Randy & Manilla - Two sibs in a Quantum Travel (Early Access available)

[ofihombre7]

It has happened again. I think I have lost another composer for my project, first it was Jake Gamelin for the great fail that was the Kickastarter campaign, and now I have lost another one I had on Fiverr and it offered me a very good service for OST, and this time the problem was that we didn't have very good communication. At the beginning we were doing very well and it was a relationship that lasted 4 months, but because the "so good" soundtrack that did it to me, it raised my head and I got desperate when I was about to give myself the deliveries.

I was trying to remind him that there was little left for deliveries by repeatedly putting messages like that, but they didn't really contribute at all, because Fiverr already made them remember. Finally they gave me the deliveries, but he no longer wanted to provide me with the service again. All because of my forced impulses.

I am starting to give myself I am part of the problem of the development slowdown of Randy & Manilla.

---

P.D.: Ok, never mind. At the end we had an agreement to serve me again, because I have been able to apologize and admit my own mistakes.
I just hope an instinct of mine doesn't make me mess up again, because this seems like a last chance.

(These kinds of situations remind me a bit of Ralph Breaks the Internet).

[ofihombre7]

During these last months, i have been doing my best to offer this version, all Indiegogo funds have been invested successfully and from time to time I have ordered with one of the members from Discord server. Everything here in this list of updates I will show you below:





In the first point, the Net-Cubes have had a considerable graphic upgrade. Now they shine like electronic neon-lights and there are some squares in the background that simulate being far Net-Cubes to give more the feeling of a virtual universe.



The same thing happens in places like Blacksquare Qubit-Battle, which has especially improved in lighting.



Even characters like E-Mailer have updated their design.


There have also been include two new Net-Cubes and characters in the game & more:

Gamezone Cube



Is the Net-Cube where it emulates most of the videogames that Lambert Wilson had stored in the quantum computer for its subsequent preservation. And it's a home to a very eccentric and geek character.



The "Gameboss" (aka Jay Gamer McDay) is the Supergamer owner of the Net-Cube of Gamezone Cube. He tests Randy and Manilla with several challenges with giant arcade video game machines.

(Many thanks Tahabaria for doing a great job in modeling.)

Abstractia



A challenging site set in relaxing and contemplative stages ruled by a Giantess Spiritual Queen. All connected in the Cubic Hall of Sensations.



Virdueen is the Queen of Net-Cube Abstractia. She is the one that points to Randy and Manilla specific emotional challenges in the Cubic Hall of Sensations.

(Many thanks Sk_alfoyaj for doing a great job in modeling).

Rank System



At the end of each featured level, for the most expert gamers, a letter rank system has been included that represents the number of points achieved until reaching the maximum possible for each level.

And there are still many more improvements and updates to show in this article:



As you can see the 2nd alpha version updates list is extensive.


Ko-Fi support



As last point, After finishing the stage of the Indiegogo campaign and searching for alternatives to Patreon, Randy & Manilla have now a Ko-Fi for more constant, gradual and optional support that doesn't necessarily require a deadline like Indiegogo or Kickstarter or a monthly tier like Patreon. Anyone can enter and the biggest followers of the project can contribute as many times as they want and when they are ready.

You can support this project with this link: https://ko-fi.com/ofihombre

We made every effort to offer this extensive list of updates to this indie project. This should perhaps have more recognition, but it seems that this isn't even enough.


Download links of 2nd Alpha version for PC if you want try:

IndieDB: https://www.indiedb.com/games/randy-mani...alpha-demo

itch.io: https://ofihombre.itch.io/randy-manilla

Indiexpo: https://www.indiexpo.net/es/games/randy-manilla

[ofihombre7]

Only a few days after launching the 2nd alpha of Randy & Manilla, the game It has been mentioned in several press sites and websites specialized in the videogame industry, and here I bring you a few example links:

Blue's News: https://www.bluesnews.com/s/210632/etc
Gamasutra: https://gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases...itchio.php
Fandomfare: https://fandomfare.com/2020/05/04/randy-...n-itch-io/

This shows which game is succeeding, has brought a few more downloads, and quite a few visits from his trailer on YouTube. And speaking of the trailer however, although there are 9 users who like what I have shown (including me), there are 3 others who didn't like it, it was obvious that I still have a lot to polish and put in the game, and the fact that isn't entirely convincing worries me. Either by the way of the trailer or by the concept of the game itself, it could slowly turn into a hate storm, and it's possible that 3 things happen:

1. Because it is a bad trailer, it is a bad game and it will be forgotten.
2. The trailer is hated, but the game turned out not to be as bad as it sounds (Like Zelda Wind Waker).
3. The trailer is hated, but they will consume it equally by conformists (Like Pokémon Sword & Shield).

