I'm hoping by "Achievemens" & Leaderboards" they actually mean GameCenter. If not then I know I'm not the first to state it, but GameCenter needs to be a feature added to GameSalad.
Look.....GameSalad/GameCenter. They look great together.
I added some comments about it on my survey just in case they meant something different with Achievements.
tenrdrmer said: Unfortunately the community here cannot follow since you have to learn lua to use Corona.
Actually, history has shown that this community is quite mobile. I've seen lots of familiar names on the Corona forums.
Also, GameSalad basically makes XML files and folders. There's really only one type of programming I need to do... translating GameSalad games into Corona. That's a big project and I don't like to code, but clearly the need for such a project is growing. As GameSalad slips behind, other SDKs will catch up.
What's to stop Ansca Mobile from hiring some cheap freelancers to create a simple program that converts GameSalad XML into usable Corona code? Darren / Utopian Games have already shown how easy it can be to merge files.
It's not about this community being unwilling or unable to code. If things don't improve around here, I won't have much of a choice. I'll have to go with Corona when my subscription is up.
Ansca Mobile is extremely competitive. If I can figure this stuff out, so can they.
These aren't empty threats. I don't speak for the rest of the community, but I'm not complaining because I'm lazy. I like GameSalad. This is a great community and the software is a glimpse into the future. But if GameSalad doesn't get moving, the competitors are going to eat their lunch.
tenrdrmerMember, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-ChefPosts: 9,934
@Photics - Sorry I meant to Say "Most of the Community"
And quite honestly If someone can convert a GameSalad Project into a corona Project I say Create the software. I'd use it in a heart beat.
I'm also not saying everyone has made empty threats PeachPellin has moved to Corona, FMG is apparently moving to Corona, and i'm sure some others will to.
But for you, I have seen you post for nearly 6 months about how if GS doesn't do this or that your going to corona. a While back you even made the Well my subscriptions about up so if GS doesn't do something I'm not renewing threat. But now look your games have iAds so you definitely renewed. So yeah in a sense in GS eye's they are empty threats and all you are doing is stirring Sh*t with new users.
How about instead of saying "I'm gonna" You port all your games and say " I did it" now "GS if you want me to come back I want to see these improvements"
Every SDK has its strengths and Weaknesses but as long a GS is the only one with Drag and Drop, or Everyone takes a stand. the threats of moving to a different SDK are not going to motivate them
tenrdrmer said: But for you, I have seen you post for nearly 6 months about how if GS doesn't do this or that your going to corona.
Maybe you're generalizing. When I say I'm going to do something, I usually do it. GameSalad pricing has improved. Pro was $1999... I got it for $99. Because of that change, I still use GameSalad. It's as simple as that.
But look at next year. It's looking like $500 to renew. If things stayed the same, why would I do that? I think it was a big mistake to make the basic version of GameSalad free. Meanwhile, it's less than $400 for Corona. That's when I have to make a tough decision. I'd probably just stick with the free version of GameSalad - which means no money for GameSalad - and pick up Corona.
That's not a threat. That's a warning. Why would I pay $500 for iAds that don't really make money and hyperlinks?
GameSalad is easier to use, but Corona has better performance. These two cancel each other out. But soon, Corona will have in-app purchases. Corona doesn't force a splash screen. Corona has Android support and a lot of other features that can't be done with GameSalad.
What is GameSalad getting?
Mac App Store... ah, now that's competitive. If it's a Professional feature, that makes things interesting. Yet, I just think it continues the rat race... iPhone... then iPad... now Mac... still searching for the pot of gold, but I don't think it can be found this way. Simply porting my games to the Mac - will that make me a millionaire? I don't think so. I think a really good iOS game is better than a mediocre game on multiple platforms. That means Game Center is more important to me than the Mac App Store.
If you look closer at the Corona forums, you can see a lot more names there than Peach or Firemaplegames. All the while, people told them what would happen. If I had to publish my games through GameSalad direct, I would be leaving. There's no doubt about it. I'm still here because that didn't happen. Yet, the mere "threat" that GameSalad would be going the publisher route sent a lot of developers to the other side.
I was more patient than other developers. I waited to see if the GameSalad team would regain their senses. They did. But with competition this fierce, they have to keep proving themselves.
What's more likely to happen... Corona gets drag-and-drop or GameSalad improves performance? (I don't really care that the editor needs to be restarted every ~15 minutes. That reminds me to save my work. The games themselves should play better.)
From what I've read, a big announcement is planned for Corona. What if it's a drag-and-drop system like in GameSalad? How would the GameSalad team recover from that?! There would likely be a massive exodus because there would be no advantages to GameSalad.
