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A topic by werck created Jul 15, 2017 Views: 641 Replies: 11
Viewing posts 1 to 4
(3 edits)

Hey,

I've been playing this game for 1-1,5 hours now, and even though I like it so far, I think some elements of the game could be better with some rethinking:

  • Firstly, the notebook is a really good idea, but the organization gets annoying after a certain amount of time - new entries should go to the top instead of the bottom.
  • The smartphone - another amazing idea, but sitting trough the dialing session every time I mistyped a number is tedious, so it would be cool if you made skipping  it available.
  • No offense, but the AI is... not the sharpest tool in the shed. Plus a "staff member" somehow captured me even though we weren't on the same floor.
  • There should be some kind of hint regarding how to solve the first puzzle of the game (getting into the hotel)
  • There's a bug in Room 2: if you close the door and try to get the key back later, it just doesn't show up in your inventory thus making it impossible to exit the room.

What I liked so far:

  • This whole save-load mechanic is a really good idea
  • The graphics of the game
  • The paintings on the wall
  • The piano puzzle is fun
  • Notebook, mobile phone
  • The music
  • Running away and hiding from the "monster" parts
  • The secret exit in the character's room

Good luck with the further development!

Developer (2 edits) (+1)

Hello, werck.
First of all, thank you for your rich and precious feedback.

I am working on a new version of Psycologico right now and:

- The Room 2 bug has been solved.
- The "caught on different floors" has been treated.
- The inversion of the order of the notes in the notebook has been implemented and yeah, it works better!

About the smartphone numer dial: this phase is required only when you digit a number for the first time. If that number is correct (if it exists in the game), it will be saved in the rubric, from which you will be able to easily recall it skipping the dial phase.

About the AI: the engine has several limitations influencing the possibilities of the staff members. An example: you probably found one of the members stuck in front of a table, looking at you but unable to simply move around the table to reach you. I am studyng a solution, because this behaviour makes the AI look a lot dumber than it could feel.

About the first puzzle: that is the biggest trial of the entire design. From the closed alpha prototypes to these first public versions, I literally threw in lots of suggestions and details, but it is not enough yet. May I ask how much time did it take to you to figure it out and if there was something which made you say "Ha-ha!"?

Best wishes,

Targiom Aiogi

(3 edits)

Thanks for clearing up everything about the number dial!

Some other things I noticed:

  • On the piano, the keys are labeled with numbers in the range of 1 and 6, but in the number selector GUI you can select numbers up to 10 - that's kinda strange.
  • I'm not sure if this can be fixed, but if you close the piano your characters's texture appears before the disappearance of the image of the keys.
  • I got a call from P. in Room 2 regarding the piano puzzle even though I have already completed it - this event did not occur in my first "playtrough".
  • I couldn't open the menu using the Esc key after getting caught under the bed in Room 5.

And a suggestion: I think it would be cool if the staff members started "banging" on the door if the player chooses to close it (after hearing an enemy nearby).

EDIT: Oh, I just realized I didn't answer your quesiton. It took like 10-15 minutes of walking around randomly the entrance trying to find a key or a hidden switch to open the door - then I realized I'm dumb as hell.

Developer

I will try to answer in order to the points of your last post:

- The number input used in the piano puzzle is directly handled by the engine so, at the moment, it allows you to put numbers up to 9.
- Yeah, that damn sprite always pops up at the worst time :D, though it should be adjustable.
- That is a known bug which I am trying to solve from a while.
- This is bizarre. When you got caught you were also trasnfered to your room, right? After that you could move, interact etcetera but not open the menu?

About the staff members banging at the door: it would be very cool, but I would need a few time to figure it out on a programming layer. I will keep it in mind ;)

About the first puzzle: you are not dumb! The subject of the puzzle itself is very specific and requires a perceptual shift which means forgetting all you know about that particular game mechanic.

Cheers.

(1 edit)

Yes, I was able to move and interact with objects.

I couldn't replicate the bug that makes opening the inventory impossible, but:

  • If you hide under the bed while there's no enemy nearby the "ryhtm game" doesn't show up and the only option you have is restarting the game.
  • If an enemy appears and you try to hide under the bed but the enemy is too close you can't complete the "ryhtm game" - the screen turns black and you immediately get back to Room 7. The textures/tiles won't load, even though you can still move around and interact with objects in the room. 

I'm sorry to hear that the game engine restricts your work. This game is full of wonderful ideas, so I'm pretty sure it deserves a better engine (Game Maker would be perfect for this project in my opinion),  but I guess you'll have to stick with the one you started with, as it would be too much work to start everything from scratch again. 

I'm sorry if I'm being annoying.

Developer (1 edit)

Okay, I know what happened with all the bed and menu stuff. In the update I am uploading right now, it has not been fixed, but it will be in the next one.

I chose RPG Maker because of some other comforts, not last the fact that, at the time, it was the engine I knew better. If I had to start the project right now, I would choose Unity 2D instantly. I terribly miss a navmesh agent on those staff members :'D
Anyway, I will try to make the AI as smarter as I can.

EDIT: actually, the bed bug has been fixed in the upcoming version! 

Amazing, thank you! :)

Developer(+1)

My job. Thank you for all the feedback ;)

P.S.: if you find yourself starting a new game, be sure to experiment with the name you choose to register with. Th "Sir" is not required, first and last name will be enough, if you know what I mean.

I sure know! :)) 

Developer

Ahahah, I was waiting for this answer!

(2 edits)

Hello,

Some new things I have noticed:

  • A table has no collision in room 2F - Lair of the Dormouse, East.
  • An "enemy appears" event can trigger even if you are too close to the door leading to the dining room in the main hall - you can't escape this way because the staff member spawns too close to you and he captures you immediately. Not really a bug, but it's not fair in my opinion. (This happens near other doors, too)
  • The game crashes if you try to hide under the bed in room 2F - Lair of the Dormouse, West

I'm stuck at the Dormouse section by the way. I already opened both safes and got everything from them, but I can't find the copy of the key in the corridor outside the library. Could you give me a hint, please?  I figured it out :) 

(I like the little secret in Room 7 if you register with the "real name") 

Developer

I will examine all the stuff.

(There will be better, about those easter eggs, in the final game ;) )