Alpha IKHōR

N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
IKHōR is still here.

What is IKHōR?
IKHōR promises to deliver a nostalgic experience, fitting the mold of the retro fantasy genre we've all come to love, with the twist of being controlled exclusively by your mouse. Effectively a point and click/action adventure hybrid, this game will tickle the fancy of fans of both retro console and PC titles!

What does IKHōR look like?

There are screenshots in this here spoiler.




How does IKHōR play?

There's a demo in this here spoiler.

Developer Comments:


July 3rd: Hello friends! It's been an awful long time since I've gotten to post and update, and sadly, there isn't a whole lot to show for it. I've never really stopped working on IKHōR, but between working full time and moving in a month, I've had a lot of personal stuff in the way of the development process. That being said, I AM back, and I'm working towards a steady development cycle once more! I'll be posting a host of old screenshots

What can I do to help?
If you take a special interest in this project, I am looking for help in developing this game. Namely, I need a programmer, as I've been learning as I go, and most stops in my development process have been due to my need to learn new programming techniques and rewrite tons of inefficient code. If you're interested, PM me!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
R

roytheshort

Guest
Seems fun, can you add an alternative to item scrolling other than the mouse wheel? I know it's not many people, but some use touchpads.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
I fear this may be a game that requires a mouse to enjoy fully. Along side those games such as FPS and RTS games, the action adventure aspects of this game make it extremely uncomfortable without a mouse, and the ability to left and right click quickly. I may in the future add control options for mousepads, but for the time being, this is the best that can be done.
 
Nice to see you back, Nick! Does the demo include these new areas? Or is it the same demo I played back on the old GMC? If it's new, I'll give it another play. :>
 
F

FROGANUS

Guest
Back at it again. make a boss fight!

I played it before (like a few months ago?) and just now gave it another run thru. This game is really dope! I love the color palette, the zelda critters, cool mystical hand objects etc. I think it was the same release as I tried before (unless I missed anything?) and yes, the mouse works great, so moving forward, what's next?

I feel like as a demo I'm left thinking okay, its kinda linear but is it just for the sake of a tutorial sequnce? Are you thinking of doing levels that are similarly arcadey or will this open up to some zeldaesque overworld, and/or towns, dungeons, etc?

Minor issues/suggestions, I think I recoginsed from before and may have posted in the old forum, but anways:

-3-dimensional clipping- things like the treetops in the foreground clipping the player, when in the space, it seems you should walk by behind/above the object, same with the hand sculptures (like youd imagine space to walk in the one unit above/behind them). wish i could say ive worked more on top down games like this- with all the ladders, monster pits, etc must be challenge.

-suggest adding second set of sprites for character when swinging/other action (the blade popping up looks good, but his arm just staying at his side is strange)

-also suggest some sprite/animation element for the teleport thingies.

-suggest add generally more clickable stuff with magnifying glass tool

-whats with the swirl magic ability thing? a shield? i was too beastmode to need to use it.

-make a bassfite


keep it up good to see you back, would like to try new version new areas!
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
Nice to see you back, Nick! Does the demo include these new areas? Or is it the same demo I played back on the old GMC? If it's new, I'll give it another play. :>
Yep, this is in fact the same demo. While I've made progress, I haven't quite made enough to post a new demo. I'll detail some of the additions below.

Back at it again. make a boss fight!

I played it before (like a few months ago?) and just now gave it another run thru. This game is really dope! I love the color palette, the zelda critters, cool mystical hand objects etc. I think it was the same release as I tried before (unless I missed anything?) and yes, the mouse works great, so moving forward, what's next?

I feel like as a demo I'm left thinking okay, its kinda linear but is it just for the sake of a tutorial sequnce? Are you thinking of doing levels that are similarly arcadey or will this open up to some zeldaesque overworld, and/or towns, dungeons, etc?

Minor issues/suggestions, I think I recoginsed from before and may have posted in the old forum, but anways:

-3-dimensional clipping- things like the treetops in the foreground clipping the player, when in the space, it seems you should walk by behind/above the object, same with the hand sculptures (like youd imagine space to walk in the one unit above/behind them). wish i could say ive worked more on top down games like this- with all the ladders, monster pits, etc must be challenge.

-suggest adding second set of sprites for character when swinging/other action (the blade popping up looks good, but his arm just staying at his side is strange)

-also suggest some sprite/animation element for the teleport thingies.

-suggest add generally more clickable stuff with magnifying glass tool

-whats with the swirl magic ability thing? a shield? i was too beastmode to need to use it.

-make a bassfite


keep it up good to see you back, would like to try new version new areas!
Alright! I knew these issues would pop up, but I haven't addressed them on the new forums yet, so I'll take them one at a time here.

