2 replies to this topic

[fluffydino2000]

Hey there, I've been making a game called Mini Maze for a few days now and I'm trying to think of new items/mechanisms to add to it.

The game is lots small, top-down, maze-like puzzles in which the player, a blue square, must navigate to the finish. It is grid like in level design and has a very simple art style. Currently, there are three mechanisms to separate it from other maze games and make it a puzzle:

• Crates, pushable obstructions to the player.
• Pressure plates which remove fake walls while pressed. (can be pressed by a Crate)
• Teleporters, Sender and Reciever of Crates and the Player.

I have two other ideas which I am not entirely sure of:
Firstly, metal crates, can be pulled by an electro magnet from five blocks away. Cannot be pushed manually but the electro magnet can. The issue with this is that I'm not sure how I shall turn the magnet on if it is moveable.
Secondly, Ice on which both players and other moveable objects slide on in the same direction until they are stopped, the player has no control of movement while sliding but does when stationary.

As well as feedback on those ideas, I would also appreciate more ideas. Any ideas will be appreciated as even if they don't suit the game, they may give me other ideas.

Thanks!

[mach3000]

I would definitely add the ice block/tile idea, it sounds like a must-have to make things more challenging.

Maybe the item that pushes/pulls the metal block has limited energy. So if the thing has 3 energies, it can only pull/push the metal block 3 spaces. So maybe go through the stage and collect more energy cells. Maybe you'll need to unblock passage ways to get to the rooms with the energy cells.

Maybe add holes on the path that need to be filled with a crate in order to cross the path.

Any enemies that walk back and forth that you need to avoid? or leaving them out to make it more of a "puzzle" game and not a "timing/puzzle" game?

Maybe a block that has spikes/(something harmful) on just one of the four sides and you can slam that crate into walls to break them? And you'll also have to add a rotation tile that rotates a block 90 degrees or something.

Time bomb blocks that have a number on them that count down everytime you move it.

Mirror blocks that redirect light. For some reason you'll have to get light into some key hole somewhere to open a door or something. Or maybe it's a laser beam to light a fuse to a bomb to blow up a rock wall.

A robot companion block that mirrors your every move on the other side of the maze but the maze on the other end will be different. Even though you're taking a step into a wall, your companion can still take a step if there's no wall there. Make it so you both need to step on a tile to turn something on/off.

[fluffydino2000]

I will add the ice blocks to the game, it should help with the score system to keep you thinking. The score system is for every action you do, points are added to you score, moving is 1 point, pushing the crate is 5... so if there is ice, there'll potentially be less moves necessary.

As for the energy, there isn't really enough space per level, as the name suggests, each maze is quite small (15x15 including the border). Because of this, I doubt I'll have space to fit different energy cells. However, you did give me the idea of having tiles on which there is a number and lightning symbol (symbolising energy). The number would have the same affect as the number of energies but only on that tile. I would then put in a few different ones so as not to give away the one necessary and potentially have multiple per level so the order is most important.

I certainly like the idea of a crate to drop in a hole, as it is now, the crates must be pushed out the way so are an obstacle rather than a tool. Also, this would allow the use of multiple crates i.e. push the normal crate in to get the magnet across.

I am trying to avoid conflict in the game as the only way it would be resolved is with skill rather than logic, this would then take the sureness of a logical player and their ability to beat the game with full scores. I wan this as I may add a medal system per level; Copper=completed, Bronze=100>necessary, Silver=50>necessary, Gold=10>necessary and Platinum=perfect score.

I don't see a need to destroy crates, however, it did give me the idea of a radiator block which would slide across ice, destroying it, or maybe wouldn't slide.

I will add the time bombs, maybe make metal ones as well. I'll make these destroy crates, only as an obstacle as the crates would be useful.

The Lasers I may implement to power magnets from a distance, however, I won't use the mirrors as I feel they would be too awkward to fit in a maze. This is also probably true for the companion, however, I may make co-op levels with larger mazes.

Thank you for the feedback and great ideas.

Edited by fluffydino2000, 27 June 2012 - 02:35 PM.