Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

User avatar
Jatsko
karma portal traveller
Posts: 5998
Joined: 26 May 2014 11:20

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Jatsko »

dumping this here, last edited 20 Jan 2023. Covered by Mateusz on stream
Jatsko's submachine puzzle notes wrote: Red text indicates an active electrocution hazard
Sub1
- Valve puzzle can be easily skipped based on combo. There’s a chance that the combo will be off-off-off at the game start, meaning that the player would just need to turn the valve when placed to solve the puzzle. You’ve fixed this for similar puzzles in SubVerse before
- Putting spoon on open conduits doesn’t make sense as it is, but players can be conditioned to actually not put it in the correct spot if they try to put it on the other set of conduits first. Players will be conditioned to not trust conduits.
- Make the wisdom gem a required collectible at the very least
- Fix the elevator control panels, dear god
- Wisdom gem can be missed entirely

Sub2
- Softlock: ID card
- The fork location is not easily telegraphed; three should be more of an indication that you can go right at the top of the lighthouse dungeon
- Putting a fork on an open wire, tsk tsk
- The sewers are practically un-navigable with how big they are, and I remember you saying you would look into that at some point
- Make the side tunnels in the lighthouse tower more noticeable, even if it’s just adding a crease line to indicate the hallways go somewhere
- it's not made clear that stopping the record player makes the second ladder fall, unless the player already has dropped the first ladder. Because the placement for the wisdom gem is not clearly communicated, this will usually not happen in that order.
- it's not made clear that inserting the wisdom gem and raising the dot drops the first ladder; this can be solved by putting them on the same screen. This isn't a huge deal because the player will eventually stumble on the dropped ladder, but there's still an unnecessary disconnect between cause and effect here
- e = mc^2 formula, while commonly known, is never clearly communicated to the player, and some players could find it to be a reach because it's considered "outside info" that needs to be incorporated to solve the puzzle
- the ID card in the projector is moon logic

Sub3
- Level 0: keep the notes where they are; it’s a good spot for them :)
- Level 2: puzzle might require too big a conceptual leap to understand that the numbers inside the switches are to be treated as two singular numbers, not one double-digit number. You could argue that there’s enough space between them on the tiny display to suggest two singular numbers but not everyone may agree
- Level 3: Buttons could do with some rearranging to be more straightforward; unnecessarily difficult
- Alphanumeric puzzle could come earlier in the game; it’s a drop in difficulty from previous puzzles
- Update the inter-level animation. Technically, since it’s being implied that layers are being switched after each level is complete, we really shouldn’t be seeing a rapid left-right or up-down move, but maybe you can fake some sort of z-axis in-out move? Or just something else entirely that better communicates shifting realities?
- Level 11 (last): This puzzle was changed to be accessible to color-blind people while still referencing the original version; are you sure you want to keep the color-letter indicators as is if there’s no color in them anymore? Have a vague feeling this puzzle could be reworked a bit

SubAA
- (minor) Add lighting in surrounding rooms after you light the torches
- Door glitch

Sub4
- Revisit the order of the bunsen burner sequence; both when turning it on for the first time and the fact that adding the ingredients has to be done in a strict order.
- Add hissing sound when bunsen burner is on :)
- Pouring the acid into the thing is BULLSHIT lol It’s even WORSE in the HD version because you give people things to play with on the control panel. Don’t give them hope [ext. note: I am not editing the wording on this because I've seen multiple people get stuck on the acid lock and I just can't agree that it's a good puzzle, sorry :)]
- Bring back the screechy teleportation sound (but NOT the part that samples a lightsaber, just the part that plays when the lights flash)
- Ship wire-cutting is not clear enough and also dangerous
- Ending is too abrupt? Not really much of a buildup or prior understanding that assembling the statue is where you’re meant to end up? Might be nice
- 104 tile puzzle reward is not shown immediately, players can miss the stone ladder
- orb puzzle suffers from same locked-in order as acid puzzle; there's no reason you shouldn't be able to place the orb on the platform before the beam is turned on

SubFLF
- Single button combinations are a very inefficient system, and this can also apply to portals, other similar combo puzzles, etc.

Sub5
- Anachronism in “charger in (0,1)” - maybe reword?
- Three spins on the charger is too boring, but one spin is unrealistic; maybe look into a click and drag mechanic? Might spice things up a bit
- Bathtub drainage and cube placement action should be better fleshed out via internal monologue, perhaps; players may try to drain the tub before placing the cube in it, and then get conditioned to think they can’t use the wrench to drain the tub in the future

Sub6
- “To open cube enter your personal IDN” this is setting the player up for failure and frustration as they think it relates to opening the cube when it relates to a secret instead
- Pipe climbing hitbox is fucked up
- It may not be intuitive nor make any sort of sense that the fact that a 2DS failure is caused by….resetting a turret chain? Somehow I feel there would be at least one legit scenario where you would have to do that and I wouldn’t want there to be a chance that the whole thing blows up if I had to do that. Revisit making a more clever way to cause a 2DS failure, I guess.

