Def-Op : Codename I.R.I.S version 1.0.6 Devlog

I’m happy to announce that Def-Op : Codename I.R.I.S version 1.0.6 is now out on the Appstore. This update is mostly under-the-hood optimizations and bug fixes, along with some graphical upgrades. I will go through some of the key changes below.

Name Change

First and foremost, the game’s name has been changed from I.R.I.S – DefOp to Def-Op: Codename I.R.I.S. The reason behind the original name is that I wanted I.R.I.S to be the base name for subsequent games that were to follow (e.g I.R.I.S – <sub title 01>, I.R.I.S – <sub title 02>. As time I passes, I realised that I.R.I.S isn’t exactly memorable nor does it do well in search rankings (as pointed out by a fellow game dev). With that, I decided to switch the name around.

Right Gate Fix

When the left beam gate is activated, there’s a random chance that the right gate will not work. This results in some frustrating situations where the enemies will slip right past. This issue is now fixed in the latest release.

Improved Summary Screen

In the previous version, the summary screen consists mostly text explaining the situation surrounding the main character Erika. While it gets the message across, the overall feel of that screen seems dull. In 1.0.6, I added some illustrations and split the summary text into 3 pages.

Improved Menu 

It is much easier to navigate through the menu now compared to version 1.0.5, with buttons clearly labeled and the designs standardized.

Minor Graphical Upgrades

I redrew Erika’s portrait as I felt the original wasn’t that great looking. Some facial expressions looked really odd as well. Apart from that, enemies now have shadows beneath them and I’ve changed one of the explosion animations.

That’s about covers it for version 1.0.6. If you have played this game, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions. If you enjoyed, be sure to give it a rating on the Appstore. It really helps me out as an indie developer. Thanks!

Working on I.R.I.S – DefOp HTML5 Edition

With the release of I.R.I.S – DefOp version 1.0.3 on iOS, I was deciding on what to do next. The choice was either to work on a new game or create a web version of I.R.I.S. I chose the later because I wanted to take a break from programming and just focus on the design aspect.

Wait … making a game without programming you say? Is that even possible?

Short answer is yes. Back in 2013, I purchased a game making tool called Construct2. It allows you to create 2D games without any programming experience at all. What you do need is logic thinking; ‘what goes where’, ‘what happens if x is triggered’ and so on. I will talk more about Construct2 in my next blog post.

sample 'logic code' from I.R.I.S DefOp HTML5
sample ‘logic code’ from I.R.I.S DefOp HTML5

When it comes to making the HTML5 version, I didn’t want it to be just a straight up port of the mobile version. Having access to keyboard and mouse controls brings a whole new world to the table. No longer are you restricted to just touch controls. Having said that, I still want to keep the core gameplay of I.R.I.S intact while changing things up a little … whichhhhhh brings me to the idea of putting … turrets.

Whats better than having 1 turret? 2 turrets!

You see, in the mobile version of I.R.I.S, your main defensive weapons are the two beam gates located on each corner of the screen. Holding the L / R touch buttons will activate the beam, killing anything that collides with it. From here, you can probably see the limitations of this design concept. Yeap, all enemies will have to move past a certain area in order for the player to destroy them. I did manage to get creative with some of the enemies (the annoying Orange ship) but at the end, an object needs to move from point A to B, with B here being the secret lab.

With the addition of turrets, the game is no longer restricted to the original design concept. I can now create enemies that attacks from a distance away and their movement paths are much more open ended. I can even throw in boss battles now.

At the time of this post, the game is about 50% complete. I will post up an early build over at GameJolt soon so do hit that ‘Follow’ button to get notified. Oh, and if you haven’t register as a member at GameJolt, do sign up. It’s a cool place where you get to play both freeware and commercial games using either your browser or in downloadable format. See you there!

Edit: The game is available now.

Work In Progress. A lot of effects are still missing

My Game, I.R.I.S – DefOp Has Launched On The AppStore

I’m happy announced that #ProjectBeamGate , now known as I.R.I.S – DefOp is now available on the App Store. It took me a lot longer than expected (considering my last post was back in May 2016) but a lot of extra time was spend tweaking the game and fixing bugs. Tons … of them. There were even some that only appeared after it was launched.

The game is free to download so do give it a try and let me know what you think. If you like it, please leave a rating on the stores. It will really help me out. Also, if you have any comments or suggestions, please leave a comment below or hit me up on twitter @dylestorm.

Cheers!

Oh and here’s the game trailer. Enjoy!