New game: Dead on Time

[Axelay]

Hi all

My latest game, "Dead on Time", is now complete and available! 

You can get the disk image from here:

http://starsabre.bigblog.com.au/index.do

This one is an arena shooter where the goal is to survive as long as possible while destroying enemy waves to get bonus time.  Full details can be found in the in-game instructions.

This game works on all models of CPC, but you must leave the disk in the drive for 64k models.  You don't need to leave the disk in with more than 64k, but if you do it will save the high scores to disk.

Have fun!

Paul

[ukmarkh]

Fantastic stuff... really enjoyable.

[Devilmarkus]

Really a cool game!
A bit too fast for my old fingers, but great!

Question:
Is everything right with highscore list?
I made a score higher than others but have been on place 7?!?
Is it ordered by playtime or by scores?

Cheers,
Markus

[Octoate]

I like it, but as Markus said - "too fast for my fingers" . I will transfer it to my CPC, then I can play it with a joystick which should work much better .

[Targhan]

Very cool game, once again. I'm really proud to have worked with you, once again !

Targhan/Arkos.

[Grim]

@Octoate/Devilmarkus: Fast paced games such as this one are often unplayable on emulator.

Completely frantic on a real machine!

[ukmarkh]

I'm using the q,a,o,p and space... on an emulator and its bloody brilliant. I'm fourth on the leader-board at the moe. I'll try it on a real Plus machine later.

[Axelay]

Question:
Is everything right with highscore list?
I made a score higher than others but have been on place 7?!?
Is it ordered by playtime or by scores?

Yes, the Arcade mode score table is ordered by survival time.  The Challenge mode score table is ordered by score.  This is to try and reinforce the different "approach" required by the two play modes.

[ukmarkh]

Great game like I said, but are there any plans to do a 128k version... would be great to see pictures of the Earth and similar in the background as you fight it out. And a few upgrades in the weapon system would be great as would a bonus level for surviving after a certain amount of time. It really is so addictive, well done.

[mr_lou]

Great with a new game!!!

However, I can't get it running on neither my CPC464 or my CPC6128. Tried writing the dsk 3 times, but it just stops with a black screen and red border. The Arnold emulator on Linux won't run it either. Stops with a black screen.
I tried download the dsk again, but same result.

Haven't tried other emulators so far. What's up?

[Targhan]

Winape handles it perfectly.

What do you use to transfer the game on a real disk ? It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track), but CPCDiskXP must handle it with no problem. I don't know anything about Linux though...

Targhan/Arkos.

[fano]

Nice work Axelay (as usual i'd say).It is great , with nice technics , graphics and sound.
It runs perfectly on my 6128+.
The concept is well found, c'mon little bonus , i need you to get more time !

[mr_lou]

What do you use to transfer the game on a real disk ? It uses a "special" format (not AMSDOS, I mean. 10 sectors per track), but CPCDiskXP must handle it with no problem. I don't know anything about Linux though...

I'm using libdsk for Linux (worked with Starsabre). But I'll borrow the girlfriends Windoze box and try with CPCDiskXP then.

[mr_lou]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well THAT was early the Game of 2010 was released!
Superb graphics and music and code and gameplay! I love the music, but the option of setting sound-effects only is also great, and saving of highscores just neat. I give Dead on Time 7 out of 5 stars!!!

We watched stunningly, and then my girlfriend said: "... they had no clue how to make games for the CPC back in the 80ies", referring of course to the many games with non-smooth-movement.

Thanks a lot for this great game! I'm addicted already! Dead on Time will be played a lot in this house the next many retro-evenings. 

[MacDeath]

Wow, is this the first 2010 game release ?

Tested it briefly.
Not easy to begin with.
But it seems smooth and fast.
Well done.

It feels like some sort of smatch TV.
Yet I believe the gameplay could be improoved by the use of a second fire button.

I used to play Smash TV on SEGA MegaDrive.

And the second button could be used to get a switch side fire.
Would allows to turn the player's sprite 180° for exemple.

Also implementing 2 joysticks for the player would allow the "nunchakus" technique.
one paddle to move, the other to orient your shoots.

Would get the feeling of those sort of special pivoting joysticks used on some arcade machines (Midnight Resistance used it, Forgotten Worlds too).

Also a "warning" stuff that would tell us where enemies waves are gonna come from.

Because when you are on the border of the screen, you often get surprised by a wave.
Yes it's also part of the game, but an optionnal "warning" would be great too.