Revenge of the Titans

princec · March 31, 2010, 10:32pm

EARTHLINGS!

Tremble as our GIANT ATTACK FORCE advances on your puny bases! Soon we shall feast on your entrails and lay waste to your planet!

http://www.puppygames.net/applets/RevengeOfTheTitans.jnlp

Just an alpha. It’s unfortunately big and Webstart is unfortunately still rubbish. But please do give it a whirl. I’d like to hear what you think of the first 10 levels (the next 40 or so aren’t done yet, though you can play through to level 20 or so before it really gets unfinished).

I’m especially interested in the following:

Does it run or not? If not, it would be extra useful to know what system you have, and that means your OS, Java version, and graphics card, and whether it’s got newish drivers or not
Is it running at 60fps or thereabouts consistently?
Is the game too easy or too hard? Boring? Fun? Confusing?
Any bugs you might come across (it’s only an alpha so I expect there are a few bugs).

Cas

teletubo · April 1, 2010, 1:24am

Well I’m not discussing yet about the game itself, since I’m only at stage 6 .

it does run at 60fps, really smooth . No problems with that .

I’m having a really bad time trying to exit the game . It always freezes real bad when I click the quit button . When I was full screen mode, I even tried ctrl+alt+del with no success, and after pressing alt+F4 and Alt+tab like a madman it finally gave up. This happened every time I exited the game, leaving me with the message :
“Monster Mash (?) did not shut down properly last time you played it”
when I restarted .

It also crashed a couple of times when Alt+Tabbing full screen mode .
I’m on Windows XP, java version “1.6.0_12” .

I can’t tell you about the graphics card and drivers since I’m at my job :persecutioncomplex:

Another thing which I found a little annoying is the fact that even Windowed mode I couldn’t release the mouse from the window . It should definetly have a key for that, otherwise I don’t see much use for windowed mode .

As soon as I play more I’ll post about the game itself.

java version “1.6.0_12”

appel · April 1, 2010, 1:25am

It runs perfectly (Win7)
FPS is not shown.
Still playing and learning
Not bugs yet.

CommanderKeith · April 1, 2010, 1:46am

It seemed to die after the screen went fullscreen and the loading bar finished. Here’s the stack trace i got just before it crashed. Windows XP java 6 u17, intel graphics card, old drivers.

