Syz EG for iPad: The first true multi-touch space shooter!

[TeamKrinoid]

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/syz-eg/id466950337

The game started as a senior project for Computer Science: Game Design majors at UC Santa Cruz.

We wanted to create a space shooter unlike any other on the iPad, and did this through three key features we thought were lacking in most touch-based space shooters: story, multi-touch controls, and innovative weapons.

After spending way more than the alloted class time working on the project, it became clear that it was more than a school project for the whole team. We wanted to develop our universe further and keep telling our story through the games we create. We now operate as an independent game studio based in Santa Cruz, CA. Look for our games coming to more platforms soon! We are hard at work at our next two games and plan to release on lots of platforms!


http://www.youtube.com/TeamKrinoid - Check out a trailer and 'Behind the Scenes' video of the development of Syz: EG!

The Interstellar Conclave and Fringe Republic are in a state of all out war. Utilizing never before seen multi-touch controls, command Captain Russel Porter and the unique abilities of his intrepid crew in order to snuff out the growing Fringe threat.
Team Krinoid presents Syz: EG, a space shooter unlike any other.

-Winner of Game of the Year at the first annual UC Santa Cruz Sammy Awards

INNOVATIVE MULTI-TOUCH CONTROLS
Team Krinoid's never before seen multi-touch control scheme gives the player maximum control by allowing independent aiming and navigation. Syz: EG is the only space shooter on the iPad to control this way!

COMMAND FIVE DISTINCT ABILITIES
Activate the ship's lasers, hacking, EMP, shields, and repair with the touch of a finger.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGES
The camera transitions between "Top Down" and "Side View" perspectives during levels, taking advantage of both classic space shooter styles!

TWO DIFFERENT GAME MODES
Play through the adventure in Story Mode, or aim for a high score in free play.

FULL VOICE CAST
Over 350 lines of recorded dialogue bring the story and characters to life!

EPISODIC NARRATIVE
In this first installment, Captain Porter and the crew of the Syzygy are sent on a routine mission to take down a Fringe Republic convoy, but a chance encounter with a Fringe Admiral quickly turns the mundane into the extraordinary.

FOLLOW TEAM KRINOID:
Http://teamkrinoid.com Http://twitter.com/teamkrinoid



Let us know what you think!

[RNGmaster]

"Space shooter"? Shields? Is this the euroshmup I think it is?

After watching the video, I can see that you're going in a nice direction, but please, just as a general note: do not make bullet patterns impossible to dodge and then compensate by adding shields. That reduces reliance on skill, which is never a good thing.

[zaphod]

Seconded. that is the cardinal sin of euroshmupping. TO be dead and not know it because you don't have enough shields for the next undodgeable pattern.

I'd go so far as to say that this is what bugs people about euroshmups most.

[RNGmaster]

There's a big problem with the art assets, too - everything is unanimated. All the sprites look just like solid blocks, the weapons are very plain (aside from the admittedly interesting hacking ray), and the bullets are very dull. Almost every good developer uses animated projectiles, except ZUN (and if you're emulating ZUN that's a whole 'nother problem).

[Despatche]

I thought everyone hated "animated projectiles" and hated ZUN for trying them?

[Mortificator]

the crew of the Syzygy

Crew of the szycag.

Haven't played your game yet, but I'm impressed at you starting a dev studio right out of the gate.

[the.borg]

ewww... EWWWW !
I'm sorry but I have nothing positive to say for this THING.
Everything is dull, uninspired. It reminds me of a poopy game, was it Thera ?

[ptoing]

I thought everyone hated "animated projectiles" and hated ZUN for trying them?

Huh? I think animated projectiles such as Cave uses add to visibility and are as such good.
Of course if you have bland backgrounds like in ZUN's games you hardly need anything to make the bullets stand out a bit more.

[Udderdude]

This feels like yet another spamvertisement where the dev posts his game with some point list of "features" and then fucks off, never to return, reply or read any feedback.

As for the game, the art style is awful and the game looks euroshmup as fuck, so whatever. Par for the course really.

[szycag]

the crew of the Syzygy

Crew of the szycag.

no relation. leave me out of this :p

So you created a game unlike any other, too bad you forgot to make it good. I'd rather play something derivative that had at least a modicum of design sense. This is everything wrong with indie games in one shit package.

[Udderdude]

I'd play a game where you fly the szycag. Maybe you can fight the nimitz .. >_>

[BulletMagnet]

I'd play a game where you fly the szycag. Maybe you can fight the nimitz .. >_>

Just avoid the "BulletMagnet" power-up.

[ptoing]

I'd play a game where you fly the szycag. Maybe you can fight the nimitz .. >_>

Just avoid the "BulletMagnet" power-up.

Now THAT would be an innovative challenge!

