SSK2 - Let's Make #1 (Brainstorming)

Games
#1

Update - This effort is now complete.  To reduce load time, I have simplified the original post so that it does not automatically load videos.

  1. Genre: shmup (Wikipedia)
     
  2. Only submit ONE mechanic or feature request per post to this thread.  
     
  3. Please do your best to write clearly.  Make it easy for me (and others) to understand what you mean.  
     
  4. Supply examples.  If you’re thinking of a mechanic or feature you’ve seen in other games, then supply a video link or image post.
     
  5. The final game will require SSK2 (not yet out, but coming soon), and you’ll need to get it separately.
     
  6. The point of this collaborative effort is to get folks exercising their minds and to ask themselves, “How does XYZ game do that one mechanic?  Can we add it to this game so I can see it?”  This is not about remaking a specific game.
     
  7. Have fun while learning something new!
     
     
    Final Notes
    I will keep this thread open and accept ideas all the way through 11 DEC 2016.    
     
    I will start work on 12 DEC 2016.
     
    I will release the finished game and code: ~ 16 DEC 2016
     
    Some Shmup Images and Videos
    (I’m Willing to Loosely Translate The Idea, but I want it to be a shooter for the first game.)
  • It doesn’t have to be in space.
  • It doesn’t have to use space ships or even air planes.
  • In short it is a tunnel shooter (vertical or horizontal) with waves of enemies or stages.
  • Submit your own ideas and suggestions to this.

Galaga (Image)

 
1943 (VIDEO)

 
Xevious (VIDEO)

 
 
[ Let the fun begin!

#2

Nice idea.

My suggestion is attack patterns/waves like in Galaga. Perhaps they could be procedurally generated based on a seed chosen for each level.

#3

Hero: Dragon. Breath weapon progresses as the dragon “ages”, i.e. levels up.

  1. Posion Gas breath

  2. Acid breath

  3. Lightning

  4. Fire

maybe has tail spikes that it can shoot as alternative weapon.

#4

If the background is a canvas, it can be incorporated into all sorts of distortion effects you see in this sort of game. The particulars would depend upon what sort of viewpoint this ends up having.

As I mentioned to you elsewhere, you might see some further benefit by using this canvas to texture a reasonably tessellated mesh (would just be a grid when nothing exciting’s going on).

I should be able to contribute on this end of things.

#5

A game like Contra.

Running and jumping on platforms to get different guns to shoot while dodging stuff. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxZ6OLqmPto

#6

8 days left…

Good deal.  We have a few idea submissions, but I need more.  

Please see my question at the top of this thread and then submit your idea(s).

Thanks!

#7

How about a Defender style game.

Side scrolling shooting game where you shoot enemies and save peeps with a long terrain that wraps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gss3lxeqCok

#8

@Mike,

Is Crossy Road a shmup (shoot-em-up)?   :wink:

Remember, this first game will be a shmup  (Wikipedia) with community requested features.

I added some videos and images to the original post to help folks get started.  I realize some folks may not know what a shmup is, and I should not have made that assumption.  

Also, I’m willing to bend the rules a little, but I do want this to be a game with some kind of flying or similar movement and shooting.

Tip: The player doesn’t actually have to be the one doing the shooting.  Maybe its and anti-shmup?  All you can do is avoid or try to use the enemies against each other?

Finally, if you can suggest a way to cross crossy-road mechanics w/ a shmup, that would be pretty cool.

#9

A crossy road schmup would be pretty tight.

#10

@roaminggamer

Sorry… my bad… I just realized that you only wanted schmup ideas. :frowning:

How about something like Zombieville USA.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MikaMobile.ZombievilleUSA

#11

What game is shown in the first screenshot?

The “flying or similar movement” might be good to keep in mind when brainstorming, since many–myself included–tend to immediately associate shmups with planes and spaceships. But I’d say the continuous scrolling (when it isn’t fixed with waves as with nick sherman’s suggestion) is the more quintessential element. (Naturally, there are twists on this.) Along with the “shooting 'em up”, of course.  :slight_smile:

For instance, walking in Gun.Smoke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx9APVvCdZg

(Also: King’s Knight, Adventures of Dino Riki, and Knightmare off the top of my head)

Submarines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bew_JEgZbUc

(Also: Sqoon)

A hybrid approach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FFzsfeWpkI

(More widely known as SWIV.)

Also dragons, as Rob suggested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-Va9dwdw74

(There are a couple in this series, then I’m stumped apart from third-person / 3D stuff like Panzer Dragoon.)

