Ready to play - Oh! Ko! (Progress Screens Added)

[Geoff Moore]

Attention: The latest version includes a save function, bug fixes and a new walking animation for Ko and is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d97obkdobkz2t79/Ko.exe (press 'S' to access saves. Special thanks to Soulpour777 for the awesome Quick Save Ex script!)

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't have time to make a progress thread, literally every spare second has been poured into learning VX Ace, drawing the graphics and making the game. I hope you guys enjoy it, the download should be ready tomorrow is now available!

Oh! Ko! is a short comedy adventure game with original graphics and light item-based puzzles created in RPG Maker VX Ace for the 2014 Indie Game Maker Contest.

 

For more info and to play, please take a look at the game page here: http://contest.rpgmakerweb.com/game/view/id/188#.U66vlLG4_IU. Let me know what you think!

 

[EternalShadow]

This... Is... Your... First... Game?

...

*bows repeatedly*

 

[Clord]

Nice, very nice.


I had a idea of doing simple line-art and make RPG Maker game out of it but I actually didn't bother.


It is nice to see that someone bothered.

 

[Vallar]

Wow, this looks really well done and kudos for it being your first game . Good luck!

 

[Alkorri]

Went to your page. Jaw dropped. This is a first game? You put me to shame! ;D 

Left a comment there. Kudos to you!

 

[Geoff Moore]

Thanks, everyone! This is an awesome community . The game is pretty much done, I'm just rushing to make some music and sounds for it now as it's completely silent at the moment... meep!

 

[Of_Dust]

I'll definitely play this game! Looks very good! 

 

[Geoff Moore]

Against all odds, at the eleventh hour, Oh! Ko! is finally ready to play! I even had time to make some music and add a few (too few) sound effects. Head over to the game's page to grab it:

http://contest.rpgmakerweb.com/game/view/id/188#.U7Hx7bG4_IU

I hope you all enjoy it! The story is complete, but I'd definitely like to do a slightly longer and more detailed post-comp release, so any feedback would be hugely appreciated, positive or otherwise.

Thanks for playing!

 

[xabileug]

i got stuck after the tree. gameplay is focused on interacting with objects. its more like a puzzle on guessing what to do with not enough clues. so needs imagination with the items you obtain.

Presentation: Audio and Visuals has unity, original custom made! mood is good.

Gameplay: not my type, but very creative. somehow difficult as not enough clues. but i guess that's the x factor. so really good puzzle game. Storyline delivery is quite good, but humor is not my line. 

Fun Factor: not my genre, but i would say others might find it enjoyable. I actually enjoyed cutscenes, and some frustrations figuring out what to do next. and seeing what happens next is rewarding.

 

[runic]

Saw this one earlier too on the submissions page, another one that I bookmarked to play as soon as I have time, your simple lineart style is eye-catching and just looks really clean and sophisticated. Can't wait to try it!

 

[Geoff Moore]

@runic: Thank you! I'm glad you like the art, and I look forward to hearing what you think. I hadn't seen Ruselan before - it looks beautiful, I'll be sure to check it out.

 

@migidu: It's awesome that you persevered with the game even though it's not your kind of thing. Thank you for the feedback! If you'd like to finish it (sounds like you were pretty close), feel free to ask for specific help in a spoiler tag and I'll give you a hint. I'd also be happy to make a save file so you can get back to that point without playing through again. Same goes for anyone else.

 

Thanks for the support people! You rock!

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Very cute game so far! Ko is a sweetie, and the other characters are charming as well. I especially found that fellow who lost his monocle to be a laugh. None of the puzzles have seemed to complex so far - they all seem to flow logically with each other, but I admit I've gotten stuck.

Spoiler

I just got the moon key from the stubbled version of our Panda friend. I exited and talked to him on the bridge, but got some message about the anchor (I had it selected from trying to throw it in the water in the dream world) and the panda vanished without saying anything much useful. I'm lacking a direction right now on what to do next. Other than - go to the moon. The moon can be seen from the bathroom window, so I tried tossing the anchor out the window to no avail. I hint would be lovely, if you don't mind.
Not the answer though... just a hint.))

I feel silly because I can't figure out how to save in this game. So leaving and coming back with a fresh mind later isn't a possibility.


Your topic starting post seems to imply this is the first game you have made? Using RPGmaker anyway. I hope you stick around the community. It'll be interesting to see where your style goes in you decide to create more games.


Best of luck in the contest!

 

[Mesonyx]

I just finished playing this. I'll have a full review written tomorrow after I get done with work, but for now... wow, dude. Just wow.

The art, the music, the writing -- all top notch. I enjoyed the ending as well (wasn't expecting a twist that emotional).

Great jorb!

 

[Geoff Moore]

@Mesonyx: (head inflates) THANK YOU!!!! I'm glad you got through it!     

@Makio-Kuta: So happy you're enjoying it, and thank you for persevering! I will make you a save file to get back to that point and PM it to you in the next couple of hours (I'm at work at the moment). You shouldn't be seeing the panda on the bridge, that's a bug which I owe you a credit for spotting. You are on the right track! Hint:

Spoiler

You do need to get up to the moon.

Spoiler

Specifically, you need to climb up there.

Spoiler

What looks climbable...

Spoiler

You don't need to leave the garden.  

EDIT: Sent you the save file! Also forgot to mention that yes, this is my first RM game, and also my first graphics-based game. I've made a few text games before in Twine and Inform. RM is so fun and easy to use, I'll definitely be sticking around to make more stuff. 

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Thank you! I feel silly for not trying something so simple. My habit of over complicating things strikes again haha


The ending was very sweet.


