Freeware Game (Shadow Armada)

[colin4444]

http://lamegame.mindplague.com/ShadowArmada.htm

This is a game one of my friends and I made. He programmed it and I did the graphics and whatever music there is. It is very much still in development, and the AI is very poor at this point in time. But it's fun to play with friends once you get the hang of it. Check it out. It'll be updated pretty constantly.

It is a turn-based game where you command a squad of ships and fight other ships. Right now there is a default mode where you just kill off the other teams to win, and there's a mode called "Capture the Pod." It's like capture the flag, except with pods . And in that mode, your ships respawn.

In the future, we plan on adding a game mode with more RPG-type elements so you get experience for kills and can get skills for your squad. Also, in this mode you would gain money and could spend it on new ships (once your ships died you would have to replace them) and also on missiles and such.

So, like I said, try it out. It'll be better in the future as we update. :cheers:

 

[colin4444]

It's free, it's fun . . . it's waiting for you. I would also like some feedback.

 

[Neo_Kuja]

A good little game, but the nebulas in the background get a little annoying after a while ....

 

[colin4444]

I could swear the nebulas got taken out of the background . . . my friend put those in and I thought they looked silly, so I was going to make less annoying background decals, so he took them out.

 

[theGreenBunny]

Just played it. First thing I'd like to say is it could really use a helpfile kind of thing explaining all parts of the interface. Perhaps a tutorial.

It looks quite nice, and I like the movement system and the phase based combat. It's not really turn based because everyone moves at the same time, and each ship gets its turn at the same time.

What I don't like is the time limit on the turns. It takes out a bunch of strategy and adds a bunch of clickfesting. I'd like infinite time to decide what my moves will be and a button or something that starts the movement phase. Making the right moves and shots with three ships at a time in what? 30 seconds? is too hectic for my taste. Things went a lot better when two of my ships were killed, and I had plenty of time to manage the one survivor.

It's a nice game though.

 

[Raxxman]

This game really really really really reminds me of an old game I played about 7 years back. Very very similar interface. I like it, and have been looking for that game for a while (I Picked it up at like shareware.com or somesuch)

 

[colin4444]

Just played it. First thing I'd like to say is it could really use a helpfile kind of thing explaining all parts of the interface. Perhaps a tutorial.

It looks quite nice, and I like the movement system and the phase based combat. It's not really turn based because everyone moves at the same time, and each ship gets its turn at the same time.

What I don't like is the time limit on the turns. It takes out a bunch of strategy and adds a bunch of clickfesting. I'd like infinite time to decide what my moves will be and a button or something that starts the movement phase. Making the right moves and shots with three ships at a time in what? 30 seconds? is too hectic for my taste. Things went a lot better when two of my ships were killed, and I had plenty of time to manage the one survivor.

It's a nice game though.

Yeah, I realize it's kind of difficult to pick up without a readme or tutorial. I'm pretty sure we'll make one soon. Sorry about that. There are some little things that are hard to figure out on your own (the targeting system and delaying your shots).

Yeah, not really turn based, I wasn't sure what to call it.

Well, I can see how you might want the time limit to be longer, but an infinite time limit would be too much. If you want to start the movement phase faster, you click the "Advance" button above your ship display. In games with other people, we found that if your time limit was too long, it could get very annoying and boring. So, we cut it down to its current length so it was just long enough for us to make all our decisions according to the amount of ships. We might increase it again. But in games like Capture the Pod, the time limit needs to be low so that it doesn't take hours to play.

This game really really really really reminds me of an old game I played about 7 years back. Very very similar interface. I like it, and have been looking for that game for a while (I Picked it up at like shareware.com or somesuch)

You're probably thinking of a game called Critical Mass. That's where we got the basic idea for this game. We enjoyed that game so much that we wanted to make an improved version so we could play against each other without having to pay . We're constantly bringing more and more original ideas into the game (and by original, I mean ideas that aren't in Critical Mass).

Oh, and thank you for your advice, Green Bunny, it really is appreciated.

 

[Raxxman]

Yeah, not really turn based, I wasn't sure what to call it.

Okay this is the same style that Laser Squad Nemesis uses. They say

The game uses a unique and innovative, turn-based combat system, with the fine control of turn-based games and the exciting action of real-time strategy games.

For me I'd still call this turn based because you don't control the ships real time.

I think the best definition would be ‘Simultaneous round/turn based’ as you are both playing your rounds at the same time.

You're probably thinking of a game called Critical Mass. That's where we got the basic idea for this game. We enjoyed that game so much that we wanted to make an improved version so we could play against each other without having to pay . We're constantly bringing more and more original ideas into the game (and by original, I mean ideas that aren't in Critical Mass).

Well you made me 2 hours late to work, so keep up the good work

Oh and documentation is a must. If I hadn't played Critical mass (Cheers for reminding me of the game) I'd of been totally lost.

edit:

Oh and about the time limit. I agree its too short. Try adding about 10 seconds per ship, or better yet make it user defined. I don't mind waiting for people, I can hurl abuse at them

 

[shadowman131]

A good little game, but the nebulas in the background get a little annoying after a while ....

..By nebulas you mean the little white dots or the asteroids? Because all the colored nebulas should be removed.. :|

 

[colin4444]

Shadowman131 is the programmer, by the way . . .