ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

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blackpawn
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ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Hey everyone! Like so many I've always wanted to create a shmup. It's been on my bucket list for ages and I am finally working on my first one now. :D

I have a beta test version of the game for both iOS and Android and would love to get some people to try it out and give me feedback.

The game is done in a retro vector display style and is very fast paced and challenging. It is currently just an endless mode where you survive as long as you can clearing enemy waves and bosses to get a top score. You have a special ability called a "reversal" which reverses all enemy bullets into missiles. It charges up with time so you can save it up and use when you need to get out of an especially challenging situation. There are also items that drop to power up your ship or trigger super weapons.

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Update!!

Version 0.1 is now on iOS App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store! It's free (with ads)

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It's also still WIP and I plan on doing more updates this year so LMK if you want to join beta!
Last edited by blackpawn on Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
quantumproductions
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by quantumproductions »

Hello, I am interested in trying on iOS. I am new to this board. How can I message you?
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Awesome thanks for your interest! I sent you a PM. (you click the "pm" button at bottom of post)

I've got a sweet update almost done for the next build. I'll post more info and screenshots here once it's ready too! :)
quantumproductions
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by quantumproductions »

Hey I accepted on Testflight.
I see "is not compatible with your device", but it requires 8.1 or higher..
I'm on iOS v10.3.3, iPhone 5.
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

oh noOoOoo!! sorry quantumproductions it requires OpenGL ES 3 which is iPhone 5 and iPad Air and above. Im sorry I should have mentioned that before.
coolpowers
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by coolpowers »

Tasty! Gave the Android version a quick spin, runs beautifully on my S7. If you want, I can give the iOS version a whirl on my iPhone 6 and iPad mini 2. I dunno if you care about supporting the mini 2 at all, but if you do, a word of warning - the fill rate is terrible.

Yeah, I'm a dev too, and I'm *also* currently making a glowy vectory shootery thing, so I always cast a careful eye on others :) I'm really curious as to what sort of environment you're coding it; cross-platform libs or your own native stuff for each platform?
PC Engine Fan X!
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

Gave the Android version a spin on my Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.0 tablet and have to say that it's quite cool. Is there a way to increase the overall framerate so that it runs at an arcade-spec 60fps framerate?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Thanks for trying it out guys! I've got a new test build almost ready but got super busy at work the past few weeks. Hope to post the new build soon though.

PC Engine Fan X: Ack sorry it's not hitting 60fps for you. I haven't tested on a Galaxy Tab but I picked up a Kindle Fire and it's only getting 30fps and am working on some scaling to make it go faster on lower spec devices. What score were you able to get? Did you get past the first boss at wave 8?

coolpowers: Oooh awesome! Have you posted beta version of your game? I'd love to try it too! PM me your Apple ID and I can add you to the iOS beta if you like :) Fill rate may not be a big deal for my game since it's mostly lines haha. It could struggle with the post process effects though... I'm doing C++ with OpenGL ES3. The graphics work easily cross platform but audio was more difficult and I have separate Java and Objective-C code for audio backends. Also the ads and leaderboard have separate Java and Objective-C versions. How far did you get in the game?
coolpowers
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by coolpowers »

Yikes, sorry for not following up. I also got busy with the day job so my motivation to sit down at the PC plummeted. Would like to try the iOS build, I'll PM you the ID. I'm more likely to put time into it on iOS, as my S7 is just a dev device. Still, I'm currently 3rd on the leaderboards ;)

And yeah, it's the postprocessing that will kill you on older Retina devices. iPad Mini 2 just doesn't have the GPU for the res it's pushing. I could just about hit 30fps, so for my game I have the options to disable bloom and/or target 30fps. When it's ready I can post a beta, but be warned that it's not what I call a traditional shmup, it's more like a casual arena-style shooter, and just one part of a multi-game compilation.
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Over the holiday I shipped the first version (0.1) of ZeroVector!! It's now available for free in the iOS App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.

