DRADIS - Control your ship via typed commands - GREENLIGHT live!

HighlandCoo

Member
Hi Everyone!

Now live on Greenlight and looking for your votes!

This is a little prototype I've been working on, working title "DRADIS".


Inspired by the retro-futuristic command line console in "duskers" and investigating the gameplay possibilities of _real_ tactical space warfare, Not the pseudo flight simulator we usually get, paying attention to speed, direction, power levels and weapon angles.

You spawn in the middle of a randomly generated solar system, currently you can:
- Fly around
- Target and shoot enemies
- Pickup salvage from destroyed enemies
- Access Warp
- Capture enemy stations
- Defend your station from enemy attacks

There is a basic objective based tutorial, this cannot be turned off right now, but I'll add that option later.

Instructions can be found by typing "help" into the in-game command console (ooo! Immersion!)

I'd be really grateful to know what you all think of the concept and the current implementation, graphics etc.

Thanks for reading.


DOWNLOAD

FULL DEVBLOG ON INDIEDB


GIFS!


SCREENSHOTS!


 
Last edited:
P

Pelican

Guest
This game looks really interesting. I like the easy to read bars, like the FTL ones. It makes it really easy to see what you're doing at a glance.

Perhaps a tutorial stage would be best for teaching the commands, with the help page as a supplement. I found it quite hard to learn everything at once with something immediately after me. Though the instructions on the help page were definitely helpful.

The word suggestions is a really nice touch, it was great to jog the memory if you couldn't quite remember what a command was. And the command box looked really good. And showing the angles on screen was immensely helpful.

For the commands though, you probably don't want anything longer than "Heading", otherwise it might be too hard to remember.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Thanks Pelican!

The latest build has simplified targeting, but more complex newtonian-style movement. I think you'll like it.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Updated!

- Updated AI
- Updated Graphics and GUI artwork
- Updated player movement mechanics
- added collision with planetary atmosphere and asteroids, try to keep clear! :)

Does anyone want to make any suggestions where to go next? I really like the mechanics, but Im struggling to build a game around this.. I was thinking about an endless shooter where you roam from system to system trying to rescue as many people as you can before you are destroyed.. upgrades could be created as you go from loop dropped by destroyed enemies, and from special events that would occur at random.

Any thoughts??
 

Surgeon_

Symbian Curator
I'm going to try this out later when I have the time, unless the frakking Cylons kill me in the meantime.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

Fixed a few random bugs affecting slo-motion, moving and turning simultaneously and targeting enemies.

Also added new command "target all"
 

Surgeon_

Symbian Curator
I promised to leave a review for this game, so here it is:
  • The moment I ran the game I was impressed with how clean and polished the GUI was. Usually I don't expect much quality for GUI in these "Work in Progress" games but this definitely looks like something you've put a lot of time and effort in. It was even smoothly animated, which I liked.
  • I started playing, and it felt so good - I was commanding my own Battlestar! (Yeah; I should point out that I have a minor obsession with BSG)
  • It was difficult at first but I quickly managed to memorize the commands and get used to the behavior of the game, so it wasn't long before I began destroying the enemies. It was really fun but eventually became quite repetitive, and without a specific goal I gave up.
With that said, here's my view of this game as a whole: Currently it isn't much to look at nor is it something to play for a long time, but it definitely is an amazing base for a unique game which could be loads of fun. I came up with a list of things which could make the game much better (in my opinion).
  • Some storyline - It does not have to be a masterpiece, but something to give you a sense of direction and purpose. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if it had an awesome story.
  • Missions - This kind of comes bundled with what I said above, but having goals like "Destroy the bad guy's space station", "Protect the cargo ships", "Retrieve rare tech" would make the game more fun. Oh and they should have some rewards, like items or space credits.
  • Advancement - I like games where you can upgrade your ship (armour, weapons, engines) or even buy a whole new ship. Also, the crew. The crew could get XP from encounters and when the crew members level up you'd get some perks.
  • Personalization - I'd like it if you could choose what kind of a commander you want to play. Maybe you could choose between a few predefined commanders or make your own, and each would have their pros and cons. I'm saying this because when the player makes their own character, suddenly the game becomes personal, and thus much more engaging and immersive.
  • Multiplayer - This is where it becomes complicated, but at least for me, multiplayer would be a major selling point, especially if it included the ability to play through the storyline with more people, cooperatively.
I'm known as a person who overcomplicates things, so you should take my words with a grain of salt. But I do honestly think that without more content this thing you have here would just be lots of wasted potential.

