LightForce 2k6

[Darthman]

I want to introduce you to another my project (status : in development) - lightforce 2k6.
This game is classic scroller type game, but in full 3d.
Game uses own 3d engine. Pure OpenGL + WinAPI. Written in delphi 7.



You can download alpha there:
http://darthman.com/games/lightforce/lf_alpha_02.zip (about 1Mb)

[Traveler]

[rantmode=true]
And here we are again! Wake up people, there's a guy here displaying his latest work?!
You have the chance to test his game, to get a bit involved in the making. The screenshot posted may probably not display the latest in game design, but surely of all spaceshooters we've seen so far here on PGD, this one doesn't look all that bad now, does it?

Then why is it that nobody has given any comments at all? Why is it that nobody took ten minutes of his time to download the game, play it a bit and write something about it Is it really that hard?!
I know Darthman didn't specifically ask for c&c's but surely, if he didn't want to get any he wouldn't have placed a shot of his game here on PGD now, would he?!

Put yourself in his place for a moment, say you managed to get your precious work to alpha stage, ready for some testing, see what people think about it, to get some opinions. How'd you feel if there was not a single comment written in nearly a weeks time?
I doubt you'll come back with another version. Nobody cares to write something anyway. Hell, you might even think these folks over at PGD are a real bunch of <insert striking term here>. You might even second guess your decision to sign up.

Wake up you lot! PGD isn't only for asking questions on how to get your code to work. We want you to give something too! In this case, it's mayby 15 minutes of your time.
And with those 15 minutes you'll not only please the guy you're writing to, but in the long run also yourself.

Thanks
[rantmode=false]


Darthman, I'm sorry I had to use your thread to vent some of my irritations. It kinda bugged me for some time, and your thread seemed like a good place to let it out.

Anyways, your game.
I think its an excellent start. It's obviously not completed yet as many things are still missing, but from what I have seen, it has great potential.

As it is still very much work in process, I'm not going to write too much about it, but there was one thing I did notice specifically and that're the three panels on the bottom. Are they permanent? I find them to be 'in the way'. They are big, don't add to much to the game itself, and they take up way too much space. I suggest to combine these elements into one panel and to move the whole thing into a corner. I can't speak for all gamers, but with these kind of games I tend not to want too many things on my screen, but my ship and the stuff I need to blow up. Everything else is just in the way.

Very positive points are the ships and backgrounds. Really nice work there! Keep it up!

[LP]

Funny, I was just going to apply "rantmode=true" in the other thread, but just noticed this page, so...

[rantmode]
I always wondered the joy for making this kind of games. For instance, you take DelphiX shooter example, change graphics and you get yet another clone! FYI, here's a list of very similar projects that appeared recently or WIP now: space shooter by EugenioEnko, Sunspire by Andrew, DelphiX shooter example by Hori, Sprite Engine Example for Asphyre by DraculaLin, FreeStrike by Jarrod Davis, Commando Xenidis by Firlefanz.

Including yours, this makes 7 similar game projects! Well, sorry if I'm going to say that, but I am not impressed, especially after looking at Commando Xenidis by Firlefanz (which is the best IMHO). One game can be impressive, two games can be nice but seven games (and there probably are more!)...
[/rantmode]

The above was answer to Traveler. Now about your project, Darthman. It crashed in the first run. I had to run config tool and disable most of the options and it finally worked (but looked somewhat ugly). Tech specs: PentiumIV 2.4 Ghz, 1 Gb RAM, ATI Radeon 9000 128 Mb VRAM DDR with PixelShader v1.3 and latest drivers, WinXP SP2.

[technomage]

Darthman

nice work, I loved that fact that you could turn off the advanced features so it can play on older hardware, so many games just ask for the high level stuff

I agree wioth Traveler the ships should be slightly smaller you could fit more on the screen. But it looks and plays great. Keep up the good work

Traveler - I tend to agree people don't always reply to posts like this, I myself have been on the recieving end a few times. Some posts however do appear to slip through the view posts since last visit filter. I myself didn't see this one posted....

[FNX]

-About posting comments to games: ops:

I agree with you Traveler, feedback is important for developers (me
included) and I write when I can. That is the problem, I use to read
PGD mostly at work so I can't always download stuff and test but just
look at the screens. Often, once back home, I forgot to go back to the
post and download, in these weeks also because of the contest.

I admit anyway that I missed this one out completely.
The very sad thing is that we have about 1000 registered users and only
20 (?) are usual writers...

I have a couple of ideas for bringing people to write but i'll post it
somewhere else


-About the game:
It looks like an alpha but it is sooooo promising! I agree with the guys
above about the 3 panels and the flyable area, ships are too big so i felt
not exactly into space...
About the 3 panels, i suggest you to put the scores/lives/so on infos
without the blue boxes, maybe alpha-ed on the background and bring
them clearly visible only at the end of each (supposed) level.

Conclusions:
-Very promising job, keep on! (300+FPS!! IT IS SMOOTH!!)
-Try to manage the flyable space better (resizing things maybe)
-Manage another/better way for in-game infos

The rest is developing stuff i hope to see soon

Bye!

[Firlefanz]

The game looks very nice! HAve to try it...

@Lifepower:

Well, sorry if I'm going to say that, but I am not impressed, especially after looking at Commando Xenidis by Firlefanz (which is the best IMHO).

Thanks a lot. We are very soon finished and we will do something totally different next time, and it will be something that not everybody else does. But except of that I like 2D shooters very much, and this is not too hard so everybody can finish it, this is better than everybody coding a MMORPG which nobody is able to finish.

Firle

[Darthman]

Backgrounds are generated by runtime, so it always different .
Yes, all you right - this is just start, but i had to know good start or bad. This Game will be rewritten, graphics will be more smooth, and so on.
In this try was many interesting things like simple physics, generated textures, combine 2d/3d graphics.... generally it was my firest 3d game.

[technomage]

Including yours, this makes 7 similar game projects! Well, sorry if I'm going to say that, but I am not impressed, especially after looking at Commando Xenidis by Firlefanz (which is the best IMHO). One game can be impressive, two games can be nice but seven games (and there probably are more!)...

If you are just starting out in game programming and you want to do a simple game to get started, a space shooter is probably one of the best hence why we have so many. But I can bet that each have their own unique qualities that set them apart from the others. I wrote a space shooter for my first game (I think it was space invaders), but I learnt allot from that and I've now progressed to 3D games. It's all about learning at the end of the day.

[LP]

If you are just starting out in game programming and you want to do a simple game to get started, a space shooter is probably one of the best hence why we have so many.

Learning is good but my opinion stands. Using pixel shaders and latest video card features - doesn't look like a "learning project" to me. Also, some of the similar projects I mentioned are even commercial.

Besides there are plenty of "easy" games than can be made in learning process like logic games, puzzles and arcade-style games (heck, a simple Asteroids has pretty much the same complexity). Do you have to learn "to be creative" too?

[Darthman]

Yes, i'm learn in create.
Lern hot to write games in delphi - write Rusty Lines, learn how to use DirectDraw, DirectSound and DirectInput - write TGame Turrcan remake, learn how to make 3d and FX - write demoscene and LightForce...this is more interesting than just to learn. Do you think so?
Besides, I like to use your PowerDraw 2.42. Lines deluxe is uses powerdraw in Deluxe modification (by me and 3d[Power]. :roll: