Vapourware Bloom: Memories - a new kind of action adventure RPG by Studio Fawn

[AN4RCHID]

Played a few minutes. I like everything but the controls so far. The exposition is intriguing and not overwhelming. The art and music are of course very good. I like the multiple choice character building sequence. But, you may have found the most unintuitive control scheme in the history of video games why not just have specific default buttons for stuff like sprinting and interacting? Took me a good 10 minutes of fumbling to figure out how the action assignment works.

 

[Studio Fawn]

Thanks Glad you like how it starts off

But, you may have found the most unintuitive control scheme in the history of video games why not just have specific default buttons for stuff like sprinting and interacting? Took me a good 10 minutes of fumbling to figure out how the action assignment works.

I couldn't think of any other way to set it up for keyboard (though once the keybinding options are in, people will be able to change it to whatever they want).

The reason not hard-binding abilities to keys is just to give players the freedom to set it up how they like (and there are unlimited "pages" for the hotkeys to flip through, so figured players would set up different pages for different periods of play...like one for interacting with stuff more calmly, and one for fighting with, or one for stealth). I always bind the sprint to the shift key though on keyboard -_-

It isn't too dissimilar to other RPG skill bars though....just instead of dragging the ability onto the bar, you instead press the loading key and then select the ability you want to go there.

But, yea, I agree....the controls take some getting used to. I have a friend that tried it and he just couldn't wrap his head around the idea of loading the abilities onto other keys. I wish I could find a better solution (but anything seems like it would be unusual to players).

 

[AN4RCHID]

Well I don't mind skill bars for various abilities, but there are some things everyone will want to do all the time right? Like sprinting... I think basic stuff like that should have a reserved key. If you always bind sprint to shift, maybe just set that as the default. You can always put in a keybinding page later.

 

[Iznaliu]

I think basic stuff like that should have a reserved key. If you always bind sprint to shift, maybe just set that as the default

You could have multiple default sets of keybindings and have a customisation option.

 

[Studio Fawn]

I think basic stuff like that should have a reserved key. If you always bind sprint to shift, maybe just set that as the default

You could have multiple default sets of keybindings and have a customisation option.

Yea, that would be a good solution, have it load a "suggested layout" (but then as you learn how things work, you can alter it if you want).

And on keyboard add another button or two for some basic functions that are dedicated (like interact button, and sprint to shift).

Thanks for the feedback you two

 

[Iznaliu]

I was surprised that people liked my idea; I thought people would say it was a waste of time.

 

[Infinitron]

Prelude minigame released: https://studiofawn.itch.io/bloom-labyrinth

Labyrinth is the sister game to a much larger RPG and world "Bloom: Memories" coming in the next year or so-ish.

 

[Studio Fawn]

Prelude minigame released: https://studiofawn.itch.io/bloom-labyrinth

Labyrinth is the sister game to a much larger RPG and world "Bloom: Memories" coming in the next year or so-ish.

5 year old thread, posting about a different game.... same IP though, so I guess that is something.

 

[Grauken]

This doesn't look very good, to be honest

 

[kain30]

It reminds me of gauntlet

 

[Siveon]

Oh man right off the bat how the heck do you fuck up controls this badly. So like, this isn't just your average Gauntlet combat, or even your modern twin stick shooter. For whatever reason the devs decided to literally reinvent the wheel here. You don't aim your shots with straight up mouse cursor, you target with a dragable circle, or autolock on the nearest target with a push of a button (not automatically, you have to press a button). THE SAME GOES FOR GAMEPAD.

And this isn't even the start. You begin the game with your weapons unequipped, you have to manually hotkey them. But to do that, you have to scroll through the inventory - which doesn't have any mouse control. You have to press 2 and 3 to move throughout the sections of the inventory (items, equipment, etc) and have to use WASD to navigate. This is Gothic 1 level, but it's worse. You have to manually have to hotkey to talk to people, you have to press a d-pad button to open inventory on a gamepad... just.

You can't rebind them either. You can't even change the settings. Only sound, no video settings whatsoever. The game downloads and opens with a single EXE. I'll try again later but this is a hurdle.

 

[AN4RCHID]

Studio Fawn needs to hook up with a talented coder. The visual style and music belong in a good game.

 

[Studio Fawn]

Oh man right off the bat how the heck do you fuck up controls this badly. So like, this isn't just your average Gauntlet combat, or even your modern twin stick shooter. For whatever reason the devs decided to literally reinvent the wheel here. You don't aim your shots with straight up mouse cursor, you target with a dragable circle, or autolock on the nearest target with a push of a button (not automatically, you have to press a button). THE SAME GOES FOR GAMEPAD.

Yup. ((Though you missed one, you can also use abilities without targeting anything. It will just target right in front of you. Useful for melee attack or shrinking yourself with shrooms))

The thing is abilities aren't just variations on "shoot at enemy" (which would have been a lot easier).....instead, there is often a reason to need to target an arbitrary spot on the ground. Such as throwing down barriers or healing springs and whatnot. ((if you just hold right click it will keep dragging around the target spot....so it will function as a normal "shoot at cursor" .....so.....))

