WELCOME
Welcome to the Shell Shock Live 2 community website. This is created so that users of the Shell Shock Forums can come and chat to each other about the game and other related topics. This has just started so please be patient as this will be improved upon.
Here is a review from Casual Gameplay:
"If an interviewer with a camera were to stop people on the street and ask them the question "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" the answers would be the usual range from "A million dollars" to "Peace on Earth". However, most of those folks would be lying for the camera, because for many the answer would really be "To be able to drive a tank and blow things up," at least for a certain segment of the population, like those who dream of taking a tank on a rampage through suburban San Diego or points beyond. Last year a great live turn-based multi-player action game answered the prayers of those few and proud with that dream, and now a sequel has brought back the tanking madness with Kyle Champ's ShellShock Live 2!
Like its predecessor ShellShock Live, ShellShock Live 2 (ShellShockier?) is a multi-player strategic arcade-style shooter wherein the players command tanks and basically blow the living heck out of each other. The tanks are back with more weapons, more landscapes, more modes, and more explodey action. It's not just the new and goofier weapons that make ShellShock Live 2 even more fun than its predecessor (personal favorite: the piñata bomb), but the new types of gameplay that have been incorporated. Fight as a team or create a free-for-all where everyone is the enemy; play for points or compete in a deathmatch; or have everyone shooting at once as opposed to individually, the choices are endless. Live chat allows you to talk trash to your fellow players as you try to annihilate each other across the changing landscape.
Kyle Champ has taken everything that was great about the original ShellShock Live and added more. Players can create their own logins or use the ubiquitous Facebook. There are micro-transitions within the game, but they are unobtrusive and unnecessary to having a rollicking good time. Playing for free simple means you need to gain experience in the game to level up to some pretty amusing and devastating weapons and considering how addicting the gameplay is this won't be a burden. Let that familiar, throbbing soundtrack wash over you as you wipe out your enemies (and your friends) with this fantastic artillery game!"
Another one from Flash Mush:
"One of my, actually scratch that, my all time favorite multiplayer artillery flash game is back with a new and improved sequel! Shellshock Live 2! You may notice a long time ago I did a review on the original Shellshock Live and it was even old back then. Well a new and improved version is out so get to shooting some cannons!
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of the Shellshock Live series or artillery games in general it is quite simple. You are a tank which has all sorts of crazy weapons you can shoot at your enemies which you get a random selection of at the beginning of a match. You then adjust your angle and power of your shot to try and hit your opponents, note though that the ground changes with your shots and changes quite rapidly. Each weapon does something totally different and I am happy to say that in Shellshock Live 2 the weapons are even better!
So first I'll talk about some of the new weapons and features with that. There are tons of weapons, over 100 supposedly according to the developer and each is unique. You have classics like grenades, air strikes and bounce shots but you also get new and crazy ones like pinata, shuriken, firework, etc. You really just need to play to see for yourself. And it is good to play and keep playing as leveling up is back in Shellshock Live 2 in a new way. You do still have the typical level up to get better weapons but now each time you level up you can upgrade your tank's skills like in a typical tower defense flash game or something so you can increase armor, fuel, etc. Weapons can also be upgraded the more you use them, if you actually do damage with them.
Other new and improved features in Shellshock Live 2 is the inclusion of flying powerups which you can shoot to get their contents. You also have more options in terms of matches. Have typical death matches, point matches, and can even have simultaneous firing. Overall, Shellshock Live 2 really took the tried and true elements of the much beloved original Shellshock and made it even better! A must play!"
An interview with the creator:
Kyle Champ is the brains behind the hit multiplayer game Shellshock Live, a simple but engaging artillery game. He recently agreed to chat with us about the game’s success, and here’s what he had to say.
1/ Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I’m currently a 20 year old Computer Science student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I have been developing flash games in my spare time for about 3 years now. I never had any formal game development or programming training, so I have taught myself everything from online tutorials and experimentation. I have made about 15 games so far, but ShellShock Live is my largest project by far. I run the site http://www.kchampgames.com, but if you want to check out games only I have developed, visit http://www.kchampcustoms.com.
2/ Where did you get the idea to make Shellshock Live?
I have always been a huge fan of the artillery genre. I love Worms, UMAG, Pocket Tanks, and all other similar games out there. My high school physics teacher even had us play Scorched Earth when we were done with our work. So when I decided to create a multiplayer game, it was only natural for me to try my hand at an artillery type.
3/ What were you most pleased with about the game? Were you surprised it did so well?
