TFIV Rebirth dev thread

[BPzeBanshee]

How do you mean by tightly coupled? As in actual beat detection?
You DO realise I made sure my Thunder Force Music Mod fitted in to what happens at key points in Xeno Fighters R right? It's not like I'd put in random 10-minute techno remixes to replace them LOL.

As for the format itself, I'm not sure how I'd convert audio to the right format anyway unless you told me the specific format that you exported to for putting in the Megadrive music anyway (so I can do the same with Audacity which has support for such function).

And yes I do hope the native executable fixes it all. Please in future releases update the existing scripts so that they dont use the JDK.

[wondersonic]

How do you mean by tightly coupled? As in actual beat detection?
You DO realise I made sure my Thunder Force Music Mod fitted in to what happens at key points in Xeno Fighters R right? It's not like I'd put in random 10-minute techno remixes to replace them LOL.

Yes, I use music as "event controller" so if for example you change second level first music (opening) then the second part of the level may start at strange moments. At least be sure to replace with music pieces as long as original ones (those that loops).

As for the format itself, I'm not sure how I'd convert audio to the right format anyway unless you told me the specific format that you exported to for putting in the Megadrive music anyway (so I can do the same with Audacity which has support for such function).

=> PM

And yes I do hope the native executable fixes it all. Please in future releases update the existing scripts so that they dont use the JDK.

No problem, I understood my mistake!

[BPzeBanshee]

Hmm, tightness of music modding support can be a problem, even the few remixes that I have that are close to the originals probably won't fit well for strict looping anyway. Bummer.

I'll try compiling a OSX-based Launch4j exe tomorrow when I have the time, at the moment I'm not quite feeling up to it.

[wondersonic]

Hmm, tightness of music modding support can be a problem, even the few remixes that I have that are close to the originals probably won't fit well for strict looping anyway. Bummer.

I'll try compiling a OSX-based Launch4j exe tomorrow when I have the time, at the moment I'm not quite feeling up to it.

Sorry for that.

Anyway I can't wait for tf4r to work on MAC

[wondersonic]

Version 0.10 available

Release notes:
- numerous bugs corrected
- added weapons for Styx (can not be used currently)
- implementation of second part of second level started

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2gvIVcwIqw

Cheers,
WS

[wondersonic]

Video (HD ) of version 0.11

[BPzeBanshee]

Stupid question: You WILL have more variety in enemies along with fixed weapons for Stage 2 right?

Otherwise this will end up like Broken Thunder very quickly.

I'm gonna test latest version on Windows now and then I'll proceed to test it on the Mac - if it still goes dodgy on me like last release I'll get the launch4j build completed and get it running to the needs. Have you got the icon you used for the EXE somewhere I can obtain it from?

EDIT 1:
Firstly, the longer grace period in Stage 1 is completely gone on Windows where it was on the EXE beforehand. Did you intentionally get rid of it?

More importantly, I've narrowed down the source of the problem I had with Mac OS X without even needing to run the game in that OS - the issue is in the Windows version too. The Windows EXE you made with launch4j works, my script which used your original Java launch command does not work properly.
The .command and .sh files are still pointed towards -server indicating the JDK still has to be installed, and the way the JDK is installed the program is not finding the file, as indicated by Windows:

Code: Select all

Error: no `server' JVM at `C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\server\jvm.dll'.

And I still have the JDK installed.

Now be honest with me here - did you REALLY get rid of the JDK functions ingame, or did you just compile the EXE to include the said functions anyway? If this is the case I'll need to find some way to install the JDK for Mac OS X before I can compile with launch4j anyway, and Apple maintains their own fork of Java and doesn't seem to have an easy link to a JDK version(not like OpenJDK, this one has been better than Windows version for running the game prior to your JDK crap). Hopefully it's just piled in to the one Java for OS X anyway.

