The 2014 In Review Contest [Reviews: 97]

Make games! Discuss those games here.

Moderators: Bob the Hamster, marionline, SDHawk

Post Reply
User avatar
The Wobbler
A Scrambled Egg
Posts: 2817
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:36 pm
Location: Underwater
Contact:

Post by The Wobbler »

Oki Doki Panic: Senor Death falls asleep and dreams about a world full of very polite horses. It ends when everyone he hugs dies so he gets sad and hugs himself to feel better but then he died too but it's all a dream. In America the horses are replaced with Fat Frogs.

The battles are pretty OK but I missed a lot, but it's cool that you can eat your own rotting flesh to restore HP. I wasn't sure what to make of the way it depicts Native Americans as living skeletons though.

5/10
Last edited by The Wobbler on Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Spoonweaver
Liquid Metal King Slime
Posts: 6461
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:07 am
Contact:

Post by Spoonweaver »

What is that Wobbles, a stroke? I'd say you were trying to diffuse the situation with nonsense but the jab at Charbile for liking ponies was clearly an attempt to discredit him based on his character. So posting this nonsense afterwards is basically like saying your point and then going "blah blah blah" when someone tries to say something back. It's one of the lowest forms of immature debate tactics, second only to turning to violence.
Let's not make this about personal attacks.
User avatar
The Wobbler
A Scrambled Egg
Posts: 2817
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:36 pm
Location: Underwater
Contact:

Post by The Wobbler »

It's a joke about complaining about dumb pop culture references while writing reviews and making a game stuffed with dumb pop culture references. My Little Gahn was fun though!!

Second only to violence. I love you so much it's almost unbelievable.
Last edited by The Wobbler on Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Mogri
Super Slime
Posts: 4668
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:38 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Post by Mogri »

Pheonix wrote:
msw188 wrote:I disagree. The point of battles is to provide the danger of dying. Random battles accomplish this via attrition.
I'm going to go out on a limb and take the few minutes of going through the wrongside as a test for the rest of the game... but I could just run away from every single random battle I got into, no questions asked, and with no damage taken by enemies acting before me (I'm going to assume this changes as the game goes on). When okedoke gives such pathetic rewards from random battles that simply not fighting them is given as a viable option from the creator himself, why bother?
In fairness, this is a problem with every OHR game that allows running. It's probably the biggest reason I disabled running in Super Penguin Chef (even though SPC's battles offer more benefit than most, I'd wager).
User avatar
Bob the Hamster
Lord of the Slimes
Posts: 7658
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:34 pm
Location: Hamster Republic (Ontario Enclave)
Contact:

Post by Bob the Hamster »

And the running thing is so my fault! I am sorry I haven't gotten around to fix that in.. *mumble* ......the past 18 years.
User avatar
The Wobbler
A Scrambled Egg
Posts: 2817
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:36 pm
Location: Underwater
Contact:

Post by The Wobbler »

Bob the Hamster wrote:And the running thing is so my fault! I am sorry I haven't gotten around to fix that in.. *mumble* ......the past 18 years.
I am going to piledrive you.

Edit: off the top rope

Edit: edit: Brother
Last edited by The Wobbler on Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Spoonweaver
Liquid Metal King Slime
Posts: 6461
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:07 am
Contact:

Post by Spoonweaver »

I don't think OHR running needs fixing so much as it just needs more options. We should have like 3-5 different running styles to choose from.
User avatar
msw188
Metal Slime
Posts: 787
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:43 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Post by msw188 »

Yeah, I said just a bit more in the Okedoke thread, but definitely I remember that if there was one thing that always bugged me about the OHR, it was the implementation of running away from battles. I'm sure the current setup maybe works for a handful of styles of games, but options would be super-beautiful for people trying to make 'standard' RPGs.
I am Srime
User avatar
SDHawk
Metal Slime
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:46 pm

Post by SDHawk »

There are enough workarounds to running (separate ability etc) that any author who uses the default has to know that it allows for free escapes and any problems it creates is on them. The workarounds have drawbacks (especially in ATB mode), but if you're going to seriously make random battles about resource drains you have to do it or your entire game will be broken. It's understandable that a newbie's 30 minute game might not realize there are other options, but by the time you're producing a lengthy epic you should have realized the problem and sought a solution (or designed around the limitation).

Some games, like Spellshard, own up to the default system by placing all their battle resource difficulty in the bosses/traps while populating stores with extremely useful equipment/spells so that the player will continue to fight random battles in order to progress. But that only works when you're mindful of the implications of the default run.

While we're making James feel bad about things he hasn't done in 18 years can I just throw player-adjustable battle speed out there? People react at different speeds. Almost every Final Fantasy with an ATB included speed adjustment for just that reason. The engine should really have it, if authors don't like it they can remove it from their game's menu.

--

There was some call to disqualify Charbile's okedoke review. Between the review itself and the supplemental log there are more than 3 paragraphs directly relating to the game, even if most of it is spent trying to understand (and inquire about) the appeal it has to other people. Part of the inquiries are comments about how he sees the work himself. So it remains qualified.