I never expected ShellShock to become what it is today. It started as a summer project to test myself and see if I could make a multiplayer game. When I released the first version many months ago it was just a simple game with a few weapons and a few terrains. I thought I was done with development, but boy was I wrong. Despite the low traffic, I received a ton of feedback and a ton of suggestions on how to improve the game. I made some changes, added some features, and released a new version. The suggestions kept coming, so I kept updating and have been following that cycle for several months. My favorite feature is the ability to chat with allies and enemies to create strategies or gloat about your perfectly placed grenade.
4/ And is there anything you’d do differently, either in development or releasing the game?
The great thing about ShellShock is that if I’m ever not happy with something, I can easily and instantly push an update that is reflected in the game across the web. Right now the friend system is a bit lacking. The plan is to release an update soon to make it a bit more awesome.
5/ Are there any stats about the game you can share with us?
Of course! Here are some fun ones:
- 9,223,531 plays with an avg play time of 28 min 36 sec.
- That means 262,870,633 minutes in total have been spent playing ShellShock. That’s 4,381,177 hours, or 182,549 days, or 500 years!
- 616,790 registered accounts.
- Avg of 1,353 players online at any given moment.
6/ What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you in connection with game development?
I get a lot of fun reactions when I tell clients my age, especially back when I was 17 and in high school. I try to make sure they see my work before I break the news to avoid unfair judgement.
7/ Which are better, ducks or swans?
I would have said geese, but since they are not on the list I’ll have to go with swans. I was attacked by a duck when I was little and haven’t been fond of them ever since.
8/ Is this what you dreamed of doing, or did you have other plans for your life?
I like to think I’m still a kid, and I’m not completely sure what I would like to do with my future. If I can make a decent living, being a flash game developer would be fantastic! I definitely want to stick with a job that will allow me to use my noggin and be creative. No menial tasks please!
9/ If a genie offered you one wish, what would you ask for (“unlimited wishes” isn’t allowed), and why?
I would wish for a nice juicy steak and some mashed potatoes because I’m hungry!
10/ And finally, do you have any new multiplayer games on the way, or anything new coming up for Shellshock?
I’m still constantly updating ShellShock based on player feedback and plan to do so for a long time. As I said earlier, fans can look forward to a new and improved friend system soon! I will eventually move on to a new multiplayer game, but don’t have any details yet.
Here is a review from Casual Gameplay:
"If an interviewer with a camera were to stop people on the street and ask them the question "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" the answers would be the usual range from "A million dollars" to "Peace on Earth". However, most of those folks would be lying for the camera, because for many the answer would really be "To be able to drive a tank and blow things up," at least for a certain segment of the population, like those who dream of taking a tank on a rampage through suburban San Diego or points beyond. Last year a great live turn-based multi-player action game answered the prayers of those few and proud with that dream, and now a sequel has brought back the tanking madness with Kyle Champ's ShellShock Live 2!
Like its predecessor ShellShock Live, ShellShock Live 2 (ShellShockier?) is a multi-player strategic arcade-style shooter wherein the players command tanks and basically blow the living heck out of each other. The tanks are back with more weapons, more landscapes, more modes, and more explodey action. It's not just the new and goofier weapons that make ShellShock Live 2 even more fun than its predecessor (personal favorite: the piñata bomb), but the new types of gameplay that have been incorporated. Fight as a team or create a free-for-all where everyone is the enemy; play for points or compete in a deathmatch; or have everyone shooting at once as opposed to individually, the choices are endless. Live chat allows you to talk trash to your fellow players as you try to annihilate each other across the changing landscape.
Kyle Champ has taken everything that was great about the original ShellShock Live and added more. Players can create their own logins or use the ubiquitous Facebook. There are micro-transitions within the game, but they are unobtrusive and unnecessary to having a rollicking good time. Playing for free simple means you need to gain experience in the game to level up to some pretty amusing and devastating weapons and considering how addicting the gameplay is this won't be a burden. Let that familiar, throbbing soundtrack wash over you as you wipe out your enemies (and your friends) with this fantastic artillery game!"
Another one from Flash Mush:
"One of my, actually scratch that, my all time favorite multiplayer artillery flash game is back with a new and improved sequel! Shellshock Live 2! You may notice a long time ago I did a review on the original Shellshock Live and it was even old back then. Well a new and improved version is out so get to shooting some cannons!