EDIT2:
Got the code working again, and after going through many changes and looking at multiple sources of the java launch code (including the launch4j config) I feel just a little stupid.
Turns out -server was the culprit, which wasn't in your Windows EXE since it was set to use the JRE as preferred. This gave the error when copying what's in your .sh.
The proper command line code for Windows is this:

Code: Select all

java -Dorg.lwjgl.util.NoChecks=true -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+UseG1GC -Xms256m -Xmx256m -classpath .\core.jar;.\shared.jar;.\lib\lwjgl.jar;.\lib\lwjgl_util.jar;.\lib\jinput.jar;.\lib\jl1.0.2.jar;.\lib\freetts.jar tf4r.Main

Now you might look at it and think that it's the same crap, but since my batch files have been created you've added these fancy experimental codes and presumably included shared.jar in the classpath. For some reason mine didn't have it, yet it was a direct copy of your original batch file. The original I had only had the -classpath and did not have shared.jar listed in it.
Without shared.jar it still works but crashes on Stage 2.

Oh, and the pause button now crashes the game, just like C button did some time ago. This happens no matter what method I use to run TF4R, please fix.

[Kaiser]

Video (HD ) of version 0.11

Color me impressed, you made tons of progress already. This project has hell of a potential and I do like it so far. I'll give you good ideas for the space part of the first level (the escape stage). That part really NEEDS more kinds of enemies than those silly pop-corns, some medium sized enemies. Now i've got a crazy idea for a boss but for it to work, you need to make asteroid go to the right side of the screen 2-3 times faster. Then when the asteroid enters the right edge of the screen, you should send out a shield power-up. THEN THAT asteroid should appear on the main plane of the screen (same as ship). It should stop somewhere NEAR the right edge of the screen, the asteroid explodes into many pieces and boom! It's time for a kick-ass boss fight. Now who should be the boss is up to you however I suggest taking the Thunder Force IV Desert stage boss (Formalhault I think is his name), modifying him and adding tons of crazy stuff to it and call it Formalhault mk2. Would make a good boss fight if done properly. I wish good luck to you.

[BPzeBanshee]

Bad news on the native EXE stuff: Launch4j, while the program itself runs under Mac OS X, still only compiles Windows EXEs (and also required some strangely named program that failed to download just for compiling anyway).
So I looked for a OSX-native one, and I found out about Jar Bundler, but I have to be a developer at Apple's Xcode website and pay for the account so I can download the Xcode Developers Package JUST for the stupid compiler. This I cannot do.
In the end, I went back to the scripts, had a similar problem with the scripts on OSX as I did with Windows but your .sh Java line worked (after putting it in my own script). Oddly enough whether -server is left in or not it still runs (I took it out anyway), suggesting that the JRE and JDK for Mac OS X are indeed one and the same.

Point is, I got it working on the Mac. One problem though - transition effect from first part of Stage 2 to the second part happens too early - I'm still only halfway through the tunnels when it goes white and it still scrolls and stuff right up to the change. I cant see anything because of the effect and I lose a life as a result.
I have no idea why this happens, especially as this does not happen on Windows side. I hope you have some idea as to how to fix that, or if its already fixed.

I like Kaiser's idea of the boss, though I'm happy with whatever you have planned so long as it doesnt just copy off an existing boss and (finally) is put in the same stage in a more traditional manner.

[wondersonic]

Stupid question: You WILL have more variety in enemies along with fixed weapons for Stage 2 right?

Otherwise this will end up like Broken Thunder very quickly.

Yes, more variety will come

I'm currently wondering which ones, and I'm open to proposals of course: you can select any enemy/boss from TF3 or 4
with new attacks that you wish (like Kaiser said previously). And don't hesitate to challenge me because regarding enemies I guess I've not the shmup experience a lot of people has here

I'm gonna test latest version on Windows now and then I'll proceed to test it on the Mac - if it still goes dodgy on me like last release I'll get the launch4j build completed and get it running to the needs. Have you got the icon you used for the EXE somewhere I can obtain it from?

Yes, it is here.

EDIT 1:
Firstly, the longer grace period in Stage 1 is completely gone on Windows where it was on the EXE beforehand. Did you intentionally get rid of it?

What are you calling "grace period in Stage 1"? The introduction to the level?

