I love this game!

Whimper · 04-30-2011, 03:55 PM

What an unexpected treasure this game was, from its insidious AI (or is is all really just random?) to the open-ended gameplay. Everytime I play, I view the whole thing as an insightful metaphor for modern education.

I can't be alone in my devotion to this new bug-herding pastime, this Lemmings for the 21st century, can I?

Spyn Doctor · 05-01-2011, 03:50 AM

Hi!

I'm glad you love the game so much!

Want me to explain a bit how the bug AI works? Or would that destroy your fun with the game?

Doc

Whimper · 05-01-2011, 07:37 PM

I don't need to know the all the sordid details, but it seems more than just random. Otherwise, bugs wouldn't get trapped the way they sometimes do, in places where dozens of their friends did just fine.

Or maybe I underestimate the capabilities of an infinite number of monkeys at typewriters...

Spyn Doctor · 05-02-2011, 08:57 AM

No, definitely not random. All bugs follow the same simple set of rules. The only randomness (in addition to the initial random start direction) is a slight variation in the height of the jumps (that's why they all clear the low jumps easily, but for the almost-too-high jumps, they sometimes need several attempts).
Just like when you watch a swarm of fish or flock of birds: Each fish follows simple rules (stay close to neighbor, but not too close, swim in same general direction as neighbor, etc.), and out of these simple rules emerges a swarm behavior as if the swarm were an entity by itself.
Of course the bugs have different rules than these swarm rules...

Doc

punatic · 05-03-2011, 08:45 AM

I think you can predict the swarm behavior but single bug behavior is unpredictable.
For exemple, all lemmings do exactly the same thing, and you know what's going to happen.
In YDAB, bugs are alive

GG doc

Spyn Doctor · 05-03-2011, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punatic

In YDAB, bugs are alive

Until they walk the red line...

Doc

punatic · 05-03-2011, 09:43 AM

lol
you're right, I just beat the suicide mission, I killed them all exept one, and got the first place at the first try o0

Spyn Doctor · 05-03-2011, 09:49 AM

Now try solving it again, without killing any bugs, so you get the Pacifist achievement.

Currently I think I'm still the only one with that achievement. That needs to be changed!

Doc

punatic · 05-03-2011, 11:23 AM

now what?

Ho no!

Spyn Doctor · 05-04-2011, 04:18 AM

LOL! Funny screenshots!

Remember, for the pacifist achievement, you don't have to save all bugs. You just have to solve the doodle (=save 1 bug) without killing any bugs...

punatic · 05-04-2011, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Remember, for the pacifist achievement, you don't have to save all bugs. You just have to solve the doodle (=save 1 bug) without killing any bugs...

Thanks for the trick, I was trying to save all the bugs.

I did it!

btw, I have beaten your time on doodle 17 but I didn't get the pwned achievement, do I have to do that on doodle 13 and 18 too, or is my steam bugged?

Spyn Doctor · 05-04-2011, 08:40 AM

Congrats for the achievement!

For the PWNED! achievement, you only have to beat the time in one of the three doodles.
But it's not the time in the leaderboards that you need to beat, but the (secret) time that is hard-coded into the game, which is faster than my entry on the leaderboards. Those hard-coded times (for the three doodles) are also genuine times from real play-throughs I did of those doodles, only before the Steam leaderboards were online.
I'm not going to reveal the exact time, but it's about 40-50 sec faster than your current leaderboard entry.

Doc

punatic · 05-04-2011, 09:06 AM

ok, I told mylself that you will not let you pwned so easily!

sorted · 05-08-2011, 07:45 AM

Fun game Doc, my six year old loves it (me too). Really sweet.

keep up your good works

sorted

Whimper · 05-08-2011, 04:15 PM

I wish this game could get some attention, it's really worth it. I've told my friends all about it and my obsession with viewing the little bugs as "my students".

04-30-2011, 03:55 PM	#1
Whimper Join Date: Dec 2009 Reputation: 65 Posts: 308	I love this game! What an unexpected treasure this game was, from its insidious AI (or is is all really just random?) to the open-ended gameplay. Everytime I play, I view the whole thing as an insightful metaphor for modern education. I can't be alone in my devotion to this new bug-herding pastime, this Lemmings for the 21st century, can I?

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05-01-2011, 03:50 AM	#2
Spyn Doctor Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 22	Hi! I'm glad you love the game so much! Want me to explain a bit how the bug AI works? Or would that destroy your fun with the game? Doc

05-01-2011, 07:37 PM	#3
Whimper Join Date: Dec 2009 Reputation: 65 Posts: 308	I don't need to know the all the sordid details, but it seems more than just random. Otherwise, bugs wouldn't get trapped the way they sometimes do, in places where dozens of their friends did just fine. Or maybe I underestimate the capabilities of an infinite number of monkeys at typewriters...

05-02-2011, 08:57 AM	#4
Spyn Doctor Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 22	No, definitely not random. All bugs follow the same simple set of rules. The only randomness (in addition to the initial random start direction) is a slight variation in the height of the jumps (that's why they all clear the low jumps easily, but for the almost-too-high jumps, they sometimes need several attempts). Just like when you watch a swarm of fish or flock of birds: Each fish follows simple rules (stay close to neighbor, but not too close, swim in same general direction as neighbor, etc.), and out of these simple rules emerges a swarm behavior as if the swarm were an entity by itself. Of course the bugs have different rules than these swarm rules... Doc

05-03-2011, 08:45 AM	#5
punatic Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 7 Posts: 136	I think you can predict the swarm behavior but single bug behavior is unpredictable. For exemple, all lemmings do exactly the same thing, and you know what's going to happen. In YDAB, bugs are alive GG doc

05-03-2011, 09:43 AM	#7
punatic Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 7 Posts: 136	lol you're right, I just beat the suicide mission, I killed them all exept one, and got the first place at the first try o0

05-03-2011, 09:49 AM	#8
Spyn Doctor Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 22	Now try solving it again, without killing any bugs, so you get the Pacifist achievement. Currently I think I'm still the only one with that achievement. That needs to be changed! Doc

05-03-2011, 11:23 AM	#9
punatic Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 7 Posts: 136	now what? Ho no!

05-04-2011, 04:18 AM	#10
Spyn Doctor Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 22	LOL! Funny screenshots! Remember, for the pacifist achievement, you don't have to save all bugs. You just have to solve the doodle (=save 1 bug) without killing any bugs...

05-04-2011, 08:40 AM	#12
Spyn Doctor Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 22	Congrats for the achievement! For the PWNED! achievement, you only have to beat the time in one of the three doodles. But it's not the time in the leaderboards that you need to beat, but the (secret) time that is hard-coded into the game, which is faster than my entry on the leaderboards. Those hard-coded times (for the three doodles) are also genuine times from real play-throughs I did of those doodles, only before the Steam leaderboards were online. I'm not going to reveal the exact time, but it's about 40-50 sec faster than your current leaderboard entry. Doc

05-04-2011, 09:06 AM	#13
punatic Join Date: Feb 2011 Reputation: 7 Posts: 136	ok, I told mylself that you will not let you pwned so easily!

05-08-2011, 07:45 AM	#14
sorted Join Date: Sep 2010 Reputation: 15 Posts: 175	Fun game Doc, my six year old loves it (me too). Really sweet. keep up your good works sorted

05-08-2011, 04:15 PM	#15
Whimper Join Date: Dec 2009 Reputation: 65 Posts: 308	I wish this game could get some attention, it's really worth it. I've told my friends all about it and my obsession with viewing the little bugs as "my students".