I've played this demo twice, and I've gotta say, you have a great game in the making! I specially like the oxxygen mechanic, since it introduces another layer of tension for me. Well done!
I like the oxygen mechanic as well, I just have to be a bit careful with it because if I don't balance it out well, it will just get tedious for a lot of people. ^^
Hello! I recently completed a review of your game for my Youtube series “The First 15”! I’ve placed a link to the video down below, please check it out and keep up the AMAZING work!
Heeeyy, I've seen you are looking for some feedback and I wanted to help with my video and some comments about the game ^^.
-I've played a little bit but for now the concept seem pretty interesting.
-The gameplay mechanics and movement of the character are REALLY nice, I would only say that the controls need some polish on the input lag (I used a Logitech F710), hopefully it was only my controllers fault, but sometimes I've felt some of it on precision jumps.(Have you implemented some "coyote time"?)
-The visuals of the game are pretty awesome and create a nice atmosphere on the game.
Hopefully this is useful to you :D, also if you could subscribe that would help me a lot :)
Hey, sorry for the late reply and thanks for trying the demo.
So I watched the video, didn't really notice anything weird happening so got nothing to comment on there really.
As for your feedback:
Glad to hear the movement / feel is good.
Not sure about the input lag issue though, I haven't really noticed anything when testing myself but I only test on keyboard and 2 different controllers so not sure if that could be a factor.
Other than that, Vertical Sync could be a factor to input lag, pretty sure I have this turned on by default, turning it off could improve input latency but at the cost of possible screen tearing.
There's actually quite a lot of coyote time, so much so that you can probably jump after falling for a full tile (horizontally) depending on speed before falling off the ledge.
Glad you like the visuals and atmosphere as well, these two things are a pretty big factor for me when making the game.
Anyway, thanks again for trying the demo and making a video. :)
Also, I'm probably not going to subscribe, sorry, I pretty much only subscribe to friends and the like, I liked the video and left a comment to try and help out a bit at least.
No problem ^^, the game controller I was using could be the problem as a few days later the batteries died so that low battery could be an explanation :)
If you've tried everything in the README.txt file then I don't know what the issue is.
It worked for me when testing it in a virtual machine and also for others running native Ubuntu, so other than that I don't know what to tell you right now.
Maybe try the Windows version in Wine or something equivalent.
Absolutely awesome game!!!! I played your demo and it has such a good vibe to it. It is a total tribute to Metroid imo. When are you expecting to release the final version ?? I will absolutely buy this game!! Keep up the good work.
I want to play your game but I only have a Mac and Linux box.
Linux: I have an AMD processor and cannot run Intel builds. Please upgrade to GMS2 and make an x86_64 build for Linux.
I’d love to see a MacOS build, but reading on the yoyogames site I see they really try to make you jump through hoops! No Mac developer really needs to use XCode or get certificates unless you publish to the App Store. I’ve made games with a custom engine and with Unity for MacOS without all that nonsense.
I don't think AMD processor is the issue here because people have played it on AMD before so something else must be going on.
I'm guessing there's some missing dependencies or if it runs into a segmentation fault it might be the same issue as the comment below by JMB9, so I suggest taking a look there for more information and a few possible solutions.
Other than that, I don't know what the issue might be.
And regarding GMS2, I will be porting the game over to GMS2 in the future but not until the game is done as it's not just an "upgrade and build" kinda deal and I much prefer working in GMS 1.4 anyway.
As for MacOS, I don't own a Mac computer so this is currently not a possibility, if I ever get my hands on one in the future then I will look into it but I won't promise anything.
Glad you like the look of the game though and thanks for the feedback. :)
Subject: Segmentation Problem under Linux solved (AMD GPU related) - new problem with Logitech F310 gamepad (detected but not usable).
Hi,
I had commented about problems under Linux with demo 0.30 on
08.11.2020 ... and yesterday I got a second GMS game (also 32 bit) where I got a hint about the segmentation fault under Linux.
It is related to new AMD graphics (maybe concerning the free stack used by GNU/Linux distributions) and can be fixed with a parameter - I had tried all and the 1st worked and showed that the graphics stack is responsible (but no HW acceleration ... no real option - but the demo ran in more than 30 fps) - the last one was correct for my Navi 10 (Radeon RX 5700 XT) graphics card - now showing just 60 fps constantly) - but maybe this list may help others - so I do give all options here (this worked with demo 0.30 {= 63} and the latest 0.32 {= 67}):
LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 ./Zordak # no HW acceleration - 1st test
R600_DEBUG="vs,ps" ./Zordak
R600_debug=check_vm ./Zordak
AMD_DEBUG=ps,vs ./Zordak
radeonsi_sync_compile=true ./Zordak # works for Navi 10
So now I can test the game and my graphics card no longer provokes a segmentation fault by GMS.
I tested on Kubuntu Groovy (20.10 STS; using Kernel 5.10.16 and Mesa 20.3.2 ;).
Unfortunately despite both demo versions (former 0.30 and current 0.32) detecting my Logitech F310 gamepad, both can not use it. Is this problem known - and maybe a workaround available?
Best wishes,
JMB
P.S.: Sorry, just saw now that controllers are not supposed to work right now. The other program had also controller issues, so I hoped this can be cleared here (due to detecting it) - in case it has something to do with GMS. So will check other possibilities. But would be nice if this could be addressed ... gamepad control would fit to this game. ;)
I'll add these parameters to my to-do list and then maybe include them in the readme file for the next version.
I'm going to have to look them up and see what they actually do first though, the first one is self explanatory but the rest, not so much, "vs,ps" is probably vertex and pixel shader but other than that no idea.
Regarding gamepad support, I have the exact same issue, no idea what the problem is so for now gamepads are unsupported.
I'm guessing the issue is likely because I'm using GMS 1.4 and the runner (the executable) is pre-compiled and from 2016.
I have plans to port the game over to GMS 2 which *should* solve most if not all issues but this won't happen until after the game has been completed.
So for now the Linux version is what it is, thanks for the feedback and posting possible solutions. :)
Hiya! I love the demo, you really nailed the atmosphere and flow and I'm looking forward to the full game!
So I was wondering what you made this with, as I've been getting into game making recently and don't have much of an engine or anything to use (except PICO-8 but that's intentionally very limited in what you can do).
Yw! I'ts not strictly neccesarry but the feeling of the game would turn out way smoother. I'm making a 2d metroidvania asa well atm and it feels a lot less video gamey and a lot more immersive now. Cons: really work intensive to get it right.
I'm not sure it will improve the smoothness of the game.. because even if I add an extra animation the old way would still be there since there are sections where you have to ledge jump from one ledge to another for example.
So adding this sounds like it's probably not worth the time if it's not going to be the only thing being used.
I mean.. I could do that, but I'm not sure why it's needed.
It adds more work for me and likely slows down the gameplay (only when climbing) but gives almost no benefit that I can see other than it may look more "realistic".
Yeah, it gives no benefit except making the game more realistic. Playing the game, I was under impression that realistic feel is your goal. Most of the time the game gives me Super Metroid vibes. Grim setting, the feeling of some unknown dangers waiting around the corner. I love it! And then... Hop! The immersion breaks. Each of those silly pull-jumps yanks me out of this grim world into the realm of cartoon. "Not very high on the list" is a perfect position for this issue as long as it actually is on the list.
tl;dr Mechanically there's basically no difference. Thematically it's a difference between full immersion and occasionally breaking it.
Yes, you're right in that I'm going for a somewhat more realistic style, but only to a certain point.
And well, even if I added an animation for the player to crawl up ledges the other jumping way would still be there as there are sections where you have to jump from ledge to ledge and such.
So I'm not sure if this will be worth my time, it's on the list but that doesn't mean it will be added any time soon or at all.
I get what you're saying though but.. I don't know, not very high on the list.
Very good use of particles! I'm grateful for the extensive customization options for visuals and controls. Default blaster feels really good to spam. Good sound design as well! I also like the steady progress in equipment at the start, felt very well paced, exploring in general was pretty enjoyable. My only real gripe is the protag's running animation feels a little odd when she's in her Geo Armor. That and I first walked past the helmet before quickly turning around and grabbing it.
I'm sure the animations will be improved over time but since they are considered pretty much "done", there won't be any major changes (as in complete rework) happening.
People running past the helmet is expected and hopefully makes them more aware of the oxygen mechanic.
What I could do though is to increase oxygen drain when the player has no suit to try and reduce the chance of anyone thinking there's some sort of timed running challenge going on there.
Yeah unfortunately I did not feel like I had enough content to post one.
I've been working on a somewhat large room and it's still not quite done.. but at least I'm working on new content now and not fixing misc demo issues.
This is probably not going to be in the demo for quite some time unfortunately, I'm not even sure it will be possible at all.
I have recently added support for a more standard font in my internal version but right now I can't say for certain what form of code table it supports, I'll have to look into that further later.
