Last Update: Version 3 of my prototype is now playable !
Here is the link to play it : https://triganov.itch.io/thunder-force-heaven
What's new in this update ?
Translation
The first thing I updated in my game was the translation. All the text was originally in French. But the rule is: if anyone in the world might be interested in the Thunder Force story I want to tell, I need to translate my scenario into the most widely spoken language.
Texts are now translated in english
Diagonal Collision
After that, I was stuck on a very tricky issue: diagonal collisions. Of course, I asked ChatGPT for guidance, but every time I tried to implement it, I got discouraged by the math involved (vector projections). During my vacation, however, I had a 4-hour jet lag (in the wrong direction). One night, I finally decided to sit down and study vectors. It was 4 a.m. when I finally got it working. Lord... it’s no big deal in hindsight, but I was so proud of myself!
Diagonal collisions are now handled
Improve Level Design and Ennemy pattern
Third, the time had come to improve the level design for the 3 existing levels. Sure, I still need help from a level designer, but now the execution of the levels is decent. Each level now features at least 4 different enemies (not counting the boss)
If this scene, 3 ennemies with very specific fire and movement patterns
If you take a look at the screenshot above for example. You will find :
-Two tanks. Theses tanks go simply from left to right or right to left but the fire pattern is quite interesting : I added a raycasting mechanic that allows tanks to fire only when the player’s ship crosses the red line.
-Two Spaceship. For the enemy ships in the upper left corner of the screen, they initially move from left to right or right to left, but they also try to get as close to the player's height as possible. In the second phase, they perform a small up-and-down maneuver during which they fire multiple missiles. After that, they accelerate and exit the screen.
-Many spikes. Finally, there’s an enemy I call the TechnoLizard. In the screenshot, it has just exploded (you can see the spikes in the bottom right scattering in all directions). The TechnoLizard is dropped by ships that speed across the upper part of the playable area. Once deployed, it moves along the ground, trying to get as close to the player as possible on the X-axis. Then, it explodes, releasing a barrage of spikes.
Dangerous Events
Finally, saving the best for last—I’ve added event-based elements to the levels. At certain points during the game, a visible event in the background can occur (for example, a volcano erupting or, as you can see in the screenshot below, a missile being launched from the enemy’s base).
They are very tiny, but there are 3 missiles launched in the background in the sky
When an event like this happens, the UI displays messages and plays a “DANGER, DANGER” alert sound to warn that a threat is coming from above. I think it’s pretty cool because it encourages the player to pay more attention to what’s happening in the background.
And for the next Update ?
For the next update, I don’t want to add the 4th level just yet. There are several things I need to do first:
- Add cutscenes for Level 2
- Create a mini-level for both Levels 1 and 2 (necessary for the story progression)
- Design the boss for Level 3
- Add cutscenes for Level 3