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Starr Mazer: DSP - July Update, "Shinegunner"
Greetings, Pilots!
We're back! In your face and on your feeds, and this time we're coming with a whole new level draft for you to chunk and plunk your SHMUPPY minds at! Along with a number of upgrades, patches and bug-fixes, this time we're stepping out of Act I and into--
It's official! Not only are we continually upgrading our existing content and engine, we're beginning our monthly release of content new content! One level draft a month, until we're done with them. Then, all 9 levels done, we revise revise revise, pump them with juice, and release a tight, tweaks, amazing game experience to you. We're proud to give you an Early Access peek at-- ActII, Level 1 - "Reducto ad Absurdum"
The DSP MkI Pilots, having defeated the G'ell infected SARDO-099 Form Amorphous Defense Platform, are thrown through the Numspa Gate and into Weirdspace, an alien hyper-space dimension, where their piloting skills are put to the test against hundreds of dizzying G'ell Pattern Attack ships lead by the enigmatic alien fighter pilot Slake Shinegunner, who pilots the visciously effective G'ell Modified Forward Assault Special Frame, "Mad Harbinger." On the other side of Weirdspace, the DSP MkI Pilots find themselves thrust into a UNFP warship graveyard. What was once the entire defensive force of the UNFP, including the "Agotos", an incomprehensibly sized capital ship, now a cracked and burning wreck. The DSP MkI Pilots must dodge the debris of their fallen comrads and battle through a mass of G'ell fighters before facing off a second time with Slake Shinegunner, whose "Mad Harbinger" has been upgraded to a furious brink.
You'll notice we changed this level's boss from BNO-66866 and his wicked ship, "Element Manifold." Don't you worry, he's not getting cut - just moved. We thought that, since Act II's big bad boss is actually a collective of FIVE BOSS SHIPS working in conjunction, known the the G'ell as THE FIGURATE, we'd harass the player with one or more of each of them per level.
Well, yeah! I mean, we can't end every act with a giant super-ship. That would get [strike]boring[/strike] repetitive. THE FIGURATE is not only the main boss of Act II, it's also a set of enemy ships that harass the player throughout the three levels of Act II! For Act II, Level 1 we went with--
Slake Shinegunner is a humanoid alien from Jerk Space, a geometrically unstable pocket of bent-lens beyond the Helix Nebula. Slakes ship, Mad Harbinger, is a prototype Gell super-assault unit armed with the Gells most devastating attacks while still being well armored and fast enough to be competitive.
Slake will harass you in and out of Weirdspace, as is his way.
Oh, that. Yeah. Things get weird once the DSP MkI Pilots are flung through the Numspa Gate. It used to be a stable artificial wormhole in there; a hyperspace corridor used to connect humanity with the greater galaxy.
The G'ell have destroyed the corridor and disrupted the hyperspace channel, creating Weirdspace; an aberration of space-time that the entire UNFP defense force was lost in once it was deployed through the Numspa Gate to stop the G'ell Invasion Force.
At the other end of Weirdspace the DSP MkI Pilots smash into a wall of chaos; the remains of the entire UNFP Defense Force, lead by the now broken and burning capital ship, "Agatos."
Complete! This level draft and has a few phases of polish to go through in which we'll be adding new assets and even more content such as:
Why yes! Keep your eyes peeled for a music announcement next week that is going to blow your mind all the way up!
This sprint, we're focusing on finishing the main elements of Act II, Level 1 - like all of that wreckage and a bunch of juice, as well as starting a new level for you to enjoy: Act II, Level 2 - "Black Without End" Out of the wreckage of the blasted UNFP Defense Force, the DSP MkI Pilots find themselves in dogfight after raging dogfight with the full force of the G'ell armada in orbit around the G'ell Colony Invasion Mega-Ship, "Atamastor," weathering a blistering attack coordinated by the alien assault fighter pilot Boltrox Chennard in his G'ell Strike ship, "Fleshrender." Act II, Level 2 will launch to our test group in August, with our mid-month update, and to the public shortly thereafter, once any major bugs are squished.
Why yes! I'm glad you noticed! We have a test group that meets up on our Discord Server and gets access to test builds as we go. It's a pretty fun gig if you have the time. It gets boring being the only ones breaking our game. Come help! Just pop on to our Discord Server and let us know you want to be a tester. We'll hook you right up!