And yes, currently you have to replace the "en" localization file to be able to translate the game.
It's not really ready for localization yet so therefore only English exists in game right now.
I played this demo on Twitch for my first stream ever last week, love the aesthetics, and gameplay is super smooth :) Can't wait for the full release!
By the way, my main goal on Twitch is to translate indie games from English to French, which means I'm currently translating the demo. Would you be interested in a free semi-professional French translation for your game? Also, I can't figure out how to display accentuated characters in the game (stuff like "é, à"). I tried saving the txt file in UTF-16 but it just seems to break everything. Do you have any tips for me?
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
Technically I would be interested, but the problem is that not all text is in the game yet and the localization file is currently a bit of a mess with a bunch of unused stuff in it.
My plan was to add all text to the game and finalize the localization system before getting any translations done.
So translating it now would be a bit of a waste as things could change at any moment, well, not necessarily a complete waste as it would still help me figure out problems if done right now, but hopefully you get what I mean.
And I have no idea when all the text would be added or when the localization system is finished, so I can't exactly give you a time frame here either.
But if you use Discord and you're still interested in doing this or just want to join the community, then feel free to join my server:
It's much easier to discuss things and get more in-depth over there. (and you can PM there me if needed)
If you don't use Discord then we can continue talking here I guess but it will become kind of a mess with this comment system.
Also, I'm not sure why "é, à" wouldn't work, I copied it from your message here and put it at the end of the credits.txt file just to test and it worked, so no idea why it wouldn't work right now.
No idea if UTF version makes a difference either since I don't have much control over how the engine loads a text file, I just make a text document in windows and save with default settings and that works.
A real pretty game and one i will be looking forward to.
The environment and general atmosphere hits the spot just right, so even with the homage to Metroid missing, fans will clearly be able to tell how much the game was inspired by it, without being a literal copy.
The Oxygen is an interesting feature though i'm not sold on it yet. It decourages exploration since the urgency of not running out of air is high, since players are unable to tell when they can take a breather again or find a new save point to reload on it. It really depends on how you'll add to this feature to get me better hooked on it.
My only Issue would be those Crumble Blocks unlocking secret areas, or just normal progressions, they can be hard to see and if there was a "learning" section about them, it clearly didn't last for me. Using them for Secret Areas only would be much more rewarding, since they can be hard to find, while using them for general progression just makes them a tedious staging element since you'll need the one correct spot to shoot at to progress.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
The Oxygen mechanic is not quite where I want it yet and I understand this can hinder the exploration element at times, but I can say this:
It will not be used everywhere, the plan is to use it in select areas and situations.
The "shooting blocks" part is not really going to go away, even for main path progression.
But I get what you mean and I have plans to add more different things you need to do to progress.
The keypad and battery are two examples of this that made it into the demo, but more things will be added.
For the "tedious" part, I've removed some blocks in one area in the demo update I just released, and if I feel like other areas are a bit pointless like this one was, then I'll change those as well in the future.
Zordak runs into a segmentation fault on Kubuntu 20.10 STS (Groovy), 20.04 LTS (Focal) and 18.04 LTS (Bionic) - i.e. the window closes immediately - even when all lib dependencies are solved (and I do have some 32 bit games running in my systems). I am using AMD Zen2 and RDNA1 (Navi 10).
On a side note: Why is 32 bit still necessary ... would be much better to have a 64 bit binary as 32 bit is said to be discontinued on future Ubuntu LTS releases ... at least stated by Ubuntu (1st considered for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS but then postponed).
Sorry to hear that but as mentioned in the readme, I only test on regular Ubuntu with a virtual machine right now so no clue why it doesn't work.
I also don't have an AMD machine plugged in to test with right now either (no space to put the computer anywhere) so not sure if there is a difference between AMD and Intel in this regard.
Well the reason for 32 bit is that I have no choice, Game Maker Studio v1.4 only exports 32 bit.
If they discontinue 32 bit on Ubuntu then I guess the Linux version of the game will be dead for a while until I manage to get my hands on Game Maker Studio 2.
Either way, I don't think there's much I can do right now unfortunately.
Thanks for letting me know though and I'll add this issue to the list in case I ever decide to add more distros to the testing suite.
OK, I understand that you can not test it ... just a pity. My AMD system is quite new and fast - but under Linux it is really no problem ... have a lot of games ... and also 32 bit one.
I understand - it's the game engine version forcing 32 bit ... but as said this is not the problem in 1st instance. But maybe with a new game engine it may be easier to get it run on modern systems ...
Segmentation Fault can happen if trying to use libraries no longer compatible to linked libraries provided by the distribution. But as I tested also Bionic (the oldest one supported - Xenial is only in rare cases supported on the desktop - and to old to run on my new system) I can not understand it ...
Would have liked to see your game ... but thanks for your reply!
Switching to a completely new engine is not really possible unless I want to add like at least a year (maybe more) of extra development time.
I don't know why it runs into a segmentation fault, the executable file I get when "compiling" for Linux is from like 2016 since it's actually just a VM that interprets the code.
I haven't gotten the actual compiler to work for Linux yet and likely won't get it to work either since it's so old at this point.
So what I'm saying with all of this is that the engine I'm using will always produce a very old executable for Linux, which is likely why things don't always work.
The reason for this is that I'm using an old version of the engine: Game Maker Studio v1.4 (GMS).
And I can't promise anything but I may or may not have access to GMS 2 in the future which is a lot more updated and very likely fixes a lot of issues like this.
And you could always try the Windows version using Wine or something similar, I've heard that works for some people, other than that, I don't think there's much I can do right now.
Of all the Metroid inspired games I've played, this one best evokes the feelings I experienced when I first played Super Metroid. The goop boss seemed well balanced! It wrecked me the first time, but I was able to learn its moves and take it down after a couple more tries. So excited for a full release!
That's good to hear since that feeling is pretty much what I'm going for.
Also good that the boss was somewhat balanced, it's still going to get a few more rounds of changes over time though as it's not quite where I want it yet.
I got 2 achievements: Exterminator & Fresh air. Still don't know how unlock 'Escape artist' though..XD I'll keep trying over & over again until figure it out.
So I kinda like everything, my only real nitpick was the oxygen level, it added anxiety for me to get through the outdoor parts as fast as possible, otherwise I am preparing my money for the full version :)
Oxygen is there for that very reason but with that being said, it's still really in the testing phase on how much it should drain and where it should be used, etc.
So things will likely change over time, hopefully for the better, what I can say though is that it will only be used in specific areas and not everywhere.
Very impressed so far! A few nitpicks were the animation is much better now, but it still feels a little flat when it comes to the poses. Sometimes the way to progress isn't obvious (like shooting diagonal in a hole) and can be a bit frustrating, since with all the bloom and effects, it can be a bit hard to notice. Items do disappear way too quickly, and maybe they should come to you like a magnet when close because a lot of the time, when an enemy is killed, the energy/missile is just out of reach by a pixel or so. The level design can feel very same-y with multiple rooms having the same layout. The first boss is a bit unforgiving and becomes a waiting game, as it has a bit too much health so you either die quickly and have to restart or stand in a corner waiting for it to pop up. Other than that great work!
Not exactly sure what you mean by "flat" in this regard but I will continue to improve the sprites over time, this demo update was the last time they will change this drastically though.
The diagonal hole is there to force the player to learn about diagonal aiming, I do agree that it might need more hints though so this is already on the list.
You can turn off the effects in the options menu if needed as well.
The magnet part about items is already on the list and it will be implemented so they move to the player if they are very close which in turn should solve the "just out of reach" issue.
I'll add "items disappear too fast" to the list though.
Not quite sure what you mean about the same-y part either since the rooms are all hand made and none should be the same really.
I guess you might refer to "this room is two views wide and this one is two views tall, this is a single view" or something like this.. otherwise I'm not sure.
The boss will be improved more over time, I do agree with the health part though so that is already on the list.
As for it being a "waiting game", sure it can happen but that might change once I reduce the health a bit and possibly do some pattern changes, so I won't put this on the list for now.
It is a very good demo that gives a good visualization of the somewhat more oppressive environment to the saga on which it is based, generating in sections a sense of urgency and exploration with the oxygen meter mechanism that forces you to cross quickly or look for possible air spaces to survive the exploration that gives it a different but fresh touch. Mobility is somewhat clearer than in Super Metroid, you cannot jump on the walls but a mechanism of ledges was added to climb that I liked to give verticality to the levels and it seems more "normal" for the doors to open when close instead of shooting them. It also made me curious how the character crawls to pass through small spaces, which makes me think that the Metroid morphball probably originated to make a simple animation when passing through closed spaces. I hope to see the complete project.
I made a gameplay capturing the inputs of the control, although I must say that the control was quite responsive and fluid.
The atmosphere is incredible, it's obvious you've put a lot of love in to it. My problem is that I just keep forgetting to keep track of oxygen, I get so engrossed in exploring and then I realize I'm out O2 and die.
