ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW game Attack Paddle

[Adam Schmelzle]

New Ball, Brick and Paddle game called "Attack Paddle"

This is NOT a remake of Arkanoid or breakout. I needed a break from the brainsqueese that results from cramming andvanced AI into a cellphone game, so I started AP.

AP has your standard elements of a paddle at the bottom of the screen, some bricks to hit, and one or more bouncing balls. However, in contrast to all the other paddle games out there, mine is fun.

The graphics are better, the animation is smoother, and the levels are far more complex. The game areas are multiple screens high, and the paddle advances up the screen as you destroy the bricks. There is also an upgrade system for the paddle. Instead of catching falling items, you spend points on paddle/ball upgrades while you play. Also, it will keep track of all the bricks you destroy and let you buy permanent upgrades from the main menu. Oh yeah, and the controlls for the paddle are going to be 100% user configurable. I am going to have adjustments for paddle speed, paddle accelleration, paddle drift, paddle deccelleration and ball-deflection.

This game started out as a distraction last week, but after 2 days I had a basic breakout system that looked and played better than any of the others I had tried. I expect this game to take no more than another week or two. I hope to have it out before I leave town for my sister's wedding at the beginning of October.

Like AC, I will TRY to sell the ad-free version. I am also going to release the full version for free, with the supporting ads in place. Since nobody who actually BUYS games seems to have ever heard of me, maybe I can sell this by saying it's an "Arkanoid/breakout on Steroids" or something, so that people feel it's something familliar.

So far the game is only 21KB. I havn't added any sound yet, but I only expect ot have 4 or 5 short sound effects, along with some annoying level intro diddy. Hopefully even after I add sound, it'll be under 35KB, so I can still have 10->15KB for level data after adding the advertisement code.

[Adam Schmelzle]

I am now in the final stages of Attack Paddle.

I know you guys will like it, since it's pretty much the best brick-breaker game ever made... at least on a mobile phone. Next thing on my list is the scoring system.

I have implemented your basic boring scoring system already, with x number of points for each bricktype and powerup. What I am going to add is a whole list of bonus scoring that you can achieve within each level. Here is a list of everything I plan on implementing...

• Most bricks destroyed by 1 ball without hitting paddle
  
• Most consecutive times a ball was bounced off paddle without being destroyed (must hit non-invincible brick each time)
  
• total powerups collected (good + bad)
  
• Most bad powerups collected in a row (no good powerups in between)
  
• Average brick-destruction time (level time / #bricks destroyed)
  
• Average bricks destroyed per paddle bounce (destroyed / paddle-bounces)
  
• Consecutive levels finished without dying
  
• Level height climbed
  
• No-balls-lost bonus
  
• PERFECT : no balls lost, no powerups missed
  

With all this, it'll give you more things to try out during the level to maximize your score, instead of just grabbing all the powerups.

If anybody can tihnk of something else worth adding, I'm always open to suggestions. The first version of this game will NOT likely have an online scoring database. When I get this done and out the door(next week I hope), I'll look into adding the online scoring system. I will either add the database to my webserver(not the most reliable thing around), or look into rumblex. If somebody else has a system for online scoring, and I don't have to write it, than it sounds good to me.

After the scoring system is done, I have a fairly short checklist to get through to finish up. I still have to implement storage for all the settings, scores and save-state. I'm putting in a save-anywhere option, so that anybody playing AP can just hit "save" on the corner soft-key, choose "yes" and the game saves your progress EXACTLY, right in the middle of the level. All the ball positions, bricks, scoring, everything. I think all games should have this, and will likely be putting this into all my future games.

The very last thing to do is to make the levels. I have a level editor, so it doesn't take me long to do each one. It may take a few days of non-stop level creating however, since I am going to have HUNDREDS of levels in this game.

Somebody asked about releasing a level editor for AC a little while back, and I am seriously thinking about it. I don't know how many people care though, so it may not be worth my time. The problem isn't so much the editor, but how to get the levels into the game after using it. Unless I have an online database that you can upload levels to, and download to the phone, there just isn't any practical way to use the created levels. This sounds cool though, and if I can make enough money off AP that I can relax a bit, I may put some serious effort into an online system for all my games. This would take a lot of time and effort though, and I wouldn't be bringing in any extra cash from it for a while, so I need the solid financial backing first.

Anyhoo, I'll update again when I have the scoring system finished, which may not be for a few days.

[Adam Schmelzle]

Scoring system is finished now. I just have to make the screen that shows the bonus points at the end of the level look nice. Right now the only thing on the screen when you finish a level is "Woot, press fire!", which is kinda wacky.

I think I'll put in a cheats option that is only unlockable by finishing the game. I don't have to worry about anyone finishing the game very quickly with hundreds of levels to get through, so I may add that to a later version. You can always just overwrite the one you have with a new version, without loosing your progress.

The cheats menu will allow you to change just about everything in the game. From the sizes of everything, to the point values, and toughness of the bricks, the speed of the game, and all sorts of other things. Although that's only really going to be worth my time if people are going to play through to the end. Let me know what you guys think!

[Adam Schmelzle]

Well, I may have to delay the release a little longer again. This time it's not because of anybody interrupting me though. I am implementing a reward system for achieving different milestones with the game stats. In the 'REWARDS' screen will be listed all the tracked stats, like balls-lost, total points, total bricks destroyed etc..., and along with each stat will be a target amount with a reward for reaching the target. The rewards are the same kind of upgrades that can be made in the factory using the bricks, only in large quantities. So for instance, once you reach the half-way level (around 150 probably), you'll get the reward of being able to start 50 levels higher than you already had unlocked. This should add some fun, but delay another few days worth of testing/coding.

I think everyone will love AP. And the new AC will come out shortly after AP is done (week or two after).