More importantly, I've narrowed down the source of the problem I had with Mac OS X without even needing to run the game in that OS - the issue is in the Windows version too. The Windows EXE you made with launch4j works, my script which used your original Java launch command does not work properly.
The .command and .sh files are still pointed towards -server indicating the JDK still has to be installed, and the way the JDK is installed the program is not finding the file, as indicated by Windows:

Code: Select all

Error: no `server' JVM at `C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\server\jvm.dll'.

And I still have the JDK installed.

Sorry for that I've just removed them from my scripts once and for all (note that I develop under windows).

Now be honest with me here - did you REALLY get rid of the JDK functions ingame, or did you just compile the EXE to include the said functions anyway? If this is the case I'll need to find some way to install the JDK for Mac OS X before I can compile with launch4j anyway, and Apple maintains their own fork of Java and doesn't seem to have an easy link to a JDK version(not like OpenJDK, this one has been better than Windows version for running the game prior to your JDK crap). Hopefully it's just piled in to the one Java for OS X anyway.

Again it's corrected in Linux and MAC OS shell scripts.

EDIT2:
Got the code working again, and after going through many changes and looking at multiple sources of the java launch code (including the launch4j config) I feel just a little stupid.
Turns out -server was the culprit, which wasn't in your Windows EXE since it was set to use the JRE as preferred. This gave the error when copying what's in your .sh.
The proper command line code for Windows is this:

Code: Select all

java -Dorg.lwjgl.util.NoChecks=true -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+UseG1GC -Xms256m -Xmx256m -classpath .\core.jar;.\shared.jar;.\lib\lwjgl.jar;.\lib\lwjgl_util.jar;.\lib\jinput.jar;.\lib\jl1.0.2.jar;.\lib\freetts.jar tf4r.Main

Now you might look at it and think that it's the same crap, but since my batch files have been created you've added these fancy experimental codes and presumably included shared.jar in the classpath. For some reason mine didn't have it, yet it was a direct copy of your original batch file. The original I had only had the -classpath and did not have shared.jar listed in it.
Without shared.jar it still works but crashes on Stage 2.

These are evolutions: new JVM options to improve performances and shared.jar wasn't intended to be put in the classpath but it is simpler like that (this is an evolution).

Oh, and the pause button now crashes the game, just like C button did some time ago. This happens no matter what method I use to run TF4R, please fix.

Yes, I used it for debugging purpose for second level and thus it made crashes the game for level 0 and 1.

I'll deliver v0.11 today

[wondersonic]

Video (HD ) of version 0.11

Color me impressed, you made tons of progress already. This project has hell of a potential and I do like it so far.

Thanks a lot! It seems nothing but it gives me power to continue

I'll give you good ideas for the space part of the first level (the escape stage). That part really NEEDS more kinds of enemies than those silly pop-corns, some medium sized enemies.

Indeed, the more I play it the more I wish to add to this level.

Propose please (enemies design from TF3 and 4 and patterns).

And I'm open to scoring system proposals for the first level (which could rely on the golden asteroids).

Now i've got a crazy idea for a boss but for it to work, you need to make asteroid go to the right side of the screen 2-3 times faster. Then when the asteroid enters the right edge of the screen, you should send out a shield power-up. THEN THAT asteroid should appear on the main plane of the screen (same as ship). It should stop somewhere NEAR the right edge of the screen, the asteroid explodes into many pieces and boom! It's time for a kick-ass boss fight. Now who should be the boss is up to you however I suggest taking the Thunder Force IV Desert stage boss (Formalhault I think is his name), modifying him and adding tons of crazy stuff to it and call it Formalhault mk2. Would make a good boss fight if done properly. I wish good luck to you.

Regarding the first level, because of weapon/ship limitations, I don't think a boss could help however it could be the boss of level 2!

Note that I'm currently thinking about the second part of the second level and I've got such ideas:
- the pirat HQ will launch waves of ships/robots (patterns to define) from background to the foreground to shoot at the player
- I'm studying how to make the transition from background to frontground (zoom or disappear in the right to reappear as it does in the video)
- I think I'll also add "middle bosses": the robot in the original TFIV intro (before the title screen)
- And for the end of the level, the "Formalhault mk2" could fit very well with what I've got in mind, yes

Thanks again for your post!

