Post by GRAU-7N31 in Progress Report - Pathfinding, Art, Optimization comments

Progress Report - Pathfinding, Art, Optimization » Comments

Viewing post in Progress Report - Pathfinding, Art, Optimization comments

Hi, it’s great to see so much progress in every aspect of the development, it’s really inspiring. Question, would it be possible to add screen shaders, like a CRT-style effect? The main menu and the top-down perspective already give the impression that the game is being viewed through orbital cameras or recorded footage. Even the death screen could look like a “battle simulation failure,” similar to those old safety or training videos.

Also, what about your small tanks being designed more for fast-firing low damage suppression rather than direct kills? They could serve to distract the player, maybe two or three shots to damage the armor. These gremlins could attack from multiple angles, forcing the player to divide their attention while more dangerous enemies move in.

MezzSoft99 days ago(+1)

It's entirely possible, I'm already using overlay shaders to tweak the colors in levels. I don't really want to add a CRT effect since it kind of obscures the pixel art, and I think most players would find it distracting or hard to look at. However, I am considering including that as some sort of unlockable cheat, maybe if players find them as secrets they can turn them on or off in a special menu.

Also, what about your small tanks being designed more for fast-firing low damage suppression rather than direct kills? They could serve to distract the player, maybe two or three shots to damage the armor.

I like that idea! Very low damage weapons would be an interesting mix up. I'll definitely try it out when I get to implementing them.

GRAU-7N3193 days ago(+1)

I’ve been testing some shaders from ShaderGlass with the game in windowed mode. While a few of them look great, some can be disorienting or cause eye fatigue, especially those with heavy glow or bloom effects.

Regarding AI behavior, what if certain enemies, when they get stuck, try to shoot at the obstacle in an attempt to break through? Others might try to flank you around corners, but the "smarter" ones could create their own path.

Here’s a question, what are the chances of implementing a bullet vs bullet mechanic, something like a more direct offensive-defensive approach, instead of just dodging? For example, could high-rate-of-fire weapons like a 20mm cannon be used to shoot down incoming enemy fire? Or would that be redundant now that the new APS System is in place?

And lastly, is there any chance we could get a Val bunny suit cockpit icon, or maybe even alternative skins for her in the game?

MezzSoft92 days ago(+1)

Interesting. Do any of them look particularly good?

Regarding AI behavior, what if certain enemies, when they get stuck, try to shoot at the obstacle in an attempt to break through? Others might try to flank you around corners, but the "smarter" ones could create their own path.

I neglected to mention it in the post, but they actually can demolish buildings if they get stuck. It's another thing I did to try and solve the old lack of pathfinding when they got into infinite loops.

Eventually you will be fighting higher level enemies that won't hesitate to shoot through cover though. I want there to be enemy crawlers armed with the same sort of arsenal as the player, and I'd like them to fight equally as dirty.

Here’s a question, what are the chances of implementing a bullet vs bullet mechanic, something like a more direct offensive-defensive approach, instead of just dodging? For example, could high-rate-of-fire weapons like a 20mm cannon be used to shoot down incoming enemy fire? Or would that be redundant now that the new APS System is in place?

It's an interesting idea, though I think the APS system will probably make that redundant. I also still haven't implemented different types of armor; in the future there'll probably be one that slowly regenerates if you take bullet damage, or straight up deflects shots with a random chance instead of counting as a hit.

And lastly, is there any chance we could get a Val bunny suit cockpit icon, or maybe even alternative skins for her in the game?

Haha, that would be fun. Maybe you'll be able to buy different outfits with the credits you earn, or they'll unlock at the end of the game. I'm not sure yet, but it's definitely possible with how the portraits are animated.

itch.io

Viewing post in Progress Report - Pathfinding, Art, Optimization comments