Xeno Fighters R (2019 GM Studio Port)

[Skyknight]

I wonder if I can bribe you to remix Air Gallet and Blast Wind as well...

[NARFNra]

so it's B*t*l* B*k*a*d?

I should have you know that the original Xeno Fighters EX had "Terrible Object" from Battle Bakraid as the Jade Hydra boss theme.
Just found that out when I tried that game on MAME last month.

I have the original Xeno Fighters soundtrack. I downloaded the game before and it didn't work, so I deleted it but kept the soundtrack.

[emphatic]

I'm not remixing Battle Bakraid.

I'll have to listen to Air Gallet some more. I had the PCB, but gave up due to complete lack of understanding for the game.

[NARFNra]

I'm a dirty cheater

12/? ~ Strikers 1945 Plus ~ Psikyo/SNK
12/? ~ Change Air Blade ~ Sammy
10/14 ~ Strikers 1999 [Strikers 1945 III] ~ Psikyo
10/3 ~ Prehistoric Isle 2 ~ Yumekobo/SNK
7 / ? ~ Guwange ~ Cave/Atlus
5 / ? ~ Captain Tomaday ~ Visco/SNK
4/15 ~ Battle Bakraid ~ Raizing/Eighting/Able
3 / ? ~ Gigawing ~ Takumi/Capcom
3 / ? ~ Pilot Kids ~ Psikyo <-- designed for 24kHz display (medium res).
2 / ? ~ Gradius IV : Fukkatsu ~ Konami <-- designed for 24kHz display (medium res).
hack ~ 1945k III ~ Promat?/Oriental Soft <--copy+hack of Strikers 1999 ?

It's one of these... Gigawing?

[emphatic]

It's one of these...

[Skyknight]

I'm thinking either S1999 or Guwange.

[EddyMRA]

I have had many real-life obligations lately, which is why I have not provided updates lately.

I totally did not expect all this discussion about the customization of the music. We have already three released custom music packs, with a couple more in the works. Regarding this, I have some great news for custom music pack makers in future versions of XFEX-R.

I have implemented a new INI file that will store game options such as:
*The name of the music INI file to load (no longer do you have to save your custom music INI file as the same name used internally in the game).
*Music volume.
*Sound volume.
*Custom control key bindings that will be loaded on game startup (for those who do not play using a gamepad with a joystick-to-keyboard emulator).
*Auto-fire toggle.
*A frameskip setting, which will help make the game run faster on slower computers, but making the game more choppy.

Here's an example of what the audio section of the config INI file will look like:

Code: Select all

[Audio]
//Name of music soundtrack data file to load.
//Default: xfmusic.ini
//NOTE: INI file must reside in game folder!
MusicFile = xfmusic.ini

// Music and Sound Volume
// Range of values: 0 = Off, 100 = Full volume
MusicVol = 100
SoundVol = 100

Custom music pack makers can now save their custom INI files as whatever filename they want. All that needs to be done is to edit this new config INI and change the default name of the music INI to their own custom filename.

Finally, a tip for future custom music packs: you can put all of your custom music in a subfolder within the "music" folder so that your main "music" folder will not get cluttered with music if you use several custom music packs with the game. Simply put the full path to the music file in the INI. Example for emphatic's techno music pack, if placed in its own subfolder called "emphatic":

Code: Select all

[Stage3B]
Path   = music/emphatic/Man With No Name - Lunar Cycle (Original mix).ogg
Title  = Lunar Cycle (Original Mix)
Game   = Xeno Fighters EX-R (emphatic)
Artist = Man With No Name

[BPzeBanshee]

*Music volume.
*Sound volume.
*Custom control key bindings that will be loaded on game startup (for those who do not play using a gamepad with a joystick-to-keyboard emulator).
*Auto-fire toggle.
*A frameskip setting, which will help make the game run faster on slower computers, but making the game more choppy.

YES! Frameskip! Ive been meaning to ask you if a frameskip could be implemented for a while, you have my guarantee that your next release will be tested on a large range of PCs to see how well it works in Frameskip mode.
As for music and sound, is it possible for the game to amplify the volume if you set something higher than 100?

[EddyMRA]

As for music and sound, is it possible for the game to amplify the volume if you set something higher than 100?

That is unnecessary. I will rebalance all of the sound volumes, which is something I should have done from the beginning.

[emphatic]

This is grrrrreat news! If possible, it would be nice if you could hard code a fade of the music before boss fights (say 5 seconds) and give the .ini an "enable fade before boss fights" switch. Again, only if it's possible to do without too much work.

Very much looking forward to next release. How about that TATE mode?

[EddyMRA]

emphatic:

An option to fade the music should not be too hard to put in. TATE mode will be a late-game development idea, if it is even done at all. I know people here do TATE like clockwork, but it is a very low-priority feature at this point.