[wondersonic]

Bad news on the native EXE stuff: Launch4j, while the program itself runs under Mac OS X, still only compiles Windows EXEs (and also required some strangely named program that failed to download just for compiling anyway).
So I looked for a OSX-native one, and I found out about Jar Bundler, but I have to be a developer at Apple's Xcode website and pay for the account so I can download the Xcode Developers Package JUST for the stupid compiler. This I cannot do.
In the end, I went back to the scripts, had a similar problem with the scripts on OSX as I did with Windows but your .sh Java line worked (after putting it in my own script). Oddly enough whether -server is left in or not it still runs (I took it out anyway), suggesting that the JRE and JDK for Mac OS X are indeed one and the same.

Argh! So launch4j runs on MAC and Linux but just to produce Windows EXE

Point is, I got it working on the Mac. One problem though - transition effect from first part of Stage 2 to the second part happens too early - I'm still only halfway through the tunnels when it goes white and it still scrolls and stuff right up to the change. I cant see anything because of the effect and I lose a life as a result.
I have no idea why this happens, especially as this does not happen on Windows side. I hope you have some idea as to how to fix that, or if its already fixed.

Hmmm, in fact the transition is based upon music synchronization and it seems since I moved to LWJGL 2.5 the method to get music position returns the position x2

v0.11 corrects that

I like Kaiser's idea of the boss, though I'm happy with whatever you have planned so long as it doesnt just copy off an existing boss and (finally) is put in the same stage in a more traditional manner.

Me too for the second level

[wondersonic]

Version 0.11 available

Release notes:
General
- removed -server option from shell scripts
- tons of bugs corrected
- added new game properties (see game.properties file)
- free loaded textures
- sounds pauses during pause!
- added confirmation when pressing ESC
- skip "TO BE CONTINUED." scrollings but first
Level 2
- added weapons carrier
- finished to place doors in corridors
- added nebula texture
WIP
- implementation of OBJ and MTL loaders (done already)
- add new textures to corridors (walls, ground...)
- add new enemies to level 2
- implement scoring system for first level

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szSsGfHA2NM&fmt=22

Cheers,
WS

[wondersonic]

New video of the upcoming v0.12

Pirats HQ laser beams in action

And first level scoring system.

[BPzeBanshee]

Turn volume down when recording for better quality sound, otherwise it sounds worse than TF 1.

Nice laser beams too, they dont look particularly threatening though since they dont seem to be aiming at you but at randomised positions. If possible, how about doing it like TF4's Air Raid stage with the mounted guns that lock a cursor onto your ship and shoot?

Scoring system I dont quite understand, though I've never played Radiant Silvergun, and its not like original Thunderforce games had anything specific beyond the overweapon abuse for x16 bonus in V and VI. Could you explain this in more detail?

Also, tried 0.11 - the transition effect still hasn't been fixed on Mac OS X. Besides that,the Ship Select in config doesn't work (but I bet you already knew that).

[wondersonic]

Turn volume down when recording for better quality sound, otherwise it sounds worse than TF 1.

Already done (and you can note that it is better than on my first videos) but I'll again decrease it next time.

Nice laser beams too, they dont look particularly threatening though since they dont seem to be aiming at you but at randomised positions.

Thanks, indeed on the "under progress" video but it is now aiming at you

If possible, how about doing it like TF4's Air Raid stage with the mounted guns that lock a cursor onto your ship and shoot?

I thought about it but there will not have lock cursor (this doesn't fit with the effect I wish to have), in a next level surely.

Scoring system I dont quite understand, though I've never played Radiant Silvergun, and its not like original Thunderforce games had anything specific beyond the overweapon abuse for x16 bonus in V and VI. Could you explain this in more detail?

This is a kind of bonus for the fist level. As I found it boring (over played it), I added this. The benefits are:
- you can increase score faster
- and thus win an extra live (every 200,000 points)
- play this first level in a different way after unlocking this mode

Also, tried 0.11 - the transition effect still hasn't been fixed on Mac OS X. Besides that,the Ship Select in config doesn't work (but I bet you already knew that).

