I would love to see this game fully finished. It's very satisfying . It could benefit from a few added visuals, maybe some NPC billboards and upgrades. Really enjoyed it!
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The Merchant Game's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Theme | #57 | 4.357 | 4.357 |
| Mechanics | #91 | 3.714 | 3.714 |
| Music | #93 | 3.607 | 3.607 |
| Sound | #156 | 3.286 | 3.286 |
| Fun | #278 | 3.071 | 3.071 |
| Overall | #283 | 3.179 | 3.179 |
| Aesthetics | #398 | 2.964 | 2.964 |
| Story | #419 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
Ranked from 28 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How many people worked on this game in total?
1
Did you use any existing assets? If so, list them below.
Ovani Fantasy Music Pack Vol. 5, Ovani Medieval SFX 2, Ovani Decks and Cards Sound FX Pack, PONETI 6000 Fantasy Icons, PONETI Classic RPG GUI
Comments
This doesn't feel like a full game but it looks like a cool mechanic for a certain type of rpg game. The mechanic is really cool
Submitted
404: Exit Not FoundThis didn't really seem like a game as so much it was a foundation to build a game on. The nodes weren't too complicated to work with after reading the little instruction in there. With some clicking around and linking things you figure out how everything starts to work but only after you have connected everything which becomes easy to do if you drag and drop the noodle ends into the correct colors. It is an interesting experiment which I was clicking the buttons on the nodes that become available in the mine node, but then realized everything would automate itself after it was entirely hooked up so you don't need to click). Since I have personally messed with Nodes minimally in Shader Graph and more comfortably as Material/Shader hookups in Blender. This implementation of how Nodes were used was not too overwhelming. Seeing Nodes used as a Game Mechanic is interesting and this project helped me further understand how that can be done.
I realized there was no goal for this other than practice and really embrace the theme CONNECTION, showing how you have this concept of generating gold and hooking up nodes to create that cause and effect~ which this can be utilized as part of and integrated into other game systems later.
I will keep my eye out out for these Node systems and watch how people are using them for gameplay mechanics. This is the second game I have played using Godot's Node system in this jam. Nodes is like a whole new way of handling mechanics that I have yet to really see for myself (or at least in this visual form that is taken on the surface).
Nice concept!
Submitted
Quebe ConnektVery astute observation! Indeed, I was already interested in building a node system but felt I was wasting time. When I saw the game jams theme of "Connections", I figured it was my chance to learn how to build this system, and get feedback to see if players would be interested in a node-based game.
I didn't have much time to add content as I was focused mainly on getting the "feel" of the nodes right, and the system was quite buggy at the end. I am currently rebuilding the system to be able to efficiently add content in the future.
While the audience for the game jam is primarily developers, I understand that the results are biased, but feedback has been generally positive, with the only criticism being the lack of content which is completely understandable.
I am focused on making the system as intuitive as possible to be accessible to people with no background in programming or node-based software, while being open enough to allow more experienced players the freedom to choose how the want to play the game.
Thank you very much for the feedback!
This is solid! I had fun figuring out how to connect things and start generating resources. I know it's just a game jam but I was so dissapointed there wasn't more I could do with my amassed funds and resources, nor did upgrading the peasants seem to do anything yet. If this is the start of something you are going to continue working on, I can't wait to play the full game!
Submitted
Love and BoxingI'm glad you liked the game! Unfortunately I ran out of time and couldn't add much content. The peasant upgrades increase the amount of resources they generate per second, but the system is buggy. My original vision for the game was much bigger, but I underestimated how long the nodes would take to get working right. I'm currently rebuilding the system from scratch with what I learned to have a more stable foundation to add content. Thank you very much for the feedback!
WOW ! The nodes are so well designed, the way they move, the connections, and creation and upgrading is all great! Are the nodes and connections systems pre built in Godot or did you make everything? The music and sound is good too. As a mechanical demo this is perfect and could easily be turned into a full game if that is your goal, otherwise it is a great proof of concept that I would want to play more of!
Submitted
CollaboWindows DefenseI'm really happy you liked it! Godot has a built-in graph system (GraphEdit and GraphNode nodes) but it there is some assembly required.
I used Unreal Engines Blueprints as the main source of inspiration, with Blenders Shader Editor as a second inspiration. The music and sounds are from Ovani, who make great audio assets. I tried to add sound effects where possible, such as connecting nodes, as I believe game feel / juice is very important, even in more mechanically-focused games.
I've had over-scoped ideas for projects utilizing a node-based system, but couldn't justify the time-cost. When I saw the game jams theme, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to learn how to make the system, and get feedback on whether or not people would want to play a game like this.
I like programming, but not everyone does, so I tried to gamify it, and I want to keep it accessible while allowing player freedom for more advanced players. Once the game jam ends and I clean up the code, I plan to add more content to the game, as I ran out of time during the jam. Thank you very much for the feedback!
Ah, too bad it's so short! I was expecting to use Stone & Gold to build an Adventurer's Guild, which would then need weapons and armor and riches to gear up Heroes and they would be sent to Dungeons and... well you get the drift, I'm sure. Pretty easy to imagine this spinning out into a whole incremental fantasy. This isn't the only node based incremental game I played in this jam, there was another one, Forge Master or something like that? Do you see a UX or other advantage to going with nodes and not like a city builder or inventory or other more traditional setup? It's interesting to see cropping up and makes me wonder about its possibilities.
