Post by Sparky-D in Space Orbs (C64) comments

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Yeah, i thought that you would like any of the games i mentioned. :) "Magical Drop" is really a fun game and "Money Puzzle Exchanger" and "Puzzle Bobble" too.

The only thing, which is a little bit sad in this new-coming "Puzzle Bobble" port is the fact, that it will have no CPU-opponents for the 2-player-mode. I mailed with the programmer about this, but he will not add this, cause he said, that the original arcade-version of "Puzzle Bobble" also don't has CPU-opponents. This is true, but all the successors in the "Puzzle Bobble" series then have CPU-opponents and playing against them in the 2-player-mode makes alot more fun, than solving alone the puzzles in my opinion. But okay, luckily at least a 2-player-simultan-mode for 2 human-players will be added to the new "Puzzle Bobble", cause this is a thing which i really miss in the C64-game "Monster Buster", which is very similar to "Puzzle Bobble". But sadly, often no second human player is available for playing, then CPU-opponents are superb to have in games. Preferably with adjustable difficulty-modes.

And now, to get back to your new game "Space Orbs" :) i wanted to ask you, if there is a chance, that such a CPU-opponent function will be included in your game? What do you think? Would be a big PLUS in my opinion, when you are alone at home and nevertheless you can still play the 2-player-mode in the game. If second player is human or CPU, who cares? ;)

senntertain3 years ago

@Sparky-D - How would you coordinate with the CPU (like you could with a 2nd player)?

Sparky-D3 years ago (3 edits)

Yes, in a similar way. This would mean, the CPU-player then must know

- how to play the game (strategy/rules)

- when it makes sense, to shoot certain orbs to the human-player on the other side

- the position of the player-ship and when the time has come, to hand over some orbs, for solving a level

Not easy to realize in a good way, i guess. But would be cool anyway.

It's not often, that a buddy is available to play along, but the game makes alot more fun, when another player is involved. If that is a human or a cpu-controlled one, would be pretty much irrelevant, i could imagine, as long as this player makes senseful things in the game.

The problem could be, to realize this technically. Because here in this game, the CPU-player and the human-player must work together, to solve a level, while in most other games, in which a CPU-player can be chosen, this CPU-player then plays against the human-player and plays his own game.

But here in "Space Orbs", the programming-challenge would be even bigger, because here a coordination between the CPU-player and the human-player would be necessary. They must work together to solve a level and i guess, this could be more difficult to realize.

But it would be really great, if something like this could be realized and i could imagine a nice gaming-experience here.

senntertain3 years ago

I agree this would be very cool. Without having played this game, I understand the following may not be suitable, but here goes anyway: There are ways to simplify the intended organic interaction.

For example, if the CPU is ready to "do" something to contribute to teamwork, perhaps it can surround the area it wants "help" with via a flashing outline around the related shapes.

Flashing could mean the CPU is ready, whereas a solid color could means something else... each allowing the player to "engage" if desired with the intentionality of the CPU. Conversely, the player could employ some technique to signal their desire for teamwork.

Sparky-D3 years ago (1 edit)

The suggestion with the flasing outline and that the CPU-player could give a signal to the human-player, when he's ready for handing over some orbs, is not bad. Maybe it could also make sense, that also the human-player could give such a signal to the CPU-player (for example by pressing the SPACE-Bar), when he wants to hand over orbs vice-versa?

But i am not a programmer and i don't know, how much playing-intelligence could be realized for a CPU-player on a 8bit machine like the C64, when it comes to things like cooperation and reacting on the moves of the human-player?

I am sure, it would not be a big problem, to let a CPU-player play his own game alone in a very high strength here in this puzzler-game, but when it comes to cooperation with the human-player to pursue a common aim, then i am not sure, what's technically possible and what not on 8bit machines? An interesting thing, these cooperation thoughts with a CPU-player, are anyway, because such things are not so often to find in C64 games.

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