Xero - The Last Hope for Mankind

Contests 4K Game Competition - 2006
#1

http://java.dnsalias.com/4k/xero/manual/images/Xero%20Title.png

Introduction
Listen up puke, you’ve got work to do! As of 0800 hours this morning, a fleet of unknown alien ships arrived in our Solar System. They quickly proceeded to decimate our entire shell of outer defenses. It’s now up to you to intercept and destroy this foe before they can reach Earth.

Your Xero fighter will launch from the United Space Carrier Indianapolis in precisely one hour. Due to the number of attackers, you’ll be flying solo rather than in formation. Your objective will be to reach your assigned target as quickly as possible, and destroy it. Once your target is destroyed, you’ll assist the other Xero fighters in destroying their assigned capital ships. [Read More]

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http://java.dnsalias.com/4k/xero/manual/images/Xero%20Screenshots.png
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Get the Game

High Score Club

So you think you’re good, huh? Well, prove it! Get a score of 50,000 points or better and you could find yourself admitted to the Xero High Score Club! All you need is a screenshot showing off your great score, and an optional avatar for your entry. Post your entry here in this thread, or email it to jbanes@gmail.com. Fame and fortune await as you prove your piloting skills to your peers! (Well, at least the fame part. You’ll have to work on the fortune yourself.)[/td][/tr]

#2

sorry, jnlp error on mac : won’t start (wrong JRE version) (what’s this 1.4+,1.5+ ?)

Lilian

#3

[quote=“c_lilian,post:2,topic:25979”]
That should tell Webstart that it can use either 1.4 or 1.5 to run the program. The JNLP file works on Windows, so I’m not quite sure what the problem is. I’ll look into it. In the meantime, you should be able to use the JAR download to play the game.

Edit: Try it again. I think I’ve got it fixed.

#4

yup it works with jar, but wayyy too fast , does the game needs a specific frame rate ?

#5

[quote=“c_lilian,post:4,topic:25979”]
Define “Way too fast”? The game is frame limited, but it’s designed to run at a very high speed. So if it seems just a bit faster than you think it should be, it might be correct.

#6

well, let’s say I’m wayyy too slow !

Some ships move real fast and are very hard to avoid (the ones with an “S” wave).

Great entry btw, just too hard for me.

Lilian

#7

[quote=“c_lilian,post:6,topic:25979”]
Hmm… you should have time to move out of the way once the Detonators begin diving. Is the starfield whizzing by, or is it keeping a fairly good pace with bits of debris passing them up? (If you answer “whizzing by” then there may be something wrong.)

Just so your aware, my 5 year old could make it to level 3, and my 3 year old could make it to level 2. (Kid tested, father approved! ;)) So it should be possible to make it to the second level without getting killed.

[quote=“c_lilian,post:6,topic:25979”]
Thanks! But let’s see if we can make sure it’s actually your hand-eye coordination and not a technical glitch. :slight_smile:

#8

Yeah, that’s great. However, I agree, should be little bit easier at the beginning!

#9

Well… apart from these ‘S’ things, the game is playable and enjoyable (been to level 3 this time). The trick is to never stop firing, which I didn’t do at first play…

Lilian :slight_smile:

#10

Yeah, I made it to level 3, it is pretty hard. Nice graphics, gameplay gets a bit repetitive after awhile though. That’s to be expected with a 4k game though. Nice work!

#11

[quote=“nonnus29,post:10,topic:25979”]
Just wait until you reach level 4…

MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! ;D

#12

The ship moves faster laterally than vertically. The left/right speed is good, could the up/down speed be increased to make all equal?

#13

[quote=“x30ice,post:12,topic:25979”]
This was intentional. Sort of a poor man’s physics designed to simulate the fact that your craft is travelling under maximum power already. The rear engines are at maximum power already (thus why moving up is slow) while the retros are simply less powerful than the lateral thrusters. (A spaceship wants to go forwards, not backwards. ;)) I could change it all to match, but I fear the gameplay might not be as interesting. :slight_smile:

Has anyone got to level 4 yet?

#14

Does that stinkingly huge boss die?!! ;D

good job, very nicely polished.

p.s.
Are the score/lives text bits supposed to use the same Color as the explosion? :wink:

#15

Thank you. :slight_smile:

[quote]Are the score/lives text bits supposed to use the same Color as the explosion?
[/quote]
I thought it was a nice attention-grabbing effect that didn’t cost any extra. What do you think? Should it stay or go?

#16

Couldn’t play on Linux. It started to change the display and then boom got this.


java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Cannot change display mode
	at java.awt.GraphicsDevice.setDisplayMode(Unknown Source)
	at Xero.main(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeApplication(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.executeMainClass(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.continueLaunch(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleApplicationDesc(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.handleLaunchFile(Unknown Source)
	at com.sun.javaws.Launcher.run(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
#17

al last I could beat the boss (to end killed 2 waves later…), but a bar or some kind of indication (hits left, energy left ?) would be good :stuck_out_tongue:

#18

Malohkan, read the manual.

x30ice, good idea. If I get a chance, I’ll see what I can do. :slight_smile:

#19

level 5, two and a half waves after the boss, score was 38140

I think the boss should give more points

kind of easy once you collected the well hidden homing missiles :wink:

#20

:o homing missiles?? where??