Atlantia: teaming up with Cheat Master

Recently, Atlantia has gone through some game design changes. I have been thinking about what I want the game to be. I have come to the conclusion that, taking place in the underwater city of Atlantia, I should make a more tranquile game. Less focus on action, more on setting.

I want Atlantia to be a game about discovering this mystical city. About being alone, being lonely. Darkness, being trapped in a lost city. Hope. Ancient gods, long lost treasures.

That being said, I want to make a game with less emphasis on actual action, and more on telling a beautiful story in an awe-inspiring enviroment. As my graphic skills are less than inadequate, I was chuffed to bits when Cheat Master agreed to team up with me.

He will be doing the entire graphic side of the game. We have shallowly discussed my plans for the game (as far as I have any), but I'm sure we'll work on creating a stunning setting together.

Percy placed 9th because it was "too difficult"

*grumble*

Percy placed 9th (out of 13) in the dutch gamemaker community contest (GMW27).

I am displeased, I guess. I would have thought it'd end up higher. But it's not just the number. I am more displeased about why it ended up at 9th place.

These were the judges comments (in translation):

• Because of the high speed, the game is barely playable; you fly over platforms a lot.
• At some jumps you need to jump both horizontally and vertically accurately to the pixel, or you won't make it.
• I was not able to pass the point in level 3 [Sky High] where you get blown back.
• The gameplay is [simplistic], really annoying, but I guess that's the intention. I find it disappointing that the third level [Sky High] is undoable; at least I haven't been able to figure out how.
• The checkpoints aren't really coordinated properly; they are strangely spread, instead of right before the difficult parts.
• The graphics were [simplistic] as well. There wasn't much to see. And I couldn't make a robot out of the little square (out of Percy?).
• The music was fine. Nice and 'strange', not too distracting

No offence to the judges, they have the right to have their own opinions, but it basically says that they didn't like the game's difficulty, doesn't? It's not just me?

"I was not able to finish Sky High."

"At least I haven't been able to."

And they even notice that "that's the intention."

By the way, the GMW version of Sky High is not at all impossible. This vid proves that you can finish it. Within a minute. Without dying. Admittedly, I kill myself twice, but that doesn't really count.

So what exactly is wrong with Percy? Ok, the graphics are simplistic, and the game is horrendously difficult. 

I completely agree that the game looks bleak and dull, and that Percy (the character) looks uniform and standard. But that's the whole idea. "I couldn't make a robot out of the Percy." Seriously? Isn't everything about robots dull and uniform? Isn't uniformity the very essence of robots?

I can understand that people don't like this game, because it's too difficult. Because it screws you over. But why would that make this game any less good? Is it a bad game just because it pushes players to the edge, instead of making them feel all good, without actually achieving anything.

The whole purpose of this game is to make people feel proud for trying hard, trying again and then actually achieving something. And then let them realise what idiots they are for putting up with it, and that it's too late to take back the time they spent playing it.

In fact, I want players to hate this game. To despise Percy. But then long for it just the same.