I mean... you can teleport around by tossing an item. Should I add more? :D
It opens up to fun strategies in PvP and faster explorations in PvE games, becoming a very versatile tool. I would have probably avoided to copy the exact Minecraft name, but other than that, it's great
I appreciate the custom menu where to choose your character and the fact that those are actually animated. Yet, in that menu there are way too many things (leaderboard, instructions) and, speaking about instructions, I didn't even notice them in the first run.
Gameplay in general feels kind of too much slow paced if you don't take some specific power up, which makes the game not that fun - especially because it's easier to blow yourself up by accident than killing someone else. Maybe with some work it can become a nice mode to play
I had to modify one of the files (there was an end missing) in order to launch the game. This makes me wonder whether the author tested the project before releasing it, making me lean for a negative answer.
Once I fixed the game, things didn't improve, as there was literally nothing to do. I wonder why this has been submitted if players can't do anything
There are several aspects that let players understand how this game is either unfinished or at least not polished. First of all, the very first GUI is editable. Then, players are supposed to build the level themselves by placing entities in the maze; and, speaking about the maze, there are grass blocks inside which are also breakable by default (ruining the experience). Last but not least, my character wasn't picking up yellow dots when touching them, forcing me to hit each one of them. Too bad
When players install a game (so a complete experience), they're not expected to check out the readme. Especially because they can install it directly from MT
First of all, there is an AI regulating how the other participants work. That alone deserves a thumb up.
Then, the author took care of the aesthetic, both with a custom main menu, a nice soundtrack and a clear UI/UX (power-ups as symbols, visible effects, a menu where to pick your driver): all these things require a lot of effort, so chapeau for the work done, especially considering that there was a window of time of 20 days.
My critiques derive from the laggy camera and the overall speed. About the former, I don't know if it's because of a MT limitation (with the author trying to find a workaround), but it makes me also think about whether MT can actually feature fast paced games like racing games or not. I should investigate the code to have an answer but... I'll leave the pleasure to others. About the overall speed, I think it was too slow, and that the turbo boost was too short.
The game is definitely not finished (for instance, there are no laps) and I don't know if it's well suited for an engine like MT, but I expect to see at least a special mention to this: congratulations to the author.
(as I've said below another 2021 Jam game, consider converting it into a minigame with arena_lib)
I know I might sound annoying, but if the aesthetic of the game engine revolves around voxels, why not using squared objects whenever it's possible? On the contrary, everything implemented is a custom round model (hot-air balloons, coins), making the game uselessly heavier whilst breaking the aesthetic at the same time.
Graphics aside, the first world didn't work, commands felt clumsy, and I found no way to go back up with the air-balloon. I basically couldn't play properly
The game consists in running around a huge maze, hoping to find a couple items to make your life easier (especially dynamite) and potentially fighting a few guards who caught you. I was expecting something more stealth (like, with guards closing on you when caught, GTA-like), prisoners to interact with, and with a different soundtrack - which in my opinion doesn't fit that well.
Also, to finish the game, you just have to jump into the void. When I first saw that, I thought I just broke the game, but apparently that's what it was supposed to happen. It looks to me that this was more a challenge for the author themselves to create a procedural map than a well thought game experience
I had to check on CDB (which brought me to check a forum post) in order to understand what to do. The game should explain itself, players are not expected to browse through an offline manual.
The three colours mechanic can open up to some interesting aspects, but as for now you only have to copy 1:1 a picture on a forum. Personally, that's not entertaining nor challenging at all
Game is simple to grasp, but there is no way to go back up in case you fall down. That's a huge problem, which is mainly why my vote is negative.
In general, it was ok and the icons on the blocks were pretty clean and straightforward. My suggestion is to convert it into a minigame to feature inside a bigger project (whether it's singleplayer or online) rather than have it as a stand-alone one.
Last but not least, the inventory could have been removed, and instructions could have been made more visible (MT chat quality is... debatable)
This is one of the two games from the 2021 Jam (along with Subway Miner) that I've kept installed on my PC, because I really want to see what the author can come up with. Yes, as for now there is not a lot to do, but it looks like a solid foundation to potentially build something entertaining. Kenney assets help conveying a brightful atmosphere (using exisisting libre assets was smart), and you can see the author cared about the artistic aspect since the very beginning, as they customised the main menu and added a soundtrack.