About ship select, I hardcoded it for the 2 first levels. I use it though while debugging scenes (a level can have several scenes).

About the transition effect, I suspect the openal drivers to not react as on windows. I'll try a patch for mac os in v0.12.

[Ixranin]

Scoring system I dont quite understand, though I've never played Radiant Silvergun, and its not like original Thunderforce games had anything specific beyond the overweapon abuse for x16 bonus in V and VI. Could you explain this in more detail?

Radiant Silvergun involved chaining enemies of the same color, which was necessary to power-up your weapons. It looks like wondersonic demonstrates this through chaining the green asteroids to get a 1-up.

Those laser beams do look nice. Not sure about the rest though, since I've never played Thunderforce to know the style you're aiming for.

[wondersonic]

Scoring system I dont quite understand, though I've never played Radiant Silvergun, and its not like original Thunderforce games had anything specific beyond the overweapon abuse for x16 bonus in V and VI. Could you explain this in more detail?

Radiant Silvergun involved chaining enemies of the same color, which was necessary to power-up your weapons. It looks like wondersonic demonstrates this through chaining the green asteroids to get a 1-up.

Taht's it

Those laser beams do look nice. Not sure about the rest though, since I've never played Thunderforce to know the style you're aiming for.

Thanks. I continue to implement a cool visual effects and after that I'll start my first boss scene.

Regarding the style, it should be close enough to a tf but with new add-ons.

Today, I've been working on game flow since I received some complaints about resolution/prites size and speed and I've almost finished this part (hopefully, I've got only 2 levels to work on currently ).

[BPzeBanshee]

This is a kind of bonus for the fist level. As I found it boring (over played it), I added this. The benefits are:
- you can increase score faster
- and thus win an extra live (every 200,000 points)
- play this first level in a different way after unlocking this mode

Unlocking? That's why you get the half dozen golden asteroids in the video right?

I can see the logic behind it, good thinking actually - by having such a mode you set yourself up to be more prepared for the next stage. Bit weird having the "goldern assteroiid" voice happen every time you hit one though. If you need, I could try and actually make a sound effect to replace that if you agree with me that a distinctive sound would be better.

Now, about the OpenAL drivers. They're the ones in the tf4r's native folder right? Maybe it's just a simple matter of updating it or something?
[edited out, my theory didnt work]
I installed OpenAL properly for Mac OS X and I still got the transition problem. And Software Update tells me I have everything up to date. Odd.

Also, had a problem with Linux testing (your script files for OSX/Linux STILL dont work by the way), and Windows on the legacy machine is completely screwed to the point of MS-DOS not having any commands so I cant test for performace. Could you by any chance have a debug mode implemented so frame rate and time display on earlier versions can be toggled on? That was my primary method of figuring out how well the game works.

[wondersonic]

This is a kind of bonus for the fist level. As I found it boring (over played it), I added this. The benefits are:
- you can increase score faster
- and thus win an extra live (every 200,000 points)
- play this first level in a different way after unlocking this mode

Unlocking? That's why you get the half dozen golden asteroids in the video right?

I can see the logic behind it, good thinking actually - by having such a mode you set yourself up to be more prepared for the next stage.

Indeed

Bit weird having the "goldern assteroiid" voice happen every time you hit one though. If you need, I could try and actually make a sound effect to replace that if you agree with me that a distinctive sound would be better.

You are right. In fact I'm using a "text to speech" converter that produced this noisy voice. This is good for long text to render since
the size of the game levels is not related to the length of the speech. However even old genesis sound effects are better
Moreover the rendering of the voice is not possible in parallel thus producing strange behaviors. So yes please if you have ideas, I'm agree

Now, about the OpenAL drivers. They're the ones in the tf4r's native folder right?

Yes

Maybe it's just a simple matter of updating it or something?
[edited out, my theory didnt work]
I installed OpenAL properly for Mac OS X and I still got the transition problem. And Software Update tells me I have everything up to date. Odd.

In theory yes, you have to overwrite the existing ones in native directory (I did that to test an other implementation on windows).

If it fails to solve the problem then either the existing Open AL versions are bugged either there is a bug in the windows version (and I adapted my code to it). But the patch for v0.12 will be available soon.

