mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

Review for pix rpg by jamiewinter

Game Design 10/10
The various levels, challenges, and achievements to unlock make this game very fun and addictive. The interesting dialogue also gives an extra side kick to the game to keep players from getting bored. If there is enough space, adding cloud data (once iCloud lists come out) to allow players to save the progress would be also wonderful.

Originality 7/10
Even though there are many adventure games in Scratch, few have as unique features as this one with, multiple levels and multiple obstacles/bosses. Moreover, the stats are original too, especially “reputation” and skin color. However, other than this, the main storyline (defeating enemies) is not very distinct from other adventure games, thus the 3 points lost.

Ease Of Use 3/5
Controls were very clear and effective in this game, although when controlling the arrow keys, the sprite moved quite slow (probably due to the large game size). In addition, I feel that more clarity/direction could be given on the process of the game. For example, I was confused on what to do after killing the dragon. I also didn’t know how to defeat the slimes. Maybe there could be a sign that says “GO HERE” to show the player what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, this would score 5/5.

Difficulty Balance 2/5
I feel that some parts of the game are much too difficult, such as killing the dragon (it took me multiple attempts until I finally did). Also the small fires (on the screen before the dragon battle) were hard to avoid. A difficulty slider would certainly help so the player can control how hard they want to play. Therefore, this scored 2/5.
Graphics 3/5
Moving sprites were very well designed in this game, especially the dragon boss’s fireballs and the small fires in the subsequent screen to the boss battle. I liked the detail attempted in the interior on some buildings, but I felt more could be added to the exterior. Moreover, I thought that the first introduction screen needed more details to make it more interesting, hence the 2 points lost.

Sound 4/5
The music in the game was excellent, and they all seemed to fit at the right time. For example, during Boss Battles, the music was more intense than the regular storyline (3/3 for music). There could have been more sound effects (1/2) though.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 1/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 2/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 1/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 2/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 2/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 43/50
This game was full of adventure and made we want to keep playing and keep exploring the different levels. The unique bosses and animations make this a memorable and extraordinarily complex project. Even though difficulty could be adjusted, the challenges allowed me to feel rewarded after completing them, particularly the dragon boss. Seven points were taken off because (1) in some places, the pace was slow, such as during mandatory conversations and (2) confusion on how to play in some aspects, such as “stats”, “skins”, and what to do to unlock certain achievements.

TOTAL: 80/100

Thanks for the review but can you just reply to this with all the things to improve and by the first into screen what do you mean

No problem: by the first screen, I mean the one that immediately pops up when you click play.

Ok so now can you list the things to improve

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

Review for pix rpg by jamiewinter

Game Design 10/10
The various levels, challenges, and achievements to unlock make this game very fun and addictive. The interesting dialogue also gives an extra side kick to the game to keep players from getting bored. If there is enough space, adding cloud data (once iCloud lists come out) to allow players to save the progress would be also wonderful.

Originality 7/10
Even though there are many adventure games in Scratch, few have as unique features as this one with, multiple levels and multiple obstacles/bosses. Moreover, the stats are original too, especially “reputation” and skin color. However, other than this, the main storyline (defeating enemies) is not very distinct from other adventure games, thus the 3 points lost.

Ease Of Use 3/5
Controls were very clear and effective in this game, although when controlling the arrow keys, the sprite moved quite slow (probably due to the large game size). In addition, I feel that more clarity/direction could be given on the process of the game. For example, I was confused on what to do after killing the dragon. I also didn’t know how to defeat the slimes. Maybe there could be a sign that says “GO HERE” to show the player what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, this would score 5/5.

Difficulty Balance 2/5
I feel that some parts of the game are much too difficult, such as killing the dragon (it took me multiple attempts until I finally did). Also the small fires (on the screen before the dragon battle) were hard to avoid. A difficulty slider would certainly help so the player can control how hard they want to play. Therefore, this scored 2/5.
Graphics 3/5
Moving sprites were very well designed in this game, especially the dragon boss’s fireballs and the small fires in the subsequent screen to the boss battle. I liked the detail attempted in the interior on some buildings, but I felt more could be added to the exterior. Moreover, I thought that the first introduction screen needed more details to make it more interesting, hence the 2 points lost.

