Vektar 0.9

[racoon]

*lol* ...

I think everyone here agrees that you can take as long as you want to release Vektar 1.0 if you are able to make an usable NetHack port!

Thanks for this great original game, and maybe the upcoming port too!

 

[Julius]

I like your game a lot, but it would be a lot cooler if it was more like gridwars:
http://gridwars.marune.de/

Maybe you could implement two game types:
One asteriods like version like it is right now and one gridwars like version:
Use the stick to move ship (not with thrust or anything, simply stick left -> move ship left) and the four buttons to shoot in the four directions. L and R could be used for a bomb and a shield.

 

[woogal]

I like your game a lot at but it would be a lot cooler if it was more like gridwars:
http://gridwars.marune.de/

I understand exactly where you're coming from. I was just thinking how much better Vektar would be if it involved a little frog that hopped over roads...

 

[Dzz]

Thanks for the comments guys, I like them a lot, but they would be a lot cooler if they were more like the onion:
http://www.theonion.com/content/index

:lol:

 

[Dzz]

Version 1.0 of Vektar is released. I have submitted it to archive.gp2x.de and I'm sure it will show up there shortly. Until then you can fetch it from here:

http://www.gp2xgamer.com/Vektar.zip

This release fixes the sound/pause bug and adds configurable controls. Here's what the readme.txt has to say:

This is version 1.0 of the free Vektar game. It has a couple of
very minor bug fixes and one new feature: configurable controls.
To use the configurable controls, you create a file called 'vektar.cfg'
which should reside in the same directory as Vektar.gpe. That
file contains control configuration. Look at the sample .cfg
files provided with this distribution for information on how to
customize the Vektar controls.

This will be the last free version of Vektar. Craig of gp2x.co.uk
has licensed the source code to take Vektar to the next level --
a commercial release. Check out the commercial version of Vektar
on gp2x.co.uk.

Thanks to NeoStuey for the great icon included in this version,
and to all testers and players for suggestions and kind words of
encouragement.

- dzz

 

[sam fisher]

nice

 

[reallynotnick]

Just wondering what are the few bug fixes?

I just noticed today when I tried to play vektar .9 on my tv it had no sound. Is that fixed in this version?

 

[ralp99]

another vote for a GP32 version (I know, no mentions of it, but we can wish can't we)

 

[PSyMastR]

Thanks so much for this final release. The config options can make for some very CRAZY gameplay lol.

 

[vobboomg]

Vektar owns! Keep up the amazing work! It would be pretty amusing if the homebrew efforts on gp2x pushed it into the mainstream.... It really is an amazing piece of kit!

I love the Nintendo DS because of the games, hate the PSP because the games suck so much... GP2X deserves to do well, the homebrew stuff so far kicks ass!

Vobbo

 

[Dzz]

Thanks for all the kind words everybody. I'm betting that Craig is doing great things to Vektar for the future.

My next game (besides the Nethack port) has some proof-of concept code implemented. It will be called 'Rollax' and is inspired from the series of games tracing their ancestry back to the commodore 64 game 'Trailblazer'. There are a few versions of similar games available for Windows, there was an Amstrad CPC version, an Atari 8-bit version, and most recently (the version that got me interested), a version for the Gizmondo that looks exceptionally cool. I don't have any of those systems so I don't know how good the games are, but the concept is pretty simple: you control a ball or other thing that rolls along a 3-D track, avoiding obstacles in an effort to survive and complete the course in as little time as possible.

I'll post a new thread about that when I have something to show.

 

[scorpio]

Version 1.0 of Vektar is released. I have submitted it to archive.gp2x.de and I'm sure it will show up there shortly. Until then you can fetch it from here:

Yay! The configuration for the controls is so flexible I was ending up spending more time playing with that than the game! :lol:

Thanks!

 

[sam fisher]

Thanks for all the kind words everybody. I'm betting that Craig is doing great things to Vektar for the future.

My next game (besides the Nethack port) has some proof-of concept code implemented. It will be called 'Rollax' and is inspired from the series of games tracing their ancestry back to the commodore 64 game 'Trailblazer'. There are a few versions of similar games available for Windows, there was an Amstrad CPC version, an Atari 8-bit version, and most recently (the version that got me interested), a version for the Gizmondo that looks exceptionally cool. I don't have any of those systems so I don't know how good the games are, but the concept is pretty simple: you control a ball or other thing that rolls along a 3-D track, avoiding obstacles in an effort to survive and complete the course in as little time as possible.

I'll post a new thread about that when I have something to show.

I look forward to when thats finished

 

[jbrodack]

Thanks for all the kind words everybody. I'm betting that Craig is doing great things to Vektar for the future.

