I've tried to love the "Cow in a Mine" game, but something's putting me off.
-=-=-
"Character wandering a maze full of crates" sure does feel awfully samey.
Even with pickaxes, powerups and a plasma rifle, the game just felt like the sort of games I made ... Last month!!!
So, how to "not" replicate an RPG, whilst still retaining the powerups and warping.
How about turning it into a Platformer.
Now I've got a cow with a pickaxe and a plasma rifle, and .. If we're honest, we could probably do away with the pickaxe, and blast away the boxes.
Like in Michael Fernie's original idea, we can have the Plasma Rifle upgradable from 1-9, and I can order the boxes so the higher level ones are towards the bottom of the pile.
Remove all the boxes in a pile, and we can unveil the powerups below.
Now we're feeling a little less like the previous month's games, and a bit more arcade-like in the way that the game plays.
I think this might be the right sort of direction to take the game.
As always, thoughts in the comments or the Discord!
Meanwhile...
The functionality of the Asset Library in JSE is now complete, but I really don't like the layout.
When I started putting it together, I had a more descriptive set of tiles in my head, but as I went through the giant list of sprites, the descriptions got way too specific to the point where I have things like
"Object/Keys/1 single key sprite"
When in fact, if I consider that the single key sprite is recognisably a Manic Miner key, I should probably put that sprite into the Manic Miner Spriteset..
.. Instead of having a single sprite randomly nowhere.
So, excuse me for a couple more days, whilst I reconstruct my set of assets once more!
[verse]
Take the game and turn it round,
From maze to platform engine.
It doesn't matter which way up,
The cow continues hunting.
Down the mineshaft, up the blocks,
Every way that's great.
Blast away the evil crooks,
Who try to steal your crates.
[break]
[chorus]
Boom, Boom, Boom goes your epic gun, blastin'.
Running deep in the mines with an axe at his side.
Moo, Moo, Moo, screams the cow as he feeds,
On the grass in the middle of the deep dark mine.
[Verse 2]
Watch out now, the floor is weak,
A single step and down you go.
Lava bubbles, spikes await,
Better keep your hoofs in tow.
Digging deeper, treasures gleam,
Golden crates are calling.
Jump and climb and dodge and weave,
The blocks around are falling!
[chorus]
Boom, Boom, Boom goes your epic gun, blastin'.
Running deep in the mines with an axe at his side.
Moo, Moo, Moo, screams the cow as he feeds,
On the grass in the middle of the deep dark mine.
[break]
[bridge]
It's a cow with a pickaxe, underground in a mine.
Coloured blocks to destroy with his bright laser blaster.
Shooting all around at the creatures that'd kill him,
If he didn't have a gun, and he wasn't really willing.
[chorus]
Boom, Boom, Boom goes your epic gun, blastin'.
Running deep in the mines with an axe at his side.
Moo, Moo, Moo, screams the cow as he feeds,
On the grass in the middle of the deep dark mine.
[break]
[Breakdown (slower, intense buildup)]
Left hoof, right hoof, jump real high!
Blast those creeps right in the eye!
Pickaxe swings, the tunnel’s wide,
Find the grass, then step inside!
[break]
[Final Chorus (double tempo, big finish!)]
Boom, Boom, Boom goes your epic gun, blastin'.
Running deep in the mines with an axe at his side.
Moo, Moo, Moo, screams the cow as he feeds,
On the grass in the middle of the deep dark mine.
[outro]
But is it really grass?
Or just some hardy moss.
If it doesn't taste bad,
It'll probably do.
The cow's hungry.
It'll be fine.
[Dave sits at his desk with technical drawing paper, while Greenie holds his phone with the valve photos]
Dave: Right, time to immortalise the Effervescent Engine for posterity!
Green: And actually document it properly this time?
Dave: Absolutely! Read me the readings from Fizzy Thing #7.
Green: You mean the "Supreme Fizz Commander"?
Dave: No, that's the other one. Fizzy Thing 7 is the one with the Cybersoft™ trademark slightly wonky. Did you not capture the name labels?
[Lady Computer flashes a correct technical diagram on screen]
Dave: Not helping, Lady Computer! This needs to be exact work!
Green: Maybe I should take more pics. You took some of these, didn't you?
Dave: Don't blame me, you kept running in and out.
[Dave draws elaborate swirls on the paper]
Green: That's not how technical drawings work.
Dave: It needs personality! Can't have future Effervescent Engines looking dull and boring.
Green: As long as they work.
Dave: They'll work, don't worry.
Green: And .. not explode.
[Dave adds more decorative flourishes]
Green: ... And not explode.
Dave: They won't explode, silly Greenie. And if they do, they'll clean up after themselves.
Green: The patent office probably needs a little more assurance than that.
Dave: Fine. What's the reading for the "Ultimate Fizz Dominator"?
Green: According to your blurry photography... either 3.7 or 8.7.
Dave: Let's go with 8.7. Sounds more impressive!
Green: Dave...
Dave: What? The patent office loves big numbers!
[Lady Computer displays "DANGER" in fizzy bubbles]
Dave: Everyone's a critic! Pass me another Coke, will you?
Green: Maybe we should start over? With actual measurements?
Dave: Nah, just need more decorative borders. And maybe some cola stains for authenticity!
Green: This is meant to be an official document, Dave. It's important to get these things accurate, and perfect, and detailed and not messed up with coke stains!
Dave: So. Coffee, then?
[Scene Two]
Int. Dave's Living Room - Afternoon
[Dave now has multiple technical drawings spread across the floor, most with cola rings on them]
Dave: Look, the stains make perfect pressure indicators!
Green: They really don't.
Dave: And here's where I've drawn the fizz flow dynamics...
Green:.. You've just doodled "Cybersoft" in bubble letters.
Dave: It's artistic documentation!
Dave: This is going to revolutionise computing! Once I explain how the Colanary system works...
Green: You haven't explained it yet?
Dave: Details! The patent office loves mystery. Keeps things exciting!
Green: Pretty sure they prefer actual specifications.
Dave: Specifications are just suggestions with numbers attached.
[Dave starts attaching cola labels to the drawings]
Green: Now what are you doing?
Dave: Adding brand recognition!
Green: You can't do that!
Dave: Why not?
Green: Because it's meant to be YOUR patent!
Dave: Oh yeah... Maybe just one more cola stain then?
[Lady Computer displays a perfect patent application template]
Dave: Just a little more fizz.
Green: Is that your answer to everything?
Dave: Usually works! Fizz For the Win!
[End Credits]
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