[Official Thread] FC iPhone App *Best Game of 2009!*

[OfficiallyHaphazard]

I do think "skyscaper" and sunset are great levels, i just think they could have been tested more to make the aesthetics and their overall "feel" fit better with the game.

[Afronanny]

i never liked long, thin build areas. I don't like skyscraper.

And i think the aesthetics standard has really dropped.
What happened to the pretty curves and organized chaotic sticks?

[pacifist]

Well of course I'm just going to keep disagreeing with you :p

I think this time for the last time and then I'll just let you guys thrash it out amongst yourselves.

You are right that I could have spruced up the user levels more. I went back and forth on this. I sort of meant to. But I also felt bad fiddling with people's designs. I fiddled with all of James Anderson's levels because he's my friend and I talked him into letting me.

But I think most of them are quite pretty. Including More Balls. Which I think is attractive but I think someone said they didn't love. I tried to make all of them look a little different from eachother and different from the original set.

I could go through them all and point out why I think they are interesting. I like how Stuck's style is clean, stylish, and absolutely integrated into the level. And I like how Be a Champ has a feeling of movement and fits there flying in the sky. And Skyscraper just looks cool, etc...

I certainly didn't put any less effort into this round of levels.

But of course everyone is free to disagree.

[weasel]

If anyone has any specific questions about a level - like why level X was done in a certain way, or why level Y isn't harder, or things of that type, ask away! I'll be happy to tell you just what the heck we were thinking.

[Afronanny]

What the heck were you thinking about more balls?
jk. I'm chill.

But still. Unsolved for 2 days might be a bit hard...

[weasel]

What the heck were you thinking about more balls?
jk. I'm chill.

But still. Unsolved for 2 days might be a bit hard...

It's been solved twice now, that I know of - it's because a physics difference on the iPhone version pretty much made the intended solution not possible. We will probably be pulling it from the iPhone version in an upcoming patch.

[OfficiallyHaphazard]

If anyone has any specific questions about a level - like why level X was done in a certain way, or why level Y isn't harder, or things of that type, ask away! I'll be happy to tell you just what the heck we were thinking.

Alright (remember that you asked for it )

I will start with the one that annoys me the most: Projected
Seriously, what were you guys thinking? It can be solved with about 7 or 8 sticks without even thinking hard, there is no overarching challenge (just 6 trivial challenges). The aesthetics are quite poor: hardly any of the lines match up, one of the balls starts off the viewable screen, and in all honesty it looks like it was somebody's very first level.

Edit: for the record: anyone who thinks that I am less of a fan of this game for critiquing it has me completely wrong. I like the game so much that it is a bit disappointing when some of the flagship levels are ones that I consider to be at best mediocre. Anyhow, this is just a small critique to a game that is 95% awesome.

[weasel]

If anyone has any specific questions about a level, ask away!

I will start with the one that annoys me the most: Projected
Seriously, what were you guys thinking? It can be solved with about 7 or 8 sticks without even thinking hard, there is no overarching challenge (just 6 trivial challenges). The aesthetics are quite poor: hardly any of the lines match up, one of the balls starts off the viewable screen

Ah yes, Projected. It's one that I pushed for actually, Colin was a little hesitant to add it in to the mix. In summary, it's a level that I hope will inspire people. I hope it shows people that this game doesn't have to be a linear, left-to-right, get-the-ball-to-the-single-goal type of game. There can be a bunch of mini-challenges, all in one screen! I'm basically trying to show off what can be done - and what will probably be done better, using this amazing platform.

But it's a bit more than that too. We wanted there to be a few "breaks" in the gameplay. Simply escalating the difficulty level over and over again ended up making for a long, sometimes stressful session of building 42 contraptions. We wanted there to be a nice relief - a quick break, an easier level, partway through the mix. So instead of being a challenge or hard work, Projected ended up being that nice, restful-cup-of-tea between bouts with your brain. I'm sure whether or not we needed to include "breaks" at all can be debated until the end of time, but I do enjoy the level as a refreshing change of pace.

Similarly, Default is a bit of a "break" level that is quite easy, but was meant to break up the gameplay into more easily chewable chunks. Leaving U-Turn as Level 21, despite being easier than levels 15-20, provides a similar sense of relaxation. But Default also shows players that you can make a challenge based on empty space, instead of having to rely on solid green chunks to build a level. Anyone who's been in an art class knows the concept of "negative space" and how often we forget to invoke it at times.

I'll agree that the design of Projected doesn't conform to the stylized smooth levels most of the others are, but again - breaking it up a bit! I thought the jagged lines and slight misplacements gave it a bit of an "amateur" or "big-top" kind of feel. Again, change of pace! I'll note that we didn't create this level, it was a user level we pulled into the mix. The author escapes me right now, but I think a key point is - we chose not to edit it and make it prettier for a reason. And that reason is more than just lazyness.

Again, having all the levels conform to a certain style or not - or the value of breaking up the visual styles with something amateur - can be argued till the end of days. It is simply a decision we consciously made, and ran with it. I'm still happy with my choice, and I can't say I'm surprised that some people won't "get it." That's the way it is with art.

