Break Blocks New Gameplay - 04/12/11
The new gameplay literally just got finished being implemented to the point where it's actually presentable, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make a nice, pretty video for it, yet. Instead, it's just raw gameplay, so allow me to explain the gameplay concepts a little for you.
You start by filling in the piece to the beat, just as you used to, but instead of adding a piece in a particular direction, you are now hitting the key that corresponds to the color of the current block. We have 3 color keys: Red, Blue, and Yellow. If you hit the correct color on beat, you will be rewarded by having the current block turn into the piece's color(depicted by the outline color of the piece). On the other hand, if you hit the wrong color or are off beat, you never know what color you're going to get.
You'll also notice that "gravity" is in effect on the pieces, meaning that when a piece is placed, each block moves out as far as possible, leaving no blank spaces around the outer edge of the gameboard. This is done because you can no longer move the piece as it's being placed(in fact, you don't move the piece at all, you rotate the gameboard now, which can only be done up until you finish filling in the piece and drop it). Clearing blocks is no longer based off "completing lines", but instead off grouping similar colors together in chains of 10 or more. Also note that this level is part of the training/tutorials for the game, so this isn't a Dance Battle like the other videos, but the Dance Battle components of the game have remained unchanged in this new gameplay style.
We are always open to feedback and suggestions, so let us know what you think of this new gameplay style:
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
You start by filling in the piece to the beat, just as you used to, but instead of adding a piece in a particular direction, you are now hitting the key that corresponds to the color of the current block. We have 3 color keys: Red, Blue, and Yellow. If you hit the correct color on beat, you will be rewarded by having the current block turn into the piece's color(depicted by the outline color of the piece). On the other hand, if you hit the wrong color or are off beat, you never know what color you're going to get.
You'll also notice that "gravity" is in effect on the pieces, meaning that when a piece is placed, each block moves out as far as possible, leaving no blank spaces around the outer edge of the gameboard. This is done because you can no longer move the piece as it's being placed(in fact, you don't move the piece at all, you rotate the gameboard now, which can only be done up until you finish filling in the piece and drop it). Clearing blocks is no longer based off "completing lines", but instead off grouping similar colors together in chains of 10 or more. Also note that this level is part of the training/tutorials for the game, so this isn't a Dance Battle like the other videos, but the Dance Battle components of the game have remained unchanged in this new gameplay style.
We are always open to feedback and suggestions, so let us know what you think of this new gameplay style:
While You Wait - 04/04/11
As you know, the exciting new gameplay changes are taking longer than expected, so we figured it was only right to share some new music from the game with our fans:
Strong Guy by Stephen White
Since realizing the extra time that would be required to make these gameplay changes, we have been progressing as expected, on schedule to release a video showing off the changes in about a week. We appreciate your patience as we work through all the details and we hope you enjoy the new music while you wait.
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A Little Optimistic - 03/28/11
Well, we skipped a week in our press release schedule, attempting to have the new gameplay ready, along with a video this week. Well, it turns out this is going to take a bit longer than expected(by a couple weeks).
We know you're all looking forward to the big changes that lay ahead and we're just as excited to bring them to you, but it's going to take a bit more time, unfortunately. Life happens and we can only push ourselves so hard before we pop. I've only been sleeping 4-6 hours trying to get the new gameplay ready, while continuing to work long hours on Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad at Tripwire Interactive, my employer. Let's just say that I tried, but it was just too much. Looking at how much longer it's going to take and what's coming up in my schedule these next couple weeks, I believe it's going to take me at least another 2 weeks to get it all ready for you guys. Sorry for the delay, but I can promise you that it will be worth the wait.
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
We know you're all looking forward to the big changes that lay ahead and we're just as excited to bring them to you, but it's going to take a bit more time, unfortunately. Life happens and we can only push ourselves so hard before we pop. I've only been sleeping 4-6 hours trying to get the new gameplay ready, while continuing to work long hours on Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad at Tripwire Interactive, my employer. Let's just say that I tried, but it was just too much. Looking at how much longer it's going to take and what's coming up in my schedule these next couple weeks, I believe it's going to take me at least another 2 weeks to get it all ready for you guys. Sorry for the delay, but I can promise you that it will be worth the wait.
Something Big Is Coming - 03/15/11
It's been a little longer than desired since our last update and we don't have anything particularly exciting to show you this time, but we do have some awesomely big news to tell you.
For a while now, we've been contemplating changing the core gameplay, as some of us have never been sold on the thought of our core game being centered around Tetris mechanics. Everything sitting on top of that gameplay is exactly what we want in the game, from the building pieces with the beat to executing dance moves based on your performance. But something just didn't seem to click in the whole Tetris style gameplay.
When it was first brought up, there were some good ideas floating around, but none of them really stuck. Finally, it hit us, and we started toying around with all the game mechanics surrounding it, pulling from some of the previous ideas, and BAM, a whole new gameplay was born. The new gameplay will definitely stand out to everyone as unique and hopefully interesting/exciting. We'll be ready to release more details on this new gameplay by the end of the month, perhaps with a new gameplay video showing off these exciting new concepts. Stay tuned, folks, things are about to get crazy!
