CrissCross

I'm currently making a game based on an old Commodore 64 game called CrossRoads. The idea is that you navigate a maze filled with creatures to collect a number of shields to move on to the next level.

The creatures in the maze all have different behavior and alliances so that that some of the creatures will try to kill each other and some will leave each other in peace, so it creates some emergent gameplay (Hopefully!).To make my game different from the original I want to try different creature behaviors to see what fun combinations can happen as well as try to have a few power-ups or obstacles that can be affected by either the player or the creatures

Here's what I have right now:

http://www.stencyl.com/game/play/3727

Controls:
arrow keys - move
Spacebar   - shoot

The blue squares are supposed to be enemies but they don't do much right now, and the key things are what you're trying to collect. The original game allows for two players on the same screen at the same time. Once I get the game to a playable state with one player I'll see what it takes to add the second player in

The game is clearly nowhere near complete, but I'm open to comments or criticism.

Great job so far. Navigation is also pretty slick.

Any way we can get some form of AI for enemies to try to hunt down the main actor?

Very nice start! I'm looking forward to the finished version of this.

One thing I'd like to suggest is when two or more tile pieces are "stacked" vertically, maybe it would be better to make the wall look continuous and seamless.

One thing I'd like to suggest is when two or more tile pieces are "stacked" vertically, maybe it would be better to make the wall look continuous and seamless.

Fixed! I'll do another pass on the sprites once the game is more playable though, so never mind that the characters are just blocks

Any way we can get some form of AI for enemies to try to hunt down the main actor?

That's the next step, the idea is to have about 4 or 5 different types of enemies roaming around each with different AI, also some of them will want to kill each other and not the player. The idea is to have a mini ecosystem going on as you try to collect the keys.

Now to try to get the enemies moving around and chasing the player

If possible, can you develop your AI behavior such that they can be broadly be used by other games as well? I do not have anything specific in mind at this moment though.

I have added a bunch of small things like sounds some UI and intro screen, random key and enemy spawning, and a bunch of other small things.

I've also finally started working on the enemy behaviors. Right now they just wander around aimlessly, but already it adds some challenge to the game as they might grab some of the keys and you have to hunt them down.

If possible, can you develop your AI behavior such that they can be broadly be used by other games as well? I do not have anything specific in mind at this moment though.

Yeah, once I get the enemy A.I. working I'll make sure to share the behaviors

Nice work! I particularly like the mechanic of enemies eating the keys and dropping them when they are shot. I'm curious why the recovered keys spawn elsewhere instead of where the enemy was killed. Was that a design decision?

I am afraid that CrissCross is a brand of shoes. I have pair of them.

Nice work! I particularly like the mechanic of enemies eating the keys and dropping them when they are shot. I'm curious why the recovered keys spawn elsewhere instead of where the enemy was killed. Was that a design decision?

Thanks! yeah the dropped keys appearing randomly was a design choice (though that might change later). I think it keeps the player more on their toes since they have to keep track of where the key went to and make sure it doesn't get stolen again.

However I can't take all the credit. Like I said in my first post, this game is heavily based off another game (Cross Roads), which I am basing a lot of the design on (Symmetrical stages, player controls, collecting keys). Once the game is closer to finished and fun, I will be adding new elements and tweaking the game-play to make it my own.

I am afraid that CrissCross is a brand of shoes. I have pair of them.

Damn them, and I was totally going to spin off my own shoe brand from this game 

I...
LOVE THIS GAME!!!

It's so addictive! And fun!
I do have a few points, though...
Could you make it so that:
1- Bullets do not collide with keys?
2- Bullets do not collide with actor?
3- Enemies drop keys where they fall?

Otherwise, the game is perfect! I'm looking foreward to the full version!

I do have a few points, though...
Could you make it so that:
1- Bullets do not collide with keys?
2- Bullets do not collide with actor?
3- Enemies drop keys where they fall?

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it, hopefully with everyone's input this game will be great. As for your suggestions:

1. I will try that out, right now I kind of like the idea of enemies being able to take cove behind the keys, that way it feels a bit like a race when the player and an enemy are going for the same key.

2. I'm assuming you mean bullets not hitting the player? that's an important part of the game since it keeps you more on your toes. But maybe it's more fun to just run around shooting everything that it is worrying about shooting yourself in the back?

3. I've heard this from several people so I'll try that out and see how it feels