Multiplayer shooters

qatmix · Post by **qatmix** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:37 am

Hi All

As some of you may know Im workign on a shooter (or 3) at the moment, one is nearly ready, but I want your feedback.

The game is a Vert shooter with scrollign to the sides (tate etc also supported btw) However we are currently implementing multiplayer and would liek to know if you think that ship to ship collision is good or bad.

If you think its good can you list good examples.. do you want large impulses when ships collide or just gentle ones, or none at all?

I would love to hear your opinions on this. The game should eb announced in the next 2-3 weeks. Its a dreamcast shooter, and potentially Atomoswave.

Cheers
Q

D · Post by D » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:06 am

Ships should not collide at all. It is more realistic, but that's where it ends.
Hey how about this!
If the two players are on top of each other, why not make their firepower stronger, like the buzzing in Shikigami no Shiro 2. I have lots of cool ideas and gimmicks for games. What can I do with them besides share them for free

It's not that I'd want lots of money, just recognition. I have entire gaming concepts in my head. Complete with game engines, artwork type, etc. PErhaps more of us have this, but I feel I'm like an Oracle. I wish I was a big shot at a Japanese game developer. Dreaming on........
No collision at all. You could however just have little shrapnell/scraping animations when the ships are on top of each other.

qatmix · Post by **qatmix** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:08 am

top stuff, anyone else got any ideas?

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:15 am

D wrote: If the two players are on top of each other, why not make their firepower stronger, like the buzzing in Shikigami no Shiro 2.

Raiden III does this, too. Fire is "reflected" off of the other player's craft and is scattered across the screen in a spread pattern.

Works really well as an offensive tactic.

Back on topic, leave player collisions off. This avoids needless deaths due to collision kickback.

mulletgeezer · Post by **mulletgeezer** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:21 am

Ship collision works quite well in both Salamander and Armalyte, but if the game has no scenery there's probably not much point in having collisions. I think a cooperative weapon as used in Trigon might work well, also check out the Lynx game Zarlor Mercenary, a 4 player vert shmup that allowed players to interact by shooting each other, which was quite an interesting idea. Also the energy sharing idea from 1943 is good, though shmups with an energy bar don't usually work too well. It would be nice to see somebody create a multiplayer shmup where players had to actually work together as a team to properly score and survive, I don't think this has ever been done well in the past.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:27 am

Flying over/under would be a neat visual. Avoiding innuendo about left player being a top...d'oh, I just did it...

Arvandor · Post by **Arvandor** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:54 pm

The collision detection in Ikaruga makes me angry, though it does make for some amusing moments when you're not taking the game seriously (which is quite frequently when playing 2-player). I vote shut it off though.

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:14 pm

Just play a quick 2 player game of vasara. The fact that your ships collide and bounce off each other (and enemy ships for that matter) keeps this game from being a very good chooter.

qatmix · Post by **qatmix** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:56 am

Cheers Guys,

I didnt want to do collision, I just wanted a sanity check.

boagman · Post by **boagman** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:05 am

How about taking a clue from Planet Harriers, where being in proximity to one another promotes healing in that game?

Would it be possible to have, say, some sort of bomb meter which builds up over time, but builds *ultra* fast if players are in close proximity? Obviously, there can't be any "healing" in a traditional shmup, but what about an idea like this?

PFG 9000 · Post by **PFG 9000** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:18 am

mulletgeezer wrote:check out the Lynx game Zarlor Mercenary, a 4 player vert shmup that allowed players to interact by shooting each other, which was quite an interesting idea.

As a huge Lynx fan, I will definitely check this out. I never gave Zarlor Mercenary much of a chance. If only I can find somebody to play it with...

Arvandor wrote:The collision detection in Ikaruga makes me angry, though it does make for some amusing moments when you're not taking the game seriously (which is quite frequently when playing 2-player). I vote shut it off though.

When I was just getting into shooters, I pissed off a good friend quite often by pushing him into obstacles in Ikaruga, usually during the part with the moving boxes in Chapter II. I swear it was never on purpose!

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:49 pm

Belmont wrote:Just play a quick 2 player game of vasara. The fact that your ships collide and bounce off each other (and enemy ships for that matter) keeps this game from being a very good chooter.

Part of the gameplay. Colliding with enemies has saved my butt a few times, plus I like bouncing off the first bosses' dragon head thing.

boagman wrote:Obviously, there can't be any "healing" in a traditional shmup

Orly? Armor sections in Fighter & Attacker (fresh on my mind)...a life meter would be fine for a casual shmup if you ask me