update #12

I'll continue with the development of the Tankform engine. Depending on time I will include a beta of another game I'm planning on.
I'm aware that previous downloads of Tankanoid-F are no longer available aside from Gamejolt and Yoyogames as Megavideo dropped. I will not be adding additional DL links for Tankanoid-F.

Development will recommence on the 10th of August and I hope to finish before 15th of September.
The new game will be called Tank-F2 and the DL pack will include Tankanoid-F and Tankform 1.0 engine to modify at your own will. Please give credit when used.

However unless something else appears to give way... there'll not be a Tank-G.
Tank-F2 will include around half of the missions in Tankanoid-F with brand new missions to total up to 16.

...

I do want to create a visual novel, but it's not a task for me to create solo... I'll join as part of a collab effort.

'Days Of Old' Ideas #2

• Multiplayer matching system would match players depending on 'Grade'. 
• Grade is determined by measuring your 'Performance Rating' across 15 recent matches. 
• The average of the 15 Performance Ratings are then tallied into 5 Grades: Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum (placeholder names). 
• Performance Rating is based your 'Performance Score' compared to the player with the highest Performance Score when the game ends (quitting matches does not affect Performance -- other measures are taken into account for quitters). 
• 'Performance Score' is measures via kills, assists, deaths, suicides, supporting actions, objectives, etc..
  However Performance Rating is the percentage of your P.Score compared to the highest P.Score.
  E.g. Highest P.Score in match is 1650, your P.Score is 1205 (not actual numbers), your P.Rating is 73.03%
  E.g. Highest P.Score in match is 1820, your P.Score is/ties 1820, your P.Rating is 100%
  Grade is determined by the average of 15 previous P.Ratings and then assigned as either Steel 0-19.99%, Bronze 20-39.99%, Silver 40-59.99%, Gold 60-79.99%, Platinum 80-100% (e.g. averaged as 78.22% would be Gold Grade). 
• Players who search for a match will NEVER find allies or opponents higher than their own 'Grade'.
  Players in a group searching for a match will NEVER find allies or opponents higher than the highest Grade in their group.
  The only time players will find allies or opponents lower than their own Grade is if the low-grader is in a group with the high-grader. 
• In playlists below 12v12, groups of 4 players is the maximum single group count.
  12v12 to 15v15 (if 15v15 exists), groups of 6 players is the maximum single group count.
  16v16 and above (max 32v32), groups of 8 players is the maximum single group count.
  Free-for-all playlists and special team playlists do not allow groups. These playlists do not allow Join in-progress via Friends list, only via Quick match. This rule applies to the standard playlists if the friend group is at it's maximum. 
• In relation to maximum groups, think Halo 3/Reach when certain playlists are capped at number players in a search lobby. 

