I've uploaded a new build to the web-server (version 0.3 build 1). What's new: 1) Reworked controls and physics. Should be quite a bit easier to control, especially on iphone. No alternative controls at the moment, will add it later, I need to focus on my intended controls, but I will implement alternative controls at some point, promise! 2) Reworked terrain (again!), tuned colors and added some trees. 3) New stylish tail (ragdoll). Please check it out if you have the time! Also, I'm looking for more testers, just drop me an email at [email protected]! Thanks, Johan
well, i'm sad to say that in this version i'm really struggling with the controls. It feels 0.2 had better control. Here for starters you made the thumbs go apart to pick up speed, when it was "push inwards" to speed up in 0.2. It's really hard to control in 0.3 while pushing your thumbs as far apart as possible while trying to turn / pitch. Every time i tried to glide downward or perform some maneuver between rcks or almost touch the ground and lift up again, i crashed unceremoniously and without fail.
No, it doesnt work like that! Maybe I described it wrong? There is only one speed setting! But if you push thumbs together (quite a bit), the bird will stop flapping, and even further together, the wing will turn and air brake the bird. It was too complicated the old system, I think. Now it's simpler because there is only one flapping speed! So you never have pull the thumbs apart! If you had problems with the bird suddenly stopping to flap, then there would be a problem, but the threshold is pretty big so it shouldnt happen by accident (but it might of course, that why we test!
i don't know what you mean. The game starts and the bird floats down if i do nothing. If i pull my thumbs apart, it flaps its wings. As soon as i stop touching the screen, the bird again floats down, no flaps but crashing to the ground.
Yes, you need to have two fingers on the screen to make the bird flap, thats true. But you don't have to pull the thumbs apart, the bird will flap as soon as there is two fingers on the screen, unlike the last build where you had to push the thumbs together. Doesnt it work like I say above? I'm confused, as i have tested both on iphone and ipad. You're sure it's properly installed?
ah, i see now, just touching the screen with both thumbs makes it flap, that makes it all clear. It went much better now, but the bird feels kinda very heavy, difficult to change direction in a turn /pitch. Maybe because of lower automatic speed? In 0.2 i could pitch it down, dive almost to the ground and pitch it up and it would lift. Same with the rocks, i would fly straight to a rock, twist left and up and it would narrowly avoid it. Now i just crash, the bird can't move fast enough to lift / change direction. I think it's because of lower auto speed, am i right?
Yes the speed might be a little low, but it's a difficult balance. I should consider bringing the speed control back maybe. Also, i've enabled vectored thrust, so the direction of the thrust will depend on the forward momentum. Maybe i should bring back the speed control, but without stopping the flapping totally. I'm thinking of enabling air-brakes when using only one finger to glide. What do you think?
Ah, that explains even more. In my opinion (this is only my opinion) 1) vector thrust as you call it should be disabled, or at least have an on/off option. I would like to think i am controlling a light nimble bird, not a heavy plane / spaceship. 2) make an input for flight speed that will be "set and forget" until nexxt input for speed change like i said in my previous post OR even better, leave permanent max speed on regardless of thumbs on screen or not, and input a gesture for the air brake that will allow tight turns / direction changes. 3) no matter how much i and you experiment on fine tuning these controls, you should start the stick controls, because even if by the final version i am accustomed to the controls, the wide majority of the players who try this will be insta-frustrated without an alternate scheme. That's all that i think, honestly and with good intentions always
Yeah 0.2 felt better to me as well. I'm feeling a lot of drift again when I try to take corners. Before I would slow down into a corner, turn, then boost up my speed out of it. Now I just kinda slam into corners. I don't think gliding is implemented well right now. Gliding (either by moving my fingers a bit closer to the bird, steering with one finger, or letting go altogether) feels like braking - the bird slows down a lot, inevitably floating to the ground. Right now it just gets in the way, accidentally slowing me down when I'm trying to flap my wings. This feature could be a lot more useful if it didn't slow the bird down so much, instead allowing the player to maneuver the bird without changing speed (though a minor deceleration would be understandable). Also it may not be necessary to have so many ways to glide (I listed three)! Perhaps it could be two fingers for flapping, one finger for gliding, and no fingers for braking (just tossing out ideas, don't know if that would actually work well if implemented)
Thanks! Please consider helping me test it and shape the game. Looking to have as many testers as possible, as many looses interest down the road... Send me an email at [email protected] with your device type(s) and udid(s) if you're interested! I have set up an over the air installation web server, so installing the different builds are as easy as clicking a link.