There's also some negative criticism and minor suggestions that I'll put into a combined list.
  • The game often crashes if you input invalid syntax.
  • Sometimes the enemies spawn without a letter so you can't target them by any means. [Screenshot]
  • Some windows and popups must be operated with the mouse, but the rest of the game is played with the keyboard. You should make it so that you can press enter or space to the same effect as pressing a button with the mouse.
  • The GUI could use some explanation - for example, I still don't know what the two bars under the shield mean. I know this contradicts what I just mentioned above, but maybe the most efficient method to fix this would be to make tooltips which show when you hover over GUI elements with the cursor.
  • Suggestion: Change the "heading" command into "head". At least to me "head 90" sounds more like a command while "heading 90" sounds more like a statement.
  • Suggestion: Make a "stop" or "break" command which tries to halt the ship.
  • Suggestion: Add support for negative angles. Often I wanted to go at about -30, -45 or -90 degrees but then had to do some math to figure out that it's actually 330, 315 or 270 degrees - and this is a game where every second counts.
  • Obviously sound would be a welcome improvement.
  • As for the graphics, well, they are too "cartoony" for my taste, especially as this comes off as a very serious game, and I think it would benefit from more realistic and a bit more grim appearance.

Holy hell, I wrote a lot more than I hoped to. I guess it just goes to show that this has huge potential and that I'd really wish to play this game if it had more quality content. Well, keep us updated, and good luck!
So say we all! (sorry I had to)
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Thanks Surgeon - thats excellent feedback - exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. :)

I've uploaded a new build which fixes _some_ of the crash bugs with the command line, but I think that is going to be an iterative process as I add new functionality. It also add/changes a few GUI elements to hopefully make things a little clearer. Oh and I fixed the enemies not appearing with a target letter. Fire at will! :)

Your suggestions are all excellent. I think right now Im trying to decide how realistic I want this to be.. I think with games there needs to be a line somewhere when"real" is no longer "fun".. but at the same time I want the player to feel like they did something smart and skilled when they get a kill.. more on this later I think.

There are all sorts of things I am considering right now. Could this be a smuggler-type game, Doing fetch quests across a whole galaxy? Or a FTL-like roguelike where you need to flee across several systems? Or should it be pure combat arcade style, picking up powerups from destroyed enemies? Gah! No idea! I'm know as a person who generates good concepts but struggles to build a good game around them.. :)
 

Surgeon_

Symbian Curator
There are all sorts of things I am considering right now. Could this be a smuggler-type game, Doing fetch quests across a whole galaxy? Or a FTL-like roguelike where you need to flee across several systems? Or should it be pure combat arcade style, picking up powerups from destroyed enemies? Gah! No idea! I'm know as a person who generates good concepts but struggles to build a good game around them.. :)
Well, if there's only fetch quests, or only fleeing, I think that's an issue. I wouldn't go for Arcade style because that style really lacks a sense of purpose and direction. Maybe some mixing and matching of different types to get a more versatile experience? Anyway, ultimately it's your game so I can only give you personal opinions and not any definitive answers, obviously you should make a game you yourself wish to make. I only hope it will have multiplayer so I can shoot at my friends lol :)

Also, one more thing. The bug with the enemies' letters gave me an idea. At first I thought they were some advanced enemies which you can't target conventionally, so I tried typing something like "target 1 90" - basically I though I had to hit them manually. I quickly learned that I could not do that, but it could make for an interesting mechanic later in the game (I say later because it would be really difficult).
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- added a large enemy type, this enemy is made up of "modules" - engines, turrets, a comms module and the central spine. The spine needs to be destroyed to kill the enemy entirely. But I suggest targeting the comms module (the one at the front) before they call call in reinforcements! (PS: apologies for placeholder art)

- added more advanced newtonian movement model, now when you adjust your heading you will continue to travel in the same direction until you fire the engines. The engines will continue to fire (and use valuable power) until you shut them down.

