
Web-based typing game from the maker of Minecraft, using Unity3D - JoeCortopassi
http://drop.notch.net/
======
frakkingcylons
Fantastic, using Unity which isn't available for Linux. Hardly deserving of
"web-based".

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derefr
Unity has an Google Native Client target which runs on Linux Chrome. They also
recently got Unity compiling to asm.js, so as soon as that's more widely
supported, Unity _will_ be "web-based" in the more ideal sense.

~~~
NotOscarWilde
I do believe that doesn't change anything; having it available on a
proprietary 32-bit application that happens to run on Linux does not make it
web-based. As a person who still uses Firefox (on Linux), denoting "works in
Chrome only" as "web-based" reminds me too much of the good old IE days.

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Luc
Listen up you extremely cantankerous lot, it's the submission's title that is
'wrong' in calling it web-based, not the fact that it uses a Unity plugin. I
am amused by the wisecracks calling Notch's work a failure because of a small
inaccuracy in the submission title.

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DanielRibeiro
He also uploaded just the fractal-like animation: <http://trom.s3-website-us-
east-1.amazonaws.com>

It seems like there is a Ludum Dare event going on:
<https://twitter.com/notch/status/328290085487398913>

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csallen
196! The key is to recognize that there are a limited number of words you
type. The first one is always "drop", and then it seems to randomly choose
from "harmony", "eternal", "gnostic", "clean", "universe", "fractal", etc.
Once you play enough times, you'll start to recognize the words before they
fully appear.

Also, try to press enter every 4 words for the biggest bonus possible. If
you've gotten a lot of short words recently, you can probably enter 5 words
before encountering the overflow error.

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hcarvalhoalves
It's actually harder to read than to type correctly. I only got to 48 before
it turned unreadable. Cool idea though.

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just2n
"Web-based"

"install now!"

No. Stop it.

~~~
wfn
"Web-based [...] _using Unity3D_ "

If you didn't have a Flash player and the game was made in Flash (surely that
would meet one's expectations for a "web-based game", or at least until very
recently) and you didn't have a Flash plugin, would you complain as well?

~~~
6ren
One problem with Unity is lack of a linux plugin (whereas Flash has one). Is
it "web-based" if it doesn't work everywhere the web does?

But whatever your answer to that theoretical question, in practice, I cannot
play Unity games because I'm only using linux machines. IMHO not being able
use a platform is reasonable cause for complaint.

~~~
hatu
Unity has Linux exporting but that's for stand-alone games only, the web
plugin isn't available.

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oakaz
I only see a blank page

~~~
switch33
Download the Unity Web Player browser extension.
<http://unity3d.com/webplayer/>

~~~
simplexion
As long as you aren't using Linux... Fail.

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rdl
This is cute, but not a very good game. I have no problem typing quickly
enough to keep up, but I can't easily read the characters on a gray
background, moving around, to get past 50 or so. I get that they're words, so
as soon as I can figure out the word (2-3 characters in, since it's usually
the same word), it's easier, but still, meh.

And a game where a single error is "start over from the beginning" is a non-
fun game, generally.

~~~
sambeau

      "And a game where a single error is "start over from the
       beginning" is a non-fun game, generally."
    

Before the 1990s nearly all computer games worked like that. Most only ever
gave you 3 lives many started you from the beginning again each time you lost
a life.

These are widely recognised as some of the most fun computer games in history.

~~~
rdl
There is a difference between _dying_ in a game, and making a single mistake.
Failing to jump at the optimal moment or kill a single enemy with your first
shot is 'making a single mistake'. Virtually every game which is any fun gives
you some opportunity to correct that without dying, let alone without
returning to the beginning.

I assure you I've played plenty of pre-1990 video games.

~~~
derefr
Ever played a shmup (e.g. Gradius, Touhou)?

~~~
rdl
Neither of those, but plenty of others (galaxian, contra, etc)

Missing a single shot on a target isn't fatal; getting hit could be, but even
then there were usually intermediate points/levels or some other way of making
replaying it interesting (non deterministic enemy movement or whatever in some
games)

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Aardwolf
All I see is a white page...

~~~
gingerlime
same here. Tried using both chrome + firefox on xubuntu 12.04...

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mtgx
It requires a Unity plugin.

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Keyframe
Broken. Input doesn't work on OSX 10.7.5/Chrome. It did for a few keystrokes
and then died, doesn't work after refresh or anything.

Concept reminds me of a game I played on Amstrad-Schneider cpc 464. It was a
space invaders game with your spaceship being in several positions at once.
Each position corresponded to a key on keyboard. When you pressed it, you
fired a shot and corresponding key for that spaceship slot was changed.
Essentially, that's how I learned to type fast.

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Kiro
Am I the only one being very underwhelmed by this simply by the fact that it's
from Notch? The bar is set so high and this feels like something made by
someone doing a Unity tutorial. I know it's a skewed way of thinking but I
can't help it.

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nilkn
I'm confused about how to play. I keep scoring around 45-50 when I just get
Overflow even though everything seems to be fine. It definitely seem I'm
typing the letters far too quickly, but if I type them slowly I get Underflow
or something.

~~~
kevingadd
There's a buffer of characters at the bottom left and if it gets too full you
get overflow. Hit 'enter' to flush it. (Yes, this is confusing)

~~~
nilkn
Oh, wow, I had no idea you had to hit 'enter' to submit the buffer you'd
typed.

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oellegaard
I'm disappointed that I used 5 min to install Unity3D to see this.

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switch33
God darn it Notch. This is gonna make people have forced tunnel vision!

My record was 37. Though I only played it for a few minutes. It's just too
damn fast and annoying on your eyesight.

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make3
uhh. 183. This game is so addictive. don't forget to hit 'enter' about every
four words to prevent overflows. more words between 'enters' gives
incrementally more points, it seems.

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archagon
Super Hexagon combined with a typing tutor? Awesome!

Love the animation, too.

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tomjen3
Loading Unity player chrashed my (chrome) browser.

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slosh
what is this man doing to my brain!!!!!!

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jbrooksuk
33, then it hurt my head.

