Steam and Metal

[AvrDragon]

UPD: Game is on steam greenlight now.



Hi, i am making a shmup Steam and Metal. It is a vertical steam punk pixelart shmup. This project is not commercial, but probably will be published on XBLIG. So far the first and second levels are done. Four more are in progress. I would be glad to hear what you think about it:3 I also am will be very happy, if somebody playtests the demo, because i not really sure whether the difficulty is right.





Gameplay video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... S3eto10-B0

Demo — level 1 & 2:
http://steam-and-metal.org/Steam%20and%20Metal.zip

(unfortunately you need .Net Framework 4.0 and Xna Redist 4.0 to run this demo.)

[Topshmups]

First off really like the graphic style you have gone for. However the movement of you ship is almost impossible to keep control of as it keeps on moving when you take your finger off any of the movement keys and this is a big no no in a shmup. Fix that and you have a pretty good game on your hands.

[AvrDragon]

>First off really like the graphic style you have gone for
thank you:3

>this is a big no no
.....hmm, actually this is done to make shmup a little bit harder, and it IS POSSIBLE to go through this two levels. However i did't see this "feature" in other shmups. But why are you so categoric about it?

[ZacharyB]

If you gave the constant motion meaning, it would become interesting. For example, increase the score exponentially for as long as the person does not change direction.

[BPzeBanshee]

>this is a big no no
.....hmm, actually this is done to make shmup a little bit harder, and it IS POSSIBLE to go through this two levels. However i did't see this "feature" in other shmups. But why are you so categoric about it?

Gimping the controls are not a feature for increasing difficulty, but an irritance to the player. If you're going to implement anything close I suggest taking a look at Hyper Duel, where you get more score from standing still than by moving.

[mjclark]

If you gave the constant motion meaning, it would become interesting. For example, increase the score exponentially for as long as the person does not change direction.

That would be an interesting mechanic in theory but probably very irritating for it is a truth universally acknowledged that inertia in shmups is a dreadful game-spoiling idea.
This does look rather good in other respects though so looking forward to further developements eh?

[renardqueenston]

echoing that i like what you have going on, it has a nice classic feel to it without being too "retro pandering", but also echoing that the controls need adjustment. BPzeBanshee put it best. find other ways to make the game hard that the player actually has control over. don't force them to run on ice wearing fish on their feet!

[AvrDragon]

Trying to make a better level design i captured some game-mechanics videos. It would be interesting for me to hear what you think about such level design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwBvR_2jEIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfYTidc-1Mo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHmpsZkYzlY

P.S. I thnik inertia was really a bad idia, so i just kicked it out. Here is a demo without it. May be i revive acceleration for ship, but anyway it must stop immediately.

[tiaoferreira]

Great job, man! I was planning build a game with this theme, "steampunk". I made some ilustrations to guide my GDD, but I'm concentrating my efforts in the game PIXEL FIGHTERS, I need to finish it, I'm working on it since 2009, ahhaha!

This is one example of artwork for steampunk shmup:

MSN tool:


The same battleship, in canson paper + pen + watercolor:


Is very funny to draw steampunk machines.

[ShmupSamurai]

Is very funny to draw steampunk machines.

I think we all can agree on that- 'cause nothing says "STEAMPUNK!!!" like a giant-ass metal balloon with fifty propellers, steel wings, covered with ack-ack guns and ball cannons staring you in the face.

[Cellinaire]

Is very funny to draw steampunk machines.

I think we all can agree on that- 'cause nothing says "STEAMPUNK!!!" like a giant-ass metal balloon with fifty propellers, steel wings, covered with ack-ack guns and ball cannons staring you in the face.

Then you two guys must play 'The Great Ragtime Show'

Simply one of the best 'steampunk' themed game ever released in this industry.

[AvrDragon]

nice sketches

Is very funny to draw steampunk machines.

yeah!!! absolutely

Then you two guys must play 'The Great Ragtime Show'
Simply one of the best 'steampunk' themed game ever released in this industry.

Hey, thank you. Much like "Steel Empire".

[tiaoferreira]

STEEL EMPIRE and RED BARREL are the best, to me.

[AvrDragon]

Steam and Metal is released on XBOX360.
Now i am planning go to Steam Greenlight, Desura + make a paper version of the game.
http://catalog.create.msdn.com/en-US/Ga ... 520&type=2

Here is teaser with gameplay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBBcVRnZDow

And that's box artf from genzoman. I am his fan:)
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Stea ... -421031437

[railslave]

Thats too good !!!

[tiaoferreira]

Well, a few of MERCHANDISING, heheh!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[brokenhalo]

very cool game. i really like the steampunk aesthetic, the stages feel very fresh, the bosses are cool, and the story is decent. only two minor suggestions so far.

1. in the stage 3 boss fight, the enemy bullets tend to blend into the background a little too well. the snowflake effect seems to be the main culprit imo.
2 the charge missile doesn't seem very effective. the bosses aren't really all that difficult on normal, so speedkilling them doesn't seem very important. maybe change it so that you charge up and then release to activate a wide shot so you can take down greater numbers of enemies. this would allow the missiles to be used more for score. or maybe i'm totally missing something with the missiles.

i definitely plan on spending more time with this game.

oh, and maybe make a thread for the game in shmups chat and the hi-score section. the only reason i found this thread is because i did a search for it. i don't think many people check the dev forum that much on here.

