Air Supply - SOS by Quantum Sheep (Universal)

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by quantumsheep, Feb 8, 2014.

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  1. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    #1 quantumsheep, Feb 8, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2014
    Hey all, hope you're well!

    So, here we are, with another Air Supply game!

    I've been working on this a long, long while now, but it's nearly done (April hopefully).

    I've been slowly hinting at what the game is with the lovely, lovely folks in this thread http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=209496 and thought I'd tease the rest of you with a couple of WIP shots!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    And here's a rough and ready vine video (6 seconds long) showing some gameplay:

    https://vine.co/v/MWZaxg9tXb6

    (not sure how to embed those!).

    UK citizens of a certain age will hopefully be grinning lots right now as they'll recognise the game's based on an old Spectrum classic by Ultimate Play the Game.

    That's fine.

    I won't tell anyone how old you are :D

    The idea is that Quantum Sheep have been scattered around the universe. The Mothersheep :)D) has tasked you with collecting them all and bringing them home!

    She is, in effect, sending out an SOS - 'Save our Sheep' :D

    In each level you'll have to fly around and pick up sheep, put them in your spaceship, and take off again!

    But what's this? The Sheep have an air supply too? I wonder if it's tied in to a score multiplier maybe???

    Anyway, dastardly alien scumbags stand in your way. The only answer for their kind lies at the end of a smoking laser gun!

    If you've played the previous Air Supply games you can expect:

    Air Supply game mechanic (air is always going down)
    Pickups!
    Powerups!
    Unlocks-a-plenty including colour, music, characters and planets (over 10,000 combinations I think!)
    The most wonderful music made on actual ZX Spectrums :D
    A sense of humour!
    No IAP - no Ads. EVER.
    GameCenter leaderboards/achievements
    Universal build for iphones/ipads

    Phew. Well, there you have it! I hope you'll look forward to it. I'm having great fun playing, er, *working* on it myself, and I'm excited/terrified to get it into your perfectly manicured paws!

    Please feel free to post your thoughts/comments/questions/suggestions and I'll do my best to answer them! Though I have to uphold a sense of mystery about it still till it comes out.

    You understand, I'm sure!

    Cheers for looking!

    QS =D

    EDIT: I thought I'd put the video here on the first page too, in case people can't find it at the bottom of page 31 :O

     
  2. Andy C83

    Andy C83 Well-Known Member

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    Yes! Air Supply - Infinite was my first venture into the Air Supply universe and I fell head over heels for it. The visuals, the music... everything. Been looking forward to SOS ever since I first knew it was a thing, and this is currently my most anticipated release on iOS.

    Thank you for posting this. I'll take three, please. ;)
     
  3. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    #3 quantumsheep, Feb 8, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2014
    Hello lovely! Thanks for stopping by, and for your very, very kind words!

    I've marked all the chairs with everyone's name, so grab a cup of tea, and there's some biscuits on the side there, before you look for your seat!

    Awesome!

    This is going to be quite a ride - I just hope people will find it fun :D

    QS =D

    EDIT: Oh, also - check your PM! :D
     
  4. JCho133

    JCho133 Well-Known Member

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    #4 JCho133, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
    GREAT BRIAN! I can't believe I missed his thread! (I literally look at the upcoming section at least 2 times per hour because of Bug Heroes 2)!

    I would have missed it much more if I hadn't by chance gone to look at the active members and see that your name was bolded for whatever reason, clicked on your name, and see you were viewing this!

    The game looks incredible! Awesome to see it venturing into more traditional platform we territory!

    I absolutely love the little air tank on the sheepy's face :D

    And if my assumption is correct, flying your ship will also be a playable part? :D

    Edit: Aww rats! Looks like you've just gone off!
     
  5. Jerutix

    Jerutix Well-Known Member

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    Looks fantastic! I'm glad you posted the vine, because that helped me get it. I really have enjoyed the Air Supply series so far, especially because of the brilliant unlock mechanic. Keep it up!
     
  6. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    @JCho133 and @Jerutix Aha! There you are! Thanks for coming in! :D

    Let the verbosity commence! :D

    It's a departure for sure, and a little less casual - I am trying to balance the difficulty so there's a challenge for the hardcore but little frustration if you're more casual!

    A full-on platform game though this is not. You'll have to wait for 2017's 'Air Supply 2' ;)

    Awwww! Thanks! I like it too! And the little sheepy certainly appreciates it!

    It also happens to serve a game function - when you pick up a sheep, it locks the score multiplier.

