Designing a fun 2P co-op powerup system was a big challenge in Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. Take a behind-the-scenes look at our process in a new Gamasutra Deep Dive.
[img=http://i.imgur.com/YAFLSTe.jpg]
...But why was a combo system more engaging than just adding more gem variety? I think it’s because we were engaging a player’s imagination — they would try to predict what certain combos would result in. If a Beam Turret resulted in a railgun weapon, and a Metal Turret resulted in a swinging space flail, what could a Beam-Metal turret be? Players would want to see if they were right, and fill in that space in their mental chart of upgrades.
Full article on Gamasutra.
LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME is a frantic 1- to 4-player couch co-op action space shooter. Explore a colorful galaxy in a massive neon battleship that you control together by manning turrets, lasers, shields and thrusters. Only through teamwork can you triumph over the evil forces of Anti-Love, rescue kidnapped space-bunnies, and avoid a vacuumy demise. Deep space is a dangerous place, but you don’t have to face it alone!
LOCAL CO-OP GAMEPLAY 2 to 4 players (or 1 player plus a loyal AI space-pet) need to work together to man the different battle stations, dashing back and forth between weapons, shields and engines. All players fill important roles at all times, and nobody gets left behind.
UPGRADEABLE SHIPS Find and combine powerful space-gems to customize your ship's load-out. Each gem provides different abilities, letting you learn the right tools for every situation.
A NEW EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME Randomized level layouts mean that all players will be exploring fresh areas every time you play.
SIMPLE CONTROLS, DEEP CHALLENGE Controlling your spacenaut is so simple that anyone can jump in quickly, but getting all players to work together like a well-oiled machine, battling a galaxy of evil robots and constellations — that’s the tricky part.
MINIMAL SETUP
OS: Ubuntu 14.04
Processor: 1.7 GHz Core 2 DuoMemory: 2 GB RAM
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
Storage: 900 MB available spaceAdditional Notes: Gamepad(s) recommended