This game is boring (first impressions)

needanick · 09-30-2010, 08:13 PM

I like Audiosurf. I love Beat Hazard. I really don't like Turba, though. I think it serves as proof that music-driven games aren't automatically cool - this has to be created through artistic vision and it's missing in Turba.

Bugs aside (I had trouble launching the game, and I have seen fatal errors when trying to select a game mode), the game feels stale and plays very erratically. The beat detection simply doesn't work, or doesn't feel natural enough that I can believe the game is tied closely to the song. I tried an old song (Corona - Baby Baby) first and the beat didn't even get detected early in the song when there was a clear beat going. Then the game went nuts, overstating the beat and adding multiple blocks at a time. On ascend mode, it was stupid and impossible to beat. I then tried a fast-paced song (power metal) and... the game was SLOWER! So again, it just doesn't feel right.

Ok, so that's #1 why I can't connect with the game. What else? The control scheme is painful to use. The same left-mouse click will select AND deselect blocks, which is problematic when trying to select a large group. There is a double-click/select group function but it will only select a small group of blocks, so I don't know why it's included. So my #2 reason why the game is boring is that it's awkward to control.

#3 reason is a lack of polish. Playing the freestyle mode (which is the first one you play, and you must play it) only makes problem #2 worse because the game board keeps dropping at random intervals which often results in blocks being unintentionally selected. Similarly, the default "special" power is utterly pointless because it turns blocks into random colours but you can't see which colour it is until you click it, which also selects it... Play the game and you will see that this often creates obstacles or loses you some score unless you remember to unselect the block. Basically the power is "special" in that it adds some pointless clicking.

Anyway, I know the dev looks at this forum and I'm sorry if this isn't what they wanted to read. I can't find anything to like about Turba, though, and I feel ripped off even though I bought it on special. It's just missing anything special - those "wow!" or "oh snap!" moments, you know?

10-02-2010, 02:31 PM

I downloaded the demo because they were offering a deal. I'll never get those ten minutes back...especially after the lame tutorial.

Zephon · 10-02-2010, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by needanick

I like Audiosurf. I love Beat Hazard. I really don't like Turba, though. I think it serves as proof that music-driven games aren't automatically cool - this has to be created through artistic vision and it's missing in Turba.

Bugs aside (I had trouble launching the game, and I have seen fatal errors when trying to select a game mode), the game feels stale and plays very erratically. The beat detection simply doesn't work, or doesn't feel natural enough that I can believe the game is tied closely to the song. I tried an old song (Corona - Baby Baby) first and the beat didn't even get detected early in the song when there was a clear beat going. Then the game went nuts, overstating the beat and adding multiple blocks at a time. On ascend mode, it was stupid and impossible to beat. I then tried a fast-paced song (power metal) and... the game was SLOWER! So again, it just doesn't feel right.

Ok, so that's #1 why I can't connect with the game. What else? The control scheme is painful to use. The same left-mouse click will select AND deselect blocks, which is problematic when trying to select a large group. There is a double-click/select group function but it will only select a small group of blocks, so I don't know why it's included. So my #2 reason why the game is boring is that it's awkward to control.

#3 reason is a lack of polish. Playing the freestyle mode (which is the first one you play, and you must play it) only makes problem #2 worse because the game board keeps dropping at random intervals which often results in blocks being unintentionally selected. Similarly, the default "special" power is utterly pointless because it turns blocks into random colours but you can't see which colour it is until you click it, which also selects it... Play the game and you will see that this often creates obstacles or loses you some score unless you remember to unselect the block. Basically the power is "special" in that it adds some pointless clicking.

Anyway, I know the dev looks at this forum and I'm sorry if this isn't what they wanted to read. I can't find anything to like about Turba, though, and I feel ripped off even though I bought it on special. It's just missing anything special - those "wow!" or "oh snap!" moments, you know?

while you probobly think your first impression was harsh it doesnt really prove that music driven games arn't automatically cool, and it sounds more like you didnt understand how to play.

As far as the controls being awkward and that equalling boring(not really sure how you came to that conclusion) do you know the number of pc games that require you to do nothing but click mouse buttons? maybe they implemented it badly if thats even possible with a mouse, either way.. thats alot of awkward..and a whole lot of boring. aside from the occasional carpal tunnel syndrome not sure how you find it painful either.

while you said #3 was a lack of polish you never really gave a good example, in fact the bugs and beat detection from #1 are a good example of polish, all #3 really is is your opinion of a game you probobly cant play very well.

