it's not Star Trek, it's Cosmic Journey

[vlastimil]

Hi all,

so, here is a html5 game made (mostly) by my brother: http://www.rw-designer.com/cosmic-journey

If you liked the space shooter arcade games from the '80 and '90, you might like this. Be warned: it is hard.

Firefox or Chrome required (Opera kind of works, but CTRL+arrow switches tabs, so make sure you have only one tab open). IE probably won't work, IE10 might.

Enjoy.

[mouser]

Nicely done!  

My only suggestion is to replace the one sound effect that sounds like someone coughing 

[tomos]

My only suggestion is to replace the one sound effect that sounds like someone coughing 

hey,
that's someone making explosion noises

I'm not a gamer (as in, not at all) - but I grew up with Asteroids and Space Invaders (arcade versions).
Looks great, and is difficult!
I even cant get used to using the arrow buttons - yet - it doesnt help that I'm left handed and not a touch typist - I presume people who actually play games on computers wouldnt have this problem. But I find I dont have much precision control moving left to right - dont know if that's just me, or my keyboard, or the game.

[Stoic Joker]

I'm not a gamer (as in, not at all) - but I grew up with Asteroids and Space Invaders (arcade versions).
Looks great, and is difficult!
I even cant get used to using the arrow buttons - yet - it doesnt help that I'm left handed and not a touch typist - I presume people who actually play games on computers wouldnt have this problem. But I find I dont have much precision control moving left to right - dont know if that's just me, or my keyboard, or the game.

A left handed, not a gamer, that (remembers arcades, and) can't type. Hell you're alright in my book ... We could be related... (hehe)

Me lefty 2.

[rgdot]

Nice

Not a gamer either, did have my days playing Galaga in actual arcades in the 80s though...to be a teenager again 

[Renegade]

Instructions would help. When I finally found the lasers, they didn't do anything. Basically, I was able to die and not much more.

But it looks very cool.

[Paul Keith]

At first, I hated the 3d asteroids until I realize you can destroy them for items. 

Love the fact that enemies can chase you and not disappear off screen. 

[vlastimil]

Thanks for the kind comments and the tips.

The sound effects were actually recorded by making the sounds with his mouth. Your guess was correct. Amateur art

Right above the game is a small help link with basic instructions. The game is really hard, but there are those little trick that can help - sometimes it is better to let the enemy collide with asteroids rather than destroying them, some parts of enemies are indestructible and you have to fire elsewhere, etc.

I'll tell him to add support for WSAD controls for the left handed people.

I already suggested a Galaga-like level to him, but he said the enemy movement is too complex. I hope he finds time to implement it though.

[Renegade]

Played again -- couldn't kill any of the space ships with lasers, but a powerup let me kill one.

And yeah... Hard. Very.

[vlastimil]

Uh, ok here is a tip, these ones you have to shoot from behind - their mining instrument is indestructible. The circulating power-up is handy against them.

[jgpaiva]

It'd be really nice if it used any other keys. Ctrl + arrow keys changes virtual desktops on my machine, and why does it use right-shift to do stuff but doesn't allow you to use left shift for the same control? Why do are there five controls to be used by the right hand, but only one for the left?
It really, desperately needs at least one instructions screen (how do you kill the enemies? What exactly are the 3 bars on the left?).
Also, don't listen to mouser: the sound effects are awesome, I'd love it if it had a few more (man-made, that is).

[edit]
I just read the link. that helps, but please make it larger . Ideally, however, it should be somewhere in the game itself.
The shift problem is probably related to me being in a mac, I recommend switching from  ctrl/alt/shift to z/x/c or something like that.
[/edit]

[vlastimil]

I have forwarded your suggestions regarding the controls and now you can also use W, S, A, D for movement, CTRL, SPACE, ALT for firing and SHIFT for shield overload.

He'll eventually do something with the hard help. In ideal case a tutorial mission with hints and link to the help page.

[Paul Keith]

I think eventually the ai design can better be designed as a stealth shooter rather than a space shooter or even a stealth space shooter.

Part of the difficulty I would assume is that players expect a space shooter but to me I love this game because it feels more like Pac-Man than Galaga. I think if the site hints to something like that it would gain even more interest.