Bubble Blitz Bad?
Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/Bubble Blitz Bad?
I need to start here by saying that on my computer the program Bubble Blitz is very smooth... It appears well coded and the music is not annoying.
But something lacks...
You pop the same colored bubbles next to each other... thats it... after a certain amount of time and pops you get a bomb to blow up something (presumably those singles but you never know...) and after a while a few more bubbles are scattered...
But that is it.
Perhaps I am missing something?
Perhaps it is geared for the VERY YOUNG??? (say 7 year olds) who would be frustrated by the games very short length?
More stuff nedds to happen OR be possible of happening... Maybe the ability to randomly reposition the bubbles into new locations... something...
Anyone else have any ideas... I mean the concept is ok and the programming is good. I am not trying to flame this program I want to know if anyone else noticed what I did.
You're right. That's it!
You could quite easily argue exactly the same about Tetris. Afterall, that's just falling blocks, and you create lines. But that is it! It doesn't even have bombs!
Bubble Blitz was geared towards people who don't play games. Both my parents regularly play Bubble Blitz and they rarely play any other games. Sure, they're my parents, but they aren't playing it to make me feel good - if they were they would have stopped many months ago.
Maybe they only play Bubble Blitz because they don't have any other games to play, they certainly don't look for them, although my Mum does have a gameboy advance.
I like simplicity in games, it does exactly what it was meant to do, and has sold a handlful of copies, so I'm happy.
Please Note: I'm not comparing Bubble Blitz to Tetris. I realize they're worlds apart, I'm just saying a game doesn't have to be complex to be fun.
Ben,
Yes... I see that similar simplificati0on in BBlitz and Tetris. For the record I hold the Texas Lutheran University High Score in Tetris (3,245,600) so I did play it just a bit and you are right. I am oversimplifyig (even if I can't spell oversimplifying right now (forum needs spellcheck))
I think the game is a good game. My 7 year old neice plays it too... constantly... She is sometimes frustrated by the shortness of the game. There is no way to reorganize the bubbles so sometimes she can only make about 12 moves then game over.
THAT is my only reason for my question... Can anything else be done?
You did a whizbang jjob on the coding... the game runs smooth and free... To date I have managed to score about 2100 points max... (have to check the high scores to be sure though!)
Is there any possibility of an upgrade to a version with a random reorder function or a block swirl function... Those two functions would make the game time longer...
I suppose I shouold have titled this Buble Blitz too short! I apologize for my BAD titling of the forum. That was my error and I hope it did not incense you too greatly!
RZ
I agree that it's simple, as I said that as the idea. I considered the ability to randomize things, but decided that was complicating things.
Being able to randomize at will would be open to abuse so there would need to be some sort of limit to it, maybe earning them by collecting points (similar to bombs), but that would mean another progress bar.
Maybe I'll do a more advanced version in the future but I have a couple of other games I'm working on now (both with more advanced gameplay :) ), so it's taking a back seat for the time being.
FWIW My personal best is approx 6500, so you have a way to go yet :)
A long way! I can't wait to see what you are doing... your games run smoothly and look very professional! :) I love the music in BubBlitz...
I didn't want to comment until the author had replied incase it was viewed as rude. I've played the game and found all aspects of it to be very professionally done BUT there is just something missing, somehow it seems a bit bland and there needs to be more to the gameplay. However, Bejewelled is also very simple by comparision too! To make XMas Bonus more interesting I added levels (for a feeling of progress) and bonus items, this seemed to be enough.
Rook - the music was written by Staffan Melin (
http://www.melinmusic.com/ ). HE does all the music for Retro 64's games as well (Best Friends etc), as well as a few other developers.
Grey - I did consider power ups and the like but, as I say, I wanted to keep things simple. This thread has got me thinking about changes to make though.
Hey, did he do the music for Platypus too?
Oops - got the url wrong. I don't think he made the music for Platypus. Platypus wasn't made by Mike. I believe the Platypus music was an update of a famous retro game. I don't actually remember what the game was though, and I know I've never played it (I'm too young) whatever it was.
Platypus was made by Anthony Flack but Retro64 polished it for release and I thought they might have done the very C64esque music which is why I asked. I'm pretty sure the music is Wizball and I'm amazed it can be copied so openly unless the original musician is the same (or gave permission). I uh did play it (Wizball) cos I'm old, and loved it, classic.
