New XYX demo

New demo (3 levels), bringing it up-to-date with features in the current (full) version such as 2P, TATE, key config, etc.

This also includes an unfinished version of the Level/Map Editor. I've chopped some stuff out to make it better match the demo content; but nothing that effects it's functionality. I'll probably put together some more detailed docs later; but here's a brief rundown on how to use it.

Within the editor:
-----------------------------------------

MAP - This is strictly for assembling the graphic map for the level. Note that these will automatically loop. Also note that I've only tried fairly small maps so far.

LEVEL - Define enemy layout, checkpoints and hinge points (based on in-game step #), music, and background layer(s.)



Separate stuff:
-----------------------------------

Music
-custom songs go in /custom/songs and must be in .ogg format (SuperSound limitation.)
- in levelbuild.txt, under [songs]:
-- fn#= (file name w/o directory)
-- tt#= (song title)
-- au#=(song author)

Gfx
-custom gfx go in /custom/gfx
-  files must be in recognizable formats (any that GM will accept) and the image dimensions must match those of the sample images (160x54 I think)

- in custom_mapset.txt, under [titles]:
-- #= (custom gfx set name)
-- each added set should be given it's own section below this in [] brackets with the exact same name as that indicated under [titles] Underneath it should go...
---image#=(file name w/o directory)
---imagetrans?#=1 (for the corresponding image number, if you want that image to have a transparent color. The particular color is based on the bottom left pixel.)

Boss Attack

Regardless of the fact I only have 5/6 bosses so far (and some of those aren't even finished); Boss Attack mode is now in the game. I wasn't initially planning to have it 2P/Dual enabled; but I thought it would be strange to leave that out, especially as fun as playing with both ships is in the main mode. I've also rearranged the layout of the title menu somewhat, too, allowing the player mode (1P/2P/Dual) to be selected separately from the game mode itself. This should make adding additional modes easier as well.

As of now:
- Boss Attack is unlocked along with the Gallery and first secret ship by beating the game once.
- like the Enemy Test mode, checkpoints are temporarily disabled independent of them being active in the main game. No continues are given, either.
- Boss Attack has it's own separate hiscore table and end-stage tally
-- you are rewarded for less time taken (in place of wave clear bonuses)
-- perfect clearing the mode (1 life) gives you a HUGE multi-million bonus
-- remaining lives give you far more points than before, although bonuses are scaled the same way, with the amount you get per life depending on how many lives you start with.
-- hiscore table awards/medals are given for subsequently clearing bosses without dying, these are not reset when you die.

Map Builder, Medals, New Video

I've just made a rudimentary 'fake' scrolling tile system for XYX as well as a handy little map builder that lets me arrange them and export the arrays to a text file. Fake as in not using any of GM's predefined tile functions.

This just shows some plain colored tiles; but I'll substitute these as soon as I have some real ones made.

It remains to be seen, though, how efficient it will be to work with within the current system I have or even how well it'll run on my legacy PC. It might have to wait for another game... or a sequel.

I also introduced some post-game 'medals' on the suggestion of a friend over at Shmups.

New default Hiscore table, showing perfect clear medals counting down from 4.

Right now, they're only given for subsequent perfect clears and, unlike the character/ship unlocks, you lose them if you continue, so keeping them is an achievement in itself.

New video courtesy of SSK, showing off some new stuff on level 4:

more

Another one courtesy SSK:


Here you can see what little I have of level 5 so far and some new explosion fx I worked on this weekend.

Other new stuff:

-Got some awesome new FM-style music tracks for XYX from Raigon. I think they solidify the arcade feel flawlessly.
-XYX now uses score_under's DLLCrypt extension for saving scores, etc. I've noticed a slight speed drop using it on my netbook, though, so I'll probably leave it as an option.

THINGS

Some new footage of ZPF courtesy of my buddy SSK:





The biggest news, though, is that XYX now supports 2 players! It took almost a solid day of GM'ing to hammer out the basic stuff (still working on the rest....slowly.) I doubt it will actually ever be played by two people at the same time; but it's fun to map the controls to the sticks on a USB gamepad and play dual style. :D

(I even put in a handy autofire function if you don't have a gamepad for your PC.)

Yay!

STUFF AND THINGS

New video showing more of level 3 and the beginning of level 4. Thanks again to SSK for helping me with these.

