Space Game

[+Karl G]

FYI - not seeing it with this new version using Stella 4.0 (I.E. first 3 tries I only got one powerup to drop towards the end of wave 1)

 

Do you see the powerup timer when you do get one? Just making sure you aren't accidentally using the old version.

[TrekMD]

I've downloaded and tested the latest version. I like the changes. The powerups drop more frequently and it's good to see a timer for the powerups now. This keeps getting better and better.

[WizardBone]

It feels and looks solid! I haven't had much time to play yet. Will try it for real the weekend! Love the story of the game too!

[AtariLeaf]

Really like the newest version. Great job

[Arenafoot]

 

Do you see the powerup timer when you do get one? Just making sure you aren't accidentally using the old version.

Yes I did see that.

[+Karl G]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I'm pretty confident now that the more frequent powerups that timeout is the right path now. I have some bug-squishing to do with the doubled ship powerup next.

 

I would also appreciate any feedback to those who have tested on real hardware as well. I have tested on an Atari Jr. so far. In particular, I want to make sure my pause feature works on the 7800.

[Neuronic]

Kdgarris, Great looking and playing game!!!! You wrote: "However, there is still a serious bug in the display of the score where digits are repeated after 1,000 points. I don't yet know a way to work around this issue."

 

For what it's worth, I see this with all bB developed games that use the 6 digit score, mine included. The emulator with the Flashback Portable has soooo many issues! Anyway I asked Nukey Shay to take a peek at some of my games and he fixed the score display bug. He disassembled by .bin and switched a thing or two and posted the corrected versions on the flashback compatibility tread. Sadly, I don't think it can be fixed in bB directly as his fix was working around a bug in the portable emulator. You'll probably drive yourself crazy looking into this but here is a link to his comments when he created the fixed binaries that work with the portable.

 

related comment "Score fixed by hitting RESP's 2 cycles earlier, and shifting both HM's 2 pixels left."

 

Link: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259166-flashback-portable-needed-controller-hacks/?p=3694010

 

If you ever find a way to correct this, probably possible in the bB score code somewhere in the include\std_kernel.asm, score_graphics.asm or the pf_drawing.asm files please post it!

[+Karl G]

Kdgarris, Great looking and playing game!!!! You wrote: "However, there is still a serious bug in the display of the score where digits are repeated after 1,000 points. I don't yet know a way to work around this issue."

 

For what it's worth, I see this with all bB developed games that use the 6 digit score, mine included. The emulator with the Flashback Portable has soooo many issues! Anyway I asked Nukey Shay to take a peek at some of my games and he fixed the score display bug. He disassembled by .bin and switched a thing or two and posted the corrected versions on the flashback compatibility tread. Sadly, I don't think it can be fixed in bB directly as his fix was working around a bug in the portable emulator. You'll probably drive yourself crazy looking into this but here is a link to his comments when he created the fixed binaries that work with the portable.

 

related comment "Score fixed by hitting RESP's 2 cycles earlier, and shifting both HM's 2 pixels left."

 

Link: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259166-flashback-portable-needed-controller-hacks/?p=3694010

 

If you ever find a way to correct this, probably possible in the bB score code somewhere in the include\std_kernel.asm, score_graphics.asm or the pf_drawing.asm files please post it!

 

Thanks for the info! It looks like the score drawing code itself is in std_kernel.asm, but it is beyond my abilities to attempt a fix. I do eventually want to learn assembly and better understand bB internals, but that is probably going to be after I'm done with this project. It's good to know that this is a standard issue with bB and the AFP in the meantime, though.

 

Oh, and for what it's worth, it looks like the same score display problem exists in the Javatari emulator, so the same code modification would probably fix bB's score display on both of these emulators.

[+Karl G]

I've updated the first post of the thread with new binaries - it's the latest version from this thread, plus some display bugfixes.

[Brian O]

Just got 11,100. Reached wave 4. Game is a lot of fun.

[MissCommand]

This game is great! It does have a very solid feel to it and I love the different motions for the ships.

 

I was wondering, where did you wife find inspiration, if any, for the music and sound effects in the game?

[mvo]

This game is great! It does have a very solid feel to it and I love the different motions for the ships.

 

I was wondering, where did you wife find inspiration, if any, for the music and sound effects in the game?

Firstly, I'm super pleased that you've enjoyed the game!

 

The music doesn't have direct inspiration from any source. When I first started out, I watched a youtube video of "game over" themes. I liked the one from Kirby, and kind of branched off on my own from there. Basically I've been working with the "pure notes" available and trying to build a decent bass line, then have tried desperately to find complementary notes that fit those.

