"War" (Teaser Beta Demo Release)

[Akumayo]

"War" (Working Title) is a platform-shooter game I've been hard at work on for a long while now.
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Game Concept:

Ultimately, I'd like to see this game become a strategy type as well as a platform-shooter.  It will take place in three different solar systems, each offering two different playable armies, for a total of six possible campaigns:

    -Orak System:
        (Civil War)
        -Federal Republic of Orak Campaign
        -Confederal Republic of Orak Campaign
    -Earth System:
        (Religious War)
        -Holy Empire of Terra Campaign
        -People's Republic of Melanor Campaign
    -Jhull System:
        (Power Struggle)
        -Kingdom of Azael Campaign
        -Socialist Republic of Kaaman Campaign

Early concepts for the campaigns would have each team take turns choosing a major settlement to attack.  Attacking a settlement would result in a battle on that settlement, with different objectives for each team (like eliminating all enemy forces, or destroying a certain object in the battlefield).  If the objectives were completed, then the team that completed them would gain control of that system, or keep control of it, if that were the case.  The first team to control all 10 systems would be declared the winner.
(Another concept, which would be added to this one, would have an option for the player to chose which system to fight in, and which armies would fight there, a custom campaign of sorts.)
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Features in the Teaser Beta Demo:

-2 Modes of play (Domination and Elimination)
-2 Available Teams
-4 Units per team for a total of 8 playable units
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Screenshots:

A lone Confederate Pyro-Technician fights to his death against a swarm of Federal troops.


A Federal Grenadier prepares to blow the brains out of an unsuspecting Confederate.


A Federal Guardian pushes through flames to capture the Confederate flag.


The Federals set up a defensive perimeter in front of the Confederate base.

____________________________________________________

Known Bugs in Teaser Beta Demo:

-None!
____________________________________________________

Progress Calender:

-August 13th:  Teaser Beta Demo relased (with greater pride ^_^)
-August 3rd:  Beta Demo Game released (with great pride ^_^)
-July 30th:  Spritist/Animator positions filled
-July 27th:  Tech Demo V2 released
-July 26th:  Tech Demo released
-July 25th:  Mad Hatter recruited
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Progress Chart:


(All percentages estimated)

Engine - 100%
Systems - 60%
Sprites -  30%
Backgrounds - 3%
Music - 0%
Sound - 0%

Overall Estimated Progress - 32%

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Production Team:


-Akumayo:
    -Game Founder
    -Programming
    -Spriting
    -Paintover Art
    -Miscellaneous Artwork
    -Game Concepts
    -Co Writer

-Mad Hatter:
    -Main Writer
    -Animation
    -Game Concepts
    -Testing

-Colxfile:
    -Testing

-Positions Unfilled
    -Background Artist(s)
    -*Musician(s)
    -*~Voice Actor(s)


* Not needed this early in development, but will be in the future.
~ Small amount of work.

About Positions Unfilled:
If you see a job on the 'Positions Unfilled' list that you think you could contribute to, then please PM me to let me know, and I will send you detailed information on what is needed in that area.  DO NOT post in this thread if you see a job you think you could contribute to, PM me.
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Download here:

"War" Teaser Beta Demo
____________________________________________________

Please report any bugs you find, and know I'm more than open to suggestions.

-Regards, Akumayo

[Theeph]

Wow Aku, that's really impressive.

My thoughts:

I think that the controls are too hard for the flyers - how aim and fly-in-a-direction are the same. It feels quite authentic and I remember retro games where I'd do that, but I think it's too much of a gameplay sacrifice.

I also found the player sprites to be a bit big for the bg, or the bg to be too small. I don't know if you've ever seen Soldat, or even Doukutsu but they both allow for a whole bunch of action on screen whilst looking pretty and being low-res. Although given that the gfx are just temporary, I can see this might not be an issue.

Finally, I think a popup-modal dropdown menu would be really good for changing character and weapon types in game. And just have it greyed out during turns etc. or choosable before the first shot is fired. Just a thought.


Anyway, I found it quite fun and blasted away for a while. With some sound and graphics it's gonna rock. Well done and keep going!

[Nacho]

I am not being ironic, I am really curious about this... Is this asort of "scorched earth" or a "Worms" game?

[SSH]

What is it good for?

[Akumayo]

Theeph:
Thank you for your kind words 
About the Flying type, if you enable specials, you recieve Stalling Boosters, which allow you to hover in mid-air, while still able to aim and shoot.  I agree that the Flying type would be too difficult to use if such a special was not available.
About sprites, these are, as you noticed, temporary sprites, the finals will be smaller.  These sprites are small-vehicle size.
About choosing stuff, in the next release, if it's still a tech demo, I'll change the code for choosing stuff so that it displays when you restart the game as well as when you boot it up.

