Difficulty level in a home shmup

[Shatterhand]

I've been coding a shmup for sometine now, and there's something I can't get out of my head.

The game will be rather short (Just 5 levels), but the levels will be rather long (No Psikyo stuff... but not long as in Compile shmups either ).

The first level is hard, and then the game gets harder and harder. Obviously, the 1st level is not hard like Hibachi or something, but the game just don't have much of a "make my 1st credit worhty of something" 1st level.


I always felt that arcade games have easy 1st levels because you have to make the player feels he acomplished something with his first coin, so he won't feel cheated. If he loses his credit too quickly, he won't insert another coin on the game.

Now, playing at home, I think you don't need that (Even more in a short game). If you lose in 1st level, you will just try again (I guess). Again, it's not like your 3 lives will be lost in a quick sucession and leaving you with a WTF? look at your face.

To be quite honest, I don't find the 1st level THAT hard, but at least 2 guys who tested the game (Who have some experience with shmups) claimed they had a hard time with it (I also think none of them played it for more than 2 times before turning on invicibility just to check the whole level out). Of course, the fact I already played through that level like a hundred of times to fine tune the enemy placement makes me a very experienced player on it (I think I can get past the level with my eyes closed now ).

IMO, the level is at a very average level of difficulty if you are just trying to survive (IMO at least, there is just one tricky pattern there and that's all), but if you are trying maximize your score THEN you may have a real hard time.


So.. erm.. any opinions on that?

[mice]

I always felt that arcade games have easy 1st levels because you have to make the player feels he acomplished something with his first coin,...

I think the first level should just be an introduction to how the game is set up and handles. So having a first level hard might actually scare people away, even though they're playing it at home.

...but if you are trying maximize your score THEN you may have a real hard time.

Sounds just like the problem I have with the dragon shmup entry.
If survival is the only thing the player cares about, the first level won't be a problem. But trying to maximize the score with the points system, it gets instantly much harder.
Although, I don't think it is a problem exactly, seeing that it's the same for both DDP and Iky. The first 4 or 5 chains (well, more actually, but anyway) are easy, but then all hell breaks loose.

[cigsthecat]

Shatterhand, I'd be interested in testing your game if you'd like.

I'm interested in difficult 1 loop games these days, so throwaway "intro" levels are a real waste. Take Batsugun for example: It's a great game, but it doesn't even start until stage 4. That's the main reason I don't play it any more.

The best way to not bore the player in the first stage is to have scoring elements/ objectives that can be improved upon even after many plays. So even though the player knows the level through and through they have things to strive for.

[Davey]

I'm not a shmup connoisseur, but in my experience Gunroar has the best solution to this problem. If you play aggressively, you can jack up the rank to nonsensical levels in under a minute. If you play at a slow pace, the game remains pretty easy. Experts don't get bored, beginners don't get overwhelmed.

Although I have been obsessed with the game lately, so I'm probably really biased.

[kemical]

I like the idea of the first level being a bit shorter and easier than later levels..

but the problem may also be that you're playing the game that you're also developing.. it skews the difficulty perception quite a bit I think