Yet Another 360 Shooter

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Big&(Posted 2006) [#1]
Thought I would add my own progress on doing yet another 360 shooter.

My video here. (3mb, avi, DIVX)



Its just about done. Just need to tweak the attack waves. Its too hard at the start and doesn't get hard enough as the game progresses.

Got the controller stuff working thanks to peoples threads on here. It also has keyboard & mouse input as well as just keyboard.

Also been messing with some background grid effects but everything I tend to do brings my Mac Mini too its knees (works nice on my PC monster). Just need to do a bit of thinking on this one.


Bouncer(Posted 2006) [#2]
Looks nice!

But.... What is going on? Why suddenly everyone and my mother is doing the same kind of game? I don't get it...


Geehawk(Posted 2006) [#3]
Perhaps someone is running a competition with big prizes LOL


Big&(Posted 2006) [#4]
I think its because its a nice simple game to play and code. But also, there are some nice coding challanges in there and it can all be done with programmer art.

Oh, and the £1,000,000 secret prize! ;)


Wiebo(Posted 2006) [#5]
Yeah, it's fun to code.


JoeRetro(Posted 2006) [#6]
But, also, it's great fun to PLAY!!!!

Damn, whatever happen to the FUN factor? :)

BIG: That video looks great!


Pongo(Posted 2006) [#7]
Best looking one yet! Can't wait to play it.

I think the biggest reason for the sudden interest, is the awesomeness of Geometry Wars Evolved. It's such an easy concept, has great gameplay, and proves that you can update classic arcade gameplay without having to make everything 3d and first person.

The reason I started my version, was so I could play a similar game at home (I bought a 360 for work, but no plans on buying one at home)

It looks like this one has got the closest feel to GW I have seen yet.(at least from what I can tell in the video)


Jeremy Alessi(Posted 2006) [#8]
It's because Geometry Wars is so damn awesome and yet so damn simple!

I actually began on my Geometry Wars type game a long time ago but I never make a full on clone! If I'm going to make something similar than I'm going to mutate it enough so it can stand on it's own. I probably won't be done for another few months though ... what I've gone and created is quite complex!


Murilo(Posted 2006) [#9]
This is the best looking version to date imho! Awesome. I'd like to see the "rippling" background added though, just for completeness. In the video, gameplay looks fast and smooth...

Release it already!


Jeremy Alessi(Posted 2006) [#10]
Looks pretty good and close.

Few observations:

- No firworks type effects ... the bouncing particles and what not are key

- It looks like it's moving too fast actually

- Someone needs to do that grid right

Looks pretty nice though ... it's funny how many of these have popped up.


Big&(Posted 2006) [#11]
@Jeremy Alessi
The bouncy particles are in, its just that I have the explosions set to sprites.

Stops it getting choppy on lower spec machines and my Mac Mini can play it without any frame drop. Its the difference of having 2 sprites for every explosion to having 64. It soon adds up on this crazy game.

Movement is scaleable. Not actually got an Xbox to test it against but it looks right to the movies I have downloaded. But it can be tweaked easily and when you are playing it, it feels right.

I can do the grid pretty well but it just uses up so much CPU time, for what is essentially just eye candy. Not got 3 CPU's to do the separate tasks :) Have had some ideas how to fake it and will do some tests.

Like yourself, I am not doing it to create a perfect remake, just doing it to create an engine that I can take further. But copying it is a great way to test functionality and performance. And its a great little game to play :)


SSS(Posted 2006) [#12]
Looks amazing, any chance of a demo?


joncom2000(Posted 2006) [#13]
I demom would be most welcome as I also think this is one of the better looking clones so far :)


Cold Harbour(Posted 2006) [#14]
Looks incredible!


Big&(Posted 2006) [#15]
Thanks for the comments.

Managed to get myself and a 360 this weekend, so I am going to work on geting things a little closer to the original.


VP(Posted 2006) [#16]
As regards a 'grid thingy', having tried a very quick experiment in B3D I can safely say that it's too slow at line drawing to make an authentic port of the 360 masterpiece :)

ISTR that the chappy who wrote GW2 did mention that the grid really did tax the machine a fair bit.

Also, I had a bash at some joypad code. Am I right in thinking that Atan(padx / pady) is the way to 'point' stuff in the direction an analog controller is held?


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#17]
.


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#18]
@vinylpusher, it's actually not that difficult to pull off as long as you don't rely on the blitz line commands. I've mentioned in another thread that I have found a way to do it quick cheaply. The GridWars example uses approx 13,824 tris and as many vertices for the grid, my example that I will post tomorrow uses 6144 triangles and 3072 vertices. Basically I use textured quads that share vertices, the vertices move and the grid distorts.


Big&(Posted 2006) [#19]
Look forward to seeing that Indie. Not gone any lower than basic sprites with Max. Nice idea for the grid. Never thought of treating it as one connected piece but it makes a sort of sense.


TartanTangerine (was Indiepath)(Posted 2006) [#20]
Have a look at the test code in the other thread, it's works like a dream.


WedgeBob(Posted 2006) [#21]
Speaking of Geometry Wars, I think that I saw a segment on G4TV's E3 coverage that put that game on television. Who knew that this game was actually going to be that popular after all this time on XBox Live?


The Caffeine Kid(Posted 2006) [#22]
Is this still coming, Andy? :)


Matt McFarland(Posted 2006) [#23]
Looking good! Shoot it on over to www.shmup-dev.com ! Everyone there would appreciate...

-Matt


Big&(Posted 2006) [#24]
Soz Caff, yeah its done, its been done a while to be honest. Will get around to sticking it up sometime soon when I get a chance.


The Caffeine Kid(Posted 2006) [#25]
Great news. :) Look forward to having a play with it.


Blitzplotter(Posted 2006) [#26]
Looks very visually appealing... nice eye candy as it is.