Awkwords - a word puzzle game

#1 Wow... another word game! just like my word game :) (I mean the genre). I will play it right now.

#2 Hey Mike:

I have played your game for ten minutes...

My first impression is very possitive since I love word games and I'm making a word game myself.

But....

(and I hope to not be rude or negative)

Take into account that word games are not well accepted now by most publishers (it was a hard punch for me) but that there are lots of people that love word games :) and this will be a good motivation.

I really believe that your game needs a pause function! It is very frustrating to be distracted for a friend, coworker, or the phone, and you will lost your game if you have not a pause game function.

This is what I can suggest.

Commenting some of my word game functions, if you wish I will share some with you ;)

Pause Game.
Word Length Counter (this way player can see if his strength are short or length words).
Word Length minimum Requeriment as you progress (beginning levels requires minimum 3 letters words and then up to six as minimum).
I have some powerups and gems that you collect making combos (it is pretty challenging to make three word of 5 letters for instance.... so if player receive a reward, more points or something cool, that will be great).
I have three difficulty levels (Easy, normal and hard). Maybe you will do the same and give the player a more challenging or easy game (less speed, less time).


I'm commenting this because I have received some feedback from publishers from previous projects and they always say: look at the top ten sales games... from this I guess that if our games have more cool functions we will have better odds to be accepted.

Any way, I believe that your game is pretty original and fun. Good luck!

Isaac

#3 @Mike,

You have a function that I would love to implement in my game but I can't. I don't expect an answer from you, but if possible, I would be greatly thankful: how can you stop the clock at the beginning of the game without stop the whole scene? I mean, clock is stop and letters are moving along the screen?

I don't want a function but if possible, some directions to achieve that ;)

PS. And don't forget your company logo and splash screen and maybe you should change the TGB splash image for one excluding garage games logo (unless they publish your game, I guess). And publishers requires games without web links :( incluging garage games and yours)

#4 Hi Isaac,

I don't mind sharing how the clock works. It's pretty straightforward. It's just a function that's scheduled to go off once a second.

Here's the code with the boring parts edited out:

function Level::onLevelLoaded(%this, %scenegraph) 
{
  $secondsElapsed = 0;
  $secondsLeft = 45;
  
  $points = 0;
  $words = 0;

  $paused = true;
  %this.tick();

  loadInstructionsPopup();  // not shown here, but clicking the ok button sets $paused to false before unloading itself.  
}

function Level::tick(%this)
{
 if (!$paused)
 {
   $secondsLeft--;  

   updateClockDisplay(); 

   if ($secondsLeft == 0)
     %this.endGame();
   else
     %this.schedule(1000,"tick");

   if ($secondsLeft <= 10)
     playSound(warningSound);

   $secondsElapsed++;  
   if ($secondsElapsed % $accelerationInterval == 0)
     myPlayfield.setSpeed(myPlayfield.getSpeed() + $accelerationBoost);   
 } else {
  // Keep ticking, for the love of God!
  %this.schedule(1000,"tick");   
 }
}

Pretty straightforward, lots of global variables used because I'm lazy.

Quote:PS. And don't forget your company logo and splash screen and maybe you should change the TGB splash image for one excluding garage games logo (unless they publish your game, I guess). And publishers requires games without web links :( incluging garage games and yours)

That's all good business advice. I've got the Indie TGB, and didn't realize going into it that it was going to be such a problem (e.g., the game's icon is stuck with the big TGB icon, most publisher's don't like the splash screens / link back to garage games, and so on.)

Anyway, I submitted the game yesterday to Big Fish Games and Reflexive, so I'm waiting to see if they show any encouragement before spending any more time and money on it. I could always try selling it myself, but frankly, that sounds like a painful way to get my hopes dashed.

Quote:
Pause Game.
Word Length Counter (this way player can see if his strength are short or length words).
Word Length minimum Requeriment as you progress (beginning levels requires minimum 3 letters words and then up to six as minimum).
I have some powerups and gems that you collect making combos (it is pretty challenging to make three word of 5 letters for instance.... so if player receive a reward, more points or something cool, that will be great).
I have three difficulty levels (Easy, normal and hard). Maybe you will do the same and give the player a more challenging or easy game (less speed, less time).

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to hold on to them.

Also, it's not mentioned in the instructions for the game, but you can hit space to pause.

Quote:
Any way, I believe that your game is pretty original and fun. Good luck!

Thanks!

#5 Thanks Mike,

I will check that function later to see if I can implement it in my game.

I have a software to change the icon. If you trust me i can change the icon for you, I just need the exe file, not the whole folder ;) so you will keep your game safe. If eventually you want me to help you with this, just send me the exe file and the icon you want to use to ibarbosar@hotmail.com or ask me there for my non public e-mail adress.

#6 I forgot:

Maybe you will want to change the direction of the letters going from right to left to left to right from time to time.

#7 Isaac,

Can you hook me up with that icon changing program? I'd really appreciate it.

My email:

syreal14@yahoo.com

EDIT:

Oh yeah! I'm going to be trying this game out as well!

#8 Hi Kevin,

the website is:

http://www.shelllabs.com/

If you want I do that for you just sent me the exe and the icon you want to use and I will sent you the new exe back asap. (I know it would be expensive to buy a program just to change one icon).

cheers

Isaac

#9 can anyone help me, how to access the iPhone dictionary...I'm trying to make a simple word game in which I want to compare the words which user makes with the dictionary and validate it....plz help!!!
Thanks in advance.

#10 there is no such think as "the iPhone dictionary". You must create it through script or a database. In my case, I have used a script containing the words as variables and then I handle them in my game.