Sound 4/5
The music in the game was excellent, and they all seemed to fit at the right time. For example, during Boss Battles, the music was more intense than the regular storyline (3/3 for music). There could have been more sound effects (1/2) though.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 1/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 2/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 1/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 2/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 2/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 43/50
This game was full of adventure and made we want to keep playing and keep exploring the different levels. The unique bosses and animations make this a memorable and extraordinarily complex project. Even though difficulty could be adjusted, the challenges allowed me to feel rewarded after completing them, particularly the dragon boss. Seven points were taken off because (1) in some places, the pace was slow, such as during mandatory conversations and (2) confusion on how to play in some aspects, such as “stats”, “skins”, and what to do to unlock certain achievements.

TOTAL: 80/100

Thanks for the review but can you just reply to this with all the things to improve and by the first into screen what do you mean

No problem: by the first screen, I mean the one that immediately pops up when you click play.

Ok so now can you list the things to improve

Here are my suggestions:
1) add sound effects for more intensity
2) more detail in graphics of buildings and main character
3) Difficulty modification/slider, especially for boss battles
4) Tutorials throughout the game to let players know what to do next
Thanks!

Review for Pong V1.5 by NZombeh

“Pong is a classic game, and I've made it into something bigger. In the next update there will be game modes; this really will satisfy your needs!”

Game Design 3/10
This game is not very addictive due to its simplicity and lack of bonus features. There are no levels or unlockables to create interest in players. In future versions, I recommend making in-game power-ups (ex: a freeze ice that blocks movement from one “paddle”) that make the game more interesting.

Originality 1/10
There are plenty of Pong games on Scratch, and right now, not much makes this project distinct from its counterparts. Maybe in a later version, some kind of tournament/leaderboards (via cloud data) could be set up to help create uniqueness. Maybe a timed version (how long can you keep the ball from not touching the “ground”) would also help. In order to score higher in this area, more creativity needs to be shown to develop this game out of the ordinary.

Ease Of Use 4/5
The controls (arrow keys and A/D) were very well developed, making it easy for the player(s) to move around their “paddle”. The movement speed of the paddle was also perfect, making it easy for the player(s) to control the paddle speed. However, I suggest that there is an explanation for what the objective of “ONE PLAYER” and “TWO PLAYER” is, so that players don’t get confused on how to score. (This is the cause of the 1 point deduction)

Difficulty Balance 3/5
In general, this is a fairly easy game with the ball bouncing at moderate speed. An option for slow speed, medium speed, and extreme speed would make this game a lot more enjoyable This option would also give this section a score of 5.

Graphics 5/5
The graphics in this game is superior. For example, the cool font for the words on the main screen is a big bonus. The “one player” and “two player” tab sprites are also very well designed. In addition, the ball has a unique tint of color.

Sound 2/5
The limited use of sound is somewhat of a hindrance to this project. I feel that the simple use of a water drop when the ball hits the “paddle” is not enough. Maybe add a cool theme music that plays forever. The lack of music scores a 2/5 in this section.

Firing Round 6/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 2/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 1/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 2/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 1/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 0/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 34/50
This game is very straightforward, very easy to play, and nearly bug-less. I had a very pleasant and fun first experience with it, but the game becomes more on the repetitive side after a few plays. More bonus features would add to the addictiveness and complexity of the game, as well as create uniqueness to this Pong game that other Pong games lack. I am looking forward to renovated and more exciting future versions of this game. Great classic game overall though…There is a lot of potential!

TOTAL: 58/100

I would really appreciate it if you could advertise and review my project: Meteor Crash
Here is the link: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/11851539/
“Explore outer space as a bird and prevent a meteor apocalypse by collecting power-ups and avoiding obstacles!”

UPDATED!

8 mini-steps to making a building game!

1. Plan It!
Without a plan, you will be lost. You need to decide whether you're gonna have scenarios or a complete sandbox game, what objects you're gonna make available, what each one does and what variables each one affects.

2. Logos & Menus
Create these first so that you can get a look at how your game will start. If you decide to make an animated introduction and it goes wrong, at least if you want to restart you will not be getting rid of any other features. After this, create a fancy menu and make sure every button is made, even if they do not do anything yet. If you can set up a great tone and style, it will be the benchmark for the rest of your project. Too many scratchers rush the beginning, which puts players off from even starting up the main game!

3. Game Screen Layout
You need to create a small toolbar to access everything. Perhaps this may stick to the top, left, or bottom; will this be draggable? Next, create your buttons to go on top of it even if they do not do anything yet.