[RNGmaster]

This feels like yet another spamvertisement where the dev posts his game with some point list of "features" and then fucks off, never to return, reply or read any feedback.

As for the game, the art style is awful and the game looks euroshmup as fuck, so whatever. Par for the course really.

It's strange that they just leave and never even get butthurt. You'd think that, as developers, they'd be interested in hearing criticism from their intended audience, but apparently not. Oh well.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Quite frankly, if the feedback is of this kind of quality:

ewww... EWWWW !
I'm sorry but I have nothing positive to say for this THING.
Everything is dull, uninspired. It reminds me of a poopy game, was it Thera ?

then you can't really blame them.

[Skykid]

Something is very wrong here. A poor ipod shmup isn't uncommon - but when you have an office full of people working on it?

That makes no sense. There are plenty of guys out there who create solid ios games single handedly.

[Udderdude]

Well, it is the first ZOMG MULTI TOUCH SPACE SHOOTER. They probably need all those people just to play it. Maybe they can fire them all and hire an octopus as an intern instead. :P

[DJ Incompetent]

I don't have an iPad, but I would play this game for the good voice acting in-game banter alone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wUVObw7AJA

It has that Silpheed: The Lost Planet quality of yeah it's not a good game, but fuck it I'll pay to see where this is going.

the game doesn't even have a score counter.

[Jeneki]

If TeamKrinoid is just reading but not posting anymore, the topic you are looking for is here: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36231

[Avatar Ignis]

I'd rather play Thera

[Mortificator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wUVObw7AJA

I... probably should have watched that before posting even guarded praise.

[Skykid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wUVObw7AJA

I... probably should have watched that before posting even guarded praise.

God almighty.

Guys, I sincerely hope you can do something to rectify the game's glaring horribleness before release, otherwise it's destined for this thread.

[RNGmaster]

Muted after five seconds. And are you supposed to collect the bullets or dodge them? Either way, it's hard since your ship is so fat and slow.

All the weapons pretty much work the same too. "Touch one point, and an enemy explodes, but with a different animation" applies to everything you do. If you sacrifice playability just so you can experiment with multi-touch functions, you better make sure that the player can actually do something interesting using both fingers. As it is, well, it's just like a poor twin-stick shooter.

[Age of Kings]

I go to UCSC and am friends with a few game design majors there. I'll make sure they don't fuck up if any of them decide to make a shmup.

[stryc9]

Well, this looks awful, sounds awful, and by the sluggish movement of the ship it seems to be that it's gonna play awful too.

As for the co-pilot banter, I don't like people talking to me while I play shmups, so why I'd want a bunch of virtual ones nattering in my ear I don't know. Like shooting shit isn't good enough, no, we gotta shoehorn in some terrible story to sell it.

Think this is harsh? Fair enough if this is a cash grab at the kiddie market, but the fact you chose to show your wares in a place like this would seem to vindicate the notion that you really have no idea what you are doing.

You need to check out some real shmups.

I go to UCSC and am friends with a few game design majors there. I'll make sure they don't fuck up if any of them decide to make a shmup.

This is Euroshmups we're talking about here, please don't make promises you can't keep

[Nate]

I was looking at some "demo" vids of the actual gameplay and I have to say that the "concept" is fairly interesting. I mean, yeah it looks and sounds annoying, but I see these guys as "pioneers" in a way. The idea is definitely "workable", but the execution is a little off.

To TeamKrinoid:
I think an option of a "push" point located right behind the ship (glowing orange circle?) that you can touch to guide the ship, instead of the ship itself, might enhance the experience. I remember how annoying it was when i was a kid playing Atari and some other kid would put their hand over the screen to cover my player sprite so I would "die" faster; it reminds me of that and that's...not good at all.
Also, "physics" on the player-ship is just so extra stress on the brain! Don't do that! You want the ship to be like a "hummingbird" - and i don't mean the one in "Kolibri"...wikkle it.

I guess it's too late for "constructive criticism", but eh. I don't think it belongs in the "stinker-bin" yet. I would love to hear some more feedback here from those who have actually played the game. Heck, I may play it one day what the hell?

[Skykid]

Heck, I may play it one day what the hell?

Jailbreak.

[ptoing]

Paraphrased (pretty close) from the behind the scenes video: "In most space shooters you have a set healthbar and you have to pick up health along the way to rejuvenate it once you get hurt..."

This makes me think what kind of shmups you have played. It does not sound like you have played a lot of Japanese shmups at all, and mainly wester euroshmup fare. The likes of Raptor and Banshee, which are generally pretty bad designwise. I think you would have benefited to look at the overall shmup genre more.

[Zeether]

So you named your game after what Atari was originally going to be called. I wonder why a candle company hasn't sued you guys yet.

Also, the voice acting sounds like the guys in the Awesome Series Flash movies. I don't know if I should count that as praise or not. The whole game looks like it was banged out in Flash too.