Storm the Train - (by Chillingo Ltd)[Universal] - Page 16

SumoSplash · #**151** 05-06-2013, 06:14 AM

Ha! Welcome back. Been awaiting your return. Yeah, this update is ROCKIN'. Like I said, you are so close to this game being exactly to where it is just simply excellent. Right now, it is the topping without the cherry, and the cherry is just some tweaks and slight expansion into a few things.

I am about to get some sleep, but check out what I typed up the other day. I'll add some more stuff later.

Awesome stuff.

SumoSplash · #**152** 05-06-2013, 10:55 PM

Deleted.

SumoSplash · #**153** 05-06-2013, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeH

Hi SumoSplash,

Wow, that's some impressive feedback

It may take us some time to digest it all.

I understand your points about some of the weapons slowing it down. This is intentional. It's very hard to get any colour in the characters if they all do the same thing, the same amount of death-dealing etc. So, we made Mason more about holding enemies back and being able to absorb a lot of punishment, and Carrera a lot more about building up your shared health again. We're trying to get people to need/want to switch between characters quite regularly so that we can start building strategy in.

For instance, Carrera's poison gun - I use this against bigger enemies by firing a few DoTs on them, switching to Graham and then doing some heavier damage. In fact, I use that pattern quite a lot because if you pick up a weapon crate, it only changes the weapon of your current character - it allows you to get a three-weapon combo that you like. We've tried to make the weapons such that they can benefit from each other if that makes sense.

I'm sure we've lots of tweaks to make though - it sounds like Graham is missing an animation for his Sticky Bomb launcher anyway

Leeh,

I am totally into the weapons that slow the momentum of the game in terms of the variety this concept offers, and I much prefer this direction of gameplay to simply having three characters who basically do the same thing. I didn't want you to think I was opposed to this; I've been pushing for it all along. I simply see some areas requiring tweaks to even some things out.

So, you are saying that when you are using the Poison Gun with Carerra, you will shoot a few shots at a large enemy, poison the enemy, quickly switch to Graham and then unload some heavier firepower with the Rail Gun or Rocket Launcher? If that is the case, then let me offer my perspective on this: I see no need for this step when Graham is as powerful as he is. When you pick up the Rocket Launcher and rapid-tap about 20 rockets within a span of three seconds, with the rockets able to take out any enemy almost instantly--even the mid-level enemies with shields--then there is almost no reason to use a weapon that offers a delay as opposed to a weapon that does not. Don't get me wrong, I see what you mean--use the delay weapon of one character and then switch to another character for the combination effect. I'm saying that certain weapons nullify the need to do this, simply from the perspective of inflicting maximum damage as quickly as possible. Throwing in Carerra with her Poison Gun as a middle (wo)man is an extra step that isn't really necessary to do the job any better. It's for this reason that I think Mason and Carerra need to be tweaked a little to be better stand alone characters, since right now Graham is simply a one man wrecking crew. From the perspective of adding depth to the gameplay this is great, but I find keeping Graham selected with the weapons he utilizes as being leaps and bounds the most efficient (and most fun) way to play.

I did a lot of rambling with my other posts, so things may appear a little jumbled. Here is exactly what I would do in terms of specific changes (excuse me if I am repeating myself, just trying to make my suggestions more concise). All weapons suggestions are made without the influence of any gadgets:

Graham:
1) Sticky Bomb Launcher: Change the 'standing still while tapping fire' animation so the gun does not drop down to the resting position and back to the firing position (to avoid the up, down, up, down motion). Make it so it stays level, like how the Rail Gun is. Also remove the arc from the shot and instead make it shoot straight. Make the bombs shoot slightly farther before they eventually drop to the ground. It would generally benefit from being more 'gun-like' than the 'arc-lob' effect it has now, while still performing almost the exact same way.

*Rocket Launcher is perfect. Rail Gun is perfect, except that it might be too good. I've noticed that if an enemy is very close to your character's body, then the shots will shoot past the enemy and not hit it. However, this is no big deal. The ball charge sound could be louder. The Dual Rifles are perfect and the damage they inflict is appropriate with this new version, whereas with the last version it was weak. Mech suit is fantastic.

