Universal Does Not Commute (by Mediocre AB)

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by PeteOzzy, Apr 22, 2015.

  1. Mediocre Henrik

    Mediocre Henrik Active Member

    Sep 6, 2013
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    Malmö
    Sorry no multiplayer :( We talked about it but haven't found a good way to do it..
     
  2. Zero Ehxe

    Zero Ehxe Active Member

    Sep 16, 2014
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    #102 Zero Ehxe, Apr 27, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2015
    To Appletini: I like a lot of what you've said.

    Unrelated notes: I don't see a multiplayer mode fitting in, unless there was some odd, asynchronous thing where you had each other's cars as obstacles. But I'm not usually into multiplayer on small scale.

    Something about seeing other player's "ghosts" could be interesting, but would be even more work than anything else suggested.

    To me this game started out as half-mindless entertainment but around stage 4 you see what the game is really about and that your first impression was wrong; it's going to be a strategic grind (the best kind) to get the time high enough to complete the final level. I think that indicates how people become divided on the game around that time depending on their expectations.

    I like that it is a puzzle and don't see pre-built levels having any appeal otherwise, but would like to see a way to just have mindless fun with it also.

    Just being a couple of guys who might not be able to pull off a random endless mode is no excuse to not try, it's a challenge from your fans that will make you even better once you manage to accomplish it. I say that in the most supportive and kind way such challenge can be issued. I've already given my money and encouraged others to do so as a sign of our confidence in you.

    Lastly an idea. I see for future puzzle sections instead of adding on to the end, adding sub levels. Tier A, which we are familiar with, had 8 levels and the time is additive from stages 1-8. If you get stuck you have to go back and play the same things again to improve. Tiers B, C, D etc all have new times set at their first stage which means you can play another tier when you feel stuck or frustrated with your current tier. Tiers wouldn't need more than 3 or 4 stages and adding such small additions every month or so could keep people coming back with little work on the developer's part.

    In a tiered system the difficulty could be set by the amount of starting time offered at the first stage of the tier. Of course having a local or game center leaderboard would help encourage seeking scores.
     
  3. Zero Ehxe

    Zero Ehxe Active Member

    Sep 16, 2014
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    #103 Zero Ehxe, Apr 28, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2015
    A gimmicky pick-up-and-play game that would fit in the category of "mindless stuff to do in a waiting room for a few minutes" with other quality offerings such as Boost 2 and Jetpack Joyride. At 99 cents or so it still would have been worth a purchase, at least in my individual vote.
     
  4. klink

    klink 👮 Spam Police 🚓

    Jul 22, 2013
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    USA
    I'm amazed that a two man team could make such a polished high quality game. I'm personally not a huge fan of randomized games since it removes the crafting element of the game levels. Of course there's exceptions like FTL. The main take away I get from people's comments is need more content. Which is a good dilemma to have. #
     
  5. dreams

    dreams Member

    Apr 22, 2015
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    A very cool, strategic concept. Lots of fun. :)
     
  6. Zero Ehxe

    Zero Ehxe Active Member

    Sep 16, 2014
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    ##### Touch Arcade review
    Well deserved congratulations!
     
  7. Anotherkellydown

    Anotherkellydown Moderator
    Staff Member Patreon Bronze

    [​IMG]

    [thread=260161][​IMG][/thread] [thread=259990][​IMG][/thread] [thread=260091][​IMG][/thread] [thread=260071][​IMG][/thread] [thread=260156][​IMG][/thread][thread=260068][​IMG][/thread]

    Does Not Commute

    [​IMG]

    Is one of the nominees for

    Touch Arcade Forums' Game Of The Week

    April 23rd, 2015

    VOTE HERE

    Developers, publishers and/or affiliates cannot vote for their own game!

    Credit to Andy C83 for GotW logo
     
  8. Moocow

    Moocow Well-Known Member

    Dec 5, 2014
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    #108 Moocow, May 2, 2015
    Last edited: May 2, 2015
    Hilarious gameplay, excellent music, but crap this game is REALLY REALLY hard, downright one of the hardest iOS games I've ever played. It's one of those games that makes you want to smash your phone. You can't control the speed of the cars and most of them are recklessly fast, making it extremely difficult or downright impossible to swerve and avoid other cars or tight corners. I'm sure it'll get REALLY frustrating if you don't buy the savepoint IAP, I mean restarting all the way from the beginning if you mess up on final level?? I'm having trouble even beating the second stage o_O.
     