Java Web Start 1.6.0_17
Using JRE version 1.6.0_17-b04 Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
User home directory = C:\Documents and Settings\kids
----------------------------------------------------
c:   clear console window
f:   finalize objects on finalization queue
g:   garbage collect
h:   display this help message
m:   print memory usage
o:   trigger logging
p:   reload proxy configuration
q:   hide console
r:   reload policy configuration
s:   dump system and deployment properties
t:   dump thread list
v:   dump thread stack
0-5: set trace level to <n>
----------------------------------------------------
Reading certificates from 29640 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\2\10b73842-7cb0e1b7.idx
Reading certificates from 13460 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl_util.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\18\561563d2-5582f712.idx
Reading certificates from 41650 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/spgl-lite.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\20\53fb0a94-26f54cd9.idx
Reading certificates from 8312 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/jorbis.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\10\38cd548a-327fc7a3.idx
Reading certificates from 16699 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/jinput.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\36\12fa8824-1c85c42c.idx
Reading certificates from 16365 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/common.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\61\2dc1023d-254d56b8.idx
Reading certificates from 14081 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gamecommerce.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\53\778b4635-799aed3f.idx
Reading certificates from 8568 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/sound.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\0\52317980-30a056cd.idx
Reading certificates from 9718 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gfx.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\26\1a05425a-5f8969f3.idx
Reading certificates from 31111 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/RevengeOfTheTitans.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\11\7ab1860b-55c3f72e.idx
Reading certificates from 5634 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl-windows.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\57\1e3a6f79-38713fb1.idx
Reading certificates from 16365 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/common.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\61\2dc1023d-254d56b8.idx
Reading certificates from 41650 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/spgl-lite.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\20\53fb0a94-26f54cd9.idx
Reading certificates from 29640 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\2\10b73842-7cb0e1b7.idx
Reading certificates from 14081 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gamecommerce.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\53\778b4635-799aed3f.idx
Reading certificates from 13460 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl_util.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\18\561563d2-5582f712.idx
Reading certificates from 14081 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gamecommerce.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\53\778b4635-799aed3f.idx
Reading certificates from 41650 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/spgl-lite.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\20\53fb0a94-26f54cd9.idx
Reading certificates from 41650 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/spgl-lite.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\20\53fb0a94-26f54cd9.idx
Thu Apr 01 12:42:25 EST 2010 Game: Monster Mash 0.1
Serial 3853879453317695488
Reading certificates from 14081 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gamecommerce.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\53\778b4635-799aed3f.idx
Game is unregistered.
Reading certificates from 29640 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\2\10b73842-7cb0e1b7.idx
Starting Monster Mash 0.1
Reading certificates from 16365 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/common.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\61\2dc1023d-254d56b8.idx
Initing sound
Reading certificates from 16699 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/jinput.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\36\12fa8824-1c85c42c.idx
Loading: net.java.games.input.DirectAndRawInputEnvironmentPlugin
Initialising full screen display
Set fullscreen displaymode to 1024 x 768 x 32 @60Hz
Set viewport to org.lwjgl.util.Rectangle[x=0,y=0,width=1024,height=768]
Set viewport to org.lwjgl.util.Rectangle[x=0,y=64,width=1024,height=640]
Reading certificates from 13460 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/lwjgl_util.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\18\561563d2-5582f712.idx
Loaded cached wave sounds.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
WARNING: Resource 'insufficientFunds.soundclip' not found
WARNING: Resource 'cantBuild.soundclip' not found
Loaded cached wave sounds-mono.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Reading certificates from 8312 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/jorbis.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\10\38cd548a-327fc7a3.idx
namefield !0,0,0,255
Loaded cached wave roar01_ambience.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar01.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar03_ambience.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar03.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar04.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar04_ambience.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar02_ambience.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Loaded cached wave roar02.ogg.wave.LITTLE_ENDIAN
Reading certificates from 16365 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/common.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\61\2dc1023d-254d56b8.idx
Reading certificates from 14081 http://www.puppygames.net/downloads/applets/rott/gamecommerce.jar | C:\Documents and Settings\kids\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\6.0\53\778b4635-799aed3f.idx

Alan_W · April 1, 2010, 8:22am

OSX 10.4 Java 1.5

Loads to Title Screen, music plays. Some sub-screens appear to lack text (e.g. options screen - I have to guess). Pressing Play, displays world with a number of blue dots and one white dot. Clicking white dot makes all dots disappear but then nothing appears to happen. No error messages, so may just be incredibly long load on this old slow machine, but I gave up after about a minute. ABORT goes back to title screen. The power button symbol does not quit game. I eventually got into windowed mode by randomly selecting things on the options screen and managed to tab out and then close window using window [x] box.

bleb · April 1, 2010, 8:46am

Looks great!

Works for me (Linux, java 1.6.0_15, Intel gfx)
Could be 60fps - it’s certainly smooth as the proverbial baby’s bum.
Only had a quick go, so only one suggestion: Disable buildings being placed if the cursor is over a bonus pickup. I was leaving buildings in stupid places in my rush to collect the pickup in time
Disables my second screen on shutdown - upgrade your lwjgl to a nightly to fix this.

CommanderKeith · April 1, 2010, 8:51am

I tried it on my windows vista laptop with a proper nvidea card and it worked great. Very nice graphics style as usual.

I like it how the creatures try to avoid the heavy defences by walking around. But they take their blessed time!

I think you should speed up the game more, allow the player to control units, and add more buildings as icons in the bottom tool bar so the player can just click them and then build. It’s annoying to open that huge menu. Also opening that building menu shouldn’t pause the game, it makes it less intense.

The cut scenes are excellent, so are the new buildings which are introduced step by step.