Also, had a problem with Linux testing (your script files for OSX/Linux STILL dont work by the way), and Windows on the legacy machine is completely screwed to the point of MS-DOS not having any commands so I cant test for performace. Could you by any chance have a debug mode implemented so frame rate and time display on earlier versions can be toggled on? That was my primary method of figuring out how well the game works.

Please write me a PM with the right commans since I don't understand what is the problem (I thought I reduced your versions to its minimum).

BTW, F1 is the key you have to hit to enter into DEBUG mode

[wondersonic]

2 new screenshots:

1/ test of second level boss up-scaling



Which looks the best (normal or up-scaled)?

note: this screenshot was taken before general "up-scaling" review

2/ mega laser beam + up-scaled Styx

[wondersonic]

New video of the upcoming v0.12

[BPzeBanshee]

Dear God, you put in Stargates. How about a deadly wormhole effect coming out of it to potentially kill the player?

I understand what some people have complained about (the trolls) regarding sprite size versus the screen but frankly I'm not so sure upscaling is the answer. The Orn ship looks much better at its original size, and so does the Styx, though I'm not sure how this will affect gameplay now that it's become bigger (I'll have to play it myself so I notice).

The tunnels look like they've got more stuff in it, but I don't know what you've done with the Styx in its size/speed proportion so I guess I'll just have to play it when it comes out.

One last thing - medium-sized enemies. Maybe less of the popcorn ones and a few more medium-sized ones from TF2 to give the old piratey tech feel.

[wondersonic]

Dear God, you put in Stargates.

Of course
Is there an other way to travel in space?

How about a deadly wormhole effect coming out of it to potentially kill the player?

The fact is that the space portal already destroyed the pirats asteroid headquarter! This is a direct entrance to the Galaxy Federation place so it is guarded seriously!

I understand what some people have complained about (the trolls) regarding sprite size versus the screen but frankly I'm not so sure upscaling is the answer. The Orn ship looks much better at its original size, and so does the Styx, though I'm not sure how this will affect gameplay now that it's become bigger (I'll have to play it myself so I notice).

Indeed, play it first. In fact up-scaling is necessary since TF4 was made for a low resolution (320x192) but some (including mine) modern graphic cards can't support 320x240... Hopefully, I now use RotSprite
for the ships.

The tunnels look like they've got more stuff in it, but I don't know what you've done with the Styx in its size/speed proportion so I guess I'll just have to play it when it comes out.

Again yes. I must admit that the game is more intense like that.

One last thing - medium-sized enemies. Maybe less of the popcorn ones and a few more medium-sized ones from TF2 to give the old piratey tech feel.

I'm working on that

[wondersonic]

Version 0.12 available

Firstly some remarks:
I would like to inform you that starting with this version, the game will use up-scaled sprites and I really would like your feedback about it

Release notes:
General
- added patch (to be tested) for music statistics gathering on MAC OS (BPzeBanshee, this is for you)
- added one up management
- reduced normal levels max speed
- up-scaled sprites (ships and player weapons)
- corrected major timing bug in generators manager
- added 3D OBJ/MTL loading
- added new game property (quickexit)
- tons of bugs corrected
Level 1
- added scoring system
Level 2
- added pirats HQ laser (inspired from Captain Harlock)
- added screen earthquake effect
- corrected up/down scroll limits for corridors
- added mega laser beam; trown by the space portal (thanks to ocmpadm0!!!)
- added shockwave visual effect
- added space portal (looking like stargates omg)
WIP
- add new enemies to level 2
- implement scoring system for second level (chaining)
- implement boss battle (2nd level)
- learn how to implement clouds in realtime with opengl (for 3rd level........)


Cheers,
WS

[BPzeBanshee]

Problem 1: Styx always dies at the last block before leaving the tunnels because the Sever alone isnt powerful enough to blow up the stupid door. I noticed you had TF3-style CLAWs before as an upgrade, maybe just replace the block with that upgrade and make the corridor a little shorter after the closing doors bit to make up?....or just make the door more easier to kill.
I vote for CLAWs and Sever so that the next phase of the stage is easier because at the moment it's just too easy thanks to the popcorn flood and the impossible tunnels to lose all your lives without getting ANYWHERE in the stage. It seemed easier for you having the CLAWs, having both upgrades should in theory be sufficient without having to make balancing changes.