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
For a while now, we've been contemplating changing the core gameplay, as some of us have never been sold on the thought of our core game being centered around Tetris mechanics. Everything sitting on top of that gameplay is exactly what we want in the game, from the building pieces with the beat to executing dance moves based on your performance. But something just didn't seem to click in the whole Tetris style gameplay.
When it was first brought up, there were some good ideas floating around, but none of them really stuck. Finally, it hit us, and we started toying around with all the game mechanics surrounding it, pulling from some of the previous ideas, and BAM, a whole new gameplay was born. The new gameplay will definitely stand out to everyone as unique and hopefully interesting/exciting. We'll be ready to release more details on this new gameplay by the end of the month, perhaps with a new gameplay video showing off these exciting new concepts. Stay tuned, folks, things are about to get crazy!
Break Blocks Menus - 03/07/11
We've been focusing on hooking up the final menus for quite some time now. We have certainly underestimated how much effort must go into a menu system, even after you've created all the GUI element functionality. I assumed that plugging in new assets would only take a few hours, but our Art Director, Noah Wood, would never settle for just replacing the purely functional menus I had previously made. Noah had a whole different vision for Break Blocks' menus and I've gotta say that he's right, as you'll see in this video:
Aside from our menu focus, we've continued to get everything lined up for the Early Adopters Program, which is currently guesstimated to be ready in May. It may still end up opening in June, but we believe May is a definite possibility given our recent progress.
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
Aside from our menu focus, we've continued to get everything lined up for the Early Adopters Program, which is currently guesstimated to be ready in May. It may still end up opening in June, but we believe May is a definite possibility given our recent progress.
Break Blocks Song Released - 02/26/11
For those of you that are just here to listen to our latest song release:
Russian by Stephen White
On the game development side, we've been continuing to develop the new menus, finalize the CD-Key system, and get the game fully functioning on the Mac. We know menus are boring, but they are a necessary evil that can actually break a game if done improperly. We'll be showing screenshots of each menu as it's implemented to allow you guys to give us some feedback, so that we don't overlook anything.
The CD-Key system(boring!) is case-sensitive, which would be a real pain to all of our players if we weren't going entirely digital distribution and/or if we didn't just implement a fully functioning paste system into our UI for that menu. It even intelligently recognizes if the CD-Key you're pasting has dashes in it or not. Not so boring now, is it? Okay, yes, it is, but I know you are excited that the pasting system has also been ported to the Mac version.
While we're on the subject, we've been porting every single detail of our Windows version into our Mac version. We had previously only done enough to get it running on the Mac, but we want to ensure that our Mac users are not missing a single thing that's available on Windows. We recently implemented full screen support, which is an obvious must for any game, but we also hooked up desktop resolution detection to allow the game to always run at your native resolution the first time it starts. Also, of note, we hooked up the Command+V option for pasting on Mac, which is a pathetic oversight I've encountered in a few games on the Mac(as if every Mac has a Ctrl key).
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
On the game development side, we've been continuing to develop the new menus, finalize the CD-Key system, and get the game fully functioning on the Mac. We know menus are boring, but they are a necessary evil that can actually break a game if done improperly. We'll be showing screenshots of each menu as it's implemented to allow you guys to give us some feedback, so that we don't overlook anything.
The CD-Key system(boring!) is case-sensitive, which would be a real pain to all of our players if we weren't going entirely digital distribution and/or if we didn't just implement a fully functioning paste system into our UI for that menu. It even intelligently recognizes if the CD-Key you're pasting has dashes in it or not. Not so boring now, is it? Okay, yes, it is, but I know you are excited that the pasting system has also been ported to the Mac version.
While we're on the subject, we've been porting every single detail of our Windows version into our Mac version. We had previously only done enough to get it running on the Mac, but we want to ensure that our Mac users are not missing a single thing that's available on Windows. We recently implemented full screen support, which is an obvious must for any game, but we also hooked up desktop resolution detection to allow the game to always run at your native resolution the first time it starts. Also, of note, we hooked up the Command+V option for pasting on Mac, which is a pathetic oversight I've encountered in a few games on the Mac(as if every Mac has a Ctrl key).
New Company Logo, Website, and Menus - 02/18/11
As some of you may have already noticed, Greater Good Games has updated its website to showcase the new logo. Our Art Director, Noah Wood, looked at the old logo and decided it wasn't very "video game", as it seemed a little too serious. After numerous iterations, we landed on the "horned 3 g ring" design. Let us know what you think:
In other news, Greater Good Games has been officially registered as a business entity with the state of Georgia. Now we must file 2 more sets of paperwork to get local and state tax information ready, but at least we're one step closer to the Early Adopters Program launch.