  9. macplash

    macplash Well-Known Member

    Apr 17, 2014
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    3D artist
    Munich, Germany
    To control your cars easier there are multiple boosters you'll find and unlock in first couple of stages. There's "traction control" which makes you control your car significantly easier, you'll get it first I think, probably in first stage after tutorial, maybe second. Than there's "turbo" which increases speed of some of your slower vehicles (like ice cream truck etc) and finally, there's "practice" button unlocked in map 3 (stage 4 if you include the tutorial stage), which is pretty much dealbreaker, because it allows you to make unlimited practice runs with any vehicle, so you can plan your route very carefully and get familiar with each vehicle before it matters. So, I suggest you to keep trying and do anything you can to get the practice option. After that, everything is easier and more fun (at least for me). And btw, paying for savepoints is pretty much mandatory if you like the game, so support the developer and enjoy the game even more without any frustration from constant failure in later stages. I highly recommend to do so, it's just a 2 bucks and you won't regret it. Have fun!
     
  10. Echoseven

    Echoseven Moderator
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze

    Jul 19, 2011
    6,091
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    The red Skittle
    Howdy guys!

    For those still playing this game, or simply if you're interested - I have posted several day-by-day updates on the stories of each driver. If you never made it to the end, but are curious to see what happens - check it out (spoiler warning, obviously).

    Still to come tomorrow night is a big summary with each individual story wrapped up.

    http://knightofsnow.com/blog/does-not-commute-story
     
  11. Queues

    Queues Member

    I really didn't enjoy this game, sorry, I loved the concept but it all got a bit tedious...if you could see all the cars you'd drive on a map and choose which car to drive first might make the strategy more interssting? not sure, really wanted to like this one...
     
  12. Rudi

    Rudi Well-Known Member

    Mar 3, 2009
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    This is Crazy Taxi. The same Basic Idea, but I like it.
     
  13. guzzla

    guzzla Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    May 12, 2015
    162
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    Absolute gem

    I really hope there are more levels in the works for this one. I loved the chaos created by each of your routes, and the way it made the level play differently each time through. Level design is fantastic and the aforementioned chaos encourages creativity as you seek a way to avoid that main thoroughfare late in the level. Car upgrade use must be well planned, and even though it doesn't seem like much those 1 second penalties really add up. I had 79 ticks left when I reached the last level. Figured it would be a breeze. Nope, after about 30 tries I got through as the clock struck zero. I can't imagine having to do the whole game each time for those who haven't forked over the 2 bucks. I know there is practice mode, but I found it takes the chaos and thus the tactical fun out of the game for me so I avoided it. Great job on this one.
     
  14. FBI Light Rock

    FBI Light Rock Well-Known Member

    Apr 2, 2013
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    #114 FBI Light Rock, May 22, 2015
    Last edited: May 22, 2015
    This game is so much more than Mediocre!

    It has a lot of character, brought out by the storyline of the various characters, couple of which who simply come and go, while otherside recur frequently. I have no idea why, but I loved following the story of the advertiser Mr Baker.


    Speak of gameplay, there is a rather strong replayability value, from the fact that you can continually find new and better possibilities for each car. It was interesting to see someone else's routes online, which then sparked off a change in my routes. Over time, you will also adjust your routes once you play more, or when you find new hidden time coins. However, I would agree Endless Mode, just like Smash Hit would amp things up a lot more, especially in terms of replayability value. Oh, need I not mention that the music is classy!


    Has anyone tried to Turbo EVERY possible car? I myself is doing that and honestly, it was a frustrating time when the less traction makes it so hard to precisely maneuver the cars! I'm getting the hang of it though. Now Turbo-ed through to just the last level left! Which is why I do see the replayability value see a dip after that's done...


    What's the high score you guys are having now? I'm still working on mine, as of checkpoint 7 it's currently 367.

    Are chrisfrh, Rafat4l & itzmewolfman (especially this guy) lurking around here now? You guys are crazy good! Need some tips from these guys on how to improve!
     
  15. guzzla

    guzzla Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    May 12, 2015
    162
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    You are a pro man. I played through the game once and never had a time of greater than 110. You had 367 seconds left at checkpoint 7? Holy cow! I will probably play again at some point but I had to move on to other stuff, so many things to play right now.
     
  16. FiloMJ

    FiloMJ Well-Known Member

    May 16, 2015
    1,407
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    Male
    Just bought premium.

    I think that mediocre really doesn't miss a hit.

    My only doubt is about the length of the game, but quality is out of question.
     

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