Starchon i17 Released! - Feedback Request.

[Sean Doherty]

2005.3.11 - Starchon i17 Released!
Iteration 17 of Starchon is available for download.

At this point, I am mostly focused on game play enhancements, likes, and dislikes.

Screen shots:

http://www.FreelanceGames.com/Files/SC17-a.png
http://www.FreelanceGames.com/Files/SC17-b.png
http://www.FreelanceGames.com/Files/SC17-c.png

Download:

http://www.FreelanceGames.com/Files/Starchon_i17_Setup.exe


Controls:

Please select input device from the Option Menu (default Mouse).

Mouse Controls:

- Fire "selected" Energy Weapons - Left Mouse Button
- Fire "selected" Missile - Middle Mouse Button
- Trust - Right Mouse Button or "W" key
- Direction - Mouse to Payers Avatar Vector
- Select Blaster - "1" key
- Select Duel Blaster - "2" key
- Select Laser - "3" key (auto locks and only fires at Starship when in range; not the Sentinel)
- Select Heat Seeking Missile "6"
- Select Homing Missile "7"

Keyboard Controls:

- Fire - Right Control Key
- Rotate Counter Clockwise - A or Left Arrow Key
- Rotate Clockwise - D or Right Arrow Key
- Thrust - W or Up Arrow Key

Keyboard & Mouse Controls

- Toggle Information - I
- Alter Alpha Layer One - F1
- Alter Alpha Layer Two - F2
- Alter Alpha Layer Three - F3
- Blend Mode Layer One - F4
- Blend Mode Layer Two - F5
- Blend Mode Layer Three - F6
- Missile Spin Speed - F7
- Alter Slipstream Size - F8
- Alter Sound Effects Mode - F9

I would love some feedback on how to make the game better!:)

[RohoMech]

Sean, I like the visual style of the game,


First off, if you could add music, to the menu that'd be great, I really digged the in-game music, it fit the action well. The title screen / initial menu looks a bit bare, I like the buttons and your logo a lot, but the black background looks really plain.

Also, it was a bit odd that clicking a menu button had a bit of a delay, the button dissapears then the action happens.

On the weapons screen, some of your weapons have +/- buttons which are triangles and some have square buttons for it, I think the triangle buttons look way better, so perhaps you could use them for all the weapon ammo things. And, I'd like to know what things are (not just icons) + a description mouse-over if possible. And most important...how much does stuff cost?!

The controls were a mixed bag, I liked how the ship flew around, that felt pretty good, but using the mouse and having the ship face the mouse just felt really odd. I kept wishing there was a way to strafe, so I wasn't just trading shots with enemy ships a lot of the time, I felt that the game was kinda hard due to this fact.

But, overall, neat idea, I like the action, I like the enemy graphics and such, good luck with the game and I'm looking forward to your next iteration of it.

[RohoMech]

Also, a few times I'd kill everything on the screen but the level wouldn't change.

[Sean Doherty]

Also, a few times I'd kill everything on the screen but the level wouldn't change.

Was your ship still moving?

[RohoMech]

oh, I think it was
I'll check to make sure, but even still, that's kinda odd if you have to stop moving before you level change.

[RohoMech]

Yup, if I stop moving, it works
btw, i got to level 6 or 7 I think, but I couldn't buy any other weapons, are they not in the game?

[Sean Doherty]

Yup, if I stop moving, it works
btw, i got to level 6 or 7 I think, but I couldn't buy any other weapons, are they not in the game?

The other weapons are not in the game yet. What did you think of the game play? Did you like it? Any ideas for game play improvments?

[RohoMech]

It reminded me a bit of "Desparate Space"
To be honest, I'm not a fan of aming where I fly, if I have a mouse cursor, I sorta expect to be able to aim anywhere.

I bet others will disagree with me on this, as just about every other game similiar to yours has the same aiming model.

Aside from that, I dug it, things got pretty crazy by level seven with four of those odd alien mothership things, I probablly would have stopped playing at that point unless the weapons were really powerful.

[Sean Doherty]

The next release will have all new energy weapons. At present, I balanced the game to be very hard by level 6. This will change in later iterations, as I tweak the balance and alter the levels. At present, I am still debating the controls and you may see a mouse keyboard combo in later iterations?

[bignobody]

I haven't actually played it, this is just a minor comment based on the screenshots.

I really hate the "health bars" that float just above the enemies. I know your game is not the only one to employ this device, but it really kills the "reality" that you are trying to create. Instead, why not give other indications of how healthy an enemy is? 2 quick ideas:

1) Add some damage "decals" to wounded enemies (laser burns, holes, dents, flames, smoke, etc.).

2) The more wounded a ship is the slower it moves, turns and attacks.


Other than that I really like the look. Very arcade like.

Regards,