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Thread: [Pimp] cronusX

  1. #1
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    [Pimp] cronusX

    Yep, I've turned into a total whore and I'm just using this forum for pimping. At least I'm being upfront about it.


    cronusX is our recent release which has been on Candystand for a while, but now we've launched the viral play-where-ever-you-want version, and so with that I think it deserves a cheeky pimp ( Also this is enhanced over the version on Candystand in that we're allowed to link to outside url's, which means FlashJoystick support, twitter etc. )

    Rather than go into too much depth about it's development here, I'm going to be lazy boy and link you to the blog posts about it, which cover most of the ins and outs of how it came into being.

    As always please feel free to ask any questions.

    Enjoy the destruction.

    Squize.

  2. #2
    Pumpkin Carving 2008 ImprisonedPride's Avatar
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    Eh. So this is what all the fuss was about months, that's right, MONTHS ago. Bad clients, or stretched too thin as always? I loved the game though. I had to run it on the lower quality because at this point my pc is just too outdate. It's kind of sad admitting that my pc no longer has capability to play flash games... back on topic...

    The music started driving me crazy around level 5. I wanted to listen to SOMETHING while I play, but it seemed like a very short loop. Maybe more variety?

    I fail to understand why the plasma's upgrades go from 1->5->1. Was this intended? There's absolutely no reason to max it out because it's final form is completely worthless past level 10.

    Also, and this probably disappointed me most of all, why isn't that background moving!? I understand it's probably hardware issues; my version was slowing down at level 14 when I was spamming 5-way plasma. I just would love the feeling of floating around the planet in orbit or something.

    I played the GWY version from the first link and I've got to be honest: as much as mochi-ads annoy the ever-living hell out of me, if it weren't a GYW production, I would have closed it before I even got to the game. First a 15(?) second mochi-ad, then a 7 second candystand ad, then the GYW logo? You guys are really startin' to whore out the adspace... :P

    I should probably say something good about the game though. I don't believe it requires saying how well you guys polish a game. It's very refreshing to see something I actually want to play again, and finished playing the first time I tried it out. That damn "Elements. Fantasy Card Game" thread has been up so long I was beginning to believe I was staring at a cached version of FK this whole time. Your special effects and overall "lipstick on the pig" just make playing the game feel like a big warm hug with guns. As per the norm: bravo, and keep up the good work. (I doubt you've secured your retirement, grandpa.)
    The 'Boose':
    ASUS Sabertooth P67 TUF
    Intel Core i7-2600K Quad-Core Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz Overclocked to 4.2GHz
    8GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 DDR3
    ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 1GDDR5 (Overclocked to 1.1GHz)
    New addition: OCZ Vertex 240GB SATA III SSD
    WEI Score: 7.6

  3. #3
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    "So this is what all the fuss was about months, that's right, MONTHS ago."

    It just takes so long to get anything done these days. Client work gets priority over personal projects, then we lost a bit of time sorting out the server side stats, then the bidding process took about 4 weeks, then another week or so to sort out the Candystand version, then part of the deal with them was that there was a 3 week delay before the viral could be released, which has slipped into nearer 5 weeks now I think due to me moving house and adding more features to it.

    It is just painful getting a game out the door these days.

    "I wanted to listen to SOMETHING while I play, but it seemed like a very short loop."

    It's a love it or hate thing I'm afraid.
    I think all my future games are going to be for FP10, so I can use a mod player, which means we can get a good 5 minute track in a couple of hundred k.
    As it was the music and title screen flv took a lot of file size, and as they are just in effect gloss we didn't want to bloat it up any more.

    "I fail to understand why the plasma's upgrades go from 1->5->1"

    I don't understand that either, unless it's a bug.

    "Also, and this probably disappointed me most of all, why isn't that background moving!?"

    I think around the time of build 3 I had a moving planet and starfield, but it just took far too much cpu time.
    Papervision just isn't quick enough yet to do something like that, so I opted for a static background where I could use bump mapping and drop a second planet in there etc.

    "First a 15(?) second mochi-ad, then a 7 second candystand ad, then the GYW logo?"