'Days Of Old' Ideas #1

• Five classes of primary weapon (Assault Rifle, Marksman Rifle, Heavy Rifle, Force Rifle, Nano Rifle). 
• Assault Rifles: Largest selection of attachments, Semiautomatic/Burst/Automatic fire modes, Useful in various ranges. 
• Marksman Rifle: Bolt-action/Semiautomatic fire modes, Higher powered scope attachments. 
• Heavy Rifle: Larger magazine size, Stabilizer attachment, Suppression effect, Higher recoil, More accurate when trigger held, Can damage considerably damage aircraft. 
• Force Rifle: Semiautomatic, Low ROF, Can considerably damage vehicles. 
• Nano Rifle: Close-mid range, Can 'mutate' after every kill. 
• Weapons can 'evolve' after every kill (Offensive) or after every death (Defensive). The weapon evolves to perform better to the kill/death conditions.
  E.g. Offensive Evolution: Kill an enemy at long range, your weapon adapts to suit slightly longer ranged combat.
  E.g. Defensive Evolution: Get killed by an enemy because you're reloading, your weapon adapts for faster reloading or increase magazine capacity. 
• If a team is losing considerably then that team will gain a small stat boost to fight back with.
  While a greatly winning team will gain a unique feature that aims towards keeping the lead.
  This change attempts to change the tide by making combat more intense without making one side get a huge advantage. 
• There is one sidearm. However the sidearm can be heavily modified with 'Major Upgrade' and two attachments. So a standard pistol can become a miniature shotgun with mounted bayonet and laser sight, or a silenced SMG with a holographic sight. 
• Nano Rifles are the only weapons to 'mutate'. After a kill, mutations get assigned to the D-pad such as 'Focus', 'Aim', 'Power' and 'Supply'. Result will differ between Nano Rifle and per mutation stage (up to 16 stages/kills).
  E.g. Killing an enemy, then choosing the 'Aim' mutation, the weapon then quickly mutates to have a holographic/red dot sight.
  E.g. Getting another kill, then choosing the 'Focus' mutation, the weapon then gains a foregrip attachment for stability, and keeps the sight.
  E.g. Getting another kill, then choosing the 'Aim' mutation again, the weapon keeps the foregrip but changes the holographic/red dot sight into a x4 scope. 
• Specialisations are play-style boosters like faster objective capturing or Suppression displaying enemies on the map, etc. 
• Mods are similar to Perks from CoD but Mods offer disadvantaged along with the advantage to balance out, this allows new players with less Mods to not be hindered for it. Some combinations suit players whereas some players may prefer no Mods in their Loadout at all. 
• Win Bonus is a defensive or control-based upgrade that applies when your team is winning by around 20% of the maximum score over the opposing team.
  Loss Bonus can boost a specific player attributes such as reload speed, max reserved ammo, stealth capabilities, etc. 
• Equipment are akin to a third weapon in that it is very important to harness the potential of your loadout equipment. These include Anti-air Rocket Launcher, Personal Drone, Automatic Sentry, Deployable Turret, Health Kit, Ammo Resupply Drop, etc.. Some of these are rechargeable while some are used only once (unless recovered or resupplied). 
• The mutations will only apply when the player chooses them, not automatically in combat.
  The mutations will reset upon death (but not with switching/exchanging weapons).
  It is therefore possible to pick up a Nano Rifle from a dead enemy that may have reached stage 16. 
• Custom Loadouts include:
  Primary Weapon,
  PW Attachments (frontmount/barrel, sight and support/mechanical) -- If a Nano Rifle classed weapon is not chosen,
  Sidearm,
  Sidearm Attachments (major upgrade, sight/frontmount and barrel/mechanical),
  Grenade Type,
  Equipment,
  Equipment Upgrade,
  Mod Chain (Up to 5 Mods can be chained together),
  Specialisation (Play-style boosters),
  Win Bonus (Can be a defensive or control-based upgrade),
  Loss Bonus (Can boost a specific stat - reload speed/max reserved ammo/stealth capabilities). 
• Controls:
  LS -- Movement
  LS (press) -- Sprint
  RS -- Aim
  RS (press) -- Toggle crouch/stand
  A -- Jump
  B -- ...
  X -- Use Equipment
  Y -- Switch weapons
  RT -- Fire
  RB -- Reload, Enter vehicle, Exchange weapons, Action
  LT -- Aim down sights
  LB -- Throw grenade
  D-pad -- ...
  D-pad (Down) -- Toggle frontmount attachment or activate 'mutation mode'
  D-pad (Mutation mode) -- Activate mutation when available (For Nano Rifles only)
  Start -- Pause menu
  Back -- Spot (small icon appears over enemy's head)
  Back (hold) -- Scoreboard
  RS (click) (while sprinting) -- Slide-to-crouch 
• Melee is possible when Bayonet is attached (press B to use bayonet). 

update #11

I've set a deadline for Tank-F2, using the 'Tankform 1.0' engine.
Building the game from scratch for both learning purposes and to add new features to Tankanoid-F.
Tank-F2 will support previously release code-shards and will make include heavy alterations to pre-existing features as well as add to features and game modes.
The game and engine will be released June 30th (or before), available to download from this blog, yoyogames, gamejolt and the Tankanoid facebook page.

