| Submitted by , posted on 09 November 2004 |

Image Description, by As an introduction, the description of Galactic Gladiator from the site reads: "Galactic Gladiator is a fast-paced, top-down, scrolling, space shooter inspired by several timeless classics. Beyond improved graphics, music, sound, etc., modern technology allows the inclusion of new game-play mechanics that add strategy, tactical skill, and generally more depth to the genre."
Galactic Gladiator is a game project that we (myself and Chris Iacobucci) have been working on for about 4 years, albeit very on and off. Finally we've completed version 1.0.0, and intend on submitting it to the Student Showcase of the Independent Game Festival.
While the "space shooter" genre isn't exactly leading edge technology, we feel that we've implemented quite a few new ideas that give our game more depth than your average shooter.
On to the technical features (taken from the web site):

> - Fast, pixel-perfect collision detection between all weapons and objects
> - DirectDraw graphics system capable of MMX software alpha blending (with alpha channel) in both 16bit (555 or 565) and 32bit (888) colour
> - Dynamic musical styles and transitions based on current game situation via DirectMusic Producer and AudioVBScript
> - Automated and secure (very cheat-proof) submission of high scores to the online high scores system using HTTP, XML and server-side DLLs for decryption and validation
> - Full support for DirectInput devices, arbitrary key/button mappings, analog axes and force feedback
> - Lots of testing and a relentless attention to detail has produced very optimized code that runs well even on low end machines
> - Individual behavior (AI) for every ship class
> - Solid, stable and intuitive GUI: both ingame and in the launcher
> - Smooth animation and impressive graphics rendered from 3d Studio Max models
> - Generic particle systems (both pixel-based and bitmapped) produce many effects, from shields absorbing hits, to missile trails, to massive expanding shock waves

(DirectDraw? Yes we'd do it in a 3D API nowadays without a second thought, but just to give a timeline: when this project was started, I had a Voodoo3... 16bit color max! That said we've expanded our graphics engine significantly to allow full alpha channel even on low-end, non-3d-accelerated machines.)
Probably the thing that we're most proud of though is the fact that the game is solid, polished, and (for the most part) done! As fellow developers, I'm sure you all know how tempting it is to drop something and move on to some "newer" or "more interesting" project. That said, even if we don't get selected for the IGF Student Showcase, we're quite happy to have this done as a portfolio piece.
Thanks for your time, and please feel free to submit feedback either here or on the site's forums.
More images, music, info, online high scores, forums and free download here: http://www.galacticgladiator.com

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