Sub32
- Not clear enough that weight stone placement should direct you back down the ladder by the giant rotating circle blocks. Maybe use a directional sound cue or a visual indicator?
- Calendar softlock

Sub7
- Inventory direction between notes is inconsistent; the animation always scrolls right even if you’re going back to earlier notes (assuming this will be covered in notes system revamp)
- Metal stick directly into the lightbulb socket
- Diamond keystone is maybe a bit too well hidden; either you find it right away or you have to hunt for it forever
- Karma gate animation; apparently it’s not perfect, my friend said
- That one karma door on the far left can be used “one way” if someone pulls the lever 2nd from left by itself on the corresponding panel
- Entering the winter palace should take you to a smash cut to the next screen, instead of a rightward move; you already use a rightward move to move right outside of the palace entrance, so it suggests an unnecessary bending of space a bit
- Why isn’t the player allowed to pick up the fallen sign?
- (minor) bullet holes aren’t angled upwards like they should be >:( (Their shape implies that the gun was fired from our point of view, instead of at the bottom of the ladder aiming up. Maybe I should be a forensics major instead)

Sub8
- Mirror item placement is not clearly implied enough
- Compass puzzle should have a sound cue or some other way of letting you know something happened on the other side of layer 2
- Bamboo valve should fit onto something that’s not a triangle, because otherwise players might be tempted to try to get the triangle wrench back, which was used in layer 1. Alternatively, ditch the actual bamboo valve and make an item that works in both locations and somehow fits the style of both locations
- Is the note telling you what to do with each location’s “in/out stick” hidden too well? (It’s on the back of the sliding door in layer 6) I personally think it isn’t, but others might get stuck for a looooong time here
- The cat secret is not really clear at all unless you want people to be appropriately conditioned to literally try breaking everything with the hammer, and also cannot be gotten after you leave (though I’m assuming game restructuring will fix secrets anyhow). Also, who would ever, ever think to touch the energy trail to the stand after you shatter the statue? I mean, it’s a secret, sure, but...
- The lever note implies left to right reading but not explicitly stated; not everyone who plays this game may assume that it gets read left to right depending on where they come from

SubFLFHD
- good game

Sub9
- For the multi-layer fountain that’s used to raise the semi-spherical cage, one of the fountains is made of stone instead of bronze/brass; therefore it’s not as clear that karmic water gets poured in there as well because karmic water only gets poured into brass objects every other time in the game. Consider just changing the color, maybe
- Right clicking during transitions apparently can crash the game? (unverified, probably will be fixed as a result to porting to GMS2 anyway)
- Don’t have secrets that become inaccessible after you complete the game if you didn’t work for them the first time through; this game has one or two where that happens

Sub10
- Starting symbols in opening area could be a bit bigger
- Door valve is a bit hard to spot? [ext. note: I currently can't remember what this means]
- Iron pyramid: hieroglyph puzzle has a stray sprite (indicator for item pickup stand)
- Edge section: blockade removal tool’s purpose is a bit unclear?
- Another fork placement issue, are you trying to kill us? >:)
Last edited by Jatsko on 24 Jan 2023 16:33, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

Last news about SubLegacy development:

Mateusz wrote a PLAN:
I'll tell you the workflow by now:
milestone 1: transfer all graphics from all games to new flash files, resized to 900x900, graphics enhanced, corrected etc.
this is done.
milestone 2: separate all active / inactive graphics from flash movie clips - I'm doing this right now, will probably finish by end of march, early april
milestone 3: create bran new engine in gms2 for easy importing locations, puzzles, chapters etc. april - may
mileestone 4: add ALL locations to game engine may-june
milestone 5: implement all puzzles - june/july/august
milestone 6: create menus, overworld, additional graphical assets, mainly wrap all games in one overworld mechanic - location to continue game / pick chapters to replay
september
milestone 7: implement all music and also work with thumpmonks on all new sounds - may - september
mileestone 8: betatesting - september > ?......
release: ?...............
Approximate release date is still 2022.
User avatar
submachine_9_10
lost in subnet
Posts: 2
Joined: 01 Sep 2016 10:56
Location: Россия

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by submachine_9_10 »

If in Submachine: the Legacy will have 3D the Loop like in the Cube movie, can Submachine: the ∞ 4D the Loop like in the Cube 2: Hybercube movie
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

Well, technically, we already had 3D and kinda 4D loops in late Submachine games. :D In terms of game lore.

In terms of game architecture,I am sure Submachine will never be 3D game.
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

Seems that Submachine: Legacy is almost ready!!!! :O
User avatar
WorldisQuiet5256
karma portal traveller
Posts: 5667
Joined: 03 Dec 2012 17:56
Location: 966 - Quiet Rooms - WiQ

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by WorldisQuiet5256 »

YES! SUBMACHINE LEGACY RELEASE 2023! LETS GO!
WHERE DO WE COME FROM
WHAT ARE WE
WHERE ARE WE
GOING
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBMACHINE!
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

*hint*
*hint
*hint*

Image
User avatar
Sublevel 113
layer restorer
Posts: 16582
Joined: 11 Dec 2012 20:23

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by Sublevel 113 »

(I can't create a thread in Submachines folder)

IT'S OUT

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1564 ... ne_Legacy/

Edit:

*on the break, decideds to check Mateusz's site*
*notices Get Soundtrack button*

*EXPLODES*

Soundtrack WAS released!!!!!

https://thethumpmonks.bandcamp.com/albu ... e-complete
User avatar
WorldisQuiet5256
karma portal traveller
Posts: 5667
Joined: 03 Dec 2012 17:56
Location: 966 - Quiet Rooms - WiQ

Re: Suggestions and Ideas for Submachine: The Legacy

Post by WorldisQuiet5256 »

Guys! HEELLLLOOOO!
Where did everybody go?
what's going on, this shift is not like the last one.
WHERE DO WE COME FROM
WHAT ARE WE
WHERE ARE WE
GOING
Post Reply