Hello dear testers, I've listened to the feedback and uploaded a new build (0.3.2). I'm very happy with this build, so please check it out! What's new: 1) Fixed major bug in flight aerodynamics (might have caused some of the problems reported) 2) Reduced drag and more lift = longer glide. 3) Reduced drifting when turning, the bird should turn as expected now. 4) Back to basics controls: There is only one flapping speed now, ike it was in the start. It's just didn't work the relative speed controls. Also removed the braking. 5) Removed the thust-vectoring. 6) Increased sensitivity by a little bit (12%), tell me if it was too much. I might have to make an options screen soon! IMPORTANT TIP: Use one thumb steering to adjust course without flapping. It's very helpful when precision flying! To do in short term: 1) Rework the tail (it's a bit shaky which makes it a bit hard to see what direction you're going) 2) Implement dual stick control as an option Looking forward to your impressions as always, it's been very helpful so far. When the controls are down, I can start adding a lot more content so it will be more fun to test out. Thanks, Johan
Some suggestions Controls: Invisible floating analog on the left side of the screen to change the angle of flight. Continuously tap on the right side of the screen to flap wings. Tapping in a rhythmic fashion will make the bird fly faster. (This can be tiresome. So you can give a small resting area for the player to rest) Swipe on the right side to barrel role left and right. Swiping up or down on the right side will make the the bird shift up or down. (Quick Y-axis movement) Graphics: The bird would look better with a grey-ish outline or a slightly darker background. The water would more lively if the blocks would shift around and bounced a bit. Music: Something like this would be epic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQgYOlzgYns Thanks for the beta .
the 0.3.2 version, i find controls beautifully, to the point i could say the best so far! For me this was the first run that was well and truly enjoyable, since the controls worked fine, sensitivity felt great and twists and turns responded to how i wanted the bird to fly. I swooped low to the ground, lifted back up, went between chasms and through holes in rock with relative ease, making a left roll as i went through one. I felt free to maneuver around and explore the beautiful voxel world. I think you should finalise these control options that you implemented in this version to release, if my fellow testers agree also. You have my vote!
This means a lot coming from you, I'm so super happy right now! I've been struggling with it all week, but it finally clicked, hope others agree... Like you said, it's all about the precision flying!
I will have several different control-options at launch, hopefully also controller-support. I've been thinking about it, and experimenting a bit with it, but I think it will be too tiresome in the longrun. The gaming sessions can last quite a few minutes, so I think the constant tapping will strain the fingers... Swipes can be good for special commands, for sure, I will have to experiment with it. I don't really see the need for barrel rolls, but other, special commands might work with swiping. Good idea, though. The colors and cocept here is not finalized, it's very much a work in progress, but I see your point, to make it stand out better.. Let me think about it.. Yes, absolutely, this is a must. I will also add some specular effects, with reflection from the sun. I have a meeting with a composer tomorrow (same guy who made the song that is on the video). Music is a must! It will be different music for each biome I think, or at least different versions of the same music. Thanks for the quick feedback! I hope you will continue to follow the development and test new versions. The current one will always be at the same website.
IMPORTANT TIP FOR TESTERS: You can't flap all the time, because your speed will be way to high! So you need to chill out and glide to reduce speed. When gliding, you can use one thumb to control yaw and pitch. Of course there is a learning curve, but I think the controls are pretty intuitive and more precise than a virtual stick. The big problem now is that there is no gameplay to speak of, so you naturally want to go very fast to entertain yourself, but the finished game will be more about the strategy to stay aloft, hunting animals, finding the right wind currents etc. The finished game will have a contrast between going very fast and also slow-flying precision flying. It's to maximize the feeling of flight, which is the point of game really.
