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TRI-LZR

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Control your lazer orb and zap the invasive system bugs! But look out, applying the wrong lazer to the wrong bug might yield some undesirable results!

3 lazers, 20 short-n-sweet levels, a combination of mixed-pace action and sprinkles of strategy and tactical thinking. This is TRI-LZR.

This is a game made for the Construct 3 Game Jam with the theme "Good things come in threes". I wanted to add so much more to this game and really extend the puzzle aspect but alas I was not able to dedicate as much time as I would have liked. But it was a fun game jam nonetheless! Also, more levels would have been fun, which in turn would require an expansion of gameplay variety (which I think exploring the puzzle aspect would have taken care of) and a checkpoint/save system. As it stands, I opted not to include a save game system because of the game being so short. The existing levels have barely been playtested so constructive feedback on those is very much appreciated. There is also a lack of music so for now you'll have to play your own tunes while you're pointing those lazers.

So those are my main thoughts regarding the game and when Construct 3 is released I might get back in to it and explore some of them further. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I hope TRI-LZR might bring you some joy!

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The Good:
Reminds me of classic Mac games, both graphically and mechanically. Title, instructions, and credits on the left, game on the right. Feels fairly nice, functions properly, and pretty fun! Sound effects are decent, and the lack of music is a-okay in my book.

The Not-so-good:
Difficulty wouldn't be too bad if there were checkpoints every 5 or 10 levels, but as it stands now, death is way too frustrating. Movement's a little slippery - I think I'd prefer if the player character stopped abruptly instead of sliding to a stop. I also kind of wish I could turn the laser OFF sometimes, for strategic maneuvers, but I understand if that's supposed to be part of the challenge. I'm also not so fond of the controls, which I think other folks have mentioned. WASD+mouse is fine, but shift and space to change lasers is a bit awkward - I'd say Q & E to change might feel nicer.

There's also a bug where, when you die, the level counter doesn't reset, so I beat the game on level 90 or so, haha. Obviously extremely minor, but figured I'd point it out.

Frostspektrum responds:

First off, thank you for your well structured feedback. :)

What I wanted to do with the movement was to create a bit of "floatiness" to it. I can however see the value in having more precise and abrupt controls, especially if the game has a higher tempo.

You are correct in that not being able to turn of the lasers is a game mechaninc but the fault may lie in that I should have done more with that mechanic.

I can absolutely see how more control options would be good to better suit each persons individual preferences.

Fun concept, like the core mechanic, although I'd have liked to have been able to use the mouse button s to toggle the lasers and cursor keys to move.

Frostspektrum responds:

The arrow keys are already enabled, although not advertised. I agree that if you are to use the arrow keys for movement, being able to switch lasers with the mouse would be preferable.

Its too easy until you get that one accidentally fuck up. Then you have to start completely over. No thanks.

Frostspektrum responds:

Yeah, unless there is a reward that justifies the harshness of the game, I agree with you. Point taken, thank you! :)

For the vast majority of the levels it seems there is no point to the multiple lasers and it gets repetitive quickly, the difficulty then takes a sudden jump in cramped quarters with little room to maneuver or prevent hits in spite of sustained laser fire. Neither the sound effects or the lack of background music do anything to break the monotony.

I will compliment you on the shadows, that was a nice touch.

I want to wish all fellow game designers and artists good luck in the Construct 3 Game Jam!

Frostspektrum responds:

In hindsight I should have emphasized the core concept with three lasers much more which I think could alleviate repetitiveness/monotony by also focusing on designing good levels.

Thank you for your constructive criticism, it is much appreciated!

Game requires music of some sort. If you update the game, it definitely should be on your priority list.

The hit registered sound is an annoying beep.

The game itself is challenging, especially with the very little life you get. I played until the stage where all of the bugs were blue and needed a lot of hits to kill each one.

The level counter at the bottom left is definitely a undesirable bug since it doesn’t reset to 0 after game over and game restart, unless you wanted to count the total number of levels a player has completed since startup of the game.

It is possible to be able to graze bugs with the correct laser and they don’t move at all. It is probably because of the way the bugs are “sweeping” the area when they move around.

Frostspektrum responds:

I agree about the music and sound design is something I'm trying to get better at. I also think a balance needs to be established between a checkpoint system and the amount of life you get. What I mean is that it is supposed to be challenging but not unnecessarily punishing beacuse that just isn't fun.

The bug was unfortunately discovered after the deadline so I didn't want to mess with it. If I decide to pursue this game idea that will definitely be fixed, along with some better enemy behaviour.

Thank you for the feedback!

Credits & Info

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3,469
Faves:
1
Votes
111
Score
3.04 / 5.00

Uploaded
May 30, 2017
6:05 AM EDT