- oh and I added a map view, to see it hold [space] down. It's not much use right now, but at least you get to see where you are in the grand scheme of things, and deep down isn't that all we really want? Really?

I'm still trying to think how to implement a larger game around this. I'm having loads of fun just blasting around the solar system until the NPC's kill me.. but obviously I need more.

Literally anything is possible at this point..
* Should we always keep the same ship, but upgrade it as we go? OR should we be able to swap out modules or entire ships?
* Should we craft upgrades/ships/modules from gathered resources? Or just build/buy/collect them?
* Should we stay in the one system? Or travel to different stars?
* Whats the goal here? Domination? Rescue? Escape? Exploration? Building?

As always, your comments, suggestions and any bug reports are badly needed!

Thanks for reading!
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- corrected some console bugs

- added basic resource collection, enemies now drop metal and energy. There's nothing for you to SPEND it on mind you. But it's there.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- added various UI and cosmetic improvements

- it is now possible to capture orbiting stations

- you can drop your gathered metal at captured stations in exchange for energy


I'm still trying to think how to implement a larger game around this. I'm having loads of fun just blasting around the solar system until the NPC's kill me.. but obviously I need more.

Literally anything is possible at this point..
* Should we always keep the same ship, but upgrade it as we go? OR should we be able to swap out modules or entire ships?
* Should we craft upgrades/ships/modules from gathered resources? Or just build/buy/collect them?
* Should we stay in the one system? Or travel to different stars?
* Whats the goal here? Domination? Rescue? Escape? Exploration? Building?

As always, your comments, suggestions and any bug reports are badly needed!

Thanks for reading!
 
Z

zircher

Guest
I can see adding an exploration element so that you have a reason to visit asteroids and planets. Perhaps you're looking for resources, earning explorer bounties, finding warp points to other systems, derelict craft to salvage/rescue.

What about space stations in orbit and perhaps some of them being safe zones (the pirates stay out of weapons range of the station's big guns.) If there is more than one station in the system, repair, trade, or hauling jobs. Command ideas to make some piloting easier; Follow X (match course, stay away), Dock X (move close enough to dock, pick up rescue pods, loot wrecks), Orbit X (assuming planets have a letter or name.)
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Hrm thats interesting... heres what I have come up with

- A new module, the drone launcher.
- The launcher is charged up and fired in exactly the same way as any other module, except you also get the option to choose a drone TYPE (for now, only mining drones will be available) but we could have all kinds of little things like spy drones, salvage drones, capture drones, etc
- The mining drone can be launced at asteroids and planets.
- Whilst the mining drone is active, it will attract enemies.
- Protect the mining drone until it returns to your ship with the booty.
- Return the booty to your station to exchange the collected metal for energy.

Im trying to think up a nice simple command scheme for changing drone types. Once Ive done that, coded the mining AI, and adjusted the director AI to attack when the mining drone is active, and adjusted the NPC AI to target the mining drone as well as the player, I will upload the new build for laffs. :)

What do you guys think of this?
 
Z

zircher

Guest
I like the mission versatility it implies; mining drones, repair drones, point defense/anti-missile drones, etc.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

DOWNLOAD

- added mining drones, target asteroids with the drone weapon module. Charge and fire same as any other weapon. Drones will mine asteroids, then return with the booty.


Drones are part of a larger class of module that I am currently implementing. I hope to have a basic combat drone added shortly, and also add a drone module to the NPC's for drone wars. :)

It's my hope that drones will add a much needed layer of interactivity with the environment (besides the obvious shooty bang bang). Expect new drone types like salvage, spy and ECM in the future.

The core loop at the moment is

- Gather metal, either by destroying enemies or mining asteroids
- take metal to a captured station where it will be converted to energy
- use energy for ...something. Not implemented yet... but it'll be terrific. Soon. I swear.


As always, please do let me know your thoughts, your feedback is essential or I will sit for weeks working stupid features no one wants - it's my super power. :)

I'm trying to hammer out the early, mid and late game activities. Right now I'm still not totally sure what direction I am going here. Will this be purely a combat game? ie:

Gather Metal
Upgrade
Clear level of enemies

... or do I want an economic level to this?

Gather Metal
Upgrade and build infrastructure
Protect infrastructure and fight enemies

Should I remain forever in the one randomly generated solar system? Or should it be possible to jump between systems?

