[C+C] Bullet Void - a SHMUP

[Skaz]

Hi!

I'm currently working on a small SHMUP and I've decided to expose myself to some critics... It's a cross post with my Tig source Devlog, but I will post pixel art and leave gameplay aside here

So I'm not really proud of those spaceships. Any help is welcome.



The red paint of the ships isn't the one I use in the game, I made a really much more simplistic one, geometric.
Now a screenshot:



And now, place to some in game .gif!















What do you think? I suspect that the small ships and even the big ones are to close in shapes, colours, not easy enough to tell wich one is wich without looking directly at it. Not easy while fighting. Too flat maybe?

[CelioHogane]

Oh my god is so cute!

[kriss]

wow really great !

I have a good feeling with spaceship from HuZba, lot of colours like japan shmup  :

original link : http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=16148.0


also cool stuff from members here http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=4212.0

also   from http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=436.0

and finaly I found this : from http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=4361.10

[Skaz]

Thanks for your replies!

The links will be very useful, in fact I consider redoing the ships from scratch drawing inspiration from the Dodonpachi challenge thread.

Problem with my ships is I started with a complete top down view. I found it flat and boring, and transformed them to be seen from an angle. But the result is still flat. I'll have to think about those ships with a lot more volume and thickness than I did previously. Z axis should be as important than X and Y! I'll post my advancement on this as soon as anything is ready for display


So it's not as easy as I thought... I guess ships are not really my thing, but I tried anyway! I redo the player ship, I'm not going to redo every ship, to time consuming and I have to finish this game. What do you think? Is there something wrong with the way I approach the palette?



Changed the palette to somewhat the old one, the blue/grey one really lacks contrast... and I like the brown look better.

[wzl]

i was about to mentioned the contrast, but the shapes and perhaps the perspective could be tweaked to give it more depth. I'm not very experienced with technical designs but i feel you could try playing with different elevations indicated by brightness. I also felt that at some parts the perspective is slightly off, the thrusters for instance seem weirdly rotated towards the top.

Here's a quickndirty edit for it, hope it helps

[Skaz]

Yeah I got what you say, my perceptive is not assumed, kinda like top view and back view at the same time. So we'll say its 45° top down. I'll stick to it from now! I also droped the side light and gone full zenithal. Easier, possible to mirror sprites, I only see advantages. What do you think of those ones?



EDIT : I kept trying and I have finally something I consider good enough. I will probably stop here!



EDIT EDIT : After seeing moving around with thruster fire, tweaked it a little more, I THINK this time I can call it done.
Old/New:



So! I remade the ships, and I'm quite happy about the result, which is quite something. Do, redo and do again. Apparently I can get something this way. I also made some ASTEROIDS. What would a space game be without some rocks? So funny to see your enemies crush themselves on them... The asteroid field scene from star wars with the falcon is one of my favourite (I might show you some stuff related to that some day......)





Comments welcome as usual!

[mega_19]

well, im proud of this ships even i didnt make em! 
they are pretty cute indeed.

[Skaz]

I'm still alive!

Progress has been steady, but more on the gameplay side than the pixel art one.

Still, I've done some pixeling. Here is the new explosion animation:



The real news is that you can TRY the prototype of the game, like,  RIGHT NOW. And tear apart  those enemies with your missiles, plasma canons and high calibre minigun.

HERE!

IF you have any feedback, I'll gladly hear it


Also, I'm working on a splash screen artwork, it's the first time I tackle a big pixel piece like that, any advice welcome. Right now I'm making the general volume and lines, then I'll add all the details.



[EDIT] still WIP, but making progress. My god, pixel art is OK fast to make small sprites, but with big pieces, it's abominably slow... (BTW if a moderator reads this, how long is okay to double post? Are you bound to let your topic sink to oblivion if nobody respond but you have some news?)

[Fizzick]

Only spent a couple minutes on this so it's super rough and way too much probably, but the idea is adding a light source to create a little more interest, and upping the contrast hard. Your version doesn't scream 'space' to me.

[Skaz]

Yep, I must admit a light source would be great. I'll probably do that. Maybe not THAT extreme :p

A friend reminded me that I had a few things to show. Not related directly to this game, but somewhat related. He told me my ship reminded him the falcon from Star Wars. I won't hide my inspirations, especially when you know where this game comes from. Let's take a look at those really old sprites, actually my very first. Of all time.


The Faclon

      
Ti fighter, bomber, interceptor.

         
Tie wreckage.

   
Bomb and proton torpedo.

      
Some really ugly asteroids. They kinda look like chicken nuggets. Tasty.

This was my very first game maker prototype. Wasn't bad, but I never figured out how to make a few things and lost interest. My current game is sort of a spritual successor, with nothing in common in code nor in assets.