I felt the need to add more effects so I updated the particles for the alien explosions - the death particles are defined in the alien's script file and in this case there are two particle emitters created on a death.

I also added a 'spark' effect which I have hard-coded into an Alien death to see what it looks like.

Oh, and I added a star-field to the environmental system.

result..... Overload!

Video

Pretty soon I have to stop adding special effects and actually start creating levels for this game.

At least I have a name now... OVERLOAD (okay, a work in progress but I am really have difficulting coming up with a name for this game).

I have been giving some thought to the problem of detecting you are about to hit something when the ship is at the left or right extremes - I am heading towards a hud based overlay that shows a reticule over the thing directly in front of you that shows just how close it is. Its that or remove the funky camera system - and I like the camera system as it is!

P.S.

Just in case anyone is interested - this is what the script looks like that defines an 'alien'

# The first actorName FirstActorXSI Alien1.xsiScale 1.0MaxTurnRate 300.0Navigation PATHSEEKERPointTo ANIMATEDSpinVariables 2.0 0.0Glow 0.0 1.0 1.0Shadow 3.0 2.5 3.0CollisionSphere 0.0 0.0 2.0Type ENEMYPathEndEvent SWITCH_TO_MIDDLE_PATHPathEndEvent1 SWITCH_TO_END_PATHPathEndEvent2 DIESpeed 15.0AddDeathParticle BulletExplodeAddDeathParticle Frax1 Bullet AlienBullet# End of the first actor