I''ve been designing a neat little game recently, but I''m not sure if anyone would play it. The basic premise is a 2D scrolling shoot-em-up, like Raiden, but instead of having massive powerups and so many sprites you can''t see the background, I was thinking a more tactical approach. You see, you would control a helicopter, and as such wouldn''t have to move forward the whole time. You could stop, or even fly back the other way. Next there''s the weapons. You can select a variety of weapons, as opposed to just accepting your current powerup. You also buy more weapons between levels, and can get powerups to increase the weapon''s power. There''s also things like hostages which you can collect in your helicopter and take back to base (for cash rewards). Basically I am trying to make a cross between a full on Raiden game and a (slightly) more serious game like Gunship. For instance, would it be better to fire a grenade over a building and smile smugly as some tanks get blown up, or blast everything that comes your way with a level 20 mega-cannon which nothing can penetrate? all comments welcome! wiseGuy

Sounds like a fun game to me. A game doesn''t have to be a first-person shooter, real-time strategy, or online MUD for it to be fun.

Sounds pretty fun to me... choplifter-type game, kinda, but with selectable weapons and gadgets and things.

I don''t know if I''d pay money for it, but otherwise I''d play it.

- n8


nathany.com

I was thinking ''Defender'' myself, but yeah, it does sound like ''Choplifter''. Make it 1024x768 with 16 bit colors (or cleverly used 256 colors) and hey, I''d play it. Add deathmatch (ok,ok) with copter vs copter, add mad dash style play with copter vs copter collecting people, or add team play with copter w/copter missions.

Yeah okay, I will try to implement 2 player modes. But as for resoloution, I am adding heaps of effects like fire, smoke, particles, and *Wait for It* Dynamic Lighting - so I may have to keep the res down to about 800x600 :-(

So I see people don''t mind if a game is slightly less frantic than the average blaster? A bit of stealth and subtlety is welcome these days?

by the way any features you would like to see, just suggest them!

Yeah, spotlights and such - I will try to implement some more stealth into the game if that''s what people are wanting!

Also - I downloaded a replica of Choplifter last night, and our game is meant to be similar to that, although with more terrain and more buildings, and more weapons of course!