Mason:
1) Heat Ray: Make it so larger enemies are slowed when the flame of the Heat Ray touches them as they approach. Right now, the Heat Ray is too effective on smaller enemies and not effective enough on larger enemies, to the point where the player is not able to take out a larger enemy without having to jump over them beforehand. I also don't like that these enemies are able to just walk right through the flame, even though they are taking damage from it. I love the delay effect of the flame making contact, setting the enemy on fire and then seeing the enemy die a few seconds later. However, it is not possible to stand in front of one of these enemies, hold the fire button and be able to dispose of them before they touch you. If they are slowed by the flame, at least the player has the opportunity to kill them first. Another idea would be to make the Heat Ray rapid-touch compatible (like the Dual Pistols, Rocket Launcher, etc.), where if you tapped the fire button quickly, the flame would become stronger, or longer, and therefore hit the enemy more adequately. Right now, if it is a mid level enemy, the player simply has to jump over them, and this just shouldn't be the case. Also, the Heat Ray is laborious and very ineffective against enemies with a shield.

Just to clarify: I see that the Heat Ray is the same as the Poison Gun, in that you use it, you catch the enemy on fire, switch to another character and then finish the enemy off. However, the problem is that this makes the Heat Ray not as effective on its own without the help of switching to another character. I wish there was a happy medium with this.

2) Melee Mech Suit: I think this idea is PERFECT for what this suit needs and I am rather proud of it. I absolutely love how a large group of enemies, especially two or three mid range enemies, can push against the suit and force Mason backwards, and this was my inspiration. My idea is to make this a bit more interesting by making the blades spin faster and putting a jet pack on the back of the suit for horizontal propulsion, both of which would be activated simultaneously by the rapid-tap. So, holding down the fire button would maintain the current mechanic by moving the blades at their normal speed, and tapping it faster would initiate the jet pack and faster spinning blades, allowing the player to be more engaged by being able to push forward a little more against the mob. It would also make sense because sometimes, while grinding a group of enemies, one or two is able to pop out from the blades and escape. This mechanic would allow the player to maximize the grinding capacity and have more control over the entire suit in general. Really, how can you NOT want to see this?

3) Freeze Drone: I'd like to see the Freeze shots inflict damage. If a weak enemy is frozen three times they explode. If a larger enemy is frozen 5 times, they explode. No extra animation would be necessary to show the damage. The Freeze is also making it so I am able to pass right through the enemies while the Melee Mech suit is equipped.

*Shotgun is perfect. Minigun is perfect and the damage is appropriate, except that the push back from the recoil is gone. I enjoyed this. Gears of Gore is simple but fun and is growing on me. I feel that Gears of Gore would be less under my microscope if my idea for the Melee Mech Suit was implemented. It would serve to differentiate the two greatly.

Carerra:
1) Poison Gun: This weapon is growing on me too, but I simply can't get away from the fact that, if you look at weapons like the Rail Gun or Rocket Launcher that deal immediate, intense damage, that the Poison Gun simply pales in comparison. Nor do I feel the need to switch to it if I can use more powerful weapons. I feel damage should be increased in relation to how many poison shots are fired. Right now, one shot will poison your enemy and eventually kill them, but 20 shots does not seem to be all that much more effective at killing the enemy faster.

2) Health Mech Suit: Ball lightning shots instead of the green laser shots, with the lightning possibly jumping from one enemy to another. This would make Carerra's mech suit much more unique than just being a carbon copy of Graham's.

3) Lightning Gun: I don't know, you tell me. Does it need more animation? A less irritating sound effect? It's not bad, but it's not all that exciting either.

*Dual Pistols are perfect. Uzi does what it does and is fine.

There, that's what I would do in terms of what has been added with the update. I feel all of these are important, but the Heat Ray, the Sticky Bomb Launcher and the ability for enemies to walk through the Freeze bubbles are the most pressing.

Let me know what you think.

LeeH · #**154** 05-07-2013, 05:22 AM

Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated. We'll take some time to digest it all.

The point I was trying to make really is that we need the characters to feel and play differently. I'm sure, as you point out, there are tweaks to be made. A case in point - Carrera harvests health from enemies as she kills them and moves really quickly. That's an incredibly powerful combination so, to compensate, she is less resistant to damage and cannot deal as much damage in as direct a way.That's the trade off. You can 'risk' switching to Carrera to grab a few more points of health but you risk getting squished.