Mecha Machiko

[slender merlin]

A 1v1 cage fighting mech brawler where players will customize their load out and prove themselves in the ring against a series of challenging foes. Still very early in development and needs a title. Music here composed by retro_asobi

Players will start with a basic load out, but will quickly be able to purchase upgrades as they earn money by way of winning fights or betting on others.
Weapons in place are a machine gun which does well against a mech hull but poorly against shields, and an e-bomb which helps take down a shield but is mostly useless against a hull. Next I’ll be adding melee weapons like swords, rocket fists, and lasers.
Additionally the player can equip secondary abilities, such as plated arms for blocking, shoulder guns, and more.
Next, the player will need to chose whether they wish to prioritize shield, hull strength, energy capacity (for charging shield and weapons) or recharger (to replenish energy over the course of the match).
The foundation for all of these systems are in place, and now it’s just a matter of achieving the number one goal: making it fun!

[rose crystal]

Really impressive stuff

[slender merlin]

Thank you! I really liked the Trigwa demo btw, looking forward to playing the full version soon

[slender merlin]

Working on an intro cutscene

[ornate barn]

Seriously incredible stuff!

[slender merlin]

Thank you!

[limber breach]

It's easy to focus on the artwork, but the tune is really bangin'

[slender merlin]

Eyy thank you. While I really like the tune, I don't really like the vibe of it for this scene. Kinda been banging my head against the wall trying to come up with something that fits better. Might just end up going with sfx and no music, idk

[slender merlin]

Temporary title screen and possible title

[slender merlin]

Mecha Machiko

[hollow dagger]

Dang this project is killer

[slender merlin]

Thanks dude! I’m very proud of where we’re at right now, but still a lot more work to do!

[slender merlin]

Mecha Machiko's alpha demo will be available on my patreon (including free tier members) on 3/31. It will be a short 6 - 7 minute slice featuring the prologue, tutorial, and combat scene. We're hoping to get some feedback on the combat mechanics, HUD readability, and see what improvements can be made before we start building from that foundation. We're excluding the customization mechanics for now as A) they're mostly held together with duct tape and temporary assets and B) we want to keep this play test simple and focused on this one element, just trying to see if we've got the game feel right

[open rose]

Peak

[slender merlin]

I'm seeking feedback on my mech fighting game's opening/tutorial & first match. The whole thing takes about 7 minutes to play from start to finish. There's a lot of mechanics planned, but I want to make sure the game feel is where it should be before building from the current foundation. Any and all input is welcome! ❤️

[open rose]

In my opinion I don't understand the mechanics.

[slender merlin]

Eyy, I appreciate you giving it a shot. Did you make it through the tutorial with the mechanic Nick?

[open rose]

No, xd

I only made about 2 attempts.

[slender merlin]

Okay. So might be something for me to consider and this is valuable insight. You’re intended to lose the first fight, and that’s what prompts the tutorial and gives you the tools you need to win

[summer fjord]

After a few rounds, the strategy that works best seems to be holding select while holding down to block, restoring the shield when empty, and spamming light gun as energy permits. Heavy cannon needs 4 or so energy to reload?

I assume the recharge rate could be upgraded at some point?

[open rose]

I have ideas for a more understandable tutorial, but I think if I can, I'll show you my ideas tomorrow.

[summer fjord]

Got it down with almost full health left after a few tries.

[slender merlin]

Excellent! After the tutorial were you able to win after the first try or did it take more than one attempt to get a feel for the controls?

[summer fjord]

I won first try somehow (after scripted loss) then lost then next 4 or 5 before figuring out you can hold select and block simultaneously, and need 4 energy for the heavy cannon reload (thought it was limited ammo or something). Maybe a cockpit view tutorial pointing out what everything does would be helpful? Like a boot up sequence before entering the ring or something like that.

Took a few rounds to even notice the energy bar was depleting on reload.

[slender merlin]

I might take that approach as opposed to a forced lose fight. BTW what emulator are you using? It looks really cool

[summer fjord]

GBCC for android. Looks to be delisted from the app store currently. https://gbcc.dev/

[open rose]

@slender merlin This is a visual example; it's not very clear because I did it quickly, but it basically shows which button does something. It explains it below, and there's a combat example, but more like a miniature version. And if you want, you can also say that when the character crouches, they do this or that. That's my idea as a game developer.

[slender merlin]

Thank you for this. In your opinion do you think I should cut out the first unwinnable fight and just go right to the button tutorial?

[open rose]

Look, don't remove the fact that you lose; it's a very interesting dynamic. The first time I played the game, I found it unexpected that I was guaranteed to lose at the beginning, and I recommend you keep it. Because that way you show the player the environment and how it works, and I think they could get used to it a bit more. In my opinion, it's not bad; it also serves the lore (well, I think so).

I don't speak English so I may have explained it horribly.

[slender merlin]

Gives me a lot to consider then...I did really like the idea, but don't want players feeling frustrated in the first minute of the game lol.
Perhaps I can add some dialogue spoken by Machiko to make it clear to the player that she's underpowered before it leads into the tutorial
Btw I REALLY like the look and shading you've got on the D-Pad in your example