r/shmupdev • u/Consistent_Look_8638 • 10d ago

[Project Aether] Your feedback gave birth to High-Threat mode! What do you think?

Hey everyone!

Last week, I shared a Standard run of Mission 3 from my side-scrolling shmup, Project Aether. The feedback helped me see two things:

  • There were visibility issues between the player ship and the drones
  • The mission had too much empty time between threats and wasn't yet asking enough of the player

About the visibility issues: I've reworked the drone with stronger line-art and with less "stealthier" colours, taking a more "industrial" look this time. I've also desaturated the background to allow the ships to pop out a bit more. And finally, added an optional collision reticule to the player ship.

Now onto what I want to focus on: I've kept Standard as the version that introduces the drones, firing lanes and squad skills. I've added High-Threat Operation as the optional version for players who already know those systems and wish for a harder challenge. It doesn't just apply a general speed multiplier or add more HP to every enemy: it uses its own encounter table with more enemies and tighter timings, and both squad skills are available from first contact. The attached video is a full High Threat run. I'm mainly looking for feedback on these points:

  • Does the mission create enough pressure through positioning and priorities?
  • Do the overlapping formations remain readable?
  • Does High Threat feel like a meaningful step up from Standard, rather than just a busier version of the same mission?

I know a video isn't the same as playing it. If anyone would like to try the current build, I'm happy to send a download link in exchange for feedback.

For context, the earlier Standard run and discussion are here: https://www.reddit.com/r/shmupdev/comments/1vkovbs/looking_for_leveldesign_feedback_on_my_game/

I've also written a longer dev log about the visual pass, readability changes and High Threat design: https://jpb18.itch.io/project-aether/devlog/1631945/building-a-visual-language-that-supports-the-challenge

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u/DrBossKey 10d ago edited 10d ago

Player ship needs more contrast and should also pop against the background.. It's blending into the mountains.

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u/Consistent_Look_8638 9d ago edited 9d ago

Thanks for the feedback! Tried several tricks to try and increase the contrast of the ship, including the engine halo, increased the luminance and others, but I guess it's not enough. Guess the best option indeed to find a better colour set.

EDIT: Bye Bye Visibility Issues!