Second TechDemo feedback:
* Smooth screen shake on shooting and hits is well done!
+ Music volume is too high even on lowest setting. Low volume settings should be more detailed, so we have a lot of quiet & quieter settings
+ SEARCH WHERE for MED SUPPLIES should be a crate lit with intense colors, so I see, where on the map should I go for supplies
+ You need to have pixel BLOOD SPURT effects on hit characters. I didn't notice, if you have those, since the entire Battlescape is TOO DARK and Badly Lit!
+ All UI text need to be larger, 2x at least.
+ Characters must be able to move to their destination on LMB!!!
+ Please avoid loud UI sounds ==> current End of Turn SoundFX please decrease volume to 80%. These things need to be SUBTLE
+ Those drums on Enemy Found are party of the music? Disturbingly loud.
+ Shadows under characters are too intense. Reduce them to alpha 0.8 at least. Shadows can currently be mistaken for a soldier lying on the ground
+ SHOOT action should be activated on the red Target rectangle NOT on a separate shoot button. When I want to look for and shoot a target I put the target rectangle on their heads - change with TAB if I want an other target and when I decide to FIRE, then I LMB on the RED RECTANGLE, not somewhere else on screen, where you paced the shoot button..
+ CHARACTER HIGHLIGHTS = All soldier characters should be well lit, there should be an XCOM: UFO DEFENSE PERSONAL LIGHTING on each soldier so we can DIFFERENTIATE them from the background. Check out 3D MAP LIGHTING TUTORIALS on the net, how to do proper map lighting ==> valid for 2D too, to increase visibility on your maps. Basics of Art Direction!! Essentially all your map graphics brightness / contrast should be increased at least 2x to RGB 245:245:245. You should only leave 10 pixel data space 245...255 for Special Effects Highlights, like grenade explosion or gun muzzle flashes you should show, when guns are being fired or soldiers throw a Tactical Light to light up the battlefield or use flash-grenades..
+ All soldier characters need INCREASED CONTRAST +++"PIXEL LIGHT INTENSITY": You have more than enough color intensity RGB space in your current graphics ==> USE IT!!!
+ CURRENT ACTING CHARACTER needs to be High-LighTed!! I can't see, which character is active ATM (I'm in battle)
+ HOME shortcut should immediately CENTER the camera on current acting character.
+ On ENEMY SPOTTED you display a higher intensity red UI element and dark, almost invisible enemy: this should be reversed. You must show a high-contrast, well-lit the enemy for the player to appreciate the threat and visually communicate to the player, how frightening are the monsters and strike fear in the player's heart.
Viewing post in Shardpunk: Verminfall comments
Many thanks for such rich feedback!
Yeah, I did receive info about the sounds being on different levels, with some of them being too loud and others too quiet. I am planning to level them out.
I am a little
worried that you did not notice the highlight on the active character, as it is
there. It is not very bright, but it is animated to make sure that the player
can see it.
Characters did have their "personal lighting" in older game builds. Basically each character model had a light source of their own. However, this looked silly as the models did not have any light sources displayed (no flashlights, etc.). I might revisit this approach in the future.
I did try the LMB movement approach (as several people were asking about it), and it did not work well in the game - I kept on accidentally moving a character when I misclicked an action button. That being said, key bindings will be customizable in the end.
Performing the attack by clicking on the enemy has been reported multiple times, and I am definitely adding it.
You made a good point about the lighting/colors. I do want the game to be dark, on the other hand I don't want it tu suffer from poor contrast. I already started increasing the contrast of some of the map tiles and the results are quite nice.
And thanks for the "tactical lighting" idea! Throwing a flare might increase the % to hit enemies. Or, if we assume that rats are afraid of such artificial lights the player might receive a way to effectively (yet temporarily) block enemy movement.