AgileMaster wrote:
Ah damn looks like this is over! I wish I saw this earlier! I actually had exactly the same problem with shmups and that's why I've spent the last few years making a shmup with RPG elements, to add some depth to the basic vertical shooter gameplay. So many shmups have awesome gameplay - it's just the depth they lack. (That's a problem with many genres today actually I guess.) But also, as everyone here points out, that lack of depth is just a problem for some people - each to their own. Some of the best games in the world are super simple. And just slapping on some 'depth' elements (more complex scoring, RPG character progression, non linear game progression, etc) doesn't necessarily improve a game. The whole thing needs to be thought through and designed carefully so that all those different elements integrate. I'm still not sure if I got it right; here's hoping!
Anybody interested in checking out the game, it's called Cosmonator; basically a shmup with lots of RPG elements (spells, special abilities, tons of upgrades etc). I've created a post in this site with some info about the production progress also, but anyway here's a link to the free demo for anyone who's interested in checking it out:
https://bourbontank.itch.io/cosmonatorThe full game is on steam, in Early Access. If you're into shmups but you think they could use some added depth, like the frogmaster here - particularly in terms of RPG style player progression - well, you'll probably like it, because that's exactly what it addresses.
I would say that for most shmups the depth comes from the scoring system. It can get pretty in depth if you are min-maxing stuff like where to use resources and which routes to take etc.
There are some shmups that have some RPG like elements, Radiant Silvergun for example, the way it upgrades the weapons the more you use them.
IMO it all depends what you want to focus on as a game developer. There is a reason why Cave removed power-ups from their last couple of games, and before that removed power-loss at death. It lets them focus on the scoring aspect more as well as go more all out from the get go, since the player is already fully powered up.
The question should always be what any given feature adds to the game, does picking up items that do nothing but power up your shot (as in not switch to different shots like in R-Type) add anything to a bullet-hell style shmup (or other sub-genres too, in Fire Lancer we also don't have power-ups for example) where the focus is on scoring? I would say that in most cases it probably does not.
When it comes to RPG like systems, and even if they are as simple as the weapon selection in Axelay, the question is in which way the different weapons add to the game, and you have to make sure that there is not a combo of weapons that will be the best in most, if not all, cases. Because if that is the case you made extra work for yourself which does add very little to the game. You do not want to add content for the sake of content. Same with depth just for the same of it.
Just my 2 cents.