...pews pews for everyone!

Been a while huh. Anyway, I'm working on a shooter, or as the more common parlance would
say, a "shmup". I really hate that term, but what can you do?

Oh yeah, "shmup" = shooter from now on.

"So, a shooter you say?"
Yes. I've always wanted to make my own shooter for quite a while,  but now I have enough
of a grasp of GML to make it real. Technically I've made two already,
( http://sgtcrispy.itch.io/ ), but whatever.

"So what's the plan, man?"
Here's the low down on the project thus far:

1: Vertical scroller with 8-10 levels.

2: Not quite NES style graphics. I'm using a 64 color palette, and sticking to a 7
color + transparency scheme for sprites. If you've seen Arnes Famicube project,
( http://www.androidarts.com/palette/Famicube.htm )
Basically I'm a doing a game like that. A few exceptions of course, on-screen
sprite limits, audio limits ect.

3: SunVox made music and sfx. I've decided to not go ahead and use FamiTracker for the bgm
and sfx, instead I'm switching back to SunVox for the audio. I'll try and keep
to "lo-fi" in general.

4: It's not a Bullet Hell style shooter. ie: Screen filling pink orb bukkake and large
chested jailbait. Sorrynotsorry. (Rant on this forthcoming...)

5: Stuff I'm sure I forgot to mention....

"Enough jibber jabber! Show us the goods!"
Art work: Normal baddies are mostly done. 8 with 2-3 variations. 16-ish? Tweaking to-do.
Boss #1 is under going polish and Boss #2 is still under construction.
Others still in design stage.
Player ship: Tweaking to-do on sprite and weapons.
Background level art: hmm what now... yeah.. slow..
Music: About the same...
Coding: Player controls done. Tweaking baddies.
Weapons system tweaking: 1 main weapon, 5 upgradable sub weapons.
Tile scrolling coding: System is in place but trying to come up with a less tedious way
of doing it. (ds_grid/array or such)

"Goods! Show! NOW!"
Ah yes. Here's a pic of the current baddie lineup and player ship candidates.
Not much but hey.



"What is it called?"

Several years ago I started with a simple black and white game (??) for ios,
then strictly in NES style.
However this project was started in earnest almost a year ago, and has evolved quite
a bit since.
Now, a year later, and it's still incomplete. Other games and ideas had been distracting, but now, true purpose has grabbed a hold and it's full throttle.




Back in the summer my older brother came to visit for a couple of weeks and helped
me hammer out ideas and concepts. He was a major kick in the pants to get this
dream of mine going, and with him getting married in May, I own it to him at the very
least to get an near finished build as a wedding gift. Hopefully I can get an
actual real playable demo released for his birthday which is coming up as well.

Once this is done, then I can start on Greylands 2...

...no time like whenever.

Haven't done one of these in a while, so what's been happening?
Well, I have gotten updates for Duck Rush and ZTA made up. Duck Rush adds "Hunt Mode". Bit of a homage to Safari Hunt if you will. Never did get in to Duck Hunt.

ZTA however add quite a bit. Two additonal level, a revamping of the "10 Waves" mode ( different enemy apearences and bosses.), also a  massive graphics overhaul and "music improvements".

Alas, these updates are held back by a rather annoying error when building. So until this little "problem" can be eliminated, I am unable to update. So annoying... Oh well I guess.

In a attempt to fix it, I've reformted the netbook I've been using for building and hopefully with fresh installs the error will be fixed. /me crosses his fingers.

In more recent news, I've worked on a 32x32 resolution game for the #lowrezjam over at www.gamejolt.com called Grey Lands.

http://gamejolt.com/games/adventure/grey-lands/26608/

I went with an top down action rpg-ish for this, and learned quite a bit. In the process of making it, it turned into a prototype. This time around though it won't be for ios.

...so RUN AWAY!!!

Delete my post while I'm typing it will you blogspot! grrr…

Zombie Tomato Attack hath been released unto the world!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-tomato-attack/id727466709?ls=1&mt=8

I've had the idea for this one for awhile now, even before Duck Rush, so I'm glad I finally got it finished. If you like Commanding Missiles and shooting down Invaders from Space, then you should like the gameplay style here.

I've been working on updating it to have, among other things, proper universal support. Granted, GM:S does a good enough job on supporting multiple iOS device resolutions, they still need tinkering with.

Drawing text goes off screen and gets misaligned, and on 5th gen devices it stretches the screen. Not too bad, but leaving like that would just be lazy (cough duck rush cough).