Problem 2:

This was on Mac OS X side - on Windows it looked like a normal Stargate. Oh, and the transition problems are fixed, thanks for that.

Problem 3:
Why is the Orn boss so huge? It looks terrible (Styx doesn't exactly look great either but that's not so bad, the escape capsule is allright...but come on). Also, I dont quite understand - you're saying the Stargate sent that big huge beam at the asteroid? I certainly didn't get that impression, I thought it was meant to come from the Orn ship. Finally, what's the little thing that comes out of the asteroid at the beginning? If that's meant to be the Orn ship you picked the wrong sprite.
To give the proper impression I recommend the Stargate kill off the boss with the same beam somehow - this is the method used to show that Faust destroyed its own Orn Carrier and the fleet of Styx ships in TF 4. Watch the stage 5 video and you'll see what I mean.

[wondersonic]

Problem 1: Styx always dies at the last block before leaving the tunnels because the Sever alone isnt powerful enough to blow up the stupid door. I noticed you had TF3-style CLAWs before as an upgrade, maybe just replace the block with that upgrade and make the corridor a little shorter after the closing doors bit to make up?....or just make the door more easier to kill.

Ok, I'll perform new tests

I vote for CLAWs and Sever so that the next phase of the stage is easier because at the moment it's just too easy thanks to the popcorn flood and the impossible tunnels to lose all your lives without getting ANYWHERE in the stage. It seemed easier for you having the CLAWs, having both upgrades should in theory be sufficient without having to make balancing changes.

And of course, this will be the door life to adjust

Only one upgrade will be available in the corridors. Now getting the CLAWs (or CRAWs but I prefer CLAWs ) is harder than getting Sever. And yes if you don't get any weapon then you are sure to loose one live!

Problem 2:
screenshot
This was on Mac OS X side - on Windows it looked like a normal Stargate.

I just encountered the very same issue on windows. In fact this is more related to opengl stuffs (display-lists here). I'm working on it but for me I suspect a driver issue

Oh, and the transition problems are fixed, thanks for that.

Great!

Problem 3:
Why is the Orn boss so huge? It looks terrible (Styx doesn't exactly look great either but that's not so bad, the escape capsule is allright...but come on).

This was just a test, and now it is 2x smaller

Also, I dont quite understand - you're saying the Stargate sent that big huge beam at the asteroid? I certainly didn't get that impression, I thought it was meant to come from the Orn ship.

hmmm, and what could I do so that you get "my impression"?

Finally, what's the little thing that comes out of the asteroid at the beginning? If that's meant to be the Orn ship you picked the wrong sprite.

Not at all Glad you noticed it, it's more something for the "possible to come adventure mode" or something just to make you wonder what it is

To give the proper impression I recommend the Stargate kill off the boss with the same beam somehow - this is the method used to show that Faust destroyed its own Orn Carrier and the fleet of Styx ships in TF 4. Watch the stage 5 video and you'll see what I mean.

I know well this part But here this won't work. This is a GF space portal and its usage must be protected at all prices! Thus it can not destroy its guardian

But you can go on with proposals (I like to exchange ideas like that)

[BPzeBanshee]

And of course, this will be the door life to adjust

Only one upgrade will be available in the corridors. Now getting the CLAWs (or CRAWs but I prefer CLAWs ) is harder than getting Sever. And yes if you don't get any weapon then you are sure to loose one live!

So it IS still possible to get the CLAWs (I prefer the technical term as CLAW prior to RVR-xxx tech, then CRAW for the RVR's pods since they're of completely different design altogether) in the corridor but you have to take the more difficult direction?
If so, the other weapon will become available later down the path depending on how you survived with which weapon right?

I just encountered the very same issue on windows. In fact this is more related to opengl stuffs (display-lists here). I'm working on it but for me I suspect a driver issue

Well surely that can't be right - the asteroids are done in OpenGL arent they? I've never seen them go funky distorted red.

