polarity.
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Ellohir
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Ellohir »

I suggest another one by setting the polarity with right and left buttons on the mouse xD
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Robin
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Robin »

Toggling is not really useful IMHO, since you either need to keep switching, or you can't have neutral at all. (0→+→−→0)
Ellohir wrote:I suggest another one by setting the polarity with right and left buttons on the mouse xD
Fuck no.
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ZephyrMC
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by ZephyrMC »

I was wondering how the controls would be received. I use that layout for zsnes, so it felt perfectly natural to me :P
Toggling is not really useful IMHO
completely different buttons (for the other hand) for polarity.
I have to agree with these guys, I think having one button for N and one for S is important, and putting them on the other hand seems like a smart division of labor. I also like the idea of putting the same controls on WASD/arrows. Perhaps something like this:

WS/Up+Down = polarity
AD/Left+Right = movement
Space = jump
I like the kind of elevator thing, but it's really hard to do the combo you ask the player to do.
It's really more of a cannon :) What I was aiming for was for you to center yourself by sitting between the blue magnets, then shoot yourself up to the small red one. What were you trying to do?

Thanks for all the feedback!
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Re: B: You Are A Magnet (concept demo)

Post by Nixola »

Maybe you should lower jumps, I managed to reach the goal without using the cannon...
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