We're adding some unlockable features in the endless mode. The nectar you collect on each play will act as your currency. Today we'll be making Phoebee an unlockable playable character.
Here's a pic of what I added today as mentioned in the post above. So as you see your currency of nectar will increase each time you play the endless mode of the game. And then each unlock has a nectar cost.
We still haven't submitted it to the app store yet. So I'm thinking not to go crazy with the unlockable content for the moment. And add some more stuff in an update. Assuming we actually do finish and submit this game eventually.
I'm working on finishing the script for the story mode today. I've been putting it off for a while. But now that I'm sat down and am back into it I'm starting to have fun with it.
I'm developing the characters so they have individual and consistent personalities. At the moment I'm most enjoying writing the lines for the character Sting. While Corbee, the first playable character, is off trying to save the hive Sting stays at home being pessimistic and offering an alternate viewpoint to the other characters. The game has a friendly and innocent aesthetic so I'm liking that we have a character who is a contrast to that.
At many times I've felt daunted by how much work in needed to finish this game so that it's as content-rich and professional as I want it to be. But today I was thinking 'I can write anything I want - it's my game!' So just enjoying the creative freedom to do what ever I want with it. --- www.honeytribestudios.com
So if anyone is not is the habit or using Time Machine to back up your stuff every week... I would reccomend it. I just spent a couple days learning the hard way.
The macbook started making a strange noise - like a low level white noise. Seemed to be coming from the hard disk. And then I'd get the spinning wheel a lot. So I though 'ok I better buy an external drive and backup'. Then the day before the drive arrives I switch on the mac and... a blinking question mark greets me instead of the apple logo and that's as far as it goes!
Luckily I email myself our gamesalad project when I update it. But was still annoyed that other files might be lost. Well it was more like the steps of grieving actually - denial, anger, sadness... and then acceptance.
But now it seems I can retrieve most of the files from the dead hard disk by booting from the external drive. So today is much better than yesterday for me! Although certain folders bring out the white noise and spinning wheel but I got the main stuff.
Now that I understand the RAM use of images more I've started cutting down on the amount of images we're using in Honey Tribe Previously all the dialogue speech bubbles were images. Probably around 120 or so. I've deleted all of those and am now using the text in GS.
And then I load up the game in viewer and straight away there's a MASSIVE difference to the RAM used by images. i.e now much less.
Add to that I'm reducing the size of some of the less prominent images. So at the end of this round of optimisation (that never seems to end!) the game should be fine on 3rd gen devices with no issues at all. Well it BETTER after all of this )
Thanks Loracrow, I'll pass that on to my dev partner who does all the art. Actually I've been trying to get him to make some tutorial vids explaining the artwork but he still hasn't done it yet...!
We'll definitely do it as some point. Probably after we release the game. At the moment I'm pushing him to finish the last couple of images 'cos I want to submit the game to apple next week.
We're on track to submit to itunes at the end of the week. Will be a big relief to finally get it released. I've been both impatient and hesitant for ages. Know what I mean? I want to get our game out there but I want to make sure it's really good too. And to be honest I'm a bit scared that know one will know about it so will hardly get any downloads.
But we gotta jump in sooner or later!
I'm hoping that the appeal of the game comes across in the screenshots. I think the overall presentation and characters have a lot of charm. Only time will tell...
So just when I thought I'd fixed all the bugs in Honey Tribe I notice a couple of annoying bugs. But looking at the game logic everything seems in order. So I was totally baffled. And annoyed. Then half a day later I think I've figured it out.
4th gen devices are not affected. Only 3rd gen and only occasionally. I have a bunch of resets that happen when the game time = snapshot time + 0.2s. So I reckon when the 3rd gen processors are stretched (loads of stuff running in the background and the game is at full stretch) they don't get to the reset rules in time. And so the snapshot time + 0.2 has already passed so the resets don't happen as they should.
I hope that is the reason. If so I should be able to adjust the rules and fix it easily enough.
Now choosing the screenshots, ready to submit to Apple...!
This is actually really hard, trying to think how to sum up the game in the best way. Do we want to communicate the story? the factual stuff? the music? the gameplay?