NEXT

[OfficiallyHaphazard]

weasel: meh, I wanted easy and ugly
[11:14pm] weasel: it fit the bill
[11:14pm] weasel: if you have an easier and uglier one I can see about getting it swapped in
[11:14pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: well you achieved your goal
[11:14pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: ugly as sin
[11:14pm] weasel: hooray!]
[11:15pm] • weasel high-fives OfficiallyHaphazard for a job well done

Alright, I concede. Basically you wanted a mediocre [read: bad] level and you got it.
I guess there is no point asking about the rest of the levels

[weasel]

Easy/Ugly is a gross simplification but I guess it does summarize my post. :/

[OfficiallyHaphazard]

For those that actually what people care about is said in this thread, here are some more explanations:

weasel: too bad OfficiallyHaphazard doesn't want to ask about the other levels. It's fun explaining them!
[11:35pm] OfficiallyHaphazard:
[11:35pm] weasel: And the story will be different with the rest, I think thats the only intentionally ugly one
[11:35pm] weasel: I think
[11:35pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: well basically your post was "I meant to do everything you hate about this level"
[11:35pm] OfficiallyHaphazard:
[11:36pm] weasel: well you picked the ugliest easiest one to explain, and the "weirdest" one, conceptually, in the batch
[11:36pm] weasel: so it's going to have the most polar arguments
[11:37pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: heh
[11:37pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: well for example chimichangas?
[11:38pm] weasel: haha
[11:38pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: Level design is pretty bad I think... Whatever is the other column for?
[11:38pm] weasel: see it's good you're picking these ones
[11:38pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: clearly all badges can be achieved with the first col
[11:38pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: and the level is ugly too
[11:38pm] weasel: because as far as our personal tastes go, pacifist and I both hate chimichangas and projected
[11:39pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: big ben isn't bad, but sk8 has so many better levels
[11:39pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: if you want a place an item higher up level, you could make one yourself
[11:39pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: Canyon I dislike
[11:40pm] weasel: keep in mind we like to not make a "perfect level." It's like nintendo - we demonstrate the technology, then 3rd parties come in and perfect it
[11:40pm] weasel: like wii bowling vs. the pro bowling games
[11:40pm] weasel: or wii tennis, or wii golf
[11:40pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: meh, thats where you are wrong though
[11:40pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: those games are perfect
[11:41pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: they suit a quick, easy to learn game that is remarkably fun
[11:41pm] weasel: Chimichangas was a bit of a unique challenge though. It's old hat for anyone who's oldschool, but for a new player, not even your Tube skills will help you win
[11:41pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: make good use of the strengths of the wii, and keep things simple
[11:41pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: heh
[11:42pm] weasel: So we kept Big Ben simple. *shrug* why you want to improve it? it's fun, accomplishes a need
[11:43pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: meh, still could have made the level better (referring to chimichangas)
[11:43pm] weasel: coulda, but wii tennis could be better too
[11:44pm] weasel: don't you just love displacement though??? what an excellent level!
[11:44pm] weasel: and crown jewels, boy oh boy
[11:44pm] weasel: (it's my follow up to mission to mars)
[11:44pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: just because a level has a good concept doesn't mean it should be left alone
[11:46pm] weasel: "Good enough if perfect"
[11:46pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: lots could be done to improve a lot of the levels
[11:46pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: (mine included)
[11:46pm] weasel: sure could
[11:46pm] weasel: neat thing about canyon, on the pc version anyway
[11:47pm] weasel: a few strategically placed vertical sticks will bounce the ball across
[11:47pm] weasel: I dunno if pacifist made the build box smaller because of that though
[11:48pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: he did
[11:48pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: makes the level look weird
[11:50pm] weasel: YOU look weird
[11:50pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: meh, perhaps
[11:51pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: doesn't change the fact that I don't like canyon
[11:51pm] weasel: But seriously, displacement, that level rocks
[11:51pm] OfficiallyHaphazard: good thing not everyone has as high standards as me
[11:51pm] weasel: I don't like it either, I don't like most levels where I don't start iwth control of the goal object

[vwnut13]

A few times that I have found a glitch in the game that causes the app to close is when...

1. I hit the "50 More Levels" button

and

2. When I try to submit the same design twice, or designs with the same name

I have tried downloading multiple times and restarting my iPod Touch but I can't seem to make these glitches "go away".

Is anybody else experiencing these same problems?

[pacifist]

We actually already fixed these problems on Monday. But the update has to get through Apple. Which seems to be taking quite a while.

[tmusquiez]

Any idea if a PS2 or Etch A Sketch game is next in line pacifist?

[vwnut13]

We actually already fixed these problems on Monday. But the update has to get through Apple. Which seems to be taking quite a while.

If you were talking to me, COOL!!!!

I love this game and it would be great if those two little flaws were fixed.

Also, I think the wheels when making catapults are WAY to powerful.

[blair6]

what do the medals mean?? can someon explain that totally?

[Afronanny]

look on the third sticky

[pokolo]

WTF WHY IS THERE A GOLDEN GEAR?

[Afronanny]

The golden gear doesn't need a reason. It just IS.

[meteoro]

whats a golden gear?