Dustin, all I can really tell you is that the problem is probably on your end.  I'm using no external libraries, or optional java libraries, or any such nonsense.  It's all core java classes.

Here's the mac page for updating java.  It should have the info you need:
http://developer.apple.com/java/

Of course, the other possibility is that you are getting a cached version of the applet that was bad (although I don't recall uploading one, and I have the meta set to no-cache).  If you haven't closed all instances of your browser in a long time, you may want to do that.

Thank you 13_11.  I don't think I have time to do anything else, so it will probably just stay as it is ... but we will see

I get a strange broken applet thing when I view your page which is really too bad as I would love to play this and use java to write my games as well!

Update java here: http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

You may also need to update your browser, if you are using an ancient one.

That page is the reason why I chose to use java for this game.  I love all platforms.

*cue troll mentioning some esoteric platform that has no JVM*

This looks very interesting, although I'm struggling to see the 'game' aspect.  I guess the user will be involved in the creation of these creatures?  Kinda like a spore-ish thing?  Will the user control the creature?

It looks good, but I hope that the gameplay is as strong as the concept.

looks cool.

my only suggestion is that you might need to make your collision detection a little more generous.

4.8k's from the final checkpoint in stage three.

I'm pretty sure I'm hooked dude.

heh.

The only problem is that the number of checkpoints in each stage varies every time you play it.

I've only gotten to the end with the colonists like twice.

Also, it keeps playing even after I close the game's tab in Fx.

Fixed.

Sorry, I hadn't tested it in a tab!

Do you guys need music?  Your game looks really cool, and I'd love to do a couple ambient tracks for it, if you guys don't have anything else.

Some Pat Metheny would rawk.  Maybe Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint as performed by him.  That would lead to some devastating tracks.

I'd also like to see some jazz.  Maybe something modern.  Bela Fleck and the Flecktones perhaps?  Jazz Mandolin Project?

Of course, none of those will ever happen.  Back in reality...

Banditos by The Refreshments
Grace by Jeff Buckley (a whole disc of Buckley would rawk)
Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley

RE: Timing

Let the users run at their current rate, but make one day pass every 30 seconds or less.  30 minutes is a long time to wait to get your first monthly update, which I assume is a big part of the game.

Technically, the users will be moving VERY slowly, but it will look fine from a player's perspective.

It's funny how trying to simulate a full world of 10,000 users at a smooth framerate can expose all the weird performance bottlenecks in your code.

lol. 

Each of the powerups lasts for 500km, but each one extends any previous powerups.  So yeah, they all expire at once, but the idea is that you let them sit onscreen until there's at least 2 to pick up, then each one will last for a longer time.

All start with B.  I'm not sure why.

Thanks for playing, everyone.  I think that I'm only going to change a few more things before completing it.

TO DO:
-refine the music a bit
-make the transitions smoother (stage changes and death/completion)
-figure out that occasional freezing problem

Thanks Sar.

Yeah, I've got something odd in there that I need to fix.  I think it's something in my draw routines, but it blows my mind that it's not throwing an exception but still pausing for that long ... unbelievable.

@Paul - That's Mao. He belongs in another game . Also he can't survive in space due to the lack of a goldfish-bowl hat.

lol.  Give him a fishbowl!  He's awesome!

What game is he from?

ADDED:
-new music on each stage
-loading screen for each stage
-fixed up the graphics a bit

Could someone give me some feedback on the difficulty level?  I want to make sure that everyone reaches stage 2, but it's still pretty tough to get through stage 3.  Since that's all generated by equations, I'm having a hard time figuring out if it's too hard or too easy.

Also, the game freezes up for a second occasionally, and I can't figure out why.  No exceptions are being thrown, there is no bug, and there is no loading at the time. Anyone know a good way to profile an applet?

http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/games/

Great sprite for space cat!

language/environment?

JUST ADDED:
-arrow key controls
-inertia on the fighter
-a few more enemies
-colonists now follow you around the screen

First, the game is F*cking gorgeous, but I'm sure you know that already.

Secondly, the mouse look is too sensitive.  It needs to be a little less responsive, so that I can keep my bearings.  The best thing would be to have an option for mouse sensitivity.

Third, a suggestion.  Just have a big, interactive world.  Make the map huge and interesting.  Put in lots of interesting locations with interactivity that is outside of the missions.  Like, you could make the environments destructible.  Or put little environmental puzzles around the map (a la Tomb Raider, or Myst).

The main thing is to make the map big, and make it fun to fly around in.

F*cking awesome.  Love the head.

You shouldn't feel so bad about entering things by hand.  I did the same thing for all the coords in my game as well.  Thankfully, I'm just in 2D!

Right, I'm going to try and increase the tempo.  One problem with that is that I can only use tempos that divide evenly to an integer number of milliseconds per quarter beat.  This is due to the fact that most timing classes use milliseconds as their base.  Obviously, there are workarounds, but I don't really have time to implement them.

And good idea about having each of the pickups start different sounds.  I think that I meant to do that originally, but just forgot.

Alas, you used that f*cking WASD...

(didn't pay attention the first time because I didn't move. BTW moving doesn't seem to be very useful in that game anyway)

Wow.  I didn't realize that people used non-qwerty keyboards that often.  I will put in numpad and arrow-key controls.

Moving basically isn't useful until the colonists die, at which point you can still play on to the end, you just get a different ending.

Disclaimer: This is my first videogame since high school (8 years), so be gentle.

I don't really have a title yet... for now I am calling the game 'The Last Colonists', but that sounds way too serious.

It is a shmup/music game.  I wanted to make a game where the user had direct control over the music, rather than the 'enhanced audience member' role that the player usually gets in music games (GH, AudioSurf, Rock Band .. etc).  I am kind of achieving that with this game, but the music is only just started.  There will be much more of it in the final version.

The generative elements are the expected ones.  The size of the stages and the enemies that come at you are PG.  Of course, the gameplay is synced with the music, so the music is also PG, but it's also user-controlled ... that's the kind of unique thing here.

Also, I know next to nothing about graphics programming, so please forgive the line graphics.

Oh, and it's a java browser game (OH NOES!! RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!!)

http://www.thisisnotalabel.com/lastcolonists/

I'd love to get some feedback, but I'm not sure how much more I can do before the deadline.  I may add one more tangential feature, like scoreboards or co-op multiplayer ... or maybe a cell phone version (j2me ftw), but I am not sure that I will have time.

EDIT:
There are only 3 stages.  It can be beaten in about 10 minutes.

EDIT:
Screenshots