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cNp

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Posts posted by cNp

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    I've just ordered a copy even though I already have one. Forgot to add my address to the payment so sent email with the details.

     

    Thank you! Got the address email too and will be posting out in the next couple of days.

    • Like 1

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    In an odd twist, I fired up Big Blue again this morning as I hadn't played in since a while after my initial review. And would you believe it I got through all 9 depth levels. So all treasures and fish accounted for! Yeah! I meant to ask, but does the cart save these internally? It didn't appear to between resets and I likely even addressed that in my review, but couldn't remember right off hand?

     

     

    Hope you enjoyed the last "Fish" and the final treasure :)

     

    The cart doesn't save anything between resets so next boot your Aquarium and Museum will be empty again.

     

    Chris

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    Hi all,

    You may have seen if you're over on the Facebook group that after many requests I've decided to do a new run of fully boxed Big Blues but this time with US/GCE artwork... so that's new cart label, manual, and box design. The cart holder/insert tray is now one of the repros that have recently become available and overlays will be the same as before.

    b5IOWLfN_t.jpg fMV624Up_t.jpg WJIVm7n8_t.jpg GCjaPDb2_t.jpg WGq6M9Gn_t.jpg

    I'm not updating the website (www.vectorrepublic.co.uk) to sell these until everything is done and I don't normally like to take pre-order money but having the game completed (obviously!) and knowing I can get all the remaining printing done with known suppliers I thought I would offer the chance to the community here to get an order in early. The main reason for this is that I have already paid for the boxes, labels, manuals, and insert trays but I have yet to pay for overlays, PCBs and box protectors as well as packing boxes, etc.

     

    Costs of everything have gone up but before these go on general sale I'm going to offer the preorders at the old price of £35 plus postage (£8 £10 or £12 for UK, EU, US & Rest of World). Aiming to have everything ready by mid March.

    So, if you do want to pre-order, please email me at enquiries at vectorrepublic co uk and I'll set you up with a link to buy :)

     

    Cheers,

    Chris

    • Like 1

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    No more boxed copies with overlay?

     

    Funny you should ask that... after being asked many times about US/GCE style artwork we have decided to produce box, manual, cart label to match the GCE ones of old. Need to decide if another run of overlays is also viable but not certain.

     

    Likely a flat packed upgrade kit will be available as well as a fully boxed copy with Cart, etc.

     

    post-44000-0-59232400-1516624834_thumb.png

    • Like 4

    Outlaw Hill - Vectrex Home Brew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    Cheers guys, I've set myself a deadline of May to have physical copies of the new game ready :)

     

    Also plan to have a bunch of US/GCE style boxes made up for big Blue as I've been asked by so many collector in America and Canada if I would ever do them.

     

    Whilst I liked the foam inserts in Big Blue, and would use them again, I have ordered a large number of the new repro cart trays for the next game too... one step closer to being as close to original as possible!

    • Like 5

    Outlaw Hill - Vectrex Home Brew

    in Vectrex

    Posted · Edited by cNp

    Hi, just wanted to start a thread here for my next Vectrex game (my first was Big Blue).

     

    I have done no programming since the end of May but will pick things up again now summer is over.

     

    This was the last video I recorded:

     

     

    I added a vulture that dropped power ups since that video.

     

    Originally the next game was going to be Frontier which will be a wild west adventure game... but I think I will now release this as Outlaw Hill (guess the games it's inspired by ;)

     

    Currently it's 2 player Vs only but I will try to add an AI opponent... if that doesn't work out I will add a separate 1 player game as I know 2 player only games aren't always popular.

     

    Doubt this will be out until 2018 but I'll keep the updates coming.

     

    www.vectorrepublic.co.uk

    • Like 11

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    I'm really enjoying the game. I have just one tiny tiny quibble that is more to do with my Vectrex than the game itself. I can't see the score because it is behind the score logo on the overlay. My vectrex is most likely at fault as I know the image is a little stretched vertically and probably off center vertically too. I can't be bothered to mess around adjusting pots or whatever as most games I have don't seem to be affected by this. The good thing is that the score really is irrelevant to the enjoyment of the game. Looking forward to the next one. :)

     

    Hey, glad you're enjoying the game, it's long since sold out all copies and I've had really positive feedback for the game as well as the physical packaging.