Edit: ignore what i said about the snow making the bullets hard to see. Once you know what to look for it's not so bad.

[brokenhalo]

Put in a credit after work and got the 1cc. My score was 940,xxx with 3 lives remaining. a few things to add:

1. Add a high score screen. Add a "view high scores" option at the main menu. Maybe add the ability to enter your initials like in the arcade. Showing things like max combo is nice too.
2. Counterstop might be an issue if your score maxes out at 999,999. Maybe add a digit to the score counter.
3. A clear bonus for remaining lives/bombs would be nice. Maybe 10,000 per remaining life, and 5,000 per bomb.

One thing i really like was the bonus popping up for killing all the camels on the desert stage. Are there more tricks like this in the game?

[AvrDragon]

Thats too good !!!

Well, a few of MERCHANDISING, heheh!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

thank you

[AvrDragon]

2 the charge missile doesn't seem very effective....

Oh, thank you for critique and suggestions.
Yes, missles are not very strong. May be i should make them more effective. Problem - if they pretty effective for bosses, they will kill any "big" enemy in one touch. Not what i really want.

1. Add a high score screen. Add a "view high scores" option at the main menu. Maybe add the ability to enter your initials like in the arcade. Showing things like max combo is nice too.

Good point. I am making PC version now, so it's easy to implement and good feature.

2. Counterstop might be an issue if your score maxes out at 999,999. Maybe add a digit to the score counter.

Indeed. But may be players feel good that they earn SO MUCH POINTS that game is not capable to show them properly. (That's what i thought). But i am not sure, whether it is possible to achive 1.000.000. May be with right "killing spree" bonus on hard...

3. A clear bonus for remaining lives/bombs would be nice. Maybe 10,000 per remaining life, and 5,000 per bomb.

Hm...i should check it. Actually after level in score screen there is a clear bonus for that.

One thing i really like was the bonus popping up for killing all the camels on the desert stage. Are there more tricks like this in the game?

Try to shoot in a switch AFTER killing boss 2 (mantis)

I am happy to see you enjoy playing my game =)

[AvrDragon]

Btw: i just rewritten a pitch text, but i am not native english speaker. If some native speaker would check it, i would be really gratefull.

Steam and Metal
Welcome at the helm! Steam and Metal - scroll shooter in the steampunk world. Hordes of steam enemies and huge bosses waiting to be destroyed. Spectacular levels of handcrafted pixels waiting to pass through them. Soundrels have killed professor and stole his blueprints. Only his brave daughter on experemental steamdriven aircraft is able to avenge her father's death. When there is too much enemies - just shoot 'em all up!
http://steam-and-metal.org/

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Btw: i just rewritten a pitch text, but i am not native english speaker. If some native speaker would check it, i would be really gratefull.

From a non-native English speaker it's perfectly understandable aside from a few grammatical/spelling quirks here and there. Engrish adds to the charm of a lot of shmups after all. :p Anyways, here's a quickly polished edit:

Welcome to the helm of Steam and Metal, a scrolling shooter in a steampunk world. Hordes of steam enemies and huge bosses are waiting to be destroyed. Spectacular levels made of handcrafted pixel art await! Scoundrels have killed the professor and stolen his blueprints. Only his brave daughter, piloting an experimental steam-driven aircraft, is able to avenge her father's death. When there are too many enemies - just shoot 'em all up! - See more at: http://steam-and-metal.org/

[AvrDragon]

Btw: i just rewritten a pitch text, but i am not native english speaker. If some native speaker would check it, i would be really gratefull.

From a non-native English speaker it's perfectly understandable aside from a few grammatical/spelling quirks here and there. Engrish adds to the charm of a lot of shmups after all. :p Anyways, here's a quickly polished edit:

Welcome to the helm of Steam and Metal, a scrolling shooter in a steampunk world. Hordes of steam enemies and huge bosses are waiting to be destroyed. Spectacular levels made of handcrafted pixel art await! Scoundrels have killed the professor and stolen his blueprints. Only his brave daughter, piloting an experimental steam-driven aircraft, is able to avenge her father's death. When there are too many enemies - just shoot 'em all up! - See more at: http://steam-and-metal.org/

Thank you very much. Sounds much better!
I think i can find native speaker on fiverr=)

[BulletMagnet]

Picked this up on Desura the other day, a few thoughts if the developer still follows this:

- Like the art style overall, it's not outlandish but still manages to stand out from most other shooters. Also runs without problems even on my not-so-impressive laptop.

- Movement speed feels good, something of an accomplishment when no speed adjusters are included. Stage length and hitbox size also feel just about right.

- Had trouble picking out some enemy bullets and foreground elements; I can understand the desire to make them "low-key" enough to fit in with the rest of the art, but at least including a "garish flashing neon pink" option would still be appreciated.

