Summer 2008 DsDoZ Quasar's Back-up Judging Sheet General Theme: Bureaucracy Specific Theme: Summer 2008 DsDoZ and The End of the World GENERAL THEME SCORESHEET Theme: 100 points Gameplay: 90 points Graphics: 70 points Technique: 60 points Story: 50 points Sounds: 30 points SPECIFIC THEME SCORESHEET Theme: 20 points Gameplay: 120 points Graphics: 90 points Technique: 80 points Story: 50 points Sound: 40 points I'd just like to say, this DoZ has helped me overcome my bad habit of mispelling the words 'bureau' and 'bureaucracy,' by forcing me to write them dozens and dozens of times. Without further ado, the games! For those who just want to see how the games stack up against each other in the final tally, look below. ---------- ENTRY #36825 DoZing off (Summer 2008 DsDoZ and the End of the World) ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: It's Microgame madness! Somebody liked Warioware, or merely decided it was easy to clone. There's nothing necessarily wrong with either in my book; but, if you want to use that formula to craft a DoZ winner, you need more than what was here. Theme: 6 / 20. It references the DoZ and the end of the world in the opening text, and the gameplay also involves buttons that ostensibly involve the world's destruction/salvation. Therefore, I'm giving this game the bare minimum to avoid DQ. Since it's using the specific theme, this won't hurt it too much. Gameplay: 47 / 120. I mulled over this one a lot, I really did. However, all we got were six microgames (and a seventh apparently incompleted one involving clearing blocks.) One of the microgames consists of nothing but avoiding pushing space. I admit it did trick me once with the "save the world" button NOT being pushed. The other games were fine, even somewhat enjoyable. However, the real killing factor is the game's lack of longevity. After about twenty rounds, I started losing on purpose to hear the amusing sound effects. The variety of the games present was suitable, however, and the scaling difficulty was duly noted. If the creators had included a few more games, this score could have been dramatically higher. Graphics: 22 / 90. They communicated what the player needed to know to play the game, and never interfered with the gameplay. That's worth 20. The blocky planet and the purple thing (octopus?) are each worth 1. Technique: 25 / 80. Another difficult category to score. The robots, from what I can see, are very straightforward, and modifying the game to have more content would've been very simple. That's generally a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The game was also bug free. However, because the game is indeed so very simple, these things can't count for as much as they otherwise might. I suppose using sprites in any context counts for something. Story: 1 / 50. It'd be zero, but the theme involved the 2008 DsDoZ, and the title screen was a log from the aforementioned contest, and that gets a point. Still, the creator(s) clearly submitted something that would amuse people for a few minutes, not win the DoZ - so I doubt they care whether they get many points here anyway. Sounds: 30 / 40. The music sets the mood and pace, and most every action has an associated sound effect. A very solid performance in this category, from an otherwise unremarkable game. Total Score: 131/400 = 6 + 47 + 22 + 25 + 1 + 30 A low score, but not because what was there was bad - just because there wasn't much there. ---------- ENTRY #38887 The Somewhat dull adventures of Gun Guy (Summer 2008 DsDoZ and the End of the World) ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: Simple gameplay, with an engaging, albeit very frustrating puzzle pushing. It's got it's humorous points and it feels complete enough though (after you apply a few fixes.) Also, it got Take on Me stuck in my head. Jerks. =) Theme: 14 / 20. You are a DoZer who is trying to find a way to DoZ despite the end of the world. The area is a post apocalyptic subway system (at least initially.) Later you meet other surviving DoZ enthusiasts. A solid use of an akward theme. Gameplay: 62 / 120. I did not like the gameplay in this game. Fights consist of holding down space bar until the other guy is dead - that is, if you choose to fight. Jumping over or on top of enemies seems to have worked just fine for me, negating the entire shooting aspect of the game. The game also features instant shooting, which I regret to say, is in my opinion worse than basic MZX shooting (in this game). With the latter, you are encouraged to dodge enemy fire while laying down your own - in Gun Guy's world, as mentioned above, one either avoids fights entirely or enters a war of attrition. Enemies' activation radii are also large enough that ambushing them is only occasionally feasible. If this were the only issue in the game, I'd give it a slightly higher gameplay score - but unfortunately there is a very