Ace's Gaming Session - Gradius: The Dark Armada Beta 1

[poopskinTheLiar]

Ah, you've worked with Game Maker too!

I have a gradius-themed project that plays a bit more like Sega's Fantasy Zone (and has some crossover elements with it). Mind that it's just a experiment, really.

[erickbond008]

Somthing worng,i can´t download the game, what the F%&/ is heapen?

[Ace9921]

Download link is down. Hang tight, I've got a new one coming right up.

[dracmeister]

You made this game with Game Maker, My fan-game is also made with Game Maker, but, can you offer your game to be in a smaller resolution, 'cuz the controls will get locked because of the massive slowdown of my computer and others...

[crapheadandidiot]

Wow... It's almost a direct port of the NES version of the stage, complete with the 5,000 point bonus in the volcano. Is the 1-Up behind the floating rock there too?

[Ace9921]

Nope, sorry! But I could add it for Beta 2(it wasn't my intention to include one, but I'd be glad to do so if someone wants).

This reminds me: the 1-Up system will be the same thing like with Unofficial Salamander 3, the Green Capsule system.

[MAXXEXTERMINATION]

hey dude,lord british is more faster than orders and bolt viper is more slow than orders

[Ace9921]

I can't make all the ships perform the same way, you know. The Lord British(and Vic Viper) had some good speed in Salamander, so I figured it'd be best to make the Lord British faster. Bolt Viper is a prototype fighter produced before the first model of the Vic Viper, so logically speaking, wouldn't its performance be a little lacking, especially when it comes to engine power?

[INFINITEWINNER]

can you through in the ability to build your own ship, like from different parts? And maybe a design your own level section?

[Ace9921]

Sorry, can't add a "build your own ship" and "build your own Stage" function. Programming that is going to be EXTREMELY time-consuming, not to mention I don't have a damn clue how.

[erickbond008]

i ave some ideas from this game,but i don't know how to creat your own game,so i need your help

[RedBelmont456]

.. on loop 3 arcade difficulty without dieing with a broken d pad XD, My thumb hurt like hell after that. what would you reccomend so that irritating kayboard fluke don't happen again, I can't help it if I have lightning fingers. After all, with all the crap the game throws at you the only way to not get hit is to move around like crazy... other than that i loved unnoficial salamander 3 and I sure as hell can't wait til dark armada is finished. btw, looking foward to gradius VI too?

[RedBelmont456]

I wish i could show you exactly what it was, it actually happened in the 3 headed dragon stage( end of sand stage) I jsut destroy one or two heads and my ship freaks out on me... it could be the keyboard because the samething happens to me in other games where the imput is extended causing frustrating deaths... i cold try a joypad, but would either game support a controller? all i see is instructions for key commands plus the one I usually use is busted(it's hars to believe I beat Gradius III..

[Ace9921]

Neither game was programmed to use a controller, but once the 2-player Co-Op mode is done, Player 2 is forced to use a joystick. That's why It's currently recommended to use Joy2Key if you want to make use of a joystick.

[RedBelmont456]

by the way... ikaruga is nowhere near as hard as Gradius V...

[RedBelmont456]

Yes, but I was reffering to the venom from gradius v, he's as useless as the gradius brain XD. BTW, here's a bug you'll wanna double check this game doesn't have it either, for some reason in certain bossfights you lose total control of your ship. So even if you just tap the directional key the ship just srifts in that direction for like 6 seconds forcing a crash... it's really annoying, and I do realize the game has to be hard, to be honest I wish you'd made salamander 3 harder... that glitch..

[Ace9921]

?

Don't know what happened to you, but I never had that happen to me in Unofficial Salamander 3. It did happen on my laptop, however, but I think it's because the keyboard has a tendency to keep inputing the signal from certain keys even after they're released(mainly when multiple keys are pressed at the same time). Have you tried using a different keyboard or using Joy2Key to map the controls to a joystick?

[RedBelmont456]

...reccomendation, why not use the volcano track from the 1st salamander in this game I think it sounds cool. consider burning heat and mechanical base(gradius 3 snes) as well since they weren't used more than they should've as easter egg tracks in other gradius titles...

One more reccomendation, I didn't mind the last boss being really difficult but let's be reasonable now, this isn't ikaruga XD... venom is even weaker than gofer(<and I didn't even need any power ups to survive this guy)

[Ace9921]

Venom's weaker than Gofer? I don't think so. Gofer just sits there like a lazy bum, while Venom actually attacks.  I know this isn't Ikaruga, but this Gradius game is meant to be hard. Gofer will sit there(he'll attack in Loop 2, but it'll be that measly thing from Gradius II on the Famicom), but Venom will REALLY unleash in this game(watch it in Loop 4; Venom will show no mercy).

