Downloadable Vectorblade versions

[hcmffm]

Just come from playing the latest test version of Vectorblade. Shooting around with full shot rate and two scoopies is good fun and speeds up level clearing significantly. 🙂

done:
No full intro after calibration
-> this was a bug, it should show the title screen!

Hmm, from what I can see this bug isn’t fixed, yet. After calibration the main menu is shown – the Vectorblade logo with the fighter is still missing. Could you please check, Chris?

done:
Boss announcements: Intensity
-> 3f instead of 5f (BOSS 4 stayed the same!)

From my point of view this looks good – thank you! Spaceship and the animated “flame” of the spaceship could also vary in intensity, a bright “flame” might look cool. (We testers never run out of new ideas and requests… 😉 )

[Jerome Vince]

Hi,

Many thanks for the last RC2! 👍🏻

@Chris / about your last questions:

“Boss anncouncements: Some stars? “: it’s worth a try. It can be nice!

About the “EXTRA: Remove letters”: it is an interesting idea. But it can change the balance of the game at the last moment. IMHO it can be more a source of frustration than an improvement.

Just a little bug for me with the bullets level (shop).  I send you a picture.

Now i know that time is counted (and the bytes too!), but about “the candle” after the last life: can we envisage a short music during this sequence (or/and few words with the VecVox)?

[hcmffm]

One more suggestion:

Game over: Slower Score calculation
At the end of the game the score is calculated. The speed of the calculation has been reduced, already, but it’s still very difficult to see what is calculated.
Suggestion: I think after half an hour of playing it’s o.k. to see one’s score calculated for some seconds. It’s like the farmer who brings in the harvest that he has sown in spring. Make score calculation even slower. Perhaps wait a short time inbetween various calculation factors (rate, secrets, …).

[Peer]

Thanks a lot for adding the booze money 🙂 That is fun!

Also LOVE the scifi references/citations! If you want someone to check all of them for spelling mistakes etc. then please send me the ascii source code and I wil gladly go through them 🙂

[Malban]

@Jerome:
I got no picture yet…

[Jerome Vince]

Done 😌

[Jerome Vince]

@Chris:

Just a precision: the “Bullets level” bug appeared with the RC2 (VF version). No prob with the RC1 VF.

[Malban]

@Jerome:
I think this is just due to the fact, that I manipulated the bullet speed manually for this version.

Lets watch this with the next RC.

[hcmffm]

The joystick and the buttons face downwards, so you have to push upwards for firing, but joystick to the “now left”/”now right” results in “ship left”/”right” without any confusion. I wouldn’t mind if this strategy “pays” off

A late reply: My idea was to rotate the joystick 180 degrees but rotating isn’t that easy due to the cable and buttons would be on the left side, then. Flipping the controller is a cool idea – I’ll try this out occassionally. 300 bucks for flipping the controller might be a good deal. 😉

[Malban]

I really like the “fast” gameplay of this RC version. I know sooner or later a player will arrive to something similar (thru achievments).

But I started implementing a “TIME TRIAL” (*cough* original Warblade had that too).

That would be a new game mode, that would last 3 minutes, have an own high score – and would start with “quite a few things” enabled.

I stopped implementing it, because it got complicated after a short while.
But If I sat down with intend and some time, I could probably do it.

What do you think should I try to implement that further – or just “keep” still and get on with the last cleanups (instead of implementing new bugs)?

[hcmffm]

…
What do you think should I try to implement that further – or just “keep” still and get on with the last cleanups (instead of implementing new bugs)?

Took me a short while to understand what you mean. I think you shouldn’t implement a TIME TRIAL and do last clean-ups instead. From reading other testers’ opinions Vectorblade is now balanced well. And it’s fun to play. The TIME TRIALs would open another full chapter and I can’t see any good reason for it. Already, Vector Blade has a really complex game play and offers a lot – both for beginners and for marathon players. Fine-tuning and minor gimmicks and changes like the money for the drunken playing is o.k. but I wouldn’t add more major stuff.

