Api The Cat (wip) CGA Style [4.5.9]

latetera

Member
Hello everyone! This is my video game so far, it's about not getting hit by monsters approaching you at full speed, I've drawn 5 levels but I'm still working to make it a little more fun. I would love to know if there is any way to write Japanese in the NPC and I would also love to have a score running and a high score table. If anyone knows where I can go to get these additions, I appreciate the help.

Thanks to @Logana, @kevin81 and @Jonny for being so helpful these days < 3

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8928xx7qT9M


I attach a demo of this level in case someone wants to try it <3
 

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Jonny

Well-known member
It's getting better and better. I love the fast pased action and the detailed backgrounds.
 

Basty

Active member
From what I can see, you've most certainly made an improvements over there.
Especially when it comes to background art since now you can actually see what's going on, on the screen.

While I presume there are still lot of bugs out there I am going to bring up few issues that I feel like addressing.

Now first complaint I have is, never insert monsters on the first screen. Especially in a way that they gang up on player with no way to dodge.
Probably a bug there but still. That is just bad stage design since first screen is for player to adjust the situation they're in.

Dunno if it is intentional or a bug stage objects should stay consistent, in this case the windows that you can jump on.
Some of the window screens act as a solid platforms and others doesn't, that can confuse the players.

As for the enemies, jeesh they're fast. Instead of bombarding the player with fast moving objects,
I'd suggest giving them more of a consistent patterns and slowing them down for right now I can't even adjust to see what's the thing hitting me.
Every enemy just flashes by like NYOOOOOM! as if they'd be escaping from some sort of natural disaster or something.

Lastly, when I reached EXIT and begun to go backwards one of the overly massive screen tearing teachers hit me and... Well...
This happened...
 

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    API CAT.png
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Jonny

Well-known member
Basty makes some good points. I've found with my own project that less is more sometimes with speed and even the amount of enemys. If the intention is to be fast paced you've nailed it but I think the playability would be very much improved if the speed was dialed back a bit for the monsters. There are parts where its pretty much impossible to avoid being hit. I think this sort of fast pace game would work really well with a timer so the player has to master the best path to beat the timer.. kinda like Sonic in a way.

Looking forward to seeing more!
 

latetera

Member
Thank you so much @Basty and @Jonny . I love the recommendations they are giving me about the game, I am looking for a way to apply them, especially in how my monsters work. I wish they had more interesting movements but the truth is that I don't find much of how to make them have more complex movements instead of being fast. Can you help me by pointing out where I can read to learn about this?
 

Jonny

Well-known member
I was actually thinking of doing a post specifically about ways to do enemy movements and ask for people to share their methods and ideas but I haven't searched properly to see if someone has already started a similar thread. For now though, just searching though the community tutorials and ask-for-help forum pages will bring up loads of answers. If you tell me a specific movement / enemy action you'd like to do I can try to help.

This is a good article about enemy design for some ideas but tbh playing NES or other 8bit era games is as good as anything...
 

Basty

Active member
You are most welcome.

Unfortunately my field of expertise is more theoretical based for now and I haven't really gotten too
deeply in to innerworkings of NES maker due to lack of proper "Help" file like Game Maker has for now.
Alas, I find viewing and reviewing same old videos pretty cumbersome and it is
faster to read what I want to know than browse an hour long video of it.

However I can share some bit more deeper understanding how programming certain simple elements
work in theory if you wish to PM me about it. You'll just have to find a way to program them in yourself.

Instructions should be detailed enough for you to follow but you'll just have to have enough wits to put them in to action in yourself.
In the end, it boils down to giving simple instructions to what you want your characters to do.
 
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