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[Zuurix]

Ok, the movement of player and opponent ships is too rigid. There's no speeding up, there's no slowing down, ship either moves or it doesn't. The game is more of an RPG than a shmup with an accent on individual encounters. You encounter big ships, imagine they are heavy and weight hundreds of tons. They need time to accelerate. But in your game, they move in an instant. They follow player on a vertical axis in an instant. It feels bad. Give the ships weight, make us feel they're bulky.

Changing enemies to react slower wouldn't be too hard, most of the enemies use the same follow AI.

Player movement is different. There used to be slower acceleration, but I've kept getting feedback about how it's impossible to dodge and that inputs feel very inaccurate, so I kept lowering acceleration until it's barely visible.

I've been looking around for some ideas on what to do with player movement in shoot 'em up games and what I got was "NO REALISM PLEASE, LET US DODGE".

So I need to find a way to let the player move instantly while keeping the feeling that spaceship is large and heavy.
Teleportation instead of moving?
Or what?
On your game's project thread, you've said you played shoot 'em ups, maybe you have ideas?

Same as ships, i don't feel their strength. Hitting with huge missiles and lasers feel the same, like paper planes fighting. Give the missiles some speed up time to, let us have the feeling they are powered by powerful thrusters, they're not grapes launched by thumb. Make exposions more beautiful and make them last longer. A huge ship explodes in under a second, it's just not right.

Missile acceleration - can be done.
Better explosions - I guess I'll go find some tutorials because what I can do is not enough.

That's a great style you've got there, but it needs some nice touches. Background needs to be more densely populated, more distant stuff should be a bit blurred. Look at Limbo and the focus differences based on distance.

I'll see how blurred deeper layer looks.

I really made it complicated, because there are 25 locations.
To make more detailed backgrounds, I would probably have to make 5 detailed backgrounds and then use them for more than one location.

Limbo is great, but it had more programmers/more artists/budget.

I love the level with those floating cubes in the background, try the focus trick, you'll see how mighty it's going to feel! Add some particles, wind carrying ash particles of destruction, acid rain, snow.

What focus trick?

Particles might work.

There's no indication enemy ships are hit, think of something.

Yep, white (also red and orange) flashes don't look good.
Same with changing the opacity.

...missile trails, lasers, shields, they're horrible, you need to try something else.

Suggestions?
You really don't like shields? =[
I thought they were nice and simple.

About lasers, I don't think you've seen this laser:



Is this good?

I'm not one of those guys who will tell you "WOW GREAT" when it's not.

I wish there were more people like you =P

The idea is great, you can make a game with cult following, you just need to give it more weight and polish.

You really think that?
I'll go polish...

[Fat Pug Studio]

Hey, late reply, i was a bit busy.

Changing enemies to react slower wouldn't be too hard, most of the enemies use the same follow AI.

Yeah, i mean bigger ships should have some acceleration time.

Player movement is different. There used to be slower acceleration, but I've kept getting feedback about how it's impossible to dodge and that inputs feel very inaccurate, so I kept lowering acceleration until it's barely visible. I've been looking around for some ideas on what to do with player movement in shoot 'em up games and what I got was "NO REALISM PLEASE, LET US DODGE". So I need to find a way to let the player move instantly while keeping the feeling that spaceship is large and heavy.

Teleportation instead of moving?

Or what?

On your game's project thread, you've said you played shoot 'em ups, maybe you have ideas?

I noticed there is a slight acceleration involved on the movement of player's ship, but it still feels too shifty. I don't know, your game isn't really a shmup or a bullet hell game where the movement needs to be super fast. And when the ship gets even bigger its movement and acceleration needs to be slower. I don't know, since the game is a combination of rpg and shmup it's kinda hard to balance it right.

Missile acceleration - can be done.

Cool. It doesn't need to be anything drastic, only to make them feel like missiles.

Better explosions - I guess I'll go find some tutorials because what I can do is not enough.

Youtube's full of them, check them out.

