Another 360 shooter

Community Forums/Showcase/Another 360 shooter

Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#1]
My Geometry Wars clone: I intend to make this as chaotic as the Xbox360 version.

Status update here:
http://www.shmup-dev.com/index.php?topic=343.0

I've added a readme.txt to the archive. It mentions the latest additions.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2006) [#2]
It's coming along :-)


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#3]
Looking cool so far. Make sure you support multiple controllers,... seems like every one ever made has different axis assignments!

/begins chant demo,....demo,...demo,...


stayne(Posted 2006) [#4]
cool, reminds me of Tempest.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#5]
Don't get me started on Tempest :))


Grisu(Posted 2006) [#6]
We need a "360 Shooter contest" if you ask me.

The price is: Another 360 Shooter. ;)


jhocking(Posted 2006) [#7]
prize


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#8]
The world needs more chaotic and weird shooters. I intend to use this engine for someting quite different too though!


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#9]
I wonder if other forums dedicated to other programming languages have 360 shooters being developed?


SillyPutty(Posted 2006) [#10]
Is this in bmax ?

It looks awwsome !

How do get that sweet glow ?


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#11]
Indiepath: I've seen a few!!
Deux: Yes, it's in Max. The lines are created by drawing rotated and scaled images.

I'm having someone really good creating some music for me. I've heard some of it this afternoon. Great trance beats, etc!


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#12]
Wiebo, you need to have a look at my, soon to be released, Textured Line Module.

The glow images are within the texture, you can use animated textures to increase or decrease the glow effect.

Image (ignore the monkey)


SetColor 155,155,255
' Yeah that's right, any damn color or blendmode you like.
GlowLine (400,50,0,180,24)
GlowLine (640,350,240,200,24)		
GlowLine (400,50,240,200,24)



Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#13]
Send it to me man, so I can take a look at it, athough it seems to do the same as my line function =]


Paul Murray(Posted 2006) [#14]
That looks slick


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#15]
Crap, I just realised it's broken in 1.14!! Mark is now using vertex colours and a different FVF!!

I'll fix it soon!!! I promise.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#16]
.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#17]
.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#18]
I'll be updating the first post from now on. I've added a link to a quick demo version, which allows you to fly around, and spawn some enemies for ya! Tell me what you think of it, ok?


Big&(Posted 2006) [#19]
Thats top that fella!

Really feels right and the enemy work perfectley.

Great work!


joncom2000(Posted 2006) [#20]
Wow thats a very nice begining, if my rapid pressing of the enemy spawn buttons is anything to go by it's going to be able to throw alot of stuff around screen :)


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#21]
Another update. New screen at the top of this thread.
Getting close to beta now, adding the evil red ship is next, and then some swirly clustering triangles. After that, it's running the spawnbot to spawn enemies in waves so it becomes a real game... whee


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#22]
Another update. Beta coming soon!!!!


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#23]
Man, those glowing lines used with the new Render 2 Texture module and you'll have some serious retro phospher glow going on.

This is looking wicked now, can't wait to get it on 360shooters.com


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#24]
i WANNA play this : http://members.home.nl/wdw/thrust.html with glowing line :D


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#25]
There WILL be a new all-vector Thrust game, no worries, I have the design done already. I'll be using this engine, you could see this game as a test-bed for more vector shoot-em-ups, coming from me...


Stevie G(Posted 2006) [#26]
Weibo ... any chance of PS2 joypad support? Not sure how the joypad commands are handled in max. I see you only have xbox and gamecube ... neither variations work for me?


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#27]
Well, if you can run the joycount() example from the docs and tell me which axis is which joystick, and the button layout, i will add it!


Scott Shaver(Posted 2006) [#28]
how about keyboard support?


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#29]
Just checked this out again. Definately the closest feel to GW I've seen yet. It seems to play just a -slight- bit fast compared to GW. Also the deadspot for my 360 controller was not -quite enough. (usually a bump on the stick was enough to stop the firing)

All the movements seem spot on, even the annoying green ones that avoid the shots.

will be following this.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#30]
Pongo: Thanks :) I've tweaked the controls a lot since this demo. The 360 pad firing by itself is fixed, I had that too.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#31]
New demo is up! See the top post for link and instructions!! =]


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#32]
NICE!


Duckstab[o](Posted 2006) [#33]
Very Nice got to level 6 on first go speed is a bit of a killer at that point. Are you using 8 way or 360 for shooting ,felt like 8 way

really cool demo :)


Big&(Posted 2006) [#34]
Works fine over here, no slow down at all.

Although on the second try it locked my machine and had to press reset. It was when I lost my last life on level 8, before the "game over" text appears.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#35]
That's weird, i haven't gotten that kind of error yet. will you tell me if it happens again?


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#36]
The game has some major issues with my XBox controller. It runs at like 1 FPS and the controller does not work.

:(

My other controller a Logitech Dual stick has NE (North East) and SW flipped when firing.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#37]
Yeah, next thing to add is a joypad configuration menu... I'm working on menu's, etc now so it shouldn't take that long.


