Community discussion

Beta Testers wanted

Started by Grandad on 4 November 2009 • 10,873 views

🔒 Closed23 posts

#545714 November 2009

Hi everyone

After much hard work (and lotsa help from Jamie with coding) I've now finished my first ever game and would like some volunteers to test it out before submitting it.

I've tested every puzzle whilst creating the game and also gone through it again using the dizzy.pak file ..but I'm bound to have missed something.

It's called 'Daisy Goes Solo' 'cos I thought it would be nice for Daisy to have her own adventure rather than be locked up in a dungeon for the whole game. The graphics aren't brilliant (I'm not very good at designing my own tiles), but I hope the storyline and puzzles are fun.

If you are willing to test it out just email me at [email redacted] and I'll send you a zipped file ..and please be as critical as you like. Also let me know if you would like a brief run through as well to help with the testing process.

Thanks in advance.

Grandad

#669805 November 2009

Hi there, I'm testing it as we speak; will hit it all afternoon and send you a comprehensive list of anything I find by e-mail :smile:
Cheers!
Mat

#669926 November 2009

[quote data-userid="279" data-postid="54571"]

Also let me know if you would like a brief run through as well to help with the testing process.

[/quote]

Brief? BRIEF?!?! :tongue: haha

i've sent you some feedback, although i haven't finished it yet.

#6706311 November 2009

I've played through the game and it is really good. I have sent you a couple of notes but all seems good.

#6708712 November 2009

Big thanks to all the testers. I think 'Daisy Goes Solo' is now ready for action. I'm just about to send a zipped, packed copy to Alex. Do I need to send a copy here too, or does Alex do that?

Grandad

#6708812 November 2009

As soon as Alex announces on here that he's uploaded your game onto the DizzyAGE site, then I just simply download it from there and upload it onto Yolkfolk.com :smile:

#6708912 November 2009

err, just found the 'hosting' part of the forum, so unless AOL is acting silly again, the game should now have been sent.

Hope people enjoy my little effort.

Grandad

#6709412 November 2009

Adz.M
Don't use the version I sent to the hosting site - I've just found a flaw that is not essential to playing but gives a few wrong items from the magic chest. So, please wait for the new version to be uploaded by Alex.

Many apologies

Grandad

#6709512 November 2009

[quote data-userid="279" data-postid="67094"]

Adz.M
Don’t use the version I sent to the hosting site – I’ve just found a flaw that is not essential to playing but gives a few wrong items from the magic chest. So, please wait for the new version to be uploaded by Alex.

Many apologies

Grandad

[/quote]

I honestly don't know anything about this hosting site you're on about, but waiting for Alex has always been my plan.

#6710212 November 2009

"Daisy Goes Solo" is up on DizzyAGE!
https://www.yolkfolk.com/dizzyage/games.html

Congratulations Steve, for your first DizzyAGE game!

#6710312 November 2009

I've just started the release version, and the improvements are immeasurable... Feels much more polished and solid than the beta; I think for your first ever DizzyAGE game this is very good indeed. Also having played much of the beta I already know it's a good game with good ideas and fun puzzles and it easily comes way up the list for just being one of the most fun DizzyAGE games I've played. Well done mate :smile:

#6710612 November 2009

{dizzy}:cool:

Trying to get past the pirate the chap guarding the towner entrance, and that goat. only have 13 coins.

Amusing little game so far. quite enjoying it.

#6711013 November 2009

Sorry everyone...made a typing error on an id reference for the magic chest in the copy I sent Alex yesterday ...so I've sent him an update. Please don't use the current copy that Alex has given the link to above.

Grandad

#6712214 November 2009

well, i'm not a game maker. so, it is pure a player's comment ..

i just download it last night (my country's time), have played about 7 hours, just solved the snake's puzzle after the visa.
likes:

- i like your game. really enjoyable. many of the puzzles make me laugh out loud. especially the zen part. it enlightens me.

:wink:

- love the characters too. great pictures! simple, but nice to see.

- love the magic chest! i like to have it in real world!

- tree complex! damn good. daisy SHOULD bring a weapon. like hammer. or sword. or even cannon. kill that worms. and ant. and snakes. kill them all! KILL! this part is a stress relief!

*but girl must be 'soft' in every way. just do jumping around! chicks rulez!

- few puzzles need combination of two or more items.

dislikes:

- sorry it harsh. but come on .. you dare to call those 'curves like a door' as teleports? oh yeah. don't forget about the fence. i know you can do much better than those since you draw nice characters. also, pink is not the right color for hill.

- too much slots for inventory. it makes the game much easier. perhaps you should start with only two slots, and later when the game is more complicated, you can add two more.

- i miss the 'coin hunting' challenge.

- what the purpose of the energy bar? most of the 'enemies' and traps will bring you to death at once! honestly, it's challenging. just remove the energy bar!

major bug:

- TEMPLE EXIT, the coin above monk's head. if you didn't try to get it first before solving the trial, you can't get it later. i must restart my game because of this bug.

minor bugs:

- some of message still appear after the puzzle is solved. i.e. after you lower the bridge without 'seeing' the bridge first.

and of course, see major bug, when you trying to get the coin after the monk left his post. *sigh*

- you forgotten naming a room, leftside of the 'snowdrift' room. please, redraw the room!

i will continue my game, make notes of it and inform you if i found other bugs.

questions:

- *psstt* will there be -ahem- the uncensored version of this game?