[emphatic]

emphatic:

An option to fade the music should not be too hard to put in. TATE mode will be a late-game development idea, if it is even done at all. I know people here do TATE like clockwork, but it is a very low-priority feature at this point.

Okay, I will stop nagging you for it. Faded tracks is very clever, since you can use very short tracks that loops seamlessly and your game pack will me much smaller with a lightweight music pack.

[NARFNra]

So, when can we expect to get this ini file?

Also, Emphatic, what do you think about my pack? Is it okay?

[EddyMRA]

It took me a while, but I've finally fixed the firing pattern of the Judge Spear's Vulcan Cannon. It now has a burst firing rate, just like in Raiden Fighters. Screenshots for the power levels of the improved Vulcan Cannon are below:



Coupled with the fixed Napalm Missile issue involving rapid-fire controllers, the Judge Spear is now 100% accurate to its Raiden Fighters incarnation, and significantly nerfed compared to v0.2 RC1.

[emphatic]

So, when can we expect to get this ini file?

Also, Emphatic, what do you think about my pack? Is it okay?

Haven't had any time to try it "live" in game yet, but I've listened to the tracks. Not really my cup of tea, but perhaps I change my mind when I try them in-game.

[NARFNra]

So, when can we expect to get this ini file?

Also, Emphatic, what do you think about my pack? Is it okay?

Haven't had any time to try it "live" in game yet, but I've listened to the tracks. Not really my cup of tea, but perhaps I change my mind when I try them in-game.

^^

Sorry about all this pickyness, but I haven't been able to test those files(My game is, as I have said, very slow) so I just wanted to know what it was like. I was thinking of using this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVhRD--xyeY) instead of the other version for the Jade Hydra battle. (no, it's not a rickroll)

[BPzeBanshee]

It took me a while, but I've finally fixed the firing pattern of the Judge Spear's Vulcan Cannon....Coupled with the fixed Napalm Missile issue involving rapid-fire controllers, the Judge Spear is now 100% accurate to its Raiden Fighters incarnation, and significantly nerfed compared to v0.2 RC1.

Alluro, you have made my day. Ever since my friends and I started playing XFEX-R we all felt something was different about the Judge Spear, and now that it's on a equal playing field with the other planes I really cant nitpick or complain about anything because there's nothing to nitpick about.

EDIT: On the subject of the Thunder Force pack, Im keeping it Thunder Force (so no Thunder Cross, sorry) and I need a little help for a decision. I have remixes of the Haides stage and the Gorgon stage from Thunder Force III and the Overclocked Remix version of Metal Squad (stage 8 ) from Thunder Force IV, as well as yet another Metal Squad remix that is more faithful to the original. Which one should I use?

[Skyknight]

I've run into a snag planning my songlist for this--trying to decide what to use for 3B. Two songs, both from Musha Aleste: "Galvanic Gear" (st. 2) and "Divine Devise" (st. 4). Why does it have to be such a nuisance to decide which song fits better...?

(I don't suppose any of you have opinions on which is the more suitable?)

The plan for the songlist, by the way, is this:

1. All shmup songs. Remixes are acceptable.
2. No single game gets to supply more than one song.

Granted that it's VERY rough, especially since some stages I have little to go on besides the location (i.e. the stages without an XFEX-original analog; especially nebulous for bosses), but here's what I'm planning (VERY subject to change once the appropriate full levels show up). I'll see if I can find a way to make .ogg archives.

St. 1: "Space High" (Vimana, st. 1), "Motorouin" (Progear, main boss theme)
St. 2: "Exceed" (Thunder Force II, st. 2-1), "King Bird" (Batsugun, boss 2)
St. 3A: "Deadline" (A-JAX, st. 4), theme of Karbert Armor (provisional name "Iron Tyrant"; 19XX, boss 3)
St. 3B: "Galvanic Gear" or "Divine Devise", "Evil Beast" (Elemental Master, earth realm boss)
St. 4A: "Water Front" (Sky Shark, st. 3), "Chop U!" (Armed Police Batrider, theme of Bazzcok and Boredom)
St. 4B: "All or Nothing" (Raiden II, st. 3, and Raiden IV, st. 5; just have to find the latter version...), "Molecular Clock" (Raystorm, bosses 6-7)
St. 5A: "Sadness in Your Eyes" (Fire Shark, st. 4 and 9), theme of Matoolor ("Gospel of Conquest"; Shienryu, boss 6)
St. 5B: "Dawn of Sorrow" (Raiden III, st. 3), "Dusky" (Last Resort, boss 4)
St. 6A: "Speed" (Salamander II, st. 5), "Chaos Oppression" (Mahou Daisakusen, boss 5)
St. 6B: "The Ritual" (Blast Wind, st. 3), "Totsuzen no Shuugeki" (ESP Garuda, main boss theme)
St. 7A: "Unknown Threat" (Viper Phase 1, st. 7), Dogyuun!'s boss theme ("Waking Nightmare")
St. 7B: "Battle Logic" (Battle Bakraid, st. 7), theme of Guardian's Knight ("Double Edge"; Thunder Force V, boss 4)
St. 8-1: "Wings of Darkness" (GRID Seeker, st. 7)
St. 8-2: "A Poisonous Snake" (remix by J.B.) (V-Five, st. 6), "Divided by Zero" (Shippuu Mahou Daisakusen, boss 6)
St. 9: Air Gallet st. 6 ("No Regrets"), "Hyper Duel" (Hyper Duel, final battle)

