WORTHY - RELEASED!!! new OCS game from Pixelglass!

[Clydos]

Great to read, Tsak!

I have to admit that I have big trouble completing level 14. :-) This is really driving me insane. :-)
I also have a bit difficulties with the controls, especially in this level where timing seems to have be nano second perfect. I think my problem is, that the player sprite always moves a complete "tile length", even if I slightly press the joypad in one direction, so it just to often happens that I make a step to much in a direction. :-( Do you know what I mean?

[mailman]

Originally Posted by Clydos

Great to read, Tsak!

I have to admit that I have big trouble completing level 14. :-) This is really driving me insane. :-)
I also have a bit difficulties with the controls, especially in this level where timing seems to have be nano second perfect. I think my problem is, that the player sprite always moves a complete "tile length", even if I slightly press the joypad in one direction, so it just to often happens that I make a step to much in a direction. :-( Do you know what I mean?

This is the concept of this game. Nothing strange in it.

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by Clydos

I have to admit that I have big trouble completing level 14. :-) This is really driving me insane. :-)

I think level 14 is one of the hardest in game and it took me quite many attempts before I managed to finish this level. Level 30 and 32 was pretty hard as well

[Neil79]

[Tsak]

Originally Posted by Clydos

Great to read, Tsak!

I have to admit that I have big trouble completing level 14. :-) This is really driving me insane. :-)
I also have a bit difficulties with the controls, especially in this level where timing seems to have be nano second perfect. I think my problem is, that the player sprite always moves a complete "tile length", even if I slightly press the joypad in one direction, so it just to often happens that I make a step to much in a direction. :-( Do you know what I mean?

Originally Posted by mailman

This is the concept of this game. Nothing strange in it.

That's right. The game has tile based movement (as also noted in the manual) similar to many games in the maze-running genre. This way you can land blows, activate and especially hide from enemies with 100% precision.

You can actually use this to your advantage to beat level 14. You only need to make sure the 2 patroling enemies above won't see you until you kill the first enemy below. From then on it's pretty straight forward.
Level 7 actually has the same concept (it's like a tutorial level) though it's much easier to pull off.

[Tsak]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

I think level 14 is one of the hardest in game and it took me quite many attempts before I managed to finish this level. Level 30 and 32 was pretty hard as well

Level 14 seems deceptively simple but it's tough indeed!
From what I've seen from your solution it takes a big leap of faith and a bit of luck to pull it off like you did (I mean for your second step, where you allow the enemies above to see you, while you have the third enemy activated and before you kill him). On the other hand this solution grants maximum time bonus so I guess it's ideal for a playthrough going for max score like yours

Oh and needless to say, your solution to level 30 just blew us away!
Super risky but gives a really high amount of bonus. Btw there are at least other 5 solutions I know of for this level.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Tsak

On the other hand this solution grants maximum time bonus so I guess it's ideal for a playthrough going for max score like yours

Oh and needless to say, your solution to level 30 just blew us away!
Super risky but gives a really high amount of bonus. Btw there are at least other 5 solutions I know of for this level.

That's the gaming master hipoonios' style

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by Tsak

Level 14 seems deceptively simple but it's tough indeed!

Yep.

And Amiga Bill had some problems to beat level 14 as well. So we are not the only ones that think this level is tough

[ Show youtube player ] (skip 2 hours)

Originally Posted by Tsak

Oh and needless to say, your solution to level 30 just blew us away!
Super risky but gives a really high amount of bonus. Btw there are at least other 5 solutions I know of for this level.

5 other solutions? Wow! I have only found 2

Think I will play some more Worthy this weekend. Many of the later levels (levels 20-39) can be improved and played much faster than I did in the longplay video

[PopoCop]

Did hipoonios make a longplay of Worthy? I can't see it on his YT channel.

[Clydos]

Originally Posted by mailman

This is the concept of this game. Nothing strange in it.

Didn't say it is strange, just that I have problems with it. :-)

@tsak and all: I know what you mean and yeah, probably you can use that as an advantage.
Oh, thanks for the hint so somehow manage it that they don't see me. One time I was in the last "cave" with the 3 swords although the 2 guards saw me from the beginning, but I was so "f*ck yeah", that I hit the button to late to kill the 3 last guards. :-( What a frustrating moment. :-)

Yeah, I would also like to know where to find hipoonios' video!

[Tsak]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Yep.

And Amiga Bill had some problems to beat level 14 as well. So we are not the only ones that think this level is tough

[ Show youtube player ] (skip 2 hours)

True, however note that as soon as he was tiped with the solutions he actually managed step one in his very first try! (skip to 2:12:50)
Doing step 2 (i.e. redoing the loop without getting seen but with the 3rd enemy activated) seems more difficult but it's actually a repeat of the exact same moves as step 1. I think Bill would have finished the level much sooner if he was less distracted by the stream

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Think I will play some more Worthy this weekend. Many of the later levels (levels 20-39) can be improved and played much faster than I did in the longplay video

Wow, I'd really like to see that! Only thing I'm worried is people thinking that these are the 'normal' ways to beat each stage (your near perfect score-run playthrough requires some serious gaming balls to pull off)!
You should give a big warning to kids not to try this at home

Oh and psst, you can improve your score on some of the earlier stages also

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by Tsak

Only thing I'm worried is people thinking that these are the 'normal' ways to beat each stage (your near perfect score-run playthrough requires some serious gaming balls to pull off)!
You should give a big warning to kids not to try this at home

You should record your own playthrough showing how the levels are meant to be played - The slow but safer way to complete the game

Originally Posted by Tsak

Oh and psst, you can improve your score on some of the earlier stages also

Any big improvements? I know many levels can be completed 1-2 seconds faster and level 32 is one I can do much better now. I can do this level with 42 seconds left. I also kill the blue blobs instead of the red ones for a slightly higher score.