Of course all of the above but I'm finding it challenging to wrap it all together in one nice set of screenshots and description that is easy to understand and makes people want to download the game.
Hmm, telling the story backwards with the screenshots could work...
looks good: one thing that i found very jarring was that the flowers just vanish when you touch them. They need some sort of animation or effect when they are collected. To just disappear like that looks jaring.
ORBZ said: looks good: one thing that i found very jarring was that the flowers just vanish when you touch them. They need some sort of animation or effect when they are collected. To just disappear like that looks jaring.
other than that, very nice.
Thanks - yeah someone else mentioned that on TA. I'll probably look to change it for the first update. Once I get round the application loader error I'm getting...!
Comments
@design219 - Thanks again for the drop shadow suggestion. That's turned out really good, I've been adding it to all the foreground objects.
You've done a real good job, everything seems really nice.
_____________________________
My Development and Tech Blog
www.honeytribestudios.com
We still haven't submitted it to the app store yet. So I'm thinking not to go crazy with the unlockable content for the moment. And add some more stuff in an update. Assuming we actually do finish and submit this game eventually.
See youuu!
I'm developing the characters so they have individual and consistent personalities. At the moment I'm most enjoying writing the lines for the character Sting.
While Corbee, the first playable character, is off trying to save the hive Sting stays at home being pessimistic and offering an alternate viewpoint to the other characters. The game has a friendly and innocent aesthetic so I'm liking that we have a character who is a contrast to that.
At many times I've felt daunted by how much work in needed to finish this game so that it's as content-rich and professional as I want it to be. But today I was thinking 'I can write anything I want - it's my game!' So just enjoying the creative freedom to do what ever I want with it.
---
www.honeytribestudios.com
The macbook started making a strange noise - like a low level white noise. Seemed to be coming from the hard disk. And then I'd get the spinning wheel a lot. So I though 'ok I better buy an external drive and backup'. Then the day before the drive arrives I switch on the mac and... a blinking question mark greets me instead of the apple logo and that's as far as it goes!
Luckily I email myself our gamesalad project when I update it. But was still annoyed that other files might be lost. Well it was more like the steps of grieving actually - denial, anger, sadness... and then acceptance.
But now it seems I can retrieve most of the files from the dead hard disk by booting from the external drive. So today is much better than yesterday for me! Although certain folders bring out the white noise and spinning wheel but I got the main stuff.
Now that I understand the RAM use of images more I've started cutting down on the amount of images we're using in Honey Tribe Previously all the dialogue speech bubbles were images. Probably around 120 or so. I've deleted all of those and am now using the text in GS.
And then I load up the game in viewer and straight away there's a MASSIVE difference to the RAM used by images. i.e now much less.
Add to that I'm reducing the size of some of the less prominent images. So at the end of this round of optimisation (that never seems to end!) the game should be fine on 3rd gen devices with no issues at all. Well it BETTER after all of this
But we gotta jump in sooner or later!
I'm hoping that the appeal of the game comes across in the screenshots. I think the overall presentation and characters have a lot of charm. Only time will tell...
So just when I thought I'd fixed all the bugs in Honey Tribe I notice a couple of annoying bugs. But looking at the game logic everything seems in order. So I was totally baffled. And annoyed. Then half a day later I think I've figured it out.
4th gen devices are not affected. Only 3rd gen and only occasionally. I have a bunch of resets that happen when the game time = snapshot time + 0.2s. So I reckon when the 3rd gen processors are stretched (loads of stuff running in the background and the game is at full stretch) they don't get to the reset rules in time. And so the snapshot time + 0.2 has already passed so the resets don't happen as they should.
I hope that is the reason. If so I should be able to adjust the rules and fix it easily enough.
Let's see...
Death to all (game) bugs!
Now choosing the screenshots, ready to submit to Apple...!
This is actually really hard, trying to think how to sum up the game in the best way. Do we want to communicate the story? the factual stuff? the music? the gameplay?
Of course all of the above but I'm finding it challenging to wrap it all together in one nice set of screenshots and description that is easy to understand and makes people want to download the game.
Hmm, telling the story backwards with the screenshots could work...
First app I've ever done so quite excited now...!
other than that, very nice.