annoying pushing puzzle that occupies most of the player's time. One has to push barrels over ladders and ledges with a roughly 50% chance of success, and if one makes a mistake, it's reload time. While it is possible to win, the sheer amount of necessary saving and loading (and the fact that without KNOWING how to solve the puzzle, you may save yourself in to an impossible situation) is very frustrating. Still, the game is of reasonable length, so that helps its score. Graphics: 35 / 90. Very simple, flat graphics for the backgrounds. However, there are some simple animations, including flickering lights, dripping pipes and bubbling lava. The player also has animations and laughs heartily while shooting. Nothing in the game is an eyesore or distracting, but it really fails to excel as well. Technique: 34 / 80. There's an infinitely repeating sound effect if you jump on a locked door, but that's not bad enough to cost points. Also, the long black period after using a door felt unnecessary. While these bugs and qualms are minor, cumulatively they subtract a technique point in my view. The game breaking bugs involving board linkage were extremely simple to fix, but still game breaking, and that cost another five points. There was an inventory engine with a variety of failure messages, which while not novel, does count for _something_. The player was two characters tall, which has comparable merit. The "real" shooting engine is another relatively simple piece of robotic included in here. Overall, this game gets half technique score base, minus points for bugs. Story: 25 / 50. The story itself is about 15 / 25, but there are a few rather humorous parts, including multiple special game over screens. It did what it needed to do to drive the gameplay, set up the theme, and gave me a few laughs. I can't complain. Sounds: 25 / 40. The music was generally fitting, except Take on Me which I'm not hazarding a guess about. Shooting and the elevator had sound effects, and the title screen fanfare was appreciated. A respectable DoZ performance in this category. Total Score: 195 = 14 + 62 + 35 + 34 + 25 + 25 Could've been worse, but a kinder puzzle and a more thought into the combat would've gone a long way. An otherwise fair entry. ---------- ENTRY #51921 HellQuest (Summer 2008 DsDoZ and the End of the World) ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS A very promising introduction, and a little bit of shameless cameoing lead up to...nothing. An extremly incomplete game, full of shards of what might have been. Theme: 9 / 20. The connection was just barely there. It involved a DoZ and the End of the World, according to the introduction, which comprised the entire storyline. Not good, but even some (or at least one) of the complete games didn't do more than this. Gameplay: 6 / 120. There is no real gameplay. Even in the editor, all one finds is an 8 directional movement engine and a shooting engine that doesn't appear to work. One can conceivably run through the included fire level, but the number of enemies present dictates you will die long before you reach the end. The game also divdes one's health into health and shields, the latter of which automatically regenerates. Looking at the code, I expect this would've been a respectable overhead shooter if completed. As it is not, I can only give a score like this. Graphics: 20 / 90. What there is, looks good enough. The Hellquest logo is clean, there's a pixel perfect "holding down enter" bar (Why?), and the Lancer-X scenes have reasonable backgorund art. But the fire level just looks bland -default lava, and a few standard gradients. Yawn. The upper right status menu is colorful and clean, though. This is another score that suffers because the game is so unfinished. Technique: 18 / 80. What's present looked promising, but it's still fundamentally incomplete code. There really is a lot of thoughtful robotic going on (including a custom keymapping feature that uses file writing. Not bad.) The shooting seems to have been another "instant shooter," or at least I'm guessing so by the lack of wait 1s within the shooting engine's bullet loop. Again, things just don't work, and while I praise the ambition, I can't justify a higher score. Story: 10 / 50. You're Lancer-X's minion, and he wants to ruin the world for getting last place in the Summer 2008 DoZ. Apparently you meet Vince for some reason, and you are also betrayed by Lancer-X at some point. Points for the story shards, I guess. It might've been alright for a DoZ action game, had there been more. Sounds: 10 / 40. The music and sounds, what there are, are fitting. Total Score: 68 = 9 + 6 + 15 + 18 + 10 + 10 Don't worry, it happens to a lot of guys. ---------- ENTRY #59446 Operation: Break into the Building Bureaucracy ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: Short, sweet, clever and complete. An enjoyable game, if not