It’s really just the pace that I think you need to work on.

It’s going great 8)

Spasi · April 1, 2010, 9:12am

[quote=“bleb,post:26,topic:35067”]
+1. Maybe even disable the building tool after placing one down, but that may not be optimal on harder levels.

[quote=“CommanderKeith,post:27,topic:35067”]
I could use 1,2,3,etc shortcuts after having a building icon on the tool bar. It would be nice if there was some kind of visual indicator for that.

It run smooth for me (60fps steady I’d say), Win7, Radeon 5870, JRE 1.6.0_18.

derhannes · April 1, 2010, 9:21am

Runs great!
System: Core2Duo E8400, Nvidia 8800 GT (Driver V. 196.21), Win7 64 bit, Java 1.6.0_18-b07

3. Is the game too easy or too hard? Boring? Fun? Confusing?
I think its perfect.
But I think you should change the colors of the “ammo-bars” (indicating how much ammo is left), I never get if they are full or not… (maybe that’s just me?)

4. Any bugs you might come across (it’s only an alpha so I expect there are a few bugs).
No bugs yet… (level 6)

bleb · April 1, 2010, 9:30am

Ooh, just had another thought - a progress bar for turret reloading. Would increase the will-I-make-it tension when a monster is advancing on a reloading turret

jezek2 · April 1, 2010, 9:58am

Runs nicely on P4 2.4GHz, JRE 1.6.0_07 on Linux, GFX is GF6600GT, driver version 100.14.11 (quite old).
Don’t see FPS meter, but it was smooth gaming experience, judging from mouse movement 30+ FPS.
Seems ok, concept is very interesting I’m not sure how the shortcuts (1,2,3) for buildings work, I’ve always used the full buildings menu.
I have shuttering after killing last enemy (affects both mouse movement and sounds/music), it stops after clicking on “continue” button in the end of mission dialog.

Also one minor thing, when switching between windowed modes, the real HW cursor is shown and at different place than the cursor in the game. When I eg. move window around a bit it disappears as it should be.

princec · April 1, 2010, 12:29pm

Arrgh! A million posts before I get to reply. Here goes:

Problems with alt-tabbing, mouse etc - that’s basic LWJGL handling and is the same in all our games, although I’m using a 2.3 nightly for this test. Might be fixed with the forthcoming 2.4… might not. Expect Intel drivers to have problems.

Instant crashing or crashing during gameplay - very likely broken drivers are to blame here Hard to think what to do about that except shrug and hope there are newer, fixed drivers available. We’ve got a completely new rendering engine now using VBOs where available which would probably account for the instability with certain chipsets beginning with I and ending in ntel. Or even ATI for that matter. There are absolutely no Java crash bugs that I’ve seen in the game for a long time, so if you come across a stacktrace somewhere, please feel free to tell me

Turret reloading progress - they have them already, look closely

Stuttering when end-of-level dialog appears - could well be we’re up against the fill-rate limit for your graphics card, but I’d have thought this also occurs when the shop is visible too?

Missing graphics - broken drivers possibly. Admittedly I’m not checking max texture size and assuming 1024x1024 works ok. Naughty me. I don’t reckon any cards incapable of handling 1024x1024 textures will be powerful enough to run the game anyway though.

Cas

jezek2 · April 1, 2010, 1:33pm

Doesn’t look like that way. I have no problem with anything other (eg. the shop). Also usually when I play some game which is fill-rate limited and having very low FPS the sound/music isn’t discontinuous as in this case.

Also check if you have any NPOT textures, not all cards support them or only partially.

princec · April 1, 2010, 1:37pm

All the textures should be POT unless Chaz did a naughty.

