Stellar Interface - Rogue-like Shmup

[MiguelAz]

A space-shooter meets a rogue-like-ish game, and STELLAR INTERFACE is born. Now available on Steam!

As a developer of the game, I cannot make an impartial review, so consider this post as information about the game.

CORE MECHANICS

• Rogue-like Elements: With a randomly generated universe and randomized perks, no journey will ever be the same! What will happen to you, in your own unique apocalyptic cataclysmic transgalactic voyage?
• Synergistic Perk System: Over 100 perks and consumables! Look out for the synergistic nature of the perks that suits your playstyle!
• Galactic Bounties: ​Complete over 100 missions to participate in the StellarNET Entertainment System lottery!
• Customize Your Start, Choose your spacecraft: there is one for every playstyle, as they have unique starting perks. You can personalize your arsenal from numerous weapons: cannons, missiles and lasers!
• Unlock Spacecrafts, View Your Progress: Check out what have you accomplished in our in-game encyclopedia StellarNET. Unlock new spacecrafts, kill all the bosses to progress in StellarNET's kill table. Check which perks and consumables you have used and seen, and what is your progress towards the achievements!
• Explore the Universe: Some levels are more special than others: Merchants, Bosses, Spacecraft Factories. Fight through lower-difficulty levels to stock up on perks, or just streamline to the end-boss if you feel powerful enough!
• Controller Support: Plug-and-play with any kind of controller!
• Localization: Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

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Some screenshots:

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Looks like it is not a score based shmup?
I guess that makes sense if you have a ton of procedural stuff and have a different game each time.
The important thing I suppose for me is having an "end" or a defined obstacle to overcome to beat the game.


One other concern I have is how fair the procedural levels are.
Do you have some way of ensuring that the player can always avoid the patterns and positions of shots generated in levels?
I hope the lifebar is not an attempt to mitigate patterns that might be unavoidable.

One thing I did notice is that many of the player shots looked very slow.
I'm not sure how much you want to tweak the game but generally you want player shots to be moving so fast that you can't form a 30 degree line with them while moving.
Of course if you have a very powerful secondary weapon that's fine being a slow shot.


These questions are just to find out more about it.
Not to critique something I've not played yet.

It's cool you're supporting Linux too.
Development is a PITA for it sometimes but we don't have many shmups.

Best of luck in sales!

[MiguelAz]

Thanks for the feedback!

- Patters are always avoidable, but the game has been labeled as really hard. So even though it is possible to avoid the patterns, it's really difficult. The lifebar's purpose is more tied to the rogue-like elements. Letting the player choose between more power or more endurance.

- Regarding the shot speed, are you talking about the fire-rate or the projectile speed itself?

Cheers!

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Thanks for the feedback!
- Regarding the shot speed, are you talking about the fire-rate or the projectile speed itself?
Cheers!

The projectile speed.
Ideally you want it so the they don't feel sluggish if they are the main weapon.
If you look through a good cross section of shmups you'll find that the player's shots are a bit faster than you'd expect.

Take a look at Raiden II which is an older game.
See how the shots can't form a 45 degree angle even when the player is moving along one axis?
They move too fast to form anything but a tight angle even if the player moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SA0JgfXreY

It's a rule of thumb and your game must be something you can be proud of, but generally players like very fast player shots so they don't have to lead enemies so much when firing.

[MommysBestGames]

I agree, I like games with endings.
Graphics do look pretty nice.
@MiguelAz you should probably update your Steam link to the proper Steam store page, instead of the Greenlight page.