New Shmup as part of the 2014 Indie Game Developers Contest

[ShmupBros]

Hello, I just wanted to drop in and let all the Shmup enthusiasts know that we created a Shmup called Corruption for the Humble Bundle and RPG Maker 2014 Indie Game Developers Contest. It was developed in less than 30 days for the competition but we feel that it is still pretty fun to play. It is free to download, so try it out. Also, if you like it, please vote for us during the week of July 1st-7th.
http://contest.rpgmakerweb.com/game/vie ... 7NMRLFXdc6

We are planning on continuing working on this Shmup after the contest and turning it into a full fledged product on various platforms. You can follow us on our Facebook page for updates.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shmup-Br ... e=bookmark

[mastermx]

I think this should be in the development section of the forum.

I tried out your shmup, it's a pretty good effort considering the time restriction. Here's my opinion on how it could be improved. I think the controls need to be tighter, it feels strange moving about, like it's floaty, this isn't good for shmup games. I like the premise of the game, i like cyberpunky style things, so there's a lot of promise in that. I feel that this game is very euroshmuppy. You start with a pea shooter that you have to upgrade, popcorn enemies take multiple hits to kill, and there is a health bar. I normally prefer powerups for the ship to be simplistic and easy to get, without the overcomplication of purchasing. Also you can make the enemies take less hits, and add more enemies on screen, i think that would give the game that extra arcadey feel which i assume that's what you were going for(and also increase difficulty). And instead of a health bar, maybe have a live stock.

Just my 2cents, I look forward to how it changes, especially if the the good input of shmup enthusiasts from this forum is taken on board.

[Cagar]

Important advice: Please play more shmups before making your next game.

[ShmupBros]

Thanks for the feedback. We will definitely take that into consideration after the competition. The difficulty level was something we were having trouble balancing in the limited time we had left after the rapid development cycle.

Thanks for playing!

You have a point about this probably needing to go in the development section of the forums. Not sure if a moderator can move this for me.

[ShmupBros]

Also as a note, I was definitely going for an arcade feeling for the game. Something in the vain of Phoenix for iOS. Planning on doing something along those lines for the leader boards instead of just local high scores for the final release.

[cave hermit]

I haven't played yet, but I just wanted to share my two cents:

In general I feel that if you want to make a game that makes people say: , you need to streamline the gameplay mechanics. What I mean is, you need to speed up gameplay, have the player spend as little time as possible in menus, remove any more complicated elements like money or RPG stats (unless you heavily simplify them), etc. Actual arcade games were designed to get players into a game session and then either off the machine (for another customer) or paying more money for another session as quickly as possible. While back then that was a way of maximizing profit earned in a time frame, this design principle is still good today: only have 15 minutes for a break? Play a round of Spelunky. In Spelunky you can die instantly if you get hit by certain traps (which are everywhere), and otherwise you initially die in 4 hits. You die, game session is over and you start another session or move on. If you play well enough, the game still ends extremely quickly since there are only 16 levels in a session. But since the game is so short, and gameplay sessions usually are even shorter, you would probably want to play again immediately after finishing a round, especially if you provide something for the player to improve on like score ("I have time for another round!" "I was so close! This time I'll do it!" "I beat the game! Now to try and do a speed run!") This sort of game is perfect for times where you don't have much time to play, but at other times the speedy nature of game sessions makes players wanna play over and over and over for extended periods of time.

*EXTENDED FOOD METAPHOR ALERT*
It's like eating potato chips (or crisps; a lot of people on the forums here seem to be British) instead of a steak: You gotta take time and sit down to eat a steak, cut into it, chew enough savor the flavor, etc. And it'll probably take a while to finish a big chunk of meat like that. By the time you're done, you'll be completely full and have no desire to keep eating steak. Potato chips on the other hand, you can just pick up a bag, stuff a few handfuls in your mouth, and go about your business; they're light and you can just pick them up with your hands, you barely have to chew them to eat them, and they provide a quick and mild burst of flavor. Not only can you eat a few for a quick snack, but the very same qualities that make them such a quick snack make them addictive: they're so light so you never get full (short gameplay sessions), they're so easy to pick up and eat (streamlined simple gameplay mechanics), and they have a quick burst of flavor that's teasing enough to make you want more (simple yet satisfying gameplay). If you don't think about it, you could eat an entire bag in a single sitting in the same time it takes you to eat a steak.

What I'm saying is, arcade games should be simple, quick, and offer some aspect for players to constantly improve on (i.e: score). When a game is like this, players will keep coming back and the game can be very flexible in terms of how long sessions last, allowing for even more accessibility.

[Doctor Butler]

Important advice: Please play more shmups before making your next game.

- Default controls are dreadful. The standard for PC shooters is: Arrows to move, Z to fire, X for laser.
- Movement is floaty, and the ship seems to maintain a bit of "inertia" when you cease movement. Movement should stop the instant input does.
- Menus bound to keys?; not essential, but it seems half-assed to have to select menu items with the mouse. Enter or Z when its highlighted with the arrow keys.
- No lifebar. Please, no lifebar

You're getting there. Keep it up, and read some more threads here.

[buko-studios]

We quite liked it, good for a spin, seems like a good start.

The comments come from a point of view that you can't ignore in this genre. Its important to take criticism constructively.

For us, there are a few ways that set these browser shmups apart on first look.
Visual Style.
Getting into the game +choice of difficulty.
The start transition.
First encounters of enemy types (variety + surprises).
Innovative features (that feel good)
Difficulty ramping/Pace.
Completion of the First Level.

The first 30s of time spent in the game is crucial. If you are ticking boxes in a number of these, then you will hopefully be building fans, and people who like it enough to continue playing, or talk about it.

We got used to the inertia after a while.. its not too severe, perhaps a power up could reduce the inertia, which would allow finer control through bullet patterns.

Default Controls were ok for us -> perfect for a 'browser' based snack gaming.

Personally, we don't have a problem with Life Bars for games like this, but perhaps reduce the capacity. If your energy gave you 4-5 hits, it stops the novice player from being shut out the first time they find themselves in an awkward spot.
But not so free as to ignore bullets altogether.

The energising strips seem like a nice feature

There are lots of great advice and tips in these forums.
Check out the stickies!

You might be interested in our Shmup themed group on Deviant Art.
Best Wishes for your game entry.