    For example, if you pick up a sheep and it has a full air tank, your score multiplier will be 10 till you pick up another sheep.
    If you then picked up a sheep with half its air tank, your score multiplier will be 5.
    etc etc

    Your assumption would be wrong I'm afraid - sorry :(

    I did originally plan to have a 'space' section between planets, but it just felt like too big of a disconnect from what you were doing before.

    I was worried that people would get to the space section and then die because they weren't used to it... which didn't seem very fair.

    Still, I've always liked the idea, so it may pop back in. We'll see how quickly I can get everything else in.

    Maybe it can be a bonus section - shoot as much as you can in a minute.

    Hmmm... I kinda like that! :D


    I always have these threads open in a browser tab, but may be afk or working and not looking at it 24/7. I do check regularly though in case anyone has a question or something!

    Thank you very much, sir! Glad you liked the Vine - I wanted to do a teaser trailer, but the game's in too much of a mess at the moment to really do it justice! Sorry!

    I hope you'll enjoy the unlocks in this game - there's more 'stuff' in general to unlock (10 of everything!) and there's also the perks system, which I'll go into when it's not 6:30am and I haven't slept! :D

    One thing I will mention is that there are 10 planets. So far in an Air Supply game you can unlock new planets by running a certain distance.

    This isn't applicable here, so there are 100 'levels'. Each planet has 10 levels, so when you beat the 10th level you unlock the next planet (and the 10 levels within).

    You can then start on any unlocked planet. So instead of starting on planet 1 (levels 1-10) you can choose to start on planet 4 (levels 31-40)

    It's a way of letting people unlock new planets (if you've unlocked 2 planets, you can start playing from the second one to try to get to the third, instead of having to play through from planet 1).

    Obviously, if you start at level 1 and get to level 100 your score will be greater than if you start at level 80 and get to 100.

    And the game is all about the high scores! :D

    Hope that makes sense!

    Thanks all for the interest and kind words! I'm very excited by it all. And terrified. But mostly excited! :D

    Now, bed for the sheepy!

    QS =D
     
  7. JCho133

    JCho133 Well-Known Member

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    #7 JCho133, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
    I like the idea if the bonus stage! :D

    I really like the sound of... Well, just about everything!

    Sleep well! I'll send out PMs and get some of the other guys on the list in here ;)

    Edit: Ok, I think I got em all! (Except Connector, he's in timeout for some reason...)
     
  8. Andy C83

    Andy C83 Well-Known Member

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  9. Jerutix

    Jerutix Well-Known Member

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    Ah. I see things more clearly now after the verbosity.

    So, will the levels wrap, like in AS Infinite. In other words, if you beat 100 do you go back to 1?

    Is there any kind of multiplier bonus or harder difficulty in later levels versus earlier, or will you be using a route more like ASI with backgrounds and textures to change gameplay rather than AI or level structure?

    Since it is level based, will unlocks reflect your game progress more than they have in past games? I ask that because I've unlocked everything now in ASI, but I'm only on my 4th character's play through. While I enjoy the game enough to keep playing to win with everyone, it would have been cool for there to be something outlandish to work toward at the end. But I do also see the goal of accessibility.

    That's all I've got for now. I was too tired when I posted last night to think of anything substantial. Keep up the good work!
     
  10. slamraman

    slamraman Well-Known Member
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    Wow - Jcho called me over and thank crikey as I never check out upcoming. I have to say that Jetpack, apart from Sabre Wulf, is probably my favourite ZX speccy game. Just watched the vine video too almost on a loop about 20 times. Fantastic stuff. I'm actually going to crack open Infinite again although I see mister funkleberry is at over 400 trophies.
    This also put me in mind of Dropzone for the C64 which was pretty much Defender (the best video game of all time TM) on a Jeppack. A side scrolling defender style shooter with Sam would be wicked, but then any game at all with Sam made by QS would probably be wicked anyhow.
    Properly stoked.
     
  11. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    #11 quantumsheep, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
    Things are looking up now that I believe in Chinese Zodiac's suddenly! Awesome, thanks for the link ;)

    You, sir, would make a great shepherd - take it from a sheep that knows ;)

    As to the bonus stage - I tried to get something working at gone 6am this morning, and couldn't quite manage it. I think my brain was swearing at me for even trying!

    As I mention, the game did originally have a space section in mind, so I think it's well suited to something like that. I just don't know if I have the time/resources to make it!

    But the idea is in my head. And I've already thought of a way to make it interesting (I hope!).

    W00t! Score one for the verbose amongst us! :D

    Oh, just me then!

    \o/

    The idea is that the game will have a definite end at level 100.

