OT: combat demo for my Flash game up and running!

As I mentioned many weeks ago, I've been working solo on a party-based, turn-based (natch) Flash RPG for quite a while. Yesterday I posted the combat demo online for bug testing. So for those of you thirsting for an old (and I do mean o-o-old) school RPG, here it is:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hamms/he/index.html

 

Tried it, posted a suggestion

 

Sure. <insert extra characters here>

 

Moved (if you couldn't tell already )

 

Regarding this little project of mine, I need feedback along the lines of: it runs fine, it runs poorly, it chokes so bad I can't play it.

Anyone who has 60 seconds to load up this file and just walk around a bit, I would appreciate it:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hamms/he/flash/he_combatdemo.swf

Everything has always tested fine at my end, and I'm running out of ideas to get it working for everyone else.

 

maybe I was just missing something but I found it hard to figure out how to play.

 

I made the interface as friendly as I could, but without tool-tips (and there actually are tooltips for the Inventory) I don't know how it could be improved. The rules are all detailed on the website.

I understand if you don't have time or motivation to figure it out, but it would still be a help if you would start the game and just roam around with your keyboard arrows, like go to the first door on the top side of the hall, open it, walk in and start combat with the Mantus.

In the 30 seconds it takes to do that, you should be able to see if it chokes, crashes or is so slow it's unplayable.

I need feedback on this slowdown problem or I can't really work on it at all.

 

didn't really have time to figure out the rules, went into some door with lots of guys in it. seemed fun enough without knowing the rules. nothing to complain about it at this stage.

 

I remember I had trouble with placing the characters
on the ground before the battle... I just couldn't select
one...

 

Right, you click on the pc profile (the coloured rectangle on the right side of the screen) with the character's name and stats on it to select him.

The selected PC has a white star on his profile.

Then click on a green square where you want to place him.

When they're all placed, combat begins.

 

I have to admit I Didn't read the docs either...

I did do the combat with the mantis-es

I placed the troops as it were - by trial and error

during turns I couldn't tell which of my people's turns it was - a highlight would be nice-
i had to look at the weapons to see which was which

the slowdown you mention i dont recall noticing - maybe becuase i was going slow?

i'll try it again and get back to you.

I know NOTHING about the program you're using but I see alot of stuff running in flash that is similar - prettier (no offense) but without your guarantess that it won't be trite; which i for one appreciated.

May i suggest by way of comparison you give a look at FastCrawl... (free demo)
uhm Tactics Arena Online...(free)

and for the life of me i forgot the other.

Ps: Phantasie I & II were the first games me and a friend STAYED UP to play all weekend.
Happy times (ok there was also Temple of Doom for the ti-994a)

and i still say WIZARD's CROWN was the best of the party/squad fantasy games; maybe ever.