Today I've been working the whole day to the option single game. I started to clean up everything but there are still some sprites of the old game that I might be able to re-use so in order to avoid any important loss I decided not to clean but to code.
As I predicted the single game mode needed a complete re-coding because everything is changed in the menu. We can now enter our name, we choose few options only by the "Single Game option" plus now there are avatars and computer communications: I decided that in the single game mode the computer avatar is just a phone which tell us what's going on during the game avoiding the more mean sentences of the arcade session.
Obviously nothing went smoothly and it took quite long time to fix everything. Now more or less all work, I need to check, re-check and check again but my PC crashed again and I don't know if it's because is way to old, way to full or my code itself has got glitches.
Hopefully not the last one so I start to clean up the PC right now.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
Name length day...
Strange title for a post but believe it or not I spent the whole afternoon to fix a very little feature:
when you pick the arcade mode the game will ask you to type in your name which will appear in the game score and every time the game will speak to you.
Actually for many reasons the name length limit is 7 letters or it will create graphic issues. I had to add a little routine on the variable that carries the string "name" which checks how long the name is and, if longer than 7 letters, will ask you to retype it.
The routine was an easy task, but for some reason after that nothing was working as it should. Every time the game was ended something in the menu was happening and nothing was working properly anymore.
After many hours all is fixed and the routine works.
I launched also a complete game in "cheating mode" (just a little cheat I added for testing purposes where the collision with the computer pad is always equal to null therefore the player always wins) from match one till the congratulation screen and everything works just fine.
For the records now I'm testing the game via PC in emulation mode (arrows as pad controls) to make all faster. As quick I start to work on the multi-control mode I will have to check the game on touch devices (probably on the yoyo-runner on my test iPhone 5).
Right now I still have a lot of code belonging to the old game as well as few objects unused. Before I start to work to the control modes I need to clean up all the unused code, sprites, objects, sounds to relocate the valuable memory and avoiding huge waiting time while I send the software wi-fi to the runner.
Tomorrow's task.
goodnight
when you pick the arcade mode the game will ask you to type in your name which will appear in the game score and every time the game will speak to you.
Actually for many reasons the name length limit is 7 letters or it will create graphic issues. I had to add a little routine on the variable that carries the string "name" which checks how long the name is and, if longer than 7 letters, will ask you to retype it.
The routine was an easy task, but for some reason after that nothing was working as it should. Every time the game was ended something in the menu was happening and nothing was working properly anymore.
After many hours all is fixed and the routine works.
I launched also a complete game in "cheating mode" (just a little cheat I added for testing purposes where the collision with the computer pad is always equal to null therefore the player always wins) from match one till the congratulation screen and everything works just fine.
For the records now I'm testing the game via PC in emulation mode (arrows as pad controls) to make all faster. As quick I start to work on the multi-control mode I will have to check the game on touch devices (probably on the yoyo-runner on my test iPhone 5).
Right now I still have a lot of code belonging to the old game as well as few objects unused. Before I start to work to the control modes I need to clean up all the unused code, sprites, objects, sounds to relocate the valuable memory and avoiding huge waiting time while I send the software wi-fi to the runner.
Tomorrow's task.
goodnight
updates iPong: music and code
A lot of work on iPong lately, if this diary is not updated every single day is because most of the time the game needs attention in its last days f development.
Here the updates: the arcade part has been virtually finished and integrated in the game as well as the new menu, faster and indeed with a better look. No bugs or glitches so far (game testing is on right now) and, beside minor changes soon will get the "internal green flag".
The new menu looks good, way more eye catching than the old one in the lite version despite the fact we are using the same objects, just in a different way.
The nebula effect of the menu is now present in a different look also during the game itself: combined with the background zooming and rotating effect makes everything way more fancy.
I still need to code two major things beside few minor menu items:
1) the single game mode will be recoded using the base of the old routines. Won't be a big deal.
2) the control mode: in the old "lite game" the main pad was controlled only by swiping up and down the screen. Even if I keep on thinking that this is the most effective way to play the game we got some bad feedback about that and I have to admit it is hard to master. On iPong the Player can choose how to control the pad with several options: beside the actual swapping mode I'm thinking about the tapping mode (tap up and down to move the pad up and down) and/or the finger follow mode.
The chapter controls will take me I guess one whole day of coding and I need to see all the options by testing the game on touching devices directly.
Now, the most important update of the last 3 weeks of work: MUSIC.
The original Pong 2013 uses tunes from the movie Tron Legacy from Chemical Bros. Now: Pong 2013 is a free game and no-one will bother us because of the rights. iPong instead has got a bit higher expectations therefore we need original music.
Thanks god I have a music background so armed with my Magix Music Studio I developed 3 brand new tunes: iPong menu, iPong in-game and iPong Congrats.
The first one sounds very epic inspired but historical movie soundtracks. The second needed to be short, easy, catchy and loopy...I came out with some tribal drums and few patterns going in a loop with a more than decent effect. The congratulation tune is in Dub, quite acid and is not actually completed yet but I am almost there.
We are thinking also to make a longer version of these tunes and eventually sell them on iTunes along with the game. Let's see.