4. Theme
Make sure that the theme suits the business that is being run and that it allows a clear interface. By clear interface, I mean that you can see white text on a dark background. If light and dark colours don't suit your theme, it means that things will not stand out if you're limited to the same stand of brightness. What I mean by dark and light are black and white, orange and red, or light grey and royal blue. Although yellow and green or blue and orange are darks against light colours, these simply do not match.

5. Objects
Make sure each object has a purpose and that you know every variable they affect. Draw up the graphics for each, make sure the variables are changed when it is placed, and depending on what place-system you are using you must make sure it is placed down on the map properly.

6. Time
You need to make time pass. You may also want to add game speed options, but the most important thing is to decide when certain variables will change (like litter will change depend on when visitors drop them wheareas staff wages will be monthly). You may want to make some information screens for the player to know where there are problems in their created world and how much money is coming and going.

7. Goals
You will need a screen for the player to see the goals, and you will need to make sure that the goals are achievable but challenging.

8. Extras
You may want to add a music player that lets the player decide what music they want to skip or listen to.

Tomorrow: The first of the detailed walkthroughs! Making great tutorials!

Tutorial Tips!

1. Quick Guides
Make a “quick-guide”. This allows new players to quickly get on with the game, then only when they've tried playing and failed will they stress out and actually find the detailed bits interesting. Make them short, and do not explain absolutely everything to the player. If the player is left confused then they will go looking for the detailed resources.

2. Patterns, Patterns, Patterns.
Try to find a logical way to explain your game. If there is a pattern somewhere- use it! A pattern in your game will be more memorable than a bunch of random things to lodge into their brains. Whilst it's bad for a game to be repetitive, if the player can see a pattern in the game then they need to know. For example, a restaurant-serving game will have this pattern:

Customers enter, and get seated to right-sized tables; their orders are taken, and get taken to the kitchen (the orders, not the customers). The food is cooked, taken back to the table and before long they pay the bill and the table needs cleaning.

Of course, an interesting game would put a spin on this. It would start with a pattern, and expand it by adding extra features and jobs to do as the player progresses, but doing this slowly enough not to blow the player's mind. I'll go in more detail about interesting game design in the level design section. The point is that a player needs a simple game pattern to follow, which will also make your tutorials easier to write.

3. Make it accessible!
If the tutorial is as complicated as the game, (or more complicated for that matter), players will be put off from the start. Have a menu which leads to sub-menus. A huge mound of paragraphs will not help when the player needs reminding just how to paint a wall in the editor. To keep it more organised, don't bother with information on what individual tools and objects do, instead have “tooltips” that appear over buttons when they are highlighted. Just please don't use the default speech bubbles.

4. Mention Cheats!
Gamers love cheats! They allow the player to control their experience more freely, and they also make the game more enjoyable. It feels so good to crack a respectable game, even if the creator made it themselves. Don't make them too obvious to find though, otherwise the fun is spoilt.

The Tip Master wrote:

These cheats can also allow an interesting advertising deal with a colleague. Put a link to your partner's project in your project notes and say “Click on the link and request for cheats on this project.” This means that for the player to see the cheats, they will have to ask the sponsor for the cheat codes on their project. Whilst the scratcher is typing up the message, they may have a go at their game giving them extra views and making a very successful sponsorship deal! Make sure to give the sponsor the cheat codes first!

Also, you could say “Finish the game in the link and win the cheat codes to this game!” That means that when they visit the sponsor they have to play the game to the end (or to a certain point) to view the cheats! An excellent way for a sponsor or even yourself to get extra views on an abandoned project.

That's it for tutorials! Tomorrow: Planning!

So, is Doors Aurora going to be reviewed soon?

*Sigh*

I'd love to join, but I'm not able to get onto a computer often enough (right now I'm on an Android tablet, a bad one, so yeah).

I'd just end up offline most of the time, and losing points for being inactive most weeks.

So yeah…

(Btw, this looks awesome)

mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

Review for pix rpg by jamiewinter

Game Design 10/10
The various levels, challenges, and achievements to unlock make this game very fun and addictive. The interesting dialogue also gives an extra side kick to the game to keep players from getting bored. If there is enough space, adding cloud data (once iCloud lists come out) to allow players to save the progress would be also wonderful.

