Jerome Vince
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@VTK: Good ideas!. Just a nuance: I would announce that Vectorblade is available by mixing information on different sites at the same time, and not only on Facebook. Not everyone has Facebook and some can follow the development of Vectorblade directly on Chris’ site. It would be unfortunate if they lost a chance this way.
Hi Chris!
Great RC Version!!
Just a little point: The new “Autofire” Bonus does not appear in the intro.
Just a last suggestion for me: what do you think about a special reward when you finish 3 times the Minestorm level with the max speed in the same game? ; we could imagine 3 extra bombs (with a little counter if technically possible). usable against the ennemies in any circumstances, and especially when all seems lost ( allowing to reach a next level -easier sometimes-, or the shop…)
@Chris: i said that my conclusion was “fragile” because i did not test the VecVox a very very long time. I am confident but i need to play a little more to be sure that the VecVox NEVER stops to work in a game ( i think I still have the “rare” and terrible bug in mind !)
Playing Vectorblade (B57 or B57-2 ) using my headphone i noted this: rarely, when there are lot of successive voices their sound level seems to be lower (for a very short time).
Sometimes the voices seem to be “cut” or “distorted”: especially when you finish a level collecting a lot of bonuses (with associated voices), and when the next level is announced immediately after.
IMO this last point seems to be a little more pronouced playing the B57 (v1 or v2) / B40 (better: voices more dissociated / intelligible).
The difference between the B57 and B57 -2 is really small. I would say a little better for the B57. But it can be subjective.
But we have to keep in mind than the voices are very good globally. They bring a nice retro arcade atmosphere to Vectorblade! 👍🏻
If a difference exists between the 2 versions: it is tiny. I would say that the B57 is a little bit better than the B57-2.
@ Chris: I tried the 2 versions, B57 and B57-2. My first conclusion is still fragile, but there is a true difference with the B56. Whatever the version: the problem disappeared! 😉 The new timing paramaters are better for my VecVox.
I played (only) a little more than 200 levels and I have to play more to consolidate my conclusion.
I just hope that this better result for me is not worst with another VecVox.
Just a very little point: the voices (especially when the action is at its max level) can be a little more muffled or suppressed If we compare them with the B40. But it can be subjective a little.
I think we are on the good way!
Hi guys!
Did you test the Atarivox+ with the last beta versions (especially the B56)?
Sorry to insist with that, but after a few levels (25-30) my Atarivox+ seems to switch off. If i unplug it i can play more levels and the problem comes back (and so on) until the end of the game.
So this morning i played an old beta version of Vectorblade (beta 40): No problem at all after more than 250 levels and 3 hours with this version.
Any idea?
Hi Chris,
Happy to hear from you!
I played VB this week and NO CRASH for me!😉.
About the last ship: my suggestion is to offer “something” for the last ship: it can be more bonuses falling from the sky; instead of the classic random bonuses we can imagine bonuses improving the fire power (at least a “two shots” and “more bullets” for instance). The aim is not to make an easier game but to offer the possibility to reverse a problematic situation especially when we loose 2 -or more- lives in the same level.
About my VecVox: i do not know what to think. A .bin test file would be great.
About the “reward”: (just my opinion but) i think it would be nice to open the shop after a death when you are fast enough 3 times in the Minestorm sequence (3 “Falcon Storms” in the same game). It not impossible to do.
And for my cartridge: Yes, I will wait a longer time a new version with more stuff! Thank You!!
Hi Guys,
@Chris: I hope you enjoy your holidays at the Baltic Sea!!
I played VB this week and no crash for me! (Just the sound problem with my Atarivox+, as always).
Just my opinion about the “normal level”, but i think the game is a little bit too hard. I told this in a previous message: Ok for a bigger agressiveness of the ennemies but i am not sure that the attacks from the side are a good idea here. It would be better to activate them in the next level of difficulty (“Hard Mode”).
So i confirm my first idea: i think the difference between the “Easy Mode” and the “Normal Mode” is too big now. A more progressive difficulty would be appreciated by the casual gamer. On the other side a very good gamer will appreciate more the “Hard Mode” if you move a part of the difficulty in the next game mode.
– About the malus: i think (as Helmut said) it is better to come back to the “-S” and “-B”.
– It would be nice to hear a special sound when the last available ship appears.
– aAnother point: playing with the last ship: instead of an armor, other improvements (or nothing), a temporary increase of the bonuses to collect (life / powers etc…) would be great.
– About the “End” sequence with the candle/flame: i love it; it is beautifully made. But i think it can be “weird” in a “futurist game”.
About the save/load possibility:
Really nice improvement! We can imagine the save/load as a basis to offer features in a further game with M.Havoc too.
But just a last question: it is possible to imagine something like a “continue”? For instance if the score is over 1 000 000 (and every 1 000 000): after the last ship, instead of the “game over” sequence we could imagine to come back to the shop with $2000. It would offer the possibility to write a new chapter of the adventure.
Why not? They are just suggestions… But i know that they decrease (a little) the whole difficulty of the game.
Cheers
Jerome
@Chris:
Many thanks for your explanations about the weighting coefficients and your best strategic approach for the highest difficulty. Very useful and instructive! 😉
@ Chris,
Hi Chris!,
I played a little more than 200 levels with the last VB on my VF. Not enough to conclude something, but no crash!
Nevertheless there is always this problem with the Vecvoice: without any reason (or a long pause maybe) the device stops after a moment. It is very frequent (2 ou 3 times in a game).
if not, i have a lot of suggestions playing the last version.
– Instead of the silence playing the “Diamond Storm” sequence, some sounds would be appreciated (especially reaching the biggest diamond)
– The ships: if you can display the number of ships it would be nice
– the difficulty:
i prefer the previous settings: it was more “progressive” between the easy mode and the normal mode: i think the ennemies can be very agressive now without any possibilities to avoid a collision sometimes. I would wait the hard mode to introduce their new behavior.
Another frustrating point (it is just my opinion! 😉): loosing a life the ammo level decreases. I would modify the limit; because there are situations when you became an observer of your “programmed end”. When you reach an high level it can be difficult (and long) to beat the ennemies with 1 shot. If you loose a life your rate decreases. A true nightmare. I would suggest this: if you loose 3 lives in a level you automatically get a shield. Another possibility: if you loose a ship with only 1 shot and if you reach your last life: your rate of fire does not decrease and you get a shield.
The bosses:
The idea to increase the level of difficulty (normal mode and over) is good; but they are still easy to beat in comparison with the bigger difficulty of the game.
The shop:
the prices to purchase the “Power” and the “Lock” are very high now. Too much?? Because there is always a good reason to loose money or to use it with a better result.
A similar thing for the laser beam: The price of the laser is high. I think “too much”. So i never purchase a laser for $5000: there is always something better to do.
Is it possible to modify the price of the items between the levels (easy; normal; hard ect…)?
“Greedy” : could you confirm we get it immediately after all the speed/bullets/ rate reach their max levels?
But I have to play more to confirm some of my notes / observations / suggestions
Cheers
Jerome
All is said,
Chris, Thank you very much for this new beta release full of good things and improvements. Thank you for the VF version too!
I can’t wait to see it running on my Vectrex.
I hope you will enjoy your time at the Baltic Sea. You deserve it so much after all the efforts and the time you spent to offer us this beautiful gift before your holidays! 😉
Nice ideas! 😊
About the explosion of the ship: i think that just the explosion (without a zoom) is perfect. Then you can directly compose the words “Game Over” with the points
