TopDown Alpha 3

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi guys,

Alpha 3 is here, smaller than Alpha 2 but should be more fun and bit of more eye candy.

You can read detailed info and download game in sticky topic (http://community.thinbasic.com/index.php?topic=621.0).

It is not revolutionary release, there still no shop and mission planning, but I am prepairing that to Alpha 4.

What is new - some important gameplay features, fights are now a bit more intense, and if you are skilled, you can keep alive for quite a long time as each 100 points of score lives go up.

Lot of graphics are now quite in temporary state, if Kent or Mike could xcreate something similar but better I would be very happy. Menu is very ... brief now too :)

Please explore new version yourself, hope you will like it !


Bye,
Petr

[ErosOlmi]

THIS IS AWESOME !!!!
wow, wow and re-wow
:o :o :o

THANKS, THANKS, THANKS

[Petr Schreiber]

:)

Thanks a lot Eros,

now the hunt for highest score can begin again ;)
I have lot of features planned for next versions, but it would mean looong time between the releases, so I chose the way of smaller steps for Alpha 3.


Bye,
Petr

[ErosOlmi]

My first try didn't produce a good score but I will try more when at home.
You know, at work ... better not to insist too much :D

[ErosOlmi]

My congrat for game introduction. Really, really professional.

[ErosOlmi]

My record so far: 499

[Michael Hartlef]

Looks awesome! It is kinda weird when ships get hit (the backwards move) but I like it.


Lot of graphics are now quite in temporary state, if Kent or Mike could xcreate something similar but better I would be very happy. Menu is very ... brief now too

Temporary state? What do you mean?

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi :),

I must beat Eros score, I hardly get over 300...

Temporary graphics: thinStudio logo, TopDown Instant logo ( urgent to redo, to poisonous colours ;D ), menu could be more rich than just B&W text :), in game HUD.

Ships are ok!

Weird move of ships after hit - I know about it. I do not like the way ship AI and movement is applied now, so it will be arranged.

Also the Space is sometime weirdly composed, so it looks like candy bag :)


Thanks a lot,
Petr

[kryton9]

Not enough time to play it as I would like, but Wow I love so many aspects of the new release. The ships movements and reactions, really great. The weapons fires look so cool.

Can't wait to play it in full this weekend. THanks Petr will write more after I get some good play time in!!!

[ErosOlmi]

Max score: 903.

[Petr Schreiber]

:o

... and I was happy I reached 472 :D
Perfect!

kryton, take your time, hope you will like it.
New version is a bit more difficult, till Alpha 2 there was a bad factor causing different level difficulty on different PCs ( badly time-scaled shooting periods of enemies ); Alpha 3 should be the same on wide range of PCs :)

Bye,
Petr

[kryton9]

It starts out way too hard, how are you guys getting those scores? You guys are too good.
I will be happy to get over 300, that is my first goal!!

[sandyrepope]

I can't get TopDown Alpha 3 to download. Since no one has said anything about having trouble I'm sure there must be trouble on my end. This is the only thing I can't get to download. I only get about 75% of the file.

Can anyone suggest what I should check on my computer or something I can try to get this zip file?

Thanks
Sandy

[ErosOlmi]

Sandy,

clear your browser cache. Close/open agaim browser.
Usually this solve the problem when partial downloads.

Eros

[ErosOlmi]

1764 !
:D

[Petr Schreiber]

nooo,

this is impossible :D
My record is 580 :P

Bye,
Petr

[sandyrepope]

For reasons unknown I still can't get Topdown alpha 3 to download.

Is there somewhere else I can try to download this zip file?

Thanks
Sandy

[Michael Clease]

try here.

http://download75.mediafire.com/3xld2tymvuxg/dudvmtdxxdo/TopDown_Alpha3.zip

[kryton9]

@Sandy or you can try here:
http://www.kryton9.com/web/topdown_alpha3.zip

@Eros you are incredible, that score is even beyond unimaginable.

@Petr your scores sound really good too.

I think the game would be even more fun it if had levels that started easy and worked there way up.

Also maybe have just one enemy ship but in formations sort of like space invaders or actually more like galaga.
The formation would fly and one would or 2 would peel off and do an attack run.
And to get away from the enemy shooting so much and filling the screen with fire everywhere.

Had a fun idea. When the level loads and before the actions starts, a funny looking but cool ship ("the mine layer") would appear and leave random space mines all over the center third of the screen. Like a buffer from the enemy to the player. As shots and ships crashed into them the mines would clear allowing more space to fly.
THis would add the restrictions of the many gun blasts from the enemy now serves but adding variety. the screen size could be adjusted for play, just an idea to start at center 1/3.

Also it would be nice if our ship had an option, to repair, that is where powerups could come into play. Maybe a fast moving object to allow so much damage repaired and even one super fixer repair powerup. Also the big bomb a rare powerup but one that gets rid of all enemy ships onscreen. Also another powerup the wingman, you hit that powerup and you get a wingman till he gets destroyed.

So level 1 would have the simplest enemy ship design and simplest player ship. Then level 2 would have the next enemy ship... player ship would be first ship till all enemy ships are beaten in each level, then player ship goes to next design and cycles through again through enemy ships. THen once player reaches the last player ship the game play becomes more like what it is now. Everything all over the place and mayhem and big challenge.

I understand the idea of the player ship damaged having minor explosions throwing random movement, but it is really confusing. As you see the ship exploding when not getting hit and having bigger explosions then when it is hit. I would just have that happen as the ship is hit. It makes more sense and would add to the feel of the game.
Your ship gets hit, you see an explosion and feel it with the jolt in movement.


Ok now back to more playing. Thanks for this version, it is a challenge!!

[Petr Schreiber]

Thanks guys for alternative hosting!,

I was out of the city so I could not help, good to see people here is so helpful! ( but it does not surprise me ;) )
I have tried to download from here on another PC and it was ok too, so not sure where is problem :(

Kryton, next game will have levels defined in files ( including formations, AI, ... ), so there will be more control over the game ... and also more space for others to add custom content.

Your ideas are very nice Kent, I am sorry exploding ship confuses you so much. Maybe it would be better to make it behave like that only from 80% damage and up ? It could eat 1% of life with each mini explosion, so player would have to gain 100 score points ASAP to save his life :) ? But I can add it to classic shot hit only too, I don't know how much this feature bothers others :(, I meant it to make gameplay more rich...

Bonuses are spice of this kind of game, what about those:

- Health
- Rapid fire
- Shield
- "Escape barrel roll" - It would allow to make barrel roll with move up to avoid enemy lasers ( using special button ).

I am very happy I can see about 34 downloads just one day after publishing. Thanks to all who downloaded! :)
This definitely adds more power to go on with project!


Thanks,
Petr

[kryton9]

Petr, I am enjoying the game very much as I am sure others are. I am glad it is being downloaded and enjoyed too!

About the explosions happening to the ship. I like the idea and if I hadn't read your post about what it was, I would have really been confused. Even at first when it happened, I was looking at what I was hitting or what was hitting me when it started to happen. Then I remembered reading about it in your post. I am enjoying playing it as it is, don't get me wrong. But I think it would add to the play if that happened as the player's ship got hit. But if left as is, is ok with me too. Just wanted to put the thoughts as they came as I played the game.

Thanks again. Very fun much fun as the others were too!!

[kryton9]

I feel better, got a score of 1059 finally.

[Petr Schreiber]

Good score kryton,

I managed just 620, must practise more :)


Bye,
Petr

[sandyrepope]

Abraxas, I used the link you provided and downloaded the file without any trouble. I appreciate the help.

Thanks
Sandy