I would have increased the flying speed, as it's very slow if someone doesn't press AUX1, but... yeah, let's see what it'll become
The author paid attention to graphical details, but as I've already said with Stella (another Jam entry), why exactly feature a game with basically no voxels in a voxel engine? Why not on Godot, to name one?
Graphics aside, punching things makes the game crash, time doesn't work and I think that it was used too much text to explain some basic concepts that could have been indirectly narrated
I think that, to me, this is the most polished and fun game to play of the whole 2021 jam. I'm not that into puzzle games, but this was very fun and challenging to play. The humour adds personality and little breaks from the challenge, alongside levels that don't tend to be repetitive, always adding something new.
My only critique is how much the game punishes players, making them start from the very beginning when they fail a level (that's what happened to me in the one requiring spatial memory, and I refused to start again). Infinite potions or making people restart that specific level might be a better solution that avoids excessive frustration
The portal idea unveiling new areas is absolutely great: I can already imagine an RPG requiring you some specific items to unlock certain locations, and I'd really like to push the author to continue it along this modding path. Unfortunately, this is a game and I think that, as such, it turns repetitive after a while. Lack of instructions didn't help either, I had to check out on CDB what to do
I get that formats like these work on MineCRAFT servers where you have a limited amount of time to copy something whilst racing against other players, but a single-player version felt just... boring, to me. Especially the idea that players had to manually go buying things in a physical space (with signs not always that readable and a flight mode not fast enough) instead of using a polished GUI.
Using blocks as instructions is another thing I would have avoided, as it doesn't allow to easily geolocalise the game.
On the bright side, the author took time to customise the main menu and to add some music, which are always nice things to have
My main problem with the game was that I didn't understand what to do. Like, I get that you can ride boxes (which are supposed to be bicycles I guess), but after that, what exactly? I was happy to see the game has a custom main menu and a soundtrack (too loud in my opinion), and that the author implemented nose-ups just for the sake it (nice touch!), but then the content was immediately over. I guess it's still a WIP
There are games that are somehow based on luck, but here it's just pure luck. I personally don't get where is supposed to be the fun/challenge in pressing a cube, hoping that it's not the wrong one, over and over. Music and main menu are very nice, but the gaming experience is quite debatable (and kind of absent, it's just one room)
The game experience had started quite nice with a custom main menu and a BGM, but I then found myself lost into too many inputs with no instructions whatsoever. It feels very "developer"-oriented, with a lot of written parameters on the screen (some of them can be easily converted into icons, like the hunger, maybe placed near the health). I know there are instructions here on CDB, but players are not expected to check out a manual before playing: the game should be able to explain itself to them, whether it is via tutorials, hints etc.
Also, the very first launch didn't work, I had to make another world, and I'm personally not a fan of round objects in voxel worlds. Having cuboids for most of the objects would make the game way more lightweight (it took a lot to download compared to other games) and possibly nicer
If you want my two cents, programming is just what translates what you want to do in the actual act: shape out an overall idea first and then, when you think it might work, convert it into code and assets. Good luck with your projects!
I was really happy to see a game taking place in some sort of Ancient Egypt: the first map was really on point talking about level design, wide outside and narrow inside. A few decorations more would have totally helped, and as general taste I would avoid completely round objects inside a voxel game (ie. columns).
However, I wasn't able to understand the sense of the game, especially the white room that was way different from the rest (is the character inside a mental institution? Is there an end? Am I supposed to endlessly cicle?). Unfortunately, gameplay comes before atmosphere (games with a wonderful graphics but with poor gameplay < games with a poor graphics and wonderful gameplay), hence the negative vote.
That's definitely not the first game that would pop into my mind when thinking about Minetest (and I don't even think it's a great stand-alone game concept, it feels more like a minigame) but the author made a really nice job porting an endless runner videogame into Minetest. Collecting coins is rewarding, it can jump AND slide (the dead animation also works perfectly, congratulations for using the tools the game already gives you), and with the music defaulted to on it would have been even better.