The defense against that starts here...
-- Keep improving relations with the community -- GET COMPETITIVE! Corona has shown they can fight, can GameSalad fight back? -- OPTIMIZE! -- FEATURES (Something wrong when Apple standards aren't implemented for months.) -- EXPAND (GameSalad market for selling templates / content)
To be honest I have not read through the entire thread here, so maybe this has been suggested, but I haven't seen it anywhere else:
Allow the Preview window to be "popped out" of the GameSalad editor. Especially considering how much the editor bogs down from moving between actors/scene/preview. This would let you make a change to an actor, then switch to Preview and play that change immediately, then back to your editor window to make more changes to your actor. Currently you need to go from Actor->Preview->Scene->Actor and find your place again. By having preview in its own window those four "moves" would be eliminated, meaning 4 less moves to bog down the editor.
I'm constantly making minor changes to my actor then playing them in Preview to see how it worked. And the extra steps combined with having to restart the editor so frequently end up being a huge waste of time.
tenrdrmerMember, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-ChefPosts: 9,934
I agree we have to keep telling them what we want and yes they definitly need to improve communcation with the community. I'm just saying I don't think the constant bitching that ends in "or else" is any good for the community.
When GameSalad said were updating to GameSalad Direct and now you can only publish thorugh us. the community as whole rose up and said no. That has to happen for major changes to happen on their end. Because the bitching and threats became real.
The only thing the constant stuff does is promote more bitching from new users about crap thats not that big of a deal like the splash screen or the creators performance.
I agree totally there is tons that need to happen and they really had better pick it up because Corona is going to overtake them if they don't. I Just don't see the good in the constant pissing and moaning about every little thing. Lets pick something as a community and demand it be fixed/added next
tenrdrmer said: ...because to date GameSalad is the only drag an drop engine.
Thats actually not true. GameMaker is a drag and drop engine...but it also has the flexability of a built in script language too. It was originally only available on PC, but recently got a Mac version (thats now available on the MacStore) and that over the past couple of months has been coded to create iOS games, and now Android too.
My observation was that if an engine that is being written for multiple platforms, and that supports building games to multiple platforms can incorporate GameCenter so quickly... why does GameSalad seem to have so much difficulty in comparison?
There were no empty threats in my observation...
tenrdrmerMember, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-ChefPosts: 9,934
Chunkypixels said: It was originally only available on PC, but recently got a Mac version (thats now available on the MacStore) and that over the past couple of months has been coded to create iOS games, and now Android too.
See I tried to find how to use GameMaker on Mac and couldn't find anything so that good to know. I'll check it out. And my rant is not necessarily aimed at any one person its general thing you guys are just the ones that sparked it today. I apologize if it felt personal.
tenrdrmerMember, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-ChefPosts: 9,934
xarmian said: To be honest I have not read through the entire thread here, so maybe this has been suggested, but I haven't seen it anywhere else:
Allow the Preview window to be "popped out" of the GameSalad editor. Especially considering how much the editor bogs down from moving between actors/scene/preview. This would let you make a change to an actor, then switch to Preview and play that change immediately, then back to your editor window to make more changes to your actor. Currently you need to go from Actor->Preview->Scene->Actor and find your place again. By having preview in its own window those four "moves" would be eliminated, meaning 4 less moves to bog down the editor.
I'm constantly making minor changes to my actor then playing them in Preview to see how it worked. And the extra steps combined with having to restart the editor so frequently end up being a huge waste of time.
The Preview has to reload the changes you make so having it running in the back ground for essentially a "previous version" I don't think would be useful.
The only thing the constant stuff does is promote more bitching from new users about crap thats not that big of a deal like the splash screen or the creators performance.
Splash screen and creator performance arent an issue? I think a lot of people would disagree with you. The splashscreen issue alone has driven many pro developers away, and is still an issue with many current users.
And lets face it, everyone keeps saying that GS needs a hit app to help promote it and give it a better name...but by driving away the kind of developers that are most likely to produce such a hit, they seem to shoot themselves in the foot.
tenrdrmerMember, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-ChefPosts: 9,934
Free users come in everyday bitching about the splash screen. because its something they have seen someone else bitch about. And no I don't think its an issue. have some people lost business because of it. Prob yes but really if you making games for a client you should be proficient in more than an entry level development tool. Meaning learn to code. Do Pro Developers use gamesalad? You bet. But that doesn't mean they wont have any other tools available when someone asks for no splash screen. IMO. You have no business in marketing Yourself as a professional freelance developer if the only tool you have available or know how to use is GameSalad. And if GameSalad dropping the splash screen is the only way you can provide your "clients" with that request. Then i'm sorry but you don't deserve their business.