This was just a test, and now it is 2x smaller

So it's original size now ala TF4?

hmmm, and what could I do so that you get "my impression"?

Well by referencing the Stage 5 piece you notice that Faust uses the same weapon it uses to kill off the Orn Carrier on the Styx Fleet. Using this technique it becomes apparent that Faust wrecked the Orn Carrier. If it had not used the weapon and used something else one would get the impression problem I have with this game now.
Thus my suggestion for the Stargate blowing up something else in the boss scene would do the trick. But....

I know well this part But here this won't work. This is a GF space portal and its usage must be protected at all prices! Thus it can not destroy its guardian
But you can go on with proposals (I like to exchange ideas like that)

...this. You're saying the boss is the guardian of that? That can't be right, it's Orn tech, not even Galaxy Federation itself! Not to mention it already got wrecked in TF4 twice (including intro ).
Back on the impression trick, one thing that could happen would be for the boss to do something similar to what Faust does in Stage 10 of TF4 and ducks below while the Stargate itself sends the beam forward.

One last thing - are you actually meant to do anything once you beat the boss as of v0.12? I ran into it and it shuts on me, making me explode and gives me Game Over. Sitting around and doing nothing resulted in the theme looping over with the Omake 5 theme playing behind it at the same time.

[wondersonic]

And of course, this will be the door life to adjust

Only one upgrade will be available in the corridors. Now getting the CLAWs (or CRAWs but I prefer CLAWs ) is harder than getting Sever. And yes if you don't get any weapon then you are sure to loose one live!

So it IS still possible to get the CLAWs (I prefer the technical term as CLAW prior to RVR-xxx tech, then CRAW for the RVR's pods since they're of completely different design altogether) in the corridor but you have to take the more difficult direction?

Exactly

If so, the other weapon will become available later down the path depending on how you survived with which weapon right?

Not exactly, there are n paths to the exit, one of them only has the claws the other have the sever laser.

I just encountered the very same issue on windows. In fact this is more related to opengl stuffs (display-lists here). I'm working on it but for me I suspect a driver issue

Well surely that can't be right - the asteroids are done in OpenGL arent they? I've never seen them go funky distorted red.

Hmmm, you miss one point

Although the asteroids as all other sprites are rendered by opengl they are just 2D textures smoothly animated whereas the space portal is the very first 3D object rendered which explains that bug.

However the bug is now solved

This was just a test, and now it is 2x smaller

So it's original size now ala TF4?

Yes

hmmm, and what could I do so that you get "my impression"?

Well by referencing the Stage 5 piece you notice that Faust uses the same weapon it uses to kill off the Orn Carrier on the Styx Fleet. Using this technique it becomes apparent that Faust wrecked the Orn Carrier. If it had not used the weapon and used something else one would get the impression problem I have with this game now.
Thus my suggestion for the Stargate blowing up something else in the boss scene would do the trick. But....

I know well this part But here this won't work. This is a GF space portal and its usage must be protected at all prices! Thus it can not destroy its guardian
But you can go on with proposals (I like to exchange ideas like that)

...this. You're saying the boss is the guardian of that? That can't be right, it's Orn tech, not even Galaxy Federation itself! Not to mention it already got wrecked in TF4 twice (including intro ).
Back on the impression trick, one thing that could happen would be for the boss to do something similar to what Faust does in Stage 10 of TF4 and ducks below while the Stargate itself sends the beam forward.

You join me on this. I'll don't say anything until next video. I hope you'll be happily surprised

But this is a spin-off so here this is not Orn nor GF technology This is just a guardian programmed by its owner

One last thing - are you actually meant to do anything once you beat the boss as of v0.12? I ran into it and it shuts on me, making me explode and gives me Game Over. Sitting around and doing nothing resulted in the theme looping over with the Omake 5 theme playing behind it at the same time.

So far, you reached the end of level 2. And yes there is currently nothing to do more. You'll have to wait next release

Thanks for your feedback!

[Alec44]

Keep up the good work !

Your upscaled sprite stuff looks good !
And it starts to look like thnderforce 4 !