Rhylos · 10-06-2010, 12:17 PM

My main grief is your point about the beat. It'd be nice if the game put in it's own beat counter. It shouldn't be too hard to determine the bps (beats per second) of a song and artificially have the beat counter go up at each beat of the song. Instead, the game just detects when the low bass is hit, which very rarely is a constant thump thump thump in a song. I feel like I have to play my electronica music because a lot of them have the thump thump thump in it that makes syncing to the beat more intuitive.

And I feel that's how every music game should be: intuitive. Otherwise you can't enjoy the music and instead are just focusing on beating the game's system. More often than nought I'm just watching the block values and right clicking as soon as I see the number change. I've only found a few songs so far that I don't have to do that and can just right click to the beat.

Also I agree with the useless power that is the random wild card power. What it should do is transform blocks into unclickable wildcard blocks that are automatically included in your combos when you highlight a box next to one.

delong · 10-12-2010, 12:19 PM

Do you guys realize that you can turn wildcard blocks into any color you want? It's probably the most useful power, especially when you have all the pro levels.

Darkstar83 · 10-15-2010, 03:14 AM

I don't know how someone can say that this game is boring. Maybe if you play really long track without drums. For example I did yesterday Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave. That's 62 minutes and few seconds. Just guitars without any effects or with feedback and then Merzbow goes crazy. Mostly blocks just sit there and nothing happens for 30 seconds. When Merzbow goes crazy with his equipment game's beat detection... well how I put this... goes crazy. Beat detection isn't perfect but it's good enough, not for that song though. I have to test more long tracks.

Me2nice · 12-07-2010, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstar83

I don't know how someone can say that this game is boring. Maybe if you play really long track without drums. For example I did yesterday Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave. That's 62 minutes and few seconds. Just guitars without any effects or with feedback and then Merzbow goes crazy. Mostly blocks just sit there and nothing happens for 30 seconds. When Merzbow goes crazy with his equipment game's beat detection... well how I put this... goes crazy. Beat detection isn't perfect but it's good enough, not for that song though. I have to test more long tracks.

The fact that it isn't what it should be makes some songs harder to play. There are some songs that I've played such as Linkin Park's "Waiting for the End" in which Turba didn't detect some beats that I can clearly hear, which threw me off and caused me to lose my multiplier.

marcelo88boy · 10-14-2011, 06:52 AM

Not only boring but the tutorial was too long. I didn't get the first time. Then just tried to play it the second time and didn't get it either. I like puzzle games but not this one.

VisibleDucts · 11-28-2011, 07:15 PM

The tutorial was rather short and the gameplay easy enough to understand. The wildcard power, at first, seemed random and had me wondering how this was a good special power, until I realized on my third song that if I select the wildcard after I select a color block, the wildcard will turn into that color - then it becomes a rather good power.

With that said, the beat detection, as is now, breaks the game. Out of the multiple songs in multiple genres ranging from electronica (Justice), to hip-hop, to metal, to post-punk, etc I was able to find one song so far that had nearly accurately went along with the beat of the song 50% of the time.
Not good enough. I don't want to spend most of my time searching for a song that is playable, especially when the core mechanic of this game is supposed to be match-3 to the beat of any song of your choosing. Beat detection might not ever be perfect, that's fine. I don't ask for perfection. I do, however, ask for it to be good enough to play the game.

10-06-2010, 12:17 PM	#4
Rhylos Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 34 Posts: 1,051	My main grief is your point about the beat. It'd be nice if the game put in it's own beat counter. It shouldn't be too hard to determine the bps (beats per second) of a song and artificially have the beat counter go up at each beat of the song. Instead, the game just detects when the low bass is hit, which very rarely is a constant thump thump thump in a song. I feel like I have to play my electronica music because a lot of them have the thump thump thump in it that makes syncing to the beat more intuitive. And I feel that's how every music game should be: intuitive. Otherwise you can't enjoy the music and instead are just focusing on beating the game's system. More often than nought I'm just watching the block values and right clicking as soon as I see the number change. I've only found a few songs so far that I don't have to do that and can just right click to the beat. Also I agree with the useless power that is the random wild card power. What it should do is transform blocks into unclickable wildcard blocks that are automatically included in your combos when you highlight a box next to one. Last edited by Rhylos: 10-06-2010 at 12:19 PM.

