I’m frustrated with my current project, so I decided to try and make something from start to finish during the upcoming week.

I like Space Shooter games.  I like Co-Op play.  I like customization.  I like limit-breaking-super-saiyan powers.

So imagine a game with those things.  Need some help?

Here’s a summary of what I have in mind at the moment.

A two-player game (I’ll work out a single-player scheme later) in which Player 1 controls the ship’s movement while Player 2 controls it’s weapons.  As one keen gamer observed, think in the style of Mario Kart: Double Dash.

The ship’s movement, in addition to the standard 2 dimensions, also involves certain boosters.  Currently, I am toying with thrusters (speed boost), shields (defensive boost), and guns (firepower boost).  Then add in the quantum boost, which significantly alters whatever booster it is used with.  For example, quantum thrusters slow down time.  Boosters are invoked at will and last for a certain amount of time, after which they must be recharged.

Player 2 controls the ship’s artillery, which can aim independently.  It is still mounted to the same ship and faces the same direction, but can angle shots up to 45 degrees to either side.  The artillery will have a number of different weapons to choose from.  I have 10 weapon types picked out, and the idea is to incorporate a Kirby-like aspect by which the players must pick up upgrades from enemies.  However, enemies that drop weapons will be few and far between.  Finally, if I have time, the players can fuse two weapons together to form a new one.  Basic permutation math shows that this makes 100 possibilities*!

The ship will also have a significantly weaker sub-weapon, most likely also under the control of Player 2.  Here there will only be 3-4 weapons to choose from that are always available and cannot be upgraded.  This sub-weapon will also become the super power weapon once fully charged.

In order to make things more interesting for Player 2, there will by an energy bar, akin to an overheat bar found in many games on machine guns.  If a weapon overheats, it is lost and must be replaced.  No mindless button mashing!

Things I Am Undecided About:

• Should there be limited or unlimited ammo? leaning towards unlimited
• How many weapons can Player 2 hold at once? leaning towards 2
• How does one charge up the boosters? leaning towards enemy item drops
• How does one charge up the super powers? leaning towards not firing any weapons
• Separate health for both players or communal health? leaning towards communal
• Time limits? leaning towards no
• Side Scroll? Up Scroll? All-Range? Gravity? All of the Above? leaning towards a mix of levels
• EXP/AP Points? leaning towards yes…what did you expect?

In short, Player 1 is largely defensive, avoiding the typical endless onslaught of an infinite space army and finding the gaps in boss attack patterns.
Player 2 is offensive, aiming shots, timing attacks, and choosing which weapons to use.

Other Ideas That May Make It Into The Game:

• Attack Polarity, similar to Ikaruga
• Power-ups/Upgrades that must be shot at by player 2 to be collected
• Upgradeable stats (speed/drift/health/damage/critical hits)
• Weapon Shoppe
• Combo Kill / Enemy Wave Bonuses

Once I have a working demo I’ll post up on my game site; in the meantime I’ll try to report progress here.

Oh, and since I have very little artistic skill on a computer, all graphics will be simple polygons, nicely colored of course.  Yes, the ship will be a triangle.

*While combination math shows there will really only be 45.

There Is A Carrot In My Ear

More Potatoes!

Chang’s Paper Pony

Also in the mix were classics like Frog and Toad and Amelia Bedelia.  Remember those?

On a side note, it’s been a while since I’ve watched a Lord of the Rings movie.

Granted, electing an ethnic leader (doesn’t matter which race, as long as it isn’t Caucasian**) is indicative of this country’s progress, but I think Obama is an extraordinary man.  His example is not that anyone can achieve the highest office in this land, but that the qualifications thereof are beyond race.

In fact, it was the last President who most closely exemplified this maxim.  I find him to be a very ordinary, average man.  Of course, having a father who had the job can’t hurt.  Still, when I look at George W. Bush, I think, “Hmm, I guess anyone can become President”.  So, is this concept even a good one?  Perhaps, perhaps not…I’m not sure.  Think about it.

*Anyone who meets these criteria.  Sorry Arnold.

**Or at least, more than 50% White.  It’s all about who has the majority – this is a democracy, after all.

This may or may not be an attempt to avoid having to think of ideas on my own.

I guess this is what is called a sister site.  Does that mean these sites are female?

Expect more brilliant observations such as these, as well as meaningless polls, cynical rants, satirical comics, and other internet humor.