Shameless Advertising: My WIP game "Shipyard" - Alpha 1.0 coming soon!

[nerdboy64]

Always check the comments for developer news posts.

Since summer of 2013, I've been working on making this game as a hobby/practice project. Shipyard is a 2D turn-based space strategy set in a sci-fi universe, with the main mechanic being the ability to build ships from individual systems such as crew's quarters, engines, reactors, etc. It's still very early in development, with many of the core features only partially implemented.

I am posting here mainly looking for feedback on what I have so far and/or suggestions for the future. If you're interested, you can read more and download the game by clicking the link below. It requires Java to run.

Play Shipyard!

Gameplay from version 0.8.0 (This was originally an early preview and is now somewhat outdated):

Screenshots for the skeptical (These are also outdated; they're just here to prove it's not a scam):

Ship Interior Editor:

Ship Weapons

Navigation Screen:

Edited June 28, 2015 by nerdboy64

[red7paulbrennan]

I played a little, as a start I like it and where it might go. Kudos

[jmiki8]

Amazing! I really admire people who spend a lot of time to create awesome games like this! Keep going!

[TechnicalK3rbal]

How....Do....I....Do....Anything?!?!?

[nerdboy64]

How....Do....I....Do....Anything?!?!?

Click manage ship, go to crew and power, then drag the sliders all the way to the right. Then you can move around with WASD. Sorry, I should have explained that somewhere.

[NASAFanboy]

Since summer of last year, I've been working on making this game as a hobby/practice project. Shipyard is a 2D turn-based space strategy set in a sci-fi universe, with the main mechanic being the ability to build ships from individual systems such as crew's quarters, engines, reactors, etc. It's still very early in development, with many of the core features only partially implemented. I am currently working on adding the combat system, which should be out sometime in the next few weeks.

I am posting here mainly looking for feedback on what I have so far and/or suggestions for the future. If you're interested, you can read more and download the game here. It requires Java to run.

Screenshots for the skeptical:

Ship Interior Editor:

http://www.brasswatchgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/scrn_2014_01_27_1390862900322.png

Ship Weapons

http://www.brasswatchgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/scrn_2014_02_15_1392521141554.png

Navigation Screen:

http://www.brasswatchgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/scrn_2014_02_17_1392675983753.png

http://www.brasswatchgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/scrn_2014_02_15_1392520891147.png

What program did you use to make this?

This is epic.

[briansun1]

this seems like a really good idea

[The Destroyer]

Pretty good, but too bad I can't fire all my torpedos yet

[nerdboy64]

What program did you use to make this?

This is epic.

Glad you like it. I didn't use any sort of game maker program if that's what you mean. I programmed it in Java with the Eclipse IDE and did the art in Paint.net.

[nerdboy64]

Pretty good, but too bad I can't fire all my torpedos yet

Don't worry, that's coming in the next update.

[hotmailcompany52]

In your next update can add a text file with the controls? Also how does one rotate ship parts?

[nerdboy64]

In your next update can add a text file with the controls? Also how does one rotate ship parts?

I'll be sure to do that with the text file. If you can't move at the beginning of the game, go into the Crew/Power tab of the manage ship screen and put some crew and power into your engines. In the coming version it auto-distributes, but not in the current one. After that it's WASD, arrow keys, or right click to move around the world and left click to interact with stations, enemies, etc.

As for ship parts, you can't rotate them yet, but that's a planned feature. I'll see about maybe getting it in by the next update, but no promises.

[spaceman1999]

How do I open this?

[nerdboy64]

How do I open this?

On Windows, if double clicking doesn't work, right click and select Open with... >> Java Platform (SE) Binary. Not sure about Macs; I don't own one.

[hotmailcompany52]

Ah, with macs you just double click the .jar as if you are running a minecraft server with out terminal.

[sgt_flyer]

The concept is interesting, reminds me of the game Stardrive ship design system (although you seem to be going to have crew management)

[nerdboy64]

I've been working some more on the game, and I decided to make a video of my progress. This is all coming in the next version which is still in development.

[nerdboy64]

There's a new progress report posted on my website. The latest changes include crew repairing systems, improved crew and power distribution, and pirates which actually fight back. Expect to see more news over the next week, as school has gone on spring break meaning I actually have some free time to work on game development.

[nerdboy64]

The combat update is still far from finished, but it's coming along nicely. Since last time, I have made a couple big changes including the addition of an entirely new resource: Scrap. Scrap is dropped by destroyed ships and is used for repairs or can be sold back to the shipyard. You can read more about it on my website.

[Kinglet]

Me wants. I will download now.

[KvickFlygarn87]

I tried it! Looks great, but I can't seem to actually build the ship yet?

EDIT: Nevermind, apparently it builds to your existing ship. Neat!

EDIT2: For some random reason, I don't seem to have any crew even though my ship contains 2 M. Crew Quarters... Weird.

Edited April 21, 2014 by KvickFlygarn87

[nerdboy64]

I tried it! Looks great, but I can't seem to actually build the ship yet?

EDIT: Nevermind, apparently it builds to your existing ship. Neat!

EDIT2: For some random reason, I don't seem to have any crew even though my ship contains 2 M. Crew Quarters... Weird.

You have to manually allocate your crew from the ship management window in the current version. From navigation, press V, go to crew and power, and use the sliders to change your settings. It's a little annoying, which is why it's getting some major improvements in the next update. Unless I forgot to write something down, I didn't add a crew count separate from your crew capacity stat until after releasing that version.

If this didn't help, you can send me a bug report using the "Contact" page on my website.

[nerdboy64]

Shipyard version 0.8.0 or "The Combat Update" has just been released! As the largest update the game has ever seen, there is too much to discuss in one post. You can read the abbreviated version on the Brass Watch Games blog or see the full changelog at the bottom of the game's page.

If you already have the launcher, the update should be ready for download. Otherwise, you can get either the launcher or the full client archive from my website.

[spaceman1999]

How do i open this?

[nerdboy64]

How do i open this?

Double click it like you would a normal program. If that doesn't work, right click it and go to Open with... Java Platform SE Binary. You need the latest version of Java for it to work.

Edited June 8, 2014 by nerdboy64