supernova - need you opinion...

Project supernova...



This weekend i continued an early project to alpha-showcase-state.
Here you can download the actual game (14MB).

Today there are only two levels and the "hide"-function will not work.



Please check it out and try to find out how it works.
Give me your constructive critics, post problems, errors, what you like and what not. Post ideas if you want!

Hope you have fun...

mercuryus

Download also here (14MB)

Hi!

Found 2 major errors:

no loop of music - fixed
no reset of the enemycounter - fixed

New version is up now (same download)!

thanx, mercuryus

oooh, I HATE undetailed terrain, at least a detail map would make it look better

How about being a bit higher of the ground and being able to look up and down a little. That might make it a bit more fun.

Hi again!

@Michael(god)Schwarz & cartoon_baboon:
Higher ground textures? OK - it looks a bit pale.
Here (21MB) you can download it with a higher (4 times) resolution. (amazing how little the packages-size raise with textures 4 times higher res.)
I work on a better res. later on...


@cartoon_baboon:
Levels are petty parts of planets - no hill & no cavities.
"Look up and down" isn't planned currently but maybe with later levels and other foes?



thanx, mercuryus

nonono
i meant detail textures, or multitexturing, but detail textures would do for the moment

What I meant by higher off the ground was that it now looks as if you are lying on the ground. Wouldn't it be better if you are a bit higher and looking a little bit down at the ground.

you should perhaps get some hills in the ground... makes it look far more interesting

I like the game style !!
The game plays smooth even regarding some undetailed stuff ^^
Besides, a good looking game isn't everything that matters !!!!
Look at the models, the enviroment !! mercuryus spended allot of time in it,
trying to make it a good game and I think he succeded in that quest
Keep it up

Cheers

Frazzle

Yeah, Pretty good design and scripting. What I am missing is a story, real missions, buyable/upgradeable weapons and collectable stuff like money or ammo. And if I could aim up and down would be good. Maybe even like a tank with a rotateable turret tower. Its maybe no mech movement now but its cool. I like drifting. Could be a buggy or hovercraft.

Missions could be, find and scan the shipwrek and mine 200 crystals. Protect the shipwrek. Collect plant xyz. Connect station 1 and 2. Bring item from station 1 to station 2. And then build in into these missions suprises. Like you want to bring the item to station 2 but its suddenly destroyed by enemies. Or its under attack and you have to save the survivers. Or a bridge to there is destroyed. Or a satelite is comming down and you have to take a look at it why it came down. And suddenly an enemy egg comes out and big attack and woah!

Yeah ; i like the game ; it reminds me the old good arcade games with simple
but efficient gameplay

Graphics could be improved by putting some moutains or using a very big terrain,
and perhaps more polished graphic effects.

If it's fun and have good progressive difficultie that the mor important,
for example add 50% error when ennemie targets you or just 10 % when ennemie is an elite

but it's already great like that
I'll try it.

Yaeh! That critics i like!

All of you ideas are of high value for me.
Here my mind on this:

multitexturing for a more detailed grond: will be a hard task for me but is already on the way.

higher ground/hills first i don't liked it because i thought of loss of gameplay (fun). Meanwhile i will try it. It also has ventages: you can hide seams of the level and you can also border the level.

thanx frazzle

story: the story exists (in my mind): long ago the human mankind observes a gigantic supernova. They where amused by the funny pictures they saw but quick this event was forgotten. What they didn't saw was the departue of a intelligent race little before from the dying panet.
Many 1000's years later (maybe in 100 Years from now) they approche in our galaxy to sattle down. The human mankind - unbelivably still existing - is searching the galaxy for mineral resources on a large number of small planets.
And now the war begins - the wor for resources - the wor for survive!! (*lol*)

Missions: Wow! That's what i also need badly! Thank for the Ideas so long!

I will continue the work and realize all your ideas as soon as possible. (unfortunately there are other projects to be finished first, so it could take a while )

I'll keep you informed - and please post further ideas and critics!!

Hide-Mode is implemented and a few indicators (not yet in the download!)



thanx, mercuryus

Hills 'n valleys:

BIG updates :

- hills and valleys
- vertical view-angle
- HIDE-mode (press "h")
- high detailed textures (no multitexturing now)
- new leveldesign
- new energy-handling (energy-shift from shield to laser when single shoot)
- code optimizations
- new and better effects
- new songs
- goodies (support-boxes)
- new models





Download the big actual version (2 level) here
(if fps too low change detail_level in settings.ini-file to 1 or 0, F5 changes the resolution)

Try it!
And tell me what you think...

mercuryus

not bad. But if there are a lot of enemies in the view it gets very laggy and killing alot of fun. You should build in lod models or some kind of clipping.