Big&(Posted 2006) [#38]
I have got it to happen again.

Always on loosing a life and it doesn't have to be the last one.

It seems very intermittent as I can have a few long games with no hassle, quit out and come back in and its fine. Then on the next go it will lock my machine on the first death.

Not sure its anything I have running as I use BlitzMax too.

Hummm....


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#39]
Can you release a debug version with console so that we can capture the error, it's happening to me too.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#40]
hm, could it have something to do with the shockwaves???
OK, the next release will have a normal and a version compiled with the debugger on... How do I add the console? de-activate the 'build gui app' option in the build menu???


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#41]
yeah de-activate the thing and it will have a console screen.

When it (if it) dies the console screen will have all the debug info.


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#42]
This version is working good here. Deadspot issue is gone.

I also had some framerate issues. FPS was solid and steady until a whole bunch of enemies get spawned. Then it drags down for a bit before returning to nice and smooth.

Looking great, very true to GW

I'm sure you have already seen it, but check the code archives for my joystick config utility. I made it for my own GW style game and it works quite well.


Baystep Productions(Posted 2006) [#43]
It never ends. I can paly this for hours and never loose... extremely fun, so thats a good thing.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#44]
Thanks for the comments guys! I'm still working on the framerate, optimising bits here and there. A limit on the amount of enemies will have to be put in there too, I'm afraid. The snakes are the big framerate killers though, so i'll concentrate on them.
Pongo, thanks for the config. I noticed it's written in B3D, but I'll scrape from it what I need and put it in there. :)


Duckstab[o](Posted 2006) [#45]
Why are snakes frame rate killers ?
[edit]
is it
A. the maths side
B. the graphics side


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#46]
Pongo: You should add JoyR() to your config utility, or is that not supported under Blit+ or Blitz3d? It's used on my Gamecube controller on USB. :)

duckstab: probably a combination of both. I'll just cut at both those parts and see which gives the most performance gain (if any)


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#47]
I've updated the archive, link at the top of this thread. There now is a joypad config tool in the game, so I hope more people can play this. I've included a debug version as well, to maybe catch those strange crashes...


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#48]
isn't JoyR() the same as JoyRoll() ?

There may be some differences in this between Blitz3d and BlitzMax


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#49]
There are, forget what I said =]


Big&(Posted 2006) [#50]
Not had it crash at all now, with either debug or normal :)


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#51]
That's cool. What worries me is that I changed nothing in the game code =]


Big&(Posted 2006) [#52]
Will play it some more over the weekend.


Duckstab[o](Posted 2006) [#53]
mabye at points is using to much cpu and windows is conflicting with it ?. not impossible you know xp priorities window/apps/games
or a sudden increase anways.

Played it a fair few times with no faults since first slowdown


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#54]
The code to make the tails follow the head is rather large. I think i can optimise there... right now I'm using a crappy alogrythm there.
I'm glad to hear there were no crashes so far... The fear stays in the back of my mind though :)


boomboommax(Posted 2006) [#55]
pretty cool:D, this default max2d or gl?


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2006) [#56]
A hell of a lightshow and a decent game.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#57]
Updated again! Check out the link at the top of the post. Added lots of details and squashed some bugs.

cYanide: max2d, and indiepath's glowy line module... I'm not sure if that uses GL (i think so). Indie?


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#58]
This just keeps getting better.

I played a few games with the latest build, and did not notice any of the big slowdown issues I had with an earlier build. They were happening around the time the snakes came in (probably the creation stage) but now things stay smooth here.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#59]
cool =] deaths-in-corners should be gone too once I get the player shield in. Next up is more attack waves, the grid, hi-scores and more config options. Then, it's on the SFX and music. then we're done.. Don't I make that sound easy? :)


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#60]
Works with GL and DirectX, Mac and Windows.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#61]
Got the grid working. Need to beautify it a bit more, but it works great and is not too hard on the CPU, and I dont use verlet for it anymore. New demo should be out soon...


Genexi2(Posted 2006) [#62]
Very nice, undusted my PS2-ripoff controller just to try this out, works a breeze, fun to play, cant wait for the next beta.

Ran a perfect 60fps (I took it you limited the drawing rate to that as my monitor was running at 75hz there) here on my GF6800 GT, though I'd have been afraid if it didn't.

How the hell do you survive the waves that spawn all around you then cave in without means of using a bomb btw? Everytime I try to blast me a safe path to escape out and hit a blackhole more things just spawn and take me out in the process.