Your puzzles are just my speed though. I get stuck for a minute, but then I find the solution very satisfying.
So oxygen will be a pretty big part of the game but it's not going to be used in all areas.
I will continue trying to improve upon this aspect over time and things will likely change a lot at some point.
Glad you like the puzzles as this is going to be a major part of the game, there will be more variation in the full game though as the demo is a bit repetitive at times.
Thanks for the feedback, glad you like the demo. :)
The demo is working fine in archlinux and manjaro, thank you for the linux build. Created the aur installer script for the archlinux and manjaro users: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/zordak
As mentioned in the readme file, I don't know much about Linux so I'm assuming an "aur" script basically installs the game and probably dependencies as well?
I might install Manjaro in a VM and try it out there myself so I have more of an understanding about how it works.
If it's not too time consuming I could possibly start to at least semi-support that as well (and possibly include that script link in the install instructions), but we'll see.
My bad with not clear terms: AUR is kinda playground for user install scripts. It's for the projects that are not in official community repos yet. And it's only for the Archlinux-compatible distros (such as Manjaro).
So, other popular linux distros (like debian or rpm-based) are not supported with my approach. They are using their own package managers. It's possible to write install packages for the deb and rpm based distros too using my archlinux files as a draft. I'm a bit lazy to do that, since I'm not using another distros right now. Maybe another contributors help too if needed :)
There's also AppImage format. I'm not a fan, but it's an attempt to make a standart for portable apps. So probably AppImage is also an option to provide a general linux install package for many distros.
Anyway, don't bother much, existing archive is enough to run and README covers all the info. Thank you for the game and good luck! :)
Absolutely! For what I´ve seen so far its one fantastic love letter to one of my fav. games of all time (Metroid III). Maybe i overread it somewhere, but do you know when you guys will finish the full game?
Oh wow - honestly! You are creating this on your own? Ok... now this is UEBER impressive now! Fantastic job! And you are absolutely right: its done when its done! Take your time and I can already see that it will be 1 fantastic game!
I am working on #SpaceCowboy since many years on my own as well - and I just love working on the game without any stress because of a release date :)
Thanks, I'm trying my best here so I appreciate it. ^^
If it's something you love working on, then keep working, don't let anyone stop you. :)
I'll tell you one thing though, I'm definitely not working on this without stress, in fact, I'm almost always stressed out.. the game is not the reason though and I won't go more into it than this.
Hi, first of all thanks for releasing your game for Linux :-)
Regarding libssl1.0 on Ubuntu 20.04, you don't need to install it, you can simply uncompress the deb archive into the game directory and set a couple of paths.
This is some very nice information and I'll be putting this in my notes for the next release as this seems to be a much better way of doing it.
As far as I understand, this means that I could bundle all dependencies with the game which would be a much better option than having the user install them.
Just to be sure (and because I had already a lot of dependencies installed on my machine) I tried with a fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04 on a new VritualBox VM.
I think you are missing a step in the README: before installing the i386 library packages, I'm quite sure you have to enable the i386 architecture.
So this is the sequence of commands I verified to be working on a fresh install:
I didn't have to do that when installing it on a fresh VM or natively on my laptop (fresh install) when that still worked, both of them had Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 64-Bit installed.
And just to be clear here, the README does have the ":i386" part on all listed dependencies in case this is part of what you mean.
But that being said, I might add the "sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386" part explaining that this may have to be run to enable i386 architecture in the README for the next version.
I would love to try this demo, but your controller configuration is broken. Not all gamepads have a "select" button (button 9?), and for those without, it is impossible to rebind keys.
Perhaps allow a keybind to be cleared with Backspace in gamepad mode? Or allow a bind to overwrite an existing bind? Very, very frustrating.
EDIT: While you're at it, perhaps don't arbitrarily choose a controller on systems with multiple controllers? Let the user pick one.
Never seen a controller without a select button of some form so not sure what to say there other than I guess they exist then.
I'll be looking into putting that on another button then, and did you try using backspace with a controller plugged in?
Can't remember if it works or not right now but the game should at least switch to keyboard mode as soon as you press a keyboard button, it might not clear the controller button keybind though.
You mean overwrite an existing key as in if the same key is already bound somewhere else (not on the current action you're trying to bind) then just unbind that key for that action?
If so, that can probably be done and I'll put it on the list.
And finally, never actually seen someone use multiple controllers at the same time unless they're making games themselves and use them for testing so I didn't account for that yet.
I'll be putting that on the list as well and it will probably be added as a list you can scroll through and select the controller you want.
Here are two that lack a Button 9 that I have at hand:
Those are officially-licensed, but I also have a couple of Chinese clones which skip Button 9, which I assume is what your code is looking for. There are also SNES-inspired controllers that might not map select to Button 9. Yes, Backspace with a controller just switches to keyboard mode, it doesn't clear the button binding.
By suggesting that you might use another button, you're still making some assumptions about what the button layout and mapping of the user's controller will be, and arbitrarily choosing a button that will be gated off. It would be better to have a universal key (such as Backspace) that will clear a button binding or a keyboard binding, and that all PCs are guaranteed to have.
The other option would be to overwrite an existing bind, possibly with the red text prompting for a second confirmation press, instead of simply refusing to remap.
For the record, local co-op and such is still a completely legitimate reason to have multiple controllers connected to a PC. Also, some disability controller setups might still use multiple controllers, although I don't expect indie games to support those out of the gate.
EDIT: Wrong pic for the Gen/MD controller, fixed. Also, I realize that historically, indie games' solution to controllers has been "just use Joy2Key", so I appreciate that you are actually supporting controllers. My suggestions are only intended as constructive criticism.
EDIT 2: Tried a couple of generic PSX controllers of different make/model, which have "Select" mapped to Button 9, and it still doesn't clear the binding. I've tried all of the buttons (including thumbsticks) on both, and none of them do. I'm not sure which button you're looking for in the code to clear the binding, but it doesn't appear to be working.
Huh, well, I never had anything Sega related so that explains that.
I'm not really looking for "button 9", I'm looking for a constant set by the engine I'm using. (which might be button 9 I have no idea)
And regarding backspace not clearing the controller keybind, I've now tested it and it actually does as long as you're in controller mode when pressing backspace, if you press a keyboard button other than backspace before pressing backspace, then it will clear the keyboard key instead.
So you have to press a controller button to enter controller mode and then press only backspace to clear a controller binding.
There is however some issue where "select" is not working as intended, it just gets detected as a menu button press instead of clearing a binding.
But both of these problems will be largely irrelevant after my intended fix listed below.
As for using another button to clear bindings, I'm just going to have backspace clear both the keyboard and the controller binding, that should solve the problem.
I'll be looking into changing how keybind conflicts work, it's probably either going to be the way you described or the way I mentioned in my previous comment.
Yeah you're right there, I didn't really think of local coop at all, probably because I don't really like multiplayer that much so I usually stay way from it.
And the disability point is also correct and for that reason I'll be looking into a setting like this: "Accept input from all connected controllers", therefore allowing input from all controllers without selecting one from a list.
This probably won't magically make all those non-standard controllers work though.
I'll also be looking into adding that list to be able to select controller if the above setting is turned off, which it would be by default.
And using "Joy2Key" is an option I guess but I'd rather just have it work in game.
And finally, for your second edit, refer to the "button 9" part of this post, there is an issue with select apparently.
Anyway, I appreciate the feedback, I'll be trying to add these new features and fix the issues.
I don't mean to be a pain, but I'm trying to use Backspace to clear a bind, and it doesn't seem to be working, even for keyboard bindings. Pressing Backspace just brings up the red-bordered keybinding screen, and the buttons/keys are still shown as being in use, with red error text.
To be clear, my expectation (based on other programs with remappable controls) is that pressing a "clear bind" key should stay on the same screen, and the bound entry would become blank, after which the user could select it to bind it.
Also, the demo shows a notification whenever it loses focus that the controller has been disconnected. Probably not critical, but odd.
Okay I think I see what might have happened, is Backspace bound to any action?
This is the only case I've gotten it to behave as you explained, apparently I forgot to disable that as a key you can bind.. so this will be fixed as well.
To fix this you'd have to bind whatever action Backspace is bound to another key and then Backspace should behave as intended again.
And your expectation is correct, it's supposed to stay on the same screen and just set the action to "unbound".
That controller disconnection notification is normal, I'd have to rework aspects of my controller detection system to *maybe* get rid of that so that probably won't be fixed any time soon.
And yeah, you should probably wait for the next version, I'm on a bit of a break right now so I'll be getting back to work on this next monday.
I got all the way to the first boss, didn't beat it because it wasn't very fun to fight against.
That being said, the art direction and sound desing are simply phenomenal, you really nailed that Metroid vibe perfectly. And the design of the first boss was really cool! The ambience tracks can feel repetitive, they do the trick of being ambience but they don't hold my attention for very long like Lower Brinstar or Norfair get to do, I would make the actual loops way longer.
