Kenneth,
Grats on making your first game!
Critics,
Be nice, all of our first games ran using the template scripts, and was probably simply a little box with a light in it, and we were so proud that we made it. As far as critism goes, if you can't offer good advice for fixing things, keep your mouths shut and your hands off your keyboards.
Kenneth,
Your game looks interesting i'll give you that, however you need to do something about those requirements, and that is what i'm going to help you with.
1. Textures take up alot of video memory, try to keep your images Square. Reduce Image size, Resolution and color bit depth when possible. Don't use too many transparant images, the engine runs checks and removes the keyed color (black) from the images, this takes processing time.
2. Don't have an extremely large number of Active enities(entities that are constantly executing script code), this inludes enemies and anything that contstanly execute large amounds of code. this will decrease processor strain. Also the less of these objects used, the less that needs drawn to the monitor.
3. Reuse your textures as often as possible, use "base" textures for most of your world, then you can add some details with sprites, decals, etc. Reusing textures saves video memory as the objects using the texture simply refer to one memory address. if need be, during your pre-release optimization stage, you can strip down your levels of unecessary textures and use one of your "bases" instead.
4. be VERY careful when building geometry, Intersecting Blocks produce splits in the geometry, try to keep objects close enough that they arent touching, but is unnoticable, use the Precision Flag when building. Splits in geometry causes more visibility calculations to be done, the results of these caculations are used at runtime by the culling system to determine what should be drawn, more splits equals more data that must be processed during runtime.
5. FIGHT THE URGE to add ALL your cool ideas to one level, this will help alot in many ways. Playability and Performance to name two.
well, that's about all for now, one other reccommendation i have, find a team, it will greatly help you alot, i would be NOWHERE without Creatures of Habit(my team), you will learn much from other team members and they will push you to learn more for yourself, not to mention the great ideas that can come out of a good team's studio. Plus, you don't have to do all the work yourself
. If you are interested, i may be able to find a place for you and your brother with our music section, but if not, you should still find a team, it'll be the best thing you ever do.
James
single tracks. I had more tracks just ran out of space. There is about 4 hours of music in the game. Thank you. Be Nice this time ok. Kenneth J. Williams, of 789 World Media
About the levels there are keys in some levels that will open a gate or a door to a building like the big flashing one hidden in the turnning towers in the demo for level002 the key is a big grey one of the aliens this is in the far corrner of the level behind and pas the buildings. after you pick up this big spinning grey it is larger then the other pick-ups you will see a message at the top of the screen that says you have a key then go into the buildings untill you are infront of the big flashing one. you will here a voice when you are close to it and it will open and a level passcode whill be right on the inside in very big letters the voice will tell you that you may hit the exit key because you would now be able to unlock level003 anyway you wont have to worry about any of this because I am putting all of the passcodes on the website so when you buy the game if it is hard to find the exits you can play the levels untill you know each one like I do I can make it to the end of each level most of the time. in level 006 there is a demo for this one up right now I will be taking it down later to make room for the story video clips I am making for updates one is ready nnow. on levels 006 you will need keys to unlock just about every gate you will encouter in the maze the keys are all close by you just have to look around each cornrer. Remember you will ned to get inside of the first gate to get the key that ulocks the last gate at the end of the level the key is in the room next to you when you start. get the key that is behind you and open the gate next to you look around the room and you will find a key in the back you will need it to get the key from the gate you first saw and it also opens the gate that lets you out of the room you get it in dont leave the room when you first pick it up go get the key for the last gate. you will know when you have to backtrack when a gate wont open. the keys are not to fare from each door. you will have to think this one has a good layout and you can get lost in this maze makes pacman cry. In the rest of the levels you just have to find the exit in the corner of each level it will be next to a big bright passcode right in the open all you have to do is spot it all of these are in the cornrer. level001 you must walk through the Grey Base ship in space and board your ship then leave through the docking bay then go to the planet a land on the red platform your ship will talk to you and tell you what to do next to find the exit this one has no fighting yet it is neat because you have to travle to The Planet Lum and find the exit in space.