Originality 7/10
Even though there are many adventure games in Scratch, few have as unique features as this one with, multiple levels and multiple obstacles/bosses. Moreover, the stats are original too, especially “reputation” and skin color. However, other than this, the main storyline (defeating enemies) is not very distinct from other adventure games, thus the 3 points lost.

Ease Of Use 3/5
Controls were very clear and effective in this game, although when controlling the arrow keys, the sprite moved quite slow (probably due to the large game size). In addition, I feel that more clarity/direction could be given on the process of the game. For example, I was confused on what to do after killing the dragon. I also didn’t know how to defeat the slimes. Maybe there could be a sign that says “GO HERE” to show the player what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, this would score 5/5.

Difficulty Balance 2/5
I feel that some parts of the game are much too difficult, such as killing the dragon (it took me multiple attempts until I finally did). Also the small fires (on the screen before the dragon battle) were hard to avoid. A difficulty slider would certainly help so the player can control how hard they want to play. Therefore, this scored 2/5.
Graphics 3/5
Moving sprites were very well designed in this game, especially the dragon boss’s fireballs and the small fires in the subsequent screen to the boss battle. I liked the detail attempted in the interior on some buildings, but I felt more could be added to the exterior. Moreover, I thought that the first introduction screen needed more details to make it more interesting, hence the 2 points lost.

Sound 4/5
The music in the game was excellent, and they all seemed to fit at the right time. For example, during Boss Battles, the music was more intense than the regular storyline (3/3 for music). There could have been more sound effects (1/2) though.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 1/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 2/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 1/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 2/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 2/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 43/50
This game was full of adventure and made we want to keep playing and keep exploring the different levels. The unique bosses and animations make this a memorable and extraordinarily complex project. Even though difficulty could be adjusted, the challenges allowed me to feel rewarded after completing them, particularly the dragon boss. Seven points were taken off because (1) in some places, the pace was slow, such as during mandatory conversations and (2) confusion on how to play in some aspects, such as “stats”, “skins”, and what to do to unlock certain achievements.

TOTAL: 80/100

Thanks for the review but can you just reply to this with all the things to improve and by the first into screen what do you mean

No problem: by the first screen, I mean the one that immediately pops up when you click play.

Ok so now can you list the things to improve

Here are my suggestions:
1) add sound effects for more intensity
2) more detail in graphics of buildings and main character
3) Difficulty modification/slider, especially for boss battles
4) Tutorials throughout the game to let players know what to do next
Thanks!

Done the sound fx check em out if you like and tell me if you want me to add more and where

Review for Back to School Shopping!

“Ready to go back to school? Do you think you are good at planning your budget? Find out in this project. Choose what to buy within 7 school supplies, and see if you stay within your budget! Also, join the weekly drawing for Customer of the Week! ”

Game Design 7/10
To me, I wouldn't put this under a game category, but it is very practical and useful. Many parents don't like spending too much money on school supply shopping, and this may be able to help them. However, as I saw a user comment, note that different states do have different tax rates, so maybe you could average them out, or perhaps have a note at the end that says: “Note: Prices may vary in other areas, but this is a general idea.” Your prices seemed about right to, besides that once you get into high school the calculators can cost $100. I hope to see more items in the future! I think this will be nice for parents wanting to stay in their budgets for school supplies. Great job!

Originality 10/10
This idea seems very original to me. I know that many parents under a budget have to make budgets themselves, and calculate and it takes a lot of time. If your program has more items in the future, it could save them that time and energy calculating. They would just have to click a different amount of times. A back-to-school-shopping game/program could help them out a lot!

Ease Of Use 4/5
The words were a little hard to read at times, so perhaps you could make it a different color? The particular supplies harder to read were: Pencils, Books, Calculator, and Backpack. I like how you have the back button though, just in case if someone clicks too many times or they change their mind.

Difficulty Balance 5/5
Since this was more for practical use than a game, I gave you a 5/5.

Graphics 2/5
The graphics were very simple, but they did what they needed to. Perhaps you can have better background or drawn items (it can be drawn by another user as long as you give credit) But the important thing about this “game” was mostly how practical and easy to use it was. So graphics can be changed a little later once you get the other things complete.