My next game (besides the Nethack port) has some proof-of concept code implemented. It will be called 'Rollax' and is inspired from the series of games tracing their ancestry back to the commodore 64 game 'Trailblazer'. There are a few versions of similar games available for Windows, there was an Amstrad CPC version, an Atari 8-bit version, and most recently (the version that got me interested), a version for the Gizmondo that looks exceptionally cool. I don't have any of those systems so I don't know how good the games are, but the concept is pretty simple: you control a ball or other thing that rolls along a 3-D track, avoiding obstacles in an effort to survive and complete the course in as little time as possible.

I'll post a new thread about that when I have something to show.

are you aiming to have graphics comparable to the gizmondo version? but that looks to have some really nice 3d graphics from the screenshots i saw. im sure the game will be fun no matter what but that would be really impressive if the graphics were even close to that quality.

 

[deadlychicken22]

I'm betting that Craig is doing great things to Vektar for the future.

Does this mean you aren't developing the commercial version?
(Sorry if this is a stupid question, I haven't been on these forums for awhile . . .)

 

[Dzz]

are you aiming to have graphics comparable to the gizmondo version? but that looks to have some really nice 3d graphics from the screenshots i saw. im sure the game will be fun no matter what but that would be really impressive if the graphics were even close to that quality.

I'm going to try. Without 3D hardware I'll have to cheat so it probably won't look quite as good (plus I'm just some hobbyist playing around vs a company), but I think it should look pretty decent in the long run if I keep improving it.

Does this mean you aren't developing the commercial version?
(Sorry if this is a stupid question, I haven't been on these forums for awhile . . .)

You are correct.

 

[deadlychicken22]

Does this mean you aren't developing the commercial version?
(Sorry if this is a stupid question, I haven't been on these forums for awhile . . .)

You are correct.

Who's developing it? Craig? What benefits do you get? (or is that private info? :unsure: )

I'm asking these questions because I find the $30 price for the game VERY high, but I thought maybe it would be worth it considering the quality of the freeware version (and I assumed the commercial version would be MUCH improved) and that buying it would help you and also help convince other developers to do the same...

 

[jbrodack]

it seems choosing different control sets requires you rename the config file. since it seems which control scheme you use could effect the game quite it would be nice if you could choose which file you want to use in game. any chance of one last patch to make that happen or are you completely 100% done with this?

havent played this version yet since my gp2x is getting the headphone jack fixed but i should have it back soon.

 

[bacteria]

Vektar should have won top place in the competition in my view, not 2nd. I thought that since the results were posted. Bubble Train is a nice twist on its genre (bubble popping games), but Vektar is far more polished and has much more replay value.

 

[Dzz]

it seems choosing different control sets requires you rename the config file. since it seems which control scheme you use could effect the game quite it would be nice if you could choose which file you want to use in game. any chance of one last patch to make that happen or are you completely 100% done with this?

havent played this version yet since my gp2x is getting the headphone jack fixed but i should have it back soon.

That's an interesting thought. The purpose of the feature is to let people reassign the controls if they thought my choices were awkward. The two largest complaints were a difficulty turning without thrust because the diagonals would get hit by accident, and that the B button might not be the best choice for Fire.

For people with the first problem, I have a suggestion: Start with the default.cfg file and remove the "Thrust" lines from the JoyUL, JoyUR, JoyDL, and JoyDR controls. That way the diagonals would not have ANY thrust associated with them which would make it a lot easier to spin in place. The more radical solution of moving thrust to a different button is illustrated in asteroids.cfg.

Oops, sorry for the digression. It seemed to me that once a person was happy with their control setup, they wouldn't ever change it, so selecting it in-game seemed unnecessary.

If Craig is reading this, maybe he will consider it as a feature for the commercial version. As for me, I'm done with Vektar.

Who's developing it? Craig? What benefits do you get? (or is that private info? :unsure: )

Craig is developing it; he may have others helping him, I don't know. I get two benefits: cash (which I am using to continue the gp2x Demo Competition), and pleasure at seeing the game improve and start a new life as a commercial product.

I'm asking these questions because I find the $30 price for the game VERY high, but I thought maybe it would be worth it considering the quality of the freeware version (and I assumed the commercial version would be MUCH improved) and that buying it would help you and also help convince other developers to do the same...

Like most business deals between Trump-like titans such as Craig and I, it's not really appropriate to discuss the details in public (money issues being a private matter, e.g. you don't see many people publically posting their salaries, or even discussing them with non-family members in private). My suggestion is to buy the game if it seems like you'd get your money's worth (same as any other game), and don't think too much about who is getting helped by it. However, Craig is of course a huge contributor to the gp2x scene and I'd say he deserves support for his efforts.