If I have to find some critiques, putting it into a cave would have made more sense with the title, as the empty sky is somehow out of context. Also, I think that, after a while, the author just copy-pasted a piece of the map over and over, but (if I'm right) it's a jam and it's totally understandable.
P.S.: I know that saying the following isn't impartial as I'm the author, but consider to use arena_lib to turn it into a really nice minigame that people can put into their servers
This was the first game from the jam that I've seen having a custom icon and background image in the main menu, so +1. Unfortunately, inputs felt a bit clumsy (maybe because I'm used to MisterE Snake 3D, and I admit that it's not that easy to calibrate anyway) and even playing in third person doesn't help as the body of the snake basically covers the whole camera
The first thing I don't understand is why there are monsters roaming through this warehouse. It looks like a puzzle game where you have to find these special presents, but it feels like the author thought fighting was a must have, forcing these creatures in the game. They don't seem to add anything special to it (also, when damaged, they have no feedback but the HP bar changing on their head).
Another thing I can't seem to grasp is how the aisles counting works. I... just can't navigate through them properly, so I have no idea of what present I should open. Furthermore, instructions in chat aren't that handy (why not a GUI or an HUD?) and, if you die, you respawn outside the warehouse, breaking the game
I had to check out on CDB how to play because I was expecting to do something with the screwdriver from the very beginning instead of using my fists. If the bar would have been reduced to 2 slots, it might have resulted more intuitive. Or even better, giving the screwdriver only when needed.
Texture pack is nice, but sounds are missing and, more importantly, there is no rewarding feeling when a level is completed, as the player gets automatically teleported into the next one. Some delay to have players look around (maybe followed with a jingle) would be nice. Also, I personally got bored after a few levels rather than feeling challenged
I understand that it was made for a jam and the author might have not had the time to clean it up, but having to manually move the map into a world folder can't be ignored - as who plays is not expected to read the description here on CDB.
A soundtrack would have helped a lot to convey the right atmosphere, and in general I wasn't able to understand how to play (I couldn't place anything). Too bad, because I think this game has potential, so I really hope to see the author polish it!
I had liked that there was an initial context welcoming the player (even if no sound), but it turned into a repetitive clicker after a while; the objective is to keep farming, and unlocking new areas needs players to stand still in front of them for an amount of time that increases according to the number of resources needed (I would have put a default time, maybe with a nice sound).
Most importantly, though, why there is not even a cube? I think the author wanted to experiment, but areas could have been squares instead of hexagons (meaning also less models to download). Furthermore, I personally don't like perfectly round objects placed into a voxel context, as they result out of place, so I think that - graphically speaking - it could have been way better with way less effort and resources. Seeing all these non-squared 3D models I wonder: why on Minetest and not, for instance, on Godot?
The game started well with a nice pixel art icon in the main menu bar, but then there was no immersion into the atmosphere: lack of music, lack of context (there is a guy exchanging items and brown monsters, with no further info provided) and lack of monster boundaries, attacking the player whilst talking with the merchant. In general, I haven't understood the purpose of the game and experienced a crash at the very first launch
There is no issue tracker anymore because, as it's an archived project on GitLab, I don't want people to ask for new features (the main repo says "ARCHIVED", but just in case). ContentDB generates the issue tracker link automatically, I'll just remove it, thanks
All this to say most people won't do the effort to play Minetest instead of Minecraft just because it's free, especially when it's not as efficient/fun as the original. So sod it, let's create something which is not constrained by what Minecraft is in the first place WHILE explaining people the importance of free software! And in order to do so, MTG must go.
I mean... you can teleport around by tossing an item. Should I add more? :D
It opens up to fun strategies in PvP and faster explorations in PvE games, becoming a very versatile tool. I would have probably avoided to copy the exact Minecraft name, but other than that, it's great
I'd start with simpler buildings then, because you can't compare the time required to build your first pickaxe with your first current altar :P
I appreciate the custom menu where to choose your character and the fact that those are actually animated. Yet, in that menu there are way too many things (leaderboard, instructions) and, speaking about instructions, I didn't even notice them in the first run.