A game like this would be awesome online with co-op play, would be hell to code it to work with average-ping users though. =\


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#63]
A new version is up, which includes the grid and lots o little bug squashes and added details!
Nice to see you like it Genexi. The game runs at 60fps, and uses delta time, so if your system is too slow, the game stays at the same speed.
Co-op would be awesome, I agree, and it's not to hard to add a 2nd ship on the same screen, reading joyport 2... Those are the wonders of OOP.
Network wise, i don't know =] I've never created a new game, let alone such a busy one as this... I think it'll be a nightmare to code :/


Genexi2(Posted 2006) [#64]
Nice update, dont know if you're aware of it, but if you pause the game, the grid disappears until you unpause. Also should mention that the lines of the grid that connect to the border spasm a little bit when there's a black-hole near border as well.....

But damn, that grid alone adds alot to the chaos in the game and looks gorgeous.

Too bad the XBX360 is bloody expensive, would love to tryout the original as to which you're basing this off of.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#65]
Thanks for the tips, Genexi, I'll fix them tonight!! :)


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#66]
One word "Inertia", where is it?

I've never played the original, don't care if it's not got inertia I want some :D Please make it standard or give me an option.


Genexi2(Posted 2006) [#67]
I wouldnt want inertia here, would make it feel too "asteroids"-like, though I wouldnt mind a sensitivity option on the thrust so I can go slow say, with the joystick half-way tilted, then full-blast tilted all the way...

Also got a request if it isnt already on the list, can we get the menus navigatable via hat-switch if it's doable in BMax? Dislike using joystick for navigating, feels too awkward...

Came across another problem btw if you haven't notice it yet, if you keep slamming your ship against the outer borders, the camera continues moving regardless of the fact your ship keeps getting bounced back, making it hard to see the rest of the playfield when you start moving around again as it's off center.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#68]
Update! I added sounds and title music, zip file is now 14mb though. :| Tell me what you think , ok?!

Genexi2: hat switch can be done, we'll see. The scrolling problem is fixed, amongst lots of other little things... Give it a try, please :))


Big&(Posted 2006) [#69]
Excellent progress mate.
Liked it that much I managed to finish the attack waves off without dieing :)




Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#70]
Whee :) New version should be up tonight with play music and other fixes as well. Hurray for the weekend.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#71]
New version is up. Try it, lots of little tweaks and play music added. Comments are welcome :))


Stevie G(Posted 2006) [#72]
Gallus!! The grid effect is very cool and the whole afrair is very well presented. Make it easier on the donkeys though ( aka Moi :) )

Stevie


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#73]
Yeah, I'm spending tonight tuing the first 10 levels. we'll see how that turns out. =]


Genexi2(Posted 2006) [#74]
'aight, gave it a try, just a couple comments so far -

1) First time I tried it out the game music cut-off, have yet to reproduce the glitch though.

2) Possibly add a restraint to the grid in terms of gravitation pull towards blackholes? When things got crazy and I had blackholes blowing up left & right, and hitting new ones at the same time, I've had portions of the grid in one corner get knocked way over to the adjacent corner being sucked up by a blackhole there making it spasm madly, then you get new holes appearing and taking those stretched points even farther off, once had a point where the entire corner of the map was stretched across the playfield, looked kind of funky though, but confusing as well.


Must say I love the addition of the multiple-fire in this update, makes those swarm-waves much easier to cope with, is it a powerup or just random btw? I seem to get them out of nowhere.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#75]
Hi Genexi2,

Music: I have no idea why that happens too. I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary with the channels, and yet sometimes the music just stops.... I blame it on bmax, but I need to find a workaround.

I agree about the grid pull power of the holes, and have already changed it.

Multiple fire: You finally got more than 10.000 points ? :) You get a different weapon every 10.000 points you see. It's not random, its a choice between the 3 and 5 ways shot.


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#76]
new version is up! loads of tweaks and balancing done. Tell me what you think, ok?


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#77]
new version is up, adding keyboard controls and some misc things.


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#78]
Oh how I wish I had more time to play this...


Grey Alien(Posted 2006) [#79]
me too looks fab, bu I only have one controller.


Genexi2(Posted 2006) [#80]
Dead link methinks, cant read Swedish. =\


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#81]
Link fixed. Sorry for that :)


big10p(Posted 2006) [#82]
This does look mighty tasty. Unfortunately, I can't play it for several reasons. :(


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#83]
I've decided to let this thread rest as I hardly get replies anymore here. Go here for updates: http://www.shmup-dev.com/index.php?topic=343.0


WedgeBob(Posted 2006) [#84]
Looks like the d/l link on your site doesn't appear to do anything for me, it gives me a 404 Not Found (I think). However, I have both an XBox and a X360 controller, so I assume that it would work just about the same on both using the PC, am I correct?


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#85]
Hi all,

New version (0.98) is up. I've added the red enemy ship and tweaked some of the old stuff. There is now a level limit in the game. Reach level 20 and the game will stop, allowing you to enter a name for your hiscore.

Get it here: http://members.home.nl/wdw/files/Assault098.zip

This is my final release of the game in this form. I'm ending the development of the game because of:
A) I want to move on to a new game
B) Creating a full version would get me into trouble with the creators of the original, i think.

If you guys find weird stuff I will fix it, but for now: this is it.