Trolley Problem for Unexpanded VIC

[chysn]

I haven't observed the practice of making work-in-progress posts about my games. That's because I don't want to put the pressure on myself to deliver something in a reasonable timeframe. I'm making an exception in this case because the game framework is complete, and I'm just designing levels now. It turns out that it's harder to design levels for a puzzle game than to build the actual game, but it's fun work.

Trolley Problem is a puzzle game for unexpanded VIC-20. It provides (edit) twelve city plans of increasing difficulty. Your job is to use switches to guide the trolley to waiting passengers, and then deliver them to the depot on schedule. You can also control the speed of your trolley, if you need time to think... but time marches on!

More to come!

[AndyH]

Looks like another hit to me.

[malcontent]

I was expecting a more gruesome game based on the title ;D

I like these types of puzzle games. Looking forward to it. Does it load levels from disk? Maybe a level editor might be cool.

[chysn]

I was expecting a more gruesome game based on the title ;D

Ha! I couldn't figure out how to devise a scoring system without putting my hand on the scale, so to speak

I like these types of puzzle games. Looking forward to it. Does it load levels from disk? Maybe a level editor might be cool.

Yes, levels can be loaded from disk, potentially. A set of 12 levels takes 576 bytes (48 bytes per level) of contiguous memory starting at $19c0. The track layout is held in 32 bytes, 1 byte for the location of the depot, 1 byte for the time limit, and 14 bytes for a combination of 13 switches and/or passengers (delimited by $00). It lends itself well to a level editor, conceptually, but the format is so simple that it's faster to just work out the numbers by hand.

Here's a gameplay video of a couple sample levels. I'm not yet sure whether these will be levels 1 and 2, but they're both fairly uncomplicated. Sadly, I have no idea how to record the sound effects and music into Quicktime, so it's silent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlOUGebYAEs

[Lechuck]

Loooks amazing. Looking forward to it!

Cheers

[hasseapa]

There was a very well made BASIC C64 game, Trolley Follies, a few years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOT4Rro7lY0

Your game looks smooth & pretty.

[malcontent]

I agree with the comment on the video, it looks disconcerting to see the trolly make an impossible turn. If you can't actually fit a switching animation in, maybe it would be better to alter the static look of the intersections.

[chysn]

I agree with the comment on the video, it looks disconcerting to see the trolly make an impossible turn. If you can't actually fit a switching animation in, maybe it would be better to alter the static look of the intersections.

You're the third person to say this, including my son. So that means I should probably listen. The idea was to indicate the direction the trolley would take if it reaches the intersection from the non-switchable side. It will always make a right turn in this situation. But yes, when it reaches the intersection from a switchable side, it can make funny-looking turns.

I changed the switchable track sections to be perpendicular. But, I still wanted some visual indicator for the non-switchable right turn, so I just put a one-pixel dot in that direction:

Then again, I also like the look of this, with the switchable intersections kind of flared out:

[Jeff-20]

This looks like its going to be a lot of fun!

[Victragic]

I haven't observed the practice of making work-in-progress posts about my games. That's because I don't want to put the pressure on myself to deliver something in a reasonable timeframe.

Very wise. It also avoids the dilemma of feeling you have to accommodate every suggestion that comes in..

Looking forward to trying this out.

[chysn]

It'll just be another day or two. There are a couple levels that I'm not entirely happy with, and about ten that I am.

Also, when I moved from Vice to the real VIC, with a real 1702, the color scheme I had turned out to be horrible. So I had to go back to the lab on that.

[chysn]

Name: Trolley Problem
Author: Jason Justian
Genre: Puzzle/Arcade Game
Code: Machine Language
Requirements: Unexpanded VIC-20, Joystick
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
Availability: For purchase on cassette tape, or for download at https://github.com/Chysn/VIC20-TrolleyProblem/releases
Description: Switches guide the trolley to pick up riders, and drop them off at the depot on time. Trolley Problem has 12 levels of increasing difficulty. The STOP key restarts the current level.

[Noizer]

Admit it! What is your real mission agent, Anzu?
It's so amazing that you knock it out one game at a time, but how do you do it? I was told that I ask too many questions, but ... "If you don't ask, stay stupid", Germans say. I have to.
I wish that you show a dossier with all the strategies on "How to Make a Vic-20 Hit in 2021". Something different for you, I guess

[chysn]

It's so amazing that you knock it out one game at a time, but how do you do it?

I have to have fun doing it, or there wouldn't be a point. I try to stretch myself a little with each game. Not quantum leaps, but just do something a bit new, while refining my set of routines. I find ways to improve them every single time. Also, I like to lean into the unexpanded VIC-20's smallesse. The distillation of everything is mentally engaging, I think.

[mathom]

I like to lean into the unexpanded VIC-20's smallesse. The distillation of everything is mentally engaging, I think.

This is going on my "quote wall." It nicely explains why the unexpanded machine is so intriguing but also sums up why messing about with retro gear in general can be so much fun.

...mathom...