Gah, no doubt something will congeal at some point. Just shouting into the wind here. :)

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD
 
Last edited:
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
UPDATED!

- added mining drones, target asteroids with the drone weapon module. Charge and fire same as any other weapon. Drones will mine asteroids, then return with the booty.


Drones are part of a larger class of module that I am currently implementing. I hope to have a basic combat drone added shortly, and also add a drone module to the NPC's for drone wars. :)

It's my hope that drones will add a much needed layer of interactivity with the environment (besides the obvious shooty bang bang). Expect new drone types like salvage, spy and ECM in the future.

The core loop at the moment is

- Gather metal, either by destroying enemies or mining asteroids
- take metal to a captured station where it will be converted to energy
- use energy for ...something. Not implemented yet... but it'll be terrific. Soon. I swear.


As always, please do let me know your thoughts, your feedback is essential or I will sit for weeks working stupid features no one wants - it's like my super power. :)

Enjoy!
Can you post a link?
 

HighlandCoo

Member
There is an error when I press the down key.
Gah how annoying ;) that code was a leftover from an old shader config. I just never had any occasion to hit the arrow keys so never encountered the error. Suppose that's why I post here! :p

I;ve uploaded a new build now that resolves the bug. FYI im partway thru implementing the planet capture mechanic so some stuff may appear odd, but rest assured, once away from your home base the enemy will continue to spawn and harass you as intended.
 
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
Gah how annoying ;) that code was a leftover from an old shader config. I just never had any occasion to hit the arrow keys so never encountered the error. Suppose that's why I post here! :p

I;ve uploaded a new build now that resolves the bug. FYI im partway thru implementing the planet capture mechanic so some stuff may appear odd, but rest assured, once away from your home base the enemy will continue to spawn and harass you as intended.
I wil play it through and give you a complete list!
and how did you post your game for dowload?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
___________________________________________
############################################################################################
FATAL ERROR in
action number 1
of Step Event0
for object obj_controllers_console:
local variable temp_nr(100008, -2147483648) not set before reading it.
at gml_Object_obj_controllers_console_Step_0
############################################################################################
1. a "charge all" command would be nice
2. takes a long time to travel.
3.it would be nice if there was a pause button
3. fueling stations to heal health would be nice
4.left and right arrow keys to move between letters on command center
5.when it completes a word for you, example:(if I press c it spells charge behind it) you should make it so if I press enter while that is still there it will auto spell it (but then you would have to swith the weapon number with the targets name so it dosent autocomplete, like this: charge 1 c -- charge 1 charge)
6. the numbers are sometimes upside down and sidways and are hard to decipher
7. Why would you do target set 2 a
when you could do fire 2 a?

 

 

 
 

HighlandCoo

Member
___________________________________________
############################################################################################
FATAL ERROR in
action number 1
of Step Event0
for object obj_controllers_console:
local variable temp_nr(100008, -2147483648) not set before reading it.
at gml_Object_obj_controllers_console_Step_0
############################################################################################
1. a "charge all" command would be nice
2. takes a long time to travel.
3.it would be nice if there was a pause button
3. fueling stations to heal health would be nice
4.left and right arrow keys to move between letters on command center
5.when it completes a word for you, example:(if I press c it spells charge behind it) you should make it so if I press enter while that is still there it will auto spell it (but then you would have to swith the weapon number with the targets name so it dosent autocomplete, like this: charge 1 c -- charge 1 charge)
6. the numbers are sometimes upside down and sidways and are hard to decipher
7. Why would you do target set 2 a
when you could do fire 2 a?
Hey!

Thanks for the detailed feedback!

With regards to the error message, I'm struggling to replicate that. The variable temp_nr is used to store the number entered after a FIRE or CHARGE command.. I can't see wnywhere in the code where is it called BEFORE it is set. If possible, would you kindly describe how to replicated this?

Regarding the other great points

1. Hrm, I agree this is a good quality of life command. BUT one of rhe mechanics is power-management. I don't want players to simply be able to "charge all". You need to consider how much power you have availalble.

2. Module number 5 is an "FTL". Once charged and activated it will propel you forward at the SPEED OF LIGHT (well actually like 5 or 10 or something but you get the idea :p)I actually think this is still too slow, I'm working on an alternative system using deployable "beacons" to allow players to insta-warp to chosen locations.