Update #10

I've decided to keep the game on PC considering adjusting it for portable devices would be limiting the game too much.
Even if I fix the lagging issues there's the controls that are essentially broken. I can't have two or more actions at one given time... which is a HUGE problem...
So PC it will remain. I will still include the features stated in previous posts such as progression, saving, new game mode, etc...

Update #9

Just crashed head-first into a large technical hitch... It'd be near impossible to play on Android/iOS as it stands currently.

Test results below:
Performance: Very laggy
Graphics: Normal
Controls: Difficult

Frame rate drops significantly when effects play on screen...FIXABLE
Graphics are normal but small due to screen size...EXPECTED
Controls are don't respond well to fast touch pad usage; even with on-screen button controls...UNFIXABLE

Due to the control difficulties the game will have to be scrapped. Seems unfortunate really, but I can't think of any control layout to work with only one area of the screen being pressed without rapidly tapping...

Update #8

I've decided to remove multiplayer from the game completely. Realising it may just cause complications and the fact I cannot do a LAN game as well as I wanted to.
I will still go ahead with the progression idea especially considering I've got a clear win with 4 votes against 1 for progression-based upgrades and 3 of those are for the perk-style upgrade over the grind-style.

I'll be releasing a beta in the near future to show off some progression along with the 'extra feature' also to preview the 'new game mode' among other various fixes.

Update #7

Current results::

LAN - 2

Local - 2

Progression - 4

(Perk-style - 3)

(Grind-style - 1)

No progression - 1

I'm leaning more towards Local co-op play, simply due to ease of development. It's literally a variable check to switch between single play and co-op play.
And I'm actually glad the Perk-style progression is more in favour, this means I can include a roulette feature to gamble earned credits for much more than you have or risk a portion of it.

Update #6

Progress of the new engine is slow, but since I'm busy with numerous things it's kinda difficult. I'm getting people to request what features they would like to see in the game:

• If they want either head-to-head LAN mode, or co-op on one screen, and
• if they want a progression system in the game, if they do then either a perk-style system or a grind-style system.

Knowing if certain features should be in the game or not will allow me to make hooks in the engine to include various features in later on. For example: a shield flickering visual effect for later use.

Tankanoid-F2

I'm rebuilding the 'Tankanoid 4.0' engine for ease-of-use and to include some new features.
The engine will be called 'F2' engine. I will be updating this engine to the 'Tankform' engine as I try to add newer visual effects and make these available to other platforms.

The 'F2' engine will include:

• Shard code input system
• Alternate difficulty
• New tank design, extra skins
• 'Secret' game mode

The 'F2' engine will remove:

• The rank-progression system
• Black difficulty mode
• Extra skins from Tankanoid-F

I'm also recolouring some sprites to give the game a blander or darker feel, and if the new explosion effects work then I think the game will look much better.

Tankanoid-F2 will come with the engine via .zip file

Update #5

My game idea is still in flux at the moment... since I have no idea how to make a dating sim :(
A visual novel would be long and relatively boring so a different game idea may be better...

Hopefully ideas will arise soon, either that or spin-offs.
I'm hoping to work towards LAN capability but don't expect much if that is included.

I will build my engine from scratch if need be but not if I don't have to. Remaking and reworking the engine will allow for others to use an easier version of the engine. With a PDF guide included...

I hope to expand Tankanoid into other media sectors such as web/facebook and mobile platforms to get the most out of my efforts.

Update #4

Game Maker Studio is taking it's time to be released so I'm starting work on a totally different project. It's still in it's conceptual stages as I'm still deciding on the game genre.
Either a Visual novel or a Dating simulator.
Putting my dreaded art skills to the test with artwork, design, story and of course humour...
I won't continue work on Tankanoid-G until GMS is released, in the mean time, someone has undertaken my Tankanoid-F unstable engine to expand and improve and release a game using that.
I do want to make a better engine of Tankanoid for people to use. But mainly if I end up remaking the whole engine from scratch depending on GMS.

I will hopefully continue to update this new project with character designs and final images, along with concept scripts, etc.
(and since I'll be starting designing pretty soon, I can upload pictures soon enough)