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[Akhel]

I've deliberately kept the player's movement very 8-bit and digital

I'm not sure if what I'm about to suggest is included in that (sorry if it is), but maybe you should add some "inertia" to the ship's movement. Right now it seems it just stops abruptly when you let go of the movement keys; I guess it would feel better, smoother, if it actually decelerated to a halt, even if very quickly.

[Pip]

(I wanted to capture that manic 80's Space Harrier feel - and that didn't need a crosshair)

That is a very good feel to go for.

[superflat]

Just through I'd update you with some pics... Doesn't look much different I know, but there's loads more going on!

Baddies' bullets are white at the moment.  I'm still working on how I'm going to differentiate them from the player's bullets - I think a different shape would be preferable to this though, as white 'upsets' the colour scheme.

Thoughts, anyone?

[Melly]

You could make the bullets with something like the shape of a pulsing spinning star with the same color of its origin by a lighter shade. Not sure how well it'd work.

[superflat]

Sneak preview of the boss arena:

www.spacerecordings.co.uk/screenshot_3.png

1920x1200 so it's linked.  Wait till you see the boss, though, he's not in this shot. Iif all goes to plan, it should be a nice retro experience. 

[superflat]

Haven't had any time to work on it due to house and job-hunting.    Hopefully I will have more time to get it in on the deadline.  I don't want to rush it though, because I like the way it's playing.  It's kind of addictive and simple.

What I still need to do:

- Finish boss stage.
- Add high score.
- Scale wave difficulty to level number in PG wave generator.
- Perhaps use an initial random seed of zero, then base the random seed on the high score (so you repeat the level until you beat it) or last score (where it's basically totally random?)

To do the following I want to introduce Cel-Shaded 3D text (so it looks like the score currently  -ie white with black outlines.)  I need to fire up 3DS Max and make a series of meshes for the font I'm using.

Once I've done that I will add a 'string'->'series of 3d objects' kind of function and hopefully I'll be able to finish it up with:

- Hiscore screen.
- Title screen.
- Game over screen.

I'd like to add if possible:

- Powerups.
- Barrel rolls.
- Turrets.

@ Melly, I like your idea about the stars.  I think if they were like spiked balls, that would help differentiate from the player's wobbly ellipses.  About a lighter shade, I'm not so sure because I want to keep the number of colours to a minimum (actually basically the ZX Spectrum colours with a slightly more pastel tint!)

@ Kao, this is the subject of much debate, but friends who've played it seem to prefer the movement glitchy and precise.  I've decided to keep it like this.  It also kind of fits the theme of being inside a digital machine.

[PaulMorel]

Looks very good.  I am very jealous of your graphics skillz.

[superflat]

Oh boy oh boy I've been working hard. With a bad back that's killing me, but I have to deliver!

I've got this done:

- Made the control a little bit more analogue, it's mouse only now, and I love it.  Thanks Kao.
- Spiky ball bullets.  Look much better.  Thanks Melly.
- Really cool death.
- Lives (displayed on screen).
- Intro.
- Got a GUI in there but not done much with it yet.
- Game Over screen.
- A whole new WaveManager class to handle PG waves.  They work now. [AT LAST!!!!]
- Better sound effects.
- Level difficulty scaling.
- Each level is set to the music, and had three stages, Interface, Bus, and Virus / Worm encounter. Done transitions and world geometry for them.

I hope to do tomorrow:

- Tally each 3D mesh type to a path type, so you learn to predict their paths from their looks.
- Encounters are not right yet.  I hope to have them in!
- I doubt I'll get powerups in.  It's fun anyway.
- Hope to put some more wave patterns in there, but it's tedious work.
- Hiscore screen with name entry.

[superflat]

Version 0-1 FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is without doubt the hardest I've ever worked in my life.  So much so that I was in hospital this morning.  But I did it!

See first post. 

Edit:

These are things I know need improving:

- I'm still not sure the mouse speed / craft acceleration is the same on every screen resolution and framerate.  This has been a major problem, and I don't know if I've solved it yet.  For now I've set it very sensitive.  Please let me know how it plays and I'll fix it if need be.
- The waves need tweaking still.
- The boss didn't make the cut (might be in a day or two.)
- I think the camera field-of-view needs looking at, because it looks as if the enemies approach too slowly, and they seem too fast when near the camera.



Please leave me your comments and suggestions, and I'll bugfix over the next couple of days.

I'd also love to hear your hiscores!

Thanks.

[superflat]

If you've got it up and running could you also leave a comment and let me know?  I don't have anywhere else to test it! 

[Sciere]

I was looking forward to playing it, but I can't get it to run. Using both the link and the executable in the bin directory, I receive this default error message (localized in Dutch in my case):



It basically says: "The application cannot be run because it has not been configured correctly. Reinstalling this application may solve the issue."

I'm using Windows XP SP2 - default things installed such as XNA 2.0 (probably not needed), DirectX 9.0, using a decent graphics card and plenty of RAM/CPU etc.

[superflat]

Hmm, it shouldn't require XNA.  It would need the latest directx though.

Could anyone else who has this problem PM me the contents of the file ogre.log (in the bin/release directory?)  I should be able to figure out the problem.

Did it get as far as the Ogre Display Preferences?

[Sciere]

I didn't and there no new entries in the log file except for the ones included by default/your original release. Using DirectX 9.0c. You'll probably need to see if other people encounter this as well, but usually I never have technical difficulties. I have run Ogre games before.

Different system, now Vista: same error. I do get the notice here that the error may be recorded in the event logbook, but when I enable the service Microsoft declares my pre-installed OEM version illegal and refuses to start the service. Sigh...

[superflat]

Hi Sciere, I'm researching this problem... Seems quite obscure and I haven't come across a solution yet.  I hope I do.  Then I can sleep. 

Edit:  looking outside the Ogre forums, it seems as though it's a problem specific to Visual C.

I believe you need the 'Visual C Redistirbutable' - I'm gonna put a link to it in the first post.

[Checker]

Awesome game! I really like the music, and how the killing of germs influences it. Easy controls. Took me awhile to figure out the stars were enemy fire and I should not try and kill them but avoid them, but all in all, very fun stuff.

[superflat]

Oh joy... it works!  Did you already have the Visual C stuff?

Let me know your hiscore mate...

[Sciere]

Edit:  looking outside the Ogre forums, it seems as though it's a problem specific to Visual C.

I believe you need the 'Visual C Redistirbutable' - I'm gonna put a link to it in the first post.

That solved it, thanks!

[superflat]

Great, now I can check out all these other exciting games I've not even had time to look at yet!

Tomorrow I'll have a go at setting a high score.  You can print screen with '0' by the way, if you wanna post yours up in this thread.

[edit] Just had my 2nd proper go - 719750!

[edit2] Ok here's the one to beat -

[Melly]

I can't download the game, the link won't work for me.

[superflat]

That's odd Melly, it seems to be working at this end.