Also the review contest thread is as much for game discussion relating to the reviews as it is for reviews themselves. There is no need to split the conversation in two places and make it impossible to follow.
Last edited by SDHawk on Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:02 am, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
Gizmog
Metal King Slime
Posts: 2622
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:41 am

Post by Gizmog »

SDHawk wrote:
Also the review contest thread is as much for game discussion relating to the reviews as it is for reviews themselves. There is no need to split the conversation in two places and make it impossible to follow.
Oh my god, you read the conversation in the other place? That was supposed to be for our eyes only! How dare you!
User avatar
JSH357
Liquid Metal Slime
Posts: 1341
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:38 pm
Location: Columbia, SC
Contact:

Post by JSH357 »

Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers

For what appears to be a first time effort, this is a pretty decent start to a game. Well, the story is decent anyway. In this game, you play as a young man investigating an infestation by some strange, cute creatures called Mantle Dwellers. The people of his town are paranoid and afraid of the creatures, and they don't like that the hero is spending his time researching them. Thus, the game begins with two conflicts: what to do about the Mantle Dwellers, and how should the hero toe the line with his people. I was legitimately interested in where this story's going, and that's more than I can say for the vast majority of stories in games. There are actual characters, a good premise, a conflict introduced in a concise manner, and mysteries to wonder about. You might notice, if you read a lot of my reviews here, that I either do not or have trouble summarizing a lot of the plots of these games; this is because most of them didn't make a big enough impression for me to even remember what was going on after the fact. No matter what problems Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers has, it at least had my attention.

Most of the problems with the game are typical things that could have been avoided with more testing and peer review: tons of spelling mistakes, oddly balanced attacks, mismatched wall and tilemaps. The visual style, while mostly adequate, is also very lacking, and it does the game no favors. Portraits look weird, stairs are diagonal but you walk in a grid, that kind of thing. It's stuff you'd never see in a game with a budget. The game also has a crafting system, which is something I don't care much for, but that's just an opinion. At least the author had the bravery to try such a thing.

A game like this needs more love and care before it can really shine. It has a great premise and a pretty good start, but those are only the foundation of a good game. Until more work is done, I can't recommend playing through Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers.

Leaderboard
1. Megaman Sprite Game
2. Slimeomancy
3. Zero: Secret Pasts Collide
4. Dungeon Cards
5. Samanthuel's Lovely Home
6. Ramble Planet
7. Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers
8. Okedoke
9. James Doppler's Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Quest of Space Time Adventure for the Mind
10. Batman & Robin
11. Carcere Vicis
12. The Pumpkin Warriors
13. t4r4d1ddl3
14. Dragons
15. Doom Tactics
16. Graffiti Goose
17. Mr. Triangle's Adventure
18. Stand
19. Orange Monday
20. The Location
21. pH
22. Iron Galaxy
23. Munch-Meow
24. table
25. Elephants Most Wanted
26. Poot-Poot Rocket
27. Tetsuedo Demo
28. Rogue Demo
29. Fart
My website, the home of Motrya:
http://www.jshgaming.com
User avatar
JSH357
Liquid Metal Slime
Posts: 1341
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:38 pm
Location: Columbia, SC
Contact:

Post by JSH357 »

Wizard Blocks

Wizard Blocks is a puzzle game. It feels really familiar if you've played any similar games, and there's not much else going on here. You pick up blocks and throw them at other blocks to try and make the blocks go away.

There are a few modes, but only the puzzles are kind of interesting. They're pretty simplistic, but may take a few tries. I felt like the design of the puzzles was average overall. Not bad, just kind of there. It would do well on phones probably.

Mechanically, there just isn't much thrilling here. You can only pick up blocks, put them down, or put them down underneath yourself to gain some height. It feels like a very mechanically designed game, without much heart or creative spark to it. Passable, but not memorable in any way.


Leaderboard
1. Megaman Sprite Game
2. Slimeomancy
3. Zero: Secret Pasts Collide
4. Dungeon Cards
5. Wizard Blocks
6. Samanthuel's Lovely Home
7. Ramble Planet
8. Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers
9. Okedoke
10. James Doppler's Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Quest of Space Time Adventure for the Mind
11. Batman & Robin
12. Carcere Vicis
13. The Pumpkin Warriors
14. t4r4d1ddl3
15. Dragons
16. Doom Tactics
17. Graffiti Goose
18. Mr. Triangle's Adventure
19. Stand
20. Orange Monday
21. The Location
22. pH
23. Iron Galaxy
24. Munch-Meow
25. table
26. Elephants Most Wanted
27. Poot-Poot Rocket
28. Tetsuedo Demo
29. Rogue Demo
30. Fart
Last edited by JSH357 on Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My website, the home of Motrya:
http://www.jshgaming.com
User avatar
JSH357
Liquid Metal Slime
Posts: 1341
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:38 pm
Location: Columbia, SC
Contact:

Post by JSH357 »

Spy Game

While Spy Game was obviously made for some contest, it has a really strong idea that makes for a fun 30 minutes and probably could have been more. You're playing as an undercover agent with the ability to disguise herself as other people on sight, investigating the disappearance of some children in a town. It doesn't take many steps to complete your goal, so you won't get to play around with the ability too much, but it's a great concept.

