New shmup: Jamestown

[Sumez]

No reason to balance scoring between to vastly different modes.

[ptoing]

I think what will be more important than balancing scoring in 4p mode is to balance the difficulty.
There have to be quite a few more enemies, or stronger ones in 4p mode for it not to get too easy.

[DocHauser]

...I don't think it'll work on several levels.

...a very challenging task and I don't think these guys are up to it.

Balancing scoring across 1/2 player and 4 player mode is a daunting task, and to be honest I don't think these guys can pull it off. Call me negative, but it's not that easy.

Repeatedly picking holes in a promising-looking game that no-one's played yet? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty negative.

[Snake]

You think this is negative, wait until it actually comes out!

But the Internet is for bitching. I'm psyched about this one and nobody can rain on my parade.

[alastair jack]

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/04/fin ... ew_dev.php


You have to unlock harder difficulties, yay! Unlock arcade mode too! "Another notable unlockable is the Gauntlet mode. You play through all the levels back to back for a traditional arcade experience."

[The Funto]

Yep, it looks pretty much like Metal Slug to me, and I love it =D

I hope it comes out for XBLA.

[Lance Boyle]

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/04/fin ... ew_dev.php


You have to unlock harder difficulties, yay! Unlock arcade mode too! "Another notable unlockable is the Gauntlet mode. You play through all the levels back to back for a traditional arcade experience."

You should be glad that they're even there. Great way to emphasize the only potentially negative aspect the developers stated. They sound like they know their shit and I'm rooting for a (the first?) modern, Western, non-abstract shoot-em-up!

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Local multiplayer only, I hope this game sells well and the devs get around to implimenting online co-op as I was really looking forward to playing this game with other shmuppers.

The only other thing that concerns me is if the mouse control gives any major advantage over traditional controllers and if so will the devs make modifications to their leaderboards like stating the controller used for every score and including sub leaderboards for each controller.

One of the main things that puts me off playing dual mouse and traditional controlled flash shmups (apart from them been shite) is the thought that most of the best scores will be mouse

[Lance Boyle]

The only other thing that concerns me is if the mouse control gives any major advantage over traditional controllers

Did you even read the interview?

The mouse accommodates the three buttons in the game (shoot, special, and vaunt). The mouse doesn’t have any movement advantage. There is a reticle on screen, though. We've found through our play tests that even hard-core shmup fans love the mouse play.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Yes even though it says its not movement based I still dont know what it is until I get to play it myself. Call me jaded but ild rather voice my concerns now rather then after release and risk the leaderboard been broken (or broken to me anyway).


I hope they are successfull is getting onto digital download labels like Gamers Gate and especially Steam. Since Valve can be abit fickle when it comes to green lighting shooters that dont have that neon Geometry Wars / Kento Cho visual style I wonder if its worth it for us who want the game to let them know that we would like to see it on Steam

[Jeneki]

So if there's a 4-player mode, will there also be a quad-mode to control all four ships simultaneously, ala some games with a doubles mode? (runs off to make a hands and feet controller)

[Dave_K.]

We've found through our play tests that even hard-core shmup fans love the mouse play.

LOL WUT?

[emphatic]

We've found through our play tests that even hard-core shmup fans love the mouse play.

LOL WUT?

Hey, it said "even".

[neon guide]

ugh mouse control?? Personally im not keen at all on mouse control, mainly because it just doesnt feel like playing a shmup and more like guiding a cursor through a maze or something. Kind of like how playing lightgun games with a mouse on an emulator is just awful.
But im happy enough for it to be there, im sure there are a lot of people used to touch screen or mouse controlled shmups - who havent played many games with joypad or keyboard. If it means they keep the difficulty up as a result - ace!

[Snake]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but mouse play won't be the only control method available in this game. I hate mouse control for shmups, so... I just won't use it.

[emphatic]

Release on the 8th of June! http://www.finalformgames.com/jamestown/

[Mischief Maker]

I just hope it's DRM-free.

[evil_ash_xero]

The graphics are certainly neat. I like the little British soldiers shooting about on the ground.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Wow its comming to steam! It looks like steam will finally have a traditional scrolling shmup worth playing.

I hope it sells well enough that they implement online co-op further down the line. Fingers crossed theres no 3rd party DRM.

[sorhp]

from their facebook post:

IGDA Philadelphia
Jamestown, by Philly's own Final Form Games, is coming out June 8th on Steam, D2D, and GamersGate! Check out the sweet box art: http://bit.ly/lYi91e

[StarCreator]

You're about 11 hours too late.

[BPzeBanshee]

I thought everything on Steam had DRM anyway?

[rancor]

Check out the sweet box art: http://bit.ly/lYi91e

Wow. For the in-game pixel art to be so awesome, I have to say that box art is some of the worst I've ever seen. Reminds me of the early days when companies would take good Japanese covers such as:





and turn it in to this:




Still, box-art-be-damned I'm gonna be one of the first to purchase this. Gameplay looks amazing.

[BPzeBanshee]

Box art? This? - http://www.finalformgames.com/wp-conten ... _large.png

Seriously?

Didn't look much different from the Mushi Futari posters to me, and they're OH SO FRIGGIN AWESOME LOOK AT THOSE TITS GUISE.

Oh wait - it's an old guy on a spaceship, therefore it sucks!

[rancor]

Oh wait - it's an old guy on a spaceship, therefore it sucks![/size]

Heres an old guy and a space ship and it's one of the most epic covers - ever!!!1

[Observer]

Oh wait - it's an old guy on a spaceship, therefore it sucks![/size]

Heres an old guy and a space ship and it's one of the most epic covers - ever!!!1

Every time I see this I wonder why we can't have more awesome covers like this and less generic bald space marines or turds with guns.

Anyway, first day purchase. As if we care about the cover when this thing is download-only. That is, until it goes retail (IF it ever goes retail, which would be nice if it comes with the OST in the mix).

Old dudes with white beards piloting spaceships are so damn underrated...

[burgerkingdiamond]

Yes, the cover art is very lame, but the trailer on YT looks fuckin awesome. I don't like download only though. I want a shiny case and a CD.

[burgerkingdiamond]

anybody know what the control scheme is?

[Skykid]

Not feeling the box art, but the game looks really intriguing.

[Mischief Maker]

I thought everything on Steam had DRM anyway?

It's also coming out on Gamersgate, and you don't have to be a brain surgeon to extract an otherwise DRM-free game's installer from their downloader.

I still don't understand why whenever an indie developer is about to release their new game DRM-free direct from their site, people come out of the woodwork clamoring for them to put the game up on Steam. Why? Is there a CD-burner shortage? Do you have a personal stake in how well stocked the Valve Snack Bar is?

I still maintain that if steam had not been a mandatory install to play Half Life 2, it would have never become the success it is today.