I wasn't trying to make a twin stick shooter....why would I try to make something there are already a million of?

The stuff I make is slower and more thoughtful. More options and subsequently more difficult (to force players to think and use what they have).

And this isn't even the start. You begin the game with your weapons unequipped, you have to manually hotkey them. But to do that, you have to scroll through the inventory - which doesn't have any mouse control. You have to press 2 and 3 to move throughout the sections of the inventory (items, equipment, etc) and have to use WASD to navigate. This is Gothic 1 level, but it's worse. You have to manually have to hotkey to talk to people, you have to press a d-pad button to open inventory on a gamepad... just.

Yup, you can bind whatever ability wherever you want. Again, since there are a variety of abilities....and a variety of ways to play.....hard binding the default arrow attack to a button wouldn't have worked (when I play I don't even use the default arrow attack once I've got more abilities unlocked).

You get 4 bindings slots (so it can work between gamepad and keyboard /mouse really).....but once 2 slots are bound, the game automatically creates another "page" for the binding slots. So you can set up pages of "downtime" abilities (talking and crystals for collection and so on).....and then "combat page" for a certain type of combat.

You can't rebind them either. You can't even change the settings. Only sound, no video settings whatsoever.

Oh yea, there was a bug hiding the controls rebinding screen. Should be fixed in a day or two.

We do need a resolution setting though and toggle for windowed.....but other than that the game is all 2d....so not much to fiddle with there.

 

[Siveon]

It's not intuitive, is my point. Neither is looking at the controls.

 

[Studio Fawn]

It's not intuitive, is my point. Neither is looking at the controls.

Yup, I agree.

But intuitive with computers simply means "something I'm used to" (give your grandmother a game and see how intuitive any controls are to her haha).

So, are the controls different? Yup, 100%. It uses 3 different types of targeting seamlessly together! (I'm actually kind of proud how genius it is haha) A lock on, a manual aim, AND a default targetless "target" (talking for example just tries to talk to what is in front of you).

And binding of keys? Well, actually that surprises me people aren't used to that....what games are people playing that this is surprising?? N64 Zelda uses that.....the only difference is they don't make you bind your talk button and lock down what your main attack button is. I don't quite see where the panic over needing to bind your attack to one of the hotkeys is coming from? I "could" automatically have it set up with defaults I guess, but I wanted players to figure out accessing their inventory and abilities worked at the start (which is why they are locked in a room until they look in their inventory and use the only thing they pick up on the door to get out).

Does different mean worse though? Humm, that is the big question. Personally I think it works really well to give a ton of freedom in how to play (like I end up using the lock on targeting more than I thought I would....especially with controller. And with mouse and keyboard I still use lock on now and then, even though I can hold down right click and just fire at the cursor).

Could it use a handholdy tutorial that walks people step-by-step in how to do it all? Yea, probably, the tutorialization doesn't exist....

I'm gonna make an old-school manual that outlines stuff a lot more though :D So people feeling lost can get some solid direction step-by-step on how things work in the game (and tips on the game philosophy....like, go slow....maybe even some enemy profiles with tips).

Yea, I guess I just don't see what the huge hub-bub is about. So the controls aren't a typical twin-stick shooter? Uhh...ok....mission accomplished.

 

[Grauken]

If you make games for the PC crowd, don't expect them to have played console games. At all.

Also, not having key rebinding on PC is a sin.

 

[Studio Fawn]

If you make games for the PC crowd, don't expect them to have played console games. At all.

Yea, it is similar to a billion PC games though. Shadow of Mordor used a very similar setup with binding abilities.....

4 hotkeys that correlate to 4 little icons on the UI in the corner....this isn't breaking new gaming ground.

Also, not having key rebinding on PC is a sin.

I agree, that's why I made sure we delayed until we had a working key rebinding system.....there was a bug that kept it hidden (we just fixed it today actually, and should be patching it tonight).

I'm glad so far the bugs have just been minor UI visibility problems.

 

[Siveon]

I'm gonna make an old-school manual that outlines stuff a lot more though

That's pretty much what I want, thanks.

 

[Studio Fawn]

Welp, thoughts on manual?

 

[Zombra]

Skimmed the manual - as someone who hasn't played the game, it's not clear to me how to interact with the environment. Talking is based on position, fine, but how do I talk? Do conversations start automatically or do I press a button? Which button?

 

[LESS T_T]

Steam page for Labyrinth:

 

[Studio Fawn]

Steam page for Labyrinth:

That looks pretty good! Everyone should wishlist it, I hear they have an awesome manual even

 

[hello friend]

Is Labyrinth coming to Steam before Bloom is?

 

[HoboForEternity]

the invetory stuff looks like zelda things to me. love it

 

[Studio Fawn]

Is Labyrinth coming to Steam before Bloom is?

It's Bloom: Labyrinth

You probably mean Bloom: Memories though right? The RPG? That is coming after Labyrinth (since Labyrinth is meant to try and get some moneys to finish Memories....apparently programmers leaving after 2 years and needing to start over with that ends up messing up finances and schedules).

Though they are related too, in the timeline Labyrinth takes place half way through Memories :D

the invetory stuff looks like zelda things to me. love it

Thanks!