3. If you hit "esc" it will pause the game. the "TACTIME" command also starts slow-motion mode to let you have a think and chain some commands. The bar in the top middle of the screen shows how much tac time is remaining.

4. Sounds good. Note - if you hold down backspace it will clear the existing command line. Does that help in the meantime?

5. If you hit TAB that will autocomplete the string using the provided text. Example if you type "cha" then hit TAB, the string will autocomplete to "charge".

6. Yup. It's ugly. It's on my to-do list. :)

7. I'm not totally sure I understand the question. You need to charge the weapon before you can fire. But you can set a target anytime and it will remain targeted until it no longer exists. So you would not fire until you have targeted. Is this just because I haven;t explained the mechanics very well? I really need to get a better tutorial.. but I'm holding off the tutorial until the mechanics are more solid. Does that answer your questions?

ah-ha! Right I think I get this now. So why target first _then_ fire? Some reasons
- the turret needs to be point at the target, and it needs to be in range. If you type "fire 2 A" and then nothing immediately happens, that's annoying, and breaks my rule of "give feedback for every player action".
- not all weapons can fire on all targets. Drones are a good example of this.
- you may want to target multiple ships
.. I hope this response is more helpful!

Thanks for taking the time to play and feedback, without this kind of information I'm lost!
 
Last edited:
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
Could you include this in the "help"

[qoute]
If you hit TAB that will autocomplete the string using the provided text. Example if you type "cha" then hit TAB, the string will autocomplete to "charge".
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Could you include this in the "help"
If you hit TAB that will autocomplete the string using the provided text. Example if you type "cha" then hit TAB, the string will autocomplete to "charge".
Oh yes, I definitely will include that. The Help screen is just a placeholder, once I get all the core mechanics in place I'll make a proper tutorial and expand the help screens. I'm just not wanting to spend time on a tutorial that I'll need to change 100 times each week. :)

Can I ask, was there any part you really liked? Obviously super grateful for the bug squashing, but it' also helpful to know what IS working. :)

Thanks again, you've been really helpful.
 
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
I like the background and the way it moves and also the style you drew the menus and art, everything in it is very fluid and matching like you took a while to think about the game before you jumped into it, like a professional. You are doing a very good job
keep it up, I will continue to give you feedback and encouragement!
 
 
S

SyntheticStorm9

Guest
Maybe if you added one comment with all commands here it will be easier for you till you are finished with your game.
Every time I give the command charge 5
it says above it (error - no weapon with that number)
I also like the idea of adding modules to the ship that you collect from destroyed enemys.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- Added planet capture.

You start in a system with X amount of planets - you will start owning 1 of those planets. If you die, you will respawn at the nearest friendly planet after a deduction of energy.
Enemy stations can be captured once you have eliminated all the enemies guarding the planet. The enemy will also attack your planets, if you lost all your planets, you will have no where to respawn and your next death will be permanent.

(You will salvage metal from destroyed enemies and you can also mine asteroids with your drone (module 3) but there is no point yet as I've not implemented the upgrade/repair system sorry :p)

- various quality of life improvements and bug fixes.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33539698/DRADIS/DEMO/dradis_demo.zip
DOWNLOAD
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- I've changed how power management works, the "charge" command is gone, now all your modules will attempt to charge themselves automatically. If there is not enough power, they will reset.

Weapons will be the first items to reset
Then if there is still zero power, Modules will reset second
Engines will reset if, following weapon and module reset there is _still_ 0 zero power.

I plan to allow the player to adjust that priority list later, so that you can (for example) kill the engines first rather than the weapons.

- The player ship is far more nimble now.
Maneuvering is now just as important as timing your shield activation.

- The large NPC's now come with Beam weapons.
The player has no counter to these at the moment (except to move around alot and frustrate the NPC's targeting scripts) but there will be one added soon. In the meantime if these guys show up I suggest you run. :)
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- Graphical Update.