a DoZ killer. Theme: 90 / 100 The story was about a man braving the world of bureaucracy for his client's wishes, the background graphics are an office building, the game uses elevator music, and the gameplay is slightly tedious (but still fun) puzzle solving, one of which is very obviously bureaucratic (The second puzzle unfortunately does not have the same theme connection.) While the game is not perfect, it's use of theme very nearly is. Kudos. Gameplay: 52 / 90. The gameplay consisted of running around and talking to people, and two puzzles. Those two puzzles however were both enjoybale. The bureaucracy one had us solving cryptic file notes in order to navigate a cabinet in the right order, and the second one involved rotating wires and nodes to complete a network (Maybe I'm biased, that's one of my very favorite puzzles.) This game scores as highly as it does in spite of its length because every minute I spent playing the game was actually fun. Graphics: 16 / 70. The graphics are extremely simple here, and the colors are almost completely the default palette. The people in the game are two characters tall but are unanimated as well. Technique: 33 / 60. Nothing too ambitious was tried, but a non-standard player engine is always worth something where technique is concerned, and the network puzzle certainly required some thoughtful programming. Furthermore, the game was bug free, though that's not surprising considering its length. Story: 29 / 50. The game is too short to earn more story points, but what was there was effective, occassionally funny, and worked with the theme. The bureaucracy joke at the end was a little predictable, though, and the Dragon Warrior reference, I have to say, came out more random than funny. The "I still don't love you" line redeemed the scene in my mind, however. Sounds: 28 / 30. Nothing says bureaucracy like elevator music, and nothing says elevator music "The girl from Ipanema." The sounds of the man who crashes his wheelie chair are entertaining, and the footstep noises serve to accentuate the aggravating slowness of bureaucracy. No complaints at all here. Total Score: 248 = 90 + 52 + 16 + 33 + 29 + 28 Your thorough use of theme may win you the DoZ yet, by virtue of the general scoresheet. ---------- ENTRY #61892 The Bureau Bureaucracy ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: Another very incomplete entry, but at least playable on some level. Theme: 28 / 100. There is an organization which registers heroes. The game's apologetic last board indicates that the game's antagonists would've been bureaucrats who use mind control paper (a suitably bureaucratic weapon I'd say.) This gives the game a weak story tie to the theme. The character generation process also feels a little bureaucratic. (62 skill points? It's ESC time.) Gameplay: 22 / 90. What we have is a very simple 1 on 1 RPG engine that throws you against a nigh unbeatable boss almost instantly. And, tragically, that is ALL there is. The character generation, mentioned above, gives the game a sense of depth whose realization is prevented by the simple lack of content. It seems like there a couple of skills and effect included in the engine, which I'm afraid is the only reason this didn't score even lower. Also, the game in general is really fast. I mean, I like swift battles, really, but sometimes you're left to guess what happened. Case in point, my mage wad dead at the start of his first and only battle. Graphics: 31 / 70. The people were big, true, but they were all the same. The trees looked fine (I liked the trunks particularly) but the buildings (were they buildings?) were a little flat and full of white space. The game also is also very short, so lack of content again hurts here. So does the [ "" character generator. Technique: 43 / 60. There's a working battle engine with a fair number of skills and abilities, and it looks like there's at least partial support for multiple enemies. It's difficult for me to know for sure if those multiple enemies would've worked, but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. As I've said before, a custom player engine is also always worth something here. I'm not sure if the multiple player support is there yet (It really doesn't look like it) however, and that's something we've come to expect even from DoZ RPG engines these days. Story: 13 / 50. This isn't an especially story driven game. It seems to harken to the PC RPGs of old, where one builds a party, trying to choose classes wisely, and emphasizes appropriate use of skills and abilities in a rather brutal combat system - the story is merely direction from point A to point B. For what story we do have, we are given a small amount of info about an organization called The Bureau, and a world full of people, many of whom like to say "whale guts." The last board also gives a brief indication of where the story _would_ have