That's a great style you've got there, but it needs some nice touches. Background needs to be more densely populated, more distant stuff should be a bit blurred. Look at Limbo and the focus differences based on distance.

I'll see how blurred deeper layer looks.

I really made it complicated, because there are 25 locations.
To make more detailed backgrounds, I would probably have to make 5 detailed backgrounds and then use them for more than one location.

Limbo is great, but it had more programmers/more artists/budget.
[/quote]

I know, but you can reuse the background graphics to make something new and populate the background. Some things that are really far away can be so blurred that it can't be recognized as an already used image.

What focus trick?

I meant the depth of field for the background i mentioned. That level with cubes in the background would be cool for testing, it would look awesome.

Particles might work.

They would add a whole lot of depth too.

Suggestions?
You really don't like shields? =[
I thought they were nice and simple.

They're too simple, maybe some particle effects could be added there too.

About lasers, I don't think you've seen this laser:



Is this good?

That one's a lot better, i like it. It's a bit of a low framerate, got something with more fps? One more thing, when you hit a ship and the debris start flying, have you tried just letting them float off the screen? That white particle that appear when the debris is destroyed too is really ugly and fast.

You really think that?
I'll go polish...

I really do, you can create a devoted community of followers with something like this, it's a good, well developed concept with depth which would be enjoyable for many.

[Zuurix]

I wasn't planning to work on graphics, but couldn't stop thinking about what I could improve, so I have started doing experiments.
 




The blurred deeper layer of background does look better.

[Zireael]

Looks much better, gives the illusion of depth imho.

Rockets/lasers/explosions will hopefully be next?

[Fat Pug Studio]

Do a few layers and increase blur with distance, you won't regret it.

[Zuurix]

Rockets/lasers/explosions will hopefully be next?

Yeah, probably. Unless I run out of ideas.

Oh and,

That one's a lot better, i like it. It's a bit of a low framerate, got something with more fps?

[Fat Pug Studio]

It's actually looking good. Can that sparking spot where the laser is shot from have more frames?

Explosion looks nice here tlo, except that white debris explosions.

[Zuurix]

Can that sparking spot where the laser is shot from have more frames?

What are you calling "flames"?



^This?

Explosion looks nice here tlo, except that white debris explosions.

If you are referring to those big white-orange explosions that happen with a certain enemy - it only happens when using this laser. (It destroys fragile enemy parts and one enemy type has lots of them.

That explosion would be easy to replicate.

As for debris, I tried just letting it float off the screen, but that looked worse.

Back when I added the debris explosions, I thought that it was good, so I stopped doing anything with it.
Because you don't think they are good, I'll try few things, maybe I can make them better.

[Fat Pug Studio]

No, i meant FRAMES, but it was regarding that animation. Did you draw it yourself? Why not draw some more and make it a bit smoother?

Yeah, those orange explosions, they're nice, how did you do them? Asset or by yourself?

[Zuurix]

Oh, frames. Sorry, I'm tired =P

Low FPS "flames" animation - that's how I wanted it to look. It's supposed to give an idea of overflowing power.
I can make it change faster.

(Animation picks a one out 4 sprites randomly and rotates it randomly and because they change rather fast, it would be pointless to make more frames, it's no difference to the eye. Well, I think that.)

...those orange explosions, they're nice, how did you do them? Asset or by yourself?

The laser creates the orange glow around enemies when it collides with them + mosaics (enemy type) have a lot of fragile parts + laser destroys fragile parts when it collides with them + fragile parts release debris = a lot of debris explosion particles = big white explosion surrounded by an orange glow. It's a lucky accident.

I've done all graphics, animation, and programming. The only assets I use are several sound effects.

[Fat Pug Studio]

It would make no sense to repeat the existing four frames, but you can make more and slow it down so it looks smoother, just an idea.

[Zuurix]

Missile acceleration and that long lasting explosion (with blast ring around it) are badly affecting gameplay =/

Same problem as with accelerating the movement.
Missiles, player, explosions have to be fast, but not too fast, else dodging or shooting becomes inaccurate.
I'll keep trying through.

