Alien Swarmz 1.5.0 is out now! You may download it from http://vetragames.com/games/arcade/alienswarmz/

Alien Swarmz 1.5.0 introduces important new updates that make the gaming experience better, and lets you spread death amongst the Aliens with added efficiency.  Here are the changes introduced to 1.5.0:

New Game Mode: Featuring powerups, new enemy types, and new ways of playing, New mode has become my favorite game mode.

Horde Mode: Fancy battling Hordes and Hordes of Aliens? Horde mode is for you.

I also squashed some bugs, revamped the main High Score system, and…. *drums* added Online High Scores. I also added a PDF manual, so check it out.

Well, it turns out that some changes I made in Alien Swarmz 1.0.2 means that to update your High Scores to 1.5.0 easily, the script that I wrote to update it turned out to need around 800 lines of code in size. In some ways, Alien Swarmz being delayed is good news, considering that there’s more time to bugtest the now respectable size of the Alien Swarmz codebase, and its VERY respectable High-Score system in general.

To put it simply, you can directly upgrade to 1.5.0 once it’s out with even less hassle than the update to 1.0.2, as 1.5.0 handles this completely automatically. For all classic 1.0.0 users, I’d like to recommend that you immediately upgrade to 1.0.2, as compatibility with 1.0.0 will be completely BROKEN (or else risking around some 1000 lines of code in the upgrading system, something that will make bugtesting for a single guy with little time quite nasty).

The hard part in the game programming is over, most features are finished. 1.5.0 is missing:

Separating the New Mode High Score codebase from Classic Mode (I’ve done this for Horde Mode).

Power-Ups (for New and Horde modes).

Entire Online High Score system (please not another 800 lines please. I’m expecting some nice and healthy 40-100 lines for this. Could be less, depending on how much I can implement without compromising security).

High Score display screen needs to be separated for Classic, Horde, and New modes.

New documentation for the game, and a new EULA to prevent online hacking (although I doubt no one will ever follow it).

1.5.0. will prolly be ready for tomorrow evening, making a dual launch with the “News” page. It could be delayed again, 1.5.0 will come out when it’s ready.

Signing out,

ugriffin.

Firstly, happy birthday Vetra Games! You’re two today (9/9/09)! I’ll make a post on the News blog as soon as this is finished.

Secondly, I want to point you to this post:

http://gamejolt.com/freeware/games/alien-swarmz/news/regarding-alien-swarmz/251/

Click on the ads! That’s pretty much the only revenue Vetra Games has got, and we really need it.

Secondly, let me add a few updates (if you read, then you’ll know that Alien Swarmz 1.5.0 launches today as a little birthday gift to Vetra Games.).

Online High Score system in doubt (I’m running out of time. If I can implement it bug-free in time, I will, if not, you’ll probably get it in 2-3 days time.).

3 Game Modes to choose from (Classic, New Mode, and Horde Mode).

New Mode will contain powerups, new enemies (as seen in the picture), and is generally going to be more of a challenge. Classic Mode is the ol’ Alien Swarmz down to the very code, being virtually untouched since the original Swarmz (which, by the way, you should not delete: I’m never releasing either 1.0.0 or 1.0.2 ever again, so you should keep them as collectibles. Horde Mode, as it’s name suggests, is about beating down an infinite horde of Aliens.

The High Score system has been revamped (still 5 slots, but it’s a better system in general). I’m going to take the sound settings file and incorporate it into Sysconfig.vhss if I have the time.

There’s a new menu, better help file, and the game has generally been revamped.

So far, I’m missing on the Online High Scores, and that’s it. If I can’t incorporate it into today’s launch, I’ll launch a new one as soon as it’s ready (1.5.0, build 2). So don’t get your hopes down yet. You WILL have the system, of that I’m sure.

Got to get back to work on 1.5.0. I’d love to get the High-Scores working by today.

-ugriffin