Just wanted to say hi, and introduce to this SHMUP community!
I am ActionScirpt developer, and currently researching SHMUP game genre.
I have created MVC engine for AS3(mvcExpress), and now researching/developing entity engine. I need game to prototype it with, and SHMUP sound like perfect fit! So far I am surprised by variety I find in SHMUP games, that I never suspected.
I am also interested in random levels in SHMUP games, dynamic difficulty increase and custom ship building.
(If anyone is interested in SHMUP game making in AS3, I am happy to help.)
So... next step... ugly SHMUP prototype! (I guess you already seen hundreds of those... oh well.. cant be helped...)
Stay well!