Wow, haven't been to the thread for a few days due to a lack of time, but all four new levels are great. Sarlacc Pit had me stumped for a little while but I think it's a great solution and the title is a neat clue. I loved Mini Golf - can't believe the way you took a simple proof of concept and turned it into something so clever and refined. I think it's great that you're taking inspiration from the beta testers and putting them into the game too.
Thanks! I design mechanical puzzles so it was fun trying to translate some of the concepts into a virtual model. Took a while to get it working nicely.
Not always boxes in particular, I do more interlocking designs (things that take multiple moves to take apart). But you can use some principles in both, and the level for Mekorama I made uses more interlocking stuff rather than puzzlebox-y stuff. Probably getting a bit off topic but here's a recent one of mine:
Haha, pretty much, but it's not my job It's just something I do as a hobby. I only do the design, not the manufacture; so I either get some freebies or a percentage of the sales. It's something I enjoy on the side that has a few bonuses, so yeah If this was my job with a sustainable income... now that'd be the dream
Awesome stuff, TheGreatEscaper. On topic, I still can't beat MechanizedIT's Sail Away level. I noticed that there are some weird shadows left behind on the water after the ships have moved though.
Having some experience with coding dynamic shadows is pretty hard to do. The code for Mekorama just inputs all the shadows based on where all the tiles START and don't move when they do. It's a simple fix that works for most levels and for ones where it doesn't, it's not too annoying. Also, you can't solve the level just being a square. Try rocking the boat a little.
Martin, have you considered breaking the game up into sections based on type? I just unlocked Basket Ball and I'd be 100% happy skipping it completely (I almost skipped the pinball one), but I'm now at the point where I'm stuck with only 2 electric levels and Basket Ball open to me. All three are more skill-based than puzzly. It feels like the game doesn't know what it wants to be, so maybe just split the game between puzzle and skill-based? I personally prefer the ones that require more thought than skill and would rather not have those levels locked behind something like Basket Ball. Or just make them all unlocked from the beginning? Just my 2 cents.
Thanks H4nd0fg0d, mr_bez! Cool! Beautiful box! I actually googled some mechanical puzzle blogs when looking for Mekorama level inspiration. I love when a real mechanism works in simulation too. It makes me think the opposite is also possible, to learn something from a game that's potentially useful in real life. MechanizedIT, remember when you built that Theo Jansen strandbeest in Blocksworld? Very impressive! Exactly right. Sorry for making the interior of your Puzzle Box pitch black :/ It's a good idea! And I actually had it implemented. But in the end I scrapped it because having multiple level sets made the initial impression of the app more confusing. Personally, when playing pure puzzle games I sometimes feel like I'm taking an IQ test. But when there's some action in the mix, at least I can blame my failures on something other than my own stupidity. Speaking of scrapping, Level 6: B The Aviator may be heading to the scrap heap too because everyone keeps falling off. Which one of these potential replacements is better? Or are they too finicky? (Both implement a specific idea, but differently. Both are harder than Level 6 and would be inserted a little later.)
I like the new Aviator level more than Stack Mill. Stack mill is more finicky to perform. Aviator is surprisingly easy to perform the solution, it's a nice level. Probably shouldn't be as early as level 6 though...
Haven't tried the new levels yet but I liked the original Aviator. I did fall off a few times, but I thought that was OK. It was the level which made me think, "Hey, this isn't just a game, it's a toy box!" It's also the level which inspired me to build a golf level after I sent B flying with the wheel. Edit: I actually found Stack Mill easier than the new Aviator (I couldn't get the 3x1 straight on the Aviator) but I enjoyed Aviator more. I liked that it was a two-stage puzzle, whereas Stack Mill only has one. Also, the new Aviator is better-looking. Personally, I still wouldn't remove the old Aviator though.
I can't get the 3-piece to do what I want in that new Aviator puzzle. And I was close to getting the Stack Mill, but they fell apart right before I got him to the other platform. Not a big fan of these finicky puzzles. What about having some pieces that just stick together once placed/stacked? So you can have these puzzles without people worrying about it falling apart? I like the idea of this game a lot, but often the looseness of it all turns me off. It's too easy to make things (including the robot) go flying where you don't want them.
When building a level, is there a way to set which direction the puzzle faces when you open it? I've built a level but when it starts you're looking at the "back" of the puzzle.
mr_bez the direction is set from the way the editor opens at the beginning. It's a bit annoying I know. I suppose Martin could add an 'orientation' setting when saving a level? Just four buttons you can toggle between to select which side of the level is the front maybe? Got a new level done with some more puzzleboxy elements. It's a fairly simple one but hopefully it's fun and has a whimsical shape
