Universal Sine Mora (by Digital Reality)

Wrong.

Improving my skill will not make me like the concept any more. You WILL get hit in this game no matter what and the controls do not help in this matter whatsoever. Power-ups will be lost and chasing them down will happen. FACT. If it happens one time per round or five or ten doesn't change the fact that it's obnoxious. Did you not hear me say that I pass the boards and barely get hit but still don't like the concept?

I'm not asking the developer to change a thing. I was looking forward to the update that he said he was going to do, but I never REQUESTED anything, so you need to stop assuming that just because I have issues with the game that I am knocking on the dev's virtual doorstep and asking him to kowtow to my needs. It's getting tiresome that just because someone makes some remarks that go against the grain that the iOS Sine Mora Defense Squad gets their panties in a bunch. Knock it off.

Now off to sleep. You let that stew, my friend.

 

You should probably read your posts again if that's how you think you've been presenting them. If you're not willing to back up the claims you make, then don't make them in the first place; it's a pretty simple concept.

Wholly and demonstrably untrue; if you're getting hit "no matter what", it means your skill is lacking. There's no debate to be had on the matter.

If even one person is able to make it through the waves of bullets and missiles and finish a level unscathed (and a great deal more than one person has achieved this feat), but you are unable to do so and thus spend "so much time chasing power ups", then yes, unfortunately that kind of does mean that you "suck at the game".

You'd have a point about poor or flawed design if the bullet patterns or sizes meant that it was literally impossible for anybody to pass through a level without being getting hit (even just the once, let alone repeatedly), but that's demonstrably not the case, not on iOS nor on the game's other platforms.

In this game you're even given the ability to slow down time to help you dodge incoming fire, something you don't have in most other games in the genre. It seems there are more than a few people blaming every aspect of the game for their inability to succeed, and very few willing to acknowledge that maybe they're just not as good as they'd like to think they are.

 

For the THIRD time, I am 'succeeding' just fine. I don't like the concept of the powerups being lost due to being hit. What are you not getting?

 

Wrong. I was holding off due to reports of the controls, because of the small screen size, because it was a port, etc,. I listed many reasons why I was holding off. It wasn't going to STOP me from eventually buying the game and trying, as it was something that was appealing in terms of appearance and it is my favorite genre. It is also hard to judge how the game will play until you have it in your hands.

I was aware of the time slowing concept. That isn't what is bothering me; it's losing powerups by being hit and having to chase them. And yes, I think I've made my points pretty clear what I am complaining about. My posts were polite. That should have been enough.

 

Well, I get hit a lot, and I'll go out on a limb and say that not very many people can play this game without getting hit quite frequently.

Sure, some will be able to breeze through the game with minimal damage, but I bet they aren't the majority of players.

When I play this game I feel like I'm constantly fighting with a pea shooter, when I do get decent weapons I hit an invisible wall, get hit by a missile I couldn't see, can't dodge and weave as I usually would be able to out of a dense bullet pattern due to a large hitbox, small bullets and inadequate controls, (not just talking about the iOS port), and I'm left with a peashooter again.

Most often that forces me to play the stage over and over.

That's my experience with the game. Why am I not allowed to express this without being called crap at the game?

I bought the game on iOS despite the fact that I felt this way, just to support future ports in the genre and the port itself is great.

The game itself is not.
Just my opinion.

Dudette...

 

Again, exactly right.

You never hold onto any significant advantage with your weapons in this game and because of this you go back and forth, trying to regain and then maintain, coupled with forces that are simply out of your control.

And like I said, even if you WERE able to make it through the game and NEVER get hit, the concept of losing firepower by being hit by bullets is obnoxious. You WILL eventually get hit. PERIOD.

It has noting to do with being able to 'progress' further. It has to do with FUN.

With that, I'm getting some sleep. Be back to argue later.

 

Yikes, I know I made some forceful posts last night that maybe added some fuel to the fire here. But there are really just two points - everyone has their own opinion on what games (shmup or not) they like and IMO controls are tied entirely to the game's build. Just like they don't work in Syder Arcade or, at least in a normal fashion, Space Tripper, I just don't think 1:1 RT works in this game due to its design. I love RT in all the Cave games, Sunny Tam's games, Darius Burst, etc. But IMHO, I just think it doesn't quite feel right in Sine Mora.

BUT that's is just my opinion and I'm glad the devs at least gave users an option. More control options is always a great thing.

So, while I personally think Sine Mora is the most fun I've had with a shmup (yes, even compared to Cave, etc.), I can agree that's clearly not for everyone.

Now, can't we all just get along!

 

Doesn't sound like succeeding to me. Given the number of times you've posted about being repeatedly and unavoidably hit and losing your powerups, and how worked up you're getting over it, it rather sounds like you're actually having significant trouble with the game.