Everyone seems to forget that GameSalads purpose was not to make professional coders a tool that makes their job easier. It was to give people like me (who cannot code at all) a tool to be able to develop good games and distribute them on the app store. And the only way they will keep getting new non-coder developers to keep looking at their software is to put their splash screen on apps and peek people interest when they see that splash screen. Such as me who found gamesalad by the splash screen on a good app. So no I don't think the splash screen is a big issue, Since it promotes their original goal and purpose.
tenrdrmer said: The Preview has to reload the changes you make so having it running in the back ground for essentially a "previous version" I don't think would be useful.
Having a Command-R or "reload" button on the window would resolve the problem. It's also in the Cocoa API to "watch" a folder for changes, so if the folder changes (from someone saving the game files) it could automatically reload what is in Preview. I'm thinking similar to the Corona simulator, which gives you either option - manual reload or reload automatically.
Can't give a hard date. I can say it's in QA and it's really in their hands now as to when we release. They're testing the build and recording bugs and it's really in their hands. I'll go into a little more detail on 0.9.1 in the Big Picture happening later today.
I think they tried to make a big picture post with news about the release date of the big picture post. But then they made a paradox and the big picture post imploded into a wormhole it created.
Come to think of it, I think that's how quantum sheep are made.
Asymptoteell said: I think they tried to make a big picture post with news about the release date of the big picture post. But then they made a paradox and the big picture post imploded into a wormhole it created.
Come to think of it, I think that's how quantum sheep are made.
It would be great if there could be a "Run to completion" check-box in the "Interpolate" behavior, so then you could interrupt the behavior, and it would stop, NOT keep going, unless you had "Run to completion" checked.
Thanks, everyone, for the awesome feedback. We got some great suggestions, both in the survey and in this thread. Expect a lot of more of these surveys on coming features, though I think I may bring them in a little. Focus on Community features for one, Web features for another, tool improvements, game mechanics, and so on.
I'm going to close out this thread, but please feel free to keep discussing in our New Features? or Suggestions forum categories.
Comments
Look.....GameSalad/GameCenter. They look great together.
I added some comments about it on my survey just in case they meant something different with Achievements.
Also, GameSalad basically makes XML files and folders. There's really only one type of programming I need to do... translating GameSalad games into Corona. That's a big project and I don't like to code, but clearly the need for such a project is growing. As GameSalad slips behind, other SDKs will catch up.
What's to stop Ansca Mobile from hiring some cheap freelancers to create a simple program that converts GameSalad XML into usable Corona code? Darren / Utopian Games have already shown how easy it can be to merge files.
It's not about this community being unwilling or unable to code. If things don't improve around here, I won't have much of a choice. I'll have to go with Corona when my subscription is up.
Ansca Mobile is extremely competitive. If I can figure this stuff out, so can they.
These aren't empty threats. I don't speak for the rest of the community, but I'm not complaining because I'm lazy. I like GameSalad. This is a great community and the software is a glimpse into the future. But if GameSalad doesn't get moving, the competitors are going to eat their lunch.
And quite honestly If someone can convert a GameSalad Project into a corona Project I say Create the software. I'd use it in a heart beat.
I'm also not saying everyone has made empty threats PeachPellin has moved to Corona, FMG is apparently moving to Corona, and i'm sure some others will to.
But for you, I have seen you post for nearly 6 months about how if GS doesn't do this or that your going to corona. a While back you even made the Well my subscriptions about up so if GS doesn't do something I'm not renewing threat. But now look your games have iAds so you definitely renewed. So yeah in a sense in GS eye's they are empty threats and all you are doing is stirring Sh*t with new users.
How about instead of saying "I'm gonna" You port all your games and say " I did it" now "GS if you want me to come back I want to see these improvements"
Every SDK has its strengths and Weaknesses but as long a GS is the only one with Drag and Drop, or Everyone takes a stand. the threats of moving to a different SDK are not going to motivate them
But look at next year. It's looking like $500 to renew. If things stayed the same, why would I do that? I think it was a big mistake to make the basic version of GameSalad free. Meanwhile, it's less than $400 for Corona. That's when I have to make a tough decision. I'd probably just stick with the free version of GameSalad - which means no money for GameSalad - and pick up Corona.
That's not a threat. That's a warning. Why would I pay $500 for iAds that don't really make money and hyperlinks?
GameSalad is easier to use, but Corona has better performance. These two cancel each other out. But soon, Corona will have in-app purchases. Corona doesn't force a splash screen. Corona has Android support and a lot of other features that can't be done with GameSalad.
What is GameSalad getting?
