[ragdollsoft]

Hello, I'm Matteo from Ragdollsoft, I just wanted to let you know that my new game Rubber Ninjas is finally out for OS X (before windows!).

Rubber Ninjas is basically the evolution of my older game Ragdoll Masters but in 3D, with lots of added stuff, like different ragdolls and weapons.

If you wish you can check it out at http://rubberninjas.com , there is a free demo you can try out (no nag screens!).

The game has just been released and I'm really interested to know what you think about it, any comment, question, criticism and suggestion is very, very welcome.

Thanks and let me know,

Matteo

[Eric5h5]

That's messed up...but I mean that in a good way. I'm not really into fighting games (except Oni), but it's different enough to be fun. My only real criticisms are 1) too much bullet-time...I felt like the action was being interrupted too much and for too long, and 2) text on the title screen is so transparent that it's really quite hard to read.

--Eric

[ragdollsoft]

Thanks eric, glad you somewhat liked it!
Yeah the bullet time may be a bit overdone, I wanted to make it a bit of a matrix parody. I might be putting an option to tone it down.
As for the text on the title screen transparent, it shouldn't be... Might be a bug. If you could post a screenshot and your specs that would be a great favor.
Thanks,
Matteo

[Eric5h5]

OK, screenshot:



Specs:

2.5GHz G5 with ATI X800 graphics card running 10.4.11.

--Eric

[the Battle Cat]

My, what healthy gums.

[ragdollsoft]

the Battle Cat, on April 11th 2009, 10:04 AM, said:

My, what healthy gums.

Heh yeah

Thanks Eric, do you get the same transparent text for the "level 1"-"fight!" text at the start of a level? Or is that opaque?

[Eric5h5]

ragdollsoft, on April 11th 2009, 12:29 PM, said:

Thanks Eric, do you get the same transparent text for the "level 1"-"fight!" text at the start of a level? Or is that opaque?

Yep, that's transparent too.

--Eric

[DaveyJJ]

Hi Matteo,

Owner of Ragdoll Masters here. I, unlike my worthy colleague Eric, have the text showing correctly. If that helps. That's on both machines listed below. Just in case you want more reports.

[ragdollsoft]

Thanks all, I'll see if I can trace that bug :/ Might have to do with font blitting going wrong on the gpu

[AussieMacGamer]

Too much bullet time Matteo, takes the fun out of it for me.

[ragdollsoft]

AussieMacGamer, on April 13th 2009, 03:03 AM, said:

Too much bullet time Matteo, takes the fun out of it for me.

Hm thanks, that's been a fairly common complaint. I'll make the freeze & turn thing less frequent in 1.1.

[CaryMG]

I'm gonna give ya the 2 best compliments a game can have ....
1] I'd buy it.
2] It's on my dock! lol

And how is this for a compliment ....
RN is one of the best games I've ever played.
That's along the lines of Jedi OutCast, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Damocles & The Colony.
And I absolutely mean that.

Marvelous job!
Beautiful graphics [coolcoolcool glossy, primarycolored primatives], a way cool concept & finally something that's not an FPS!

This game uses the principles of The Golden Age -- fun, original & thoughtful: simple in gameplay yet depthcomplexity.
Using just the cursorkeys -- genius ! -- I'm able to combine them to execute all sorts of moves.
Example: I did a zAxis 360 around my opponent & headbutted 'im right in the solarplexus sendin' him flyin'! lol
Also -- great job on usin' the stars to gauge how successful a strike is!

If ya haven't already done so, have ya thought about entering this in the IGF10 ?
That way, when you win -- which you would! lol -- you'd attract the attention of a big publisher rather than hafta deal with that crap yourself.

The menu on my version is perfect -- no opacity.

One small suggestion -- ya know the way ya have a staramount option?
IMHO, I think you should do that with the bulletime, too -- something like: Always/Most Of The Time/SomeTimes/Occasionaly/Never.
Having it on all the time kills the momentum of fun. lol

[Janichsan]

I agree on the bullet time complaints: it's too much. Otherwise a great development of the Ragdoll Masters concept into the third dimension.

[ragdollsoft]

Wow, thanks guys!

The "bullet time" you think is overdone is the slow motion after each contact or the "freeze" effect where the guys completely freeze?

About the IGF, I did enter a beta version but they didn't like it enough... maybe because I only had a mac build. Oh well i'll try again next year...

[AussieMacGamer]

can we replace the stars with gore?

[AussieMacGamer]

Just had a though
Leave the ultra slow mo and pauses for when the player does really cool moves. Ie. headshots with foot, ect. You can determin what sorts of contact gain slow mo shots based upon what body part comes into contact with what body part. Ie hand in head = 1/10 chance of slow mo wheras foot in head = 1/5 chances.

not sure, i just think the slow mo needs to be there to accentuate the really cool stuff, just not everytime it happens.

Makings of an awesome game here though.

[Janichsan]

ragdollsoft, on April 15th 2009, 03:01 PM, said:

The "bullet time" you think is overdone is the slow motion after each contact or the "freeze" effect where the guys completely freeze?

Speaking for myself, I mean both. The latter one is admittedly rarer but still a bit too much.

AussieMacGamer, on April 15th 2009, 05:04 PM, said:

Leave the ultra slow mo and pauses for when the player does really cool moves. Ie. headshots with foot, ect.

That's a good idea: for finishing moves and similar, the bullet time is perfect.

[CaryMG]

Wow, thanks guys!
My pleasure -- just bein' honest. lol
In fact, I'm spreading the word over at the 68K Macintosh Liberation Army > "Rubber Ninjas" Plug

The "bullet time" you think is overdone is the slow motion after each contact
or the "freeze" effect where the guys completely freeze?
I mean the "freeze" effect where the guys completely freeze.
Pehaps others don't like the slomo after each contact but I like it -- it's the complete freeze that,
IMHO, needs an optionlevel like ya have with the staramount.

About the IGF, I did enter a beta version but they didn't like it enough -- maybe because I only had a Mac build.
Well, my freind, this speaks volumes about the gamingindustry in general & the IGF in particular.
If they quote/unquote "didn't like it enough" they have absolutely zero taste in gameplay uniqueness.
I picture Rubber Ninjas as an ATARI early-80s arcadegame -- using, instead primarycolored, GouradShaded polygons
& just a joystick to control with joystick combo moves printed on the cabinet.

And yes -- do re-enter RN in the IGF next year.

[ragdollsoft]

For gore try pressing 1 and "B" at the same time during the titles screen.
The freeze effect so far is every 15 seconds, which maybe is too frequent. Changing that shouldn't be a problem.
As for the slow motion after every hit, it was something that was also in the original ragdoll masters, it makes you appreciate the ragdollness more cause in real time it's a bit too fast to see the body react to forces.
Finishing moves instead have ultra 1/10th speed slow-mo
Thanks for the feedback! (and the plug )

[AussieMacGamer]

Perfect it on the PC/Mac, port it to Iphone OS, and youre sitting on a gold mine.