I've toyed between the ideas of linear and non-linear gameplay, and my goal is to attempt and open world game similar to the original Legend of Zelda, with a couple twists. Towns, dungeons, and even a cast of interesting characters are all a must. In response to your minor issues:

- 3D Clipping has already been implemented, you can see examples in some of the screenshots I've posted in the OP I believe. It's just not in that particular demo. :)

- I sprited the character myself, (with some help from the good folks at The Spriters Resource), and it took me about a month to get them as good as they are now, haha. I plan to do more character sprites when I get a programmer to take charge of the programming, or an artist to sprite it for me.

- This is the same answer as the last. I've been lacking animation and spriting quality due to being the only one making this. All in due time, haha.

- My newer demos, (that I'm working on), are actually jam packed with flavor text and interactive objects. You may use the Magnifying Glass more than the sword in the future!

- It was actually a sort of lantern you could use in the dark area, but it wasn't really necessary, you could easily wander into the exit, haha.

- Bassfites are haaard work. I've had a few bosses completed, but I feel like I need more practice making bosses before I can show them off. Mediocre at best.

Heyyyy, one of my favorite projects is back!
Hey! I'll be following yours, next! Good to see you on the new forums. :)


If anyone has any other questions, or suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them!
 
N

NY4NK0

Guest
is that an 8bit remix of sotc :3

it would be nice if you could walk 'behind' the tall statues and hands? the isometric view makes it seem like you should be able to, but then you run into the tops of them (it looks like this was already addressed in the previous post)

the save sound effect is a bit loud, but cool. i really like quicksave features like that.

i like the magnifying glass!

i didn't realize i was running out of air when swimming (despite the huge bar at the top haha), maybe you could add bubbles above the sprite to better communicate this?

it was fun! the only mildly frustrating thing was running into the corners of objects and having your speed cut, otherwise i quite enjoyed the mechanics
 
S

seanm

Guest
The sound effects are WAY TOO LOUD.
Played it for a bit and I really like the gameplay, and the aesthetic, however, I can't see the movement and combat system working to well as things get more advanced. Its hard to maneuver around, and hit people at the same time.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
It's strange, I've never gotten the complaint of the SFX being loud. I wonder if I uploaded a weird version of the game, haha. As for the difficult combat, the game will be more exploration and puzzle driven. While combat won't be the focus, I have plans in place to keep it engaging and interesting. The combat won't be made too difficult or overbearing, though.
 
F

FROGANUS

Guest
Ya, I also felt the music was relatively a little quiet, even though I tend to prefer the music a bit lower. The music track is nice btw.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
Ya, I also felt the music was relatively a little quiet, even though I tend to prefer the music a bit lower. The music track is nice btw.
The music is actually an 8-bit rendition of a Shadow of the Colossus song.


Placeholder, of course.
 
You should only use assets you have the rights to for public demos, nick. Trash games get away with using borrowed stuff, but this is far from being some kid's junk fan game. It's not the biggest sin, but it's still best not to use borrowed stuff in public releases. A small part of the buzz generated for your game is from music you didn't create or pay for. There's plenty of free music online to use for demos and stuff. Your game looks great so far. Keep it on the up and up! =)
 

YanBG

Member
I played your game and i liked it. It's pretty good but it becomes a bit repetitive, that's probably because it's alpha though.
 
F

FROGANUS

Guest
haha wow soc is one of my favs but never would have recognized this music. I guess its that 8 bit swang.
I wouldn't worry abt the copyright since its 8bitted and just a test release.. It sounds good!
 
S

seanm

Guest
At the start of the game, right before you get the sword, something blocks the path behind you. It plays an ear shattering static noise.

Likewise a couple of rooms later when you step on some kind of pad. Another ear shatteringly loud noise plays.

the grass slashing sound effect is nice an balanced though.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
At the start of the game, right before you get the sword, something blocks the path behind you. It plays an ear shattering static noise.

Likewise a couple of rooms later when you step on some kind of pad. Another ear shatteringly loud noise plays.

the grass slashing sound effect is nice an balanced though.
I wonder what the deal is with all of these audio/volume problems. When I play it on my computer, the audio is balanced reasonably. I'll do some research before my next build.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
I think the issue has been that I intended the background music to be much quieter than the sound effects, and everyone turns the game up to compensate. By the time the sound effects play, theyre suddenly much louder, hahaha. Have any of you noticed yourselves turning it up before hand? When i listen to the soundcloud, its not very loud, but I didnt turn the music up, either.
 
S

seanm

Guest
I know why you would want to do that, but some of the sfx are just too loud. You have to make some sacrifices to dynamic range to maintain a level of cohesion.

also:
  • The sfx I recorded is very sharp in the frequency range of the human voice, meaning we are extra sensitive to it.
  • Since the music is so quiet, and the difference in volume is so large between the music and sfx, we perceive it as very loud. If the music was louder, and the sfx was the same volume it is now, we wouldn't find the sfx to be so jarringly loud, just due to how our brains work.

