Psi Arena

esper · Sat 10/02/2007 13:09:06

Hey all. Two years ago I dropped my laptop and cracked the screen really badly. I got a new one quickly and haven't messed around with that old one for a very long time. I just found it and was going through some of the files on it when I found this old gem. It's an old game I made a few years ago that I think is really quite cool. It's just a rough skeleton, so right now all you do is fight indefinitely, but that's really all it needs to be cool. I mean, I was sitting there playing it, and I was like "Holy crap! This is so cool! I can't believe I made such a cool game!"

http://esperian.sitesled.com/Psi_Arena.exe

http://esperian.sitesled.com/PsiArena.zip

So anyway, since the game is totally bare bones, let me explain a bit.

-----INSTRUCTIONS---------------------
You are some crazy psionic warrior in the future whose sole job is to fly around in some experimental game show where a swarm of killer robots is constantly trying to kill you. You will die eventually (first of all, because that's what's expected to happen on this gameshow, and second, because I never got around to creating any more of the game), but see how long you can stay alive in the arena.

Controls: up moves forward, down moves back. Left and right strafe.
mouse in the direction you want to face.

Left mouse button fires a ball of psionic energy in the direction you're facing.

Hold left mouse button to raise a psychokinetic shield. you can't do anything else but move while the shield is up, but it can help you move to a more strategic location.

Right mouse button lets you use your psychokinesis to grab objects. This includes the robotic sentries you're fighting and the signs you see floating around your starting position advertising the show. While holding objects (keep the mouse held down) you can wield them like weapons by dragging them across the screen and smashing them into your opponents. You can actually swing the signs around and let go of them to throw them at your enemies, but the robots have thrusters that will let them take control once you have released them.

Hold down the right mouse button while not selecting an item to use your PK in order to build up your psionic energy. The black bar in the bottom right will begin to fill up with blue, and when it is completely filled you will release a giant ball of energy that will destroy any and all enemies it touches. Be careful, as this bar takes a while to fill. You can still fire while doing this, but if you accidentally move your mouse cursor over an object you will grab it and have to start over.

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i would someday like to start working on this again, as I feel it's really cool and kind of innovative. If anyone's interested, let me know. I'd like to add more characters to play, each with different kinds of psionic powers, new enemies, new levels, bosses, and the addition of a story mode and possibly two player cooperative mode. BONUS: Extreme accolades to the first person who can tell me where the theme music comes from.

nulluser · Sat 10/02/2007 13:10:47

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Akatosh · Sat 10/02/2007 13:16:39

My Paranoid Computer Security (tm) has something against it. Did you use "asprotect" to pack it?

esper · Sat 10/02/2007 13:19:33

Nay. It's not even zipped, actually. It's an executable. Give me a minute to upload a zipped version.

EDIT: Have at you. The new link is in the original post, after the link to the executable.

Chicky · Sat 10/02/2007 13:23:40

amazing.

Akatosh · Sat 10/02/2007 13:26:45

Okay, thank you. I love the game... especially charging psi power up, then activating the shield in the last moment (so the blow doesn't trigger), then rushing around, gathering like 15 sentries around me and THEN stop holding the left mouse button... MEGA KABOOM!

You should definitly finish this.

nulluser · Sat 10/02/2007 13:29:35

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esper · Sat 10/02/2007 13:33:32

So, yeah. Have fun, because I just realized I never programmed a death subroutine. Once your health equals zero, you can still run around blowing away robots to your hearts content. :o

rharpe · Sat 10/02/2007 18:29:56

That was really fun!!! Esper, you need to finish that one. You should make the lasers from the little balls destroy one another instead of going right past them. Then you can kill them much easier. Then once you destroy all the robot spheres, you need a big "Boss" to come in to fight... (Just like the classic NES/SNES games.)

Akatosh · Sat 10/02/2007 18:37:45

Agreed. Finish it... or publish the source

esper · Sat 10/02/2007 21:10:23

Hrmmm... I had it like that originally... But they always fire directly at you (even when way offscreen) so when a bundle of them get together they would just blow each other up on their way toward you, which would make it ridiculous. Maybe if I made a flag on them that says if you are holding one, the enemy fire will hit it. Then at least you could pass it in front of you like a shield.

Akatosh: publish the source?? It sounds like someone is interested in helping out with the game... I am working on two projects (one of which is yours) and a book right now, and I have another AGS game that is going to take quite a while after Alpha - X... But I will definitely make this a side project.

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it... that's why I published it. It might not be great (if I start working on it again, all those graphics, sounds, and music are going to go) but I think it's fun and, with a little work, could become addictive.

So, no one's figured out the music yet? Here's a hint: C64