Force Bot - New NES homebrew

[TylerBarnes | 184]

On 11/23/2019 at 11:43 PM, erockbrox said:

- Where to get the plastic shells, PCB's, sticker labels from?

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner @erockbrox

Shells are $3 each. You can buy 33 at a time. Blue might look good for your game. (pretty sure they have grey if you ask) 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32752797967.html?spm=2114.search0302.3.29.112f309f9R7iOr&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_0,searchweb201603_0,ppcSwitch_0&algo_pvid=ce220ef4-45be-45c3-9441-3239bbe2a894&algo_expid=ce220ef4-45be-45c3-9441-3239bbe2a894-4

Labels can be purchased here:
https://customstickermakers.com/

Front Label Cut Settings: (about $0.70 each) 


Front Label File Settings: (size is larger than cut size for bleed) 


Rear Label Cut Settings: (about $0.35 each) 


Rear Label File Settings: (size is larger than cut size for bleed) 



Protip about working with customstickermakers. They expect your files to be in JPG and in the Adobe 1998 color space. I suggest working with your design in that space 

Edited November 27, 2019 by TylerBarnes

[erockbrox | 33]

Wow, thanks a lot Tyler, I'll be sure to check all this info out.

Also if you are going to go to the Retropalooza in Dallas, talk to the guys running the show ahead of time because usually they give you a deal with the price for a booth. Tell them that you are a developer, otherwise you have to pay Vendor price which is higher.

Thanks again.

 

[fcgamer | 4,722]

2 hours ago, Scrobins said:

@fcgamer you say you aren't trying to trash Kevin's game...yet you keep cutting it down and telling him to stop defending himself. For someone who accuses others of being elitist as much as you, you're being a pompous ass.

I'm cutting down his game just by saying that I'm not fond of the name, and never was? Or I'm cutting down his game by mentioning that there were other block pushers on the machine before his? If the latter is the problem, then I feel the same could be said about @Deadeye 's post, even though he mentioned that he wasn't trying to be a downer. If I were the developer of Force Bot, I'd be pretty bummed out that the game was being compared to another homebrew game, straight out of the gate. Given that these are all derivative of the Sokoban-style game design, I think makes things even odder, since there would naturally be similarities among all games of said genre.

Honestly don't think @KHAN Games needs to defend his work or game title either. Not liking an aspect of a project doesn't mean one is trashing it. Many people don't like the difficulty of the Battle Kid games, but I don't think that people view it as cutting down Sivak's game series either. That's the brilliance of it all, people can have differing opinions on matters but in the end we share the commonality of gaming. 

[TylerBarnes | 184]

5 minutes ago, erockbrox said:

Wow, thanks a lot Tyler, I'll be sure to check all this info out.

Also if you are going to go to the Retropalooza in Dallas, talk to the guys running the show ahead of time because usually they give you a deal with the price for a booth. Tell them that you are a developer, otherwise you have to pay Vendor price which is higher.

Thanks again.

 

Thanks so much! I indeed saw the different developer rates. I sent them an email with some questions. Awaiting a reply. I'm sure they are busy planning for their upcoming showing in Pasadena. 

[fcgamer | 4,722]

9 minutes ago, erockbrox said:

Wow, thanks a lot Tyler, I'll be sure to check all this info out.

Also if you are going to go to the Retropalooza in Dallas, talk to the guys running the show ahead of time because usually they give you a deal with the price for a booth. Tell them that you are a developer, otherwise you have to pay Vendor price which is higher.

Thanks again.

 

I remember when the original author has made that game engine. Is it quite easy to use? Did you make any modifications to it yourself?

I'm always glad to see more items getting released in the homebrew scene. It's fun to see everyone's creative ideas coming to life, and likewise to see so much talent in this community.

[Deadeye | 1,596]

12 hours ago, erockbrox said:

I think once you play Force Bot, the similarities with a more traditional sokoban game will fade. You might think that because its a block pusher that its all be done before, but this game engine is unique and that resulted in some unique properties and mechanics. In fact there are weird and strange things that I'm doing with this game engine that I don't even think the programmer ever thought of or imagined. Think limited resources drives innovation. 

Thanks for the follow up.  Looking forward to the game's release. 

11 hours ago, fcgamer said:

....then I feel the same could be said about @Deadeye 's post, even though he mentioned that he wasn't trying to be a downer. If I were the developer of Force Bot, I'd be pretty bummed out that the game was being compared to another homebrew game, straight out of the gate....

I don't want to derail the conversation too much away from discussing the OP’s game, but at the same time I don’t want my original feedback to be interpreted in a way I didn’t intend.

My original observation was based on the information that the OP released, a short description and a screenshot.  I said based on the face value of that, adding that I may have a different opinion after playing it, a robot box pushing puzzler seems to be very similar to The Incident.  I concluded with a difference of story elements or game mechanics could be considered to bring a new take on it.  I thought that was constructive feedback.  If he makes no changes, that is not a bad thing.  

Let me run you through a hypothetical parallel.  Say I announce my game.  I say it is a platformer.  All good.  Say I say it is an action platformer.  All good.  Now say I say it is an action platformer staring an Italian plumber.  Some people may comment “that sound a lot like Super Mario Bros in concept, will it be the same or will there be differences in your take”.  I don’t think that it a leap to make based on the above information I laid out.  It helps the person understand what to expect from my game.  My response may be “You like Mario, Right?  More Mario sounds great”  or it could be “In my take, the game play takes place in the water plant and you have to race against the clock to fix all the plumbing that the enemies are attacking.”  Both response are reasonable and you may or may not be interested in that game. 

