Noooooo : (
Could you offer some advice then? Read the post and help me deal with these issues.
I’ve decided to work a bit more on the game, and if it’s still not fun by the end of July, then i’ll consider moving on.
Okay sooo,after reading your reasons for scraping it.I think you should take a break and move on other projects and the main reason you can’t feel the fun in it is cuz you have developed it and you know everything, it’s like tomorrow is your birthday and you go to the store and brought some gifs for your own LOL.you can just move on and a few days later you will feel the secret fun your game accually had : ) [FROM MY DUMB EXPERIENCE]
I think a few days off might make me feel better. I’ll be back soon in that case.
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It totally happens - sometimes you make a notable change and the whole thing ends up feeling wrong. I’ve had this at least a 100 times with my current project.
You could add some light variations in the form of unlockable builds and maps that you can only buy with an x amount of currency.
Same with stats - could potentially add a way to upgrade them with the same currency, incentivising you to keep playing, upgrading, and getting higher scoring runs.
It’s up to you at the end of the day - if you moved onto something else, maybe you could bring some of what you’ve discovered in this game to your next.
I do like my game, but it feels like the core mechanics of losing your items are just not going to be fun to play.. unlike other roguelikes, there’s no feeling of progress. I can keep fixing it by applying new mechanic after new mechanic, but then the game will lose its simplicity. I’ll definitely keep working at the very least until the end of August, but it’s the issues with the core that bother me about investing more time.
What do you think of the core mechanics?
Also, to add progression, I’ve been thinking of a few mechanics that could work, like making powerups add permanent benefits once lost if you use them to accumulate enough combo, or maybe dice that give you one of three permanent effects at the start of a round (but it’s chosen randomly from their three).
So you said you have other ideas, you are a bit fed up with this one, you are failing to enjoy your own game, and that you are adding fun by adding more mechanics, and you have given yourself a deadline to ‘add the fun’.
Oh wow. There could be several things going on here. I won’t try to list them all but IMHO this is what you should do.
-
Put this game on the shelf for now.
Completely forget about it. Start exploring something new. -
Be clearer about your next project
Know what you are trying to build. You do not need all the details, but you must be able to write a paragraph stating what you are trying to achieve. You do not need a complete game design document, but you need something. A paragraph at least. Then spend ‘some’ time exploring what core ideas you want to include. -
Enjoy the prototyping
It sounds to me like you never really got out of the prototyping stage. And in prototyping you try a progression method, realise it does not help the fun, so you change it. I mean what is wrong with permanent upgrades anyway? Give your player a laser, a nuke, god like powers, no powers, multi shot, ranged powers, whatever you want to try, try it. Don’t worry about exactly how it works or how it looks, just try it out however, see if it feels good. Tank controls not working, try out directional. Aiming methods are frustrating, try auto aiming. -
Don’t do gameplay testing too early
Gameplay testing is important. But development by committee has its dangers. Just because someone is play testing your game, does not mean they are your target audience. Your game will not be liked by everyone. You have to decide which input to listen to and which to discard. Certainly show your close friends, “hey try this out for me” but you cannot play test every prototyping decision, that will literally take forever. -
If it’s not fun, then it won’t work.
Now fun means lots of things, but you don’t put the fun into a game by adding stuff to a boring base. Sometimes fun is solving a puzzle, sometimes fun is exploring an environment, sometimes it is blasting hordes of enemies, sometimes it is running for your life. What were you trying to build in the first place. What type of fun was your core aim. If you don’t like it, why build it?
Anyway, the game sitting on the shelf you might come back to later. Most people have a ton of prototypes they worked on for a while. I myself needed a break from my space shooter and I spent a month making a spider (I don’t know why, but it is a super cool spider). Another time I built a “game of life” thing where the rules evolved. I have a game shelf with about five great things on there. I am sure others have far more. None of them are dead, I am just not working on them at the moment.
Finally, the other alternative is just start again. Take your favourite character, put him in a blank environment and ask yourself “If this was not my game, what would I want this character to do?”
You don’t need to stop game development for a day, a week or a month. A change is as good as a break. But I think your current game needs to go on the shelf for a while. For the sake of your own mental health and for your next game that will be brilliant.
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I’m not going to shelf the project, at least for now. It certainly feels fun, just not the same level of fun it had initially - but that might just be novelty. It has promise, but I feel stuck on this core mechanic being flawed. What you said about #4 is true, but for me I have the opposite effect: Playtesters seem to like the game, but I’m fixated on this issue with the core idea of powerups expiring. Rather than adding features, tweaking existing ones sounds like a good idea. Thanks for helping me understand what I need to do.
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I think the core mechanics are good. But yeah, you need a sense of progression. The perma -powerup benefits could be one, and the dice doesn’t sound like a bad idea either.
Imo, when I play games like this one (brotato, vampire survivors) I’m consciously or subconsciously looking for a few things:
- It has to feel fun. Audio and visuals matter (check - your game oozes with visual identity and sound that has clear vision)
- I want to see how far I can go, and see things get progressively more hectic (check - the fact I end up dying at some point due to huge mobs)
- I want some form of progression (currency unlocks perks, permanent stat boosts, etc. for even crazier runs and scores)
- And variety (check - you have this with your powerups + shop).
If you’re running on empty, pawldrewett made a good point about leaving it for a bit. When you come back and try it, you’ll usually know if you want to keep pushing with it or not 
I’m totally full of energy, and I do have a trip coming up (rest), so there’s no shortage of motivation. It’s the feeling of being stuck on progression that bothers me. I’m certainly NOT making a roguelite - there’s no meta-progression. however, I need progression within the run. I’ll figure this out, no worries. Be back in some time with some dice and a better game (hopefully).
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Continuing with the idea of improving core mechanics - I’ve been thinking about combat itself and how it doesn’t feel very interesting. To set my game apart, I added melee mechanics (E or LeftTrigger). Have a look to see if it improved combat?
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Liking the new background!
Could be my end, but melee didn’t seem to work?
I’ve just got a minute to write this, but melee needs you to press LeftTrigger/E while moving (it’s sort of a dash). If the dash goes toward enemies, they’ll get hit. There’s also a brief invincibility period, so the melee adds some ability to dodge in the bullet-hell areas.
New build is out with improvements to melee and more creative powerup ideas.
I’ve been working on a trinket system that gives you permanent upgrades. It’s still in the works but here’s a sneak peek 
I was inspired by Funko Pop toys that come in the little boxes with a window, but instead of toys, I have random objects - it seems to suit the game well.
4 Likes
An early test of the trinkets is out as a playable build, and it feels pretty great to play! As @lZebl said, it would really add some more progression to the game.
Liking the direction of these trinkets!
The fact that you picked funko pops is perfect - they have that moreish, collectable feeling to them.
Will try this when Im home and let you know how it goes
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Never heard that word before but it definitely encapsulates the feeling i’m looking for!
After making such cool-looking art for the trinkets, though, my cards are looking a bit lame - any suggestions to add the collectible feeling there?
I’m thinking of going in the “booster pack” direction like Balatro:
