Level Shmup 1.5 Out Tomorrow

[thebooboo]

Edit - OK, not actually out tomorrow as explained further down.... but soon

Edit - It's done now - just waiting for it to be approved on the file archive.

I can't go home from work until my PSP has finished charging as I want to play Tekken on the tube. So I thought I'd do some pointless promotion on the GP32X forum! Hurrah!

Level Shmup, described by Edge magazine as "the best game ever" in a dream I once had, will be upgraded to v1.5 tomorrow. Well, it probably will anyway. I'm being looked after by my friend Louis at the moment and his mother makes excellent French food, so I might just stuff my face all night. Anyway, new in this edition will be:

- Bug fix on the high score table so it is actually accurate.
- Improved graphics - new explosion effects, better-looking sprites and backdrops.
- anything else that's on my todo list that I have time to do tonight.

I'll bet you're all dizzy with excitement. To be fair, I'm only doing this because I can't be bothered to do any proper work. So much easier to re-hash the existing game than to work on something new!

Also, as I'm here, has anyone used the Edge dev engine for 3D work and can they tell me how it performs on GP2X?

 

[Dzz]

Also, as I'm here, has anyone used the Edge dev engine for 3D work and can they tell me how it performs on GP2X?

I haven't tried it but I'm curious how other people interpret their license agreement. Without paying the thousand dollar fee (which is probably too expensive for us freeware game developers), the "evaluation" version is all you can use. the license for that states:

"The license granted to You under this EULA is for non-commercial evaluation purposes only."

This is kind of confusing to me. Developing a freeware game is not really an "evaluation purpose" but it is a "non-commercial purpose". So is it allowed or not?

I'll email them and ask.

 

[thebooboo]

Yes, I noted this license ambiguity.

What attracts me to it is that it enables easy cross-platform GP2X and mobile phone development. My plan was to do a free game with it and if it's successful do a commercial version of the same game having paid the license fee and hope to recoup the costs from the legions of fans it would by then have accrued.

 

[Dzz]

Also, as I'm here, has anyone used the Edge dev engine for 3D work and can they tell me how it performs on GP2X?

I haven't tried it but I'm curious how other people interpret their license agreement. Without paying the thousand dollar fee (which is probably too expensive for us freeware game developers), the "evaluation" version is all you can use. the license for that states:

"The license granted to You under this EULA is for non-commercial evaluation purposes only."

This is kind of confusing to me. Developing a freeware game is not really an "evaluation purpose" but it is a "non-commercial purpose". So is it allowed or not?

I'll email them and ask.

Duh, I'm still getting the hang of this internet thing. It's in their FAQ:

Can we use the evaluation version of Edge to release non-commercial games?
The end user license agreement for the evaluation version of Edge allows developers to distribute non-commercial (freeware) applications created with Edge. However, the evaluation message at start-up will and must be visible.

So if you're willing to live with their "evaluation version" popup appearing at the start of your game, it could be an ok tool, the feature set looks nice...

 

[thebooboo]

I thought you weren't into all these pre-made libraries?

Still, they're good for people like me who sat and played SNK Vs. Capcom on Neo Geo Pocket in their university lectures.

The clicking from the joystick must have really irritated the other students.

Anyway, I just realised my GP2X is in someone else's garage at the moment (that's not having a fixed address for you). So the Windows version will be up later tonight. But I suppose that's not much good for all the GP2X massive....

Anyway, here's a screenshot to show how it looks now

 

[Dzz]

I thought you weren't into all these pre-made libraries?

I'm not. Personally I wouldn't touch SDL or Edge or MFC with rubber gloves and a gas mask. It's interesting though to see what tool are out there for other people to use.

The screenshot for the new version looks nice!

 

[K0K0NUT_h3lmut]

Hey, not to be un-enthusiastic. But maybe you could change the bullets so that its easier to dodge them, because they are too fuzzy so you cant tell if they are going to just barely miss or hit you. Otherwise, great news!

 

[thebooboo]

Different bullets? Not in this release unfortunately, but I take your point. It will be a bit easier in other ways though.

 

[techFreak]

I agree KOKONUT. I don't understand if we avoid the center of bullet or light of bullet. Maybe I'm not clear...

Anyway good work and it's getting better in every new version.

 

[thebooboo]

The fuzzy aura around the bullets is harmless. The "solid" centre is 10 * 10 pixels and that's the harmful part.

Looks like I better make the graphics clearer in next version...