I just updated the game! No upgrades yet, but the core gameplay is a lot more solid, in my opinion. Most significantly, you can drill in all four directions but you only have one life. Let me know what you think!
Does anyone have any actual game critiques to offer, or are you all rating the game low because it's a demo? This is one time where I'd actually appreciate a "demos suck 1/5" comment...
EPR89, hmm, I've never experienced that before. Does it happen if you play the game in other web browsers? Does that happen with other Unity games too? Do you have the latest version of Unity installed? I'll ask around to see if anyone knows what might be causing that problem.
DubiousMerit, how do you distinguish between a game with an hour of gameplay and a game demo with an hour of gameplay plus many more if you buy the full version? This demo has a substantial amount of content in itself - certainly on par with the typical fare on Kongregate. And it's not here simply as a glorified advertisement. I worked hard to bring this game to Kongregate, on my own time, with barely any support from the original creators of the game. Do you know why? Because I hated to think of this well-reviewed game languishing in the Wii Shop Channel with no one playing it, when I could do something about it by putting it online for free. I've put as much here as I've been allowed. This free, online version is a lot more substantial than the other demos that have been available for Frobot in the past. Please judge it on its own terms.
I really admire the simplicity of the concept, and how well it works. Very clever. I could see it being even better with some ragdoll physics too... :)
Thanks again for the comments. I want to apologize for the lack of updates and say that while updates are not coming "soon" they will be coming eventually. There are some major changes I'd like to make to Flydrill, enough that I might just release it as a new game when I'm finished. I am working on some other game projects in the meantime, so that I can come back to Flydrill with more experience and skill to create a better game.
The three lanes are connected - when you control one you control the others. The first is position, the second is velocity (the derivative of the first), the third is acceleration (the derivative of the second).
I can understand why you'd stereotype Americans the way you do, but I assure you that dRive is an expression of a very different mindset than you assume.
About the colors - I'm planning to add some text that explains this, but basically, the colors control the enemy distribution rates. Red means more gunners, green means more diggers, blue means more puffers, and the lighter the color the more swarmers there are.
Also, I'm hearing your requests for achievements and upgrades and such, and I'm starting to design those right now! Let me know if you have any specific suggestions, and I'll see if I can incorporate them. :)
Kongregate stats and high scores are working now! :D
I also made it possible to glide by holding the arrow keys, for everyone who got hand cramps from tapping so much. And I made some performance optimizations that should make it run more smoothly.
Flydrill is a game I first played in a dream, in October of 2008. When I woke up, I vowed to turn my dream into a real game.
In my dream there were pixel-y things swarming after me and I could only drill to the right. If it's too weird for you, you can blame my subconscious mind. ;)
I like the concept. This is one of the few games I've seen that really feels like Aikido, in some way. It's like getting out of the way of a punch. :p
But this game could really benefit from further polish and graphic design. I would strongly recommend working with a good artist in the future. Let me know if you want any recommendations.
I *love* the art style on this. I could have sworn that the first section with the parallax scrolling was a stereoscopic 3D image. The sound design was great too.
This game does a really nice job with the feeling of delight and exploration. The third part, with the jumping pink guys I thought was the best at that - at first I was afraid that they would hurt me, then I realized that I needed their help to get onto the platforms.
Overall, a very enjoyable experience. Looking forward to more. :)
Simple. Brilliant.
This is quite an achievement. I don't think any other game manages to have the word "gay" appear so frequently in the comments without the word being used as a description of the game itself. Hmmm. ;)
Now I am inspired. If people can enjoy a story space consisting of permutations on pairings between three simple characters, imagine what greatness could arise from a more complex and nuanced story. Thanks! :D
Brilliant graphic design and interface design and presentation! :D Wow. I'm learning a lot from this. Very clever, very slick, very cute.
The game's not bad either. ;) Nice physics and controls and originality. I like it. I'm also noticing a trend, not just in this game, but in general - that many Flash games are incorporating achievements directly instead of relying on the portals adding them. I can only expect in-game achievements to become standard in Flash games, just like high scores.
For some reason playing this game has made me very happy. Must be that song. :)
It is apparent that every piece of this game has been well thought out - I admire its craftsmanship and presentation. I think the parody, or commentary on games, succeeds in large part because of this high level of polish. Well done.
I particularly liked the way that normally implicit, interactively communicated information is instead communicated through text. It's an interesting inversion, and of course much easier to implement. :)
This game has inspired me: Forget pandering to the masses! Just parody those who pander to the masses - even easier! Though I suppose that is still pandering, just to a different audience. How about a game that panders to both the jaded devs and the fun-seeking masses? Now that is what I call win. Excellent.
I see a use for cornandbeans' song {Colossus} coming up...
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