As a rule of thumb, someone should be able to know how loud your game is going to be right away.
If the first thing you play is quiet music, people are going to adjust their volume around that music; something to keep in mind.

anyways blah blah audio engineering and psychology.

cheers
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
I'm working on what's meant to be a new public build of the game. Just so we're all clear, I've compiled a checklist of things that the new demo will have, that the current demo does not. While this should really be a list of necessary fixes and features, I figured that while I'm looking for input on this list, I'll go ahead and take all of your suggestions into consideration. When the list is finalized, I'll put it in the original post, and update whenever something is being checked from the list. So far, here is my checklist.

- Original Musical Score
- Proper Title Screen
- An Open World Demo Area
- A Linear World Area
- Balanced Sound Volume
- Characters With Dialogue
- At Least 3 Distance Enemy Types
- Tangible puzzles that require physical manipulation of in-game objects
- Abstract puzzles that require knowledge gained in-game
- An environment that allows for greater use of the Spy Glass
- An emphasis on exploration, with optional back-tracking
- Smoother camera work, and an overall improvement in "game-feel"
- Character animations for walking, running, and swinging the sword.

If there are fixes you'd like to see, or even just comments on "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if you...", this is definitely the time to do it, as the map I'm working with is starting to fall into place.
 

RangerX

Member
That sounds like a very comprehensive list my friend.
What can make a great demo is what they call in the industry a "vertical slice". This is a portion of a game (sometimes right in the middle of it) that can show very quickly most the features and main gameplay of the game. That's also why games are entirely planned and designed before being produced. But that's another story. What I mean to say (since I don't know how much of your game is already designed) is that what's important is the give us with the demo a representative slice of your game. Make the people play a part that will tell me how it will feel in overall. Its not always simple. Some demos are good when its the beginning of the game, some aren't, etc. Its a bit hard to pull off but I told you all of that for food for thoughts.
 

YanBG

Member
For a demo i like the old method when you got to play the exact same first chapter or 2-3 quests. In Diablo 2 it was a Barbarian with the first 2 quests, there can be most of the item drops and no level cap i think if you play long enough, there is not timer either.
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
Actually, for the demo I've been working on an area that works as a prequel to the main quest, and a small, open world area.

Here's a sneak peek of what that miiight look like. One of many maps I've made. So far, they aren't made with distinct linear and open areas like my list suggested, but a combination of which that might give this demo a slight Metroidvania feeling.



I've been having a lot of technical and personal difficulties as of late. I've finished moving in to my new place, but my computer is slowly deteriorating and all attempts to back up my computer for restoration have failed. Windows 10 has the ability to restore itself without losing any files, but that's not working either. I'm about ready to buy a new PC, so it shouldn't be a problem much longer, but things have been moving slower than planned.
 
Is that chrono trigger in the SNES? Hard to tell. It doesn't look like a definite match, but nothing else comes to mind. X'D
Like the big maps. I've been wanting to do something like it, but have only made small ones so far...
 
D

Deleted member 467

Guest
Hey this game again! (Mainly a reminder for me to play this again when I get home)

Also you said you needed a programmer and you learn as you go. I don't how much time I'll have to help (as I have my own project) buy I'd be willing to assist in programming or mentoring you.

Edit - my review

Well, others have mentioned the Sound effects volume stuff already, so no need to repeat it.

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong but I couldn't really continue after getting the sword. I got to the next area which had pink water, and didn't know what to do after that.

At this point it's not really easy to give feedback.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
Well, others have mentioned the Sound effects volume stuff already, so no need to repeat it.

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong but I couldn't really continue after getting the sword. I got to the next area which had pink water, and didn't know what to do after that.

At this point it's not really easy to give feedback.
If you look again, there is a piece of the wall that is climbable. A lot of people have been stuck there, so ive redrawn the tiles for future updates. I think that's where you were stuck, at least.



A quick update, the demo world map is tiled into my game completely. I've found a system for using multiple rooms that are tiled together seamlessly, so once I impliment the camera system, I can work the demo I currently have into the new map. Things are moving slowly, but smoothly.
 
I already liked your game from the first few screenshots. It really tugs at my heartstrings to see the old-school NES Zelda style being used on modern platforms and seeing your paper drawings next to SNES controllers almost made me tear up from the nostalgia trip! Keep up the fantastic work!

Cheers!
 
D

Deleted member 467

Guest
Updated review now that I have reached the end:

The upgraded sword feels a bit OP, it was cool - but as of right now it is super OP.
At the swimming part it's almost impossible to get to a safe bank without losing health
The item that shows paths in the dark is pretty cool.

I was actually disappointed when I reached the end :(
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
Alright, so... my computer is officially shot. I have all of my files backed up onto a flash drive, which is in a safe place, so I won't lose any progress on this game, but I wont make any progress either.

I do have another crappy laptop I can use in the meantine, but it does not run very well, so I may use it to work on a simpler, smaller game. Until then, I'll try to give you guys what updates I may have!
 
N

nicktheslayer95

Guest
In the meantime, I'll be posting a few pitches in the game design area soon, for smaller, simpler games, looking for a programmer! If you guys end up interested, you can find me there. I'll link this thread to the other when it's up.
 
Top