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[Scut Fabulous]

Quick suggestion, put a version number on the zip file as well as into a readme.  It will help players know they are downloading / running the latest version.

[Danmark]

Damn, I was really looking forward to playing it, and about 10 seconds into a new game (on endless mode):

___________________________________________
ERROR in
action number 2
of  Step Event
for object obj_navpoint:

In script loc_near_asteroids_think:
In script ast_seed_minerals:
Error in code at line 15:
     par_xy_add_child(argument0.at_child,guy);           //add this directly on top of the asteroid
                                         ^
at position 40: Negative array index

[AaronLee]

Uh oh.

I'll look into that this afternoon. Does it happen in patsy mode? The last update was last night. The version before that was released when I was in a less than sober state  .

UPDATE: now that I can read the error message on a non-mobile browser, looks like for some reason it tried to access child[-1] which is invalid. There's a line that generates a random number that's SUPPOSED to be between or equal to 0 and the object's child node count. Looks fine but I get occasional showstopper errors 1 out of 120 times something goes on with specific stuff like array handling. Really annoying and persistent bug.

Anyway, any tweak requests? I'm trying to do a balance run right now. I'm either revising the UI top to bottom next or adding the win condition for Patsy mode so I can get started on Idealist mode and re-add combat. Next big thing.

UPDATE 2: FOUND THE ERROR!

It was an algorithm problem with that script, which isn't a surprise. What is a surprise is that it took so long to show up.

The script has an embedded routine for choosing a rnadom mineral type. When it runs out of minerals to place, it exits. Except it does this AFTER the mineral is generated (with no data because the seed is undefined at -1) I fixed this by choosing the seed with a for loop so it place sone type until it runs out, then another then another. When nothing changes the chosen seed from -1 it now IMMEDIATELY exits before any content is placed (and potentially incorrectly populated with stuff like pickup ID -1).

[Danmark]

When you're not rotating, it can be hard to distinguish radar blips from stars. Perhaps the minimap should just mask out stars.

Stars look like short horizontal lines, not dots/circles/boxes.

On the tutorial on endless mode, I struggled figuring out how to use the autonav. Somehow I missed that you choose targets based on orientation. Also, the robot guide suggested that I should use autonav to get to the hub station after I'd finally arrived, and he didn't proceed with the tutorial after I dropped off my stuff & refueled. Low fuel (due to much fumbling) might've had something to do with it.

My ship & the HUD were displayed far off to the right side of the screen. My monitor's 1920*1080.

I'm also futzing around with the fisheye cam idea. The big issue may be it just slows down the game a lot, game maker d3d is unsupported and rough as a bed of nails. I will be adding fisheye radar for sure, though.

This is a fantastic idea, can't wait to see it in practice. Having to focus primarily on the tiny minimap for velocity and position info, all while trying to restrict fuel burns, has been my only great annoyance so far.

Anyway, your project shows tons of potential, and I think the demo will be more fun once I get past the bugs.

[AaronLee]

Thanks for the feedback, veracity, I kept it in mind when I revised the HUD. The current build doesn't have it yet but I'm planning a release soon. The minimaps bigger and the blips don't look like stars, among other changes.

I posted at length about what I'm doing at the moment on tumblr. If you guys feel like getting more insight into my shenanigans, it's all there and on my twitter right now. I'm going to go post a screnshot of the revised HUD up there after I post this.

[Scut Fabulous]

Check that link, not working for me even after trying to clean it up.

[AaronLee]

Okay, fixed it up. It was a format problem, I thought you had to put the URL in quotes for some reason.

[AaronLee]

Hey everybody, just wanted to let you all know there's a new build. You can get it here

Here's what's new:
-New first level with SHMUP style gameplay.
-Old first level is now the second level.
-Secondary weapons.
-New, extremely buffed mining grenade.
-Mining grenade jettisons just behind your ship. Fling it into opponents with your momentum.

Be careful, the build isn't thoroughly tested. My usual drinking buddies/beta testers were busy ("Not now, playing witcher 2") so there may be some more bugs then usual.

I'd really appreciate any text dumps of errors and the conditions in which they occur.

Also the game-over system kind of works now, since you can't eject int he first level. The second level respawn after eject code SHOULD work in theory, but I didn't have time to test it.

Also no feature vid this release because fraps hates me and has decided to drag my FPS down massively when in use. I'll see about producing one for this build and the next set of features I'm working on.