    The ad should run for as long as it takes the game to load, so it makes no odds. The CS bumper isn't ideal I've got to be honest, it does take a while.
    We weren't allowed a preloader GYW logo on the CS site, so we put it in this one as you've got to fly your own flag a little.
    It's not great I know, it doesn't help that with mochi versioning / encryption it's over 4 meg now.

    "That damn "Elements. Fantasy Card Game" thread has been up so long I was beginning to believe I was staring at a cached version of FK this whole time."



    I was going to title this thread "Elements II. Fantasy Card Game", but thought better of it.

    "lipstick on the pig"

    , that's our thing. We have no talent beyond that. Take a simple game then give it enough love that people don't realise it's a simple game

    Thanks for the always extensive feedback mate. We're really looking at how this performs in the wild as we need a hit game before we die.

    Squize.

  4. #4
    Style Through Simplicity alillm's Avatar
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    You already know what I think mate so I will keep this short, but just wanted to say that everyone should give this a go. It's a great asteroids upgrade and kept me playing for a long time!

    Great job

    Ali

  5. #5
    Pumpkin Carving 2008 ImprisonedPride's Avatar
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    Another thing I forgot to mention/ask is whether or not the gyw version is connected to any other highscore servers? I didn't do that great, but I didn't see anyone else's score either.
    The 'Boose':
    ASUS Sabertooth P67 TUF
    Intel Core i7-2600K Quad-Core Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz Overclocked to 4.2GHz
    8GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 DDR3
    ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 1GDDR5 (Overclocked to 1.1GHz)
    New addition: OCZ Vertex 240GB SATA III SSD
    WEI Score: 7.6

  6. #6
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Cheers Ali, you're pimping me up a treat today

    IP, it's our own hosted script, so it's no where near as full as the one over at Candystand where people have been playing it for 4 weeks or so now.
    I think the high score is 14 million or something insane like that. He either cheated, or he's the best asteroids player ever. Ever.

    Squize.

  7. #7
    Pumpkin Carving 2008 ImprisonedPride's Avatar
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    Yep. That definitely dwarfs my 2.2 million. Now I don't really want to play again cuz I put an arse-load of effort into that score (though that plasma 1->5->1 thing got me killed more than once...).
    The 'Boose':
    ASUS Sabertooth P67 TUF
    Intel Core i7-2600K Quad-Core Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz Overclocked to 4.2GHz
    8GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 DDR3
    ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 1GDDR5 (Overclocked to 1.1GHz)
    New addition: OCZ Vertex 240GB SATA III SSD
    WEI Score: 7.6

  8. #8
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    Cool game. The first time I played I was unable to finish the 2nd level. I had killed everything but the level bar wasn't full and nothing spawned. Second time thru was fine.. not sure if it was related to the fact that it was my first time thru and getting the tutorial pop ups or not.

  9. #9
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback mate.

    Sometimes an asteroid can go in a straight path, ie horizontally or vertically, and if that happens when they're just off screen then it seems like it's hung ( But it hasn't, just sloppy coding on my behalf ).
    Shooting all around the screen normally gets 'em.

    Squize.

  10. #10
    ********* mentuat's Avatar
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    really liked this, super slick, fast paced and great edge-of-ya seat no-nonsense fun!

    only minor point - woulda liked to have seen more frequent pick-ups ala stardust on the amiga, the risk/reward of ducking and diving to pick up a coin is a nice flip side to just keeping out of everythings way and shooting

    doesn't detract from a great fun game tho!

  11. #11
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Hey, look at my game bringing out the big guns

    ( Pity we couldn't have hooked up for a beer before I left London. )

    Yeah getting the power-up balance is always tricky. I wanted to make stardust, but within a time limit, so I couldn't go over the top with baddie types ( For example a couple of bosses would have gone in there a treat ) so I had to hold back on the power-ups to not skew the difficulty curve too much.

    It's always hard to nail the balance, the best I can hope for is that I get it slightly better every time.

    Cheers mate, glad you liked it.

    Squize.

  12. #12
    President PhobiK's Avatar
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    I played it at NG today (rated 5 and faved :P) and I wanted to tell you it's an awesome game! Most of the times it's difficult for a game to inmerse me into the gameplay and keep me going for more than some minutes, but yours hooked me up for a good time.

