Atlantean: Deep Blue's Sister!

[Arkhan]

Work on this has recommenced in my basement command center.

I want to ask all of you a few things before I proceed.  The most important one being the poll question.   I'm not going to fiddledick with 6 button control noodling if only like 2 people even want that.

Ok maybe that's all I wanted to ask.

TO CLARIFY:   THIS IS FOR AN OPTIONAL 6 BUTTON SUPPORT.   ITS ALREADY GOT THE CONTROL SCHEME MENTIONED BELOW.  I'VE BOLDED IT NOW, INCASE YOU MISSED IT.

Any questions?




Right now, I am working on getting the landers to lock in and grab the sea monkey people in a nice looking manner.  



Also: Before anyone asks: I lessened the numbers of enemies as opposed to real defender for 2 reasons:

1) These are 16x16 sprites.  If you put as many things on screen as Defender, you can barely move.  The sprites in Defender are half the size of Atlantean.
2) We have to keep it sane for the given platform!

It also means I couldn't do particle effects.

But it also works out because I am fairly certain particle effects underwater would look kind of dumb.

[Necromancer]

I demand mouse support!!!!!!1!!11!!!!one!!

I can't imagine why such a game would need six buttons, and you haven't explained what the extra buttons would be used for, so I voted 'no'.

[Arkhan]

I demand mouse support!!!!!!1!!11!!!!one!!

I can't imagine why such a game would need six buttons, and you haven't explained what the extra buttons would be used for, so I voted 'no'.

Oh. Good point.

The original Defender in arcades had an unorthodox control layout that Defender fans love.

You have:

Thrust
Reverse
Shoot Shit Dead
Bombs
Hyperspace

the Joystick only moves you up and down.

so you see, it would require 6 button controllering.  

Right now, my control scheme is like this:

DPad: thrust/reverse/this is better than the Defender buttons
II: Shoot shit Dead
I: Bombs
Select: Hyperspace Warp!


wait, I suppose its actually hyperocean warp.  We're not in space.

[Nando]

Also: Before anyone asks: I lessened the numbers of enemies as opposed to real defender for 2 reasons:

1) These are 16x16 sprites.  If you put as many things on screen as Defender, you can barely move.  The sprites in Defender are half the size of Atlantean.
2) We have to keep it sane for the given platform!

How many can you have on screen now without slow down?


I think the current controller setup should work fine. Image Fight has the speed mapped to the Select button.

I choose corndogs!

It also means I couldn't do particle effects.

But it also works out because I am fairly certain particle effects underwater would look kind of dumb.

Sort off:

[Arkhan]

It's hard to gauge slowdown right now because its still in the pre-optimization stage.   The code is pretty tight so far, and thankfully most of the enemies in Defender aren't too bright.  They're just a nice mix of different behaviors that compliment each other.

That slow moving bomber seems retarded til he plants a bomb and goes away... and you then have to fly around the bombs to avoid the swarmers and baiters. 

but, I anticipate having like 20+ sprites on screen at once with no slowdown.   More if you include the parallax-coral/rooftops.  They ARE sprites, even if they don't do much for you.

Not because this is the speed limit, but because anything else on screen and the game will just be a giant mess on screen, and not be very fun to play because you will just crash into shit cheaply.

[Necromancer]

Ah, I see.  I still vote no, as using buttons instead of the d-pad seems confusing to my simple mind.  I'm not against having the option, though, just as long as a 6-button pad isn't mandatory.

[Arkhan]

just as long as a 6-button pad isn't mandatory.

It would never be mandatory.  Ever.

I'm just gauging interest in the 6 button feature.    If like 2 people want it, sorry, it's probably not going to get put in. 

[Nando]

just as long as a 6-button pad isn't mandatory.

It would never be mandatory.  Ever.

I'm just gauging interest in the 6 button feature.    If like 2 people want it, sorry, it's probably not going to get put in. 

Oh, ok. Yeah I would be down for that option and corndogs!

[nodtveidt]

The poll is misleading. No one "requires" 6-button support, so even people who think it'll be nice to have are still going to vote "no" because they don't require it.

And I feel sorry for those fingerless people who can't eat corndogs.

[Arkhan]

Someone might require 6-button support and refuse to play it otherwise.

[spenoza]

Would you consider including an option for more orthodox, non-defender controls as well? I'm OK with Defender's scheme, but sometimes it's nice to just hit left to go left.

Instead of particle effects, you could have a little cloud of bubbles sprite that floats up to the surface when an enemy is killed. It if is discreet it shouldn't clutter much and you wouldn't need to do collision for it.

[Arkhan]

Would you consider including an option for more orthodox, non-defender controls as well? I'm OK with Defender's scheme, but sometimes it's nice to just hit left to go left.

... You already played Atlantean, and saw this exact control scheme you speak of, in action, last year lol.


I guess I need to clarify.   I'll edit the original post.

Instead of particle effects, you could have a little cloud of bubbles sprite that floats up to the surface when an enemy is killed. It if is discreet it shouldn't clutter much and you wouldn't need to do collision for it.

There are already ambient bubble sprites for fun.  Everything explodes when it dies.   I have 0 intention of figuring out how to shoehorn in some new graphical happenings.   I'm already out of sprites because of the parallax

[spenoza]

You are spriting it up.

Also, I believe there is some miscommunication over the whole controls thing, so I'll just see you at the CCAG in June. I don't remember how it played, only how it looked.  : )

[Arkhan]

You just move the Dpad around to fly.  Left is reverse if youre flying right, and right is reverse if you're flying left!




Its standard, sensible DPad use.   

[touko]

ok, if i vote for 6 buttons, do you post a playable demo