Build 102

[rob]

Hi folks,

After a couple of weeks off due to summer vacation, we are back with a new update, build 102. Changes include:

* Create new dungeon infrastructure with limited driving surface
* Replace tutorial walls with limited tiles
* Add "/testdungeon" command to test new dungeon stuff

We are building this new stuff so that we can support squadron HQs, personal garages, dungeon crawls, "time-trial" challenges, clan-v-clan battle arenas and other fun features.

Thanks for bearing with us during the slower months of summer. We'll be back with another build next week. And as always, thanks for helping us test the game.

Rob & Tim
Jetbolt Games

[tarbomb]

In dungeons it appears as though I have lost some amount of HP, but other players see me as having full HP. This is fixed by switching tanks.



Also, friendlies sometime appear as though they're slightly outside the dungeon boundaries:

[Justin]

Very curious about whether dungeon tiles will be visible even if there's no clear path to it available.

(in other words, will dungeons be like sprite worlds in realm, or will empty space act as walls preventing you from 'looking over'?)

Triggers (like scattergun, bombs that launch forward, and everything scorpion does) are able to travel into the void. If dungeon paths have a thin void-wall separation, will we be able to attack enemies across that (vice versa)?

Or will that scenario be completely avoided by never allowing paths to make two rights or two lefts until they're out of range of the tiles visible on a player's screen?

I hope that makes sense, I can't really think of a way to explain this clearly.

---

Dungeon checkpoints = towns generated in the dungeon? Or dying in a dungeon = Back to origin?

[Ood]

Uhh, no way to exit dungeons yet?

[fire]

/leave allows you to exit the dungeon.

[Ood]

Ah, thanks Fire. Green 10x10 squares are cool, but it was beginning to feel like a jail cell.

Also, general feedback:
While all the new content updates in the near future sound very cool, I think a good hard look at the HUD aesthetics is warranted. I realize the theme of the game is somewhat retro-arcade, but I don't think that should mean the HUD can look... amateurish.

Things that are cool (in my book at least):
Tank-shield display.
Map-markers for party/convoy/patrol/towns
Direction indicator for tank
The 'dynamic' HUD features (with the possible exception of the HP bar)

Things that are okay:
Buy, sell, inventory, craft buttons
Coin, region, convoy kill displays
Triggers (especially those with cooldown displayed), though different colors could be explored here in my opinion.

Things that look not very good.
Prisms, both mini-view and full-view
XP bar, especially at multi-digit levels when the level gets off-centered.
Search, leaderboard, stats, origin, tanks, options buttons

Things that need to be added:
SIMPLE tooltips for all buttons/icons that don't have one:
Craft Table
Inventory
Buy Offers
Etc.

New XP bar, immediately below triggers, as thin line with (simple) tooltip for level/xp to levelup

Edits of current items:
Simplification of tooltips for buttons that do have one
Coins
Cleared Regions // Convoy Spawn Rate Bonus
Defeated Convoys
Origin (Z)
Tank Menu

New buttons for origin/tank menu that match size/style of other game buttons
Removal of grey background on all buttons similar to how Coins/cleared regions/convoy kills are.
Removal of FPS viewer unless enabled by user, move coin/region/convoy count left, and inventory button group up.
Move Prism display over to hug right side of screen closer.

Questionable items:
Prisms? How to display these in a way that doesn't suck

[Ood]

Other dilemmas:

Game is still boring. Yes, I'm going to beat the horse some more.

How to make static enemies fun? Add dynamic elements. Add interactions with other towers, add dynamic statistics to major enemy components (let stats of towers vary), add SOMETHING that makes the same old same old fresh with repeat encounters.

Will this be the last time I plea for something interesting being added to the game? I rather doubt it since either most of my other feedback on the subject is ignored or passed over for something 'better' (if anyone else [namely Rob & Tim] has better ideas to make the game more fun, by all means share them).

The core of this game is still boring.

[israphial]

Gotta agree with you on that one Ood, there's just nothing keeping people playing right now. The gameplay is static and predictable.

[renenutet]

Its been for-e-ver since I've posted, but I have to agree with Ood. There's nothing keeping me attentive with the game. Like, hell, it would be so ridiculously easy to bot due to its predictability. It shouldn't be like this.

[Kelsoo]

Hi Rob, can we please change the sound that the Hurricane, Wildfire and Thunderbolt make on their "lightning" attacks. Thanks.

[Will]

If there's gonna be dungeons, their should be rare artifacts or something of that nature that can buff your tank in a way. Like, maybe have a slot for artifacts like you have for modules, except that you can equip and un-equip these artifacts (or whatever you want to call them). Artifacts should be extremely rare drops, almost like white bags in Realm, and in the case of artifacts, the drop should be for only one person, making the rareness of these items even more. I'm thinking perhaps a .1% drop rate from a dungeon boss as an example, and perhaps example artifact also gives a 5% damage buff to all types of damage dealt by the tank (so Mustang's Neutrino Blast or any other ability that deals any sort of damage also receives this buff, another example would be Dragon's Isophasic Plasma Cone) as well as a 5% Hitpoint bonus, and a 5% speed bonus as well.

I dunno, it's just an idea to provide some variety in the items that we get, because people love loot and adding another type of loot would be an exciting update to this game, especially when that loot is as rare as an 'artifact'.

[Ood]

Will

In a game such as this (especially as it is now) an item's drop rate does not determine its rarity. Sure, it may make it more difficult to get said item, but if you make OP items drop from specific things only, then these specific things are going to be cherry picked until the desired result is obtained. Decreasing drop rate only increases grind time to items (Pulches for example).

Drops for only one person are against the foundations of this game.

We don't need any further items to make the game any easier.

This is not Realm of the Mad God 2, it is Grid 12.

[fire]

Jul 1, 2014 19:24:02 GMT -5 Ood said:

Will

In a game such as this (especially as it is now) an item's drop rate does not determine its rarity. Sure, it may make it more difficult to get said item, but if you make OP items drop from specific things only, then these specific things are going to be cherry picked until the desired result is obtained. Decreasing drop rate only increases grind time to items (Pulches for example).

Drops for only one person are against the foundations of this game.

We don't need any further items to make the game any easier.

This is not Realm of the Mad God 2, it is Grid 12.

rare items are fun. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything "useful", however perhaps it could unlock a new skin for your tank, or give your tank a certain colored glow around it etc. grinding for rare items was one of the biggest reasons I had even played rotmg back in 2011/2012. Everyone likes different things however, but I can guarantee you that if everyone can get everything in the game without having to work for it, the game isn't going to be very successful, since a large group of people believe that owning everything in a game is equivalent to beating it.

[Ood]

Fire:
Rare and useful is different than rare and vanity. I'm all for something rare that's useable for cool looks.

I don't really think Grid needs Realm style UTs, rare things that do things unrelated to actual gameplay, sure sounds fun.

[rob]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I appreciate it.