1 second is worth 10 points and overall I think I can play through the game 100 seconds faster at most. This will just give me 1000 more points (.. and maybe I can get 500 more points for killing blue blobs too). This is cool, but not sure if a 1500 higher score is worth the time recording a better longplay.

Originally Posted by PopoCop

Did hipoonios make a longplay of Worthy? I can't see it on his YT channel.

Originally Posted by Clydos

Yeah, I would also like to know where to find hipoonios' video!

I recorded a longplay the same day the game was released. But wanted (and was suggested) to wait a few weeks before uploading. I had planned to upload today as today it is one month since game was released. But hear now the physical release was a bit delayed so maybe better to wait a little more?

[Clydos]

@Tsak: Thanks for your hint regarding level 14! Now I managed it. :-) Now I am in Level 17. Interesting; have no real idea how to handle that but I'll work that out. :-)

@hipoonios: Ah, ok, yeah, I think it is ok if you keep waiting for publishing it.

[Tsak]

@Clydos: Great! Have fun

Originally Posted by hipoonios

You should record your own playthrough showing how the levels are meant to be played - The slow but safer way to complete the game

I'd preffer to let people find their own solutions I think
Other than that, it's super useful for us to watch footage and get feedback from various players like you or Bill f.e. Gives us a great insight on the merits and issues of level design, gameplay and game design in general.

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Any big improvements? I know many levels can be completed 1-2 seconds faster and level 32 is one I can do much better now. I can do this level with 42 seconds left. I also kill the blue blobs instead of the red ones for a slightly higher score.

1 second is worth 10 points and overall I think I can play through the game 100 seconds faster at most. This will just give me 1000 more points (.. and maybe I can get 500 more points for killing blue blobs too). This is cool, but not sure if a 1500 higher score is worth the time recording a better longplay.

You're right. No major improvements, just small ones. The way the game is designed basically, it leaves the later, more complex and harder levels with more solutions and thus a larger window of opportunity for a bigger profit.

[Tsak]

Another bit of small news I forgot to mention earlier. Everyone who purchased the boxed version will ALSO recieve a printed A3 poster into the package

This was a last second addition basically.

[Tsak]

I was watching some videos the other day and I stumbled upon this one :
[ Show youtube player ]

'Game maker's toolkit' and 'Extra Credits' are 2 of my favourite youtube shows regarding game design and I'm really delighted to see the above episode (published on Jun 8, 2018 btw)!

How so and what all this has to do with Worthy you may ask?
Some months ago, while we were making the game, we had a dicussion with Alex about the score system, lives, infinite continues, the different endings and how all these aspects are interconnected and affect the game's difficulty in a profound way and on a deeper level. This discussion is relevant to what we talked with hipoonios a couple posts ago. Let me get into a bit more detail:

Worthy does not have a classic difficulty set (you can choose or change from a menu). Instead, the way the game is designed, it deliberately attempts to allow the player to modulate this himself, from the the way he chooses to approach each level and the end game in general.

So on the one hand, you've got the easiest possible setting to complete the game: you can disregard score, take your time and not rush each stage (which means no time badge), pickup only as few diamonds as Ruby requires in each level (and not all), kill as many enemies as needed to clear your way (and not take further chances) and finally completely disregard lives and make heavy use of the level unlock system and infinite continues. Doing so (even if it's still not an easy task), will eventually lead you to the final confrontation with Malek and the first game ending.

Most games at this point have already shown to the player everything there is to be seen (and I mean that from a gameplay perspective, regardless of the second ending), but not Worthy!
You see if the player decides to add into his playstyle any of the above parameters, this radically changes the strategy required to complete each level!

Take for example the very first, super simple, level 1: To finish it you just need to do one loop and collect 8 diamonds, then reach Ruby. No risk involved (plus you also win the 'time badge' in the process). Now if you want to collect all diamonds (33) and win the 'diamond badge', you need to get pass some spikes, which elevates the risk. Finally to win a 'Perfect' you not only need to collect all diamonds but also do this in time. This changes once more the way the level needs to be addressed, as you now have to find the optimal path and sequence in which to collect the diamonds, in relation to the loops the spikes around the level operate.
So, simplified, level 1 has 3 distinct difficulty sets (le't say easy, normal and hard) and each one corresponds to a completely different solution and goal for the player!

This pattern becomes even deeper as more elements are introduced later into the game and especially if someone decides to take the challenge with the second ending (which alters the required approach once more). I won't spoil it further as it's all into the manual anyway.

[jPV]

Hey, this is really great little game! I bought the download copy some days ago, and tried the ADF quickly under E-UAE... and couldn't resist to play few levels with that before even copying it to real Amiga... and found me finishing 14 levels Very addictive, and I'm impressed overal quality everywhere. Sound effects are greatly synced everywhere from menus to the game, nice graphics and animation, suprisingly good level design where new things appear all the time. Good that you've spend some time to design it! Even though it looks like a simple puzzle game, but there seem to be strategies to learn etc.. don't let enemies to see you etc deeper to find. I must say I'm really impressed with this small jewel I had finally time to install it on my Amiga and my wife did also play the first 14 levels now.. waiting for my turn to continue

[Nosferax]

Originally Posted by Tsak

Another bit of small news I forgot to mention earlier. Everyone who purchased the boxed version will ALSO recieve a printed A3 poster into the package

This was a last second addition basically.

Great! Can't wait to receive my copy. Seeing all the reviews and can't stand the wait.

[Tsak]

@ jPV: Thanks! It's always nice to get feedback!

@Nosferax: I'm waiting to recieve mine as well!

[Tsak]

Mystery pack arrived! Oh yeah!