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of the Shellshock Live series or artillery games in general it is quite simple. You are a tank which has all sorts of crazy weapons you can shoot at your enemies which you get a random selection of at the beginning of a match. You then adjust your angle and power of your shot to try and hit your opponents, note though that the ground changes with your shots and changes quite rapidly. Each weapon does something totally different and I am happy to say that in Shellshock Live 2 the weapons are even better!
So first I'll talk about some of the new weapons and features with that. There are tons of weapons, over 100 supposedly according to the developer and each is unique. You have classics like grenades, air strikes and bounce shots but you also get new and crazy ones like pinata, shuriken, firework, etc. You really just need to play to see for yourself. And it is good to play and keep playing as leveling up is back in Shellshock Live 2 in a new way. You do still have the typical level up to get better weapons but now each time you level up you can upgrade your tank's skills like in a typical tower defense flash game or something so you can increase armor, fuel, etc. Weapons can also be upgraded the more you use them, if you actually do damage with them.
Other new and improved features in Shellshock Live 2 is the inclusion of flying powerups which you can shoot to get their contents. You also have more options in terms of matches. Have typical death matches, point matches, and can even have simultaneous firing. Overall, Shellshock Live 2 really took the tried and true elements of the much beloved original Shellshock and made it even better! A must play!"
An interview with the creator:
Kyle Champ is the brains behind the hit multiplayer game Shellshock Live, a simple but engaging artillery game. He recently agreed to chat with us about the game’s success, and here’s what he had to say.
1/ Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I’m currently a 20 year old Computer Science student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I have been developing flash games in my spare time for about 3 years now. I never had any formal game development or programming training, so I have taught myself everything from online tutorials and experimentation. I have made about 15 games so far, but ShellShock Live is my largest project by far. I run the site http://www.kchampgames.com, but if you want to check out games only I have developed, visit http://www.kchampcustoms.com.
2/ Where did you get the idea to make Shellshock Live?
I have always been a huge fan of the artillery genre. I love Worms, UMAG, Pocket Tanks, and all other similar games out there. My high school physics teacher even had us play Scorched Earth when we were done with our work. So when I decided to create a multiplayer game, it was only natural for me to try my hand at an artillery type.
3/ What were you most pleased with about the game? Were you surprised it did so well?
I never expected ShellShock to become what it is today. It started as a summer project to test myself and see if I could make a multiplayer game. When I released the first version many months ago it was just a simple game with a few weapons and a few terrains. I thought I was done with development, but boy was I wrong. Despite the low traffic, I received a ton of feedback and a ton of suggestions on how to improve the game. I made some changes, added some features, and released a new version. The suggestions kept coming, so I kept updating and have been following that cycle for several months. My favorite feature is the ability to chat with allies and enemies to create strategies or gloat about your perfectly placed grenade.
4/ And is there anything you’d do differently, either in development or releasing the game?
The great thing about ShellShock is that if I’m ever not happy with something, I can easily and instantly push an update that is reflected in the game across the web. Right now the friend system is a bit lacking. The plan is to release an update soon to make it a bit more awesome.
5/ Are there any stats about the game you can share with us?
Of course! Here are some fun ones:
- 9,223,531 plays with an avg play time of 28 min 36 sec.
- That means 262,870,633 minutes in total have been spent playing ShellShock. That’s 4,381,177 hours, or 182,549 days, or 500 years!
- 616,790 registered accounts.
- Avg of 1,353 players online at any given moment.
6/ What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you in connection with game development?
I get a lot of fun reactions when I tell clients my age, especially back when I was 17 and in high school. I try to make sure they see my work before I break the news to avoid unfair judgement.
7/ Which are better, ducks or swans?
I would have said geese, but since they are not on the list I’ll have to go with swans. I was attacked by a duck when I was little and haven’t been fond of them ever since.
8/ Is this what you dreamed of doing, or did you have other plans for your life?
I like to think I’m still a kid, and I’m not completely sure what I would like to do with my future. If I can make a decent living, being a flash game developer would be fantastic! I definitely want to stick with a job that will allow me to use my noggin and be creative. No menial tasks please!
9/ If a genie offered you one wish, what would you ask for (“unlimited wishes” isn’t allowed), and why?
I would wish for a nice juicy steak and some mashed potatoes because I’m hungry!
10/ And finally, do you have any new multiplayer games on the way, or anything new coming up for Shellshock?
I’m still constantly updating ShellShock based on player feedback and plan to do so for a long time. As I said earlier, fans can look forward to a new and improved friend system soon! I will eventually move on to a new multiplayer game, but don’t have any details yet.