- why 'douglas street'? not 'rennie street'? is that street's name refer to someone? a game maker perhaps? haha .. j/k :tongue:

#6712514 November 2009

Thanks for the comments Riand (both good and bad).

This is my first game ..and it is hard to try and find the balance between making it too easy or too hard, but thought that only having 3 inventory slots, considering there are so many items that can be used, would involve far too much running around just to pick another few items to test out.

I only made a few coins 'difficult' to find as you need to find all the coins before you can enter Magic Island (which you need to do before you can enter the tower on Tower Island) rather than have them as an extra bonus at the end, but although I'm tempted to say 'serves you right' for not picking up the coin on the monk's head, I can see your point as I've often played games through without trying to get all the coins, but when all the other comments about bugs come in (and I'm sure there will be), I'll think about moving that particular coin somewhere else. The snowdrift is a bug, as you weren't supposed to be able to go left at the top of the top snowdrift, so I've already made an amendment to the map.

The drawbridge I don't have a problem with as the comment is that Daisy hears machinery working ...and the switch is two-way, if you re-press it, the drawbridge goes back up again.

I left the 'life meter' in as I really don't understand the mechanics of the 'Hud' (top part of the screen), so it was easier to just leave it rather than try to disable it via the scripts, which could have affected other script areas.

I like the pink hill, I think it's rather colourful ..and the teleports are the most up to date ones available and full of solid state circuitry so don't need lots of extra bits sticking out of them :smile:

...and of course, if you were enlightened by the zen part then you know it's bad to kill anything ...even nasty insects :smile:

But glad that you are enjoying my little effort.

Grandad
PS - I had sent Alex an updated version as there were a couple of bugs involving the magic chest, but not sure when he will be able to upload it.

#6712614 November 2009

[quote data-userid="279" data-postid="67125"]

This is my first game ..and it is hard to try and find the balance between making it too easy or too hard

[/quote]

I know that feeling! Best bit of advice I got was focus on what the game is really about. Is it about inventory management, platform-jumping, or puzzle solving? Personally I'd say Dizzy games are about the puzzle-solving, and everything else gets in the way or distracts from that. I ended up putting in platforming challenges in my game, but they just annoyed everyone. I'd've been better off spending my time making the puzzles themselves harder, rather than trying to stall players with platforming sections. But then this is your game, so the focus is up to you :smile:

#6712814 November 2009

ah .. magic chest bug! yes, i just want to inform you that there is one major bug again! you can't change back the ladder into 'something VERY USEFUL'. because of that, i must restart my game again from the beginning. *bummer* now my progress, i just figure out where to use bino... ups .. you know what i mean .. :wink:

forgive my harsh comments, but definitely i know this is your first game and you make such a good game! both story and puzzles. about the drawing, i know you can improve them!

about the inventory slots, i give a little advice. the first section of the game is all too easy if they are 4 slots available. 2 is more than enough. but later than, you can add 2 more slots. there is an item, called a bag, or something, which can add the inventory slots by 2, if daisy found it. of course, the decision is yours but i think the suggestion here is to make the game more balance.

and oh yeah .. you done a big effort! you make me laugh so hard! a few hours ago, i was laughing out loud after magic chest turning something into 'electronic circuit' and 'carpet'. bwahaha .. chicken leg, anyone? :tongue:

#6712914 November 2009

There is enough items to keep a 3 or 4 inventory slot from the start, it's not a problem. especially as toy teleport around lot its easy to lose items.

#6713214 November 2009

well nothing technical to add [not qualified for that] but thoroughly enjoying it as a player, loving daisy trying to use her ultra femininity to get her through!!! for a first game i thought i'd sail through but well stuck for a while now and i'll be starting a help threat if i don't get any further tonight - but well done on a great first game {yolkfolk}:clap: {yolkfolk}:clap:

#6713615 November 2009

Wow - this game is pure fun and surprisingly huge :smile:
{yolkfolk}:clap:
Loads to explore, puzzles are mainly logical - ive not come too unstuck yet
I'm enjoying the humour and visual jokes - and I did even try to make Daisy jump at the start to see what could possibly be exposed in an egg - to find that having a limiting block meant I could not jump too high :smile: - good attention to detail :smile:

I love the peacock and mystery machine - very clever :smile: With details like this so early on, you feel like youre going to enjoy the rest of the game very much - and as for the rest of the game - it doesnt disappoint either - Im liking the story and the hand draw characters give this game a fun feel.

Im finding loads of items as I go and even having 4 slots is not enough at times... I noticed some items dont disappear after use - some ive used more than once but others not - with so many items floating about - sometimes im just not sure what to carry and what to leave behind, so maybe this could be a slight improvement?

I liked the bit jumping on a monks head - made me laugh - all too often I see in games Dizzy can jump all over things and noone seems to mind - so this was fun for me.

The transporters are a great addition to save unnessecary walking about - they could be more graphically refined and Im not too sure how they fit in with the storyline - but they serve a useful purpose and thats the main thing.

I like the puzzle with the rat - I think i get a bigger sense of achievement in games when a puzzle requires several parts to solve.

I think I did notice a few slight buggy moments, but nothing too serious - Ill note them next time I play.

In short I found this a very enjoyable game with a fun storyline, loads of humour and nice logical puzzles. I love the Daisy angle, the originality of story and homemade graphic feel - a big thumbs up. {yolkfolk}:thumb:

I cant wait to pick this up again to finish it off - should I wait for the next release first tho?
{yolkfolk}:clap: