[Archive] Monday Update #4 - Getting the Numbers news

Scoring

One of the most important things in a shoot'em up is scoring. I'm still figuring out how to handle it as best as possible, but I've already set up some mechanics. The score is basically modified by the Difficulty and the Game Mode:

• Normal (1.0), Hard (1.2), Unique (1.4)
• Standard (1.0), Casual (0.5), Hardcore (1.5)

and you generate score on two ways: by doing damage and collecting items.

By doing damage you create a chain. As long as you are able to hit an enemy/do damage you gather score until you miss for too long (currently 1 sec). The value is then multiplied by the current modifier and added to your score pool.

This modifier is also increased by damage on enemies and reduced by damage on you. So if you are risky enough, you can try to hold the chain as long as possible to get an even higher modifier and therefore more score, but if you get hit, you lose 50% of your modifier and of your modified score at the end.

The second way to get score is to collect items. Currently there are only the power-items dropped by the boss. Those items increase your damage permanently and give you points based on your current modifier.

At the end you get bonus points accordingly to your play style for:

• Time Bonus: required time
• Armor Bonus: remaining armor/health
• Chain Bonus: highest chain
• Multi Bonus: highest modifier

On of the problems is, that with no damage taken you have a maximum armor and multi bonus. This can maybe counteracted by slowly reducing the modifier while not in a chain.

Update Notes

• Improved overall performance significantly
• Improved option to display life bars
• Improved visibility of enemy bullets
• Improved game speed
• Improved water coloring
• Improved precision of controls
• Fixed bug with wrong sustained damage
• Implemented Boss 02-01
• Implemented full score system and menu
• Implemented dynamic background movement
• Implemented new combat messages
• Implemented option to adjust the mouse sensitivity
• Implemented first companion
• Implemented dynamic interface hiding
• Changed power system
• Changed some special effects
• Removed separated darkmode
• Removed the sidescrolling effect

Version: 0.8.4 (2013-03-04)

Because it's possible with the engine I will try to create a Linux build for the next update. I also have plans for user-created boss-scripting, but this will take some time.

Thank you
- Martin