How many times have you seen the diamond storm?
Not sure how many hours of testing I’ve spent in the past but during all that time I experienced the diamond storm only once. It’s good to have something really special in the game. I’m not a hard core player but I wonder whether this is perhaps too special and too rare. I’d be nosey to read other people’s experience and opinion regarding the diamond storm.

[Malban]

Another question, for evaluation…

I just ordered the last pieces I need for actually shipping Vectorblades. This got me thinking of costs again.
(They will be delivered soonest mid August…)

The Blog-post I did some time ago, where I sum up the costs is not totally correct anymore, it got more expensive again.
That coupled with (hopefully) a demand, that all 100 blades will be sold…

What about this…

a) some process, like you described above (random IF needed)
b) I reserve a couple of “fixed” sales (for people I would like to have a vectorblade, but not on random terms)
c) price will be 100€
d) I will do a DIY page

Point C
– I know that is expensive, but the pure material costs exceed 60€ by now!
– (not proud to admit… but I could actually need some pocket money)
– that will include shipping to anywhere in the world (this also saves me sorting out all different shipping costs!)
(and depending on the place one lives in, that nearly covers the full range between 60 and 100 euro)
– that “equalizes” all countries/places

Point D
– I will post a link to my PCB design to download,
– or for everyone to order directly (a couple of bugs from china).
– I will post a BOM (only 3 pieces!), and do a little video how to solder
– also box, manual, overlay art etc will be downloadable
– source code and binary will be downloadable

I would guess, one “workable” vectorblade cartridge (without box, overlay etc) … can be made for less than 10 €
(if you make 5, that is the least number of PCBs you can order).
So for everyone that finds (rightfully) 100€ to much – just has to invest a little time, and can build his own (even personalized) version.

—

And Before you get afraid of spending 100€:
– Peer
– VTK
– Helmut
– Jerome
– Nic
– George

You of course you will get 1 Vectorblade for free!

Thoughts?

Also for our German people:

Hat jemand von Euch Ahnung, ob das “legal” ist, wenn ich 100 Stück verkaufe?
Muss ich das versteuern? Gibt es rechtliche Randbedingungen?
(Ich habe tatsächlich so einen Verkauf vorher noch nie geamcht.)

Thx

 

Chris

 

[Malban]

Diamond storm.

I played A LOT! I guess I have seen it less than 5 times in the “wild”.

The chance that a Mine storm is actually a Dimaond storm is about 1:50.

 

[hcmffm]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on shipping and costs, Chris. I think 60 EUR + shipment costs is fine. But I’m not sure whether the general shipping costs are o.k.: Shipping within Germany will be around 5 EUR while shipping to the U.S. is 53 EUR due to Corona. From my point of view the span for the shipment costs is too large to have just one price for all. And many buyers are located in the U.S., so with 60 EUR material costs + 53 EUR shipping costs you will loose 13 EUR per game. Not a good deal. Last not least, 100 EUR sounds expensive while 60 EUR + shipment costs sounds fair.

EDIT: Actually, what you could try is shipping from the Netherlands. From what I can see on the webpage of post.nl international postage to the U.S. is 23 EUR, “only”, for a parcel up to 2kg. But not sure whether that would be 100% legal.

And Before you get afraid of spending 100€:

Great, thank you, Chris! It was a pleasure for me to do the testing so no real need to give me a copy for free. But naturally it’s nice and much appreciated.

Hat jemand von Euch Ahnung, ob das “legal” ist, wenn ich 100 Stück verkaufe?

Ich habe dir per Mail geantwortet. “Kleinunternehmer” ist glaube ich das Mittel der Wahl.

Best regards, Helmut

 

 

[hcmffm]

The chance that a Mine storm is actually a Dimaond storm is about 1:50.

Ouch! I try to avoid the Minestorm bonus because I considered that it’s a malus. That’s probably why I have seen the Diamond storm only once.

[Author]

Posts