So you know the drill fellow shmuppers! Download it, give it 5 stars, and let me know what you think and would like to see in future updates. :D I plan still on adding achievements, new boss battles, new enemy types, and some unlockables.

Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement so far! Hope you have some fun with it :)
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CaptainKraken
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by CaptainKraken »

Ahoy!

I played for a while and made it to stage 6!

For the most part, it was fun! Very fun!
The reversal mechanic is immensely satisfying to use. Just seeing the screen explode in particle effects as your opposition disintegrates and listening to
miss computer voice yelling "fantastic!" feels very good.

Also, particle effects! Love em'.

I do have a couple of qualms, thought, which should be relatively simple to fix.

Qualm #1: the bullets. When the screen gets crowded, as it often does, the bullets tend to mesh into each other, creating a visual mess that is very likely to lead in
the player's untimely explosion.
Solution to qualm #1: make bullet graphics more defined and less fuzzy so the brain knows what its trying to dodge intuitively.

Qualm #2: Some of the enemies can go very low on the screen. I noticed some popcorn enemies casually drifting under my finger... and sometimes shooting.
The snake boss also slithered much too close for comfort and forced me to the top of the screen, which is a dark and infuriating place to be.
I hold the probably-unpopular opinion that things enemies below you is fine if done right in a shmup. But not in a mobile shmup. In a mobile shmup, the bottom
of the screen is supposed to be for my finger. Any enemies trying to usurp my finger's rightful position are not supposed to be there.
Solution to qualm #2: change the enemy programming slightly so those pesky popcorn scum can't glide across the screen where the player can't see. The "enemy shooting you from behind" can also be easily fixed by only allowing enemies to shoot when they're in the top 2/3 of the screen.
With the snakes, just restrict their movement to the top 2/3 of the screen.

These are just simple things that make the game more player friendly.

I also have some suggestions. Not exactly problems, but things I think would make the game better.

-If you can get your hands on some intense-sounding music, have it play during boss fights. It would keep the game from blurring together and make the boss fights
more climactic.

-Some of the larger enemies feel a bit too resilient. (Lookin' at you, shoe trees and boomerangs)
I'm fine with it, but some players might feel cheated when they pull off a massive reversal or shoot an enemy for a few more seconds and the enemy survives.

-An options menu with sound fx options, music options, and most importantly, control options.
Most mobile shmups have two main control options, direct (ship always hovers on your finger) and relative (what you have now). I prefer relative but it's always good to have options. Usually, relative control also sports a sensitivity slider, so you can tailor how fast your ship moves relative to your hand. I generally play with higher sensitivity, so ZeroVector's control felt a bit off for me the first time playing it.

Anyway, do what you want with this feedback. I liked the game!
I will play it again, and I look forward to seeing what else you do with this!

Good job!
Squire Grooktook wrote:Make a game because there's something you want to exist that doesn't.
Shooting game never die!
el_rika
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by el_rika »

Any way to make the game compatible with 4.4.2 Kit Kat ? I'd love to try it. Thanks.
Kaspal
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by Kaspal »

i just tried the Android and iOS version of your game, and i am in love with it. I had to disable the adds...

I see the game is still in beta. Do you have an ETA of the upcoming fixes and the "final" version?
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cain
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by cain »

Are you planning non-mobile ports? (PC etc.)
Kaspal
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by Kaspal »

CaptainKraken wrote:Ahoy!

Qualm #2: Some of the enemies can go very low on the screen. I noticed some popcorn enemies casually drifting under my finger... and sometimes shooting.
The snake boss also slithered much too close for comfort and forced me to the top of the screen, which is a dark and infuriating place to be.
I hold the probably-unpopular opinion that things enemies below you is fine if done right in a shmup. But not in a mobile shmup. In a mobile shmup, the bottom
of the screen is supposed to be for my finger. Any enemies trying to usurp my finger's rightful position are not supposed to be there.
I REALLY hate those snakes. I have no problem with them going way down on the screen, but when they go like a homming missile onto you from bottom to top of the screen, and doing that very fast, i feel cheated. I mean, you dont only have to dodge the bullets, but the god damned boss too!. Not cool.