Here the updates: the arcade part has been virtually finished and integrated in the game as well as the new menu, faster and indeed with a better look. No bugs or glitches so far (game testing is on right now) and, beside minor changes soon will get the "internal green flag".
The new menu looks good, way more eye catching than the old one in the lite version despite the fact we are using the same objects, just in a different way.
The nebula effect of the menu is now present in a different look also during the game itself: combined with the background zooming and rotating effect makes everything way more fancy.
I still need to code two major things beside few minor menu items:
1) the single game mode will be recoded using the base of the old routines. Won't be a big deal.
2) the control mode: in the old "lite game" the main pad was controlled only by swiping up and down the screen. Even if I keep on thinking that this is the most effective way to play the game we got some bad feedback about that and I have to admit it is hard to master. On iPong the Player can choose how to control the pad with several options: beside the actual swapping mode I'm thinking about the tapping mode (tap up and down to move the pad up and down) and/or the finger follow mode.
The chapter controls will take me I guess one whole day of coding and I need to see all the options by testing the game on touching devices directly.
Now, the most important update of the last 3 weeks of work: MUSIC.
The original Pong 2013 uses tunes from the movie Tron Legacy from Chemical Bros. Now: Pong 2013 is a free game and no-one will bother us because of the rights. iPong instead has got a bit higher expectations therefore we need original music.
Thanks god I have a music background so armed with my Magix Music Studio I developed 3 brand new tunes: iPong menu, iPong in-game and iPong Congrats.
The first one sounds very epic inspired but historical movie soundtracks. The second needed to be short, easy, catchy and loopy...I came out with some tribal drums and few patterns going in a loop with a more than decent effect. The congratulation tune is in Dub, quite acid and is not actually completed yet but I am almost there.
We are thinking also to make a longer version of these tunes and eventually sell them on iTunes along with the game. Let's see.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
A lot of new features
A lot of new things has been implemented:
the new main manu has got 4 main voices:
- play arcade
- play single game
- Control settings
- Help me
plus one side voice named "Shop"
At the moment the one which is functional is the arcade one with all the features already posted in this blog. The interaction of the Arcade section and the main menu is now functional.
The background of all the menus is now more dynamic and tends to the blue rather than black.
The name of the game pops up on the high right corner and pulses creating a nice looking effect.
During the game the nebula of the menu is now present just in different dimension and with a low alpha, rotating and creating a very smooth effect along with the already animated background.
Overall the new in-menu music makes is job.
There won't be any presentation/ typing story anymore like it was in Pong 2013, only a quick zoom on the menu to get inside the game as quick as possible.
All the storyboard will be shown in the iStore description and, maybe, in the help me section.
Good progresses...
the new main manu has got 4 main voices:
- play arcade
- play single game
- Control settings
- Help me
plus one side voice named "Shop"
At the moment the one which is functional is the arcade one with all the features already posted in this blog. The interaction of the Arcade section and the main menu is now functional.
The background of all the menus is now more dynamic and tends to the blue rather than black.
The name of the game pops up on the high right corner and pulses creating a nice looking effect.
During the game the nebula of the menu is now present just in different dimension and with a low alpha, rotating and creating a very smooth effect along with the already animated background.
Overall the new in-menu music makes is job.
There won't be any presentation/ typing story anymore like it was in Pong 2013, only a quick zoom on the menu to get inside the game as quick as possible.
All the storyboard will be shown in the iStore description and, maybe, in the help me section.
Good progresses...
Music
One part I didn't really care so far is the music of the game. The lite version of pong 2013 used the tunes from Tron Legacy but for this version (paid version) the music will be custom made.
I just finished to compose the menu tune which gets inspired from the old battle squadron tune. The wav is ready, I need to reduce it and convert it and, of course, fix it in the game.
I need to start to work on the "in-game" tune which won't be easy because the old one was just perfect. I see what I can do. Stay tuned.
I just finished to compose the menu tune which gets inspired from the old battle squadron tune. The wav is ready, I need to reduce it and convert it and, of course, fix it in the game.
I need to start to work on the "in-game" tune which won't be easy because the old one was just perfect. I see what I can do. Stay tuned.
Monday, February 24, 2014
finally iPong
Since we decided to call the final pro version of the game iPong not following the Pong 2013-14 lite/pro trend I kept using the old code for the game where Pong 2013 was showing in the menu area and on the top of the game screen.
Now finally the real name (iPong) is showing correctly with the right spell and the right font :)
Now finally the real name (iPong) is showing correctly with the right spell and the right font :)
Problem solved
Finally after more than 30 days of studying, debugging, coding and re-coding I found the glitch that was killing the game once the arcade gaming was over, no matter the result.
Of course was something very stupid and easy but, at least, now is fixed.
The arcade part of iPong is virtually over. Need to fix little "cosmetic" details and then I can pass to the new main menu.
I will change also the music with something I'm developing with good robot-voice samples.
Keep on reading.
Of course was something very stupid and easy but, at least, now is fixed.
The arcade part of iPong is virtually over. Need to fix little "cosmetic" details and then I can pass to the new main menu.
I will change also the music with something I'm developing with good robot-voice samples.
Keep on reading.
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