Contact Is Imminent: PLEXXR
netdzynr
Member Posts: 296
Given the recent UFO sightings in New York, Ohio, and China, and the recent detailed UFO reports provided by several key US military personnel, we are convinced extraterrestrials monitoring this planet will soon make an appearance that has been unprecedented until now. While we await their arrival, we invite you join us in studying clues the aliens appear to have left for us to investigate.
Roughly two years ago, we recovered several devices of unknown technology near Groom Lake, Nevada, and we are convinced the machines' origin is extraterrestrial. To study the technology, we developed PLEXXR, a software analysis tool designed to translate the alien code into data that could be studied by scientists around the globe.
Clearly this information is extremely sensitive in nature -- PLEXXR cannot be found through normal search channels in Apple's App Store. We believe there may be attempts to cover up our efforts and discredit our organization. If you wish to act, do so quickly.
PLEXXR
We thank you for joining us in this endeavor.
Roughly two years ago, we recovered several devices of unknown technology near Groom Lake, Nevada, and we are convinced the machines' origin is extraterrestrial. To study the technology, we developed PLEXXR, a software analysis tool designed to translate the alien code into data that could be studied by scientists around the globe.
Clearly this information is extremely sensitive in nature -- PLEXXR cannot be found through normal search channels in Apple's App Store. We believe there may be attempts to cover up our efforts and discredit our organization. If you wish to act, do so quickly.
PLEXXR
We thank you for joining us in this endeavor.
Comments
I tried to create a challenge that comes not just from solving the puzzles, but figuring out HOW to solve them -- each puzzle uses a different type of interaction to achieve its end result. Quite honestly, I don't know how this kind of game will be received. Some folks claim the puzzles are somewhat easy, while others have gotten stuck on the first level. And PLEXXR doesn't follow the current trends of cute bouncy cartoon characters or block-pushing physics games, so the whole experience is one giant (alien) experiment for me.
A desktop version will be available soon for folks who don't have iPads but want to play.
So for you and other folks who want to give PLEXXR a try, a desktop version is posted here. Obviously the experience isn't quite the same as on a mobile device, but the puzzles should play fine.
Note: you'll need to make use of the "H" key on your keyboard to launch PLEXXR's navigation hub, which is normally accessed using 3-finger touch. A ReadMe is included in the ZIP file.
Have fun! If you get stuck, feel free to ask for clues/solutions!
ps as you have had dealings with Runtime Revolution have you tried the iOS version of LiveCode?
@ rob - The link is above, but here it is more clearly :-)
<http://www.tactilemedia.com/download/app/PLEXXR_app.zip>;
Yes, I've been using LiveCode since before it was even called LiveCode! I'm not using the iOS version yet as it is still very developmental. But the RunRev folks are offering a good deal right now ($99) compared to what it originally ran ($700). I think for the moment I'm safe in saying that if you want to make physics games, LC is not for you (yet). There's no library for that (you'd have to write one yourself which is possible but a lot of work) and I believe they're still finalizing app store submissions. If you want to make games/apps that don't need 60FPS animation, then LC might be an good option. Happy to provide more info privately if you wish:
scott-at-tactilemedia-dot-com
Plexxr is live in the store now, and it is a good iPad game:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plexxr/id397208452?mt=8
I'm about 2/3rd the way through it already, and I'm not sure how much replay value it will have. You can do the levels again and beat your time, but you are pretty certain to beat your time, because it takes a while to work the puzzles out the first time!
But still, it's a very good $2's worth of game time. I reckon it would take someone who was good at puzzles a few hours to play, and I'm sure families will hand around the iPad for everyone to have a go. It's certainly a very slick GameSalad app.
I have used the iOS version of LiveCode. It's still going through alphas currently, and I believe that you can't yet submit an app to the store. It does give good performance, and testing and creating for iPhone and iPad is fairly quick and straightforward. Not as quick as it is to test with GS Viewer, but still ok.
LiveCode doesn't overlap too much with GameSalad, in terms of the sorts of apps you might make with it, though there are some puzzle like games that could be done with either one. And it definitely isn't suited to making 2D physics based games.
Glad to hear it's working for you!
But, I found myself trying to get my friends to play and try beating my score without giving them any hints. Naturally, I didn't want them tying up my computer for too long, so once they tried a few puzzles I suggested they get it for themselves. I see this same scenario playing out with app store version.
Now, just release an iPhone version and take my $1.99-$.99 already! ;-)
Edit: I noticed a glitch. When playing a level for the first time, I quit the app and it stored the elapsed time as my "best time". I can see people exploiting this to lie about how long it took them to beat the various levels. Not sure if this issue is present in the iPad version...
Thanks for catching the exploit glitch -- not sure I've ever checked that...
Mostly, glad you got a chance to play. I was going to contact you directly if I didn't hear from you. :-)
The menu system in my PLEXXR app is triggered by 3-finger touch. And it just so happens that the zoom function in the iPad's accessibility settings is designed to use 3-finger touch (and there's no way to change it). Which means I now need to build in a way to accommodate this control without disrupting the game for existing users. Fun!
This bit of info may be old news for those of you building iPad apps, but it was news to me. Keep accessibility in mind when building iPad games!
You could make it be 960x640, and target the iPhone 4.
Your menu works fine with four fingers, and doesn't trigger the accessibility feature. You could change the graphic to tell people to press four fingers.
But, alas, there's a much bigger issue. The Begin button does not work with either a single tap or a double tap (which is the accessibility version of activating a button). So that's a much bigger GS issue.
For what it's worth, I suspect that anyone needing accessibility features would find it tough to play the game anyway!
There were some points where a bit of a hint might have helped. For example, I'm having the darndest time keeping track of all the triangles I've located. Maybe a good hint would be to show a side of an unlocated triangle or the general area where it can be found. I know this might be hard to add at this stage but you can keep it in mind for Poesis. Finding this last triangle has me pulling out my hair
All in all, though, I'm having a wonderful time. Once I'm done, I'll post again with my overall impression. Good work!
It can indeed be a hair puller!
Regarding hints, a Web site is in the works for the fictitious science group with hints for all puzzles -- just for folks who need an extra push.
God knows I don't get it (played the desktop version - thanks for that!), but the presentation is top notch!
Good luck with it!
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
It looks like they're playing some kind of wacko checkers, but with the objects reducing on each board, and no ability to discern the pieces from one frame to the next, I just don't seem to be able to tell what motion is taking place - I must have some form of pattern blindness for it. I figure there should be 5 of each tile type up there, but that's about it - and as for where, no clue.
Hint: try looking at the left column and top row of characters in the first grid, and see where they move to in the second and third grids.
If that doesn't get you anywhere, ask again.
It's really addictive, the presentation is top notch, the difficulty is excruciating, I've had it for hours and I still haven't gotten past stage one...
Any hints
P5 -> S1
P1 -> S2
P5 -> S3
P12 -> S4
P8 -> S5
P10 -> S6
Try to align the rings such that one color forms an X-shaped set of columns through the center (see the goal diagram in the upper right). Only one color will do this.
Just curious if you tried bring up the hub for a clue? It is a bit vague, but was wondering if you remembered the hub was available.
Thanks for playing :-)