Status

The world is now 722 rooms, and my daily quota is 10 rooms a day though I usually create more. The game itself does not support levels larger than 1440 rooms since I want a single world map to be able to display on the screen while the game plays, a lot like in Symphony of The Night (best Castlevania  ). It'd be crazy the whole supported world size could be used. I guess it'd take at least three or four more months of work if I keep the quota up. Agneta (www.artistaa.com) who were also level designing for my game was picked up by Dohi Sweden since her trainee period is over. As luck would have it, there's a new guy named Rickard who instead work full time with me on the game. He's doing some great level design for the game! He have posted some of his graphics at his blog.

I'm starting to consider how I can involve my users in the creation process more. I might take inspiration from Achron and start accepting alpha purchases. That would mean you can pre-order the game now for a discount and get access to alpha, beta, and final versions of the game (or if you submitted material for the game you'll get it for free, as well as the final game when it is released). Before I do this I want to add support for writing in-game notes that are uploaded to the ni2.se server, so that everybody can post their opinions about certain areas, so I can download the notes and read about potential problems while playing the game (e.g. if an area or puzzle is too hard). Anyway, that is just an idea for now and if I do it, it's still a few months away.

Right now I'm thinking that perhaps I should release the game, editor, and custom level support all for free - including source files for the game and editor, and only sell an expanded version of the game as KnyttWaDF+ (identical game features but with a differently skinned menu so it feels special, and the 1000< room world I'm designing now instead of just a default ~100 room level). Though the free and expanded version of the game will have the same set of features and only default level content will be different, I still want to release it under two different product titles and downloadables (working title KnyttWaDF and KnyttWaDF+), it probably makes it much easier to get KnyttWaDF+ accepted for Steam and other content delievery platforms (Saira and NightSky have taught me how important those can be).

Why not just designate a special forum for beta access to post those notes?

It's not convenient. Testers would have to open the browser to tell me something. It's more intuitive to just click somewhere in the game and type something to attach a note to that place; no need to explain where in the game, go out of full-screen, or login someplace. It's also more convenient for me to just see notes where I'm currently playing the game, than to go through all the information at a forum, having to look up where each place is on the map, and mark stuff as fixed or dismissed. If there's a problem or glitch, I can try it right away by just reading the note and testing at once, and then I can click to either fix or dismiss the notes.

It's super easy from a php point of view, and shouldn't take more than a few days to implement in the game anyway. An unique user ID & password would be provided when pre-ordering the game or getting beta access for contributing with material, the info would be entered into the game, and each user would be limited to have one active note per room (of course protected on server-side). If a user abuses the note system, I could just disable that user ID from posting tester's notes (though I'd still provide the full version when the game is released since it's still a valid purchase).

Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, that would be much easier in the game.

Right now I'm thinking that perhaps I should release the game, editor, and custom level support all for free - including source files for the game and editor, and only sell an expanded version of the game as KnyttWaDF+ (identical game features but with a differently skinned menu so it feels special, and the 1000< room world I'm designing now instead of just a default ~100 room level).

I agree with you. I like the idea, I assume that lots of people will welcome it too. As in Knytt Stories - I think the reason, why it is popular, is that everyone can make own levels for free. In Saira and FiNCK noone can play third party levels without a full version and I think thatīs the reason, why there arenīt many custom levels (mainly in Saira, where is very hard level editing).

Yeah, level editing have to be easy, and I admit I should have done things differently in FiNCK. However, I learnt something and I will take advantage of that in the new game

Quote from: Nifflas on March 29, 2011, 17:22:56

Right now I'm thinking that perhaps I should release the game, editor, and custom level support all for free - including source files for the game and editor, and only sell an expanded version of the game as KnyttWaDF+ (identical game features but with a differently skinned menu so it feels special, and the 1000< room world I'm designing now instead of just a default ~100 room level).