     

    Sorry about the score positioning, it does vary machine to machine but still... I did have it move in the calibration too but I'd done some silly, convoluted stuff early in the code and it had knock on effects to other elements of the game... I've certainly learned a lot from programming my first game to bear in mind on my 2nd game!

     

    I'm actually running a charity auction for copy #200 which comes in a translucent teal cart shell with 2 Big Blue t-shirts...

     

    www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302161046448

     

    All proceeds will go to local charities in my home town who help people with various needs, especially over the Christmas period.

    • Like 1

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    The shark gets more "alert" as the depth increases... so it will come after you within a greater radius.

     

    The key/treasure dropping to the seabed at current location is mentioned in the "Collecting Treasure" section... the key can even be in the same location as the chest if that's where you dropped it... but it will never start in the same location (although it did during testing to speed things up :)

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

     

    I diidn't found the game excessively hard. In fact I find it rather easy to play if you keep calm.

    The only death I got that was "unfair" is that once, the shark was at the top of the screen in front of me when I went down the screen, I couldn't react fast enough. All other death I got were me being too impatient and running into the shark or the eels to go faster.

     

    Yeah, with patience it's not too hard... the hard bit is remaining patient! If I die it's always running into the eels!

     

    The shark should never be positioned for an insta-death when you enter the screen but... I'm not saying it didn't happen... it wouldn't surprise me if some strange combination of events could lead to an aberration :)

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

     

    I'm pretty certain I pointed it out very early on and... then never commented on it again when it hadn't been fixed! *doh*

     

    And as a playtester, I know what's being hidden under the hand heh, it's tough to get down to depth 9...

     

    You may have... I can't remember seeing it though!

     

    I wanted the game to be playable for kids but present a bit of a challenge later on... I know a few people got all 8 treasures quite easily but quite a few get to 5 or 6 then find it harder.

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    Some details I noticed :

    The position screen says "Positon"(unless my screen is buggy XD) And about that screen, the game appears misaligned on my Vectrex. However, not too much on the vertical position, but a lot on the horizontal position. I read that it's a common issue with Vectrex, so maybe the option to change the screen position in both vertical and horizontal positions would be useful or feasible?

    Also, I'm not much of a hi-score guy, but maybe a time count in-game would prompt peopel to do so speed-run/scoring on your game? Just throwing that idea, I don't know if that's a possible thing? Score being counted on the time you took to beat a level and the oxygen you lost to the ennemies?

     

    Spoiler! ;)

     

    Thanks for the feedback.

     

    I can't believe I never spotted the typo in POSITION!! Several other people never spotted it either but I pride myself on my proof reading... ah well!

     

    Regarding calibration/positioning there's only so much I could manage and horizontal positioning broke a bunch of stuff and I was at a point where I really couldn't go back and work it all out! I learnt a lot whilst writing Big Blue which can help me with the next game... lots of things to avoid!

     

    Good ideas regarding scoring... I was never too happy with the scoring ... many times I was going to have no score and just treasures found... as with many things they didn't make the final game as I'd been writing the game and learning at the same time and expanding and it got to the point where it wasn't too easy to add anything more.

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    I just received the game, and OMG that is good stuff.

     

    Wow, thanks for taking the time to comment and the praise, really appreciated!

     

    Glad you like the game too... I always wanted to do a full boxed release but knew I had to make a game that justified all the effort... my next game shouldn't take quite as long to bring to fruition.

     

    XbhtYLlH.jpg

    Coming 2017 ... probably
    • Like 1

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    I'm thinking I need to order this game again, since I'm still waiting for Chicago customs to get off their butts and send my copy to the Ivory Tower!

    It's crazy how long some copies are being held in Chicago... well over 2 weeks in some cases!

     

    Hope it's with you soon!

    Big Blue - Homebrew

    in Vectrex

    Posted

    Hey all,

     

    Thanks for the kind words and orders, really appreciated.

     

    I'm not a regular poster here as I'm on so many other forums but wanted to get the word out as far as possible :)

     

    If you do want specific Vectrex forums then http://vectorgaming.proboards.com/is a great place to check out. Also the Vectrex Fans Unite group on Facebook if you're that way inclined.

     

    The shark does get more "alert" as you progress and there are also moray eels, jelly fish swarms, "caves" to negotiate and a new species of fish at every new depth... 8 treasures to recover too.

    • Like 2
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