Sound 3/5
The sound was okay, not my favorite part though. Some people using it may not like the music in the background (of course, they could just press mute) but I agree it is hard to find music everyone likes. For the most part this program didn't need much music. Perhaps you could do some soft classical music that might help people budget better? XD You don't need too complicated music for the most part though, and your music wasn't complicated at all.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 2/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)

Game Length 2/2 (full points since it's not exactly a game)
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)

Game Pace 2/2 (full points since it's not exactly a game)
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)

Replay Value 1/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)

Programming 1/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 30/50
Again, this was a very practical and original program. Just a few fixes, such as making the text a little more readable, a note at the end saying “Note: Prices may vary in other areas, but this is a general idea.” and also bettter graphics and sound perhaps.
TOTAL: 70/100

Key
0-19 I could have made that in my sleep!
20-39 Needs a lot of work.
40-59 An average project I suppose.
60-79 Quite a cool project.
80-94 Wow! It only needs a bit of tweaking.
95-100 You're the top cat!

mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

Review for pix rpg by jamiewinter

Game Design 10/10
The various levels, challenges, and achievements to unlock make this game very fun and addictive. The interesting dialogue also gives an extra side kick to the game to keep players from getting bored. If there is enough space, adding cloud data (once iCloud lists come out) to allow players to save the progress would be also wonderful.

Originality 7/10
Even though there are many adventure games in Scratch, few have as unique features as this one with, multiple levels and multiple obstacles/bosses. Moreover, the stats are original too, especially “reputation” and skin color. However, other than this, the main storyline (defeating enemies) is not very distinct from other adventure games, thus the 3 points lost.

Ease Of Use 3/5
Controls were very clear and effective in this game, although when controlling the arrow keys, the sprite moved quite slow (probably due to the large game size). In addition, I feel that more clarity/direction could be given on the process of the game. For example, I was confused on what to do after killing the dragon. I also didn’t know how to defeat the slimes. Maybe there could be a sign that says “GO HERE” to show the player what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, this would score 5/5.

Difficulty Balance 2/5
I feel that some parts of the game are much too difficult, such as killing the dragon (it took me multiple attempts until I finally did). Also the small fires (on the screen before the dragon battle) were hard to avoid. A difficulty slider would certainly help so the player can control how hard they want to play. Therefore, this scored 2/5.
Graphics 3/5
Moving sprites were very well designed in this game, especially the dragon boss’s fireballs and the small fires in the subsequent screen to the boss battle. I liked the detail attempted in the interior on some buildings, but I felt more could be added to the exterior. Moreover, I thought that the first introduction screen needed more details to make it more interesting, hence the 2 points lost.

Sound 4/5
The music in the game was excellent, and they all seemed to fit at the right time. For example, during Boss Battles, the music was more intense than the regular storyline (3/3 for music). There could have been more sound effects (1/2) though.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 1/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 2/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 1/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 2/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 2/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 43/50
This game was full of adventure and made we want to keep playing and keep exploring the different levels. The unique bosses and animations make this a memorable and extraordinarily complex project. Even though difficulty could be adjusted, the challenges allowed me to feel rewarded after completing them, particularly the dragon boss. Seven points were taken off because (1) in some places, the pace was slow, such as during mandatory conversations and (2) confusion on how to play in some aspects, such as “stats”, “skins”, and what to do to unlock certain achievements.

TOTAL: 80/100

Thanks for the review but can you just reply to this with all the things to improve and by the first into screen what do you mean

No problem: by the first screen, I mean the one that immediately pops up when you click play.

By mandatory conversations do you mean the ones which aren't in boxes

Can I join

I'd like to advertise my project + put it up for review: Long Jump Games (Single and Multiplayer)
Here's the link: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/2786010/
“Test your Olympic long jump skills here by yourself or with a friend!”

UPDATED

Planning

So, let's begin! First, you need the plan as you can imagine. The most obvious thing is to know what business or type of world you're gonna allow the player to build. I will also briefly look at management games which do not include building, seen as they class as tycoons too.

A business game would need quite some thinking about, but if it's a city or a military game you're making, these needs tonnes more planning! For any, you need to think about every object you're allowing the player to place, and what each purpose is and what variables they affect. If you know how many variables you'll be using at the beginning than you can keep an eye from the start on them.

You see, when you allow the player to place a plant, it may need to affect many things. If you come up with these at the last minute, then there might have been an another object that changes this, but because you never realised it before you never bothered implementing it. You may make a plant that changes happiness by +5, but then you may realise that the drinks machine you programmed a while back, may not have affected happiness because you had never thought about it at that time.

