Non-automatically scrolling shooters


2024-10-25 (updated 2024-10-26)
And another little question. How to tag shmups that play in a push-scroll environment? Think of Defender, but not exactly like Defender which has the subgenre defenderlike. Just the push-scroll mechanics. Currently scrollingshooter tag is defined as being an automatically scrolling shooter. So I have problems tagging a game like lets say Nova Blast for the C64 https://www.uvlist.net/game-35466-Nova+Blast with scrollingshooter. Should a new tag be created and what should it be named or should the definition of scrollingshooter be changed so that its also for non-auto scrolling?

2024-10-26
Great question! There's an argument to be made to put them as Multi-Directional Shooters because while they're generally about having open playfields, there are exceptions to the rule such as caveflyers and if we're sticking to what we have at the moment, that would be my suggestion.

My personal preference though would be to alter scrolling shooters to remove the requirement for the scrolling to be automatic and that we create new tags to capture the type of scrolling - these tags can then be used across multiple genres too including platformers, beat 'em ups, racing, sport (e.g. autoscrolling, beltscrolling, pushscrolling, freescrolling) and even dug into a little bit more with adding the direction of the scrolling as well where appropriate (horizontalscrolling, verticalscrolling, diagonalscrolling). I think this level of tagging could really help users of the site dig into specific searches.

If we were to do that, we may need to look at the current genres that include the type of scrolling in their name and consider whether they need to be consolidated (e.g. Multi Directional Shooter would probably be redundant and could be rolled into Scrolling Shooters).

2024-10-26
Thinking about it I would prefer changing the scrollingshooter tag to be also for non-"auto"-scrolling shooters. Would be easiest solution. I have seen people add the scrollingshooter tag to Defender clones all the time (and I often removed them due to the tag description *ahem*). But I think its generally accepted that Defender is a scrollingshooter. That would also mean that multidirshooters are naturally a sub-genre of scrollingshooter. Non-scrolling multidirshooters are normally arenashooters, so I would keep the term multidirshooter for games that play in a more spacious area.

2024-10-27
I'm good for making scrollingshooter for non automatic scrolling too, and adding new tags (I imagine as Video game concepts) to define the direction and mode.

To help searching, the search UI could suggest to add those concepts tags.
Maybe suggesting the "related tags" when searching games with a tag could be done globally.

2024-10-27
I thought thats what the already existing flags "auto-scroll" "push-scroll" are for. Whats wrong with them? I normally do not use/set them but they could be used if someone wants to do so.

2024-10-27 (updated 2024-10-27)
I think you're right, realistically the flag could be used for the type of scrolling (I too haven't really been using it because most of the genres where it would be relevant have tended to be self explanatory and to be honest forgot it was there...). In terms of direction, I still think there's merit in having the direction of scroll in there and have added a few tags as follows:

https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/multidirscolling

https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/verticalscrolling

https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/horizontalscolling

https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/diagonalscrolling

https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/flickscreen

I'll gradually add these, where appropriate, as I go through making edits but they're there as an option for anyone who wants them. I also made a slight change to the multidirshooter tag to add that the games have "enemies attacking from multiple directions." - I think that distinguishes it enough from a scrolling shooter to make the separate tag justifiable.

(Note... I've somehow managed to misspell scrolling twice... I've added replace/redirects... embarrassing...)

2024-10-28 (updated 2024-10-28)
I have forgotten about "auto-scroll" "push-scroll" flags too, and I agree to use them.

Ok with the new tags created by Ritchardo except for flickscreen, we have already https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/flipscreens

About the mispelled horizontalscolling and horizontalscolling tags, adding the redirect is not enough, the main one has to be the correct one.
I'm fixing them. Done.

2024-10-28 (updated 2024-10-28)
I've add a few tags. There are some games like belt scrollers where the scrolling is mainly horizontal with some slight vertical scrolling. Also many vertical shooter allow a limited horizontal scrolling.
In these cases I would not use multidirscrolling, but only the main direction.

Other games instead alternate vertical an horizontal in different stages (Salamander, some Metal-slug), in this case we use both vertical and horizontal. Not multidirscrolling.

Also, this thread started for scrolling shooters, but could be applied to most games.
For example, Street Fighter can be tagged with horizontal scrolling, but the scroll is very limited. Does it make sense to use the tag ? Do we need other tags ?
As a general rule, MAYBE we should consider the "game objective", and in Fighting Games the objective is not to move forward?

2024-10-28 (updated 2024-10-28)
I have forgotten about "auto-scroll" "push-scroll" flags too, and I agree to use them.

Ok with the new tags created by Ritchardo except for flickscreen, we have already https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/flipscreens

About the mispelled horizontalscolling and horizontalscolling tags, adding the redirect is not enough, the main one has to be the correct one.
I'm fixing them. Done.


Sorry - missed flipscreens, will use instead.

Thanks too for correcting the spelling

I've add a few tags. There are some games like belt scrollers where the scrolling is mainly horizontal with some slight vertical scrolling. Also many vertical shooter allow a limited horizontal scrolling.
In these cases I would not use multidirscrolling, but only the main direction.

Other games instead alternate vertical an horizontal in different stages (Salamander, some Metal-slug), in this case we use both vertical and horizontal. Not multidirscrolling.

Also, this thread started for scrolling shooters, but could be applied to most games.
For example, Street Fighter can be tagged with horizontal scrolling, but the scroll is very limited. Does it make sense to use the tag ? Do we need other tags ?
As a general rule, MAYBE we should consider the "game objective", and in Fighting Games the objective is not to move forward?


Agree that we should consider the nature of the game and if it doesn't really impact on gameplay then I wouldn't add the tag.