- I can also understand challenging players to conserve their missiles for a bonus, but they're really the only gameplay element here aside from basic moving and shooting; keeping things simple is fine, but IMO the game feels rather empty when all you've got is your main gun. As a previous poster said, some means of expending missiles under certain circumstances to boost score would spice things up some.

- The "accuracy" bonus also feels a bit under-baked, as this doesn't really feel like a game where you should be carefully picking off targets with single shots, especially when paired with the chaining mechanic, which challenges you to clear out crowds really fast.

- The text is understandable, but definitely needs some cleanup, as there are quite a few errors sprinkled throughout, both in-game and in-menu.

- Separate scoreboards for different difficulties would also be nice, as would a more detailed breakdown of precisely what elements contribute to your overall stage grade.

All in all certainly not a bad pickup for three bucks, though I think it could be built on considerably.

[AvrDragon]

Hi, thank you for kind words and reasonable critique. The development is at it's last phase, but if some features are not too hard to implement, why not.

Had trouble picking out some enemy bullets and foreground elements

Actually i had this issue on TODO list as done. You can adjust the darkness of background in options, If it is set to really dark, the bullets are seen pretty well. But of course many players will not even find this option. Btw: you can switch it "on the fly". heh

But adjust HUE and SATURATION in photoshoop with levels can really make a lot. Thank you for the point.

As a previous poster said, some means of expending missiles under certain circumstances to boost score would spice things up some.

Great idea actually. And is easy to implement too. I only need to define the "circumstances". May be enemies killed by missles x 1000. But then it's not so good for boss fights. Or may be damage done. But idea sounds just right.

...actually adding 3 other main weapons would be not bad too. But this means rebalance entire levels, what could be an big issue. Or making them only looks different, what is boring.

The "accuracy" bonus

Yes, may be i should just make score for that insignificant. It is just a fun-statistic bonus.

- The text is understandable, but definitely needs some cleanup, as there are quite a few errors sprinkled throughout, both in-game and in-menu.

It was originally translated from russian by non-native translator. Then checked by native translator. And then i got lots of corrections on some forums. Here too. But english still fails. I ...i just don't know how can i manage this. I suppose i just have no chance. All your base are belong to us. Or i should find REALLY good english translator. Not from fivvver.com :3

At the first time i wanted to make dialogs in funny old "noble" language. I can easily speak so in russian, but just have no idea about old english of victorian era. I hope you understand what i mean here.

But if you have something concrete here, i would be really grateful for some corrections.

- Separate scoreboards for different difficulties

Actually you should gain really more points on HARD then EASY. So i think one scoreboard is simple and fair.
Detailed breakdown sounds not bad. But then the table will be a little bit confusing. Or may be show detailed breakdown only for one entry, when mouse is over o like that. But idea is good.

Thank you for reasonable critique, i like critique I hope you have a fun with Steam and Metal.

[AvrDragon]

The game is on Stean Greenlight now, your vote can really help to bring it on steam.

[BulletMagnet]

You can adjust the darkness of background in options, If it is set to really dark, the bullets are seen pretty well. But of course many players will not even find this option.

I did set the background to dark, but certain elements still got lost; I understand that you don't want to unnecessarily diminish the art assets, but a bit more flexibility on this front would still, I think, be helpful to the game as a whole.

I only need to define the "circumstances".

One thing that a handful of shmups do with special weapons is make it so enemies killed with them give up more points/items/etc. (and sometimes their onscreen shots are cancelled into further bonuses), but that's just what came most easily to mind; I just found it odd that some baddies would surrender 4 or 5 missile refills when shot down, but the game encourages you not to use them at all. It feels more like you should risk using them constantly for higher scores instead of just saving them all for bosses and such, but as of now there's no reason to do otherwise.

I ...i just don't know how can i manage this.

I'm not a professional writer or anything, but I have a pretty good sense of grammar/spelling/etc...would it be possible for you to post/send the English script as it stands? I'm tempted to have a whack at it, since there's not a huge amount of text present...someone else would have to read it and judge if it's an improvement, though. I'm also not an expert in dialects, but I could make an attempt to add some silly/stodgy/outdated Victorian-ish stuff in there.

[AvrDragon]

but I could make an attempt to add some silly/stodgy/outdated Victorian-ish stuff in there.

This would be really nice!

Here is text from game

Intro/Ending: http://pastebin.com/87X17Eh5
Dialogs: http://pastebin.com/2EuTKwKD

I hope the formatting in C# is still readable:3

[BulletMagnet]

Okay, gave it my best shot:

http://pastebin.com/F7PdKWE7

You ought to have another English-speaker (or a few) give it a read and see what they think, though. I tried to leave the code stuff in, but some of it might have ended up deleted along the way.

[AvrDragon]

Okay, gave it my best shot:

http://pastebin.com/F7PdKWE7

You ought to have another English-speaker (or a few) give it a read and see what they think, though. I tried to leave the code stuff in, but some of it might have ended up deleted along the way.

Gadzooks! It's great. Thank you so much.
I did not really get it all, but i suppose it should sound more old-english for native speakers.

I need a little bit time to put it all back in game. Should i send you some gift-codes=)?