I realized that, despite setting out to make a retro-futuristic space shooter, I somehow made something with fancy fades and swipes everywhere. This will never do! (I said). I've replaced, most, of that with flickering screens, low res graphics, and harsh display graphics. I reallly like how it looks now... although I think the color scheme could do with some work. :0

- Various
The AI director now works in waves, so you dont get bombarded with constant swarms.
The targeting mechanism has changed, you now have infinite range (because SPACE) but it takes time for your weapons to lock on.
Fixed various console display bugs
Removed the large multi segment NPC ships - they just aren't much fun at the moment and they ruin the flow of battle. I'll add them back in when I can think of something specific for them to do.
 

Sabnock

Member
tense battles, interesting and functional graphics. i felt like i shouldn't have but i really enjoyed the battle i got into. great game HighlandCoo.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
tense battles, interesting and functional graphics. i felt like i shouldn't have but i really enjoyed the battle i got into. great game HighlandCoo.
Thanks Sabnock! Responses like this are great encouragement!

Can I ask if you can give a little more detail what you meant when you said "I felt like I shouldn't have but.."? What did you mean?

Thanks again!

R.
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- Dock at friendly stations!
You can now dock at friendly stations to repair your ship using energy.

Doesn't sound like much but I guess now that you can repair your ship it would technically be possible to win the game..
 
M

MEITdev

Guest
Hi there!

I have recorded a short "honest first impressions" feedback video for your game.

The reason WHY is explained HERE

The purpose of this video is for you as a developer to see how players play your game, what are their expressions as well as some likes and dislikes.
Basically the personal feedback is something that is hard to get, so I am hoping to help you just a little bit with this video.

PS: After playing second time I am much faster and have much clearer understanding of the UI (the ship health was not apparent in the first video)


Just let me know when there is new version! I would like to turn this in to a series eventually! You know "star date gamm alpha cheescake 3.14" style :)
 
M

MEITdev

Guest
Hi there! I have played your game another 3 - 4 times already but I have noticed a slight issue. When I am next to the enemy station and trying to capture it by killing all the enemy ships, it so happens that when i lock on a target and try to fire 1...I hit my ship and die. Tried it 2 times in a row and it happened. Just wanted to update you on this finding !
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Hi there! I have played your game another 3 - 4 times already but I have noticed a slight issue. When I am next to the enemy station and trying to capture it by killing all the enemy ships, it so happens that when i lock on a target and try to fire 1...I hit my ship and die. Tried it 2 times in a row and it happened. Just wanted to update you on this finding !
Hi Meit!

Yes there is an odd issue where the targeting equations go awry.. basically the game needs to figure out the X/Y coords of where the target object will be in the FUTURE based on the targets speed and direction versus the projectiles speed and direction.

Sometimes that equation is not evaluating correctly and settings the target coord distance as zero. So when you fire, the projectiles immediately believe they have reached their destination and explode, injuring you.

As a workaround I've forced the game to default to a simple distance equation, forgoeing the additional targeting magic, when the distance is too short. If that doesn't impact the gameplay to badly I'll probably stick with that going forward.

Thanks for the heads up! Feedback like this is great!
 

HighlandCoo

Member
Hi there!

I have recorded a short "honest first impressions" feedback video for your game.

The reason WHY is explained HERE

The purpose of this video is for you as a developer to see how players play your game, what are their expressions as well as some likes and dislikes.
Basically the personal feedback is something that is hard to get, so I am hoping to help you just a little bit with this video.

PS: After playing second time I am much faster and have much clearer understanding of the UI (the ship health was not apparent in the first video)


Just let me know when there is new version! I would like to turn this in to a series eventually! You know "star date gamm alpha cheescake 3.14" style :)
Wow I must say thank you very much for taking the time to make that video and share it with me. I learned _alot_ from watching it and I hope you stick with it and make more videos like this in the future, quality feedback like this is invaluable! Based on your video, see the changes and comments below:
- when in warp, if you hit an asteroid field you drop out of warp, but you are left in the map view! Now fixed.

- Incorrect messages still in help screen. re: arrow keys. Corrected these.

- you now set engine power settings with 0 to 10. Example
Engine 10 = full power
engine 0 = stop.
Note on movement: If you are able to just stop your engine and come to a halt it becomes far too easy to avoid enemy fire. That, and you are in space and so there is no friction to slow you down so this is probably semi-realistic.. in any case, that's why you don't just stop when you turn off your engine. Perhaps I need to explain that bit better during the tutorial..