Mac App Store... ah, now that's competitive. If it's a Professional feature, that makes things interesting. Yet, I just think it continues the rat race... iPhone... then iPad... now Mac... still searching for the pot of gold, but I don't think it can be found this way. Simply porting my games to the Mac - will that make me a millionaire? I don't think so. I think a really good iOS game is better than a mediocre game on multiple platforms. That means Game Center is more important to me than the Mac App Store.
If you look closer at the Corona forums, you can see a lot more names there than Peach or Firemaplegames. All the while, people told them what would happen. If I had to publish my games through GameSalad direct, I would be leaving. There's no doubt about it. I'm still here because that didn't happen. Yet, the mere "threat" that GameSalad would be going the publisher route sent a lot of developers to the other side.
I was more patient than other developers. I waited to see if the GameSalad team would regain their senses. They did. But with competition this fierce, they have to keep proving themselves.
What's more likely to happen... Corona gets drag-and-drop or GameSalad improves performance? (I don't really care that the editor needs to be restarted every ~15 minutes. That reminds me to save my work. The games themselves should play better.)
From what I've read, a big announcement is planned for Corona. What if it's a drag-and-drop system like in GameSalad? How would the GameSalad team recover from that?! There would likely be a massive exodus because there would be no advantages to GameSalad.
The defense against that starts here...
-- Keep improving relations with the community
-- GET COMPETITIVE! Corona has shown they can fight, can GameSalad fight back?
-- OPTIMIZE!
-- FEATURES (Something wrong when Apple standards aren't implemented for months.)
-- EXPAND (GameSalad market for selling templates / content)
Allow the Preview window to be "popped out" of the GameSalad editor. Especially considering how much the editor bogs down from moving between actors/scene/preview. This would let you make a change to an actor, then switch to Preview and play that change immediately, then back to your editor window to make more changes to your actor. Currently you need to go from Actor->Preview->Scene->Actor and find your place again. By having preview in its own window those four "moves" would be eliminated, meaning 4 less moves to bog down the editor.
I'm constantly making minor changes to my actor then playing them in Preview to see how it worked. And the extra steps combined with having to restart the editor so frequently end up being a huge waste of time.
When GameSalad said were updating to GameSalad Direct and now you can only publish thorugh us. the community as whole rose up and said no. That has to happen for major changes to happen on their end. Because the bitching and threats became real.
The only thing the constant stuff does is promote more bitching from new users about crap thats not that big of a deal like the splash screen or the creators performance.
I agree totally there is tons that need to happen and they really had better pick it up because Corona is going to overtake them if they don't. I Just don't see the good in the constant pissing and moaning about every little thing. Lets pick something as a community and demand it be fixed/added next
My observation was that if an engine that is being written for multiple platforms, and that supports building games to multiple platforms can incorporate GameCenter so quickly... why does GameSalad seem to have so much difficulty in comparison?
There were no empty threats in my observation...
And lets face it, everyone keeps saying that GS needs a hit app to help promote it and give it a better name...but by driving away the kind of developers that are most likely to produce such a hit, they seem to shoot themselves in the foot.
Do Pro Developers use gamesalad? You bet. But that doesn't mean they wont have any other tools available when someone asks for no splash screen.
IMO. You have no business in marketing Yourself as a professional freelance developer if the only tool you have available or know how to use is GameSalad. And if GameSalad dropping the splash screen is the only way you can provide your "clients" with that request. Then i'm sorry but you don't deserve their business.
Everyone seems to forget that GameSalads purpose was not to make professional coders a tool that makes their job easier. It was to give people like me (who cannot code at all) a tool to be able to develop good games and distribute them on the app store. And the only way they will keep getting new non-coder developers to keep looking at their software is to put their splash screen on apps and peek people interest when they see that splash screen. Such as me who found gamesalad by the splash screen on a good app.
So no I don't think the splash screen is a big issue, Since it promotes their original goal and purpose.
Can you give a date?
Can't give a hard date. I can say it's in QA and it's really in their hands now as to when we release. They're testing the build and recording bugs and it's really in their hands. I'll go into a little more detail on 0.9.1 in the Big Picture happening later today.
- Yodapollo
By the way will you be adding in app purchasing?
Thanks again
-Magical Matt ''@_
- Yodapollo
-Josh
Come to think of it, I think that's how quantum sheep are made.
A search in all code option will be nice as well.
It would be great if there could be a "Run to completion" check-box in the "Interpolate" behavior, so then you could interrupt the behavior, and it would stop, NOT keep going, unless you had "Run to completion" checked.
~CTM
I'm going to close out this thread, but please feel free to keep discussing in our New Features? or Suggestions forum categories.
Thanks again, everyone!
-- Yodapollo