gone, had the game been finished, and that's worth a point or two. If more of the game's dialogue were written and included, that would have yielded potentially more points; but it wasn't (not that I'm blaming the creators. We all know stuff happens.) However, the story such as it is is not cliche so much as undeveloped. There's almost no characterization, precious little dialogue, and text is informative but dry. Sounds: 17 / 30. There were three BG tracks, and they felt suitable enough. These aside, the game had no other sounds. Total Score: 154 = 28 + 22 + 31 + 43 + 13 + 17 Having more ranks of Ride Animal than Hit Points is not a good thing. ---------- ENTRY #76722 Untitled Summer 2008 DsDoZ and the End of the World ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: I'd heard this game would likely win the DoZ, and having played it I still believe so. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I bet it's quite something considering the amount of time spent, but it doesn't speak well of this DoZ in general that this is the main contender. Theme: 10 / 20. You're going to save the world so you can DoZ. A simple and direct interpretation and usage of the theme. Gameplay: 87 / 120. The game's high point, clearly. While this is weaker than Logicow's other pixel perfect games, I've heard it was made in far less time, as well. The game is a very smooth sidescroller, and gameplay consists of avoiding brackets coming from clubs (Ruffians?!) in order to...go right somewhere. Then you fight a fun little boss battle agains the alien invaders. The game is short, however, and there's extremely little variety in the enemies, they way they act or what you do in levels, and this detracts from what otherwise may have been a perfect score. Graphics: 44 / 90. Thick black borders and ZZT-esque chars give this game a cartoony vibe, but again there just isn't much here. The bouncing text is stylish, however, and color (albeit default palette) is used effectively. The explosion of the player / enemy boss was also pleasing. The board transitions near the end were a nice touch too. Still, overall, the game was not exactly a visual masterpiece; even when one ignores the blockiness that is pretty much necessary with pixel perfect engines, one is still left with the sense that more could've been done. I'm sure this was a time issue. Technique: 69 / 80. Everything works, but it's all single chars, which is a bit basic as far as pixel perfect engines go. Still, well done enough. Minus one point because it's possible sometimes to fly off the top border of the boss battle and have to start over from your last save. Story: 12 / 50. You're saving the world in order to keep DoZing. Hooray! There's a bit of introductory text, dialogue, and ending...it's complete, it's just very low in quantity. Like the points I'm giving here. Sounds: 0 / 40. I don't think I'm allowed to give negative scores, so I'm giving zero. Sometimes weird sounds are funny. These weren't. The music in this game made me want to claw my own ears off. There are sound effects for shooting, but they're completely drowned out by the caterwauling that the game calls background music. The only good thing I can say is that it fits the game's goofy mood, but even that isn't enough to overcome the other factors to get a single point for me. Total Score: 222 = 10 + 87 + 44 + 69 + 12 + 0 With a reasonable soundtrack, this would've taken the lead for me. ---------- ENTRY #84459 MONROE MONROE: ATTORNEY AT LAW Bureaucracy ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: Don't let the title throw you, this is a fun multi-weapon overhead shooter (that's not quite finished.) Each of the three weapons seems well though out, and while the flamethrower is a little short in range it's still pretty effective. Throughout most of the game (which I had to play in the editor) I got the most use from the flagpole. Anyway, a rather solid entry despite the classic p-takes-you-to-the-title bug. Theme: 16 / 100. Sorry guys. You're an attorney or senator or something, but storyline wise I see very little else resembling the bureaucratic. You have to navigate enemy filled mazes, however, obstructed by doors that require keys. The fact that you need to have the required permission items (keys, codes or candles or what have you) is a somewhat officious gameplay element, however. Gameplay: 68 / 90. The highest relative gameplay score I'm giving because it was the most enjoyable game in the DoZ for me to play. I switched weapons, I dodged enemies to get in good position, I searched for keys, and I even fought three simple but unique bosses. I admit I was annoyed by the tightrope walking scene. Instant death for any failure is pretty cruel. Graphics: 55 / 70. Also my favorite graphics in this DoZ. Simple but effective. Level 2 is nice looking, and level 3 has a certain charm that can only come from a well done