Armor Alley, 10th-Anniversary Edition: December 2023 Update, Demos, Strategy 💥🚁⛽
Channel: Scott Schiller
Date: 20/12/2023

A big update to my web-based remake of "Armor Alley" (PC-DOS) from 1990: https://armor-alley.net/ It is a real-time strategy-style game, where the goal is to get a van across the battlefield to the enemy base. You fly a helicopter, build convoys, and run defensive and offensive tactics to defeat the enemy.

My remake is free and open-source, and can be played online. https://armor-alley.net/

The highlight: huge updates for mobile / touchscreen devices, bringing the mobile screen UX/UI closer to the desktop experience. The game should be decently playable on an iPhone in vertical / portrait orientation.

Other highlights:

Radar scaling / zoom feature • "Scan nodes" for missile launchers and turrets • Canvas-based parallax star background • "Remastered" 8-bit sprites from the original V1.1 Macintosh game • Game speed option • "Letters from the old tanker" • Upgraded smart missile features • Arrows on super bunkers • Balloons and clouds "drift" with the wind • Refined explosions and particles, improved performance, and much more.

A rough "changelog" based on Github commits (with hahes) on https://github.com/scottschiller/ArmorAlley/

"Traffic control" and ordering pile-up bug fixes

Traffic control: Allow a tank to roll up beside another if firing.

Fixes for issue #4 - make helicopter fire gun, missiles, parachutes and immediately on user action. 8be1eec 589eee6 a0c4c47 082d738 efae44e 72bbfbb ef56ddf f5ff0a9 0d979fe

Issue #5 - improve bullet (and other) collisions, checking "tween" distances. 9b057c1

Issue #6 - Span enemy infantry left of the enemy helicopter. 78bf134

Network game: Correct de-sync of balloons. 0b6c529

Terrain decor (trees, gravestones etc.) on all battles.

Performance: Far future expires on static assets from server.

Bombs can be "thrown" further, max Y velocity increased.

Landing pads can be "obscured", hidden from radar by terrain items - shrubs, etc. cadace0

Default key for bombs: "Z" as in original game. db568ac

Drop all paratroopers (infantry) on eject, not only the pilot. 56386d8

"Scan nodes" for radar.

"Classic" helicopter controls option - slower gunfire + bomb intervals. c860565

Helicopters can now evade smart missiles by hiding in clouds for 1.5 seconds. b05e618

Tighter spacing between units when ordering inventory. 6e4ca04

Super bunkers fire a little faster. fc4c4c4

Super bunkers fire at vans, as in the original game. b8ab6a1

Super bunkers can now show arrows: friendly, neutral / hostile, enemy. be01043

Balloons now show enemy / friendly status on the radar. 15b64ed

"Smart missile upgrades" group pref d912cad

Home menu: Remember the last battle you played. 81fa53f

Red halo + blinking dot on missile targets. fa72334

Game speed feature. 0d620f1 75bcf4a 7cb1fc7 bbd7c31

Cloud "drift" feature: Helicopters cause clouds to move toward the opposing base. a6a92bd

Default mobile speed: 80%. cece24f

"Letters from the old tanker", shown at battle end. 666dc3b

Canvas-based parallax starfield effect. 74fd119

Slight "fog of war" fades on both ends of screen. 9585472

Fix scale / redraw / scroll issues on rotate, iOS Safari. 00ba9bb

"Michael Bay"-style ending option. f7659ca

Smoother fuel bar UI movement, updating every frame. 6c3e5d4

Nicer "woven" / braided balloon chains. 327f482

Smart missiles: Exclude bottom-aligned targets if a super bunker is blocking the path. 61db3f4

Tanks can now fire through neutral super bunkers, too. 7a9df0e

Radar scaling feature / pref. 37c4529

"Remastered" sprites from Armor Alley V1.1 for Macintosh, mostly 8-bit. 9e7c9f1

New sounds: Production halted / resuming. fc4759a

+sounds.cashMoney add457c

New eject key / button: ~ (tilde / backtick.) fd1d1f4

Updated mobile controls + notifications positioning. 26a3dfb

Balloons rotate and turn with the wind, like the original game. 9409838

Timeline:
00:00 Intro, new home menu, tutorial
00:36 Demo: Radar scaling
00:55 Unit glow, missile targeting
01:05 Scan ranges, unit "line of sight"
01:24 Cloud drift feature / strategy
02:05 New options: Game speed
02:24 Starfield + warp, gratuitous game ending
03:00 In-game notifications
03:30 Scan range options
03:58 Smart missile upgrades
05:27 Super bunker status arrows
06:38 Landing pads on radar
07:01 Clouds on radar
07:15 Engineers can repair bunkers
07:24 Engineers can "rob the bank"
07:40 Tank gunfire / bunker pass-thru
07:56 Helicopter auto-flip
08:13 "Classic" helicopter controls
08:27 Game load + performance overview
09:38 "Virtual Stupidity" demo
10:45 Live demo: Wasteland, "extreme" mode
11:20 Strategy: Hiding in a cloud
12:05 Hiding in a cloud, #2
12:58 Mid-battlefield landing pad area
14:37 Defending mid-battlefield area
16:54 Moving further into enemy territory
20:55 Attacking an enemy turret
21:49 Turret run #2
23:12 Turret run #3, attempt to steal enemy funds
25:15 Speeding up the game
25:59 Van nearing end of base
26:26 Battle won
26:39 Letter from The Old Tanker