Level Design Planning for Planets

All asteroids spawn outside the screen while moons being stationary spawn in properly visible.

Planet 1

Lvl 1 -

Only Terrestrial Moons appear in this level. Players cannot die in this level at all. Spawn rate is consistent. Whenever a player destroys a moon another one spawns.

Lvl 2 -

TM and Terrestrial Asteroids appear in this level onwards. TAs are slowest in this level. The base value of ttr in the xml file can be established for this level and all remaining levels have ttr with a subtraction to them based on difficult they need to be and what the CPM for that level is. TAs spawn one at a time in this level, when one is destroyed another spawns. If a TA gets too close the asteroids could all freeze and the player is told to type the letters on the asteroid closest to them to kill it.

Lvl 3 -

Same as last level but TAs now spawn in pairs and are marginally faster (for instance ttr-5).

Lvl 4 -

Introduces a barrage like system where clumps of 2-3 asteroids spawn at once on different corners of the screen. TMs continue spawning in almost all levels for the sake points and Gravel material.

Lvl 5 -

The ttr is a bit lower (ex: ttr-10) but after a few barrage phases the players are faced by their first Gargantuan Asteroid. Killing it and its off-shoot asteroids completes all levels for this planet.

Planet 2

Lvl 1 -

Introduces Vulcanian Moons.

Asteroidless lvl. However players will learn that if they keep destroying VMs their overheat meter rises. Maxing out the overheat meter causes a lose of life as well. Therefore players must try to mainly destroy TMs in this level and use VMs only when too many spawn or their overheat meter has cooled down.

Lvl 2 -

TAs spawn this level onwards again in groups of 1 to 3 at a time. Make 3 asteroids spawn at the same time whenever a VM is on screen and the players overheat meter is sufficiently cool. This could encourage them to destroy the VM in order to destroy all other obstacles. A hint could spawn to tell the players to try and do this as well.

Max asteroid speed is faster (ttr-15)

Lvl 3 -

Asteroids now spawn in groups of 1 to 4 at a time.

Max asteroid speed is faster (ttr-20).

Lvl 4 -

Asteroids now spawn in groups of 2 to 4 at a time.

Max asteroid speed is faster (ttr-25).

Lvl 5 -

Asteroids now spawn in groups of 2 to 3 at a time. Max asteroid speed is faster (ttr-30).

2 Gargantuan Asteroids as bosses in this level. Players realise that destroying a GA with a VM is BAD because it makes the smaller asteroids faster Vulcanic as well.

Planet 3

Lvl 1 -

Introduces Cryogenic Moons but no VMs spawn.

Asteroidless lvl. However players will learn that if they keep destroying CMs their overheat meter drops. Bottoming out the overheat meter causes a slower rate of fire (bullets have a lag of 3 seconds before they are shot out of a frozen spaceship). Therefore players must try to find a balance between destroying CMs and VMs.

Lvl 2 -

Asteroids spawn in groups of 2 to 3. Max asteroid speed (MAS) could be (ttr-25) so that it feels slightly easier than the lvl 5 of Planet 2.

Lvl 3 -

Asteroids spawn in groups of 2 to 4. MAS = ttr - 30.

Lvl 4 -

Asteroids spawn in groups of 3 to 4. MAS = ttr - 35.

Lvl 5 -

Asteroids spawn in groups of 3 to 4. MAS = ttr - 30. 3 Gargantuan Asteroids. Players realise CMs are great for GAs as they freeze them and the smaller asteroids they spawn upon destruction for 5 seconds. In later levels moons phase in and out and can only be destroyed in certain periods but once destroyed won't respawn so players may want to save cryogenic moons on Boss levels so as to deal with GAs better.

Planet 4

Lvl 1 -