Ok, What do you think of this? What would make the game better and more enjoyable apart from a good feel, story and gameplay?

[ofihombre7]

4 dislikes in the tralier. Can you tell me what I did wrong there or is it part from the game itself?

[Simpsons Dumper]

The internet dislikes things. That's what it does best. Still, more likes than dislikes, so I don't see it worth worrying over.

[ofihombre7]

True. There are quite a few things with dislikes that cannot be understood if they don't give the reason why are hated, but there are other dislikes that are justified: For example, the first Sonic Movie design was rightly hated because it wasn't faithful to the original Sonic, and was redesigned by another better in response to the dislikes. But in this case I haven't had a valid answer based on it. It doesn't contribute to make changes.

[ofihombre7]

5 Dislikes. Now I try to understand what is the error I had with this trailer: At first I thought that with that epic music, scene according to the rhythm and motion backgrounds were enough to make a very "professional trailer" that many like, As it turns out, he was very wrong.
I think the problem is that in the critical aspect it doesn't convey what I really want to show about the game, and it was worse when showing the characters, it was at a slow and boring pace, and with just the simple idle animations they don't show a certain personality.

Anyway, I think that when creating a trailer is to show the most remarkable, and the game still lacks a lot.

[Petie]

Double-posting typically isn't allowed but permitted for updates on a project within a single thread. That said, please make sure you're adding something of substance if you're going to do it. Double-posting to add a meme to the thread is spam so I've deleted your last post.

[ofihombre7]

Sorry Petie, I was over of line with how bad reactions was the trailer, and I left the true purpose of this thread (Search help for developing & updates of the project). However, now that they have me given their opinions in the trailer, I try already understand that what it lack most is the history and consistency to go to those worlds so different from each other. (What do you think to make it more interesting?).

[ofihombre7]

I thought that from the 2nd alpha, the world would be ready to meet Randy & Manilla, and yes, but there is one thing that I have been wrong apart from the trailer. I mean, I've been trying to improve everything, except for one very important factor; the gameplay, the two videos of people who have tried the demo speak for themselves:




When you see the two videos it seems that it has the same problem as the previous alpha in two of the main factors: The ship controls & Jumps of the characters.

Starting with the ship controls, after watching the Fujinai video, I believed that they are just the routes, it would be enough to direct them towards the corresponding Net-Cubes, but they seem that they are only of excuse if one doesn't know how to handle the ship well, or for the lack of a minimap that detects it (not to say that they are thin by moving away and makes it more difficult to find them).
At least I already figured it out and have things in the process including changing the ship's physics to avoid getting stuck in ineligible Net-Cubes or listing the Net-Cubes that correspond to the game's plot.

The second point, and I think the most complicated part is in the character jumps. They are the default ones that Unity brings. Before jumping, is has to run in the direction it has to jump, but it can't move while it still in the air. In 3D platformers, the characters can move around a bit while in the air after taking a great jump (example is Mario, or even Crash Bandicoot), I have been trying to figure out a way to make it move in midair, modifying the standard third person controls script (ThirdPersonCharacter.cs), but I couldn't get the proper method to do it.

I have also heard of other complaints, such as that it is difficult because have only one life, or that the camera can't be moved in the first Terra-Qubit levels, but I also have those solutions in process (as a simple life system or a two-camera mode), but well, it's always welcome who wants to help me in development.

[ofihombre7]

The Randy & Manilla Discord server lately it's been losing members. Rather, all the members who came from IndieDB have left my server. Starting with Jake Gamelin, who left because of the failure of his Kickstarter campaign, gradually they also followed Luth & ThiBaa, and two possibilities for this occur me:

1. It's because there are times when I don't reveal much information about the project, less if it's the most featured.
Often I save it for the output of a new updated version, and that may take away the desire to continue on the server.

2. In the case of ThiBaa & Luth (who are programmers), I didn't give them the importance necessary to receive their necessary help for specific cases, or because I have improved a lot in the basic Unity programming that they no longer needed me.

That is what I think has happened, but what makes me more insecure is because they haven't explained to me the real reason why to leave the server, They left without telling me. I have sent them emails to tell me, but they didn't want to answer me.

There is one thing that is clear, they no longer believe in my project, They don't see that it has a secure future, I'd have to worry about that already (but I can't when I'm busy with other business). How can I continue to maintain a Discord server for a very long time? And the game doesn't even have its fanbase established.