    It is smooth and fast. I like the way of improving weapons (though I didn't quite liked the green one because it stopped for some time after 4 shots and didn't have a large range). The graphics are awesome aswell. Totally a top work man! Congrats on it.
    This is MC. His _parents sent him to stop() by the super market to buy some _root beer if he wanted to gotoAndPlay() with his friends at the park later.

    This is my Blog!... The gaming Process
    Please check out my site: Giddel Creations

  13. #13
    Zombie Coder EvilKris's Avatar
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    Excellent finishing touches.
    Loved the way the 'Flockers' (did I say that right?) appear. Overall felt the game had a beautifully smooth and crafted feel to it, just like an old arcade game. Very little criticism to give, save that like IP I hated the music, I even think it actually detracts from the game a little. If you need some good musicians on your team next time give me a bell, I know some amazing guys.

    Also don't appreciate that annoying CandyStand.com intro. lol.

  14. #14
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Cheers guys

    Thanks for the 5 PhobiK, we're really pleased with how well it's been received on NG, we've had some great reviews ( Only 1 zero, which is rare for us ), and finished as the 4th game of the day ( 7th overall ).
    Seeing how we carry no fan boy weight there at all that's good enough for us.

    The pulse weapon is weighted, like all of them. It's as powerful as you like, so rather than just upgrading it in a smooth line as such, we reduce the range and increase the reload time. Without that it would just be too powerful and there would be no reason to swap power-ups.
    We like to give a little, take a little. It's a way of keeping the balance and stops the game turning into a grind once you've maxed out your weapons.

    Kris, it was only yesterday that I realised what Flockers sounded like, which is amazingly slow for me 'cause I'm not known for having the cleanest mouth in the world.
    The music is a 50/50 split, it's a total love or hate thing. As I said elsewhere yesterday ( To someone who loved it funnily enough ) it adds a filmic feel to the game.

    Any of your musician mates old enough to know how to use protracker ? We're looking to use mods from now on instead of mp3's ( Unless we go the classical route again ). I know one guy who used to use them back in the day, but the more the merrier.

    Yeah the CS stinger... sometimes you have to compromise your vision a little

    Squize.

  15. #15
    ********* mentuat's Avatar
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    ( Pity we couldn't have hooked up for a beer before I left London. )
    wait what, you moved out of london??

    I thought it was just wasteland and shrubbery out there, do you do some kind of farming now?

  16. #16
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    I'm out toiling in the fields every day, then after bringing some water in from the well I sit down to code games about arable farming until the electric goes off at 7.

    Squize.

  17. #17
    Senior Member The Helmsman's Avatar
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    Perfect game! I really enjoyed playing several levels. Awesome visual effects, especially explosions and projectiles! Good job.

  18. #18
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Thanks a lot mate

    I've just posted it to Kong, and after the pointless first comment there coming here and reading your good words more than compensates for it.

    Squize.

  19. #19
    Senior Member Sietjp's Avatar
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    I love the presentation. Those deformed texts are superb (text rendered to bitmap >> deformed bitmap ?). And the blue/red interference effect is superb too (maybe a nice blog post for this effect?).
    The only problem with the game IMO is the gameplay that is not enough original and unique, which is an important quality for a flash game.

  20. #20
    Hype over content... Squize's Avatar
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    Cheers mate. Yeah the text was just warped in the paint package rather than being done real time / via Flash.
    It actually bit me on the arse as I needed to make copy changes for the Candystand release which made it a lot more work than it should have been.

    Good idea about giving the code away for the transition, there's nothing too clever about it, and it does work well, so I'll try and post something up in the next week or so.

    As to the gameplay itself, it doesn't try to be anything it's not really. It makes it quite shallow, no one is going to play for hours.
    I always wanted it to be a quick pick up and play blast ( I'm a big fan of R-Type, where you can just lose 30 mins or so with it without having to think. That's what I was after with this, switch your brain off and just have some fun ) and I think in that regard we've done a pretty good job.

    Thanks again for taking the time to reply here mate.

    Just one last cheeky pimp whilst I'm here, we've taken over the Freelance Flash Games blog for a week to help pimp the game, and we're really pleased with how it looks, so check it out when you've got a sec.

    Cheers,

    Squize.

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