3 APRIL 2021:
-- Thanks to my excellent debug system, I fixed a bug where the game would crash if left idle for a few minutes -- a background function would keep trying to shrink down a graphic that was already reduced to its smallest size.
-- I've designed the code so that only ON-SCREEN objects check for collisions.
Hit detection can be VERY "expensive" in a shmup. Some bullet-hell games (like Dodonpachi Daioujou) are made so that hits are only calculated on every other game loop. In all previous versions of Scrapship, I was checking for collisions whether the object was on-screen or not.
-- Just started to code this out, but Difficulty is now determined by how often the enemy spawns, not by the number of ships. The previous "Wave" system I used for Difficulty definitely worked . . . but it was also nightmarishly complicated and some lines of code had to be written in very specific places.
If it works as I intend, the player will be able to change Difficulty mid-game -- something that could not have been done in previous versions.
-- The spawn-code for the Fighter enemy has been added back in.
Thanks for reading and have a good Easter weekend!