Hello all!

Today is the time for me to present you my current game project. I would have present it sooner but I was too busy with work. So, it's a puzzle-action game based on Tetris but is much different than that, so don't think it's just another Tetris clone  . Anyway, here is the game context:

You're a builder and your job is to build the structure as shown
by the plan to your left. To succeed, you must put the falling
pieces using various tools with your mouse. Each piece cost you
money and that's why you have a budget, indicated to your right.

Keyboard Controls:
1: Select the stick tool.
2: Select the cutter tool.

Mouse Controls:
stick tool  : Push left or right the falling piece. Click left or right button to rotate the falling piece.
cutter tool: Click left button to select one or more piece blocks to move them elsewhere in the structure.
                 Click right button to cancel the block selection.
            
Other Keyboard Controls:
a: Drop the falling piece.
z: Accelerate the falling piece.


The game is supported only for windows for now but I'll support Linux and OS X too a bit later. Sorry for non-windows users, this is temporary. I made the graphics myself by modifying images with various Photoshop functions. Some of the images are totally made in Photoshop. There's no sound for now but it'll come some day.

What I'd like to know from you:
- is the game working correctly?
- how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?
- you're detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
- any bug you may encounter

The game is hosted on my gave development web site.

Here is the link of the game: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin/incredibuilder/game.jnlp

My web site: http://freewebs.com/jeromeblouin

There's also a development blog on the game progress, screenshots, and a page about the games I've developed. Feel free to add you're comments to the blog or write them here.

Thanks!

Hi gouessej,

as I said, the windows only version IS a temporary solution. Again, sorry for this. I'll provide an OS X and Linux version as soon as possible. Probably tonight. The issue though is that I'm not able to test it on these OSes. And please, don't take it as an insult. It was never intended that way. We, as casual game developers, have our lives right?

- is the game working correctly?
yep

- how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?
its pretty slow and boring right now, doesnt seem to be much of a challenge

- you're detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
winxp java 1.6 7600gt

- any bug you may encounter
any way to get back to the instructions? - i tryed esc but that quit it  it seems you can place blocks on top of each other, is that a bug?

graphics are quite pretty

Is the game working correctly? how do you find the game, fun or not? What do you think?

I didn't play much (I don't like puzzle games) but it seemed a very interesting take on Tetris. I liked the mouse pushing of blocks but had to use Z to push them down faster. How about you can push blocks down using mouse?

I think I should have won here but didn't:



- you're detailed hardware, OS version and Java version
Geforce 8800GTS, Intel Q6600, Windows XP, Java6 early access build 14

OK, I've uploaded a new version that supports Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. I now use the slick java webstart extension. Please give it a try everybody.

I forgot to particularly thanks all the Slick contributors and particularly Kevin Glass for it's great dedication!

g666, I've changed the falling piece delay to make it faster. I hope it's going to be more challenging...

irreversible_kev, thanks for your comments and bug report. I agree with you that using the mouse the drop the falling piece would be great. It's just that I wasn't sure. I was more thinking about replacing the A and Z keys with icons that the player would click. These icons would be located just below the next piece windows. About the bug you reported, I've haven't been able to reproduce it tonight. Could you try to reproduce it and give me details about what happened please?

Ok for Mandriva Linux 2007. I will add it into the Java Game Tome as soon as possible.

But my desktop is often covered by small straight lines when I use a game in LWJGL. I think I already spoke about this in the past, princec and bleb know a workaround.

Thanks Demonpants! About rotating the blocks, do you mean when you have cut them with the cutter tool? Otherwise you can rotate the falling piece using right and left mouse button.

gouessej, I guess that's a good idea. Could you provide me the link to Java Game Tome because I don't know what that is. Thanks!

princec, first, thanks for you comments. Have you read the game instructions when the game started? This is really important to understand how to play the game. And I'm sure that aspect needs significant improvements. A kind of tutorial would improve a lot I guess. I'm convinced that if players take the time to learn how to play the game in an easy and fun way then I'll win the battle. The art of convincing people is really crucial in this type of game since it doesn't play at all like tetris but it seems to be tetris at first. About the control scheme I mostly agree with you. I know that there's too many keys to handle for a casual game. But the right mouse button? I think these days very most users are used to use it. It's so commonly used in Windows, applications and other OSes. Getting rid of the falling piece and rotation? Why? What's the problem with creating a game based on a popular one like tetris? Again, I'm pretty sure that it's all in the art of convincing people. A good real case about a radical tetris variation that had a big success is Tetris DS - there's a lot of new game modes never seen before. I read lots and lots of very positive reviews, both from professional and amateur reviews.

Thanks Kev!

Well, this is not really feasible simply because I plan to introduce other tools in the game like a hammer and a hand. The hammer would break one block at a time. The hand would be used to move an entire piece that's part of the construction.

Yes I agree that would be great. Do you mean pushing the block down the screen to drop it or accelerate it?

Yeah, I know. I'm designing it in my head and will significantly improve it sooner than later.  If you have any suggestion, I'm all open...

Yes, it's just early days. It's going to completely change with a complete presentation and menu screen.

I do need that screen size to allow other game play mechanics to come...

Interesting point of view. I understand what you say. The thing is that I want to express the idea of having tension to build the structure. Not taking your time. That's where comes the idea of reusing some tetris game mechanics. Yes, having a limited time is definitely a good idea. Actually that's what I planned to add to the game in the next version.

For the right mouse button issue, yes it's very unfortunate that I must not use it. I couldn't figure out why Apple doesn't like that  Or maybe it's just a cultural thing?

Another point, do you like the idea of having a budget to build the structure?

Personally I'm not a great fan of budgets that I'd have to keep track of in realtime. That is, spending money when there's a timer ticking down is basically "hard" - I find it impossible to make strategical decisions because I have to do a subtraction in my head while dealing with the other task at hand and my tiny brain can't cope. But budgets are extra good in shops, for buying special powers and upgrades that you might be able to click on to use...

Cas

what about icons floating besides the tile?

TheAnalogKid, those sound like good changes. How about for the other tools, if you hold the space bar (or maybe the mouse left click), a "pie chart" menu appears around your cursor, and you move the mouse to a nearby section and release for the appropriate tool. If you do that, it seems intuitive and I can't see it taking more than half a second or so to switch tools. As long as you're only using one keyboard button, that shouldn't be a big deal.

Why not forget about clicking icons. Spacebar toggles tool. Simple, no ?

Well it shouldn't be too hard to try both, should it? 

I was thinking the holding option would be nice because it would allow you to release it immediately if you didn't mean to press it. If you must select a tool before it goes away, then that might create a moment of confusion.

Hello, I've uploaded a new version that contains improved controls. No more right mouse button, you use only the left button to rotate the falling piece and you hold space bar while selecting the tool you want. Once selected release space bar. Also, there's a new button to the left to drop the falling piece and you can accelerate the piece by pushing it down with the stick tool. I didn't implemented the double click to drop the piece as I wanted to do in the first place but the new double click feature in slick causes to many issues in my game. I'll see how it evolves in slick forums... Also, there's no more undo function on the cutter tool to deselect the selected blocks. If you made a mistake in your selection then you simply put the selected blocks at their initial place.

Some small graphics changes were done. I would have liked to implement a tutorial but I didn't have time and it takes a significant amount of time to implement.

Please play the game and tell me what you think.

Next planned step:
- Game presentation and menu.
- some sounds and maybe music
- tutorial, if I have enough time