Going back to Force Bot.  If the information released was, a box pushing puzzler where you play as a dragon, I would not have even made that comparison.  I may have still asked “will this be a straight sokoban style game or will there be something different”  It may have gone, “Sokoban is great, you want more right”  or it could go “Well you see the dragon breaths fire and you can interact with the environment in different ways.  The wooden boxes you can burn, ice blocks melt, and metal boxes heat up.  This adds another puzzle element to the game.  Sometime you need to move the wooden box and other times burn it.  For the ice block, it is frozen to the ground.  Sometimes you don’t want to fully melt it.  Other times, If you push the metal box against it and heat up the metal block, it will free the ice block from the ground and now you can push it.”

In all these scenarios, I think the responses are fine.  Some are for understanding about the game where information wasn’t released and others are constructive feedback.  I never said, this is a clone and sounds boring.  That is feedback, but not constructive in a way that offers anything other than you are not interested in the game.     

Edited November 27, 2019 by Deadeye
Typos.

[fcgamer | 4,722]

@Deadeye That's a fair assessment I think. I guess from where I sit, there's less one can do to a puzzle game to differentiate it from others of the same genre (i.e. Bugtris runs still very similar to Tetris, despite having the gameplay mixed up a bit) , hence my comments that they're all somewhat derivatives of Sokoban. But that doesn't mean for me that they're boring or unworthy to play or anything like that. In fact, the level generation / ability to share with a friend is quite awesome in The Incident.

Not gonna discuss this anymore though, like you mentioned, let's all go back to Force Bot!

[Deadeye | 1,596]

13 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Not gonna discuss this anymore though, like you mentioned, let's all go back to Force Bot!

Agreed

Edited November 27, 2019 by Deadeye

[JamesRobot | 5,793]

Force Bot looks rad! 

[WaverBoy | 20]

Looks great! I’ll definitely be backing your Kickstarter!

[erockbrox | 33]

I got a question for you guys.

I've never made or owned a website before. can someone help me with the process of setting up a website for my game?

 

 

[Gloves | 11,771]

1 hour ago, erockbrox said:

I got a question for you guys.

I've never made or owned a website before. can someone help me with the process of setting up a website for my game?

 

 

I can help, toss me a pm. 

[erockbrox | 33]

I created a Twitter account for the game. Follow me on Twitter for all the latest news and such regarding the game.

https://twitter.com/ForceBot3

Currently I'm working on the rest of the artwork for the box and sticker label. I would like to do a kickstarter for the game possibly this year and am working out all the details for the release.

I'm wanting to create a website as well, but I've never had/ran a website before so if anyone has any experience in that and wants to help then it would be much appreciated.

If you want to be on the mailing list just send me a PM with your e-mail and I will send out a mass e-mail on major updates. Thanks.

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

Did you not see Gloves response above yours on 1/24 regarding the website? He offered to help. Also from your Twitter the normal reward tier should be a gray cart, next tier up a blue, and the top tier limited to the smallest amount of copies gold! Or loose cart gray, CIB Blue cart, and CIB limited edition numbered Gold cart with art book or a small trinket of the ForceBot, or original signed artwork at the top tier is also cool. 
 

$40

$60

$100+ depending on how much you want to put in it. 
 

Charge mofos for shipping. 
 

More edit: instead of running your own site see if @SoleGoose might help in some way with the 6502 collective. It’ll be easier to get your game out there using known people. Plus hey you all could work together on a new game for us to play lol

Edited April 19, 2020 by a3quit4s

[erockbrox | 33]

Here is an update with the sticker and box art. It's coming together.

I've never really had a social media presence, but I did try to create something on obs to stream NES games on Twitch with. Let me know if there is an interest for this.

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by erockbrox

[WaverBoy | 20]

Kickstarter soon?

[erockbrox | 33]

On 5/3/2020 at 12:51 PM, WaverBoy said:

Kickstarter soon?

Got to get some test label stickers and test boxes. I even want to do some special holographic stickers (maybe). Then have to create some videos. I also am trying to create a cardboard robot costume that I want to dress up as. LOL It might turn out great or not I don't know. But everything has to be in place before you launch a KS. I'll keep everyone up to date and thanks so much for following.

[erockbrox | 33]

Got the sticker front label and back box artwork fairly worked out. There still might be some tweaks here and there because I think I have to adjust the dimensions of the box size a little.

 

 

[Scrobins | 1,725]

I love your darker color scheme and am really intrigued by your holographic idea. Would that be for the whole label or a sticker on the box?

[erockbrox | 33]

The plan is to have several types of front label sticker options. There is the regular standard sticker. And then you can upgrade to a fancy holographic sticker similar to this.

 

[Deadeye | 1,596]

Pretty cool label.  Make sure you have the right dimensions, the proportions look off.  I believe it should be 55 X 97 mm. 

[Scrobins | 1,725]

A holographic label sounds amazing!

[Ferris Bueller | 495]

I think Timewalk did the holos first, and then I don't think I've seen it since Anamanaguchi did it for that white cart of theirs. Nice.

[erockbrox | 33]

Here is the dimensions in inches. It's pretty close to the 55mm by 97mm size, but from my experience the 97mm is a very stung fit. It just barely fits in the space. I think it is okay to have a 1 mm gap on the top and bottom of the sticker spot so that is what I'm going for.

Here is the fake proof they sent me. I'll see how these fit and then see if I need to make any adjustments on the size.

[erockbrox | 33]

I'm currently working on sticker stuff. I want to try and also get gold stickers, silver stickers, glow in the dark stickers. I'm in the process of getting it all figured out.