Astral

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by emitcollect, Aug 2, 2009.

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  1. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    #1 emitcollect, Aug 2, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
    Hi everyone,

    I just submitted Astral to the App Store today, so hopefully you'll be able to play it this month. Since I visit Touch Arcade regularly, I figured I'd announce it here first.

    Here's the App Store description:

    Some screenshots:

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Gameplay trailer:



    If you've played the Pacifism mode in Geometry Wars 2, you'll be familiar with the gameplay immediately, although there are some differences. As a rule, I don't like knockoffs, and this is as close to a knockoff as I'll ever make again. It actually started off as a programming exercise and a way for me to play Pacifism on the go, but as I experimented with the visuals I felt it turned into something interesting in its own right.
     
  2. mebeswordguy

    mebeswordguy Well-Known Member

    Jul 5, 2009
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    This looks Good!
     
  3. NomaD

    NomaD Well-Known Member

    Jun 29, 2009
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    looks good. needs to come out already cause it looks interesting.
     
  4. CGSColin

    CGSColin Well-Known Member

    Jul 21, 2009
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    Wow, this looks pretty darn cool.
     
  5. martinpi

    martinpi Well-Known Member

    Mar 10, 2009
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    founder, director & game designer at studio radiol
    that looks really beautiful.
     
  6. mrWalrus

    mrWalrus Well-Known Member

    Dec 20, 2008
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    designing games
    Venice, CA
    Whoa! This is a great twist on 'pacifism mode'.
    Will be getting this day one.
     
  7. swigo8

    swigo8 Well-Known Member

    Dec 2, 2008
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    Pocket God island (NYC)
    looks awesome, cant wait for it to be submitted!
     
  8. skamando

    skamando Well-Known Member

    Feb 26, 2009
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    Student
    Folsom, CA
    Looks good. I like the art style. I'm down.
     
  9. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    Glad you guys are digging the style! I'm a big fan of Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Kenta Cho, and I'm just getting my feet wet experimenting with abstract graphics. Especially abstract graphics affected by the music. Hopefully the first of many!
     
  10. drelbs

    drelbs Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2009
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    #10 drelbs, Aug 3, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
    Tripping the light fantastic! :)

    I am really looking forward to this!

    Is there any significance to the 'cloud' turning green?
     
  11. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    #11 emitcollect, Aug 3, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
    It's based on the peak power level of the music. The 'cloud' is made up of a mixture of red and green colors. When the music is loud, it gives them more red and less green (making for a reddish-orange), and when it's quieter, it gives them more green and less red.

    When the music goes quiet, I also turn down all the blue connecting the strings, making it look like they've "gone dark". That gives the cloud a glow-in-the-dark effect. It's also harder to figure out where the strings really are once they've gone dark, so the music (briefly) affects the gameplay, too.
     
  12. your personal robot

    your personal robot Well-Known Member

    Nov 11, 2008
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    nonverbalist
    Berlin
    Love the concept and its decent presentation!
    Will purchase for sure!
     
  13. drelbs

    drelbs Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2009
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    Too cool.

    Have you set a price for this game?
     
  14. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    It'll be 99 cents. For the first week, at least. :)
     
  15. pluto6

    pluto6 Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2009
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    Loved the video - that little ship is quite repsonsive, and you are pretty darn good...

    Question that I have is that you avatar for the ship is controlled by your finger it appeared, so I am just wondering if the play area is small? Or does it take up most of the screen? I don't see as well as I used to so if the little ship is small, it might be difficult to see?

    Otherwise it looks like quite the engaging experience..
     
  16. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    #16 emitcollect, Aug 4, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2009
    Thanks! The play area is the same size as the screen, but it scrolls slightly as you move around so your thumb doesn't block the view.

    If the ship turns out too small for you to see, let me know and I'll see what I can do to make it more visible. It's small on purpose so you can squeeze through really narrow gaps between swarms.
     
  17. pluto6

    pluto6 Well-Known Member

    Jun 21, 2009
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    Thanks, will do. The video looked like it had some magnification - not sure on that, but you were making some incredibly deft movements. This one should be really fun.
     
  18. Devilishly Good

    Devilishly Good Well-Known Member

    May 1, 2009
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    The Underworld
    loved the music, the game was definitely psychedelic and cool looking, but really really tough...lol, not sure if I can be that dextrous

    was there significance to you going back and gathering all those dots after a swarm was killed?
     
  19. emitcollect

    emitcollect Well-Known Member

    Jul 22, 2009
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    The controls are actually really precise, and the tail helps out a lot too. I've had a LOT of practice, but if you can play PewPew or Isotope just fine, you'll be making deft maneuvers in no time.

    Yup, the dots increase your score multiplier. Every square in a swarm counts for ten points, multiplied by however many dots you've collected.
     
  20. Johno

    Johno Well-Known Member

    May 29, 2009
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    Pennsylvania
    This looks excellent. I've played the pacifism mode in GW2 and this looks much more engaging and I can't wait to play it.
     

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