 

For the sound effects, it's just been blind trial and error. I keep files of sounds that don't quite work, and start randomly changing things until I get something that I like, then try to perfect it.

[+sramirez2008]

This is a fun shooter. Been playing the AFP version while traveling for work. Can't wait to try the regular bin on my Harmony.

[Sydtech]

Very fun game!

 

A suggestion:

 

Throw in some incentive for the player to go after a "detrimental" powerup...like a point multiplier if they get the "reversed direction" or "wide" or "slow" powerups. Otherwise, why would a player want to grab those?

 

Also: I initially tried the game on the latest version of Stella, but it also seems to run with no problem my heavy six modified with svideo and stereo out, with the exception of the spider-looking ships that appear starting in level 2 are a bit too dark to see properly (they show up as sort of a dark olive green for me). This could be because of my display setup (s-video out to an HDMI converter to a 4K TCL TV), but it'd be nice if they were a bit brighter and easier to see.

 

Again, very entertaining game. Thanks!

[+Karl G]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I can increase the brightness of the "bat" a notch if that will help.

 

As for negative powerups, there isn't supposed to be any incentive to catch them. You get them sometimes anyway if you are too close when they drop, or if you don't realize in time that it's a bad one. One case when you might catch them is to replace your current bad powerup with one you dislike less.

 

I'll think about maybe granting points for catching bad powerups for those who would like the challenge of catching these, too. I think that getting points for them could possibly confuse players, though.

[+Karl G]

In case anyone is interested in the current progress, I have implemented "boss" aliens that you fight at the end of every 3rd wave, and there are 3 of them so far. They take multiple hits to destroy, and each has different special abilities, much like the other aliens.

 

I am working on a short debris-dodging sequence in between waves, but I am debugging issues with that still.

[Sydtech]

I'll think about maybe granting points for catching bad powerups for those who would like the challenge of catching these, too. I think that getting points for them could possibly confuse players, though.

 

Actually, not a bonus score for getting a powerup - I was thinking more along the lines of giving a point multiplier when the user gets a "negative" powerup - i.e. the player would score 2x points while the "reversed controls" powerup was active.

 

Again, very entertaining game! Thanks!

[StanJr]

I'm pretty much going to avoid the negative power-ups, no matter what. I've experienced all of them and they aren't worth any incentive.

[kwallpe]

Hey, just wanted to say I'm really enjoying this so far! No good at it whatsoever, but that hasn't stopped me from getting sucked in for a couple hours at a time.

 

The one thing I've found bothersome is getting stuck with a chain of unavoidable hits. Die once in just the right spot relative to an enemy ship, and it fires again, then again, with no chance to get out of the way, so one hit gets multiplied into more.

[+Karl G]

Hey, just wanted to say I'm really enjoying this so far! No good at it whatsoever, but that hasn't stopped me from getting sucked in for a couple hours at a time.

 

The one thing I've found bothersome is getting stuck with a chain of unavoidable hits. Die once in just the right spot relative to an enemy ship, and it fires again, then again, with no chance to get out of the way, so one hit gets multiplied into more.

 

Thanks! I have been debating on slightly lowering the difficulty of the first few waves. In terms of the multiple deaths issue, the next version (in progress) will have a short window of invulnerability post-death to avoid this.

[Brian O]

I noticed that if you hit down you can teleport to the other side of the screen, but it costs you 1,000 points.

[+Karl G]

I noticed that if you hit down you can teleport to the other side of the screen, but it costs you 1,000 points.

 

Yeah - I put that in for when you might get trapped by the smart bomb, but unable to get to the remaining aliens. In my current version, I have that feature disabled because I trigger it too often accidentally. If enough people like it, I'll rethink how to implement it.

[+Karl G]

JFYI, the next version should be ready in about a week,with new features, new music, and lots of tweaks and bug fixes.

[Brian O]

Yeah - I put that in for when you might get trapped by the smart bomb, but unable to get to the remaining aliens. In my current version, I have that feature disabled because I trigger it too often accidentally. If enough people like it, I'll rethink how to implement it.

 

I like it.

[Brian O]

Yeah - I put that in for when you might get trapped by the smart bomb, but unable to get to the remaining aliens. In my current version, I have that feature disabled because I trigger it too often accidentally. If enough people like it, I'll rethink how to implement it.

Maybe have players push down on the joystick two times in a row in order to have the teleport occur. This way it avoids an accidental push down from triggering it.