homage. The explosions when things die or get hit are nice, the player animations are effective, and if I had to say anything against the game graphically, it'd be that I think a flame character would be better for the flamethrower than gradient chars. Technique: 41/60. Would've been more like 45 if the game didn't have the title bug it did. Though the game uses * "" text, it messes with the message row and makes one letter appear at a time to make it more appealing. The custom player engine and the weapons and enemies are also solid This game doesn't do anything revolutionary, but everything it does it does well. Story: 4 / 50. You don't even know if you're a senator or an attorney, and the game gives very little indication of what you're up against or why. There' not even an end board - after beating the last boss, things just stop. Sounds: 22 / 30. The walking/running sounds are nice, as are all the weapon noises. I liked the background music too, what there was. The last battle music could've been chosen better though, and thte title screen and third level are silent. Total: 206 = 16 + 68 + 55 + 41 + 4 + 22 Friends don't let friends ignore the theme score. ---------- ENTRY #90556 ??? ??? ---------- No MZX file was in the directory. While I may have downloaded and given it a play, it's still not playable in MZX2.82 as is and therefore disqualified by the rules of the competition. ---------- ENTRY #91210 ODELL MERMAID AND THE END OF THE WORLD DURING THE SUMMER 2008 DUALSTREAM DOZ ??? ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: DQ for sure. I'm sure the author expected that. Apparently it's supposed to be like an older game I'd never heard of on some level, but there's just nothing here. I'm not even sure which score sheet to use, so I'll use both. Theme: 0 / 20 or 0 / 100 - I can't even tell what theme it's supposed to be using, how can I give it any point shere? Gameplay: 1 / 120 or 1 / 90 - You move around and can poke a spear at the enemies you imagine exist if you like. Graphics: 6 / 90 or 5 / 70 - The animations ARE pretty smooth, and the player character at least is an effective use of SMZX mode. Technique: 4 / 80 or 3 / 60 - I said a custom player engine is always worth something here, and I stand by that. Story: 0 / 50. Nope. Sounds: 8 of 40 or 6 / 30. There was one likable SID tune. Well, *I* liked it. Total: Either 19, if it's Bureaucracy, or 15 if it's the Specific Theme. Let's average them and call it 17, if a score is even necessary for what is clearly going to be DQed. ---------- ENTRY #99348 NUCLEAR DOOM ...and the DsDoZ? Summer 2008 DsDoZ and the End of the World ---------- OVERALL FEELINGS: The worst of the non-instant DQs. The game is supposed to be funny, I think, but the dialogue is atrocious and grammar mistakes abound. The gameplay is non-existent and the graphics (and the game itself) had no effort. Theme: 8 / 20. There was the end of the world, the threat of the world really actually ending (I guess it didn't before), and the player was forced to DoZ. It's barely related to the theme, I guess. Gameplay: 18 / 120. You run around and there are two very simple fights. The first is simply a matter of lining up and outproducing bullets. The second requires you to get close and is a bit annoying because of the exploding lazer. Graphics: 10 / 90. Default chars, default palette. No real aesthetic sense went in to this game - a custom TV and computer char pretty much represent this game's entire graphics score. Technique: 5 / 80. Change from lazer to explosion. That is all. No, really. Story: 11 / 50. Actually, this game had more lines than some of the entries, but they were all delivered badly (and not in the bad-on-purpose way that sometimes works.) The plot, what little there was, was as arbitrary as it was bad. But it actually saw itself to completion, so I guess it owe it points for that. Sounds: 22 / 40. Nothing but default PC speaker effects for SFX, but the background music was OK. I cringed a bit when I heard the FF1 battle music play, but I liked the Gauntlet MOD, so overall I can say I'm satisfied in this category. Total: 69 = 8 + 18 + 5 + 5 + 11 + 22 I think you'll avoid last place by the skin of your teeth. TOTALS THE DISQUALIFIED ENTRIES Odell Mermaid (abbr.) [017/400] BUREAUCRACY THEME Operation: Break Into The Building [248/400] Monroe Monroe: Attorney at Law [206/400] The Bureau [154/400] SUMMER 2008 DSDOZ AND THE END OF THE WORLD Untitled (Logicow's same ol' crap) [222/400] Somewhat Dull Adventures of Gun Guy [195/400] DoZing Off [131/400] Nuclear Doom [069/400] Hellquest [068/400] TOTAL SCORES Operation: Break Into The Building [248/400] Untitled (Logicow's same ol' crap) [222/400] Monroe Monroe: Attorney at Law [206/400] Somewhat Dull Adventures of Gun Guy [195/400] The Bureau [154/400] DoZing Off [131/400] Nuclear Doom [069/400] Hellquest [068/400] Odell Mermaid (abbr.) [017/400]