Also, having only two types of bosses, does not feel like enough. We should have different style of bosses as the level go by.

The game should have a way of telling the player his power is maxed or something. And while we are at it, when you explode, i'm ok with loosing your multiplier, but getting that much underpowered? Not cool... even to, i understand that when the multiplier goes down, the difficulty goes down for awhile.

There should be a way to tell which wave you're at at all times.

One last thing: There should be a menu explaining what the boosters do. We can infer it by playing, but there should be a FAQ for it.
Also, while i understand how the shield works, i believe it should be smaller. I mean, you only have one small vulnerable spot, but the shield cover the whole ship and then some. I believe it should be smaller... having it that big in the middle of a heavy dodging session, will take the shield out in no time, so it becomes useless.

Just my 2 cents for now.

PS: i've got the top score for iPhone as of this writing. YAY!.
SuperPang wrote:Where DOJ rapes you, DFK grabs your boob then runs away.
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Thanks for the feedback and ideas everyone! I'm working on a big 0.2 update to the game now.
CaptainKraken wrote: Qualm #1: the bullets. When the screen gets crowded, as it often does, the bullets tend to mesh into each other, creating a visual mess that is very likely to lead in the player's untimely explosion.
Solution to qualm #1: make bullet graphics more defined and less fuzzy so the brain knows what its trying to dodge intuitively.
Yes I am working on this now with the 0.2 update. I'm introducing new meshes and colors to the bullets.
CaptainKraken wrote: Qualm #2: Some of the enemies can go very low on the screen.
Good feedback. I'll reconsider how this works now. In WIP 0.2 update I actually added a new enemy that goes down the screen and is hard to kill so he winds up shooting back up at you.
cain wrote:Are you planning non-mobile ports? (PC etc.)
If I can get it good enough absolutely. It's still a pretty small simple shmup so I don't think it's Steam worthy or anything yet. Maybe after a bunch of updates there will be enough polish and content to warrant a non-mobile release.
Kaspal wrote:I REALLY hate those snakes.
Haha this reminds me of Indiana Jones :) Yeah the homing part is pretty brutal and at wave 32 there's double snakes and that's just painful. I just didn't make more bosses yet but I'll be replacing that with new bosses for 0.2 version.
Kaspal wrote:Also, while i understand how the shield works, i believe it should be smaller.
That's interesting feedback. I can definitely experiment with that. Yes it's hard to preserve the health of your shield with it being so large.
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Oh! And I'd like to announce that everyone is welcome to join the beta test for the 0.2 update! It's in testing now on iOS and Android both and I've set up a Discord for feedback, bugs, and such. 0.2 has a whole new multiplayer mode called Conquest where players battle for control of territory on a map. It's still early in development but it's fun to play with and Discord bot announces when sectors are captured and such.

Here's invite link if you'd like to join in: https://discord.gg/WNHGjx

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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

The 0.2 update is now LIVE!!

WHAT’S NEW IN 0.2
* All new Conquest multiplayer mode. Battle for control of sectors on the grid!
* Two epic new bosses with three phase battles, animations, and fun attacks!
* All new enemies and firing patterns to enjoy!
* Four unique stage appearances and dynamic backgrounds!
* Weapon overdrive attack burst!
* Upgraded visuals and effects!

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zerovec ... ?ls=1&mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... zerovector

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carlmoss
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by carlmoss »

Tried out the iOS version - liking it a lot, really nice gfx (runs well, even on my iPhone 6), great playability and the trippy music suits the visual style perfectly.