This thread has such a horrible name, sorry to keep bringing it to the top with my posts!
Ahh Wizball - I knew I'd recognise the name - I've still never played the original though :)
Idigicon got the rights to use the music from the original author in some exclusive deal.
A quick google shows this -
http://www.mobygames.com/game/platypusOn the right hand side are the credits including "Title Screen Music: Wizball 2000:
Martin Galway, Gareth Dolloway"
And don't worry about bumping it. Maybe someone will get curious and download the demo to see if they think it's bad :)
Here is the music_credits.txt file from the Retro64 version of Platypus. From what Mr Boeh has said previously, the only difference musically from Mr Flack's version is that all the sounds were converted to .ogg and the music from the level selection screen was reduced to a much smaller loop of the original.
Platypus Music, supplied by
http://www.C64Audio.comAll pieces used by permission.
Option Screen Music: "Flash Gordon", by Rob Hubbard. Performed by Alistair "Boz" Bowness and Chris Abbott.
From the CD "Back in Time 3"
(c) 1986 High Technology Publishing, (p) 2001 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Title Screen Music: "Wizball 2000" by Martin Galway, performed by Gareth "Tonka of Iridium" Dolloway.
From the CD "Back in Time 2"
(c) 1987 High Technology Publishing, (p) 1999 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level Select Music: "Shadowfire" by Fred Gray, performed by Darren Izzard, Chris Abbott and Alistair Bowness.
From the CD "Back in Time 3"
(c) 1985 High Technology Publishing, (p) 2001 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level 1 Music: "Comic Bakery" by Martin Galway, performed by Tomas Danko.
From the CD "Back in Time 2"
(c) 1986 High Technology Publishing Ltd., (p) 1999 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level 2 Music: "Sanxion Loading Theme" by Rob Hubbard, performed by Chris Abbott.
(c) 1986 High Technology Publishing Ltd. (p) 2000 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level 3 Music: "Ocean Loader 4" by Jonathan Dunn, performed by Alistair "Boz" Bowness.
From the CD "Karma64".
(c) 1987 Jonathan Dunn, (p) 2002 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level 4 Music: "Driller" by Matt Gray, performed by Darren "SeDi" Izzard.
From the CD "Back in Time 2"
(c) 1987 Matt Gray, (p) 1999 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level Boss Music 1: excerpt from "Trap" by Ben Daglish, performed by Chris Abbott, Alistair "Boz" Bowness and Jason "Kenz" Mackenzie.
Full version on the CD "Back in Time 3"
(c) 1986 High Technology Publishing Ltd., (p) 2001 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Level Boss Music 2: "Armalyte" by Martin Walker.
Performed by Fabian Del Priore, Tom Boecker, and Phil "Puffy64" Reifke.
From the CD "Back in Time 3"
(c) 1988 Martin Walker (p) 2001 High Technology Publishing Ltd.
CDs with this (and more) music on:
Back in Time 2:
http://www.c64audio.com/shopBack in Time 3:
http://www.backintime3.comKarma64:
http://www.slowpoison.orgThanks to George Bray at Idigicon for supporting the C64 remix community.
C64Audio.com/High Technology Publishing Ltd.
heh, some good music there!
" heh, some good music there! "
You can`t beat the greats :) I personally love this type of music. Nothing today matches those great melodies of yesteryear.
Jason.
and none of those links worked :(
I meant good music in that list, anyway ... only this link works:
http://www.C64Audio.com yes... I am hoping to add something for the effect of "reactive music" in my next game... by sequencing loops within the game program...
WHat I really like is your drop down system... it is smooth... how did you do that?
"bubble blitz" reminds me somewhat of "collapse 2."
Rook - who are you talking to? I don't know what drop down system you're talking about.
Stevie - I guess it's kind of like the Collapse games, only it doesn't sell as well :)
I like to think they're different though. Collapse is more about reaction times where Bubble Blitz gives you a bit more room to think. You don't get the bombs or bubble bonuses in Collapse either. Collapse certainly wasn't in my mind when I made Bubble Blitz, in fact I hadn't even made the connection until you mentioned it. There are so many games like this that comparing it to one of them seems unfair.
I assume you used an array to hold color locations?
: )
The drop down system refers to both the screen windows and the bubbles and the colored drops... they move down smoothly... I can never make mine do that well...
Ah ok.