Nacho:
I'm afraid I've never played either of those games, so I wouldn't know.  I'm aiming at 2D Halo/2D Star Wars Battlefront.

SSH:
What do you mean?  The demo?  I guess it's good for seeing a basic version of how the fights in the final game will be like.

[MashPotato]

SSH:
What do you mean?  The demo?  I guess it's good for seeing a basic version of how the fights in the final game will be like.

I think SSH is alluding to the song that goes "War!  What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing!" ^_^.  If you've seen Rush Hour, it's the song Chan and Tucker sing in the car.

Good luck with your game!

[Akumayo]

MashPatoto:
Oh, okay, that makes me feel better.  I had the impression that he was insulting me... and that didn't seem right, coming from SSH.  Wait... 

Tech Demo V2 is now released, the problem to several of the performance issues and bugs was that AGS can only display 50 characters on the screen at a time.  The game WAS using characters for bullets and soldiers.  Today I gave it a major overhaul, and it now works completely off of the RawDraw functions.  It runs best when not-windowed.
There are no known bugs in this version, but that doesn't mean they aren't there, so if you find one, please let me know.  And, as always, I'm open to suggestions.

-Regards, Akumayo

[Theeph]

What is it good for?

Heh, I was singing that for *hours* after playing this, and thought about suggesting it as a theme song but... meh.



On topic - I'm gonna try the new ver =) looking forward to it

[Mad-Hatter]

Will the battles be in space, also? Or will they mostly be held on the planets?


Also: Are there any bosses/special enemies that might pop up at random times? Or is this just a 'blast your way through and have fun!" kind of game? (not to be insulting, of course)

[ManicMatt]

Can I make a comment about the sprites?

They look like hairdryers.

I doubt you were going for flying hairdryers. 

[SSH]

MashPatoto:
Oh, okay, that makes me feel better.  I had the impression that he was insulting me... and that didn't seem right, coming from SSH.  Wait... 

No, I was insulting you 

But seriously, I'm disappointed that no-one replied with "Absolutely nothing"

[Akumayo]

Mad-Hatter:
I am still considering it. Ã, If there are battles in space, it will NOT be using my "Return of the Crrlee" sourcecode, but rather still be a platform-like game, using the 'Flying' type physics demonstrated in the tech demo.
As for 'boss' type units, there will be none.  This is more of an all out battle.  You will have infantry on your team, hopefully, I'm still working on commands ('Follow me', 'Move out', etc).  Because without them, the AI simply won't follow you, it does its own thing.

ManicMatt:
A good obervasion Ã, 
These are just placeholder graphics, until we can get an animator/sprite artist. Ã, Yes, I do realize that they look like hair-dryers.

-Regards, Akumayo

[Steel Drummer]

I could do sprites for you. Just tell me what style you need, etc.

[Mad-Hatter]

I know you've told me over MSN a bazillion and five times, but I think it may be important for anyone else who reads this topic to know as well:

Approximately when will the game be finished?

And what is the progress thus far?

(also, mightn't it be a good idea to include weekly or biweekly- every two weeks- updates?)

[Akumayo]

Approximately when will the game be finished?

I'm hoping to have most of it finished by late December of this year.

And what is the progress thus far?

The core engine is almost finished, and as of today, two infantry units have full walkcycles.

mightn't it be a good idea to include weekly or biweekly- every two weeks- updates

I update when I feel a great enough change has been made.  Demos are only released if a major change has happened.  (I hope to have a real demo to show off by the end of August)

-Regards, Akumayo

[Akumayo]

Bump for new Demo.

A real demo is now available.  You can take control of the Confederal Republic of Orak, or the Federal Republic of Orak, and attempt to crush your opponent.  There is still one unit missing from each team, the Federal Orak Guardian, and the Confederal Orak Pyro-Technician.  I hope to have them added by the end of August.
Anyhow, if you find any bugs, please report them, and if you have a suggestion, please post it, I'd really like to get some feedback on this release.

-Regards, Akumayo

[Mad-Hatter]

lmfao

I played this game dozens of times. It's nice to see it's making some real progress, rather than the imaginary progress I thought it was.

There is still one unit missing from each team, the Federal Orak Guardian, and the Confederal Orak Pyro-Technician.

A PYROtechnician?! SWEET!!!!!!!

"BURN you federation scum!!!!"

MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!


Keep up the good work!

[eyeCoof]

Interesting tech demo, wonder where it'll go, once completed.

The background has to go really. Very bright, gives me a headache.

[Dreadus]

If you want help with some concepts and graphics, i have a lot of experience making firearms for FPS games and i could create some believable equipment and such for you...

[Akumayo]

eyeCoof:
The background is a (very) temporary graphic.  However, backgrounds are not my main concern at this point.  (I do agree though, it IS very bright, and a bit obnoxious)

Dreadus:
Thank you very much for the offer, when we get further along in development, I may contact you.