[BPzeBanshee]

Im biased for saying this, but if you have those MP3s you could make it your personal music mod, otherwise let Alluro pick for himself when he gets around to it.
As for that Level 3-B, Im having the same problem.

[NARFNra]

http://rapidshare.com/files/264707234/N ... I.zip.html

Revised version of my Gradius pack, now featuring music from Storm Assault and Salamander 2.

[EddyMRA]

Things have been slow on the development front lately. However, here's a small progress report:

*HUD optimization replacing a slower score font rendering algorithm with a faster one. The optimization produced a substantial increase in performance in the game on my four-year-old laptop: almost constant 60 fps in fullscreen even with a lot of action onscreen.
*General configuration INI file
*Large animated graphic images have now been externalized as animated GIFs. These include the bomber explosion graphics of the ships, which are loaded on call by the game. Externalizing these graphics resulted in a filesize decrease of 800KB, decreased RAM usage, and a faster game boot time. As time goes on, more graphics and even sounds will be externalized.
*Chain counter now pauses for 3 seconds upon the end of any chain, displaying the chain length and the score received during the chain. Before, when a chain ends, the chain display just vanishes. Additionally, the paused display slides off the screen ina smooth transition, as well as giving you a rating for your chain based on Killer Instinct's combo ratings (DOUBLE, TRIPLE, SUPER, HYPER, MASTER, etc.).
*The Judge Spear is now 100% accurate to its Raiden Fighters counterpart, with a proper burst-firing mechanism for its Vulcan Cannon (Laser powerup).
*Replaced the Sky Soldiers A-10 Thunderbolt enemy plane sprite in Stage 3-B with a more detailed Air Gallet A-10 Thunderbolt sprite.

[Twiddle]

can you make the combo text editable

I want to put the MVC2 combo ratings

[nZero]

Thanks for the update

as well as giving you a rating for your chain based on Killer Instinct's combo ratings (DOUBLE, TRIPLE, SUPER, HYPER, MASTER, etc.).

Oh man please give us the option of the voice sfx to go with the combo ratings

KIIIIIIING COMBO

[BPzeBanshee]

Faster optimisations? Excellent.
I've been testing this new Xeno Fighters EX-R with what I consider to be a unique variety of PCs. To put it simply:

- My mother's Mac runs the game at full-speed (top of the range as of July 2008, Intel-based Mac)
- My own PC in my room runs it badly (roughly 4 years old, 256 MB GeForce 5500 graphics, card gradually lags the game once you start playing)
- The "Dell Inspiron 1210 Mini" laptop is even worse despite being modern (odd integrated graphics card, same as above but even worse)
- My old PC that I had in my room (32 MB PCI graphics card, originally ran game at 80% but latest version does 60-70%, 40% and less using Lock-On Beam originally, now does 15-20%)

Eventually I may even try this game on my cousins PS3 via the Qemu/Xubuntu/"Other OS" installation trick, but Im expecting failure on this end too since the videos Ive seen of it running Windows XP seem to show it lagging just loading the system. My point is, hopefully with these new implementations I'll be able to run the game on older PCs and the PS3.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I finished making the Thunder Force music pack. I'll upload it tomorrow. It features music from Thunder Force IV, V and VI, all of them being either good original quality or remixes of the original tracks (also good). When I upload it I will also feature a music listing for those that wish to know what Ive put in without having to download first.

[EddyMRA]

Finally, the feature everyone has been clamoring for since the original XFEX:

Autofire option is now implemented.

It is set via the new general configuration INI file. It took me much trial-and-error to find an autofire system that worked, as well as it being able to be toggled off for those who want manual firing.

[NARFNra]

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS

[lapzod]

Oh my, this looks fantastic!

[BPzeBanshee]

Autofire option is now implemented.

-dies from sheer awesomeness-

[NARFNra]

So, when is the next release gonna come out? September 10?!?!?! FASTOR

Just kidding.

[Skyknight]

First, he needs to get a new stage and/or fighter ready (for stage, I get the feeling either 3-A or 5-B is next). THEN it'll be worth the candle to release.