Thanks for reading this update! And for playing our game! We're continuing to work hard to make something awesome for you, because you're awesome! YES, YOU! STILL! Until next time, GET BACK MEOWT THERE, PILOT! - Don Thacker, Imagos Softworks
[ 2019-08-02 15:32:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Into the SPACE GATE!
Greetings, Pilots!
We're back! In your face and on your feeds, and this time we're coming with a whole new level draft for you to chunk and plunk your SHMUPPY minds at! Along with a number of upgrades, patches and bug-fixes, this time we're stepping out of Act I and into--
Act II: Cracking the Heavens, Shaking the Stars
It's official! Not only are we continually upgrading our existing content and engine, we're beginning our monthly release of content new content! One level draft a month, until we're done with them. Then, all 9 levels done, we revise revise revise, pump them with juice, and release a tight, tweaks, amazing game experience to you. We're proud to give you an Early Access peek at-- ActII, Level 1 - "Reducto ad Absurdum"
The DSP MkI Pilots, having defeated the G'ell infected SARDO-099 Form Amorphous Defense Platform, are thrown through the Numspa Gate and into Weirdspace, an alien hyper-space dimension, where their piloting skills are put to the test against hundreds of dizzying G'ell Pattern Attack ships lead by the enigmatic alien fighter pilot Slake Shinegunner, who pilots the visciously effective G'ell Modified Forward Assault Special Frame, "Mad Harbinger." On the other side of Weirdspace, the DSP MkI Pilots find themselves thrust into a UNFP warship graveyard. What was once the entire defensive force of the UNFP, including the "Agotos", an incomprehensibly sized capital ship, now a cracked and burning wreck. The DSP MkI Pilots must dodge the debris of their fallen comrads and battle through a mass of G'ell fighters before facing off a second time with Slake Shinegunner, whose "Mad Harbinger" has been upgraded to a furious brink.
What's New?
You'll notice we changed this level's boss from BNO-66866 and his wicked ship, "Element Manifold." Don't you worry, he's not getting cut - just moved. We thought that, since Act II's big bad boss is actually a collective of FIVE BOSS SHIPS working in conjunction, known the the G'ell as THE FIGURATE, we'd harass the player with one or more of each of them per level.
FIVE BOSS SHIPS?
Well, yeah! I mean, we can't end every act with a giant super-ship. That would get [strike]boring[/strike] repetitive. THE FIGURATE is not only the main boss of Act II, it's also a set of enemy ships that harass the player throughout the three levels of Act II! For Act II, Level 1 we went with--
Slake Shinegunner / Mad Harbinger
Slake Shinegunner is a humanoid alien from Jerk Space, a geometrically unstable pocket of bent-lens beyond the Helix Nebula. Slakes ship, Mad Harbinger, is a prototype Gell super-assault unit armed with the Gells most devastating attacks while still being well armored and fast enough to be competitive.
Slake will harass you in and out of Weirdspace, as is his way.
Weirdspace?
Oh, that. Yeah. Things get weird once the DSP MkI Pilots are flung through the Numspa Gate. It used to be a stable artificial wormhole in there; a hyperspace corridor used to connect humanity with the greater galaxy.
The G'ell have destroyed the corridor and disrupted the hyperspace channel, creating Weirdspace; an aberration of space-time that the entire UNFP defense force was lost in once it was deployed through the Numspa Gate to stop the G'ell Invasion Force.
At the other end of Weirdspace the DSP MkI Pilots smash into a wall of chaos; the remains of the entire UNFP Defense Force, lead by the now broken and burning capital ship, "Agatos."
What It's Got
- New Level Design
- New Enemies
- New Patterns
- New Gameplay Mechanics
What It's Not
Complete! This level draft and has a few phases of polish to go through in which we'll be adding new assets and even more content such as:
- New Music
- New Sound Effects
- Voiced Character Intro for Slake
- More Cat Admiral!
- More Post-Weirdspace Action
- MORE CAT ADMIRAL!
New Music?
Why yes! Keep your eyes peeled for a music announcement next week that is going to blow your mind all the way up!
What's Next?