Gameplay in general feels kind of too much slow paced if you don't take some specific power up, which makes the game not that fun - especially because it's easier to blow yourself up by accident than killing someone else. Maybe with some work it can become a nice mode to play
I had to modify one of the files (there was an
endmissing) in order to launch the game. This makes me wonder whether the author tested the project before releasing it, making me lean for a negative answer.Once I fixed the game, things didn't improve, as there was literally nothing to do. I wonder why this has been submitted if players can't do anything
There are several aspects that let players understand how this game is either unfinished or at least not polished. First of all, the very first GUI is editable. Then, players are supposed to build the level themselves by placing entities in the maze; and, speaking about the maze, there are grass blocks inside which are also breakable by default (ruining the experience). Last but not least, my character wasn't picking up yellow dots when touching them, forcing me to hit each one of them. Too bad
When players install a game (so a complete experience), they're not expected to check out the readme. Especially because they can install it directly from MT
First of all, there is an AI regulating how the other participants work. That alone deserves a thumb up.
Then, the author took care of the aesthetic, both with a custom main menu, a nice soundtrack and a clear UI/UX (power-ups as symbols, visible effects, a menu where to pick your driver): all these things require a lot of effort, so chapeau for the work done, especially considering that there was a window of time of 20 days.
My critiques derive from the laggy camera and the overall speed. About the former, I don't know if it's because of a MT limitation (with the author trying to find a workaround), but it makes me also think about whether MT can actually feature fast paced games like racing games or not. I should investigate the code to have an answer but... I'll leave the pleasure to others. About the overall speed, I think it was too slow, and that the turbo boost was too short.
The game is definitely not finished (for instance, there are no laps) and I don't know if it's well suited for an engine like MT, but I expect to see at least a special mention to this: congratulations to the author.
(as I've said below another 2021 Jam game, consider converting it into a minigame with arena_lib)
I know I might sound annoying, but if the aesthetic of the game engine revolves around voxels, why not using squared objects whenever it's possible? On the contrary, everything implemented is a custom round model (hot-air balloons, coins), making the game uselessly heavier whilst breaking the aesthetic at the same time.
Graphics aside, the first world didn't work, commands felt clumsy, and I found no way to go back up with the air-balloon. I basically couldn't play properly
The game consists in running around a huge maze, hoping to find a couple items to make your life easier (especially dynamite) and potentially fighting a few guards who caught you. I was expecting something more stealth (like, with guards closing on you when caught, GTA-like), prisoners to interact with, and with a different soundtrack - which in my opinion doesn't fit that well.
Also, to finish the game, you just have to jump into the void. When I first saw that, I thought I just broke the game, but apparently that's what it was supposed to happen. It looks to me that this was more a challenge for the author themselves to create a procedural map than a well thought game experience
I had to check on CDB (which brought me to check a forum post) in order to understand what to do. The game should explain itself, players are not expected to browse through an offline manual.
The three colours mechanic can open up to some interesting aspects, but as for now you only have to copy 1:1 a picture on a forum. Personally, that's not entertaining nor challenging at all
Game is simple to grasp, but there is no way to go back up in case you fall down. That's a huge problem, which is mainly why my vote is negative.
In general, it was ok and the icons on the blocks were pretty clean and straightforward. My suggestion is to convert it into a minigame to feature inside a bigger project (whether it's singleplayer or online) rather than have it as a stand-alone one.
Last but not least, the inventory could have been removed, and instructions could have been made more visible (MT chat quality is... debatable)
This is one of the two games from the 2021 Jam (along with Subway Miner) that I've kept installed on my PC, because I really want to see what the author can come up with. Yes, as for now there is not a lot to do, but it looks like a solid foundation to potentially build something entertaining. Kenney assets help conveying a brightful atmosphere (using exisisting libre assets was smart), and you can see the author cared about the artistic aspect since the very beginning, as they customised the main menu and added a soundtrack.