I agree with you. I like the idea, I assume that lots of people will welcome it too. As in Knytt Stories - I think the reason, why it is popular, is that everyone can make own levels for free. In Saira and FiNCK noone can play third party levels without a full version and I think thatīs the reason, why there arenīt many custom levels (mainly in Saira, where is very hard level editing).

Actually, the reason why Saira and FiNCK has no levels is because the level editing is much harder than in Knytt Stories, not so much that you need a full version.

You may say: but in FiNCK, the editor is much easier than in Saira? Yes, that is true, however, since FiNCK is mainly a puzzle based game, it becomes a challenge on its own to make these puzzles. In Knytt Stories, most levels are challenge levels, and that is understandable since its quite easy to make a level, put some enemies or other hard areas in it. It is a good feeling to finish a level after you had to face some challenges (although I don't like it when the challenge is unrealistically hard).

The sense of winning is addicting. Studies have proven that. For Saira and FiNCK, making a good level concept is hard on itself. I expect KnyttWaDF to not have this problem, because it most likely will be possible to create scenery or challenge based levels next to the puzzles, and the puzzles probably will not be that hard to create.

It's probably also a factor, but I think that it plays a big part that the Saira and FiNCK editors themselves were harder to use, and that only registered users could use them. But yeah, I'll fix both those problems, as well as what you mention about difficulty to create puzzles.

Quote from: Comhon on March 29, 2011, 21:39:14

Quote from: Nifflas on March 29, 2011, 17:22:56

Right now I'm thinking that perhaps I should release the game, editor, and custom level support all for free - including source files for the game and editor, and only sell an expanded version of the game as KnyttWaDF+ (identical game features but with a differently skinned menu so it feels special, and the 1000< room world I'm designing now instead of just a default ~100 room level).

I agree with you. I like the idea, I assume that lots of people will welcome it too. As in Knytt Stories - I think the reason, why it is popular, is that everyone can make own levels for free. In Saira and FiNCK noone can play third party levels without a full version and I think thatīs the reason, why there arenīt many custom levels (mainly in Saira, where is very hard level editing).

Actually, the reason why Saira and FiNCK has no levels is because the level editing is much harder than in Knytt Stories, not so much that you need a full version.

You may say: but in FiNCK, the editor is much easier than in Saira? Yes, that is true, however, since FiNCK is mainly a puzzle based game, it becomes a challenge on its own to make these puzzles. In Knytt Stories, most levels are challenge levels, and that is understandable since its quite easy to make a level, put some enemies or other hard areas in it. It is a good feeling to finish a level after you had to face some challenges (although I don't like it when the challenge is unrealistically hard).

The sense of winning is addicting. Studies have proven that. For Saira and FiNCK, making a good level concept is hard on itself. I expect KnyttWaDF to not have this problem, because it most likely will be possible to create scenery or challenge based levels next to the puzzles, and the puzzles probably will not be that hard to create.

You are true. And I think there is another problem in Saira except hard level editing, there was no objects library so everyone have to make their own objects.

Big game is big!

It is Might be my largest continuous game world already, or not. Chance is "A Strange Dream" for Knytt Stories is still bigger in room count. Not for much longer though.

I would love to get in on that alpha if it happens.  Please let us know when you're going to stop accepting content contributions, as I still have some good photos I would like to submit but just haven't gotten around to removing the backgrounds.  I can't believe it's been four months...

I'd say one month more for submissions is totally safe. It's also very likely that I'll accept them for two more months. I'm not sure exactly where I'll be after that.

A bit late here, but on custom levels, one reason for the lack of FiNCK custom levels is that FiNCK wasn't nearly as popular as Knytt Stories.

One of the things that made Knytt Stories popular was the level editor and custom levels that were created, so that argument doesn't quite work as it goes around in circles. The game would probably have been more popular if the editor was a lot easier to use and custom level support was free.

Either case, it's off topic too. I've already stated how I'll do it different in the new Knytt game. Open source free game easy editor and free custom level support, and then a massive and awesome purchaseable expansion level.