SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

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dale_coop
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by dale_coop »

Criticisms are good and often constructive.
I explained to SJ, because you’re right about the placement. We’ll try to do better for the next games (mines or his’)

Thank you for that.
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DRW
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by DRW »

Individualised wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 6:15 am I find your tone on this thread a bit offensive. Your first post on this thread was only criticism which already struck me as odd. It's not a good look for newcomers to the forum. I know it's not my place.
I'm sorry. I didn't want to offend anybody.

My criticism was intended to improve the game since I hadn't realized that it's already out. That's why I thought I give some ideas. After all, a work-in-progress game benefits from suggestions, not from the statements how great already existing features are. Had I realized that it's already for sale, I probably would have simply asked why this specific design choice was done.

The last question was not intended as negative either. I was genuinely curious:
If you're an NES fan and know the classics, and those classics have one particular design choice in common. Not something creative, but a purely mechanical, functional thing. And you develop your own NES game and the question comes up whether you want to do the thing that all those classic games do, but you refuse because you find it unacceptable: Then what is your train of thought? Dooes this mean you hate "Super Mario Bros."? Why do you find something that all the good games do unacceptable and rather do it the way "Layla" does it?

This is not criticism. I always asked myself how developers can ever come up with this kind of scrolling position. And now I can get an answer first hand. That was my motivation.
My game "City Trouble":
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dale_coop
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by dale_coop »

The question is the same as "why make an auto-scrolling platform game when you could make a normal left/right-scrolling game that would be much more fun to play?"(Everyone hates auto-scrolling levels).

I don't know... I mean, when the game was designed initially the player was placed too close from the right side... SJ got used to that. When we decide t recenter it a little more... the game become easier... SJ decided that placement was a good place. We might have could make it a little more centered. And maybe we will do that if we do a re-release one day. But now, I think he'd like to make a new game.

Let's stop the debate here.
The game is released and thank you for the people who ordered a copy ;)
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Fiskbit
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by Fiskbit »

dale_coop wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 1:58 am Finally, the game is already released physically, since February. Hundreds of copy manufactured and has been sold in the world. Only 50 copies left
(if anyone is interested in buying a copy let me know)
Congrats on shipping a game and selling so many copies. It sounds pretty successful, as far as homebrew NES games go! No one can make a perfect game even with infinite resources, and the reality is that there is always more stuff we can improve. Sounds like this turned out pretty well, and shipping a game is a huge achievement in and of itself.
Pokun
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by Pokun »

Thanks for your answer, I knew the game was out and was mainly interested in this discussion from a general game mechanic point of view (besides giving feedback for future development). Especially since your opinion (which turned out to be your son's opinion) on this matter was very different from my own. It may be hard to explain why one thinks one thing feels better than another, but now when you explain that this was part of development and your son got used to it, it becomes very easy to understand.
I guess you would have to find other ways to adjust difficulty if you really wanted to change the scrolling, which would delay the release further.

Anyway, I think it is quite a cool game, both visually and mechanically. Congrats on the release!


DRW, you do have a tendency to use strong words (like "hate") which might come off as harsh, even if you meant well with your criticism.
Though, I know I don't exactly have a silver tongue myself when commenting on or criticizing things and mean to sound neutral friendly rather than insensitive or even offensive.
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DRW
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by DRW »

Pokun wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 4:37 pm DRW, you do have a tendency to use strong words (like "hate") which might come off as harsh, even if you meant well with your criticism.
I can try to use softer words. But please note that I didn't use this word as a criticism itself. I.e. I didn't say "I hate this mechanic" or anything like this.
Instead, I used it in a question. And in that question, the object of the apparent hate wasn't even the game from this thread:
"If he finds my suggested scrolling position unacceptable, does this mean he hates "Super Mario Bros."?"

I can understand that the word is considered harsh if it is used as an actual attribute in criticism. But what about the above usage? Is this still harsh if I simply use it as a comparison in a question if the other person hates some unrelated game?
My game "City Trouble":
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Download (ROM, manual, artworks): http://www.denny-r-walter.de/city.html
Pokun
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Re: SkateCat (by SJ Games) NES/FAMICOM platformer

Post by Pokun »

I just meant that inclusion of many strong words in general might be one reason you get a feeling that some of your posts has an aggressive tone (which I do think is the case). I'm not an expert and there is probably much more to it than just the usage of these words though. In general, longer sentences, less straight-to-point and more zigzagging around the usage of less pleasant words may make it softer, though also a bit more stale and formal.

Though I don't think this thread is the right place for this discussion.
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