Discussion: AMIner

[softiron]

Title: AMIner

Genre: Mining, casual

Original concept: No?
Gameplay based on Motherload flash game, but taken to a different level

Expected game size: few hours to complete free play, few minutes to complete versus mode

Team members (Real or forum names):
KaiN - code
Softiron - gfx
mccnex - msx

Targeted spec: A500 1MB CHIP, a bit of FAST mem recommended

Tools to be used:

• Visual Studio Code
• CMake
• Bebbo's GCC
• Amiga C Engine
• GIMP
• Brilliance
• WinUAE
• sfxr for placeholder (?) sounds

Description of game:
Dig through rocks and mine precious minerals from (almost) infinite depths of ground!

There are 2 modes in this game:

• Challenge - play with a friend and race to the checkpoints as fast as possible! Each checkpoint will result in selling of your cargo bay contents, increasing your score. Being first on the finish line will instantly end the game and result in final cargo bay selling for that player, but the true winner will be the one who'll get the most score. Also, to prevent matches from taking too long, the camera moves constantly and keeps players from staying behind. For single players there is also option to beat hi-scores.

• Free play - nothing stops you from digging stuff as long as you want, except for your cargo and fuel capacity. This is a work in progress and who knows if it won't evolve into some kind of story mode. Basically it's about digging out the minerals, cashing them, buying fuel, upgrading your vehicle and buying/finding powerups, and finding absolutely no easter eggs. Diggin' can go a looong way down with increasing difficulty of acquiring the minerals, things that can damage or even destroy your machine, some enemies maybe and hazards to finally reach an (hopefully brilliant, fun and unexpected) end.
• ??? - perhaps we'll figure out another game mode, so stay tuned.

We've wanted to submit other game which I've started working on about 2yrs ago, but most of the content had to be done during competition. So on September we've started this project from scratch.

This game was submitted during RetroKomp Gamedev Compo as a work in progress, where it scored 2nd place.
If not being exclusive to this compo is against the rules, plz tell us so and we'll start working on another game right away.

Some useful links:

• GitHub
• Pouet
• Latest development snapshots
• RetroKomp entry on YouTube:
  [ Show youtube player ]

[Predseda]

Basically I think it is a bit against the spirit of this contest, but I am not the one that can judge. Recently I added your game to the lemonamiga database and I enjoyed playing it.

[Epo]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Basically I think it is a bit against the spirit of this contest (...)

How?
And the game indeed is enjoyable

[Gzegzolka]

Nice game, definitely some powerups and upgrades would be welcome addition just like other nasty things that could slow down your progress or harm Your drill

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by Epo

How?

I though if the game was made for other contest (and scored wonderful 2nd prize, congarts), it is a bit pointless to compete in this contest as well. But I may be wrong. Do not feel disturbed, it is only my monologue

[Epo]

Originally Posted by Predseda

I though if the game was made for other contest (and scored wonderful 2nd prize, congarts), it is a bit pointless to compete in this contest as well. But I may be wrong. Do not feel disturbed, it is only my monologue

Ah, that thing. Well, I respect your feelings but personally see no "dirty" play here. The development of the game started after the official rules have been announced and is still under work. They won "by the way" a (nice ) 2nd place somewhere. If other participants did same thing with their games-in-progress in their own countries I wouldn't mind.

[softiron]

little update on gfx... still work in progress.





constructive criticism highly appreciated

[mcgeezer]

Sorry but could you clarify when this game started development because I'm a bit confused? Has this game (Aminer) or a derivative of it already featured in another competition?

If the game already won a prize in another competition then I suspect the judges will take that into account and it may work against you.

Please clarify?

[softiron]

Well Sir, as per initial info:

This game was submitted during RetroKomp Gamedev Compo as a work in progress, where it scored 2nd place.
If not being exclusive to this compo is against the rules, plz tell us so and we'll start working on another game right away.

It was started (first post on ppa.pl forum) on 07.09.2018 at 2304.
We've presented it as work in progress on Retrokomp and to this day its still in this stage having more content to be added than it has right now.. sort of...
If this project is against the rules of this compo, let the judges give final verdict and we'll comply.

[DamienD]

I'm not one of the judges but am the biggest prize money contributor; not that this really matters

...for me, as long as they game wasn't developed prior to the start of the competition, then all good.

It shouldn't matter if once the "EAB GameDev Competition" kicked off, a game has been entered into various other competition at different stages of development. This doesn't affect the chances of winning / getting a prize position here...

Anyway, let's see what the "official" judges say...

[malko]

Was far more to read yesterday here...
Isn't it against forum rules to delete posts ?
Or maybe I am only confusing with another thread?...

[DamienD]

...no post have been deleted; they were posted in the Entry: AMIner thread which is only for the developers' updates.

They got moved to the correct thread i.e. this one: Discussion: AMIner

[malko]

Thanks Damien
With these titles that are similar, it happens that we get confused

[van_dammesque]

Originally Posted by DamienD

...for me, as long as they game wasn't developed prior to the start of the competition, then all good.

Not being one of the official judges , but this makes sense...

[DamienD]

...and where are the "official judges"; so that they can give their opinions / comments on this matter?

• Graham Humphrey
• Ian
• john4p
• linesmachine
• malko
• MikeyG
• Portuguese Pilot
• Shatterhand

[malko]

we are deliberating

[PortuguesePilot]

I haven't had the chance of playing the game as of yet. I see no problem in admitting it into the contest. The graphics seem nice and it does appear to have shading already (which does add depth). It's looking good.

[Graham Humphrey]

It looks very good I have to say. I haven't had a chance to check out the Retrokomp version yet but I am intending to get round to it.


Personally I'm not sure about entering it into another contest though. I get that it's a WIP but having done well in one competition (great work by the way) and then entering the same game into another afterwards doesn't sit totally comfortably with me, if I am being honest.


However I am just one person so quite happy to accept it if I'm in the minority Good luck with the game - I really like the graphical style.

[KaiN]

Thanks for the replies! Before submitting this game I've PMed Ian about it and he wasn't able to give me a straight answer if it fits this compo. I think having a vote between judges and updating rules would solve all the uncertainty. Like I said, I don't mind if this game gets disqualified, we just need to know in advance so that we can come up with replacement.

Anyway, as I wrote in main post, this game is still in development. Much of stuff is going to be added until EAB deadline - current version has about 30% of it. For starters, we've decided to add story mode since free play is getting dull after few minutes. I've also planned some surprises - I hope quite spectacular.

Stay tuned and remember - all feedback is very appreciated!

[Aladin]

Perhaps a boulderdash mode: stones can fall

In mode free play after a while we spend more time climbing up and down than harvesting. Perhaps add a teleport and a new mode with split screen