I also feel like the initial areas are way too small so it's hard to get a feel and identity for each one, so it ends up feeling more like Metroid Fusion than it's bigger brother Metroid Fusion. The fact that a lot of progression is hidden behind shootable blocks makes me feel like they are there without much rhyme or reason and it kinda defeats the purpose of feeling like a secret when they're so many one after the other.
Also, only 2 rockets at the start? Come on, at least gimme 5, let me have fun blowing stuff up! I know the drop rate of rockets is like crazy high but I still feel like 2 doesn't let me get excited to start blasting stuff around.
Overall I think it shows a lot of promise and it can be polished into a great game if you keep working on it. Again, the art is crazy good and the animations feel nice! But there's much more to a Metroid game than the aesthetics of it, and I just don't get the same feeling of adventure with Zordak.
Please keep up the good work! I'll be looking forwards to more updates.
The boss will continue to get improvements over time, for example: currently I think it's still a bit too random and it doesn't always give the player much time to hit it, so those will be improved upon at some point.
All music and most sound will be reworked later so expect these things to change, the current music is just something quick I threw together a long time ago so I understand.
So, I simply can't make everything as big as in Super Metroid so the rooms will be smaller in this game, that being said, there are bigger rooms in the full game than in the demo.
And if you mean areas like full zones and not just rooms, the same answer still applies.
I don't really consider the progression parts as secrets even though they are somewhat hidden, I think of it more like puzzles and this is one of the main mechanics of the game, so this is not really going to stop.
But I get what you mean, things can get a bit repetitive and I'm trying to come up with new things you have to do as the game progresses, not much of that is in the demo after a certain point though unfortunately.
The reason for the low ammo count is that I don't want the player to be able to spam the missiles but rather use them in specific scenarios like tougher enemies, bosses and such.
So this will probably not change, I'm not completely sure though.
Of course there's more than aesthetics to a Metroid game like the music and movement mechanics for example but I'm not making an actual Metroid game here so things will be different.
I'll just say what I always do:
I'm trying to make Super Metroid but not Super Metroid.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback, glad you like the demo overall. :)
If it's puzzles what you're going for I think you're going on a good path, I'm not a huge puzzle fan so I can't comment too much on that. Experimenting with that concept can be a lot of fun if you push the puzzle aspect really hard into the game and you could get away with the smaller areas if they're all full of entertaining puzzles. It would really make Zordak stand on it's own if you manage to pull such a thing since it'll be quite unique.
Just wanted to say that because it did feel more like a puzzles overall.
Once again, keep up the good work and looking forwards to more stuff!
Regarding your question though.. I'm going to have to disappoint you but the ability to unequip the suit will probably be going away when I add a new planned feature.
So.. sorry, but that is likely not going to happen.
I've now done some reading and sadly.. you're probably right.
I'm not going to go more into it than this but let's just say I don't agree at all.. but it's not up to me so it will not be there in the next version, you can't have fun in this world I guess.
Glad you like the game though and thanks for trying the demo.
I apologize for make you feel uncomfortable. but nintendo is really ***hole when it comes to copyright issues...D:(
Did you heard 'AM2R (Another metroid 2 remake)'? AM2R is metroid fan game development began in 2008, completed and released on August 6, 2016. It was well-made metroid fan game & it also been awarded at the amateur Nintendo 2nd creative game contest.
As far as I know, The developer has already received development approval from Nintendo, and there were no actions or claims during development either.
However,soon after AM2R was completed,this game was banned by Nintendo. A year later, Nintendo released new official remake named 'Metroid samus returns'.
That was trecherous and cowardly decision.. Not only a betrayal to fans and users, but also intercepts the developer's ideas and efforts. Don't you think?
After AM2R was banned, Nintendo has banned the distribution of over 562 fan made games in the same way. That's why I really hate Nintendo and I don't want this game to be another victim of Nintendo's copyright policy.);
It's fine, I wasn't exactly feeling uncomfortable, it was more disappointment in how boring companies are.
I know about AM2R, not as much detail as you explained but still.
I don't think this will be the same case though (especially after the metroid has been removed) for multiple reasons:
1 - I'm not calling this metroid or trying to make it seem like an actual metroid game.
2 - All my graphics are original and isn't made to completely look like metroid. (although with obvious similarities)
Even the actual metroid easter egg sprite was made by me but that one is too similar so it's going away as mentioned before.
So I don't really see how this could be a victim of copyright issues when everything is original.
But with all of that being said, this game is not done and will receive numerous changes over time so other things may or may not be removed/changed as well.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I've played this demo twice, and I've gotta say, you have a great game in the making! I specially like the oxxygen mechanic, since it introduces another layer of tension for me. Well done!
Hey, thanks, glad you like it. :)
I like the oxygen mechanic as well, I just have to be a bit careful with it because if I don't balance it out well, it will just get tedious for a lot of people. ^^
this game good NO CAP
Thanks, glad you like it. ^^
Cool project! Very atmospheric and intriguing. Especially beautiful pixel art!
Hey thanks, glad you like it. :)
Hello! I recently completed a review of your game for my Youtube series “The First 15”! I’ve placed a link to the video down below, please check it out and keep up the AMAZING work!
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you liked it. :)
I left a comment on youtube replying to your feedback.
Heeeyy, I've seen you are looking for some feedback and I wanted to help with my video and some comments about the game ^^.
-I've played a little bit but for now the concept seem pretty interesting.-The gameplay mechanics and movement of the character are REALLY nice, I would only say that the controls need some polish on the input lag (I used a Logitech F710), hopefully it was only my controllers fault, but sometimes I've felt some of it on precision jumps.(Have you implemented some "coyote time"?)
-The visuals of the game are pretty awesome and create a nice atmosphere on the game.
Hopefully this is useful to you :D, also if you could subscribe that would help me a lot :)
Regards
Hey, sorry for the late reply and thanks for trying the demo.
So I watched the video, didn't really notice anything weird happening so got nothing to comment on there really.
As for your feedback:
Glad to hear the movement / feel is good.
Not sure about the input lag issue though, I haven't really noticed anything when testing myself but I only test on keyboard and 2 different controllers so not sure if that could be a factor.
Other than that, Vertical Sync could be a factor to input lag, pretty sure I have this turned on by default, turning it off could improve input latency but at the cost of possible screen tearing.
There's actually quite a lot of coyote time, so much so that you can probably jump after falling for a full tile (horizontally) depending on speed before falling off the ledge.
Glad you like the visuals and atmosphere as well, these two things are a pretty big factor for me when making the game.
Anyway, thanks again for trying the demo and making a video. :)
Also, I'm probably not going to subscribe, sorry, I pretty much only subscribe to friends and the like, I liked the video and left a comment to try and help out a bit at least.
No problem ^^, the game controller I was using could be the problem as a few days later the batteries died so that low battery could be an explanation :)
Regards :)
This game is not working on linux.
Sorry for the late reply.
If you've tried everything in the README.txt file then I don't know what the issue is.
It worked for me when testing it in a virtual machine and also for others running native Ubuntu, so other than that I don't know what to tell you right now.
Maybe try the Windows version in Wine or something equivalent.
Really enjoyed the demo! Looking forward to playing more in the future!
Hey, thanks, glad you liked it.
I left a comment over on youtube. :)
Absolutely awesome game!!!! I played your demo and it has such a good vibe to it. It is a total tribute to Metroid imo. When are you expecting to release the final version ?? I will absolutely buy this game!! Keep up the good work.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo. :)
I'm definitely going for the metroid vibe so glad you liked it.
And there's no release date yet, the only thing I can really say is: it's done when it's done.
Ok, well i will be keeping a close eye on your work. Keep up the good work!
Hey, thanks.
Yes, I use GML for the game and GLSL for the shaders. :)
Fantastic! Loved the vibe. Looking forward to this getting released!
Hey, thanks, glad you liked it.
I'm looking forward to everyone playing the full thing as well. :)
I want to play your game but I only have a Mac and Linux box.
Linux: I have an AMD processor and cannot run Intel builds. Please upgrade to GMS2 and make an x86_64 build for Linux.
I’d love to see a MacOS build, but reading on the yoyogames site I see they really try to make you jump through hoops! No Mac developer really needs to use XCode or get certificates unless you publish to the App Store. I’ve made games with a custom engine and with Unity for MacOS without all that nonsense.
Btw, updated Macs cannot run wine anymore!
Anyway, the game looks great so don’t give up!
Hey, so..
I don't think AMD processor is the issue here because people have played it on AMD before so something else must be going on.
I'm guessing there's some missing dependencies or if it runs into a segmentation fault it might be the same issue as the comment below by JMB9, so I suggest taking a look there for more information and a few possible solutions.
Other than that, I don't know what the issue might be.
