Fast paced 2D shooter [ Shoot 'em up ]

[Mistercharles]

Listen.

1. Don't use gamemaker 7 or higher. 5.3A, 6.0, or 6.1 are just fine.
2. Don't use the built-in particle systems. They're terrible.
3. Make sure the gameplay flows nicely.
4. Don't be too ambitious. 55 ships is a LOT.
5. Don't use MIDIs for the music. They sound awful.
6. Great job on those graphics. Good luck.

[Farah]

what
MIDIS are perfectly fine if they're any good, music is subjective!
an mp3 can be a piece of poo and a MIDI file can sound like it was composed by a man who knows music like the lips of his mother's vagina.

[Stahlkaiser]

Hey I remember those weapons, and that guy. Heh now i know who you are.

Those tanks are just awesome, i really like them.

I think that we all know that the graphics part of those games are for sure great, but what about the coding? I mean how you will make them work

Well at first: thank you!
then: i use game maker. it is a drag and drop 2d game creation program with which i can do a simple game like a shmup very well - without greater problems.
  + i must say that certain bullet patterns are difficult to program tho.

thanks for remembering me !

This is really awesome. You can turn it 45 degs and have a new player ship right there. Or at least keep the wings. Too bad you don't want transforming ship sprites since that would make for some really cool bosses and player ships. What's the issue?

Nice, thanks! Really i am thinking of some spare playership idea so i might come back to your suggestion really 

Ah, you using particle effects for the explosions or are you going to use an image? Also which version of GM do you use(I prefer GM6.1 pro).

what
MIDIS are perfectly fine if they're any good, music is subjective!
an mp3 can be a piece of poo and a MIDI file can sound like it was composed by a man who knows music like the lips of his mother's vagina.

i use game maker 6.1 unreg. i can do the things i need so far with it
well i reeeeally have no idea about music but at least at the moment this is no urgent issue for me... i am now focussing on doing the graphics which is the greater part of the whole game creation process in that game.

Listen.

1. Don't use gamemaker 7 or higher. 5.3A, 6.0, or 6.1 are just fine.
2. Don't use the built-in particle systems. They're terrible.
3. Make sure the gameplay flows nicely.
4. Don't be too ambitious. 55 ships is a LOT.
5. Don't use MIDIs for the music. They sound awful.
6. Great job on those graphics. Good luck.

Well, what you said are from my point of view points of wisdom Mistercharles.
1. i use 6.1 and agree. it works fine.
2. I am a total noob to particles but anyway... i am thinking of doing images
    for the explosions  so particles are (maybe..) not needed...
3. A nice gameflow is one of the main topics which i will focus on when coding and
    level + enemy-activity creation is started. this will happen after the graphical
    work.
4.well 55 ships are a lot and i totally agree and have to apologize for not
   saying that i will do MAX. 55 ships and i will end using 40 i guess.
   I agree with you and it is just weird and crazy/dumb to say - from the beginning on
   to create/ pixel that much images.
   but since one part of my whole game idea is a large variation of ships i will really
   struggle to create as much as i can as long as i have fun finishing them.
   For further footage and to make sure that i have a lot of ideas and sketched
   concepts in mind. i give you a very rough overview of all ships i had an idea for
   in the time since i started my project:
 
   

   there are already finished ships + sketches + some ships i showed as sketchy
   pixelarts in this thread.
5. i have no idea on music..... this is a problem!
6. thank you it really motivates me what you say!


=======================================================================================

Additional,sketchy FOOTAGE:

[/color]


The boss for the darkness level will look like this:

at least with that design of wings. i am not sure about the angle/rotation of those wings but somewhat in that arrangement.

At the moment i guess this is the best try for a hopefully nice concept on that goddamn AIR BOSS which i want to create since a loooong time ... but can`t figure out a right idea:


For now: thanks all for the nice comments, constructive and helpful criticism(which i hope that i took it well!) and your support! i will always update this thread with my latest works.

[Espadon]

Possible to make the wings actually like big blades and have that as the attack?

[Hair|Trigger]

Could you not post spoilers?  :/  even if they're in early stage.

But still, looks really, really nice.  I guess I could expect a more 'flexible' version of RaidenX or something?  possibly melee attacks?   or is it something different from arcade style?

[Stahlkaiser]

Possible to make the wings actually like big blades and have that as the attack?

Awesome idea especially because the PLAYERSHIP will contain a energy sword beneath its blasters...

Enemies with blades as you mentioned them Will be addedfor sure

Could you not post spoilers?  :/  even if they're in early stage.

But still, looks really, really nice.  I guess I could expect a more 'flexible' version of RaidenX or something?  possibly melee attacks?   or is it something different from arcade style?

Well at first i have to say thank you.
At second, did i mention i am an attention hoe and will suffer for all eternity in da hell?

well... third..

THIS i a RAIDEN:                                             And THIS is a DODONPACHI:


Reminder at Stahlkaiser: never mention raiden and dodonpachi in one sentence..

you obviously see the difference

my shmup will be one of the manic kind... a so called "manic- shmup"
or you could even say my game is a bullet hell as the shmu scene calls it.
it is for weird people like i am one..





uhm well.... sorry but: i am a bit dumb often... too bad but i can`t figure out what you mean with a melee attack..!?could you please describe i would like to give you an answer for your interest!



in addition:

moar footage:







DEMO IS STILL IN PROGRESS!



From now on i will have to pixel a lot of those works and will not post any update in the next time...

also i am starting my new job tomorrow and i hope i will just make it good..

[Lord Frunkamunch]

One thing I would not suggest is having limited lives. Those lost their point when games moved out of arcades. Have a death counter/point penalty so people will have personal scores to beat, but make the game accessible to people who might not have the time to replay levels over and over again.