Great achievement so far!
JustinOrKevin
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by JustinOrKevin »

I downloaded several free shmups for my iphone SE and have deleted all but ZeroVector. It's thrilling, great music, and quick to start playing with no "Connecting..." and it works underground in the subway. 8)

NOICE!
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

​A new 0.2.6 update is now out for iOS and Android. This is mostly a small update with bug fixes and tweaks but also snuck in is Graze Mode!

You can play Graze Mode via the bottom right sectors on the Conquest map. Instead of your reversal charging up over time it charges a bit with each bullet you graze. So live dangerously and brush up close to all the bullets you can. Once your reversal is fully charged you can keep grazing to pump up your score multiplier!

It's my first attempt at incorporating bullet grazing into the game and I've been having fun experimenting with it. :) I think it will be fun in the future to specially author some new bullet patterns and boss fights with grazing in mine.

Anyway, thought I'd give ya an update and maybe those who love bullet grazing can have some fun with the latest build 8)
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by Technicolor »

I agree with a lot of the sentiments above, this game is really fun! There are certain aspects of it that increase the difficulty in less-than-fun ways, though, as well as general tweaks I’d like to see.


1. The early game is kind of a slog. There isn’t much to do here besides basic enemy killing and dodging, and the time-based reversal recharge heavily encourages passive play. I’d personally like to see extra multiplier chips get released from enemies that are speedkilled, shotgunned and/or killed by reversals. Graze mode does also help a ton with this issue, but the graze box there feels tiny and it’s very frustrating, so I’d love to see it get widened.


2. Graze mode should be on the main menu. I didn’t even know it was in the game until I read your latest post here, and not being able to play it while offline is frustrating.


3. Bullet visibility is a bit of a nightmare at times. The bloom on all of the bullets and enemies makes everything all muddy and hard to differentiate in a pinch. Could you add an options menu for this sort of thing, put a slider there which adjusts the bloom?


4. Ships coming down on the screen is still an issue. Having some tanky ship that you couldn’t kill in time invade your space and force you to move into an unsalvageable position isn’t fun. Put a cutoff mark around 3/4 of the way down the screen, maybe slow down the downward movement of especially tanky enemies as well.


Oh, and for the worm boss, make it so that it can’t enter a specific radius around you. I think that’s the best way to preserve the frantic nature of that fight without it crashing into you beyond your control or ability to react. I actually do kinda like that boss fight, it requires my attention and engages me in a way that the others don’t, but unfair deaths are unfair all the same.


5. The invincibility on the reversal is absolutely pitiful. Using the reversal and then getting hit immediately after is super frustrating, so I’d love to see extended somewhat.


6. Add a one-life mode. Pretty simple, I’d just like having it.


7. This might greatly increase your workload, but… adding some options for customizing your ship would also be nice. What I’d personally love to see is the ability to stack reversals, with maybe the drawback of individual reversals charging more slowly… you could also retool the graze and hypothetical one-life modes into additional ship options. Even just an additional option of shot type would drastically increase replay value, though.
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blackpawn
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Re: ZeroVector [iOS+Android] new shmup in development!

Post by blackpawn »

Technicolor thanks so much for the feedback and suggestions, I really appreciate it!

1. Yeah that's true, and those are good ideas to help!
2. Yes good idea. I think I will have it when you hit Play Arcade have then one menu deeper to pick one of the modes. Ultimately I would like the single player to have a somewhat similar set of sectors to unlock and play through.
3. Yeah definitely. Well, rather than a setting/slider I have a bunch of ideas for changing the visuals to make it easier to always see the bullets.
4. Yeah maybe if enemy ship rams you while still in it's spawn slide the damage is ignored. I guess it could be complicated if it winds up behind you and you still have to get out somehow. I'll have to think how to better handle this!
5. A good solution will probably be to extend reversal so any new bullets spawned within a quarter second or something also get reversed.
6. Ooh yes there's a new one planned for Conquest that should be just what you want :) :)
7. Cool ideas!!
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