Mars Lander. Any collaborators? Noobs welcome.

[togFox]

If you can see the very very very limited single example up above - then same as that.

[togFox]

...

I haven't really used github before so I'll probably stick to making suggestions here.

EDIT - Just tried the new .love. Very fun! For me, it loads at 800x600 (no widescreen layout). I can make the screen wider, but I just get black bands on either side, like when watching a 4:3 show on a widescreen TV.

Are there new controls? How do you collect fuel?

You don't have to use github but it would be helpful if you access this in 'read-only' mode and then contribute here (if you like):
https://github.com/togfoxy/MarsLander/projects/1

You can read identified "issues" and then see what you think would be fun to progress.

It defaults to 800x600 - yes - but it should also resize correctly. I'll see if I can default to resizeable full-screen. I think your first love file did that.

No new controls. I'm hoping to not complicate this beyond left/right/thrust but I'm open to suggestions.

More fuel is a game design question. I'm open to ideas. I'm thinking:
- you land at a base and you get paid money. You can use money to buy fuel and/or upgrades
- you land at a base and you are given a fixed amount of fuel. This has a built in challenge that as the game progresses, a lack of fuel will become a constant concern that you can't simply buy your way out of.
- similar to above, there are 'fuel pods' you land on top of to collect more fuel. It's really just a variation of the above

Happy to take ideas from anyone.

I want to have a bunch of "modules" that can be bought to upgrade the lander. Things like larger tanks, fuel efficient engines, a lightened chassis, more powerful engines. Those change flight dynamics. We could also have things like ground radar, ground proximity alerts, "look ahead" radars. Things that help you control the lander. Any other ideas? I know a fuel gauge/indicator is pretty integral but perhaps that can be an upgrade as well? Would the "off-screen indicator" Milon has offered be an upgrade that needs to be paid for?

Glad you had fun - I was having fun too.

[Gunroar:Cannon()]

What are those, radios...?

You could add hazards like (aliens) sharp rocks or (aliens) boulders or (aliens) or something, though I do think (aliens) might be too cheesy.

[togFox]

They're place holder graphics waiting to be replaced with cute animations.

Yes , I think a natural way to add 'hardness' it's to add obstacles that get more numerous, higher, and closer to the target (bases).

Care to draw some?

[Gunroar:Cannon()]

They're place holder graphics waiting to be replaced with cute animations.

Placdholders for what? What are they (those brown things).

Care to draw some?

Sure

Edit: *Placeholders

[togFox]

It's a Mars base. Everyone knows what a Mars base looks like. *joke*

Maybe it needs to be like a dome with some criss-cross supports with maybe a large fuel tank nearby. Maybe a radio tower that can be animated with a blinking light.

Rocks and boulders are a good idea.

[milon]

Haha, I thought those orange things were the fuel tanks themselves!

And hopefully someone can improve my offscreen indicator - it's functional, but not pretty.

[milon]

Turns out I've got a github account that I'd forgotten about! I submitted a horizontal fuel gauge. It's pretty crappy and uses lots of shape drawing, so hopefully someone can improve on that later. Here's the .love just to be thorough.

[togFox]

There you go - the orange things are tanks!!!

Fuel indicator is a great start!!

Here is the next official version committed to github:

- engine thrust is more effective when the lander is lighter
- placeholder background added. Needs to be scrollable later
- Lander can turn left/right while landed
- off-screen indicator now merged into the main branch. Thanks @milon
- Fuel gauge now drawn across the top of the screen. Thanks @milon

I've refactored some of the code so this is very 'function' based. I think that is important if we want collaborators. I'd like people to see one function - be clear on what it does, and then change it to reflect a card in github.

As before - anyone can view github without an account. All the cards are designed to be small and easy to do.

https://github.com/togfoxy/MarsLander/projects/1

MarsLander v0.03.zip

Rename to .love

(2.7 MiB) Downloaded 155 times

[Gunroar:Cannon()]

Some images based on 64x64