The “Don’t Grind” thing would be interesting if you went with dragons and it had to keep flapping to stay aloft and away from archers and angry villagers.  :slight_smile: Might be a bit much if you’re also trying to shoot at everything in sight, though.

#12

 +1 for this idea.  Having the ships smoothly go from hovering around a point to diving/attacking is something that I’ve been struggling to get my head around.

#13

@everyone,
 
7 Days Left…
 
Thanks for your feedback and suggestions so far.
 
However, I still need specific suggestions for:

  • Enemy Types   - What are they?  What attacks do they have?
  • World Objects - What kind of things are in the world?  Do they pose a threat to the player?  How does the player interact with them.
  • Pickup Type - What kinds of things can the player pick up and what does picking them up do?
  • Sound sources - links to specific sound packs, not whole sites.  I know plenty of sites. I want specific suggestions.
  • Art sources  - links to specific art packs, not whole sites.  I know plenty of sites. I want specific suggestions.
  • Leveling - How do we level up or do we?
  • Scoring - Do we score or not and if so, what do we do to get scores?
  • Lives - Implement lives?
  • Other… I’m sure I’m missing things.  Think in terms of specific game mechanics that haven’t been asked for.
#14

There are a couple of great audio packs in the marketplace: 

https://marketplace.coronalabs.com/asset/pro-sound-collection

https://marketplace.coronalabs.com/asset/gameplay-sfx

As far as art goes, are you thinking top down or side view? That would impact known art packs.

Enemies? Having human targets bumps the rating of the games up, so you have to consider that. If you’re okay with an older age rating, then humans, elves, dwarves, horses (dragons love horses).  But if you want the dragon to be “good”, orcs, globlins, giants, etc.

#15

@Rob,

re: Sounds - Thanks.  I’ll need free sounds for now since I’m giving this source code (and the assets) away to the community when it is done.  That said, folks should consider changing out the sounds as needed and of course the Marketplace is a great place to go to get them.

re: Perspective - Top Down

#16

How about little baby dragons that fly along side and act as wing men and provide short term extra fire power.

#17

I think the Dragon idea is amazing, the enemies could be medieval or fantasy based.

catapults, archers, castle walls for realistic medieval,

Fairies, Pegasus mounted knights, and Wizards would make cool fantasy enemies. 

You could fight a huge castle as a boss.

I am seeing all that as a side scroller though, I think the Dragon would look cooler from the side.

You could be trying to destroy villages and the townsfolk are trying to stop you.

You could also have your dragon fighting other mythological creatures.

#18

Maybe include game mechanics seen in the “Orc Assault” by Ninja Kiwi, it’d be pretty awesome to see dragon like that defending his cavern of riches against hordes of knights, soldiers, adventurers, and other creatures of that caliber.

#19

@everyone,

I didn’t realize that Ludum Dare 37 was this weekend, but when I got the announcement in my inbox, I decided to make this game early.

I reviewed all of your inputs + the theme ( One Room ) + Assets I could find or had on hand.  Then I started coding…

Almost exactly 5 hours later we have this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgF4CTQgUIk&feature=youtu.be

Downloads

  • As promised you can get the source (minus SSK2) here: letsmake001_source.zip
    • This will work with SSK Pro or Lite, but only with Pro will the sound work.
  • You can get the APK here.
  • You can get the Windows Build here.
  • Sorry no OS X build yet.

How To Play

Goal: Stay alive, kill other dragons, and collect coins.

DO: Shoot dragons

DO NOT: Run  into dragons or the walls.

Collect Gems: To change weapon

  • Red - Fire projectile
  • Green - Poison Projectile (kills over 1.5 seconds)
  • White - Lightning Projectile (kills on collision or if nearby)

Controls

  • Player steers to the right if no input given.

Android

  • Press and hold left side of screen to steer counter clockwise.
  • Press and hold right side of screen to fire.

Win 32

  • Steering (counter clockwise): A or Right Arrow or DPAD Right
  • Firing: D or Right Arrow or spacebar or buttonA on controller
  • Click screen with mouse if you die.

PS - I will probably update the code a little next week w/ more comments and fixes if I find bugs.  Also, I’m pooped so I’ll submit to Ludum Dare tomorrow.

PPS - I didn’t get to do ‘Galaga Movement’ so I’ll address that in a future let’s make.  The limited theme kind of made that hard and to be honest ‘Galaga Movement’ isn’t as easy as it seems.

#20

I only played for about 5 min. which wasn’t enough for me to get comfortable with the game mechanics, but you did a really good job in a short period of time.

Nice job!

Rob