[iyenal]

Managing a community in the long term is a science, you shouldn't be too worried of this because that's normal to not be able to fully understand what's going on. That's why community managers exist :p
Try to just do your best to drive engagement and updates, if not game related events for example and it should naturally bring again people, but it's an hard topic to handle so just focus on your game and the rest should follow (if it's adapted to welcome a community for sure).

[ofihombre7]

After 6 months without giving new information about Randy & Manilla project, Again I bring you full of new content and updates, among which this are stands out more are:




At starting of the game, instead of a lot of text paragraphs there is a short film that explains a little about the game story before starting (like many games do), Introduces at the first time Cracksom Virus (the main antagonist) preparing his plan and here comes the reason why Randy & Manilla You must do your mission to save the Net-Cubes (a quit simple).




I have also included 8-Bit Randy & Manilla versions for the 2D levels from certain Net-Cubes. Randy finally has animated sprites while Manilla swapped out his recolored Vanellope sprites for more original and commercially viable ones

(Many thanks Azucena (Dara90) for making a great job for this sprites)




In previous versions, the character only had a single life to pass certain levels, if he fell or collided with enemies, it had to start the level again. Now in the Pre-Beta version, lives have been raised to 3 to reduce slighly the difficulty from various levels, and they come with three states in case of taking damage:

•     If have 3 lifes, it's normal and complete.
  
•     If have 2 lifes, the number flashes yellow as first warning.
  
•     If have only one life, the number fastly flashes red & the character mugshot change his status.
  

And there will also be enemies that will take one, two and even the entire life.




And even, in the final level of each net-cube, will give you a fight against a specific boss. In this case the Golembrick (the boss from the final nevel of Terra-Qubit) whose weak point will be to destroy his crowns of his head when he launches to crush the character.

(Many thanks Sk_alfoyaj for making a great job for the model)





After defeating the bosses, will appear these strange fragments in a form of ancient scrolls called Memory Qdatas. The Qdatas contains valuable clues about the origins of net-cubes and how Lambert Wilson built the supercomputer that made their later creation possible.

By picking up a Qdata, you can go up the E-Mailer ship to go to the next net-cube.

You can consult the full list of updates from the following links:

IndieDB: https://www.indiedb.com/games/randy-mani...per-update
itch.io: https://ofihombre.itch.io/randy-manilla/...per-update
Official website: https://randyandmanilla.weebly.com/news/...per-update




As extra point, 10 tracks from the Randy & Manilla OST are available in Bandcamp.

Collection Link: https://bandcamp.com/randymanilla

In this collection, You can listen to the tracks as many times as you want and you can even buy the tracks from their respective creators at very economical prices.

(In the future, new tracks may be added even from other music services (as Spotify))





Step by step, Randy & Manilla it will become a quality indie videogame if it can get all the necessary support. We did our best to bring all these updates that we have given in this project.

If you are interested in this project, I leave the download links from the PC Pre-Beta version of the game:

IndieDB: https://www.indiedb.com/games/randy-mani...-beta-demo
itch.io: https://ofihombre.itch.io/randy-manilla
Indiexpo: https://www.indiexpo.net/es/games/randy-manilla


I think that from this version on is where the game should be even better known, but hey, we'll see what will happen next.

[ofihombre7]

Although it doesn't offer new levels, the Special Pre-Beta offers some additions and improvements that give it a bit more in the gaming experience with the following features:


 

•   In the level 1-4, the countdown challenge has been cleared up with a fixed goal (Get & destroy 102 Net-Points & bricks before time up)
  
•   The jumps from level 1-3 works much better without being stuck on the ground as often
  
•   New Cracksom cutscene is added after to go out and overcome Terra-Qubit
  
•   The UI has been adjusted to be fixed in most resolutions
  
•   Some minor fixes
  

And how is a special version, a variety of artwork has been included to let you know more about the development process of Randy & Manilla.

We made this update because we saw that several streamers and Youtubers already played with the previous Pre-Beta version with several of the problems that we have been able to solve (or at least have clarified). That gave us better clues to continue in the development of the project.

If you are in knowing more about this project, there is a download file of the Special Pre-Beta for Windows on this links:

IndieDB: https://www.indiedb.com/games/randy-mani...mo-artwork
itch.io: https://ofihombre.itch.io/randy-manilla

[ofihombre7]

For second time, Randy & Manilla has been nominated, this time in the Top 100 of the Indie of the Year 2020.
Thank you very much for getting here to move forward with this project.

Top 100 link: https://www.indiedb.com/groups/2020-indi...rds/top100