I will have a thing in this game where the stage songs will be different depending on what Loop you're on.

[Ace9921]

This will make for a bigger variety of music.

[RedBelmont456]

Exellent! by the way, I just recently finsihed beating your salamander 3 and I must say, that game was a bitch in difficulty -_o ! even though i'm good at gradius, the game surprised me more than once with those annoying lasers and boulders XD... least I know what to expect here, though the last boss in salamander 3 made the one in salamander 2 look like a bit of a pushover, it was fun though and the hitbox was reasonable enough for me to squeeze by a lot of incoming craft... here's another...

[RedBelmont456]

...higher loop gameplay, the game is already looking challenging enough in the 1st loop, wohoo, WE LOVE GRADIUS! heh...

[Ace9921]

lol

That's why Gradius is my favorite Shoot-em-Up Series!

There won't necessarily be an "Armor Repair" thing per-se, but there will be a VERY expensive item in the shop which will be called "Auto Armor Recovery," which restores your Armor over time as long as you have more than 10 units of Armor left.

Another item which will be of good use is the "? x2". It's pretty self-explanatory: double the number of hits your ? Power-Up can take(24 for Shield, 6 for Force Field/Guard, and Limit...

[Ace9921]

...will last for 6 seconds.

[RedBelmont456]

Awesome! And as for the lasers, you can leave them be, making them thiccker would make them a bit easier to see but hey, I love a challenge! BTW, you might consider(if you haven't already, adding shield repair(if not in the main game) to the shop at the end of every level and make it so that it increases in price every time used, forcing you to be rational with your money as well as not gettin hit so much XD... Well the hitbox definetly sounds reasonable enough and I can't wait to play in ...

[nathanallan1]

Definitely a great looking game!!

[RedBelmont456]

v...when you destroy their bunkers covering up the central core. I know i sound a bit harsh but just think of this as constructive criticism from a huge gradius fan. I can't wait to see what levels you'll come up with next, by the way it would be awesome if you could somehow use the salamander 2 hidden soundtrack "fire tripper" for a level in this game, it would be sweet!

[RedBelmont456]

v Also remember the hitbox side, all i'm asking for is a reasonable size( you don't have to make it 1/4th of the cockpit size like in gradius V, jsut make sure it's a little less the ships actual size, cockpit only is perferable). Try to make the lasers shot by the boses a little bit thicker to make them a little easier to spot, the speed is fine but they're pretty thin so it would be easy to miss, it wold make it challenging though, you might consider adding suicide bullets to the big cores.. ^

[RedBelmont456]

I would comment on the site stated but I can't really login there so it will have to do here... the game is looking exellent so far. however you might consider working on the following, the shot speed is good but with only 1 bullet per 3/4tth of a second, it's really easy to get rammed by an incoming ship here and it also makes the standard shot unreliable. The amount's of power ups released are large and are too stacked together making it easy to overshoot your power up mark... ^

[Ace9921]

There's a weapon upgrade you'll be able to buy in the Upgrade Shop during the game, which will double the firing rate of the standard gun. Can't alter the standard gun without the upgrade.

I will tell you that the first 3 stages are remakes of earlier Gradius stages(Stage 2 is Nemesis '90 Kai's Floating Continent stage and Stage 3 is Salamander's Bionic Germ stage). The rest will be completely original(there are 10 stages per game, with a branching path on Stage 8, making a total of 14 stages

[Ace9921]

in all, including 2 Boss Rushes and a Contra-style ground Stage, plus a few Bonus Stages thrown in.

I made the hitbox almost at the center of the ship. It's as tall as Laser #2's height and is just a little bigger horizontally.

This game is meant to be hard, so I can't do anything about the enemy lasers.

Power-Up capsules are clumped together due to the design of the stage. It'll be less clumped in Stage 2, which is to featured with Stage 1 in Beta 2.

Suicide bullets are only from Loop 2

[Ace9921]

and up. Actually, depending on whether you take path A or B on Stage 8, you will be sent to either Loop 2 or Loop 3 before facing the IMMENSELY DIFFICULT Loop 4. Plus, I've got a little feature that I'm only revealing to a select few. PM me if you want to know what it is.

Your comments aren't harsh. You just have a lot to say, that's all.

By the way, I used "Fire Tripper" in my previous fangame, Unofficial Salamander 3, on Stage 11.

[erickbond008]

Ace,you great!,i like the beta 1,thanks and many thanks!

[MAXXEXTERMINATION]

you're great dude, i jealous of you XD (joke)

[KrazyScruffy9001]

Hot damn, this is good! Like Gradius Gaiden with the multiple ships. This looks really ambitious, I'll have to try it out.