Submitted
Chain ReactorThanks for trying the game! Your vision of creating an adventurer's guild and sending them to dungeons is quite similar to my original plan, but unfortunately, I ran out of time with not much content due to the node system taking a while to figure out.
I definitely want to add more content after the game jam ends and I clean up the code. I have seen a few other games with a similar node system as well.
My reasoning was that I wanted to learn how to build this kind of system for other projects in the future, but felt I was wasting my time on something I didn't need. Then the game jam theme was revealed and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to learn how to make the system, and get feedback to see if people would like a game using this system.
I like programming, but not everyone does, so I gamified it. A city builder could work, and I may consider it in the future. Thank you very much for the feedback!
Nice base concept. You could really develop this into an interesting, deeper game. Good job!
Submitted
Battle of the GodsI really liked your game. I would love to see some levels coming up in the next set.
Submitted
Slime SiphonGlad you liked it. I'm burned through a lot of game jam time learning how to build the graph system in Godot, as well as deciding how I wanted to balance the flow of execution.
I'm currently rebuilding the system with what I learned to have a more stable foundation to add more content in an efficient manner. Thank you very much for the feedback!
Like others have said there's a good foundation here. I love the connecting of the lines to setup the automation. Kind of inspires me to make an automation game! I think if you could flesh it out a bit more this could have some real potential. Great work!
Submitted
Pinata PartyGlad you liked it! I had limited experience with automation games, and I essentially rebuilt Unreal Engines blueprints (or Blenders shader editor) which in retrospect was a massively over-scoped idea for me, hence why there isn't much content in the game. I did learn a lot and am currently rebuilding the system with much cleaner code to hopefully add more content more efficiently in the future. Thank you very much for the feedback!
Nice automation game. Is there any goal besides "get as much gold as possible"? Is there a cost to buildings, peasants or upgrades? I think its a solid foundation, a few goals or quests would make it more engaging :)
Submitted
Patch me if you canGlad you liked it. There is currently no goal as I was short on time and couldn't add much content. Only the peasant can be upgraded currently, but I couldn't implement node cost in time. I do like the idea of adding quests, and will take that into consideration in the future. Thank you very much for the feedback!
cool concept, my game is actually in a similar direction. As as I understand there isn't really any goal right now and only starting nodes, but it's a good start, I see potential there
Submitted
Linked forgeThe concept is nice. I think it has potential, Had to figure out where to connect what first, but got it on the second try. The UI is polished but I think the gameplay needs more improvement, I earned a lot of gold but I could not figure out how to connect the blacksmith to the shop. Adding the colored dots that resemble connecting shaders in blender editor is intuitive.
Submitted
Plug Out!Thanks for trying out the game! I definitely need to work on making the connections more intuitive. 2 iron (yellow) from the mine goes into the blacksmith to become weapons (purple) which is then sold in the shop. Peasants can automate the process, and be upgraded to speed things up. It's admittedly not explained due to running out of time. The gold currently has no use, but I want to add a dedicated skill tree after the game jam ends and I clean up the code. Thank you very much for the feedback!
It's the start of something interesting. I set up two mines -> blacksmiths -> shops and I think I did everything there was to do right now. What's there is good, it only needs a purpose for all the gold being generated.
Submitted
Animal ConnectionsI really like the concept of this game. The gameplay is very intuitive. Have to read the comments to figure out you alt left click to disconnect. It seems only peasant can be upgrade at the moment? Hooking up a peasant to the shop makes the text disappear but does it do anything?
Rough on the edges but you definitely have something interesting here. Well done!
Submitted
Left SocksHappy you liked the game! I burned through a lot of my time getting the graph system to work so I couldn't add much content (I'm working on improving the foundation) The peasant automatically does the job they're connected to, such as collecting resources or running the shop. Upgrading them increases their production-per-second. I want to add more content to the game after the game jam ends, and I clean up the code. Thanks for the feedback!
The UI is pretty cool! It reminds me of Unreal Engine's Blueprints. I ended up making a ton of gold, but is there a place to spend it or a win condition?
Submitted
Cross-LinkGlad you liked it! The game is heavily based off of blueprints, as that's how I started programming and I find it fun. Not everyone likes programming, so I wanted to gamify it. Unfortunately I didn't have time to add any use for the gold or a win condition, but I'd like to update the game after the game jam ends to see where it goes. Thank you very much for the feedback!
I love these tiny factorio-style games. It's a shame you couldn't fit more content in before the deadline. Once I figured out how to build a fully-functional mine, there was no reason to build anything else. Oh well. Someday, you'll make a great game out of this. It just needs that "unfolding" aspect that makes incremental games so compelling. And more builds, resources, upgrades, etc. A promising start!
Submitted
Station SynchronizationGlad you liked it! My original scope was much bigger, but I burned over half of my time fiddling with the graph and deciding what should be a node and what shouldn't. Originally tools like pickaxes were separate nodes, but I felt it was too bloated at the time. I do want to improve the game after the game jam ends with more content, upgrades, and uses for the different currencies. Thank you very much for the feedback!
Glad you liked it! I definitely took inspiration from various node-based software, as I find it fun. Not everyone likes programming, so I tried to gamify it and it eventually took the form of an automation/incremental game. Definitely wanted to add more content but I ran out of time. I also need to work on on-boarding, as not everyone may be as comfortable with nodes. I for got to add ALT + Left Click to disconnect pins and someone mentioned it in their feedback so I'm definitely taking notes. Thanks for the feedback!
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