16 yr old developer, first game!! :))

vincentW

Hey, I'm a sixteen year old developer and I'm about to publish my app! It's called Yacht Combat.
The main goal is to defend your yacht from the enemies, who want to destroy or steal it.
I made a preview video on YouTube, go check it out!

Also please comment, like, share and subscribe for more videos on my game.
I'd also like you to follow me on twitter, so you can go check out the actual game when it's released. Thank you
https://twitter.com/YachtCombat
Let me know what you guys think!
It's just my first game so please don't be too hard on me

bjandthekatz

Dont make duplicate threads and please stop posting this same post in every one of your threads. One is enough!

forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/60418/new-game-yacht-combat#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/59652/convert-iphone-game-to-ipad#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/60332/ios-universal-app-resize-doesn-t-work-properly#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/60333/saving-high-scores#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/59651/testing#latest

Edit: Missed 4
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/59653/swipe-controlls#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/59724/ad-hoc-crashes#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/60272/game-center-doesn-t-work-when-testing#latest
forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/60396/time-does-not-set-to-0-when-it-should#latest

quantumsheep

Spamming the forums will not win you any friends

Well done on making a game. Having watched the video, these are my thoughts:

1. Button placement - Traditionally, d-pads go on the left, fire buttons on the right. For sure, put an option to reverse these positions in the options screen, but have the directions left and fire button right as default (just look at any modern gamepad).

2. There seems little point in having up and down movement from what I saw. If the enemy ships dropped something you needed when destroyed, then they'd be justified. Right now, they just seem superfluous.

3. There's no sense of forward movement at all.

4. For a game based on the ocean, the islands should at least scroll past you, perhaps needing to be navigated around. Other obstacles could also be introduced.

5. Your game objects are too big. Consider the size of your ship, the islands, the enemies, the bullets. There's not much room to manoeuvre by the looks of things, which makes a not fun game.

Good luck in the future.

QS

vincentW

Hey I'm sorry, i deleted the copied threads
Thanks for the reply man! I'll do what I can to make it better.

vincentW

The game is actually located in a bay, so I don't know if it's really necessary to make de islands move, but I can take a look at it.p for sure,

quantumsheep

No problem.

It looks like you're trying to make a scrolling shmup based on yachts.

I'd recommend playing lots of classic shmups like Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun, Gradius series, 1942 series.

Alternatively, on iOS, try out:

Airfox HD
Phoenix
Espgaluda 2
Infinity Gene
Galaga
Gridrunner

There are countless others.

Pay special attention to the controls, the feel, the weapons, the rate of fire, the introduction of enemies, the enemy 'waves', the overall 'pacing' of the games.

Unfortunately the app store doesn't discriminate in favour of a developer's age, so being 16 won't help you

Try and learn about the genre you're in, build up your skills, and keep making games!

Good luck!

QS

vincentW

What do you think i should change about the feel, the weapons, the rate of fire, the introduction of enemies, the enemy waves and the overall pacing?

quantumsheep

Rather than me tell you, it's best you play some of those games I listed and compare them to yours.

You'll thank me for it

QS

vincentW

Ok I'll do that
Thank you

wsuhoops

I'm 16 been at it 2 years and I'll give you some advice. The apps that appeal to like 8 year olds are the ones that sell. My worst most useless apps make the most $$$

vincentW

Haha at one point, I ain't suprised

gineepig

I think that for the final iOS version, you should tilt to control the yacht and tap anywhere to fire. Just my preference, as I really don't like using virtual console controls.

vincentW

Yeay you may be right, but can you maybe post a link post a link with a good tutorial to set up tilit controls? Last time I trued to set it up it was all buggy.

BasGoodboy

@VincentW I think you have put on a nice game here, certainly according to your age. You build in all the important options like sound on/off and pauze game.

Nice idea man, and good job. I have to agree with the others here it would be more atmospheric to make the yacht move towards up automatically, moving up, and make a long vertical background which changes the environment every once in a while, like those early 80's Atari flying shooters, so the player has the idea he has to be attacking all the time. Plus it builds tension up more imo, since you can also change the feel of the game every moment by redesigning the environment. Like this the game won't be bored fast.

Also, I have the idea that it doesn't matter what the location of your yacht is, but that shooting works always, no matter if your left or right alligned and your enemy ship is at the other allignment. Correct me if I'm wrong tho. If I'm right, you should change this to make the enemy ship only be hit if it's on the same allignment as your yacht.

Overall good job and congratz on your first app.

ps. did you do the art of the yachts yourself?

vincentW

Hey thanks man encouraging feedback man
I scaled all the boats down and now it is harder to hit them, so you really have to be on the same allignment as the enemy. In this video, where the yachts are much bigger, it's true aiming was a bit too easy...
I'm going to see what I can do with the moving background thing, since I don't have any experience with it. At the beginning when I started working on it, I thought of a moving background as too difficult and maybe not necessary. But since you all suggest me doing it, I'll try my best
I made all of the art myself, except of the yachts themselves It would've taken a lot of time to make them (I have over 40 in the game) I got the deck plans of different manufacturers sites. But The size and the speed of the boats are based on the real specs. So if one ship is bigger in real life than the other, it's also bigger in the game.