At the suggestion of a friend, I decided to submit my game to IGF China 2012. Of course, for it to have any chance against the other submissions, I’ve spent the whole week improving the post-compo version.

Frankly, I’m not really expecting to win at all, I just wanted to have another deadline to spur me into completing it. Yeah, it is deadlines that greatly motivates me to get things done.

So here are all the changes I’ve made for the latest version:

• Improved UI and Graphics
• Ability to shoot and repair tiles
• Upgrades!
• Difficulty tweaks
• Control, Mouse and Volume Settings
• More music and SFX
• Bug fixes

I must say that I am really happy on how the game turned out. Granted, there are lots more to improve upon, but being a game that is completed at a very short time-frame, I’m actually pretty proud of myself right now.

Thanks, Ludum Dare.

You can play the latest version here! If you still haven’t tried the original one, go here.

The post-compo version with the improved UI and graphics is now playable here!

Users can now also adjust the volumes, change the control scheme, and tweak the mouse settings! A “How to Play” section has also been added for new players!

Kindly tell me if you encounter any bugs! Comments and suggestions are welcome!

I decided to focus on making the post-compo version of my game more visually appealing. To achieve this, I decided to give my interfaces a… ehem … face-lift. Here are some before and after shots for your viewing pleasure.

Main Menu Interface

The screen on the lower-left shows the player the playing field. It gives them an idea of what to expect when they click the start button and it helps in making the menu less dull.

In-Game HUD

I still kept the visor concept and overhauled it a bit to make it look more futuristic. The icons on the bottom represent the number of “repair bullets” you have left.

I still haven’t uploaded the new build yet as I am still working on the other menus. Sorry about that, I was so happy with how the interface turned out that I couldn’t wait to share it. Haha.

While waiting, you can try out and rate the original game here. If you would like to check out the latest compo version, go here. 

Hi guys, I have this bug I want to fix for the submitted version but i’m unsure if I should proceed or not.

Basically, the problem is that when the player dies and restarts a level, the difficulty of the game does not reset. It remains at a difficulty where they last died (the levels get difficult overtime). Although unintentional, this punishes the people playing the game multiple times. Newbies who couldn’t handle the difficult part get stuck with it which greatly frustrates them.

PoV’s post about the rules on bugfixes state that only crashes and typo bugs are allowed to be fixed. I just want to be sure if this bugfix is allowed and won’t get me disqualified.

You can tryout the submitted game here.

Thanks a lot, guys!

It is said that developers spend so much time testing their games that they become an expert playing it. Because of this I was able to secure the top spot on the leaderboards easily and held the title ever since.

I thought that no one else can dethrone me, it seems like I am wrong.

I congratulated the guy for beating me fair and square. The 150 mark is one of the hardest difficulty, let’s see if more people can survive past it.

Try out and rate the original game here.
Try the post-compo version here.

Try out and rate the original game here.
Try the post-compo version here.

Ever since I have determined that my game lacked “lasting appeal”, I spent the last few days experimenting with a number of gameplay mechanics to add to the existing one. There were some that were interesting (like one idea where you can fight the virus directly by shooting its core) but most of them detract from the basic player experience that I want to retain. And that is the tension of dynamic platforming.

Most of my decisions so far was dictated by my desire to retain the core mechanic. My rule of thumb right now is if the player is not jumping around all over the arena, then there’s something wrong with the design.

New additions:

With update 1.1, I’ve introduced a new pickup-item: The recovery node. This replaces the repair node in terms of functionality. Picking this up will recover nearby tiles and increases the points to reach the next level. On the other hand, picking up the repair node will add one “repair bullet” which you can use to repair tiles at will. By having two separate pickups, each with their own risk-and-rewards, I am forcing the player to choose under pressure which can add more to the tension.

I have also changed the way on how a repair bullet works. Before, tiles are restored at random which made the resulting platforms very unexpected and risky. With this new change, the immediate surrounding neighbors are the ones that are restored forming a nice big platform which is very helpful to save you in tight situations.