Plus, I've had a number of folks inquiring about an android release.

/me cries…

I WANT to do a android version, I really do, but a few roadblocks prevent me at the moment.

1. No android phone or device. More likely a phone but whatever. Hell, I don't even have my Trac-Phone anymore.

2. GM:S requires an extra module for android exporting, and at 200 smackers that will have to wait…

3. For what device? It's probably not to much of a hassle supporting multiple device resolutions, but until I can at least get one, I have no idea.

 Now that's not a knock toward android either. I'm rather "meh" on the whole iOS vs Android debate. I've seen a android or two that I wouldn't mind having, but until I can afford one, it's iOS (by way of iPod Touches and an 1st gen iPad) for now.

Shit, I'd like an Ouya while I'm at it. If Locomalito can do it then, dammit, so can I!

So, if you want more and android versions to-boot, then would you kindly…

... this time actually delivering.

http://youtu.be/x24dhsgcA-8
I put up a little teaser trailer for my in development game Zombie Tomato Attack.
With any luck it'll be ready for Apple's approval/scrutiny before the end week.

...ed it out a bit too soon.

Fianlly done (I think) with Duck Rush 3.0 and the game in general. Naturally, I messed up on the new achievements and had to submit 3.1 to Apple so the damn things show up in game center. Hopefull that should be up and ready when Labor Day is done with. Tomorrow maybe, Wednesday?
Here a link to it if you're so inclined.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duck-rush/id582091198?ls=1&mt=8

Anyway, I learned a lot from that simple little game. But now on to bigger and hopefully better things.

..until it's over.

Interesting few weeks around here to say the least.

Grandmother passed on, Mom royally fucked up broke her knee and I'm sick (but on the mend now).

Dev'ing is slow, per usual reasons, other work/internets but it goes on, ever forward.

Excelsior! or something...

Plus, I dun goofed, and neglected  to mention that I not only got the update for Duck Duck done, but had also given it a name change to Duck Rush. 

Sounds better methinks. Snazzier. With a hint of a cool mountain breeze flowing pass your face and making the butterflies flutter... 

Or, something like that, yeah.

Oh, and Duck Rush is on sale for free for today. :D Once I get the next update and another game out, I'll considering  make free permanently, but gotta figure GM:S out first.

...completely forgetting.

Haha, wow. Duck Duck was released a few hours after the Dec 15th post and what did I do? Totally forget to post the link for it.

So here it is!

Duck Duck on iTunes

Anyway, I've been working the next version for it so here's a few quick notes...

1: Widescreen! Landscape looks and plays better than portrait anyway.
2: New levels! Two more levels plus an extra (or two) gameplay variations for each.
3: Improved Graphics! More cow-y cows, pig-ish pigs!
4: ???

Well, back to work. :)

...achievement earned!

Well, we've survived yet another wanna-be world ending apocalypse. Yay!

Too bad the ancestors and indigenous people of the mayans were unable to actually practice their beliefs...

http://boingboing.net/2012/12/23/mayan-priests-denied-access-to.html

Imagine if the government and corporate america latched onto indigenous american ceremonies, and made huge productions out of pow wows, rain dances and the like. But only allowed pasty white, rail thin vegas style show dancers do the performing instead of the actual people who's culture they're supposedly celebrating.

Yeaaaaaaaaah...

...my game, MY RULES!

Well after five days of wondering if my game would make it through the gauntlet that is the App Store review process, I received the green LED of approval!

So hopefully, in a day or two it should appear in the iTunes app store. Ready for the masses to scrutinize and even better enjoy.

"So what is this game you keep blathering on about?"

Glad you asked fictional person...

Duck Duck is the name.
Smacking ducks is the game.
Cow, pigs, and birds also appear.
Zipping left and right they must adhere.
Hunting for a secret is for the brave.
If you're lucky you'll be invited to a bump'n rave.

"ahem"

So thats the gist of it basically, a simple touch game with blocky pixel graphics and chip-ish style music made in Sunvox.

I'll post a link when it actually pops up in-store.

/me cross fingers for soon.

Now, about those other games I have in the works....

of the approaching duck hordes?

Well, after much hammer banging and hair pulling, I've finally have a app sent off to the Apple Store gatekeeper overseers. Hopefully they will give it their blessing and release it upon the walled garden of delights.

Only to get lost among the overcrowded masses of the app slums.

One can only hope.

Anyway pictures!