I would have increased the flying speed, as it's very slow if someone doesn't press AUX1, but... yeah, let's see what it'll become
I'm sure I was on 1.0, so this should have been fixed
The author paid attention to graphical details, but as I've already said with Stella (another Jam entry), why exactly feature a game with basically no voxels in a voxel engine? Why not on Godot, to name one?
Graphics aside, punching things makes the game crash, time doesn't work and I think that it was used too much text to explain some basic concepts that could have been indirectly narrated
I think that, to me, this is the most polished and fun game to play of the whole 2021 jam. I'm not that into puzzle games, but this was very fun and challenging to play. The humour adds personality and little breaks from the challenge, alongside levels that don't tend to be repetitive, always adding something new.
My only critique is how much the game punishes players, making them start from the very beginning when they fail a level (that's what happened to me in the one requiring spatial memory, and I refused to start again). Infinite potions or making people restart that specific level might be a better solution that avoids excessive frustration
Sure: sky loaded but it was empty all around me, probably there wasn't even the ground. I'm happy to see fixes these fast :)
The portal idea unveiling new areas is absolutely great: I can already imagine an RPG requiring you some specific items to unlock certain locations, and I'd really like to push the author to continue it along this modding path. Unfortunately, this is a game and I think that, as such, it turns repetitive after a while. Lack of instructions didn't help either, I had to check out on CDB what to do
I get that formats like these work on MineCRAFT servers where you have a limited amount of time to copy something whilst racing against other players, but a single-player version felt just... boring, to me. Especially the idea that players had to manually go buying things in a physical space (with signs not always that readable and a flight mode not fast enough) instead of using a polished GUI.
Using blocks as instructions is another thing I would have avoided, as it doesn't allow to easily geolocalise the game.
On the bright side, the author took time to customise the main menu and to add some music, which are always nice things to have
My main problem with the game was that I didn't understand what to do. Like, I get that you can ride boxes (which are supposed to be bicycles I guess), but after that, what exactly? I was happy to see the game has a custom main menu and a soundtrack (too loud in my opinion), and that the author implemented nose-ups just for the sake it (nice touch!), but then the content was immediately over. I guess it's still a WIP
There are games that are somehow based on luck, but here it's just pure luck. I personally don't get where is supposed to be the fun/challenge in pressing a cube, hoping that it's not the wrong one, over and over. Music and main menu are very nice, but the gaming experience is quite debatable (and kind of absent, it's just one room)
The game experience had started quite nice with a custom main menu and a BGM, but I then found myself lost into too many inputs with no instructions whatsoever. It feels very "developer"-oriented, with a lot of written parameters on the screen (some of them can be easily converted into icons, like the hunger, maybe placed near the health). I know there are instructions here on CDB, but players are not expected to check out a manual before playing: the game should be able to explain itself to them, whether it is via tutorials, hints etc.
Also, the very first launch didn't work, I had to make another world, and I'm personally not a fan of round objects in voxel worlds. Having cuboids for most of the objects would make the game way more lightweight (it took a lot to download compared to other games) and possibly nicer
If you want my two cents, programming is just what translates what you want to do in the actual act: shape out an overall idea first and then, when you think it might work, convert it into code and assets. Good luck with your projects!
I was really happy to see a game taking place in some sort of Ancient Egypt: the first map was really on point talking about level design, wide outside and narrow inside. A few decorations more would have totally helped, and as general taste I would avoid completely round objects inside a voxel game (ie. columns).
However, I wasn't able to understand the sense of the game, especially the white room that was way different from the rest (is the character inside a mental institution? Is there an end? Am I supposed to endlessly cicle?). Unfortunately, gameplay comes before atmosphere (games with a wonderful graphics but with poor gameplay < games with a poor graphics and wonderful gameplay), hence the negative vote.
That's definitely not the first game that would pop into my mind when thinking about Minetest (and I don't even think it's a great stand-alone game concept, it feels more like a minigame) but the author made a really nice job porting an endless runner videogame into Minetest. Collecting coins is rewarding, it can jump AND slide (the dead animation also works perfectly, congratulations for using the tools the game already gives you), and with the music defaulted to on it would have been even better.