Update 1.1 summary

• Picking up repair node (wrench and screwdriver icon)  gives you one “repair bullet”
• Picking up a recovery node  (the bandage icon) increases your points to get to the next level
• Repair bullet now restores tiles with a definite shape
• Placed a “bullet” counter at the top of the crosshairs
• Some performance and code improvements

Try out the post-compo version here. If you still haven’t, please rate the original entry here.

Try out and rate the original game here.
Try the post-compo version here.

Since I have some free time before my next project, I decided to continue development on Complexitivity. For this post-compo version, I have added a feature that drastically changes how you play the game: The ability to restore tiles from where your crosshairs are pointing at. GASP!

I’m serious. This new addition gives the player a bit more of a fighting chance against the virus at the expense and adds to the choice the player has to make.

If you have played this game, I welcome any comments on this new addition.

Update 1.03 includes:

• You can now restore tiles at will by clicking on the left-mouse button
• Made controls more responsive
• Made jumping less floaty
• Tweaks to difficulty
• Improvements to performance and code

Try out the post-compo version here. If you still haven’t, please rate the original entry here.

Try out the game and rate it here.

The past week has been great. I managed to gather a lot of really helpful criticisms and suggestions about Complexitivity. This gave me insight of what the game’s strengths are and where it falls short.

The biggest flaw that seems to be keeping the game from being great is its low lasting appeal.

“It’s fun for awhile”

I seem to get this often just like in my previous LD attempt. I always manage to come up with a fun core mechanic but fail to sustain it for a long time. Sure there were those who enjoyed it and played it for a few times, but according to the statistics, some just played it once and then moved on.

As can be seen above, there were those who played the game a couple of times. Some were very skilled that they don’t need more than 4 tries to get the top positions.

From what I learned above, it is the high score that motivates more playthroughs.  I believe, however, that this is not enough as noThere should be something else that should hook the players.

What is my solution? I’m not sure yet. But at least I know now what to improve upon on my post-compo build.

I decided to make a gameplay video for my game, Complexitivity. Watch it here.

You can try out the game by going here.

Try out the game by going here.

To tell the truth, development on the game went surprisingly smooth and fast compared to my last LD entry. It was as if everything clicked perfectly albeit the problems that arose.  Here’s my attempt at listing what went wrong and right with Complexitivity.

What went right:

• Fun as the first priority - While art, sound and theme is important, it is the fun that sticks with the player most of the time even after they have finished playing.
• Focused on gameplay - Because of this, I was able to squeeze out the most out of the gameplay. I’ve unearthed and fixed many problems early on.
• Playtest early – Same as above. A lot of problems that needs fixing became more evident.
• Gave equal attention to aesthetics – I feel that this helped increase the mood and ambience some more.
• Jam instead of compo – This gave me a lot of time to work on the game with less pressure.
• Name change - The previous name, “ILOVEYOU Virus” lost its novelty pretty quickly. “Complexitivity” sounds more suitable to the feel of the game.
• A build for every platform - I wanted everyone to have a chance to play my game. For Linux, I tried the flash exporter which worked out great but with just a slight problem with the mouse.
• Proper sleep and enough rest – In my last jam I only slept for a few hours which left me tired and frustrated most of the time. This time around, development was fast and smooth.
• Inspiration and support – My girlfriend was there to support me the whole weekend. This gave a big boost to my morale and I was able to concentrate on my coding.

Play the game from my entry page! Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions!

I’ve finally reached a point where I was satisfied with the final build of my game after 50 hours of working on it. Sure, there is still time left before the jam deadline and there are still a lot more areas for improvement, but I feel that this final build I submitted is enough for now.

I’m really happy of how it turned out. I was able to polish the gameplay, work on art, and add sound, something that I was not able to do in my last entry.

Really learned a lot. Will be following this post with a postmortem so stay tuned for that.

Again, try out the game!

Try out the latest dev build here.

I’m doing a mad sprint to finish all my tasks in my to do list. Only one more to go then a couple of polishing!

Recently finished:

• Visual improvements ( confetti )
• More audio cues

To do list:

• Virus version (the current difficulty level)

Try out the latest dev build here.

