Blorb (Movement Prototype)
This is a super early movement demo for Blorb 2.0. Move with arrow keys or WASD, space to jump, and z to bounce. If you bounce while not moving left or right, you go further vertically.
Blorb it up! Please let me know how the movement feels to you. Be as brutally honest as possible, I want mario to MOVE OVER. It might be hard to judge without a real level, but I want the base movement to be as fun as possible.
I apologize for the signs.
Comments
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Normal movement seems pretty good to me (didnt find any bugs or malfunctions), the bouncing aspect I kinda failed to understand exactly how to use it efficiently (vertical jumps more than anything, especially because there wasnt any enemies atm).
It was funny to turn into sonic by bouncing sideways though (but then even the tiniest slope stops you, and it would be hard to dodge enemies with that speed).
It does feel like more work has gone into the movement mechanics. But it doesn't feel as good as mario maker. It's slower and more sluggish, and it's more complex/harder to learn with the bounce mechanic.
But i don't fully understand the vision.
Who is this for? Children? Or Speed runners? The answer to that will probably dictate where you should go with the movement mechanics.
Also, I personally want to see the full frontal blorb sprite where they stare straight into the player's soul if you aren't moving left/right.
Man bouncing feels good once you get the hang of it! personally i would make it so if you're going fast and you try to move in the opposite direction the "stop and turn" animation should be even slower and longer to incentivize bounce-flipping instead.
something about the whole thing feels a bit sluggish and "low framerate" even though it is actually running smoothly, i can't put my finger on what it is
Thanks for blorbin'! I worry about making the default turning any slower because it might filter people before they learn about the bounce flip (you are probably one of the only people who have ever done it, tbh), and the awkward movement might turn people off because it feels bad. But I do see your point.
Do you think the sluggishness is visual or has to do with the actual gameplay and physics? I think there could be something about the low resolution or parallax that makes it feel that way.
the sluggishness is definitely a visual thing, the actual controls are very responsive
I can tell this is like a first or early project of yours, so it's kinda hard to figure out what kind of criticism to give.
-The bouncing mechanic is fun and gives the game an identity, and honestly I think it needs the most attention given to. Trying to get to grips with how the bounce mechanics work, I couldn't bounce high enough to reach the highest parts of the stage the first time because I ran out of berries trying to figure it out. I'd honestly encourage you to just remove the limiter altogether because at the moment all it's doing is limiting the fun.
-The signs look kinda ugly with words cutting out, spilling over the text box graphic and not being layered correctly. I'm sure it was a last second addition but for the next demo I'd suggest copying a bit more from SMW and making a big black textbox that covers more than you think you need for text, and pause the game while it's open. Make each textbox about one thing (one for controls, one for a quirk with bouncing, ect.) and only interject personality in service for the point you're trying to make with the text box.
-You should look into having different control binds. I don't have much to say on it just pick arrows or WASD and stick with it. If you stick with one default control scheme it will be easier to make it good even if some people may not like them at first. Also of course add gamepad support down the line as well.
-So for the physics, I'd describe them as molasses-y. Like Blorbguy's acceleration feels extremely rigid making it feel like he's trudging through mud or molasses. There are some great games with awkward acceleration/deceleration that feel good to master because of the additional movement tech like the bounce, but with that approach Blorbguy's base walking speed should feel good for adjusting him to make the next bounce if that makes sense. I'd suggest making his walking acceleration maybe 1.5 or double the speed? Kinda gotta eyeball it. The more quickly the player can go make sick bounces the better.
-Lastly, show some confidence in your work. Dedicate yourself to using one method of horizontal movement. Let the comments section speak for itself and at best have a reminder at the end of the demo to comment. Figure out the physics yourself lol, trust your own feelings with how the physics balance out and throw away that huge ugly debug menu lmao. Players will self select based on preferences to your decisions, and a good game will make people change their preferences to what the game does. I hope this is helpful and encouraging