If I have to find some critiques, putting it into a cave would have made more sense with the title, as the empty sky is somehow out of context. Also, I think that, after a while, the author just copy-pasted a piece of the map over and over, but (if I'm right) it's a jam and it's totally understandable.
P.S.: I know that saying the following isn't impartial as I'm the author, but consider to use arena_lib to turn it into a really nice minigame that people can put into their servers
This was the first game from the jam that I've seen having a custom icon and background image in the main menu, so +1. Unfortunately, inputs felt a bit clumsy (maybe because I'm used to MisterE Snake 3D, and I admit that it's not that easy to calibrate anyway) and even playing in third person doesn't help as the body of the snake basically covers the whole camera
The first thing I don't understand is why there are monsters roaming through this warehouse. It looks like a puzzle game where you have to find these special presents, but it feels like the author thought fighting was a must have, forcing these creatures in the game. They don't seem to add anything special to it (also, when damaged, they have no feedback but the HP bar changing on their head).
Another thing I can't seem to grasp is how the aisles counting works. I... just can't navigate through them properly, so I have no idea of what present I should open. Furthermore, instructions in chat aren't that handy (why not a GUI or an HUD?) and, if you die, you respawn outside the warehouse, breaking the game
I had to check out on CDB how to play because I was expecting to do something with the screwdriver from the very beginning instead of using my fists. If the bar would have been reduced to 2 slots, it might have resulted more intuitive. Or even better, giving the screwdriver only when needed.
Texture pack is nice, but sounds are missing and, more importantly, there is no rewarding feeling when a level is completed, as the player gets automatically teleported into the next one. Some delay to have players look around (maybe followed with a jingle) would be nice. Also, I personally got bored after a few levels rather than feeling challenged
I understand that it was made for a jam and the author might have not had the time to clean it up, but having to manually move the map into a world folder can't be ignored - as who plays is not expected to read the description here on CDB. A soundtrack would have helped a lot to convey the right atmosphere, and in general I wasn't able to understand how to play (I couldn't place anything). Too bad, because I think this game has potential, so I really hope to see the author polish it!
I had liked that there was an initial context welcoming the player (even if no sound), but it turned into a repetitive clicker after a while; the objective is to keep farming, and unlocking new areas needs players to stand still in front of them for an amount of time that increases according to the number of resources needed (I would have put a default time, maybe with a nice sound).
Most importantly, though, why there is not even a cube? I think the author wanted to experiment, but areas could have been squares instead of hexagons (meaning also less models to download). Furthermore, I personally don't like perfectly round objects placed into a voxel context, as they result out of place, so I think that - graphically speaking - it could have been way better with way less effort and resources. Seeing all these non-squared 3D models I wonder: why on Minetest and not, for instance, on Godot?
The game started well with a nice pixel art icon in the main menu bar, but then there was no immersion into the atmosphere: lack of music, lack of context (there is a guy exchanging items and brown monsters, with no further info provided) and lack of monster boundaries, attacking the player whilst talking with the merchant. In general, I haven't understood the purpose of the game and experienced a crash at the very first launch
There is no issue tracker anymore because, as it's an archived project on GitLab, I don't want people to ask for new features (the main repo says "ARCHIVED", but just in case). ContentDB generates the issue tracker link automatically, I'll just remove it, thanks
Thank you CrochetCode, I'm really glad you enjoy the simplicity of the texture pack :)
thank ya!
<3<3
aww, thank ya :) <3
I've been using this library for months, since I read about it on the Modding Book. Definitely worth it
OOOOF
Seriously though, thanks for your words man :)
Weeeeell...
This should be labelled as gambling, and it saddens me
My bad! Here it is https://content.minetest.net/packages/Zughy/achievements_lib/
All this to say most people won't do the effort to play Minetest instead of Minecraft just because it's free, especially when it's not as efficient/fun as the original. So sod it, let's create something which is not constrained by what Minecraft is in the first place WHILE explaining people the importance of free software! And in order to do so, MTG must go.