[Danmark]

I'm getting your link as:
http://%27http//periapsis.projectstardust.com'

Don't put the quotes between :// and com. For others' convenience, here it is.

Can't wait to play the new demo!

[AaronLee]

I'm getting your link as:
http://%27http//periapsis.projectstardust.com'

Don't put the quotes between :// and com. For others' convenience, here it is.

Can't wait to play the new demo!

Fixed the link, it works fine unquoted like you said . Let me know how your play goes. This is my IndieCade build so I'd love some feedback.

[Danmark]

The problem where everything's way off to the right of the screen remains for me.

When the drone said "...to assist in your basic survival", he didn't seem to advance the tutorial at all, and I got this error:


__________________________________________
ERROR in
action number 1
of End Step Event
for object world:

In script helpbot_think:
Error in code at line 9:
       if data.ore[0]+data.ore[1]+data.ore[2]=0 && instance_number(obj_dockpoint)>0 && obj_dockpoint.active=true
                                                                                                     ^
at position 100: Unknown variable active

[AaronLee]

The problem where everything's way off to the right of the screen remains for me.

When the drone said "...to assist in your basic survival", he didn't seem to advance the tutorial at all, and I got this error:


__________________________________________
ERROR in
action number 1
of End Step Event
for object world:

In script helpbot_think:
Error in code at line 9:
       if data.ore[0]+data.ore[1]+data.ore[2]=0 && instance_number(obj_dockpoint)>0 && obj_dockpoint.active=true
                                                                                                     ^
at position 100: Unknown variable active

Oops, staging error, that's an easy fix.

Could you get a screenshot for me? What the game should be doing (and does in every case so far save yours, which is of utmost interest to me) is sizing a view to your screen size, then calculating its position so its at the center of the room (on the UI) but I suppose if the view doesn't initialize then it all goes to crap.

Once I get a screenshot I'll see about fixing this, then I'll update the current build with that and a fix for the tutorial bot.

[Danmark]

Sure, here it is. My display is 1920*1080.

[AaronLee]

New super secret build (okay, not really secret but potentially unstable again. I don't want to merge it with my IndieCade build.)

Czec it out.

New stuff for this build:
-Added 'cynic' difficulty. Early prototype of the full game featureset.
-Re-enabled the survival mode enemy code. Try getting resources and dropping them off while fighting. Great challenge.
-Completely revamped bullet collision. Its now faster and more accurate.
-Bullet collision now reflects a bullets ahape, so the chevron shaped 'frag' bullets from explosions actually have a higher hit chance.
-Fixed a showstopper error in the tutorial robot's AI.

EDIT: fixed another showstopper bug related to an image name change.

[Danmark]

The tutorial bot often spins around quickly, rendering his text unreadable.

This time, the tutorial seemed not to progress after he said about most of the things you can dock to being labelled.

Double-tapping N to go to an autonav destination barely ever works (didn't have this problem before).

Autonav destination names, like most small text on the display, is heavily aliased and almost illegible.

The screen problem still remains.

[AaronLee]

Hey everybody. Still alive and trying to find the root of some bugs.

I'm thinking the one with the tutorial is because finding docking poitns that are active is somehow not working. The new ship has an inactive docking point and I think its generating a false positive for the tutorial even though I engineered the if statement specifically not to. Perplexing.

Still not sure about the screen size bug. I'm thinking maybe your card doesn't want to support views, veracity. Either that or my advanced drawing scriptset isn't working. I think I'm going to code an actual debug sequence for when the game starts with displays and status remarks, including barfing out raw numbers so the game will tell me what it thinks your resolution is. Improper screen-size detection may be at the root of many issues.

New stuff!

• First, now that combat is working (with liberties taken as to the definition of working in that it's present) I'm going to be re-adding weapon upgrades and re-hashing the old weapons into the current script based weapon system. This means:
• Adding arms dealers/refit stations. These will be like the resource dropoffs in that you dock up to do a specific function. In this case, to swap out guns with different guns for maximum difference. I've got a neat clamshell looking design that'll make it easy to swap guns without unsightly pop-in. Diegesis worst nightmare!
• Afterward, I'll be trying out a new approach to ship upgrading. Check out some sprite tests and mockups for maximum pretty. Also please do subscribe to my tumblr for additional updates on my day to day shenanigans with Periapsis. The plan is to, when you want to upgrade to the next ship tier or swap out your current one, you just find a holder near a station that may or may not have the module you want at that moment, then back in and slip into something more comfortable.