And regarding GMS2, I will be porting the game over to GMS2 in the future but not until the game is done as it's not just an "upgrade and build" kinda deal and I much prefer working in GMS 1.4 anyway.
As for MacOS, I don't own a Mac computer so this is currently not a possibility, if I ever get my hands on one in the future then I will look into it but I won't promise anything.
Glad you like the look of the game though and thanks for the feedback. :)
Subject: Segmentation Problem under Linux solved (AMD GPU related) - new problem with Logitech F310 gamepad (detected but not usable).
Hi,
I had commented about problems under Linux with demo 0.30 on
08.11.2020 ... and yesterday I got a second GMS game (also 32 bit) where I got a hint about the segmentation fault under Linux.
It is related to new AMD graphics (maybe concerning the free stack used by GNU/Linux distributions) and can be fixed with a parameter - I had tried all and the 1st worked and showed that the graphics stack is responsible (but no HW acceleration ... no real option - but the demo ran in more than 30 fps) - the last one was correct for my Navi 10 (Radeon RX 5700 XT) graphics card - now showing just 60 fps constantly) - but maybe this list may help others - so I do give all options here (this worked with demo 0.30 {= 63} and the latest 0.32 {= 67}):
LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 ./Zordak # no HW acceleration - 1st test
R600_DEBUG="vs,ps" ./Zordak
R600_debug=check_vm ./Zordak
AMD_DEBUG=ps,vs ./Zordak
radeonsi_sync_compile=true ./Zordak # works for Navi 10
So now I can test the game and my graphics card no longer provokes a segmentation fault by GMS.
I tested on Kubuntu Groovy (20.10 STS; using Kernel 5.10.16 and Mesa 20.3.2 ;).
Unfortunately despite both demo versions (former 0.30 and current 0.32) detecting my Logitech F310 gamepad, both can not use it. Is this problem known - and maybe a workaround available?
Best wishes,
JMB
P.S.: Sorry, just saw now that controllers are not supposed to work right now. The other program had also controller issues, so I hoped this can be cleared here (due to detecting it) - in case it has something to do with GMS. So will check other possibilities. But would be nice if this could be addressed ... gamepad control would fit to this game. ;)
Hey, sorry for the somewhat late reply.
Good to hear that you got it running at least.
I'll add these parameters to my to-do list and then maybe include them in the readme file for the next version.
I'm going to have to look them up and see what they actually do first though, the first one is self explanatory but the rest, not so much, "vs,ps" is probably vertex and pixel shader but other than that no idea.
Regarding gamepad support, I have the exact same issue, no idea what the problem is so for now gamepads are unsupported.
I'm guessing the issue is likely because I'm using GMS 1.4 and the runner (the executable) is pre-compiled and from 2016.
I have plans to port the game over to GMS 2 which *should* solve most if not all issues but this won't happen until after the game has been completed.
So for now the Linux version is what it is, thanks for the feedback and posting possible solutions. :)
Hiya! I love the demo, you really nailed the atmosphere and flow and I'm looking forward to the full game!
So I was wondering what you made this with, as I've been getting into game making recently and don't have much of an engine or anything to use (except PICO-8 but that's intentionally very limited in what you can do).
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. ^^
I'm using GameMaker Studio v1.4 for this, GameMaker Studio 2 would work just fine though since 1.4 is no longer available to buy.
Awesome, thanks!
Works really well, but have to admit the ledges should also be something you can pull yourself up to
Thanks for trying the demo.
I'll just refer to my comment below regarding this issue.
Basically my question is: is this really needed and why?
Either way, this issue is not very high on the list.
Thanks for the feedback though. :)
Yw! I'ts not strictly neccesarry but the feeling of the game would turn out way smoother. I'm making a 2d metroidvania asa well atm and it feels a lot less video gamey and a lot more immersive now. Cons: really work intensive to get it right.
I'm not sure it will improve the smoothness of the game.. because even if I add an extra animation the old way would still be there since there are sections where you have to ledge jump from one ledge to another for example.
So adding this sounds like it's probably not worth the time if it's not going to be the only thing being used.
Anyway, good luck with your own game. :)
She really needs to be able to pull up ledges instead of jumping. Other than that, I guess I need to save money for the final release.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo.
I mean.. I could do that, but I'm not sure why it's needed.
It adds more work for me and likely slows down the gameplay (only when climbing) but gives almost no benefit that I can see other than it may look more "realistic".
So this issue is not very high on the list.
Thanks for the feedback though. :)
Yeah, it gives no benefit except making the game more realistic.
Playing the game, I was under impression that realistic feel is your goal.
Most of the time the game gives me Super Metroid vibes. Grim setting, the feeling of some unknown dangers waiting around the corner. I love it!
And then... Hop! The immersion breaks. Each of those silly pull-jumps yanks me out of this grim world into the realm of cartoon.
"Not very high on the list" is a perfect position for this issue as long as it actually is on the list.
tl;dr
Mechanically there's basically no difference.
Thematically it's a difference between full immersion and occasionally breaking it.
Yes, you're right in that I'm going for a somewhat more realistic style, but only to a certain point.
And well, even if I added an animation for the player to crawl up ledges the other jumping way would still be there as there are sections where you have to jump from ledge to ledge and such.
So I'm not sure if this will be worth my time, it's on the list but that doesn't mean it will be added any time soon or at all.
I get what you're saying though but.. I don't know, not very high on the list.
Maybe in a future ledge-pull DLC. :-)
Not a gamebreaker.
muito bom esse jogo, eu curti de mais, e estou ansioso para o jogo completo!!
Obrigado por experimentar a demonstração, que bom que gostou. :)
Não falo português, então usei o google tradutor.
Desculpe se esta mensagem está incorreta, é apenas o que o Google me deu.
------------------------------
Thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
I don't speak Portuguese so I used google translate.
Sorry if this message is incorrect, it's just what google gave me.
a mensagem esta correta, e já sou fã do jogo!!
This was a blast to play! Loved the small puzzle rooms, looking forward to a full release!!
Thanks for trying the demo, I left a comment on youtube. :)
Very good use of particles! I'm grateful for the extensive customization options for visuals and controls. Default blaster feels really good to spam. Good sound design as well! I also like the steady progress in equipment at the start, felt very well paced, exploring in general was pretty enjoyable. My only real gripe is the protag's running animation feels a little odd when she's in her Geo Armor. That and I first walked past the helmet before quickly turning around and grabbing it.
Hey, thanks for trying the game.
Glad to hear everything was mostly good.
I'm sure the animations will be improved over time but since they are considered pretty much "done", there won't be any major changes (as in complete rework) happening.
People running past the helmet is expected and hopefully makes them more aware of the oxygen mechanic.
What I could do though is to increase oxygen drain when the player has no suit to try and reduce the chance of anyone thinking there's some sort of timed running challenge going on there.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. :)
Seems like no devlog news for this week.
But, still...I look forward to meet zordak full version.
Yeah unfortunately I did not feel like I had enough content to post one.
I've been working on a somewhat large room and it's still not quite done.. but at least I'm working on new content now and not fixing misc demo issues.
Can you make your game demo recognize the whole ISO-639-1 codes table? I had to edit over the en.txt to use my native language instead.
This is probably not going to be in the demo for quite some time unfortunately, I'm not even sure it will be possible at all.
I have recently added support for a more standard font in my internal version but right now I can't say for certain what form of code table it supports, I'll have to look into that further later.
And yes, currently you have to replace the "en" localization file to be able to translate the game.
It's not really ready for localization yet so therefore only English exists in game right now.
I played this demo on Twitch for my first stream ever last week, love the aesthetics, and gameplay is super smooth :) Can't wait for the full release!
By the way, my main goal on Twitch is to translate indie games from English to French, which means I'm currently translating the demo. Would you be interested in a free semi-professional French translation for your game? Also, I can't figure out how to display accentuated characters in the game (stuff like "é, à"). I tried saving the txt file in UTF-16 but it just seems to break everything. Do you have any tips for me?
Keep up the good work, this is great stuff :D
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
Technically I would be interested, but the problem is that not all text is in the game yet and the localization file is currently a bit of a mess with a bunch of unused stuff in it.
My plan was to add all text to the game and finalize the localization system before getting any translations done.
So translating it now would be a bit of a waste as things could change at any moment, well, not necessarily a complete waste as it would still help me figure out problems if done right now, but hopefully you get what I mean.
And I have no idea when all the text would be added or when the localization system is finished, so I can't exactly give you a time frame here either.
But if you use Discord and you're still interested in doing this or just want to join the community, then feel free to join my server:
https://discord.gg/fTTEUNZ
It's much easier to discuss things and get more in-depth over there. (and you can PM there me if needed)
If you don't use Discord then we can continue talking here I guess but it will become kind of a mess with this comment system.
Also, I'm not sure why "é, à" wouldn't work, I copied it from your message here and put it at the end of the credits.txt file just to test and it worked, so no idea why it wouldn't work right now.
