Reviews don't have to be about criticism. I think people get criticism confused with feedback quite alot (i know i used to). Criticism is aimed at the person or the game in a woolley and non-constructive kind of way, such as "i don't like, 0 stars" or "this doesn't deserve 5 stars, 0 stars" - there is no real reason, and this is discouraging.
(Negative) Feedback is about explaining what exactly didn't work so well and is very specific on the specific point. Some people call this constructive criticism (though i think that term is technically contradicting) and an example of negative feedback might be "i thought the idea of implementing a re-load function added to the overall realistic feel of the game, though maybe it would have been better not to have had it since it made the game much too difficult and slightly less enjoyable."
Most members on this site with reasonable dispositions actually prefer this type of info as it helps them get better at their game-making. I remember getting these kinds of comments for R.P.G. (e.g. using the standard movements) and these have helped me become a better game maker.
The same games are being released over and over again. The world moves on, but this community stays the same. Only it's more boring now. We need new things, people! We need people to attempt those super difficult and complex projects that they'll never finish, simply because it gives us something to look forward to. Some of my best memories have been working on games that I never finished, because I ended up imagining how good and ambitious they would be. It's better than just 'oh, this will be a standard platformer BUT WITH A TWIST... you can control 2 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS!!!' wow, I really stay awake at night thinking about that.
And who knows, somebody might actually finish one of those super complex and impossible projects that they start.
Don't aim for perfection- you'll miss the deadline
'~Tom~ says (16:41):
well why does the custom controls for the keyboard palyer even affect the menu controls at all whats thep oint jsutm ake it so for the keyboard palyer on the menu screens everything is always up down left right enter regardless of the controls they set'
We all need a Holy Grail to aim for, even if we never get there. We need more innovation than just 'oh, this will be a standard platformer BUT WITH A TWIST... you can control 2 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS!!!' wow, I really stay awake at night thinking about that.
EDIT: Since when did editing a comment make a new one?
Edited by 3kliksphilip
Don't aim for perfection- you'll miss the deadline
'~Tom~ says (16:41):
well why does the custom controls for the keyboard palyer even affect the menu controls at all whats thep oint jsutm ake it so for the keyboard palyer on the menu screens everything is always up down left right enter regardless of the controls they set'
I used to be like 3kliksphilip having tried to make a GTA 1 style klik clone numerous times. It was a lot of fun, but what do I have to show? Some buggy and or exceedingly slow engines.
Creating a good solid SNES or even NES quality (sound, graphics and the engine) platformer is a lot of work, especially when you have jobs, study and a nagging er I mean completely understanding GF .
I don't even think the change is a bad thing. It's just change. Years ago makers of games looked like nerds, now they look like indie rockers with fluffy beards, horn-rimmed glasses and loud shirts. Not just the click community changed, the whore freeware gaming scene is totally different. It's not as naive anymore and it got harder to come up with something that people notice, because of all the beards.
hagar, what do you have to show since you changed your strategy?
I'd be a hypocrite to say that everybody is wrong and I'm right, but I personally just don't see what's so appealing about the same old platformer games over and over again. There are so many other areas that have barely been touched by the community. RPGs, for example. And as for GTA clones, sure I'd be up for trying out any if people bother to make them on this site. But they're few and far between. And with modern computers sporting such incredible specs these days, I don't think that slow-down is much of a problem unless you're still all using 266 mhz celerons.
Don't aim for perfection- you'll miss the deadline
'~Tom~ says (16:41):
well why does the custom controls for the keyboard palyer even affect the menu controls at all whats thep oint jsutm ake it so for the keyboard palyer on the menu screens everything is always up down left right enter regardless of the controls they set'
@3klik: I retired from klik before you registered here , within a short while i hope to have some footage of game i am working on called berts adventure, a remake of my very first game made pre knp. I do get what your saying though and i have said it myself in the past (usually for isometric sim games), but for lone developers a big game is a hell of a lot of work. I have a q9400, 4gb of ram and a hd4870 so i have no problems running any games .
@Hayo: me and my friends come up with a similar idea in respect to academia. The more facial hair (in particular beards) the more respect you earn from peers.
I do see what's wrong with just another platformer, because that's what you and other people of this community most likely do not want to see. But the fact remains that it's fun for me to create another platformer and I like them. Sure many of them are the same, but not all of them.
Also I've done my share of innovative new idea's and games which were not demo's with other people. And there weren't well received all of the time.
So actually I don't see what's wrong with another platformer. Shouldn't it be a fun and nice project for the creator to come up with a new game? Whether is a platformer, rpg, fps, racer or whatever?
And sure it would be cool if you guys liked my game too and I am not the only one having fun with it.
Now you can put up your skills: coder/artist/musician and join a team to create something new and innovative totally the way you want it.
Or just keep pointing people in the right direction with comments and reviews, so the next platformer won't be the same old one again.