This sprint, we're focusing on finishing the main elements of Act II, Level 1 - like all of that wreckage and a bunch of juice, as well as starting a new level for you to enjoy: Act II, Level 2 - "Black Without End" Out of the wreckage of the blasted UNFP Defense Force, the DSP MkI Pilots find themselves in dogfight after raging dogfight with the full force of the G'ell armada in orbit around the G'ell Colony Invasion Mega-Ship, "Atamastor," weathering a blistering attack coordinated by the alien assault fighter pilot Boltrox Chennard in his G'ell Strike ship, "Fleshrender." Act II, Level 2 will launch to our test group in August, with our mid-month update, and to the public shortly thereafter, once any major bugs are squished.
Test Group, You Say?
Why yes! I'm glad you noticed! We have a test group that meets up on our Discord Server and gets access to test builds as we go. It's a pretty fun gig if you have the time. It gets boring being the only ones breaking our game. Come help! Just pop on to our Discord Server and let us know you want to be a tester. We'll hook you right up!
More to come!
Thanks for reading this update! And for playing our game! We're continuing to work hard to make something awesome for you, because you're awesome! YES, YOU! STILL! Until next time, GET BACK MEOWT THERE, PILOT! - Don Thacker, Imagos Softworks
[ 2019-08-02 15:32:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Starr Mazer: DSP
Imagos Softworks
Developer
AGM Playism
Publisher
2016-08-26
Release
Game News Posts:
26
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
🎮 Full Controller Support
🎮 Full Controller Support
Mostly Positive
(224 reviews)
The Game includes VR Support
Public Linux Depots:
- Linux Content [174.82 M]
Starr Mazer: DSP is a side-scrolling shoot’em up in the same vein as classics like Gradius and Lords of Thunder with a roguelike twist on the traditional lives/continues system. Players take control of a squadron of DSP pilots with different ships, weapon loadouts and voices. Your mission is to battle through nine frantic arcade levels, countless waves of enemies, 3 powerful bosses, and take down the G’ell Super Ship in a single run.
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The citizens of Thersa-CPIX are at war and we’re not sending one hero to the fight, we’re sending EVERYONE!
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Starr Mazer: DSP was born as a passion project during the development of its bigger brother, the point-and-click SHMUP hybrid, Starr Mazer. Originally, Imagos Softworks teamed up with veteran development studio Pixeljam to craft a demo environment to test weapons, enemy attack patterns and space combat. When both teams couldn’t stop playing the single demo level they designed, they knew they were onto something very, very special.
Shortly after, Don Thacker, Alex Mauer and Miles Tilmann started working tirelessly to crack the code and turn the little demo into a unique fully featured experience. After playing Rogue Legacy, Don was inspired to craft an elegant roguelike game loop to add a refreshing update to the shooter genre. Thus the DSP MkI Corp was founded and a perilous battle that pitted thousands of pilots against the G’ell invasion was born!
A unique game mechanic alone isn’t enough to be memorable. So to bring the world to life in stunning pixel art, the team enlisted Starr Mazer art director Maximo V. Lorenzo, lead artist Kirk Barnett and background artist Christopher Pariano. Alex Mauer, composer of Starr Mazer, also joins with an intense synthwave soundtrack to round out the experience and take what was once a single demo test level into a fully realized shoot’em up experience!
![]()
Hi there! It’s Dan, Playism’s senior content manager. Starr Mazer as a whole is a project I’m very close to and I wanted to say a few words about it.
A major cornerstone of my video game experiences growing up was sitting in front of the TV playing hours of Life Force, R-Type and Gradius. What enraptured me about these games were the stories they told in their boxart, levels, the kinds of enemies that appeared, the bosses and the way they implied humanity’s imminent extinction. These were stories that not only came alive in my imagination, but that were also clearly communicated in pixel art that was not always so clear. Despite low-fi graphics, the experience was profoundly hi-fidelity.
It was a trend that I didn’t feel followed the genre as a whole. Cave took SHMUP story-telling to new heights with Mushihimesama and Death Smiles; Treasure did so with Radiant Silver Gun and Ikaruga. However, I felt the stories in those games came across quite differently as my attention was drawn toward moments and bullets rather than stages and bosses. Impressive as they were, my focus was simply on other things—like not dying horribly.