The bubble positions are stored in an array of types (could also be a multi dimensional array). This means as well as storing the colour for each tile I can store other values. In this case there are x and y offsets.
So... as soon as a bubble is removed all the other bubbles are assigned their new positions. Any bubbles that move have their x and y offsets changed so that they move closer to their proper position each loop. The speeds are worked out so that they take about ten / fifteen frames to reach their homes.
so x and y are probably floats right. In XMas Bonus the shapes were objects with x# and y# and and an x and y speed component. The grid was an array, much like yours, and when something popped all the objects above it were allowed to fall and I actually applied gravity to them unlike all other match 3s I've seen. Then they accelerate down and stop when in an empty slot with a full one beneath. So basically the grid and the shapes were separate things that interacted with each other. This seem to give a nice smooth feel. Also when swapping two shapes, I did as binary did and work out how far they had to move in what time and set their x and y speeds accordingly and just let them get on with it. I used the Retro64 timing mthod not Delta Timing. What did you use Ben?
Grey, where can the Retro64 timing method be found? I`d like to read up on it but cannot find it. After asking Antony Flack once about the timing method used in Platypus he said that one was not used yet it seems to run fine on most peoples systems. Are timing methods like delta timing really worth implementing?
Jason.
For a pro game you MUST use a proper timing method to wnsure the speed is consistant on all machines. Most people use delta timing but I found the retro 64 method first and have stuck with that, for now ...
Anyway ...
;timing vars
Global LastTime%
Global NumTicks#
Global LastNumTicks#
Function InitTimingVars()
;set a first value for LastTime (it will be used in the main loop)
LastTime = MilliSecs()/MS
NumTicks = 0
LastNumTicks = 1
End Function
;Main code below
InitTimingVars()
Loop=1
Repeat
;for our purposes, a tick is based on FRAMERATE
;get in the time and make sure at least 1 tick expired
Repeat
TmpMS = MilliSecs()/MS
;little sanity check here in case the timer flips back to 0 :)
If TmpMS < LastTime Then LastTime = TmpMS - LastNumTicks
NumTicks = TmpMS - LastTime
Until NumTicks > 0
LastTime = TmpMS
;account for when the user alt-tabs :)
If NumTicks > 500 Then NumTicks = LastNumTicks
LastNumTicks = NumTicks
;now we do the logic loop ... from 1 not 0!
For i = 1 To NumTicks
;some game logic code (no drawing)
Next
;now the drawing code followed by flip
Until Loop=0
Sorry the spacing is messed up. Note that I'm using InitTimingVars() as a function because my game occasionally showed a dialog box in the main loop, this would mean when control was returned to the game, it processed too many logic frames so after the dialog was shown I just called InitTimingVars() and that reset the Retro64 method.
The above method is good when your game is run on fast machines, the problems occur when you try to run your game on slow machines. The reason I use Delta timing is that it scales well from the slowest to the fastest.
yes, but if your code is well optimised, it's totally fine. I'll do new games with Delta Time as it's the generally accepted standard.
I use delta timing for everything, nice and straight forward and works reliably on all pcs.
IMO unless there is loads of moving stuff the timing system used doesn't matter all that much, at least not for colour matchers. Obviously it's more important for shoot 'em ups and other action games that need consistent playback.
Thanks for all the info!
My match 3 DID need a timing system for sure to ensure all pieces fell at the same rate and swapped, plus that the particle effects moved with the correct gravity etc (you have all these things in your game too of course), and that stuff glowed at the right speed etc. Naughtily I didn't use timing code on the title pages and menus as of course as they weren't animated it didn't matter, although acraully the snow flakes on the title page are timed to vertical refresh which could vary from <60Hz (on machines failing to output every frame) to ~100Hz for high frequency nutters. But this really didn't matter too much as it's just snow!
Sometimes a snowflake is just a snowflake...
Yeah it didn't need Delta-Timed, alpha blended, scaled, rotated, mipmapped, anti-aliased snow flakes for sure :-)
cool, it works for me!
yep, works fine for me too now, great piece of work.
Fantastic for me... That is one smooth game there... Didja have much trouble with the adaption?
what about
waittimer (timer)
what are the disadvantages of that?
That does not take account of slower machines.
Rook - getting it to work online was pretty painless really. There were only a few small changes such as removing the quit button, and adding extra nag screens.
It was painless for me too. I'm gonna have an upsell
screen for when the user hits Exit Game instead of removing it.