Im the tin dog!

Sometimes I actually do feel like that, then I realize that its totally not true. I'm not the tin dog. I'm The Master. The cool new snakey one, not the dumb old black and white one.

On to this evenings topic! I had a lovely phone call with my friend Andrew who brought me up to speed on his thoughts re: Potions 101.

He made several interesting points, one of which is a roadblock to many users of Skill City: They see the games as clones, and then they have a hard time with the fact that they aren't.

Saying "Its Dr Mario except for the following list of changes, that when viewed from 30 paces distant will reveal the game is not Dr. Mario at all." That just confuses people. I try not to even name a games original inspiration because of that very effect.

We discussed my mechanic changes, and mostly we talked about the fear of leaving a full field behind when you clear yours of the imps that populate it. I had put in the bomb... but maybe, just maybe that isn't going to be enough. Just depending on smart play will take a game out of the "flow" region of entertainment where enjoyment comes naturally. Instead it makes the game a chore, and nobody likes doing chores. There was the exception of my sister that I think did enjoy doing chores, but I suspect it was some roundabout method of being existential and avoiding the more terrifying aspects of simply existing that drew her to enjoy house work.

Andrew proposed that there be something else, another powerup that can occur. After all, why stop with one? His suggestion was something like the Rainbow Crash Gem in our Mega Gem Battle... or at least cripple it so it only clears half... then what if another simply turned all of one color in to bubbles?

We talked about bubbles then for a while. It's an attack, yes its annoying, but it also adds a rich element to the game that allows greater counter attack, if used properly, that you never could have done before. Chains combos reaching double digits? Perhaps.

I still like the bomb. I think we'll add in the rainbow crash too, just because they are pretty and Jacob likes to draw rainbows, and unicorns. Sometimes he draws rainbows and unicorns on the same page even.