At least blurred backgrounds are working.

[io3 creations]

It may be out of context, but the flashing lights on the player's when firing the laser seem as if the ship is either being attacked or is about to explode.
(likely this and similar images)

If it's just related to the laser being fired, I'd make it a bit smaller so that larger explosions can relate to other events.


In terms of the laser beams: seeing the laser beam going past an enemy ship yet still damaging doesn't feel right.  I made a game where you can slice zombies with lasers.  If the laser didn't have enough power, then it would be blocked by the zombie.  If it did have enough power to slice, it would and the laser beam would continue.  At that point, I was going to add code to hit or slice other zombies as well but due to time I decided to add that feature later.  When I released the game, there were a few people who mentioned that being an issue.

Of course, if I look at it from the type of gameplay that you are going for then the function of the laser is to be able to damage more enemies at the same time.  So, in a way it does work.  Similarly, the gameplay itself looks more like fast arcade action type game flying game (e.g. UN squadron) that do require fast movement and the speed up/slow down for the ships and missiles would change gameplay significantly.  Although, if it's implemented just very slightly in a way that it's visible yet doesn't affect the current gameplay then it could work.

[Zuurix]

I've managed to replicate explosions caused by the orange laser.
Even better, the more armor enemy had, the bigger explosion it spawns.

It may be out of context, but the flashing lights on the player's when firing the laser seem as if the ship is either being attacked or is about to explode.

It's good that it looks like it is going to exploding. After all the ship is emitting tons* of ULTIMITED POWER.

In terms of the laser beams: seeing the laser beam going past an enemy ship yet still damaging doesn't feel right.  I made a game where you can slice zombies with lasers.  If the laser didn't have enough power, then it would be blocked by the zombie.  If it did have enough power to slice, it would and the laser beam would continue.  At that point, I was going to add code to hit or slice other zombies as well but due to time I decided to add that feature later.  When I released the game, there were a few people who mentioned that being an issue.

Of course, if I look at it from the type of gameplay that you are going for then the function of the laser is to be able to damage more enemies at the same time.  So, in a way it does work.

Yeah, it would be possible for me to make laser stop when the enemy is hit, I was about to do that with the previous graphical update - but decided to not change them, because piercing lasers are important for gameplay.

The biggest pain in making graphics - when good looking effects make gameplay worse.
Luckily most of the time it's the other way around.

*Actual UNLIMITED POWER measuring unit =P

[Fat Pug Studio]

That explosion looks good, give us the video!

[io3 creations]

It's good that it looks like it is going to exploding. After all the ship is emitting tons* of ULTIMITED POWER.

*Actual UNLIMITED POWER measuring unit =P

I'm satisfied with that explanation.

In that case, is there something that keeps track of "overheating" or something similar that jeopardizes the ship's structural integrity and would limit weapon use?

[Zireael]

UNLIMITED POWAAAAH!!!

The explosion looks awesome

[Zuurix]

Here's the video:

In that case, is there something that keeps track of "overheating" or something similar that jeopardizes the ship's structural integrity and would limit weapon use?

Yes, you can't use other abilities while the laser is active. Also, this ability has the longest cooldown of all abilities.

...although, if it's implemented just very slightly in a way that it's visible yet doesn't affect the current gameplay then it could work.

I have found a solution: projectile speed increases after 0.3 seconds from the release of the projectile. Speed increases just once, e.g.: from 10 pixels per frame to 15. This way speed up is visible and I don't need to make projectiles slow.
The slight speed up should be visible in the video. (It's not working with all types of projectiles yet)

[Zireael]

I won't say I saw the slight speedup (because I didn't) but the game already looks better (background + explosions)! Little things for the win

[Zuurix]

I won't say I saw the slight speedup (because I didn't)

It's kind of change that goes unnoticed and still makes the game better.
I think it does feel better.

I'll continue making this spontaneous graphical update. I'm thinking about improving shields next.