I've been working on a secret project for the past two years: a retro console STG with a danmaku-inspired style, but slightly less intense due to hardware constrains. My goal is to make the game more approachable for less experienced players without introducing 'euroshmup' mechanics.
Throughout the development, I’ve paid close attention to the insights shared by Bog Hog and The Electric Underground, as their opinions have been a big influence on my design decisions.
Unfortunately, I can’t share screenshots or reveal too many details about the project at this stage, but I’d still love to hear your thoughts on some general aspects of the genre. I’ll outline a few points and ask for your input to help shape the best possible experience.
Here’s one of the key design questions I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
Should the in-game rank system influence the score awarded for destroying enemies?
Here are the options I’ve been considering:
- Each hit gives more or fewer points depending on the current rank, and destroying the enemy also provides a different reward based on rank.
- Hits always give the same amount of points, but destroying an enemy at a higher rank provides a higher reward.
- Rank should not affect the points awarded for either hits or destroying enemies.
Do you think it would be controversial to include a mechanic that rewards players for dodging bullets near their hitbox (similar to Ibara Kuro Black Label), but prevents the player from shooting during this 'bullet time'?
I’d love to know your thoughts—would this feel like an interesting risk-reward dynamic, or does it go against the core principles of the genre?
I’d love to hear your opinions on this and ask that you explain the reasoning behind your choice. If you're interested, I’ll be asking about other aspects of the game in this post—and there might even be a surprise down the line!