On the game development side, we have recently implemented our proprietary CD-Key system. The system utilizes a number of encryption techniques that made my head spin a few times, but I eventually got it to a functional state. Last, but not least, Noah's been working on all new menus to replace all of the placeholder crap I made years ago. Here's a preview of the main menu:
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
In other news, Greater Good Games has been officially registered as a business entity with the state of Georgia. Now we must file 2 more sets of paperwork to get local and state tax information ready, but at least we're one step closer to the Early Adopters Program launch.
On the game development side, we have recently implemented our proprietary CD-Key system. The system utilizes a number of encryption techniques that made my head spin a few times, but I eventually got it to a functional state. Last, but not least, Noah's been working on all new menus to replace all of the placeholder crap I made years ago. Here's a preview of the main menu:
Early Adopters Program Details plus Music - 02/12/11
For those of you that have missed our previous press releases discussing our Early Adopters Program, here's a summary:
Sometime in May or June, Greater Good Games will be starting their Early Adopters Program for Break Blocks whereby you can purchase a copy of the game, for a reduced price(if you so choose), giving you instant access to the beta and allowing you to give feedback to help drive the direction of the game toward awesome!
We have decided that the game will be available for just $5 for the first round of Early Adopters. If, though, you'd like to help support Greater Good Games and our charitable partners even more than just joining the the program, we laid out a set of rewards for your added support. Let me first state that this is not a fund raising program; because we are making this game entirely in our spare time, we do not need any sort of budget. Here are the rewards for your increased donation:
Finally, for your listening pleasure, we have the first set of Break Blocks music available to the public:
Break Blocks by Stephen White
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
Sometime in May or June, Greater Good Games will be starting their Early Adopters Program for Break Blocks whereby you can purchase a copy of the game, for a reduced price(if you so choose), giving you instant access to the beta and allowing you to give feedback to help drive the direction of the game toward awesome!
We have decided that the game will be available for just $5 for the first round of Early Adopters. If, though, you'd like to help support Greater Good Games and our charitable partners even more than just joining the the program, we laid out a set of rewards for your added support. Let me first state that this is not a fund raising program; because we are making this game entirely in our spare time, we do not need any sort of budget. Here are the rewards for your increased donation:
- $10.00: Your name in the Bronze Supporter Section of the credits
- $20.00: Your name in the Silver Supporter Section of the credits
- $30.00: Your name in the Gold Supporter Section of the credits
- $40.00: Your name in the Platinum Supporter Section of the credits
- $50.00: Get the Soundtrack CD and listed as a Platinum Supporter in the credits
- $100.00: Get a full size Break Blocks poster, the Sountrack CD, and listed in the Special Thanks section of the credits
- $200.00: Get a signed copy of the full size Break Blocks poster, the Sountrack CD, and listed in the Special Thanks section of the credits
- $300.00: Get to design your own hat, shirt, or pants for characters in the game, plus a signed poster, Soundtrack CD, and listed in the Special Thanks section of the credits
- $500.00: Custom created hat, shirt, or pants exclusively for their character; and a signed poster, Soundtrack CD, and listed in the Special Thanks section of the credits
- $1000.00: All future Greater Good Games for free, plus an exclusive item for your character, a signed poster, a Soundtrack CD, and listed in the Investors section of the credits
Finally, for your listening pleasure, we have the first set of Break Blocks music available to the public:
Break Blocks by Stephen White
Break Blocks Shadow Piece - 02/09/11
We've gone nearly a week without an update, because we've been focused on getting Greater Good Games created as a legal entity. It's got to be done, but it's such a pain in the ass! I guess that should be expected when the government is entered into any situation ;)
Of course, development always continues on the game. We've continued working on the Russian character, and we also have begun laying out the CD-Key system, which will be the only form of DRM in Break Blocks. Greater Good Games does not believe in harsh DRM, as it only ever seems to upset honest customers, because pirates always find their way around it within a few days or weeks.
Here's the exciting new screenshot for the week, showing off the "Shadow Piece" system that will allow you to see where your piece will end up if you drop it at any given time:
Discuss this DevBlog on our Forums
Of course, development always continues on the game. We've continued working on the Russian character, and we also have begun laying out the CD-Key system, which will be the only form of DRM in Break Blocks. Greater Good Games does not believe in harsh DRM, as it only ever seems to upset honest customers, because pirates always find their way around it within a few days or weeks.
Here's the exciting new screenshot for the week, showing off the "Shadow Piece" system that will allow you to see where your piece will end up if you drop it at any given time:
Short Update - 02/03/11
Unfortunately, I don't have anything particularly cool to show you guys this time. In preparation for starting up the Early Adopters Program, we have been doing a ton of tedious paperwork this week. Of course, I can't ever entirely stop progress on the game, which is why we now have some more complex beat patterns in the game. They won't appear until later in the game, because as we figured, they really do make the game a lot more challenging.
Also, possibly of interest to some of you, we have chosen the charities that you'll be able to choose between, though this list may change:
Doctors Without Borders
Children International
Extreme Response International
Comment on this Dev Blog at IndieDB
Also, possibly of interest to some of you, we have chosen the charities that you'll be able to choose between, though this list may change:
Doctors Without Borders
Children International
Extreme Response International
