A Virus Killed My Brother
by Paul Dana · in General Discussion · 08/17/2005 (6:44 pm) · 14 replies
Flash Bios marketing art by the inestimable Nauris KrauzeBE A BETA TESTER
Flash Bios is a 3D Arcade Strategy game by Plastic Games. This game has been in development for two and a half years now and we are happy to announce that the Open Beta is now in progress!
If you want to beta test, just Sign Up and download the game. When you get done playing you will be directed to a questionnaire web page asking you 10 simple questions about the game. When you are done you can download more versions with more maps to test.
You can also check out my series of blogs, The Long Strange Trip, for a detailed account of our experience making this game.
Please only discuss the game itself in this forum thred. If you wish to talk about game design or my Long Strange Trip blogs, please post in This Thread which is dedicated to that.
About the author
#2
The other thread is for discussing my series of blogs, The Long Strange Trip which is sort of like a "making of" documentary. I take you through the two and a half years it took for us to get to this point. I discuss what we did wrong and how we failed to follow (or even understand) the good advice given to us by industry veterans who had made games before.
If you want to give us feedback about Flash Bios, post here in this thread!
If you want to rant and rave about the right way to make video games, post in the other thread!
08/17/2005 (7:54 pm)
Yes this thread is for people who want to download and play the Beta version of Flash Bios. It is for disussions about the game itself. What people think about it, what they would like to see in future versions. What they hate about it, etc...The other thread is for discussing my series of blogs, The Long Strange Trip which is sort of like a "making of" documentary. I take you through the two and a half years it took for us to get to this point. I discuss what we did wrong and how we failed to follow (or even understand) the good advice given to us by industry veterans who had made games before.
If you want to give us feedback about Flash Bios, post here in this thread!
If you want to rant and rave about the right way to make video games, post in the other thread!
#3
I'm running Win XP sp2 on a 2.4Ghz Dell with 512Mb and a 128Mb GeForceFx 5200 card.
08/17/2005 (8:13 pm)
I tried the game. At the end of the tutorial, when it says "Success, disinfection complete!", after the little robot dance, I got an error saying "FlashBios.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.I'm running Win XP sp2 on a 2.4Ghz Dell with 512Mb and a 128Mb GeForceFx 5200 card.
#4
08/17/2005 (8:38 pm)
When i clicked teh exe box came up but game never started
#5
Nauris should start making a animated series!
08/17/2005 (11:34 pm)
It's just wrong that people can do art like that!Nauris should start making a animated series!
#6
Also, I would like to comment that I played this game at IGC already for an hour or so.
Regarding the name of the game - FLASH BIOS is the choice I like the least of all that I have seen. I like Bit Shifter better and Virus Blaster (I think that was the name) even better. I vote for definitely changing the name from FLASH to something else.
I'll contintue to try when the current bugs get resolved. I REALLY liked the idea for this game at IGC so I hope to get to play the full version someday.
08/18/2005 (8:48 am)
I also downloaded the game and played the tutorial. When I was done it said succes complete, robot dance, but then instead of going to the questionnaire, I got to play a mission. The mission was quite difficult actually, I got blasted out of the sky very soon and then my bits got killed and then the game was over (maybe 1 minute for that to happen). Then the game tried to reload the mission and crashed.Also, I would like to comment that I played this game at IGC already for an hour or so.
Regarding the name of the game - FLASH BIOS is the choice I like the least of all that I have seen. I like Bit Shifter better and Virus Blaster (I think that was the name) even better. I vote for definitely changing the name from FLASH to something else.
I'll contintue to try when the current bugs get resolved. I REALLY liked the idea for this game at IGC so I hope to get to play the full version someday.
#7
I played this game previously and really liked it. I will have to download the current version and see what improvements have been made.
08/18/2005 (8:58 am)
Virus Blaster - Sounds like an anti-virus program. Along the lines of Spyware Blaster If I saw that name out of context I wouldn't think it was a game.I played this game previously and really liked it. I will have to download the current version and see what improvements have been made.
#8
08/19/2005 (4:48 am)
Looking good. It gives me the same problem of crashing that Louis gets. It happens after completing one level and attempting to load the next.
#9
08/27/2005 (6:04 pm)
Hmm... When I drive my ship into the question mark in the tutorial, a big blue GUI pops up with nothing on it. no buttons or anything. Can't eascape from it or anything. I Have to exit the game to restart. I'm running Mac OS 10.3.9.
#10
1. The tutorial is very good. The flight model has a lot of keys involved. But it introduces each part of the flight model slowly. So I was able to get a handle on how to fly pretty quickly. If I had been dumped into level one with a list of keys and their functions and no more direction, I would not of continued playing the game. ;)
2. I might be a baby, but I think level one should have only one section of virus to kill. Or maybe another tutorial level just for combat. ;)
3. Crash on exit, maybe trying to launch the browser for the end of the questionarre? There's no manual link to finish off the questionarre.
It's pretty fun though! The art is great! I love the "bouncy-ness" of the objects, it gives the world a nice feel. I'm going to go back and play more after I finish some other things.
Good job Paul!
08/28/2005 (1:22 pm)
Initial comments:1. The tutorial is very good. The flight model has a lot of keys involved. But it introduces each part of the flight model slowly. So I was able to get a handle on how to fly pretty quickly. If I had been dumped into level one with a list of keys and their functions and no more direction, I would not of continued playing the game. ;)
2. I might be a baby, but I think level one should have only one section of virus to kill. Or maybe another tutorial level just for combat. ;)
3. Crash on exit, maybe trying to launch the browser for the end of the questionarre? There's no manual link to finish off the questionarre.
It's pretty fun though! The art is great! I love the "bouncy-ness" of the objects, it gives the world a nice feel. I'm going to go back and play more after I finish some other things.
Good job Paul!
#11
These are nitpicky, but I'm sure you know about them already:
1. I think there needs to be a sound when picking up a bit.
2. After selecting a level, the screen freezes while it's processing stuff. Maybe throw a graphic up before processing to get feedback that the level selection has occurred.
08/28/2005 (5:41 pm)
Random other comments:These are nitpicky, but I'm sure you know about them already:
1. I think there needs to be a sound when picking up a bit.
2. After selecting a level, the screen freezes while it's processing stuff. Maybe throw a graphic up before processing to get feedback that the level selection has occurred.
#12
08/29/2005 (3:25 pm)
There are some errors in this game but other than that its really innovative and cool! Keep at it guys!
#13
Also there are FOUR versions of the game posted right now...each letting you test a new map. Now would be a great time to sign up and check out the game!
09/25/2005 (1:24 pm)
A lot of people had CRASH bugs trying to play the Open Beta...I am happy to announce that those issues have been fixed. If you had problems before please sign up again and re-download the first version and see if the crash bugs are fixed. They probably will be!Also there are FOUR versions of the game posted right now...each letting you test a new map. Now would be a great time to sign up and check out the game!
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