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09-30-2010, 08:13 PM	#1
needanick Join Date: Mar 2010 Reputation: 1 Posts: 65	This game is boring (first impressions) I like Audiosurf. I love Beat Hazard. I really don't like Turba, though. I think it serves as proof that music-driven games aren't automatically cool - this has to be created through artistic vision and it's missing in Turba. Bugs aside (I had trouble launching the game, and I have seen fatal errors when trying to select a game mode), the game feels stale and plays very erratically. The beat detection simply doesn't work, or doesn't feel natural enough that I can believe the game is tied closely to the song. I tried an old song (Corona - Baby Baby) first and the beat didn't even get detected early in the song when there was a clear beat going. Then the game went nuts, overstating the beat and adding multiple blocks at a time. On ascend mode, it was stupid and impossible to beat. I then tried a fast-paced song (power metal) and... the game was SLOWER! So again, it just doesn't feel right. Ok, so that's #1 why I can't connect with the game. What else? The control scheme is painful to use. The same left-mouse click will select AND deselect blocks, which is problematic when trying to select a large group. There is a double-click/select group function but it will only select a small group of blocks, so I don't know why it's included. So my #2 reason why the game is boring is that it's awkward to control. #3 reason is a lack of polish. Playing the freestyle mode (which is the first one you play, and you must play it) only makes problem #2 worse because the game board keeps dropping at random intervals which often results in blocks being unintentionally selected. Similarly, the default "special" power is utterly pointless because it turns blocks into random colours but you can't see which colour it is until you click it, which also selects it... Play the game and you will see that this often creates obstacles or loses you some score unless you remember to unselect the block. Basically the power is "special" in that it adds some pointless clicking. Anyway, I know the dev looks at this forum and I'm sorry if this isn't what they wanted to read. I can't find anything to like about Turba, though, and I feel ripped off even though I bought it on special. It's just missing anything special - those "wow!" or "oh snap!" moments, you know?

10-02-2010, 02:31 PM	#2
v8esprit Guest Posts: n/a	I downloaded the demo because they were offering a deal. I'll never get those ten minutes back...especially after the lame tutorial.

10-12-2010, 12:19 PM	#5
delong Binary Takeover Join Date: Apr 2009 Reputation: 14 Posts: 132	Do you guys realize that you can turn wildcard blocks into any color you want? It's probably the most useful power, especially when you have all the pro levels.

10-15-2010, 03:14 AM	#6
Darkstar83 Join Date: Dec 2008 Reputation: 139 Posts: 511	I don't know how someone can say that this game is boring. Maybe if you play really long track without drums. For example I did yesterday Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave. That's 62 minutes and few seconds. Just guitars without any effects or with feedback and then Merzbow goes crazy. Mostly blocks just sit there and nothing happens for 30 seconds. When Merzbow goes crazy with his equipment game's beat detection... well how I put this... goes crazy. Beat detection isn't perfect but it's good enough, not for that song though. I have to test more long tracks.

10-14-2011, 06:52 AM	#8
marcelo88boy Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 0 Posts: 24	Not only boring but the tutorial was too long. I didn't get the first time. Then just tried to play it the second time and didn't get it either. I like puzzle games but not this one.

11-28-2011, 07:15 PM	#9
VisibleDucts Join Date: Mar 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 5	The tutorial was rather short and the gameplay easy enough to understand. The wildcard power, at first, seemed random and had me wondering how this was a good special power, until I realized on my third song that if I select the wildcard after I select a color block, the wildcard will turn into that color - then it becomes a rather good power. With that said, the beat detection, as is now, breaks the game. Out of the multiple songs in multiple genres ranging from electronica (Justice), to hip-hop, to metal, to post-punk, etc I was able to find one song so far that had nearly accurately went along with the beat of the song 50% of the time. Not good enough. I don't want to spend most of my time searching for a song that is playable, especially when the core mechanic of this game is supposed to be match-3 to the beat of any song of your choosing. Beat detection might not ever be perfect, that's fine. I don't ask for perfection. I do, however, ask for it to be good enough to play the game.