... and here's a dragon enemy for level 5. The background here is only temporary; but the theme will most likely be of the classic hell/fire level variety. Chances are the boss might just be the friendly looking fella from the title screen. :D
----------------------------------------
I'm also getting art and page layouts ready for the game's manual... which I intend to have printed for a premium disc-based version of the game. More on that later.

XYX Update

Started tinkering with XYX some again.... trying to get back on schedule (and that end of the year deadline...ugh.) These are some neato emblems I made to go along with the pilot portraits. The Yellow Jacket one isn't quite finished (it was supposed to be on a heart); but the bug is, so screw it for now. :D

XYX Pilot Portraits

Yellow Jacket

Helltiger

Green Knight

New video

A friend from deviantart posted this no checkpoint run of XYX's first level. Thanks, man!

New stuff

New project (collaboration), NEON


XYX: Level 3, first shots!

Demo up, music links

Get the new XYX demo here!

From the readme:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Outside of selecting them, I can take absolutely no credit for these songs whatsoever. 110% Respect to the original artists who made them! You are legends!


ALSO, DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS GAME WITH ANY MUSIC FILES. If you decide to host this ZIP file somewhere else, that's fine, just don't repack it with music. It doesn't belong to me, nor does it to you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
song 1 (title) BASTILLE by Reverb

song 2 (level 1) SHOOTEMUP by Dr. Awesome

song 3 (level 2) Acronyme by Baroque

song 4 (unused)

song 5 (unused)

song 6 (unused)

song 7 (unused)

song 8 (boss) COOL CITY by Purple Motion

song 9 (stage clear) Soothsayer by Fleshbrain

song 10 (continue) Feedback by Necros/PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

XYX Bosses - one down, one close

Most of my GM time this weekend was spent re-coding background stuff (what I had before didn't really allow for on-the-fly changes... who knew a simple looping background image could be such a pain in the ass?); but I made some headway on the bosses -


Torus - This image was actually done way back in Dec., I had a much more complex multi-sectioned boss in mind when I first drew it... you destroyed some part to reveal a gigantic beating heart! It's still fun to blow up in this simplified form, though.

Big Tiger - His third appearance (well, technically at least.) First in Blast Works (YXIII), in a much nastier form... and later as a mess of unfinished tiles in Dezaemon 2. The turret and part of the treads are inherited from D2; but only a few days old in Game Maker, he's already far more functional than he ever was it that...

Jeez...just when I think I think I'm catching up, I realize I've left out some basic feature.
Only recently added:

-Continues
-Extends
-Stage Clear evaluation/bonuses

I'm sure there's other stuff I've forgotten, so it's good to get the very, very basic stuff done with I guess. <_<

(XYX is progressing pretty good other than that.)

Several updates..

XYX now uses GM Bassmod (pretty kickass little extension), so in the next demo, you'll be able to use whatever classic module/tracker songs you so desire via the ini file. This is mainly because I'm too lazy to try to get permission for any of the ones I'd actually like to use. I tend to gravitate towards those prestigious PC/Amiga demoscene ones, you see.

Also checkpoints... because I know how much people loooove those >_>

New video

Just showing off some stuff I've been working on. This is actually *just* short of the length I want for this level. The problem is about half of the enemies don't really fit (the ones I imported the gfx for, naturally) and belong in their own level, so you're basically seeing two halves of what will be separate levels... just crammed together.

Not shown are the new options menu (my first decent one...yay) and enemy test mode. I even tossed in a music option; but GM is as finicky as ever about playing anything that isn't say, raw wave format, so it does absolutely squat at the moment. I have one unused song from fellow shmupster null1024 (who kindly made the song that's in Flying V for me); but I'm always looking for more. :3

Back to the grind...

Got back to work on XYX. Nothing major yet; but it has snazzy new intro type stuff and lots of little fixes and tweaks.

I forgot how much I hate stage arrangement, though....ugh -_-

Flying V is up to it's current (pre-Eeepocalpyse) version now, too.

Newest shot... now just XYX, taken not half an hour before my laptop crapped out on me.



XYX: DEAD demo version @ Yoyogames
Not the version from the screenie above, unfortunately... it's the last one I had saved somewhere other than n my (now dead) laptop. :P



FLYING V demo version @ Yoyogames

The demo is newer version than the video, it's resolution was changed to a (more) proper 3:4 screen ratio and there are a number of other improvements. Again, not the newest version; but there's not much I can do about that right now.



ZpULTRA demo version @ Yoyogames.

My first Game Maker project, which I stopped working on not long after I started to come to grips with GML. This one's got a lot of problems....so, you've been warned.