No idea if UTF version makes a difference either since I don't have much control over how the engine loads a text file, I just make a text document in windows and save with default settings and that works.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. :)
Many thanks for this lengthy reply, hopefully I'll find a solution to this "é,à" problem ;)
I'm currently away from home but I'll join the Discord as soon as I can :)
A real pretty game and one i will be looking forward to.
The environment and general atmosphere hits the spot just right, so even with the homage to Metroid missing, fans will clearly be able to tell how much the game was inspired by it, without being a literal copy.
The Oxygen is an interesting feature though i'm not sold on it yet. It decourages exploration since the urgency of not running out of air is high, since players are unable to tell when they can take a breather again or find a new save point to reload on it. It really depends on how you'll add to this feature to get me better hooked on it.
My only Issue would be those Crumble Blocks unlocking secret areas, or just normal progressions, they can be hard to see and if there was a "learning" section about them, it clearly didn't last for me.
Using them for Secret Areas only would be much more rewarding, since they can be hard to find, while using them for general progression just makes them a tedious staging element since you'll need the one correct spot to shoot at to progress.
Looking forward to this Game. :3
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
The Oxygen mechanic is not quite where I want it yet and I understand this can hinder the exploration element at times, but I can say this:
It will not be used everywhere, the plan is to use it in select areas and situations.
The "shooting blocks" part is not really going to go away, even for main path progression.
But I get what you mean and I have plans to add more different things you need to do to progress.
The keypad and battery are two examples of this that made it into the demo, but more things will be added.
For the "tedious" part, I've removed some blocks in one area in the demo update I just released, and if I feel like other areas are a bit pointless like this one was, then I'll change those as well in the future.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. ^^
Seems like a legit game!
However...
After escaping the begin area and getting both the helmet and suit/gun...
I am stuck in small room with no way out.
Some kind of power up, two little crawlers, and a weird barrier blocking the power up.
The exit thingy changed to red...
Getting completely stuck should not be possible unless something has gone wrong, and if you are where I think you are, then you're not stuck.
Keep looking around in that room.
Hmmm...thanks, will do!
I wanted to try your game in Linux but failed.
Zordak runs into a segmentation fault on Kubuntu 20.10 STS (Groovy), 20.04 LTS (Focal) and 18.04 LTS (Bionic) - i.e. the window closes immediately - even when all lib dependencies are solved (and I do have some 32 bit games running in my systems). I am using AMD Zen2 and RDNA1 (Navi 10).
On a side note: Why is 32 bit still necessary ... would be much better to have a 64 bit binary as 32 bit is said to be discontinued on future Ubuntu LTS releases ... at least stated by Ubuntu (1st considered for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS but then postponed).
Sorry to hear that but as mentioned in the readme, I only test on regular Ubuntu with a virtual machine right now so no clue why it doesn't work.
I also don't have an AMD machine plugged in to test with right now either (no space to put the computer anywhere) so not sure if there is a difference between AMD and Intel in this regard.
Well the reason for 32 bit is that I have no choice, Game Maker Studio v1.4 only exports 32 bit.
If they discontinue 32 bit on Ubuntu then I guess the Linux version of the game will be dead for a while until I manage to get my hands on Game Maker Studio 2.
Either way, I don't think there's much I can do right now unfortunately.
Thanks for letting me know though and I'll add this issue to the list in case I ever decide to add more distros to the testing suite.
OK, I understand that you can not test it ... just a pity. My AMD system is quite new and fast - but under Linux it is really no problem ... have a lot of games ... and also 32 bit one.
I understand - it's the game engine version forcing 32 bit ... but as said this is not the problem in 1st instance. But maybe with a new game engine it may be easier to get it run on modern systems ...
Segmentation Fault can happen if trying to use libraries no longer compatible to linked libraries provided by the distribution. But as I tested also Bionic (the oldest one supported - Xenial is only in rare cases supported on the desktop - and to old to run on my new system) I can not understand it ...
Would have liked to see your game ... but thanks for your reply!
Switching to a completely new engine is not really possible unless I want to add like at least a year (maybe more) of extra development time.
I don't know why it runs into a segmentation fault, the executable file I get when "compiling" for Linux is from like 2016 since it's actually just a VM that interprets the code.
I haven't gotten the actual compiler to work for Linux yet and likely won't get it to work either since it's so old at this point.
So what I'm saying with all of this is that the engine I'm using will always produce a very old executable for Linux, which is likely why things don't always work.
The reason for this is that I'm using an old version of the engine: Game Maker Studio v1.4 (GMS).
And I can't promise anything but I may or may not have access to GMS 2 in the future which is a lot more updated and very likely fixes a lot of issues like this.
And you could always try the Windows version using Wine or something similar, I've heard that works for some people, other than that, I don't think there's much I can do right now.
New info: "Linux version works!" in new comment above (on 13. Feb. 2021) - as these comments used demo 0.30 {= 63} - and now 0.32 {= 67} is available.
Excellent! But I would like to be able to reassign the control keys.
This should already be possible from the controls menu, it has some issues when using controller though which will be fixed in the next version.
An interesting little game, we had fun testing it.
Thanks for trying the demo.
I haven't watched the video yet, but when I do, I'll try to remember to leave a comment over on youtube. :)
Of all the Metroid inspired games I've played, this one best evokes the feelings I experienced when I first played Super Metroid. The goop boss seemed well balanced! It wrecked me the first time, but I was able to learn its moves and take it down after a couple more tries. So excited for a full release!
Hey, thanks for trying the demo. :)
That's good to hear since that feeling is pretty much what I'm going for.
Also good that the boss was somewhat balanced, it's still going to get a few more rounds of changes over time though as it's not quite where I want it yet.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. ^^
Hey whats the code to get into the door to get the suit and gun? i looked at the demo video on youtube an i put in 4082 but it doesnt work
The code is different for each save file so you can't watch a video to get it.
Also, for the record, I have not put out an official demo video but I assume you mean the Alpha Beta Gamer one.
My bad. I saw a video on youtube about the demo. thats how i found out about the game. What i played so far is nice, but Im stuck at the code door.
It's all good, I was merely stating the fact that it's not my video.
And thanks, as for the code: try looking around in previous areas.
I got 2 achievements: Exterminator & Fresh air.
Still don't know how unlock 'Escape artist' though..XD
I'll keep trying over & over again until figure it out.
Nice, good to know that they work as intended. ;)
The last two achievements, Map Explorer and Item Collector, are not obtainable right now just to let you know.
Escape Artist should be obtainable unless there is some bug going on.
LOVE IT! And love the gamepad support, will write more when I finish the demo :)
Thanks, glad you like it, let me know if there are any issues. ^^
So I kinda like everything, my only real nitpick was the oxygen level, it added anxiety for me to get through the outdoor parts as fast as possible, otherwise I am preparing my money for the full version :)
Oxygen is there for that very reason but with that being said, it's still really in the testing phase on how much it should drain and where it should be used, etc.
So things will likely change over time, hopefully for the better, what I can say though is that it will only be used in specific areas and not everywhere.
Thanks for the feedback. :)
Very impressed so far! A few nitpicks were the animation is much better now, but it still feels a little flat when it comes to the poses. Sometimes the way to progress isn't obvious (like shooting diagonal in a hole) and can be a bit frustrating, since with all the bloom and effects, it can be a bit hard to notice. Items do disappear way too quickly, and maybe they should come to you like a magnet when close because a lot of the time, when an enemy is killed, the energy/missile is just out of reach by a pixel or so. The level design can feel very same-y with multiple rooms having the same layout. The first boss is a bit unforgiving and becomes a waiting game, as it has a bit too much health so you either die quickly and have to restart or stand in a corner waiting for it to pop up. Other than that great work!
Not exactly sure what you mean by "flat" in this regard but I will continue to improve the sprites over time, this demo update was the last time they will change this drastically though.
The diagonal hole is there to force the player to learn about diagonal aiming, I do agree that it might need more hints though so this is already on the list.
You can turn off the effects in the options menu if needed as well.
The magnet part about items is already on the list and it will be implemented so they move to the player if they are very close which in turn should solve the "just out of reach" issue.
I'll add "items disappear too fast" to the list though.
Not quite sure what you mean about the same-y part either since the rooms are all hand made and none should be the same really.
I guess you might refer to "this room is two views wide and this one is two views tall, this is a single view" or something like this.. otherwise I'm not sure.
The boss will be improved more over time, I do agree with the health part though so that is already on the list.
As for it being a "waiting game", sure it can happen but that might change once I reduce the health a bit and possibly do some pattern changes, so I won't put this on the list for now.
Thanks for the feedback. :)
oh yeah forgot to mention, the music doesn't loop correctly.
On Windows or Linux?
It should mostly loop correctly on Windows, there can be a hiccup at times though.
Linux has way more issues with this.