Another reason for this is to speed things up. If you're sat in front of a mound of huge scripts trying to work out if you've done all of the right things, you're gonna freak out a little and take longer thinking. If it's all written up in notes from a much calmer and happier you, you'll find it a lot quicker to just tick off the checklist. It also allows you to quickly compare those sprites with other sprites.

Everything you need to make needs to have a list of actions with arrows joining them on a piece of paper. Knowing every action necessary will help you write out any glitches, as multiple contradicting objects may cause problems for each other if you never realised that problem existed. Writing everything down is basically programming everything in a little software called “The brain” and playing through the game yourself in your imagination.

Remember in the tutorial section about having patterns in your game? Try to create a pattern. My old example was about how a restaurant tycoon would work, why not have a read of it?

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

jamiewinter wrote:

mathbrain wrote:

Review for pix rpg by jamiewinter

Game Design 10/10
The various levels, challenges, and achievements to unlock make this game very fun and addictive. The interesting dialogue also gives an extra side kick to the game to keep players from getting bored. If there is enough space, adding cloud data (once iCloud lists come out) to allow players to save the progress would be also wonderful.

Originality 7/10
Even though there are many adventure games in Scratch, few have as unique features as this one with, multiple levels and multiple obstacles/bosses. Moreover, the stats are original too, especially “reputation” and skin color. However, other than this, the main storyline (defeating enemies) is not very distinct from other adventure games, thus the 3 points lost.

Ease Of Use 3/5
Controls were very clear and effective in this game, although when controlling the arrow keys, the sprite moved quite slow (probably due to the large game size). In addition, I feel that more clarity/direction could be given on the process of the game. For example, I was confused on what to do after killing the dragon. I also didn’t know how to defeat the slimes. Maybe there could be a sign that says “GO HERE” to show the player what to do and where to do it. Otherwise, this would score 5/5.

Difficulty Balance 2/5
I feel that some parts of the game are much too difficult, such as killing the dragon (it took me multiple attempts until I finally did). Also the small fires (on the screen before the dragon battle) were hard to avoid. A difficulty slider would certainly help so the player can control how hard they want to play. Therefore, this scored 2/5.
Graphics 3/5
Moving sprites were very well designed in this game, especially the dragon boss’s fireballs and the small fires in the subsequent screen to the boss battle. I liked the detail attempted in the interior on some buildings, but I felt more could be added to the exterior. Moreover, I thought that the first introduction screen needed more details to make it more interesting, hence the 2 points lost.

Sound 4/5
The music in the game was excellent, and they all seemed to fit at the right time. For example, during Boss Battles, the music was more intense than the regular storyline (3/3 for music). There could have been more sound effects (1/2) though.

Firing Round 8/10 (This is the addition of the following scores)
Reliability 1/2
0 (Very Glitchy) 1 (A few glitches) 2 (Hardly any glitches)
Game Length 2/2
0 (Too Short) 1 (Descent Length) 2 (Long lasting or endless)
Game Pace 1/2
0 (Very slow or too long for it's own sake) 1 (Quite engrossing) 2 (Very well paced and fun)
Replay Value 2/2
0 (Would never replay/ did not want to finish it the first time) 1 (Might replay) 2 (Too good to stop!)
Programming 2/2
0 (Simple to make) 1 (Fairly advanced) 2 (It was very complex)

Overall Experience 43/50
This game was full of adventure and made we want to keep playing and keep exploring the different levels. The unique bosses and animations make this a memorable and extraordinarily complex project. Even though difficulty could be adjusted, the challenges allowed me to feel rewarded after completing them, particularly the dragon boss. Seven points were taken off because (1) in some places, the pace was slow, such as during mandatory conversations and (2) confusion on how to play in some aspects, such as “stats”, “skins”, and what to do to unlock certain achievements.

TOTAL: 80/100

Thanks for the review but can you just reply to this with all the things to improve and by the first into screen what do you mean

No problem: by the first screen, I mean the one that immediately pops up when you click play.

By mandatory conversations do you mean the ones which aren't in boxes

Yes; and by the way, this is one of my favorite games

I would like to put Blackjack! up for review and advertisement: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/11897728/
“Welcome to the casino: hit or stay to reach 21 and win big. Place your bets and play till you drop!”
Thanks.

I'm gonna put more dialogue in boxes tomorrow

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