Ganymede (my 2D platformer with a big story)

[Weltall]

I'm very happy that you're enjoying yourself so far, and personally satisfied that you are aware of and identified some of my design choices! The idea that you're 'playing' a storybook is absolutely intentional, and it's hard to explain without spoiling some of the endgame, but it's a metanarrative element as well. 

As I type this, I just realized that at no point are we ever given the main character's name (unless there was something subtle I missed). True to (what I think are) your intentions, you've created something very introspective, to the point where regardless of whether what we see is to be taken literally, the entire story takes place in the character's head.

None of the characters are ever really addressed by name at any point in the game, but they have official nicknames. Your player character is "The Boy on the Boat", and there are others later encountered, such as the Winter Shade, the Minotaur, and the Cupbearer, among others. 

As to whether or not to take it literally, all I can say is that whether or not this is true may become apparent later in the game. 

Speaking of which, I like the idea of collecting water to gain more time to explore a level. I found that getting from start to finish isn't terribly difficult in itself, and the greater challenge lies in getting to every nook and cranny in the level. Some areas are far up in the air and only partially visible, others are walled off... I feel a little frustrated about being unable to access some of them, so I might just focus on finishing the game first, then going back to explore. I might learn a few new tactics along the way that I can use when I backtrack.

You definitely might learn some new tactics at some point which might help you with these barriers...

Regarding water, it might be helpful to put in a little jingle or visual cue to know that the Boy has drank his water. I didn't know it had occurred until I looked up and saw that the numbers had changed in the HUD. A little signal would tie it together nicely. Also, all the water is consumed immediately, but is there a way to make it a little more gradual, so you can choose how much to consume?

1. That's a good idea I hadn't thought of.
2. That's also a good idea I hadn't thought of. I had help programming the new gameplay features, so I will get with this person and see if a gradual drinking mechanic is feasible. 

Another thing is that the game told me that in order to drink water, I had to both hold down the shoulder buttons and press Up. But just holding down the shoulder buttons did it. I'm reasonably sure my controller isn't at fault, because pressing/releasing Up made the Boy tilt his head up and down. So it's not like it was stuck in that position.

So, when I requested the drinking mechanic, I did specifically asked for the button combination to require the up button, and until now, I was not aware that the shoulder buttons alone did the trick. Probably it was just an error in the patch I was given, but tbh, I think I'll leave it as is and just change the info boxes. The shoulder buttons are mostly unused otherwise in this game. 

One thing I noticed is that upon disembarking the ship and traversing the world, there aren't little markers, like you would normally see in a platforming hub world. I was curious about that. I know you're too meticulous for this to have been an oversight. It would seem a little tighter that way. Maybe you wanted to emphasize the wilderness of the island?

There used to be markers, I eventually decided I liked it better without for aesthetic purposes. I'm instead using map features as level markers, and probably I'll add a feature which shows you all the valid ways you can move from wherever you're standing. 

I think a big part of it is the visual cue in the forest. I don't know the limitations of the engine, but is there a way to make the leaves in the trees part just-so, so you can see the character move through them? Again, I noticed you put in fine enough detail to, for instance, make the Boy's hair flap up and down with each jump, so it's hard to imagine this is an oversight.

This is an engine limitation, due to how paths work in the overworld map feature. You have either the regular sprite, or the one with just his head showing, which the original game used when you were in water. In general, the map is a lot more limited with sprites. Mario's player graphics in levels have several dozen different variations and like 80 individual tiles which can be rearranged in various ways. On the map, it's more like 12 total. 

I think I may have found a bug. In the Info box in level 2, it describes how to pick up an item and chuck it up in the air. However, the very last prompt is blank, and you have to click through that to get back to playing.

You sure did, thanks for spotting it. 

I'll wrap up by saying that I love, love, LOVE the music of this game. It perfectly fits with the pensive tone of the world you created. Excellent job with the spooky green level; one rumbling note throughout sounds like the menacing growl of an unseen beast. Did you write all of the music to this game, too? Excluding the Aquatic Ambience track from Donkey Kong Country, I mean. I recognized that one. :)

I didn't do any of the music, composing and writing music is absolutely not a talent I possess. Thankfully, there is a large music scene within the greater SMW romhacking community, so there are thousands of tracks which can be inserted, most taken from other games, some original compositions. I spent a lot of time finding tracks which fit the mood I'm trying to achieve. 

Really superb work, Ryan. Congrats.  I'll keep playing and making notes. I won't post my dream count just yet... but when I do, know that I was handycapped by a crappy controller! You saw it yourself! 

Thanks so much! I can't wait for this to be its own game someday. I would consider true success to be having people play it, love it, and devote lots of time trying to figure out the story and all of its symbolisms. 

I spent over a decade on Silent Hill communities mostly dissecting all the secrets and symbolism found within the second game's story and visuals, it's 20 years old, but still the most masterfully crafted story I've ever seen in a videogame. Ganymede is not a dark, depressing psychological horror tale, but I'm trying to come up with something that is on its level of quality and impact, where the game is telling you the story not just using words, but also in what you see and what you do.