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[nicked]

Gun Bastard

I've been updating a dev log here: http://create-games.com/project.asp?view=main&id=2107 but I figured this is a good place to put it as well. For exposure and that... I'll copy the posts from there and then update this one as progress is made.

Update 8th March 2011
    
Well the basic engine is complete. Here's what's in so far:

* Five levels for your gun - from a slow single shot, through rapid-fire bullets, up to a giant laser beam!
* Code for all the normal enemies - mostly biomechanical aliens with various different attacks. Graphics are in for most of them.
* One boss - the first, called Hand Bastard - a giant floating hand that can shoot lasers from it's central eye.
* Scrolling background graphics for the first three levels - set in the desert in and around a ruined city.
* Shiny explosion and bullet effects using alpha channels!
* Map screen for choosing from multiple routes through the game.

Yet to come:

* Actually setting up the scripted waves of enemies in each level.
* Hilarious cutscenes between each level that expand on the motivations of Gun Bastard and his nefarious enemies.
* Four more boss encounters.
* A few more miniboss enemies.
* Music and sound effects (retro-style of course!)
* Graphics for the remaining levels, including an overgrown jungle, a high-tech alien base, and even the moon!
* Ethereal powerups acquired after defeating each boss.
* Proper saving and menu system.

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Update 9th March 2011
    
* Added a system for loading pictures and dialogue in cutscenes. The text uses the Text Blitter object for retro charm.

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Update 10th March 2011
 
* Started to implement a summary box for after each level is complete that adds up the player's score etc. before continuing the game. Looks pretty rubbish though, so I'll probably rework it.
* Implemented about half the events for a giant gunship mid-level boss with rapid-fire cannons and a laser forcefield.
* Reworked the energy shields generated by one enemy to use Lens objects that distort the background, rather than active objects with an ink effect as before.
* Added a new kind of enemy (sans graphics for the moment) - a swarm of hundreds of little enemies that home in on the player.

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Update 11th March 2011
 
* Spent a lot of time experimenting, and a short time implementing, and now have a fully functional giant gunship that cycles through three attack types. It has two "arms", a central body, and a forcefield generated by the arms. Once one of the arms is destroyed, the forcefield collapses and the main body can be shot at. Next step - draw it. At the moment it's made up of coloured rectangles! 
* Tweaked the "Bastard" meter - this is a bar that increases with every on target shot. A combo counter in the background means you get higher score, and fill the Bastard meter quicker, the more accurate you are. At the moment it feels a bit too easy to fill it to maximum and activate the special attack...



Update 12th March 2011
 
* Drew up some graphics for the gunship boss. The fleshy pink stuff is made of pure weakspot!

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Update 13th March 2011
    
* Implemented new animations for Hand Bastard (the first boss), drawn by Simon. He now gets more and more visible damage as you fight! Also pictured - the view changes to flow up the screen when it's a boss fight, and the player can upgrade their gun all the way to a super laser.

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Update 14th March 2011

* Drew and finished implementing an enemy that creates a laser barrier to the playing field. It flies in from the right, dragging a laser with it, and stops just to the left of the screen. If you don't kill it quick, you'll have reduced movement options!
* Started implementing player powerups. After defeating each main boss, the player gets a new permanent powerup in the form of a small, ethereal version of that boss orbiting around them. These orbiting ghosts shoot bullets in different directions to help out the player on later levels where the action will get really frantic! However, at the moment I have a problem where the power-up bullets don't damage any enemies. Need to go over the Event Editor with a fine-tooth comb I think... :s

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Update 15th March 2011
 
* We now have a new boss - Foot Bastard!

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Update 18th March 2011
 
* Introduced the simple feature of having a level title appear at the start of each level.

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Update 23rd March
 
* Finished implementing all the code for cutscenes, and put in the text for the early cutscenes. The images are still placeholder, but all the functionality is there. Players can also hold X for a short while to skip the cutscenes. Screenshot shows a sneak peak from the intro text!
* Started balancing the waves in the earlier levels to try and make for a shallower learning curve.
* Changed the gun upgrade system significantly. You now collect energy from destroyed enemies, which slowly upgrades your gun over time, rather than your gun being upgraded by directly killing enemies. This will hopefully help to keep players moving, rather than trying to hide in safe spots on the screen.
* Increased the maximum level for the Bastard meter, making it harder to fill, and therefore making super attacks rarer.

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Update 24th March

* Gutted the attacks of the first boss and started rewriting them, as I'm not happy with the balance and attack sequences. Frankly, it was kinda boring. The boss now takes damage quicker, will cycle through his attacks more quickly, and most of his attacks will now revolve around shooting lots and lots of bullets, rather than the long-winded strafing runs he was performing before.

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Update 4th April 2011
 
* Did loads of work since the last update!
* Level two now implemented and fully playable. That's now three of the 14 levels 100% done.
* Added new enemies: Swarm - a swarm of many small enemies that can overwhelm you if you're not careful. Gas Bag - a giant bloated floating blob with a gormless face that explodes when it hits you. Armoured vehicles - similar to the normal enemies but heavily armoured and armed with rapid-fire weaponry.
* Changed the graphics for lots of effects - made bullets larger and more defined, added a new giant explosion effect for the special attack, changed the bonus power-up to a flashing gem to make it read better.
* Completed the new attacks for the first boss - he now has several waves of bullets that go bullet-hell crazy! 
* Added high-score table functionality and an end-of-level score summary.
* Tweaked various difficulty settings - it's now easier to get the first gun upgrade, the first boss is a little easier to kill, changed the waves in the first level a little.

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Update 7th April 2011
 
* Just a small update to show off the background for the jungle level. Still to come - a muddy river along the bottom of the screen with unique fish/crocodile enemies.

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Update 9th April 2011
 
* Been working on a water spray effect - on the jungle river level, when you get to ground level, Gun Bastard will run through the water, kicking up spray. There's a "wake" object that animates a constant spray by his feet, and then particles are also sprayed out behind using semi-random-direction pinball movement. I think I need a better spray graphic though...

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Update 22nd May 2011
    
* Been a while since the last update, but work is progressing! The jungle and lava mine levels are in place!
* New simpler system in place for regaining your powers throughout the game - on later levels, you start with your gun already partially powered up. This way, the later levels can throw hordes of enemies at you from the get go without you becoming overwhelmed.
* New enemy - the Ziren - a horrible alien parody of a human female with a sting in the tail - they shoot paralysing bolts that will briefly turn you to stone!

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Update 28th May 2011
 
* The second boss of the game, Foot Bastard is now fully implemented and working.
* Work continues on the main menu and cutscene art.
* Finally finished Space Bastard (TM) - who, you guessed it, is a bastard from space, and the final boss. He has 141 frames of animation just showing him unfolding all of his guns. See screenshot for the fully unfolded version (he starts out as just the UFO at the top!)