And I am missing different weapons with splash damage and missions. And the enemies in the first level are very small and very difficult to hit with the standard weapon (espacially when its lagging like hell).

If you want to make such small items maybe put some bigger capsule next to them with which they crashed down on the planet. So I can find them better from far away and behind hills.

Hi!

Other weapons are planned to get as goodies in later levels. (bombs, mines, energy-fields, ???).
You will need them for the bigger and numerrous opponents!

I know (now) a major bug that is liable for some speed issue: the laser models will not be removed in the actual version. Will fix this soon.
Speed improovement is the major topic i will work on.

@EX Citer: please translate your last sentence to german - i don't get it.

thanx, mercuryus

YEah your game is looking really good : )
i like arcade ones.

For speed improvment , the only thing you can do is :
-using LOD for models ,
and avoid using C_trace or other consuming functions when ennemies are too far :
use a simple BOX test :
-if the ennemie distance in X axis or Y axis is more than 50 for example , don't compute more precise tests using C_trace or other things.

You could use Glow effect even in commercial version with the great plugin given
by Heelx if i remember well
it oculd only enhance the graphics.
Keep it up.

Thanx for the hints!

LOD for the models (Add mipmapps in MED) already in use.
Do you know a better way if the models mesh (vertexnumber) is fix?

Reducing time-consuming methods is a good idea.
There are some of them i can eliminate. (e.g. i use scan_entity to activate the distance-alarm - i will change it to vec_dist();)
There are other possibilities too for shure...

thanx, mercuryus

Wegen dem Lod gibts noch zwei Möglichkeiten:
1. Model Komplett ausblenden (invisible = ON)

2. ausblenden und durch einen Sprite ersetzen. Ich weiß ich weiß, Es steht sogar in der Manual das man modelle nicht mit sprites ersetzen sollte weil es nicht gut aus sieht. 1) bei Bäumen sieht es oft gut aus (zB Oblivion und auch ein paar 3DGS games), ich denke auch bei anderen nicht so komplizierten/nicht animierten objecten ist das OK. 2) Wenn ein Gegner weit weg ist, morphe ihn in einen "Lichtsprite" und mach es größer umso weiter er weg ist. Sieht sehr cool aus in Gore.

Übersetzung von oben: Die Items sind sehr klein. Sieht zwar gut aus aber schwer zu erkennen. Darum könntest du sone aufgebrochene Kapsel daneben Packen mit der das Item auf den Planet abgeworfen wurde, wie zB in Breed. Dann erkennt man das Item etwas besser hinter BErgen und Felsen und aus der Distanz.

news - news - news...

Thank you EX Citer, I've implemented a new LOD-System (with images ) and worked on the script.
The result: 8fps -> 40fps with at least 3 times more objects (trees/grass/rocks...) on my system. (1280x960, 32bit, stencil shadow)
I'm realy amazed what's possible!

Here is the actual version (with 3 simple levels).



have fun and please post your impressions...

mercuryus

zip ist beschädigt

Sorry - use the one from the download area of the web page...

thanx, mercuryus

das spiel wird immer spielbarer. Es ist schon sehr gut. Die Planeten sehen sehr gut aus. Mir fehlen noch die Mission und verschiedene Waffen, zB raketen die mehrere Feinde auf einmal Zerstören. Außerdem wäre eine Anzeige mit ZErstörungsgrad und Munition bzw überhitzung gut.

Hi!

Short briefing on the information system of your ship:


(* If weapon-energy is low and you continue fire, the energy from the shield is used!)
(both energy types are charged by solar energy [weapon faster than shield!])



The numbers at the bottom (left to right): number of enemies, fps, speed (linear)

developement is ongoing...

have fun, mercuryus

Starting to look better and better, thumbs up man,

Cheers

Thanx man!

What...

... don't you like in the current version?
... do you miss most?
... would you implement for more fun?
... do you like most in current version?

thanx, mercuryus

I don´t like the crash after the third level. I would like to have in the next version for more fun missions.

I like most the planet design, the machines pieces laying around and the meteors crashing down (gas rescources?).

I am missing.... maybe stationsbuildings, for the missions. Maybe also little astronauts which I have to collect

Hi!

Sorry for the abrupt end after the third level - it's still an alpha version !
Yeah! The level desing need's further more enhancements to get more atmosphere in the game.
It's planned to build up levels with power- and/or mining stations which include more complex missions ("guard the power plant until the supplies arrive" - or "collect at least 50 minerals to support the planets energy shield", "repair the satellit station to perform earth communication", ...)

Also other vehicles (for the player and the enemies) are planned with more/other weapons (rockets, mines, ...).

"Where is the time to finish all the ideas!"

mercuryus