Getting hit and losing your powerups is not an inevitability in this game, end of story, and there are multiple videos online to that effect. If you're getting hit then by definition you are failing, not succeeding.

As I said earlier, if this were a case where nobody could pass through that section without being hit, that would be an issue, but there's no part of the game that fits this description. All I'm seeing here is that you're finding the game too difficult for you personally, which isn't something to get up in arms about; it's just a game, after all, and people have different skill levels. I'm not entirely sure why people who are struggling are overreacting to having this pointed out to them, as though they're surprised at not seeing a wave of support pointing accusing fingers at the developers instead.

Well, you were the one who first suggested that maybe you just sucked at the game, if you'll recall.

Your experience is that, in this shoot-em-up game, you keep getting hit by bullets and missiles and losing your powerups, which is completely avoidable and exactly what shouldn't be happening in a shoot-em-up. Going by your own admission and the inherent design of the game, you're currently not doing very well at it. How exactly is it a problem to point this out? How should we describe your play? It's not a personal attack to say you're struggling when you yourself have said as much, and shouldn't be taken as such.

If somebody playing the celebrated Addams Family pinball table kept losing the ball in the first ten seconds of play, we could quite legitimately say they "sucked at the game"; we certainly wouldn't be calling them Tommy. It'd be in poor taste to simply start accusing the developers of having created a poorly-designed table without first examining the player.

 

Appletini, post a video of you playing where you get to the end of the game and never get hit or lose a power up.

 

Well well.

While people moaned to no end about controls...I just completed the 'alternate timeline' story mode

Let me say it...it was an incredibly AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!!!

WOW at the story twists!!!!
Just....WOW.
What a (true) ending!!!!!!

Incidentally, I just noticed I'm second in the world ladders too, surpassed only by a certain Cedric Cecile or something like that.
I know where I could improve my score (last stages I cruised just to see the ending) but honestly I do not care.

I'll try the arcade (hard) mode now...this game is utterly fantastic imho.
So tense!!!
So gorgeous!!!

I'm really hoping they are making a sequel, a prequel, something else in the same vein...ASAP.
I need more.

For the curious, I'm now using the mirrored RT controls alternating with the floating joystick when I need more precision (like in the Domus).

Having completed the game before and after the update, I can say not only they smoothed framerate, they added soooooooooooo many new effects it's incredible.
I really can't wait what they have in store next.

The only thing I would add to the game now is Gamecenter achievements and ladders.

 

Prove it.

 

Agreed.

 

Its more than a little ironic that the main three points of contention that people have with the game (controls not being "immediate", screen layout, losing power ups at hits) are three of the fundamental design aspects (along with time manipulation aspect and super high end graphics) that actually distinguish it from every other "bullet hell"/"euro"/"whatever shooter out there.

It seems that most want to turn it into another generic Cave type of game whereas the developer made fundamental design choices that give the game a very unique USP and that in reality cannot be changed without completely altering the character and nature of the game itself.

Its really as simple as a developer making an effort to try and bring some unique and different aspects to a particular genre that actually needs some form of refresh.

I think those that want it to be more like a Cave shooter should just really buy another Cave shooter and there you go, your needs are satisfied.

For those that want something unique that brings new elements and challenges to a somewhat stagnant genre, this fits that bill.

If the unique elements are not to your liking, well this just isn't the game for you, delete it and move on because they won't be changed. The screen aspect ratio for example simply cannot be changed, as the developer has already said on here. Whereas, the loss of power ups or "immediate" rt controls would just totally change the basic design to the extent that it'd just be generic.
If that's what you're looking for, Cave caters for that. And caters for it very well indeed.

I, for one, prefer something that's just a little bit different and unique. And dare I say it, innovative enough to actually applaud the developer for trying to bring something new and fresh.

Edit: note, this is not anti Cave by any means. Cave do a truly excellent job at what they do. I'm merely using them as an example of standard bullet hell/schmup game types. And only using Cave because they stand as the standard of excellence for that genre.

 

+ 1 (and I still like my Cave shooters too)

 

I will be the first to say that the 'uniqueness' I saw in this game was exactly what drew me to it. The graphics and environments are outstanding. Getting the game in my hands and playing it? Well, that is a different story entirely.

I also don't feel that losing power-ups is what gives this game distinction. It's not a new process really, but it's one that never fails to annoy me. Funny, that's been my point the entire time. How it got turned into a discussion about 'ability' is beyond me.

I'll await the video of your perfect run, Appletini, the one that demonstrates you never getting hit by one bullet from the beginning until the end.

 

You lost me there at the +0. LOL.