Thanks to you, Paradox Vector has a potential to get the Fan Favorite award at the Game Development World Championship! Paradox Vector has mostly positive reviews here on Steam! Paradox Vector has a unique look and feel, and uses non-euclidean geometry to create a strange and forbidding environment!
However, the hard truth is that, based on the data I am getting, most people are not playing this game very much.
This is the cold, hard truth about Paradox Vector. I hate to say it, but it seems like this game is not very fun for the average player. This is something that has to change!
The good news is that this is exactly what Early Access is for :) You are a select group of people, a kind of focus group. If you are one of those people who played it for a bit, and then stopped, I want to hear from you!
Tell Me What You Think
Now is the time to share your feelings. Don't hold back. You bought this game because you felt it had a certain charm or potential. But somehow, it did not deliver on that promise. For this, I take full responsibility. But I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong.
A few people have left comments and voiced their concerns on the discussion page. I've tried to address them to the best of my ability. I believe the major bugs have also been worked out here, so with the current version as a base line, I think, together, we can make this game more enjoyable, more challenging, and more exciting to play.
Let's assume there was a moment when you suddenly decided, "hey, I don't feel like playing this game anymore..." Try to invoke that moment. Access those memories, bring them back, and tell me abut them. I need to know.
Was the first level too hard?
Was the first level too easy?
Are the robots too tough, or hard to hit, or could you not find the gun?
Did the non-euclidean geometry confuse or disturb you?
These are just a few sample concerns I have come up with. The problems may seem perfectly obvious to you as a player, but unless you tell me, I can't know what they are.
I Don't Want to Hurt the Developers' Feelings
You know what ... screw him! He doesn't deserve to feel good if he's making crappy games, right? But then what about the other players ... what about the poor, unsuspecting slobs who are thinking about buying this game? The reviews are pretty good (though there are not too many of them ... cough cough) and the graphics look pretty enticing, right?
What's to stop them from buying this game, and feeling the same sense of disappointment that you did?
Sure, you could write a negative review, and warn people off. But then, what's this? The developer is asking for opinions on how to improve the game? Well, you could answer that call, and give your two cents, and maybe ... just maybe, help the developer to make this a better game.
It's Not All Bad News!
Some of you are different of course, There are a number of players who have enjoyed this game and have played it through to the end. I also what to hear from you! What did you like most about it? What are the things you would really hate to see missing from this game? What would you like to see more of?
We Can Do This Together!
Rome was not built in a day. To build high, you must dig deep. And, it takes a village to raise a child! Paradox Vector is my baby, but my baby lives in your village. As players, you can help to raise this game up from it's shaky beginnings to it's ultimate success. You know the potential is there, so let's come together and give it the old college try! Don't hold back. Together, this game can turn into a rare gem, unlike anything else out there ... or ... it can be neglected and forgotten, and never really see the light of day.
I am committed to improving and completing Paradox Vector. But, without solid feedback, this will be harder to do. I am open and listening. Thanks for reading.
Workin' on Stuff
Since it seems all the major bugs have been worked out, I am focusing on adding content to Paradox Vector, in the form of new creatures and new levels.
Underground Caverns
Nothing is finished here yet, but I am working on a new tile-set for an underground cavern type area. Similar to the outdoor area, these caverns will connect a set of new dungeons, inhabited by different creatures.
New Creatures
New monsters like this one I am calling "The Urchin" will inhabit this dark and dismal underworld, providing new challenges and dangers.
GDWC Update
I am still waiting to hear the results of the Fan Favorite competition at the Game Development World Championship. It says voting closes on the 11th (yesterday) but it still appears to be active, in case anyone wants to try...
Help Schmidt Workshops!
Hey, did you know you could help Schmidt Workshops by writing reviews, sharing our games, and even by just playing them?
Well you can!
That's right, by simply playing a Schmidt Workshops game, you will help to show other players on Steam that these games exist. Writing a nice review will help to establish that our games are fun to play. Sharing our games on Social Media, or simply telling your friends about them will help too.