- added GUI notification when tacTime is running low

- increased contrast of console error messages with the console background

- corrected a console message - reported "target out of range" when it should say "target not yet locked on"

- increased the font size of the module messages like "ready", "charging", etc

- added shield module objective to the tutorial

#########
Some points which I hope should help in the future:

* I'm going to add a waypoint system from the map screen, so that you can set your heading correctly and quickly to ore belts, stations and so on.

* Yah the dock menu is horrible right now. :) It's on the drawing board.

* Sounds and Music as soon as I can decide what I actually want it to sound like.. :p

EDIT - that build is available for download now

Again thanks so much, fly safe!

R.
 
Last edited:
M

MEITdev

Guest
Wow I must say thank you very much for taking the time to make that video and share it with me. I learned _alot_ from watching it and I hope you stick with it and make more videos like this in the future, quality feedback like this is invaluable! Based on your video, see the changes and comments below:
- when in warp, if you hit an asteroid field you drop out of warp, but you are left in the map view! Now fixed.

- Incorrect messages still in help screen. re: arrow keys. Corrected these.

- you now set engine power settings with 0 to 10. Example
Engine 10 = full power
engine 0 = stop.
Note on movement: If you are able to just stop your engine and come to a halt it becomes far too easy to avoid enemy fire. That, and you are in space and so there is no friction to slow you down so this is probably semi-realistic.. in any case, that's why you don't just stop when you turn off your engine. Perhaps I need to explain that bit better during the tutorial..

- added GUI notification when tacTime is running low

- increased contrast of console error messages with the console background

- corrected a console message - reported "target out of range" when it should say "target not yet locked on"

- increased the font size of the module messages like "ready", "charging", etc

- added shield module objective to the tutorial

#########
Some points which I hope should help in the future:

* I'm going to add a waypoint system from the map screen, so that you can set your heading correctly and quickly to ore belts, stations and so on.

* Yah the dock menu is horrible right now. :) It's on the drawing board.

* Sounds and Music as soon as I can decide what I actually want it to sound like.. :p

EDIT - that build is available for download now

Again thanks so much, fly safe!

R.
Wow! So happy that I could help! Even happier to see that the video served its purpose! I will try the demo tonight to check the changes! I played 4 times over the weekend but got annoyed that I could not kill the enemies due to the distance calculation (thank you for explanation) bug so always gave up, but I was doing so good! :D

The movement that you do not stop makes perfect sense ! It is space after all! Most of the changes that you added are things I did not even think off, but apparently you noticed! That is a job well done ! Looking forward another major update so I can re-visit the game and do a follow up!

Keep up the great work!
Fly safe! :D
 
M

MEITdev

Guest
Looks sick! One thing I noticed also in previous versions - when you start game or are in the help menu the black test Shield / Warp / Weapon number is on the screen whilst all the other elements in the HUD are gone. Hope this helps! :) Looking forward to revisiting your game in the near future ;)
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

Soo much to mention in this update! Bear with me!

- SOUND
Basic sound effects added to everything

- XP UPGRADES
* When you fire your weapons you will gain weapon XP. After reaching X amount of XP the weapon will level up. If you die you will lose all your weapon xp and upgrades.
* Currently there is only 1 upgrade in place for your Beam Laser. It will upgrade after 20 shots. The upgrade decreases the time taken to lock a target, and increases the accuracy of the weapon. All other factors (Damage, power required, time to charge) stay the same.

- MINING
* You can now deploy a mining station near asteroids with the command 'deploy mining'
* The mining station will automatically use drones to mine for ore
* Once the mining station is finished mining an objective will appear to tell you to dock with the station and collect your ore
In the future, a combination of Ore and Energy will be required to purchase upgrades and weapons from your home station. For now you can only dock and collect the ore. There is no use for that ore yet.
Also, the NPC's will eventually attack your mining stations, but for now they are invisible to the NPC's

- ENEMIES
* Totally changed the way the AI director works. Waves of enemies should now be more coherent and not overwhelm the player too easily.
* Enemies now have a warp in animation when they spawn.
* Enemies now equip either the missile or FIGHTER DRONES - you can spot the difference via the NPC sprites.
* NPC collision scripts updated, they should now more effectively avoid asteroids.