[Dairy]

I wish you good luck in your new job.

Your pixelart is really very good, to be honest I like how're trying hard and make things better.

[Hair|Trigger]

uhm well.... sorry but: i am a bit dumb often... too bad but i can`t figure out what you mean with a melee attack..!?could you please describe i would like to give you an answer for your interest!

'Melee' just means hand to hand, or fighting without projectiles, but swords, fists, etc.  Like when you get close to an enemy, you can use wings or blades or something in the ship to whack them !  Will you have anything like this..?

[a-4-year-old]

there is no such thing as melee attacks on a flying vessel.

[Espadon]

there is no such thing as melee attacks on a flying vessel.

No such thing as a 4 year old on a forum. Open your mind up or I will do it manually xD

[Biggles]

I dont know but wouldnt it be cool with some shadows I mean at weaponds or anything.

[Stahlkaiser]

One thing I would not suggest is having limited lives. Those lost their point when games moved out of arcades. Have a death counter/point penalty so people will have personal scores to beat, but make the game accessible to people who might not have the time to replay levels over and over again.

I still added this idea to my thoughts before your post because i saw the same point here i guess.when the playership gets hit you lose your "power" which is kinda Gray Armour your ships wears. you become a weaponless ghost after getting hit and then need to get your armor back. so also a death counter will be added which affects the score.
in addition there is a scene select where you can practice scenes you already played. + because of the death topic i mentioned you don´t have to start same levels over and over again.

I wish you good luck in your new job.

Your pixelart is really very good, to be honest I like how're trying hard and make things better.
thank you! at the moment i just love my new job! will see what comes next to me and what problems i might get to solve

uhm well.... sorry but: i am a bit dumb often... too bad but i can`t figure out what you mean with a melee attack..!?could you please describe i would like to give you an answer for your interest!

'Melee' just means hand to hand, or fighting without projectiles, but swords, fists, etc.  Like when you get close to an enemy, you can use wings or blades or something in the ship to whack them !  Will you have anything like this..?

lol now i know. well also this was added as an idea before your post and i wanted to show this much later but since you are asking me:
YES THERE IS  MELEE ATTACK: that is your second weapon: a energetic sword!

rough animation sketch:



while using this very powerful weapon you inflict great damage to enemies while it costs your ship lots of energy. this energy is your amount of collected power. this collected power is increased when you simply HIT an enemy and decreases while using the sword. in addition the POWER is used to increase the powerlevel of your ordinary blaster(your main weapon) so you can`t use this mighty sword too much or your normal blaster will decrease to a flue...

there is no such thing as melee attacks on a flying vessel.

wellread next posts +/or the one above

there is no such thing as melee attacks on a flying vessel.

No such thing as a 4 year old on a forum. Open your mind up or I will do it manually xD

thanks for opening peoples mind i appreciated your comment.

I dont know but wouldnt it be cool with some shadows I mean at weapons or anything.

well yeah that would be cool! there are actually all weird kinds of projectiles throughout the whole game i think also some shades



ADDITIONAL SKEETCHY FOOTAGE AS MOST OFTEN:

The waterlevel BOSS!

click for full size! :
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/5612/aquatelarsgk0.png

kinda weird but imo inovative firetype enemy:


you remember this one?


weird, weird light enemy:


SKETCHY! fire enemy:

[Stahlkaiser]

UPDATE:

I finally got an inspiration for the last boss of the game. It is more a sketch as most often but i have the crass image in mind.
Here are some footages(i always work from sketchy sketches):


main body + additional refined wings (not aligned).

single sketch of the main body concept/form:


advanced body design + rough colouring. no middle part attached, wings still not aligned:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




I also finished this piece yesterday:

before                                            ->                                 after

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I reworked - or more finished - this piece. it has had wrong colours and was not finished considering its form:

before            ->            after

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also:
new sketch of one of the last enemies now... a new earth-level-one:





comments highly appreciated! Especially on the NEW, FNISHED ones.

thanks all! 

[Hair|Trigger]

I told you not to reveal all the bosses :/

I mean it wont even be fun, next you'll be telling us how to beat the game in five minutes

I reworked - or more finished - this piece. it has had wrong colours and was not finished considering its form:

before            ->            after

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

^that looks really cool.

[Stahlkaiser]

Update + big change!

I think it's great the way it is. Maybe even go a bit more abstract. Alien goo ships anyone?

I totally changed the graphical style of my game to a even more abstract one. it might be that people hate this new idea of mine but i will go with it. it is more what i want to do and it fits -   in my opinion- with the rest of my abstract lines better.

dark BG colour for better effect






Edit :

[Stahlkaiser]

Bump because of problem!

which kind of these three styles shall i use for my graphics?

i don`t want to shade them because with shading they look realistic and like real ships. i want them unreal looking and abstract.

so i have one shaded, one simply non-shaded and one in a different style:



1
2
or
3 ?

any other suggestions?

i am really in a crysis with this shadig shi- ....

[PANZERCATWAGON]

2 looks da bomb

[Dascoo]

1 if you want to stay looking unique

[Stahlkaiser]

Thanks!

Ptoing->http://www.ptoing.net/ did this friendly edit for me after i told him what i want my sprites to look like and send him a few of my sketches. he created this style and helped me a lot with it:



This is exactly what i wanted all the time in my head but couldn`t bring it on screen.
At this point: Thanks to you, Ptoing.

i will further analyze this style, change it into my colours and tune some of the forms and "textures".

i will show my results based on Ptoings idea later... i first have to understand and "emulate? this graphical style in my own way.


i think it is kinda in the #2 ones style but in a new, more weird way. i like it now.