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What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 14:40
by insane guy
Hello there!

I have recently begun working on the elma documentary again. One main thing I am still struggeling with, is what stories I want to tell in the film. Elma as a game has so many amazing things to tell and when you start to look at the community as a whole it becomes so much more.

Right know I am looking for inspiration and I would be very happy if anyone wants to write a bit about what makes "elma" (talking about the whole thing, game, scene, everything) special for them.

Maybe this question will help: How do you explain why elma is special for you to someone who doesn't know the game?

Thanks for your input.

- insguy

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 15:38
by Bludek
I didn't play elma for a year and a half now, but I rememeber one thing, that I really liked about it. When I was playing elma (especially when I was battling), it felt like my brain is focused entirely on playing and nothing else. It was focused solely on thinking about the best route and it made "my brain to feel nice". I was relaxing greatly with elma and I loved that feeling. It was like that for maybe 1 or 2 hours and then I got all tired and less focused (but I played anyways and it didn't feel that good anymore, but it felt still good enough to continue playing).

I've also liked the feeling of achieving something. Even if it was just winning a balle in the middle of the night with 5 or 10 people in it. I guess every game makes u feel that way sometimes, but it was fast enough and challenging just enough (for me) to win a balle in EOL that I wanted to experience it again and again. The simplicity yet high complexity of the game is amazing and hard to be matched by other games. Easy-to-use internal editor is also a recipe for long-lasting success.

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 16:25
by ArZeNiK
i'm pretty sure that elma is the only thing i started playing when i was 5 years old and now im 15 years old and i'm still playing it
what makes it special?
i think it's the simplicity along with the endlessness with a sprinkle of competitivity, combined into a nice meatloaf of addiction
you can't stop playing simple because there is always more to do
the game's timer adds a lot into the atmosphere. most of the games either have some lame igt or you have to get a timer yourself. but no, this game just screams competition, like "i'm pretty sure you'd be happy if you saw this time get lower, mr. brain. i'm pretty sure you'd be happy if you saw this time get ahead of the idol/rival you're comparing to, mr. player."
this is elma and you just can't get over it

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 18:24
by jblaze
excludnig the game itself, the complexity and all shit, the most amazing things about the game are:

1 community - kind and welcome. passionate and caring. understanding and forgiving. wide and cool. mature but up for fun. we all know each other or at least recognize our nicks. theres a lot of interesting peronalities out there. you can chat with these people anytime about anything you wish. you may get help, have fun or just spend some nice time in a, more or less, gentle manner. so many real-life or non-real-life, bigger or smaller, friendships have been born thanks to the game. we are some of the best guys out there.

2 it doesnt (or does very rarely) sneak into my life when im away from the screen. let me explain this on some examples of other activities that i used to be into:
- tony hawks game series (skateboard game) - played it some 10 years ago. i didnt play it much tbh. but up to this day i got these recurring visions of possible tricks and combos to be done in my actual surroundings. i sit at the random bench in a city, and my mind goes: nosegrind on the rail, heelflip to the roof, sticky on a wall etc etc. lol.
- curve fever 2 - at the times i played it i had constant visions of random colourful snakes ridin' and curvin' before my eyes. usually before sleep or during sleep.
- scrabble - i play it these days. often do i get random combination of 7 letters pop into my head and i tryhard to find anagrams to it.

with elma theres nothing like it. i dont convert things i see into a level. i dont imagine im on a mopo trying to sort out best style through some random pattern. when im out of elma, im free. i may get some dream or random memory poping up once in a while but its in no way overwhelming.

<3

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 19:51
by zebra
For me there are many things:
1. No loading times. No need to wait for the game to start up. I can use the free time I have 100% for playing, not for waiting for some boring stuff.
2. Amazing physics! So fluent graphics! And the elasticity! Very fun to play.
3. Internal editor. I fell in love with its possibilities right away when I saw it.
4. Small community where even I could grow up and be "something".
5. The exceptional talents of the world class players. In cups, after hours and hours of höyling it's always so amazing to see the best recs. I don't remember being so amazed by any other game ever.
6. Totally controllable. Only physics are the limits. If there is a shortcut, I can use it. No stupid rules.
7. The depth of the game. You have always something new to learn, thanks to the subtle physics.

All in all, like Zweq said, it's the perfect game. There will never be a better game (for us).

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 20:50
by kuchitsu
jblaze wrote: 13 Jun 2019, 18:24 i dont imagine im on a mopo trying to sort out best style through some random pattern
you lucky, lucky bastard

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 22:06
by Zero
kuchitsu wrote: 13 Jun 2019, 20:50
jblaze wrote: 13 Jun 2019, 18:24 i dont imagine im on a mopo trying to sort out best style through some random pattern
you lucky, lucky bastard
I am always hoyling shit in my mind 😂

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 13 Jun 2019, 22:26
by Zero
As a highly emotional person I tend to get real excited when playing games and I've always taken these things way too seriously for my own good. Lul.

Elastomania gives me these really strong kicks only a few other games ever did but compared to those I am not raging at my monitor or acting like a child half the time. When playing FPS games I just can't help it. In Elma I just put on a hard grin on my face and try a little bit harder and harder and that's as bad as it usually gets. Phew.

Reaching your goals in this game just feels so incredibly good. Failing to do so doesn't feel as bad as in other games. Maybe because no matter how tough things get it's still a 2D motorcycle game at the end of the day. :D

Quite chill.

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 18 Jun 2019, 12:08
by analcactus
Looking back to those years i was active player, i highlight two things:
+ the gameplay is pretty meditative, i remember catching my thought on an important things while playing elma. somehow the biker represented some other thing than biker for me.
+ the community of brilliant people, that was the first experience of mine of communicating in english (which grew up in belma/eol chat!) with another culture people. it is satisfying

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 18 Jun 2019, 13:01
by Grace
As bizarre as it seems, the physics engine is totally magic and rewarding to master.

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 19 Jun 2019, 12:05
by insane guy
thanks everyone for their input so far! really nice to read yout thoughts on it.

Re: What makes elma special?

Posted: 29 Jun 2019, 23:41
by Hosp
physics and grass