- WEAPONS
* The PDC (point defence cannon) has replaced the shield module. The PDS is effective to shoot down enemy drones and missiles.
In later versions you will be able to install your choice of the PDS, Shield, or whatever other modules I come up with between now and then..

* The Beam Laser has replaced the grapeshot cannon. The laser is a long range, high damage weapon. A sniper rifle in place of the grapeshot shotgun.
In later versions you will be able to install your choice of the Beam , grapeshot , or whatever other modules I come up with between now and then..


Thanks for playing everyone, please let me know what you think via this page, twitter or my indieDB blog.

Merry Christmas!
 

HighlandCoo

Member
UPDATED!

- added ability to edit your loadout when you dock with Home Base

Hints are provided when you access the docking menu. But in short
- Press 1 to access the loadout mode
- Press the number of the item you want to remove
- Press the number of the item you want to add
- Press Enter to complete the swop

- Updated base attack mechanics
Previously, you would first need to remove all nearby enemies from a base, Then hover near it to capture it. That was boring, so now you get to target and attack enemy bases. They are tough, and the AI will fight hard to protect them!
Destroy all enemy bases to win the game!
NB* The same goes for your bases. The AI will attack your home base and mining stations. When that happens you will get a new objective to protect the station as well as a notification on screen.
If you lose your home base, and you subsequently die, it is game over.

- Added new mission
The enemy will intermittently try to upgrade their technology. You can stop them by destroying their convoy ships. Convoy ships are large, tough and heaviliy armed. Tip: Destroy the comms module first, to prevent the ship calling in reinforcements!

#######

Im currently trying to decide how to implement upgrades and new items/weapons. I've not decided if these should be pickups from fallen enemies, craftable items, quest rewards, or a combination of all of those. Currently all items are unlocked for you to equip in the loadout screen. Obviously that will change if/when/ever I figure out how to implement this... suggestions and ideas are welcome!
 
F

FROGANUS

Guest
Yo this game is cool, great clean design with emphasis of course on HUD and cool simulated screen noise/flicker.
It was pretty distressing at first, (I actually tested a little on the way out of work on Friday and it was too stressful to comment).. hard to get used to the typing commands and a little silly- the obvious question is "we're on a space ship, why can't there just be immediate controls" but its cool, it simulates a captain's ordering of crew, a little bureaucratic delay in all the coordination is realistic I guess. It would be cool (probably too micro-intensive) if the actual crew members in this chain of command could be represented and responsiveness of specific commands could be dynamic, based on how you manage? But yeah, after getting surrounded and killed several times, I figured how to pluck a few red ships and get yellow bits. Couldn't figure how to use the resources? I guess I need ore and metal, but in short, the first weapon seems wimpy and I'm going to go back in to try and figure how to upgraydd.

Code Error: When I was shooting the big ship for the "INTERCEPT CONVOY" mission (after a few hits, maybe upon destroying it?) I had a FATAL ERROR:

Step Event0 for obj_npc_enemies_components_turret:
Unable to find any instance for object index '103014' name '<undefined>'
at gml_Object_obj_npc_enemies_components_turret_Step_0
 
F

FROGANUS

Guest
played more. Hrm, it's still kinda distressing..

could home bases do something to defend you from enemy ships? especially respawning, at my base, in the middle of a group of enemies that had just killed me, in my base, is demoralizing...
it seems at this point you just have to keep respawning and going thru ships to destroy enemies. I'd prefer if you could feasably keep your ship intact and recharge between battles or something.

also how ships pop up out of nowhere out in the field is confusing. "ZOOM" command is essential now that I discovered it, but I find conflicts with 1 or 2 ships still seem to quickly turn into a swarm of like 8 ships, maybe I'm moving too much?

also all the little drone ships just pop up out of nowhere, move unavoidably fast, have mysteriously effective attacks that i have no defense against.. Maybe some more indicators as to what different drones and attacks the enemy is using on you, when they pop up, its just a little confusing..

anyways, it seems really cool conceptually and it looks great already, I'd like to see the balance/progress/challenge to be a little smoother.

also occurs to me, level of typing speed of players might create a very wide disparity in learning curve. I don't know if you could implement some design with this in mind.

cheers!
 
Top