My problem with scrolling shooters. Anyone agree?
by John Colgrove · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 02/17/2012 (12:32 pm) · 7 replies
I want to create a 2D scrolling shooter for a second game but I'm getting the feeling like they're overdone. Does anyone else feel the same way?
Basically my problem is the the concept. Ultimately moving around shooting and gathering power-up. Every now and then I see a storyline but it usually doesn't amount to much. Seeing the same thing for 20 games gets old.
I want to make one but I'm not going to if it'll be a wasted effort, profit wise. Does anyone here agree?
I'm going to change pace a little bit here. I'm curious if anyone has an idea to make a 2D scrolling shooter unique or abstract. I'll share my idea.
Your ship is completely organic and it evolves based off what power-ups you pick. So that means you can't pick up everything in site. You have to watch what power-ups you pick it because it could lead to a weak ship. I figured it adds I sense of tactics to the game.
Basically my problem is the the concept. Ultimately moving around shooting and gathering power-up. Every now and then I see a storyline but it usually doesn't amount to much. Seeing the same thing for 20 games gets old.
I want to make one but I'm not going to if it'll be a wasted effort, profit wise. Does anyone here agree?
I'm going to change pace a little bit here. I'm curious if anyone has an idea to make a 2D scrolling shooter unique or abstract. I'll share my idea.
Your ship is completely organic and it evolves based off what power-ups you pick. So that means you can't pick up everything in site. You have to watch what power-ups you pick it because it could lead to a weak ship. I figured it adds I sense of tactics to the game.
#2
Deluxe Galaga on the Amiga also had not-so-beneficial drops from enemies, and a few situational weapons. You only had one weapon at a time, of course. Ikaruga also has an interesting core mechanic.
02/17/2012 (1:01 pm)
I can think of a few three shooters along those lines, most recently Spore's first phase. You grow by absorbing things, making previous dangers harmless. Osmos is like that, without the shooting. I like variations on this and would love to have time to make one for iOS :)Deluxe Galaga on the Amiga also had not-so-beneficial drops from enemies, and a few situational weapons. You only had one weapon at a time, of course. Ikaruga also has an interesting core mechanic.
#3
@Ronny I checked out Ikaruga just now and it does have an interesting core mechanic.
02/17/2012 (1:19 pm)
@Derek I can see your point. I thought of that also. I thought of a few alternatives to the power-up thing, but you're right it isn't strong enough on its own.@Ronny I checked out Ikaruga just now and it does have an interesting core mechanic.
#4
This isn't a traditional scrolling shooter as such, but I liked to concept of re-configuring your ship on the fly and trying to destroy only the core parts of your enemy ships (so you can salvage the 'good bits').
02/24/2012 (12:06 pm)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_foreverThis isn't a traditional scrolling shooter as such, but I liked to concept of re-configuring your ship on the fly and trying to destroy only the core parts of your enemy ships (so you can salvage the 'good bits').
#5
02/24/2012 (12:35 pm)
Bullet Hell games are pretty big now. Its basically lots of stuff on the screen that you have to dodge. Your ship's collision is only one pixel so its a little easier to maneuver and not get hit. Check out Ikaruga, it had a really cool concept and you can get an idea of what bullet hell is.
#6
02/25/2012 (10:35 pm)
I don't think this thread has expressed enough love for Ikaruga. Why the snubbing? 
#7
I do like the idea of actually having power-ups that don't just power you up, but I reckon the key would to make it simple to grasp, and simple to identify, at a glance, what a certain power-up will do to you. The worst thing would be to be surprised that a power-up was not beneficial - the point is to get the player to actually choose the effect they want.
I think one of the things that attracts a lot of people to this sort of game is the flow - just being able to act on reflex and 'get in the zone' (to borrow a terrible phrase). If you could work such an evolutionary system into that stream-of-consciousness style of gaming it'd be very cool.
02/26/2012 (4:01 pm)
I recently really enjoyed Jamestown - but you're right, once I'd gotten over the game being set on British Colonial Mars, the story had very little charm. I'm not a huge top-down shooter fan, so I can't compare its gameplay to anything (certainly nothing much more recent than Raptor: Call of the Shadows... great game), but it does seem to be very similar to others I've seen.I do like the idea of actually having power-ups that don't just power you up, but I reckon the key would to make it simple to grasp, and simple to identify, at a glance, what a certain power-up will do to you. The worst thing would be to be surprised that a power-up was not beneficial - the point is to get the player to actually choose the effect they want.
I think one of the things that attracts a lot of people to this sort of game is the flow - just being able to act on reflex and 'get in the zone' (to borrow a terrible phrase). If you could work such an evolutionary system into that stream-of-consciousness style of gaming it'd be very cool.
Associate Derek Bronson
GarageGames
Profit wise it is a possibility you are barking up the wrong tree. Personally I would avoid mobile with this type of title and try to find some indie sort of cool game mechanic/look to the game. Your idea isn't bad but I feel like a) it isn't strong enough on its own to make me feel the game is unique and deserving of my dollars b) is hard to explain to the user the various different interactions. You have to remember that gamers of this genre have been trained to think power ups are a good thing and it can be fairly difficult to educate them on why when they combined three powerups it actually resulted in a lower quality ship.