Some final thoughts:

Spoiler

* The graphics in this game were so super charming, and the music matched very well as well.
* I like how simple the story is; it makes it more believable that we are playing as a child. Especially when you couple that with the imaginative and silly characters and story telling; it all helped make Ko more believable as a character


* My favourite moment in the game was when I gave the onion head the kaleidoscope lens!


* I would have loved to see more come out of the drawings Ko made at the beginning of the game. The bird made a cameo, so that was nice, but the others didn't (at least not that I saw) I understand that the drawing scene served as a tutorial, but it was such a memorable scene to me, I kept expecting more to come out of it


* Do your choices made with your father towards the beginning of the game have any impact on the game? There were many elements towards the beginning of the game that gave the illusion that choice mattered, but in the end the game played out very linearly. This seemed like an odd design choice in hindsight, even if both the drawing scene and having the ability to make choices with my dialogue with the father were cute scenes - from a gameplay point they feel misleading.


* Some people might look at the plot progression of this game and find it very random - but I enjoyed it for the child-like wonder it gained through this.

All in all, I'm delighted to see something so charming and well put together from someone new to the program! If you decide to make another game in this genre, I would love to see you explore a less linear plot line. While this was a cute game, it lacks much replayability, and in a game of this style that can easily be gained through having more branches; I know that time didn't allow that here.


Wonderful job! and again, best of luck in the contest!

 

[Geoff Moore]

Thank you so much for the detailed feedback, Makio-Kuta, and don't feel silly for getting stuck! Puzzle difficulty is such a subjective thing. I had planned an in-game diary / hint system but time didn't allow for it, so that will definitely be going in the post-comp release.

Thoughts on a couple of your thoughts!

Spoiler

-Good point on the drawings. There's three, and one's Ko's cat, so it's actually two that are used elsewhere in the game, but that makes it even sillier not to use the fox somewhere. Again, post-comp for suresies.
-The decisions at the start have no effect; they were going to originally, but I quickly realised time just wouldn't allow for any significant branching. I hear you on the gameplay misleading aspect, because... well, it is.

It's funny you mention branching, because the whole way through I kept wanting to branch off and then forced myself to just power on and get to an ending. It's a good job I did or it would never have got finished in time, so you hit the nail on the head there! But yes, future games will definitely be less linear. I'm actually toying with the idea of an insanely branchy thing, but I'm not sure I have the eventing competence to make it work yet. But that's another story.

Your feedback really made me smile, thank you again. And Sunken Spire is on my (now rather ridiculously long) playlist. Did I already say that somewhere? I'll be sure to let you know what I think.

 

[Alkorri]

Hi there, er, mostly useless (weird username).

I just finished your game. I admit I don't usually like cutesy or outlandish characters, but your game was very, very charming.

Spoiler

• Best of all, you maintained that charm throughout the playthrough. That's impressive. The humour, the art, sweet Ko, the robot, the cat, all of them were a joy to behold.
• I ended up wishing the game was much longer! It's linear, yes, but effective for what it is in the production time you had. I like how you didn't info dump on this but communicated the story through objects and dialogue.
• I think someone mentioned this before - Ko has walking animation left and right, but not up and down? I guess that might be hard to animate without looking like he's flapping his arms.
• What are the pens for? Red herrings, I suppose. It's just that finding them at the beginning of the game and spending time drawing gave me the impression this was one of those games where you had to solve puzzles by drawing out the solutions ala Draw a Stickman Epic.
• After your father leaves, you hear a tapping sound in the kitchen. I'm not sure where was going on there. I might have missed something.
• Favourite Moment: Seeing the cat slowly i n c h its way towards the mouse ;D
• There should be a save function for those who, like me, couldn't finish the game in one sitting.
• If you ever expand the game, I would liked to see some more depth and context to Ko's relationship with his parents. A single comment from Ko about his mother, for instance, such as coming across an item of hers in the master bedroom, would have communicated tons of back story and linked to the lovely twist in the end. That's just my two cents.

All this is impressive considering that you just, what, bought the Humble Bundle on the 3rd 4th and learned the engine over the course of the month? Much respect to you! This is one game that will stay with me, and you certainly have my vote.

 

[Geoff Moore]

Hi Alkorri! I've had the username for a while on other sites, it's more force of habit than anything else, plus I think it helps people forgive me when I'm rubbish at something.

 

Thanks for playing, and I'm glad you got through, especially if it's not usually your kind of thing!

 

Thoughts on your thoughts:

 

Spoiler

I also wanted the game to be longer, and I've got a few ideas for slightly less linear post-comp expansion already. There is an up/down animation, but it's wayyy too subtle. So yeah, that's definitely getting fixed. The pens really just serve as a tutorial introduction to the item interaction mechanic. They might well be used again in the post-comp release! The tapping sound was the robot in the medicine, it plays again when you find it. The cat sequence is my favourite moment too!  The save function was going to be added at the last minute and I just didn't have time. 100% for the post-comp release. I agree with your last point. I was really trying to show, not tell, but in retrospect I think there probably needs to be a tiny bit more telling.

 

If VX Ace wasn't so cleverly designed this never would have come together in time. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm glad you're impressed so far! Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Alkorri]

Spoiler

The tapping sound was the robot in the medicine, it plays again when you find it. 

Ahh, no wonder. It sounded to me like a knock on the door, which was why I was frustrated I couldn't go out the front door ;D

The best stories use an effective mix of both show and tell - not an easy thing to do!

 

[Ultim]

I"ll give a try

EDIT :

I played it,and i'm like....Amazed.It's too cute and funny....My personal review :

Pros : Great sprites,funny,awesome,hard puzzles

Cons : No clues about objectives,Save function unavailable

Overall : Great game,I hope you get a LOT more of votes in the future