It is a very good demo that gives a good visualization of the somewhat more oppressive environment to the saga on which it is based, generating in sections a sense of urgency and exploration with the oxygen meter mechanism that forces you to cross quickly or look for possible air spaces to survive the exploration that gives it a different but fresh touch. Mobility is somewhat clearer than in Super Metroid, you cannot jump on the walls but a mechanism of ledges was added to climb that I liked to give verticality to the levels and it seems more "normal" for the doors to open when close instead of shooting them. It also made me curious how the character crawls to pass through small spaces, which makes me think that the Metroid morphball probably originated to make a simple animation when passing through closed spaces. I hope to see the complete project.
I made a gameplay capturing the inputs of the control, although I must say that the control was quite responsive and fluid.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it.
As mentioned over on Twitter, I haven't had time to watch the video yet but when I do I'll try to remember to leave a comment over on youtube. :)
I'm going for a somewhat more "realistic" feel for movement so that's why the player feels a bit heavy and there is no spinjump for example.
And just for the record here, there won't be any morph ball in this game if that's what you meant.
Thanks for the feedback.
The atmosphere is incredible, it's obvious you've put a lot of love in to it. My problem is that I just keep forgetting to keep track of oxygen, I get so engrossed in exploring and then I realize I'm out O2 and die.
Your puzzles are just my speed though. I get stuck for a minute, but then I find the solution very satisfying.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo.
So oxygen will be a pretty big part of the game but it's not going to be used in all areas.
I will continue trying to improve upon this aspect over time and things will likely change a lot at some point.
Glad you like the puzzles as this is going to be a major part of the game, there will be more variation in the full game though as the demo is a bit repetitive at times.
Thanks for the feedback, glad you like the demo. :)
Hey, thanks for trying the demo.
Good to know that it works there as well.
As mentioned in the readme file, I don't know much about Linux so I'm assuming an "aur" script basically installs the game and probably dependencies as well?
I might install Manjaro in a VM and try it out there myself so I have more of an understanding about how it works.
If it's not too time consuming I could possibly start to at least semi-support that as well (and possibly include that script link in the install instructions), but we'll see.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback. :)
Thanks! :) Yes, it resolves all the dependencies automatically, here's the main script:
https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/tree/PKGBUILD?h=zordak
I'm also providing zordak.desktop file for the system path /usr/share/applications/ to make it visible in the games list of the system menus:
https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/tree/zordak.desktop?h=zordak
My bad with not clear terms: AUR is kinda playground for user install scripts. It's for the projects that are not in official community repos yet. And it's only for the Archlinux-compatible distros (such as Manjaro).
So, other popular linux distros (like debian or rpm-based) are not supported with my approach. They are using their own package managers. It's possible to write install packages for the deb and rpm based distros too using my archlinux files as a draft. I'm a bit lazy to do that, since I'm not using another distros right now. Maybe another contributors help too if needed :)
There's also AppImage format. I'm not a fan, but it's an attempt to make a standart for portable apps. So probably AppImage is also an option to provide a general linux install package for many distros.
Anyway, don't bother much, existing archive is enough to run and README covers all the info. Thank you for the game and good luck! :)
Ah, I see.. thanks for the detailed information.
I probably won't be doing any type of packages, at least not any time soon.
And as mentioned before, I may play around with Manjaro for a bit and see how time consuming it would be to test on it as well.
I'm choosing Manjaro because:
1 - You mentioned it.
2 - From what I've read it seems to be a pretty popular distro.
I've got the KDE Plasma version downloaded so hopefully this version would be sufficient.
Thanks once again for the feedback. :)
Ok wow! This looks 1st impressive 2nd very promising and 3rd... I NEED TO DOWNLOAD THAT DEMO!
Thanks, let me know if you find any issues when/if you try the demo. :)
Absolutely! For what I´ve seen so far its one fantastic love letter to one of my fav. games of all time (Metroid III). Maybe i overread it somewhere, but do you know when you guys will finish the full game?
Super Metroid is one of my favorites as well. :)
And no, I do not have a set release date, the only thing I can really say is this:
It's done when it's done.
Also, for the record, this game is a solo effort so it's only me working on it. ;)
Oh wow - honestly! You are creating this on your own? Ok... now this is UEBER impressive now! Fantastic job!
And you are absolutely right: its done when its done! Take your time and I can already see that it will be 1 fantastic game!
I am working on #SpaceCowboy since many years on my own as well - and I just love working on the game without any stress because of a release date :)
Thanks, I'm trying my best here so I appreciate it. ^^
If it's something you love working on, then keep working, don't let anyone stop you. :)
I'll tell you one thing though, I'm definitely not working on this without stress, in fact, I'm almost always stressed out.. the game is not the reason though and I won't go more into it than this.
Hi, first of all thanks for releasing your game for Linux :-)
Regarding libssl1.0 on Ubuntu 20.04, you don't need to install it, you can simply uncompress the deb archive into the game directory and set a couple of paths.
Given this game dir layout, for example:
.
├── assets
├── libcrypto.so.1.0.0
├── libssl.so.1.0.0
├── openssl-1.0.0
│ └── engines
├── README_LINUX.txt
└── Zordak
This script will set the paths to preload local ssl version (it will also set the executable flag to the game if not present yet):
#!/bin/bash
GAME=Zordak
export OPENSSL_ENGINES=$PWD/openssl-1.0.0/engines
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$PWD:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
if [ ! -x $GAME ]; then
chmod +x $GAME;
fi
./$GAME
Save it as start.sh (and set it as executable with chmod +x start.sh) and you should be good to go.
Tested on Ubuntu 20.04 today.
Best regards :-D
Edit: typos on Ubuntu release
Hey, thank you for trying the demo. :)
This is some very nice information and I'll be putting this in my notes for the next release as this seems to be a much better way of doing it.
As far as I understand, this means that I could bundle all dependencies with the game which would be a much better option than having the user install them.
So thanks a lot for this information. ^^
Just to be sure (and because I had already a lot of dependencies installed on my machine) I tried with a fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04 on a new VritualBox VM.
I think you are missing a step in the README: before installing the i386 library packages, I'm quite sure you have to enable the i386 architecture.
So this is the sequence of commands I verified to be working on a fresh install:
$ sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
$ sudo apt install libopenal1:i386 libglu1:i386 libxrandr2:i386
$ cd Zordak; ./start.sh (the script I wrote last time)
Hope this helps. Bye and keep up with the really good job you're doing.
Hmm, I don't know, maybe..?
I didn't have to do that when installing it on a fresh VM or natively on my laptop (fresh install) when that still worked, both of them had Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 64-Bit installed.
And just to be clear here, the README does have the ":i386" part on all listed dependencies in case this is part of what you mean.
But that being said, I might add the "sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386" part explaining that this may have to be run to enable i386 architecture in the README for the next version.
Thanks again for the information/feedback. :)
I would love to try this demo, but your controller configuration is broken.
Not all gamepads have a "select" button (button 9?), and for those without, it is impossible to rebind keys.
Perhaps allow a keybind to be cleared with Backspace in gamepad mode? Or allow a bind to overwrite an existing bind? Very, very frustrating.
EDIT: While you're at it, perhaps don't arbitrarily choose a controller on systems with multiple controllers? Let the user pick one.
Never seen a controller without a select button of some form so not sure what to say there other than I guess they exist then.
I'll be looking into putting that on another button then, and did you try using backspace with a controller plugged in?
Can't remember if it works or not right now but the game should at least switch to keyboard mode as soon as you press a keyboard button, it might not clear the controller button keybind though.
You mean overwrite an existing key as in if the same key is already bound somewhere else (not on the current action you're trying to bind) then just unbind that key for that action?
If so, that can probably be done and I'll put it on the list.
And finally, never actually seen someone use multiple controllers at the same time unless they're making games themselves and use them for testing so I didn't account for that yet.
I'll be putting that on the list as well and it will probably be added as a list you can scroll through and select the controller you want.
Here are two that lack a Button 9 that I have at hand:
Those are officially-licensed, but I also have a couple of Chinese clones which skip Button 9, which I assume is what your code is looking for. There are also SNES-inspired controllers that might not map select to Button 9. Yes, Backspace with a controller just switches to keyboard mode, it doesn't clear the button binding.
By suggesting that you might use another button, you're still making some assumptions about what the button layout and mapping of the user's controller will be, and arbitrarily choosing a button that will be gated off. It would be better to have a universal key (such as Backspace) that will clear a button binding or a keyboard binding, and that all PCs are guaranteed to have.
The other option would be to overwrite an existing bind, possibly with the red text prompting for a second confirmation press, instead of simply refusing to remap.
For the record, local co-op and such is still a completely legitimate reason to have multiple controllers connected to a PC. Also, some disability controller setups might still use multiple controllers, although I don't expect indie games to support those out of the gate.
EDIT: Wrong pic for the Gen/MD controller, fixed. Also, I realize that historically, indie games' solution to controllers has been "just use Joy2Key", so I appreciate that you are actually supporting controllers. My suggestions are only intended as constructive criticism.