Cas

appel · April 1, 2010, 2:24pm

Turret reloading indicator needed. It’s not obvious currently. Reloading should take shorter time if turret still has some ammo left.
Level completion indicator needs to be clearer, the one at the top-right corner looks like a health bar, I’d recommend something like a clock or a horizontal progress bar.
Right-mouse clicking is annoying me. It brings up menu, and it’s also used to cancel. It confuses me.
Recent used tower icons at the bottom is confusing, the order is never the same. Pressing 1 doesn’t always give me the blaster turret. You need to keep this order the same, and possibly list all available buildings/turrets at the bottom in just one order and map to one key only. Consistency is key.
Factory should be called something else. The name “factory” hints it is producing some units, which it is not, it is extracting minerals/gems. Call it an Extractor. Much more obvious. I did not build factory at first, because it wasn’t too natural to me what it would do for me.
Wave-control of baddies. Sure, it’s OK as it is, but… it doesn’t give me anxiety! Now, Left 4 Dead gives me anxiety! I’d do what L4D does. Always keep baddies coming at you slowly, then when the player progresses too far, gets a factory, or builds a blaster far from his base, the game would produce lots of fast moving horde to attack it.
They should be coming at you from more directions than just one (haven’t played further than level 6, so maybe this is not a problem).
Terrain is desert-like. Is Europe a desert? Making environment city-like, as you have in Titan Attacks, might be difficult. Maybe you are already planning this. Don’t get me wrong, the desert looks nice, but if I’m defending Paris or London then, well, it shouldn’t be a desert, unless I’m in Sahara, Nevada, or where there is a desert.
Some mission goals perhaps? Currently it is only “Don’t lose your main base building!”. Since you’re defending Earth, why not give it extra mission goals such as “Defend the Eiffel tower of Paris!” or “Defend the village!”. That can make each level more unique and give more strategic depth to the gameplay, whereas you have multiple focuses and makes you feel like you’re actually defending Earth, and no just some wasteland.
Being able to sell buildings/turrets would be useful.
Off-map area is black. Not sure what to suggest, maybe black is just fine. Or, you could make it a desert or just fill it up with rocks. Oh well, just squeezing out some points to write here.
It has a steeper learning curve than Titan Attacks. I would recommend having a learning level, where you would guide the player to construct each building and explain it’s purpose.
Each level possibly needs a boss at the end, some scary noisy boss. (edit: I notice that at the end of each planet there is a boss).
Fast paced flying baddies?

Ok, I did enjoy the game. Took me a few levels to get into. Great graphics and it plays very smoothly here, seems like a very finished game to me :). But, I have a feeling this game needs to bring the anxiety level of the player up. That’s why I recommended the L4D fast moving hordes with fast paced music to match. This experience is currently rather flat, the baddies come at you very slowly, you can see them all, they sometimes go around and back before actually making their attack, giving you plenty time to relax. The player should be scared each time he sees a new wave coming out, not going to grab himself a cup of tea. Possibly, some baddies should walk normally at first, and when they get closer to your turrets, they should run at it to attack it.

Overall, with some tweaks, mainly gameplay balancing and tweaking, I think you’ll be able to make this into a sellable game. Nice job.

Mike · April 1, 2010, 3:53pm

Finished the first 10 levels, the only problem I had was that when clicking on money bags and so on I sometimes ended up building a tower, and I didn’t have the time to cancel a tower before clicking or it’d be gone…

Mike

nlmueng · April 1, 2010, 4:10pm

Ran great, fun game, did first 8 levels, only thing i did not like is something others already mentioned, clicking on money bag or other popups built your item there. I assume it would get harder farther along because it was pretty easy so far.

nathan

derhannes · April 1, 2010, 4:52pm

Just tried the game with my mac mini (Core2Duo, Intel Graphics ) and it runs at approx. 10fps…
…but it still looks nice

endolf · April 1, 2010, 4:53pm

I get the stuttering at end of level issue also. Windows 7 claims I have the latest drivers.

Win7 ultimate 64bit
P4 3ghz
5gig ram
Nvidia 9500GT - driver version 8.17.11.9621
Generic on board high def audio device, suspect sigmatel something or other.

Everything else seems fine and smooth

Endolf

DzzD · April 1, 2010, 5:47pm

nice, very interresting game

run fine here vista / java 1.6-18b04