Mini Game Questions!

[Simon D. Aelsi]

I'm putting together a dancing mini game using events (and for some crazy reason it's working!).

This is kind of like DDR for the medieval ages. Muahahaha!

A player has to press the left, right, down, or up arrows (roughly) in time with the dance music, otherwise the couple won't dance.

Right now it's set up so that when the player gets the UP, DOWN, LEFT or RIGHT arrows correct, they hear a WHOOSH sound, as if the couple is swiftly and deftly dancing in a pre-determined pattern for each 'correct' (It looks so cool, I can't stop grinning.)

If players get the button wrong OR DO NOTHING, the couple stays still.

There are invisible points being tallied up. (After a certain number of inputs, the mini game ends. the higher the score, the better the game itself goes. Let's say for the heck of it that a score of 15 or more grants the player X item, and a score of 20 or more grants the player Y item.

If you get the input WRONG, you hear a buzzer and SOMETIMES, the crowd people will snicker. 

Now the question and problem is this:

In the mini game, players only have a certain amount of time to react to the arrows before the next arrow (and therefore the next action) appear. Players will literally have to push the buttons in time to the music! Otherwise, they fail.  

Might this be TOO difficult to the player(s)?  I've tried, but there's no way I can tweak it so that they can push the arrows before the next arrow pops up. (allowing for a little more leeway)

I thought of having an option for players to "practice" (because the mini game is super easy once you get the tempo down). but it'd look pretty weird dancing by yourself (I don't think I can sprite two different couples dancing. My mind would just implode)

You think I'm worrying about this too much?  It's not like if they get the mini game wrong, they get a game over. (It is a mandatory mini game. As to WHY,read below.)

Spoiler

A mandatory mini game because it has many things to do with the plot. Besides, many RPGs of yore had mandatory mini games, that the player would continue anyway. This is a thing. MY questions are on the mechanics.

Or should I just throw the minigame at players without a practice run? Another Idea I had was to have a "Try again?" option (with a yes or no choice. Yes would try again, and No would let them explore some more until they are ready again.). People would drop hints as to how to get a higher score at the mini game.

I'm still psyched that I actually got this to work, though. I'll post a video showing it off  to the screenshots thread as soon as I polish it up enough.

If anyone knows what I might be able to do so players don't tear their hair out (again ) I'd really appreciate it!

Edit: 900th post whoooooooo!

 

[Wavelength]

So is it like DDR where the arrows move toward the "hit area", or is it more like the arrows pop up one at a time as you get the previous one correct?

If it's the former, I think it should be good... just don't make the arrows too fast.  I made a DDR clone in timeblazer, and was torn between speeds 5 or 6 for the arrow movement, eventually settled on 6, and a lot of players report that the DDR action game "kicked their ass", even though it also came up a lot when players talked about their favorite action games.

If it's the latter, I don't know whether it will be a problem or not, but either way, I think you'd be able to create a better play experience by showing the next 4 moves or so.  It will help players get into a cadence of "this-then-this-then-this-then-that" instead of having to look at one arrow, respond to it, then recognize and mentally process the next arrow, then respond, and so on.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

So is it like DDR where the arrows move toward the "hit area", or is it more like the arrows pop up one at a time as you get the previous one correct?

If it's the former, I think it should be good... just don't make the arrows too fast.  I made a DDR clone in timeblazer, and was torn between speeds 5 or 6 for the arrow movement, eventually settled on 6, and a lot of players report that the DDR action game "kicked their ass", even though it also came up a lot when players talked about their favorite action games.

If it's the latter, I don't know whether it will be a problem or not, but either way, I think you'd be able to create a better play experience by showing the next 4 moves or so.  It will help players get into a cadence of "this-then-this-then-this-then-that" instead of having to look at one arrow, respond to it, then recognize and mentally process the next arrow, then respond, and so on.

It's more the latter. Players have one whole second to react. Like in DDR, if they get it wrong the thing keeps going.

 

[That Bread]

This sounds great! I knew it would be eventable and it sounds amazing.

As for your questions.

What if you had a difficulty setting? Those who really do have slower reaction times can get an easy mode, and the rest for the normal to the players who like a good dose of challenge.

This could be done by activating a different switch for which difficulty and it could send you to another map entirely. That is if this still takes place on anther map.

And no practice rounds only a try again or continue with what points they have.

Then I think it should be all good with the players

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

This sounds great! I knew it would be eventable and it sounds amazing.

As for your questions.

What if you had a difficulty setting? Those who really do have slower reaction times can get an easy mode, and the rest for the normal to the players who like a good dose of challenge.

This could be done by activating a different switch for which difficulty and it could send you to another map entirely. That is if this still takes place on anther map.

And no practice rounds only a try again or continue with what points they have.

Then I think it should be all good with the players

That wouldn't be a huge problem if I had different tempos of music... X___X

It's set up right now so that the players cycle through at the exact same tempo of the song (Eeee! I'm flippin' elated!)

As for no practice, it's rather easy once you get the hang of it.  But I do like the idea of a "try again", which is what I actually said in the OP , so I will definitely keep that.

EDIT: There's also no penalty for failure.  Only rewards for a job well done!

 

[That Bread]

True that you would have to make a few versions for difficulty setting to keep the same charm. Might not be worth the effort.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Ahhh!  Here's a very short demo to show how it works.   *bounces*

 

[KanaX]

Have you played Kingdom Hearts BBS? It has a similar mini game. If it's mandatory, lower the tempo a little (slower song, or skip tempo?). After that, give optional, more difficult versions ranging from slightly difficult, to ridiculously difficult, whose completion will give rare items, or extras. I am willing to test the mini game, if you want to.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Harder optional versions, hm? I like the sound of that. I will see what I can do, definitely.

Test out the mini game? Okay! I may just take you up on that.

EDIT: I just got an idea... If I can pull this off.

An option for commands to WAIT for input as a so-called 'easy' mode.  It might not be as effective, but I could put it in there for people with two left feet. Of course, as an incentive to go for the normal mode, the items you get at the end wouldn't be as good.

 

[KanaX]

It's an good idea for those who suck at timing. If the player fails three or four times give them the option to activate it.