Looks really good! This file is quite large but it seems worth the wait. Have you tried using UPX file compression utility? It can usually crunch down .exe files losslessly.
I'm going to DL and give you feedback. I too know how frusterating it is to get enough feedback.
EDIT
I really like the game. Normally I don't like arena shmups much but this is very well presented. The addition of the lazer ships really forces the player to stay on guard. It was nice that you put in little details like the paralax starfields and also enemys banking into turns.
Some of the best shmups don't actually end in a vowel.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
The game is fun and it looks good, but the enemies are graphically and functionally incoherent:
- The bullet shooters require precise tap dodging, the laser shooters require running away; both types of dodging can have their place in the same game, but not simultaneously!
- The snakes are mostly harmless, other enemies are quite dangerous.
- The small arena is crowded in completely random ways; predictable attack waves and movement patterns would be equally hard but more fun.
Not being able to see the whole arena is irritating, as many enemies have to be shot blindly while they are offscreen. A few months ago I suggested scaling down and letterboxing the "reference" screen; panning, as currently implemented, is highly impractical.
Last edited by Ixmucane on Sun Sep 28, 2008 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pixel_Outlaw wrote:The first link seems to contain the corrupted file.
The second worked fine.
Also as a side note UPX file compressor will also ruin the .exe. I assume you made this with Game Maker?
Yeah, Game Maker executables are already compressed so UPX doesn't like them. Anyway, most of the file size are .png images which can't be compressed any more.
"A game isn't bad because you resent it. A game is bad because it's shitty."
How bout lock on "Z-Targeting" similar to Zelda? Have you played Zelda at all? In an arena shmup, Z targeting may come in handy (i.e. lock on then always facing your target, allows cirlce strafe while always facing target)
As for controls gamepad should be fine, or mouse. I notice a lot of shmups / shmup clones (at least shareware ones) are using mouse nowadays.
Also check shareware implentations of controls for ideas, here's one I recently checked out.
w00ts wrote:How bout lock on "Z-Targeting" similar to Zelda? Have you played Zelda at all? In an arena shmup, Z targeting may come in handy (i.e. lock on then always facing your target, allows cirlce strafe while always facing target)
As for controls gamepad should be fine, or mouse. I notice a lot of shmups / shmup clones (at least shareware ones) are using mouse nowadays.
Also check shareware implentations of controls for ideas, here's one I recently checked out.
There may be others but I am not aware of any arena ones outside of ... geometry wars I think it was?
Actually, there was lock-on system in early versions, however it ended up doing more harm than good (you have to to attack groups rather than individual enemies to get anywhere in this game). As for mouse aiming, it's there, but it's really just a backup in case you don't have a gamepad.
"A game isn't bad because you resent it. A game is bad because it's shitty."
w00ts wrote:How bout lock on "Z-Targeting" similar to Zelda? Have you played Zelda at all? In an arena shmup, Z targeting may come in handy (i.e. lock on then always facing your target, allows cirlce strafe while always facing target)
As for controls gamepad should be fine, or mouse. I notice a lot of shmups / shmup clones (at least shareware ones) are using mouse nowadays.
Also check shareware implementations of controls for ideas, here's one I recently checked out.
There may be others but I am not aware of any arena ones outside of ... geometry wars I think it was?
Actually, there was lock-on system in early versions, however it ended up doing more harm than good (you have to to attack groups rather than individual enemies to get anywhere in this game). As for mouse aiming, it's there, but it's really just a backup in case you don't have a gamepad.
I just figured a decent mouse implementation would be good since everyone has a mouse. Even Space sims have begrudgingly caved to the use of the mouse for navigation, etc, over the more complicated joystick. They both have their place... just that mouse is good for newbs and those without a joystick. Plus it doesn't require anyone to purchase any extra controllers, since everyone has one!
As for Z targetting, it's too bad the lock on didn't work out, I'm wondering though if you could do strafing techniques? That would be pretty cool... can you turn the ship and move at the same time? (i.e. be moving in one direction and facing another?) kind of like a turret?
I've always wondered what a shmup would have been like being able to have independent turrets on your ship capable of steering them (pointing them in a particular direction). Ever since Gradius V's intro of the aiming laser, I got hooked on the concept of aimed cannons
I cannot dl the games from the original links you posted, nor the ones below... there's got to be a better site to upload it to with better speed. I got something like 49mins for 16Megs... on the original one in your first post... :O