If I have one complaint about the content that exists, it's that the controls aren't so great. All of the actions are mapped to a single button with a selection while it's held down, which is pretty awkward when standing in front of NPCs. Mapping that stuff to extra buttons with some slices displaying what buttons do what would have been a nice touch. That, combined with how long it takes to walk around town while putting pieces together, detracts from an otherwise neat experience.

I could easily see this game expanded to cover multiple missions. What's here is a great start, but I left it feeling like the game just could have been more. On the other hand, it's one of the more enjoyable games released by its author, so I'd say it's overall a pretty successful little game that's actually worth giving a shot.


Leaderboard
1. Megaman Sprite Game
2. Spy Game
3. Slimeomancy
4. Zero: Secret Pasts Collide
5. Dungeon Cards
6. Wizard Blocks
7. Samanthuel's Lovely Home
8. Ramble Planet
9. Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers
10. Okedoke
11. James Doppler's Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Quest of Space Time Adventure for the Mind
12. Batman & Robin
13. Carcere Vicis
14. The Pumpkin Warriors
15. t4r4d1ddl3
16. Dragons
17. Doom Tactics
18. Graffiti Goose
19. Mr. Triangle's Adventure
20. Stand
21. Orange Monday
22. The Location
23. pH
24. Iron Galaxy
25. Munch-Meow
26. table
27. Elephants Most Wanted
28. Poot-Poot Rocket
29. Tetsuedo Demo
30. Rogue Demo
31. Fart
My website, the home of Motrya:
http://www.jshgaming.com
User avatar
charbile
Metal Slime
Posts: 601
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:18 am

Post by charbile »

Hawk, to even humor disqualifying talking about what a game is, is getting pretty silly. We're not reviewing tabletop or cards, where it's all numbers and probability with some flavor pics and text. Not all the games are Wizard Blocks or Slimeomancy.

I think a lot of reviewers and commenters are too busy looking at their feet (or waist down) wanting only to focus on game mechanics or pretty pictures or grammar mistakes, choosing to ignore the big picture (the face/mind). Quite literally in an engine where most everyone is restricted in the same ways. You stand out with context, tone, the promise of your own imagination--it's getting stupid to pretend like that kind of stuff isn't design, or doesn't have its own mechanics, or somehow isn't the one and only thing that really matters.

Maybe next contest, I'll just make a template with checkboxes so I can copy and paste the same boring ohr related design mistakes review after review, and ignore all the spicy meatballs of topics that people feel like they have to defend because it's real punches with real weight to it. To me it's just talking about games. I know my tone seems harsh, but try to picture the grin plastered on my face if it helps.

The irony of saying the point of the community is not to live in bubbles or wanting to know what others think is not lost either, i hope.

jsh the real mvp
User avatar
JSH357
Liquid Metal Slime
Posts: 1341
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:38 pm
Location: Columbia, SC
Contact:

Post by JSH357 »

Troll Over

Troll Over is mostly an acceptable little RPG. You play as a troll who finds a naked human sitting around and adopts him as a pet, then walk around beating up animals. I didn't finish the game, but I probably played it most of the way, and it's what I'd call passable, but not particularly inspired.

The battles have some modicum of challenge, but you have easy access to healing, so they're never too big of a problem. They're not the best balanced things I've ever seen, though I'm not sure how much of an issue that is. Steve (the human) seems far more powerful than the other team members, and there seemed to be a damage type system going with the main troll's attacks, but any difference in damage against the various enemies of the game seemed negligible.

The best aspect of the game is probably its presentation. It's simple and cartoony, which is appropriate for the tone. Probably my biggest complaint in this department is that the music has an annoying crunchy sound to it that got old quickly. The graphics go a long way in exemplifying the strengths and weaknesses of the game. It's all totally fine, but never wows you, and I couldn't say there was anything special that had me invested in the story or gameplay. All the NPCs are just short and flippant with you, so there isn't even much funny dialogue to speak of. All in all, Troll Over makes an okay time waster, but I think it's a bit of a swing and a miss if it was trying to be memorable.


Leaderboard
1. Megaman Sprite Game
2. Spy Game
3. Slimeomancy
4. Zero: Secret Pasts Collide
5. Dungeon Cards
6. Troll Over
7. Wizard Blocks
8. Samanthuel's Lovely Home
9. Ramble Planet
10. Invasion of the Mantle Dwellers
11. Okedoke
12. James Doppler's Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Quest of Space Time Adventure for the Mind
13. Batman & Robin
14. Carcere Vicis
15. The Pumpkin Warriors
16. t4r4d1ddl3
17. Dragons
18. Doom Tactics
19. Graffiti Goose
20. Mr. Triangle's Adventure
21. Stand
22. Orange Monday
23. The Location
24. pH
25. Iron Galaxy
26. Munch-Meow
27. table
28. Elephants Most Wanted
29. Poot-Poot Rocket
30. Tetsuedo Demo
31. Rogue Demo
32. Fart
My website, the home of Motrya:
http://www.jshgaming.com
Post Reply