As I came to know Don’s work in film, such as his shorts and feature length film, Motivational Growth, I understood where Starr Mazer: DSP’s strengths in story came from. And talking with him about classic and modern games I finally understood how Imagos Softworks and Pixeljam were seamlessly blending modern roguelike designs with old school, horizontal, SHMUP story-telling.
Starr Mazer: DSP will be my first personal experience with Early Access and I’m thrilled to see where this adventure goes. I can’t wait to undertake it with you.
The citizens of Thersa-CPIX are at war and we’re not sending one hero to the fight, we’re sending EVERYONE!
- Levels - Battle through nine Levels, across three intense arcade-style bullet-filled acts! Take the fight from the surface of war torn Thersa-CPIX to the Space Gate and up to the heart of the G’ell Super Ship; the Adamastor!
- Recruit - Recruit a diverse team of humans, aliens, and a dog! Hand pick your DSP team before every mission using their weapons, stats and battle order to your advantage!
- SK:ORE - The fight never ends with SK:ORE! There are no game overs in this battle! Use your SK:ORE from fallen enemies and Carbomite pickups to purchase a new squadron of pilots!
- Unlock Pilots - Discover legendary pilots! Give your squadron an edge in battle with unique legendary pilots like Slimo, Bunny Killmaster, Don Thacker and many more!
- Power Up - Power up your weapons for maximum destruction! Collect Carbomite from fallen foes to power up your primary fire or to fuel your super weapon!
Starr Mazer: DSP was born as a passion project during the development of its bigger brother, the point-and-click SHMUP hybrid, Starr Mazer. Originally, Imagos Softworks teamed up with veteran development studio Pixeljam to craft a demo environment to test weapons, enemy attack patterns and space combat. When both teams couldn’t stop playing the single demo level they designed, they knew they were onto something very, very special.
Shortly after, Don Thacker, Alex Mauer and Miles Tilmann started working tirelessly to crack the code and turn the little demo into a unique fully featured experience. After playing Rogue Legacy, Don was inspired to craft an elegant roguelike game loop to add a refreshing update to the shooter genre. Thus the DSP MkI Corp was founded and a perilous battle that pitted thousands of pilots against the G’ell invasion was born!
A unique game mechanic alone isn’t enough to be memorable. So to bring the world to life in stunning pixel art, the team enlisted Starr Mazer art director Maximo V. Lorenzo, lead artist Kirk Barnett and background artist Christopher Pariano. Alex Mauer, composer of Starr Mazer, also joins with an intense synthwave soundtrack to round out the experience and take what was once a single demo test level into a fully realized shoot’em up experience!
Hi there! It’s Dan, Playism’s senior content manager. Starr Mazer as a whole is a project I’m very close to and I wanted to say a few words about it.
A major cornerstone of my video game experiences growing up was sitting in front of the TV playing hours of Life Force, R-Type and Gradius. What enraptured me about these games were the stories they told in their boxart, levels, the kinds of enemies that appeared, the bosses and the way they implied humanity’s imminent extinction. These were stories that not only came alive in my imagination, but that were also clearly communicated in pixel art that was not always so clear. Despite low-fi graphics, the experience was profoundly hi-fidelity.
It was a trend that I didn’t feel followed the genre as a whole. Cave took SHMUP story-telling to new heights with Mushihimesama and Death Smiles; Treasure did so with Radiant Silver Gun and Ikaruga. However, I felt the stories in those games came across quite differently as my attention was drawn toward moments and bullets rather than stages and bosses. Impressive as they were, my focus was simply on other things—like not dying horribly.
As I came to know Don’s work in film, such as his shorts and feature length film, Motivational Growth, I understood where Starr Mazer: DSP’s strengths in story came from. And talking with him about classic and modern games I finally understood how Imagos Softworks and Pixeljam were seamlessly blending modern roguelike designs with old school, horizontal, SHMUP story-telling.
Starr Mazer: DSP will be my first personal experience with Early Access and I’m thrilled to see where this adventure goes. I can’t wait to undertake it with you.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: Ubuntu 14.04 or higher
- Processor: 1 Ghz CPUMemory: 2 GB RAMStorage: 150 MB available space
- Memory: 2 GB RAMStorage: 150 MB available space
- Storage: 150 MB available space
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