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From: hairston@henry.ECE.CMU.EDU (David Hairston)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Diamonds - some suggestions
Message-ID: <11775@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 4 Feb 91 16:26:46 GMT
References: <345@unf7.UUCP>
Organization: Gaia II
Lines: 70

[shite@unf7.UUCP (Stephen Hite) writes:]
[]   I have some suggestions for changes to Diamonds that might make it more
[] fun for inept game players like myself to enjoy it more:
[]
[]   1. Don't make me start a level over if I don't complete it with one
[]      fuzzy ball.  I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything when
[]      I get so severely penalized.

there's a related problem, IMO, in that you can get (initially) higher
scores by just hanging out on level 1 or 2.  i'd prefer that you not
lose your progress when you die on a given level and that the scoring
gets progressively higher with advanced levels.

[]   2. I don't like that idea that if I don't get all of light blue balls
[]      first before touching another paintbrush that I'm dead.  

doesn't bother me.  seems like part of the strategy ...

[]   3. You know, you could use those '+' signs to represent something.  Why
[]      don't you have some '-' signs also and then you could figure out some 
[]      way for them to cancel each other out so you don't get blown away just
[]      for touching a single '+'.  Make it a "lifesaver" technique.  In this
[]      way, it's still dangerous but carries some meaning also.

again this doesn't really bother me.  you simply can't touch some rects.

[]   4. You need more icons that represent different attributes.  I could see
[]      my interest level waning if the only different kind of icon to get
[]      is a key.  For example, speed icons, gravity icons, "penetration
[]      icons" that are good for acting as a "wildcard" color for one hit...

that's interesting ... currently things do get somewhat more interesting
as you go to higher levels (but my highest score game is not the one
where i went to level 9 but the one where i "practiced" on level 2!).

[]   5. This game needs more of a personality.  Crystal Quest, Dark Castle
[]      and Solarian ][ have *great* personalities to them.  You lost me
[]      after the opening "oh, yeahhhh..."...I was disappointed when that's
[]      all you had.  Heck, you could even associate cute / cool sounds and
[]      sound modes when icons in (4) are hit.

Solarian II has great personality.  Crystal Quest is too busy for my
tastes.  Diamonds has its own easy-going personality which i like but
some of the things you suggested in 4 could be okay, also.

[]   I don't have 6.0.7 installed but I'm sure that won't change my mind
[] about (5).  This game has great possibilities.  The programmer(s) of 
[] this game are very talented...you just need a personality, though. 

its hard to account for personality ...

i've only played Diamonds with 6.0.7 and the sound stuff is okay.
the apple-balls backdrop sometimes gets in the way, i want to try
a solid background to see if that helps/hurts.

My one big complaint is that i've had the game freeze-up twice.  At
first i thought it was a bad interaction with Finder Sounds cdev but
the second time Finder Sounds was disabled.  If it happens again i'll
be waiting with debugger ready!

[] You could make much of what I've suggested configurable items.  Right now,
[] I feel Diamonds is a cool looking shareware game.  However, it could be
[] up there with Solarian ][ in enjoyment level with the right mods.   

the only reason i don't enjoy Diamonds right up there with Solarian is
the freeze-ups mentioned above.  they're different type games, to be
enjoyed differently, IMO.

  -dave-  
hairston@henry.ece.cmu.edu