If you like the experimental, artistic and philosophical themes in Schmidt Workshops games, then please help by spreading the word.
Vote Contest
Paradox Vector is still up for Fan Favorite at the Game Dev World Championships through November 11th.
It would be great if the small community we have here would be willing to help this little game reach its full potential. I am willing to offer a full set of all four of my Steam games.
Here is the link to share: https://thegdwc.com/fanfav/
On November 11th, just comment here, or send me an email with your Steam ID and I will pick one person at random to win all of my other games, along with Paradox Vector, in case the entrant does not have it already.
Note: Neither owning Paradox Vector, voting in the contest, nor sharing the link are required for entry into the contest.
Update 0.9.4.3
I was able to track down a bug that caused the game to crash sporadically. The game should be much more stable now. Definitely let me know if you discover any other crashes or bugs!
I also fixed a problem where the player could jump infinitely high if standing over an elevator.
If you have an eye for detail, you may notice that the vector lines have a bit more glow to them now. I am still tweaking this, trying to give it that feel of the old monitors.
Next, I feel like I am ready to add a few more levels, and some new bad guys. I am still hoping to finish things off by the end of the year.
Update 0.9.4.2
Key Binding
I was able to track down and fix the problem with key bindings.
The game will now be able to properly customize your keyboard controls. If you have customized your keyboard controls, you will need to do it again for it to work properly.
Vote for Paradox Vector!
Also, don't forget to vote for Paradox Vector at the GDWC! It us up for the Fan Favorite award, and it would be great if it gets enough votes to win!
GDWC Fan Favorite!
https://thegdwc.com/fanfav/
Please vote for Paradox Vector again in the finals for the game Developers World Championships!!! This is the final round, so we need as many votes as possible. Consider telling your friends to vote too!
Thanks :) Game Development World Championship 2019 | GDWC 2019
Problem Discovered with Key Bindings
Some players have experienced trouble playing Paradox Vector. The game's controls can get messed up and the player will react very slowly to keyboard input.
I am working on fixing this right now. The good news is that I found the cause.
This problem occurs when you change the default controls of the game. There are two ways you can fix this problem on your own system before I put out the next patch...
Delete the "controls.cfg" file under "Paradox Vector > Properties > Local Files" Select "Browse Local Files" to open the installation folder. Find the file and just delete it. You will only have to do this once.
When you start the game, go to "Options > Controls" and select "Reset Keys to Default" to fix the issue. You will have to do this each time you play.
In either case, you will have to, for now, play with the default controls.
This feature used to work, but when I upgraded the engine, it seems the functions I used to not work the same way, and they are somehow causing this issue.
Being able to reproduce the problem is always the first step towards fixing it, so we are halfway there already! I will post another announcement when it is working properly again.
Sorry for any inconvenience!
Update 0.9.4.1
I fixed a small issue that occurred in Window mode. The problem was that the mouse would get stuck in the game window after starting the game.
Now, when you pause the game, the mouse should be released from the game window.
Update 0.9.4.0
This update improves upon the game saving and loading aspects of Paradox Vector. Now, instead of pressing "F5" to save a checkpoint in a given level, the game provides checkpoints for you. You can load these checkpoints by pressing "F6" as before.
Checkpoints are also automatically set when you start a new dungeon, and when you get the Paradox Triangle. The problem of items becoming non-interactive after loading a checkpoint seems to be fixed. Loading a checkpoint will reset any items or ammo you picked up, but currently monsters will also re-appear after loading checkpoints so be careful!
You still have the option of restarting a dungeon after dying, by pressing "Enter". This will reset your health at 100, but will also deduct some points. Leaderboards and achievements are not yet implemented, so these points are not going to mean much at this time. However, I hope to get those working soon.
Another new feature is the new wall designs in each dungeon. Now there are a number of different colors and patterns, instead of the same blue square with a spiral. I hope you enjoy them!