EDIT 2: Tried a couple of generic PSX controllers of different make/model, which have "Select" mapped to Button 9, and it still doesn't clear the binding. I've tried all of the buttons (including thumbsticks) on both, and none of them do. I'm not sure which button you're looking for in the code to clear the binding, but it doesn't appear to be working.
Huh, well, I never had anything Sega related so that explains that.
I'm not really looking for "button 9", I'm looking for a constant set by the engine I'm using. (which might be button 9 I have no idea)
And regarding backspace not clearing the controller keybind, I've now tested it and it actually does as long as you're in controller mode when pressing backspace, if you press a keyboard button other than backspace before pressing backspace, then it will clear the keyboard key instead.
So you have to press a controller button to enter controller mode and then press only backspace to clear a controller binding.
There is however some issue where "select" is not working as intended, it just gets detected as a menu button press instead of clearing a binding.
But both of these problems will be largely irrelevant after my intended fix listed below.
As for using another button to clear bindings, I'm just going to have backspace clear both the keyboard and the controller binding, that should solve the problem.
I'll be looking into changing how keybind conflicts work, it's probably either going to be the way you described or the way I mentioned in my previous comment.
Yeah you're right there, I didn't really think of local coop at all, probably because I don't really like multiplayer that much so I usually stay way from it.
And the disability point is also correct and for that reason I'll be looking into a setting like this: "Accept input from all connected controllers", therefore allowing input from all controllers without selecting one from a list.
This probably won't magically make all those non-standard controllers work though.
I'll also be looking into adding that list to be able to select controller if the above setting is turned off, which it would be by default.
And using "Joy2Key" is an option I guess but I'd rather just have it work in game.
And finally, for your second edit, refer to the "button 9" part of this post, there is an issue with select apparently.
Anyway, I appreciate the feedback, I'll be trying to add these new features and fix the issues.
I don't mean to be a pain, but I'm trying to use Backspace to clear a bind, and it doesn't seem to be working, even for keyboard bindings. Pressing Backspace just brings up the red-bordered keybinding screen, and the buttons/keys are still shown as being in use, with red error text.
To be clear, my expectation (based on other programs with remappable controls) is that pressing a "clear bind" key should stay on the same screen, and the bound entry would become blank, after which the user could select it to bind it.
Also, the demo shows a notification whenever it loses focus that the controller has been disconnected. Probably not critical, but odd.
I guess I'll just wait for the new version.
Okay I think I see what might have happened, is Backspace bound to any action?
This is the only case I've gotten it to behave as you explained, apparently I forgot to disable that as a key you can bind.. so this will be fixed as well.
To fix this you'd have to bind whatever action Backspace is bound to another key and then Backspace should behave as intended again.
And your expectation is correct, it's supposed to stay on the same screen and just set the action to "unbound".
That controller disconnection notification is normal, I'd have to rework aspects of my controller detection system to *maybe* get rid of that so that probably won't be fixed any time soon.
And yeah, you should probably wait for the next version, I'm on a bit of a break right now so I'll be getting back to work on this next monday.
I got all the way to the first boss, didn't beat it because it wasn't very fun to fight against.
That being said, the art direction and sound desing are simply phenomenal, you really nailed that Metroid vibe perfectly. And the design of the first boss was really cool! The ambience tracks can feel repetitive, they do the trick of being ambience but they don't hold my attention for very long like Lower Brinstar or Norfair get to do, I would make the actual loops way longer.
I also feel like the initial areas are way too small so it's hard to get a feel and identity for each one, so it ends up feeling more like Metroid Fusion than it's bigger brother Metroid Fusion. The fact that a lot of progression is hidden behind shootable blocks makes me feel like they are there without much rhyme or reason and it kinda defeats the purpose of feeling like a secret when they're so many one after the other.
Also, only 2 rockets at the start? Come on, at least gimme 5, let me have fun blowing stuff up! I know the drop rate of rockets is like crazy high but I still feel like 2 doesn't let me get excited to start blasting stuff around.
Overall I think it shows a lot of promise and it can be polished into a great game if you keep working on it. Again, the art is crazy good and the animations feel nice! But there's much more to a Metroid game than the aesthetics of it, and I just don't get the same feeling of adventure with Zordak.
Please keep up the good work! I'll be looking forwards to more updates.
Hey, thanks for trying the demo.
The boss will continue to get improvements over time, for example: currently I think it's still a bit too random and it doesn't always give the player much time to hit it, so those will be improved upon at some point.
All music and most sound will be reworked later so expect these things to change, the current music is just something quick I threw together a long time ago so I understand.
So, I simply can't make everything as big as in Super Metroid so the rooms will be smaller in this game, that being said, there are bigger rooms in the full game than in the demo.
And if you mean areas like full zones and not just rooms, the same answer still applies.
I don't really consider the progression parts as secrets even though they are somewhat hidden, I think of it more like puzzles and this is one of the main mechanics of the game, so this is not really going to stop.
But I get what you mean, things can get a bit repetitive and I'm trying to come up with new things you have to do as the game progresses, not much of that is in the demo after a certain point though unfortunately.
The reason for the low ammo count is that I don't want the player to be able to spam the missiles but rather use them in specific scenarios like tougher enemies, bosses and such.
So this will probably not change, I'm not completely sure though.
Of course there's more than aesthetics to a Metroid game like the music and movement mechanics for example but I'm not making an actual Metroid game here so things will be different.
I'll just say what I always do:
I'm trying to make Super Metroid but not Super Metroid.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback, glad you like the demo overall. :)
If it's puzzles what you're going for I think you're going on a good path, I'm not a huge puzzle fan so I can't comment too much on that. Experimenting with that concept can be a lot of fun if you push the puzzle aspect really hard into the game and you could get away with the smaller areas if they're all full of entertaining puzzles. It would really make Zordak stand on it's own if you manage to pull such a thing since it'll be quite unique.
Just wanted to say that because it did feel more like a puzzles overall.
Once again, keep up the good work and looking forwards to more stuff!
Yeah, puzzles, exploration and bosses will be the main focus.
General enemy combat is considered more like an "annoyance", most of them are pretty much there to be in your way.
So.. yeah, we'll see how it turns out, thanks again for the feedback. :)
Dude, this looks very promising! I'm a big fan of 2d Metroids and I really enjoyed going through this demo! Amazing work!
I hope that in the full version it will be possible to "unequip" the helmet and jumpsuit :)
Thanks for trying the demo, glad you like it. :)
Regarding your question though.. I'm going to have to disappoint you but the ability to unequip the suit will probably be going away when I add a new planned feature.
So.. sorry, but that is likely not going to happen.
Thanks for the feedback though.
I found 'metroid' in new version of demo. And I'm afraid
this gonna be 'serious copyright problem'.
As you can see, that's definitely 'metroid'. And it's too blatant plagiarism to be called an Easter egg or something.
Of course, I love this game & looking forward to meet the
full version. But, also I feared 'Nintendo' will never go
easy on you for this one.
I hate to say, but I think you should delete that 'thing'.
I've now done some reading and sadly.. you're probably right.
I'm not going to go more into it than this but let's just say I don't agree at all.. but it's not up to me so it will not be there in the next version, you can't have fun in this world I guess.
Glad you like the game though and thanks for trying the demo.
I apologize for make you feel uncomfortable.
but nintendo is really ***hole when it comes to copyright issues...D:(
Did you heard 'AM2R (Another metroid 2 remake)'?
AM2R is metroid fan game development began in
2008, completed and released on August 6, 2016.
It was well-made metroid fan game & it also been awarded at the amateur Nintendo 2nd creative
game contest.
As far as I know, The developer has already
received development approval from Nintendo,
and there were no actions or claims during
development either.
However,soon after AM2R was completed,this
game was banned by Nintendo. A year later,
Nintendo released new official remake named
'Metroid samus returns'.
That was trecherous and cowardly decision..
Not only a betrayal to fans and users, but also
intercepts the developer's ideas and efforts.
Don't you think?
After AM2R was banned, Nintendo has banned the
distribution of over 562 fan made games in the
same way. That's why I really hate Nintendo and
I don't want this game to be another victim of
Nintendo's copyright policy.);
It's fine, I wasn't exactly feeling uncomfortable, it was more disappointment in how boring companies are.
I know about AM2R, not as much detail as you explained but still.
I don't think this will be the same case though
(especially after the metroid has been removed)
for multiple reasons:
1 - I'm not calling this metroid or trying to make it seem like an actual metroid game.
2 - All my graphics are original and isn't made to completely look like metroid. (although with obvious similarities)
Even the actual metroid easter egg sprite was made by me but that one is too similar so it's going away as mentioned before.
So I don't really see how this could be a victim of copyright issues when everything is original.
But with all of that being said, this game is not done and will receive numerous changes over time so other things may or may not be removed/changed as well.