I decided to concentrate on the sounds and music this time around. I’ve added a few new ones and tweaked the volumes and priorities of the others.

I had to stop adding too much sound effects as I did not want the player to be drowned by it. My rule of thumb was that to only add a sound effect only for feedback, when you want to let the player know that an event or something has occurred. With a fast-paced game like this, I doubt they’ll be able to notice ambient sounds if ever I add some.

Next, I’ll be working on polishing the visual aspect of the game. There are still some empty spots that can be made interesting.

Recently finished:

• Dying event
• Dying sfx
• Menu sfx
• Full restore sfx
• Made the pickup collision box bigger

To do list:

• Visual improvements
• Virus version (the current difficulty level)
• Compass (pointer to next repair node)

Try out the latest dev build here.

I decided to add more info to the HUD screen. I labeled the points accumulator and added a new indicator which tells the player how many he needs to get to the next level.

I believe that these information are essential to the game play. Not only does it serve as a counter for progress, it also gives the players a goal to reach.

Also, when the virus is upgrading, a new node will only appear after the upgrade has finished. This will give players time to breathe and it will tell them that it is the start of the next level. It’s subtle compared to having a “Next level” screen appear.

15 hours to go.

Recently finished:

• HUD Indicators
• Next level delay

To do list:

• Dying event
• Virus version (the current difficulty level)
• Compass (pointer to next repair node)

Try out the latest dev build here.

Finally came up with a better name: Complexitivity. Yes, the previous name “ILOVEYOU Virus” lost it novelty after awhile.

Oh, and one thing I really like with the new name is that the word itself is complex. Haha.

Also, I’ve managed to hook up the game with the API integration in accordance to the contest rules on their website. Not sure if it is working as intended, will leave it for now in favor of other tasks. Lots more to polish!

Recently finished:

• Name change
• Kongregate API integration

To do list:

• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• Remaining tiles left to next level
• Virus version (the current difficulty level)

Try out the latest dev build here.

I wanted to give a much clearer feedback when picking up repair nodes. Before a sound is played when it is picked up, now I’ve added a blue flash. This will be a much stronger feedback for players.

Recently finished:

• Pick-up feedback

To do list:

• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• Kongregate API integration
• More polish

Try out the latest dev build here.

The game now starts out easy and slow. But after certain points, the enemy upgrades itself, making his attacks fiercer, and the game harder.

This increasing difficulty is great as it perfect both for newbies to the game and to those who have already played it. Newbies can be able to start out easy and get familiarized with the game. Veterans can be able to start out and get some momentum as well as added challenge.

Recently finished:

• Better AI attacks after upgrade

To do list:

• Pick-up feedback
• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• Kongregate API integration
• More polish

Try out the latest dev build here.

I decided to skip past the other tasks for now and prioritize the evolving AI. If the player accumulates a certain amount of repair points, the whole map is restored causing the virus to evolve and attack with more ferocity.

The sprite below shows how the change will look.

Recently finished:

• Upgrading AI

To do list:

• Smarter AI attacks
• Pick-up feedback
• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• More polish

Try out the latest dev build here.

Good morning! Just woke up and all charged up!

I have one more day left to polish the hell out of my game. Will focus on making the experience better and if I have the time, work on making the AI evolve and make it noticeable.

To do list:

• Pick-up feedback
• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• More polish

• Evolving AI (Getting smarter as time goes by)

Try out the latest dev build here.

I’ve received a couple of comments with regards to the current mouse sensitivity being too high. I forgot that when it comes to first-person games, the mouse movement and feel is the utmost importance.

So my response is I included a settings page where you can set the mouse sensitivity and have the option to invert your mouse-y look.

Been working on this baby for two days already. Since I am joining the jam, I get to have one more day of polishing before submission. For now, sleep time.

Latest changes:

• Settings page
• Mouse sensitivity option
• Inverted mouse option

To do list:

• Pick-up feedback
• Dying event
• Highscore indicator
• More polish

• Evolving AI (Getting smarter as time goes by)