Cool site....comments please

Stephen Mackenzie here,

I am looking for people to test drive my new game. It is a remake of the classic pipe puzzle game PipeMania and currently has ten levels. It is big (400+k) but give it a go. It is pure Actionscript which provides the bulk of the swf.

Your comments are greatly appreciated as this is my first completed project. Bear in mind I am more of a programmer than a designer.

How can I get a job in this business? No one seems interested if you haven't got commercial experience.....so how do I get commercial experience!?!?!? Am I destined to write games in my spare time for no reward........?

Regards and see ya

STEVE
p.s. anyone wants the swf for their site let me know...I want it to get out there...

http://www.j-w-mackenzie.freeserve.c...nic_Pipes.html
__________________
Stephen Mackenzie
(Frustrated Programmer.....damned to an existence of no commercial experience!)

Looks and plays good... hard though... if you want to get it out, I'll post it.

I don't know where you are, but here in LA area there are a lot of smaller studios hiring now. Otherwise, have you tried FreeAgent.com? Probably not exactly what you want but there is work there.

You seem to know your stuff. Unless you're in Nebraska I don't know why you can't get hired.

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Originally posted by Sigma3
Looks and plays good... hard though... if you want to get it out, I'll post it.

I don't know where you are, but here in LA area there are a lot of smaller studios hiring now. Otherwise, have you tried FreeAgent.com? Probably not exactly what you want but there is work there.

You seem to know your stuff. Unless you're in Nebraska I don't know why you can't get hired.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence and for taking the time to check it out. If you could post it that would be great. What makes it difficult by the way, is it the number of tiles required to pass through to complete the level? If so I can drop the number.

I have written a Flash level editor which allows users to create their own level and play it. I dropped it from the game because of the size.....

I will check out Freeagent.com, thanks. I think to get some work, I need to get some material out there....I have submitted the game to the Flashkit arcade.

p.s. I am from Manchester, England.....not as glamorous as LA, but hey....I like rain....

See ya

I like rain too, unfortunately. But I don't like cold. You pick your battles...

I think the main thing is that there either isn't enough time before the lava starts coming, or that the lava moves too fast. I never had time to really even think about how many pieces I needed, since I was just frantically trying to get them to fit one at a time.

A level editor sounds impressive to be done in Flash but probably unnecessary. But if you're submitting it to any job-specific places, you might want to put it in there, that shows some skill.

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Originally posted by Sigma3
I like rain too, unfortunately. But I don't like cold. You pick your battles...

I think the main thing is that there either isn't enough time before the lava starts coming, or that the lava moves too fast. I never had time to really even think about how many pieces I needed, since I was just frantically trying to get them to fit one at a time.

A level editor sounds impressive to be done in Flash but probably unnecessary. But if you're submitting it to any job-specific places, you might want to put it in there, that shows some skill.

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Just for you...check out:

http://www.j-w-mackenzie.freeserve.c...ic_Pipes2.html

It has an extended timer before things start (extended tween...easy!!).

Is this any easier now...or too easy?!?

Thanks again.

p.s. What do you want from me to post this out on your site?

Cheers

Stephen Mackenzie

From the list of pieces shown, I think you should be able to select what piece you want to use. More randomizer clicks to. But then, I find this sort of game hard. I'l go back to RTSes.

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Originally posted by Boogle Oogle
From the list of pieces shown, I think you should be able to select what piece you want to use. More randomizer clicks to. But then, I find this sort of game hard. I'l go back to RTSes.

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Thanks for looking. I agree, maybe more randomizers (start with 20 and pick 20 up for bonuses instead of 5...)

I am thinking of an extra weapon which can stop the lava in its tracks for a while. These will be very rare and can only be picked up from a bouns square!! Unsure about this as it is a bit similar to the reservoir. It will have its uses though, you could store it until you're in the **** and then use it!!

In terms of being able to select the piece, the idea was to make you think ahead by placing pieces for later parts of the pipe if the piece wasn't needed immediately. Thanks for the comment.

p.s. stupid british question ..... whats an RTS>>>>>??

Cheers

Great game, but how do I pass the first level? I went through all the 1way gates, but I still was a looooser. The instructions said to go to a red END pipe if there was one. But there wasn't soI didn't know what to do. What am I missing?

Great job though. I also am an ActionScripter and I loved your product! I'd hire you.

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Originally posted by randum
Great game, but how do I pass the first level? I went through all the 1way gates, but I still was a looooser. The instructions said to go to a red END pipe if there was one. But there wasn't soI didn't know what to do. What am I missing?

Great job though. I also am an ActionScripter and I loved your product! I'd hire you.

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All you have to do is pass the lava through the number of tiles defined by the Target symbol at the bottom right of the screen when the level starts.

You don't have to pass through the one ways, but if you do you get an extra life.

You probably didn't put enough pieces down. The figure at the top labelled On Board: is the number of pieces on the board at any time. When you bomb a piece, this number drops, when you add a piece the number goes up. When lava flows through a piece it takes one off this figure (only once for a 4 way). You use this figure to see how far off target you are...i.e. if in the middle of the game the lava is flowing and the target number is down to 30 and yuo On Board figure is 15, you have another 15 to put down.

This On Board: figure includes all rogue pieces you may have placed so you should destroy them as soon as possible. The figure also includes all slow downs and one ways...so the figure is only accurate if you go through them!

Wow....complicated or what!?!?

Thanks for playing and the vote of confidence....If you know any sites which might like to post this (I just wanna get out there....) then let me know.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally posted by randum
Great game, but how do I pass the first level? I went through all the 1way gates, but I still was a looooser. The instructions said to go to a red END pipe if there was one. But there wasn't soI didn't know what to do. What am I missing?

Great job though. I also am an ActionScripter and I loved your product! I'd hire you.

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p.s. think in advance where you can put pieces....don't just try to place the next piece!

Good Luck.....

One thing: I'd change the loader to something more appropriate or graphical. It's a bit sparse.

If you want me to post the file I'll put it right in with my other stuff on my site (coming back up very soon) with your name or whatever else it is you want. I'd just need the .swf once you are confident that it's final.

Keep up the good work.

One thing: I'd change the loader to something more appropriate or graphical. It's a bit sparse.

If you want me to post the file I'll put it right in with my other stuff on my site (coming back up very soon) with your name or whatever else it is you want. I'd just need the .swf once you are confident that it's final.

Keep up the good work.

BTW: yes, I think the revised difficulty was much closer to the mark. Maybe a little less time, but towards that end.

That's an awsome game! But I can't beat it, and I'm addicted.

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Originally posted by sbrad
That's an awsome game! But I can't beat it, and I'm addicted.

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Cheers matey....much appreciated.

p.s. do you think it's too hard (thats the general concensus I'm getting.....)

TTFN ;)

I'm British and not American....RTS stands for Real Time Strategy. Like Command & Conquer, although the king is Earth 2150 currently of the RTS genre. You are right, the game is quite (ahem) very hard. But then I have very little experience of such a game, so to an experienced person it is probably excellent. How you do something so complex with just Actionscripting and not a real language (such as VB) I don't know!