    When playing through the game, it took me about an hour to get to level 40 in its current state.

    It's a big game :O

    For this reason, I'm working on a 'save' function. When you beat a level, it will save your progress. You can then continue from the next level or start afresh on the title screen.

    So let's say you get to level 17 - you beat that level and decide you want a break. Instead of carrying on, you tap the menu button.

    It saves your score and the last level you beat.

    On the main menu, when you press continue, you'll start on level 18.

    Playing through the game from level 1 to 100 will get you the best score - it's also a massive challenge, so will be a big achievement in game!

    And then there's playing from 1-100 without saving.

    Or without any retrys...

    :D

    I'm giving away a lot of the game here, but it's ok!

    Currently the plan is:

    Every four levels, the aliens change.

    Every five levels, the platform positions change.

    Perks will allow for some extra variety - you can combine two from a list of 12 - it should mix things up a bit ;)

    Characters will have slightly different stats (shot types, weight etc).

    Shooty UFOs will be back! (hoping to have them done this week!)

    That's all I'll say for now - I don't want to spoil stuff, and there's a few things I'm keeping 'hidden' till the official trailer's out. Even then, I'll be hiding things because I think there should be the element of surprise in games. You don't want to see *everything* in the trailer, or read up on every feature in the game, or else why play the game?

    The game will be out end of March/start of April with any luck! That seems like a long while to you, but it's a frighteningly short amount of time to me with the amount of work I'm giving myself!

    I know what you mean. The perks will affect how you play the game, believe me. The more you play, the more perks you unlock, and the more combinations you have at your disposal!

    Trust me, these are all questions I ask myself. I've said from the start that I love games, and I have the same level of expectations as everyone else when playing them!

    There is nothing I want more than to please you guys with something I've made. That may sound insincere to many, but it's a deep seated truth for me. While I can't please everyone, or include everyone's suggestions, I do my best to make something fun that will make you smile!

    Some fantastic questions there, thank you very much! I hope I've answered a few of them well enough for you! :D

    It's a wonderful coincidence that the music somehow almost exactly matches that 6 second loop! ;)

    The game is dedicated to my little brother, John. There'll be something for him on the loading screen.

    We grew up together playing Speccy games. We'd combine our pocket money to buy one game. Which meant a lot of bargaining, and convincing etc.

    But when we first got a Spectrum, we were allowed a game each by our parents. I got the wonderful Tranz Am.

    He got Jetpac.

    And the rest is history! :D

    I remember those days fondly. I realise this may mean nothing to people outside of the UK, or to those not even alive when the Speccy was around, but what it means from my perspective is this:

    I LOVE games. They mean a lot to me. So I try to make my games with as much love and care that one person can put into a game. With the hope that it will spark some lovely memories in the old guard, but also make some fresh ones :D


    I saw that too. There's getting your money's worth and there's getting your money's worth. If you know what I mean! :O


    *adds 'Air Supply - Jetpac Defender' to the list of games to be made!*

    *not really*

    *well, maybe...*

    :D

    Thanks all! Your comments and enthusiasm are really helping! The game's structure is almost done. It's playable at the moment. I just need to get down to the nitty details, and when this close to finishing motivation just evaporates.

    I'm so glad you're here to keep me going! I should have made this thread MUCH earlier!

    QS =D
     
  12. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    #12 quantumsheep, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
    And my GOD - I write a lot! :O

    Is this what parents are like when you ask them about their children??? ;)

    QS =D
     
  13. Andy C83

    Andy C83 Well-Known Member

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    #13 Andy C83, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: May 12, 2014
    Typo! #
     
  14. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    Suuuuuuure, lady! Tell it to the judge!

    ;)

    QS =D
     
  15. CygnetSeven

    CygnetSeven Well-Known Member

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    Quantum Sheep is one of the finest. Loved Air Supply and it's still on my phone. Looking forward to another gem, thanks for still spinning them out! Cheers!
     
  16. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    Sorry it's taken so long to reply, I'm not very good with compliments as a rule!

    Thank you for the kind words though - they're very much appreciated!

    QS =D
     
  17. cloudpuff

    cloudpuff Well-Known Member

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    Best typo ever.
     
  18. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    #18 quantumsheep, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2014
    I was being a gentleman and not mentioning it ;)

    Hello to you too btw! Thanks for coming along!

    Grab a seat, biscuits, tea etc :D

    QS =D
     
  19. Jerutix

    Jerutix Well-Known Member

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    I see from the editing stamp that you caught your own creepy typo. ;)
     
  20. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep Well-Known Member

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    I know, right???

    *shudders*

    QS =D
     

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