Feedback Requested: Lost Drops

[arne]

starts fine, but I can't walk - right/left arrow keys simply seem not to work, but jump and shoot does and up, down also (tested that on the menu)

Linux, jdk 1.5, german keyboard

how do you do that with the keys exactly? I'm just wondering, because on a german keyboard y and z are switched relative to an english one and the positions of the keys for shoot and jump seem to be location-bound and not character-bound, because they are still located next to each other. (A fine thing ofcourse)

Here's the log from the Java Console (only the input specific stuff):

JInput plugins: net.java.games.input.LinuxEnvironmentPlugin
Found 3 controllers.
Found controller: type: buttons, name: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
JInput plugins: net.java.games.input.LinuxEnvironmentPlugin
Found 3 controllers.
Found controller: type: buttons, name: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard

[Jamison]

TheAnalogKid,

Okay, I activated it. But where is the error log?

[TheAnalogKid]

Look for a file named javaws.log in a subfolder of the logged user in Documents and Settings.

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[Jamison]

I found two log files. javaws.log and javaws.log.1

javaws.log

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE log SYSTEM "logger.dtd">
<log>
</log>

javaws.log.1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE log SYSTEM "logger.dtd">
<log>
<record>
  <date>2006-03-30T14:55:34</date>
  <millis>1143752134494</millis>
  <sequence>0</sequence>
  <logger>com.sun.deploy</logger>
  <level>FINE</level>
  <class>com.sun.deploy.util.LoggerTraceListener</class>
  <method>print</method>
  <thread>10</thread>
  <message>Selecting best display mode for 800x600x32 max 85 hertz
</message>
</record>
<record>
  <date>2006-03-30T14:55:34</date>
  <millis>1143752134504</millis>
  <sequence>1</sequence>
  <logger>com.sun.deploy</logger>
  <level>FINE</level>
  <class>com.sun.deploy.util.LoggerTraceListener</class>
  <method>print</method>
  <thread>10</thread>
  <message>Selected display mode: 800x600x32 85 hertz
</message>
</record>
<record>
  <date>2006-03-30T14:55:40</date>
  <millis>1143752140713</millis>
  <sequence>2</sequence>
  <logger>com.sun.deploy</logger>
  <level>FINE</level>
  <class>com.sun.deploy.util.LoggerTraceListener</class>
  <method>print</method>
  <thread>10</thread>
  <message>Timer Resolution: 1193182
</message>
</record>
<record>
  <date>2006-03-30T14:55:47</date>
  <millis>1143752147643</millis>
  <sequence>4</sequence>
  <logger>com.sun.deploy</logger>
  <level>FINE</level>
  <class>com.sun.deploy.util.LoggerTraceListener</class>
  <method>print</method>
  <thread>10</thread>
  <message>Mar 30, 2006 2:55:47 PM game2d.GameStateHandler freeResources
INFO: GameState object resources have been freed.
</message>
</record>
</log>

According to javaws.log.1, your screen resolution is set to 800x600x32. I think I have problems with 32 bit color mode in fullscreen.

[TheAnalogKid]

Hum...there's no error message about the error. Too bad! At least you'll be able to play the new version soon in window mode. Anybody else had this problem?

Thanks for testing.

[kappa]

jumping does not work as it should on linux, the timed jumps that is, if you hold the button first jump is always small then second jump is big jump, not tried it on windows yet but i think it should be more mario style where the longer you hold button higher character jumps.

[TheAnalogKid]

As already said, the Linux and Mac versions haven't been tested yet and I don't have time to focus on these platforms for now. If you try the windows version I think you'll conclude that the jump behavior is really kind of mario style.

[erikd]

Really nice platformer. Everything moves silky smooth. I really enjoyed the game play too.
The player sprite is nicely animated (although maybe you could animate his hair as nicely as the rest too )
One minor problem: I turned off music, but while I was playing, the music turned itself up again.
Maybe you could also give players a little bit of feedback about what to do in the first level. Most people (including me) don't want to read how to play so it wasn't immediately clear to me that you had to return those water bubbles to the trees. I even thought there was a bug when I couldn't get any more bubbles. You could display a little text message in those cases that you have to return your bubbles to the trees.

Good work!

[TheAnalogKid]

Thanks Eric for testing and the feedback too! I didn't realize that the game instructions aren't clear enough. I'll enhance that.

[erikd]

It's not that they're not clear, it's just that nobody reads them. At least I didn't 
I think the reported problem about failing collision detection may also come from not reading the instructions.
Explaining while playing the first level is probably much better.

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[steveyO]

Very nice indeed... Ran v smoothly (got up to level 2 no exceptions).. Loved the background graphics too...Good'one.

[TheAnalogKid]

Thanks steveyO.

erikd, I think I'm going to implement dynamic game instructions as you suggested. For example when the hero collects his first drop then a translucent popup non-blocking window will tell the player what to do with it (return it to a water tree leaf). What do you think?

[erikd]

Sounds good. Maybe it's also nice if the text was in a comic book style balloon, you know, like the player sprite thinks "Let's return this drop to a water tree". Maybe that would fit nice with the comic book style graphics. 

[TheAnalogKid]

yes,

nice idea. I'll consider it later.

Thanks