Gamesalad Size Limitations? are there any?

BlueFanStudios

Gamesalad Size Limitations? are there any? or does the Iphone/Ipad/IMAC have any restrictions?

gyroscope

Hi, not sure there is a limitation of file sizes with GameSalad - any size you want. As an example, my surreal interactive app I'm working on is over 300mb at the moment and all's OK. There's only a limit if you are going to put your app into the GameSalad Arcade. This does not support games larger than 150MB.

The same with iDevices and Mac, no limit to file size (other than no more than available storage memory). Examples here would be Garageband - almost 400MB, Solar Syatem for iPad = almost 1000MB, etc. I've seen a few iPad games/apps into the GB sizes. Though, if you want people to download your app on the iPhone, you have to keep the file to 20MB or below. Might be a limit - the same or a bit more - for downloading on an iPad. I'm certain there's no file limit for downloading onto a Mac from the App Store.

I'm sure you know though that there are definable limits to individual scene sizes based on the available RAM of each device. Another consideration is loading times of scenes which are large in RAM memory size. So it's worth keeping each scene as low in size as poss., especially your first scene.

Hope that's helped.

old_kipper

Hey Gyro! have you tried doing builds to ad-hoc of your mighty surreal app? I wondered how the GS server is/would cope with it (given that surrealism doesn't throw a fish on the bouillabaisse hat and you are winged away by butterflies).

kipper

gyroscope

old_kipper said:
Hey Gyro! have you tried doing builds to ad-hoc of your mighty surreal app?

Hi kipper - interesting question. Although I've been using GS for a few years or more, believe it or not, I haven't got to the stage of making any ad-hoc builds. The reasons are that I've yet to get to the "last couple of miles" of any of my projects where I'd think it's necessary to start testing on the device; + I've only just bought an iPad last month for use/testing on anyhow (every one of my apps/games I want to finish is for the iPad only, poss. some for Mac).

I fully intend to have the interactive app finished this year (or my goldfish gets it... not really, I haven't got a goldfish!) so in a few months time I'll finally be wanting to test it on the device. I hope that, being as the app is 300 + (although with optimization I'll hopefully shave at least 50mb off this) that the ad-hoc build via GS doesn't time-out or something.

Have you any experience with ad-hoc builds using fairly large files, kipper? (Or anyone else?)

old_kipper

gyroscope said:
Have you any experience with ad-hoc builds using fairly large files, kipper? (Or anyone else?)

No I ain't! I noticed posting here over the months I've been here, about large builds going to the GS server and got the impression that big can mean more difficult uploads to it, but I'm not sure of any limit. I do have one project that I'm doing all I can to reduce it's size but it may end up in 300 meg area. My first project which hopefully is going up to ad-hoc to test in a week or so us tiny and getting smaller as I try to optimise it for performance. Currently the project file is down to about 1.2meg... and I suspect by the time I've ripped out duplicate rules it will fall to around 800k. It ain't png heavy... but it is full of graphics.

gyroscope

Thanks, OK, I'll wait to see...

I look forward to seeing your first project with much interest. :-) What is your large project, kipper? (Or are you keeping it under wraps like wot I am with mine... ;-)

old_kipper

The first project out is simple game with a mix of multiplayer and single player, and is a test bed for ideas about design of UI, some AI, using GS a bit like After Effects for animation, testing of speed, and to test the reaction of the market to this sort of app. If you are interested PM me and I will drop something over to you. It running but not all the AI is sorted for all sections.

The big fat graphics project is geared for November release and is a bit hush, hush as I'm working with a commercial partner on it. Even that file is starting to fall in size after testing various ruses like anamorphic style squashing/un-squashing, TSB's jpeg replacement trick and audio file optimisation of .ogg files to lower bit-rate. I want to be able to run a promo version of it on iphone (the main app is ipad), and if I can hit a quarter of the file reduced to the 20 meg download point with iphone res graphics using the same optimisation tricks I will be a very happy man. It might just be possible.

Photics

BlueFanStudios said:
Gamesalad Size Limitations? are there any? or does the Iphone/Ipad/IMAC have any restrictions?

For web and iPhone, keeping the game under 20 MB is generally a good idea. There's an over-the-air download limit (not sure if it's worldwide) that prevents AT&T customers from downloading large apps while they're on the go. Additionally, GameSalad will warn you if your project gets too large because over 20 MB is not recommended for the Arcade.

While working on BOT, I learned first-hand that there is indeed a GameSalad size limitation. Around 150 MB, I was unable to create new Ad-Hoc versions of my app. I had to dramatically reduce the images down in size to enable the upload. Also, some of my customers complained that the game was too large. Apparently, they didn't want a game that was 150 MB on their phone.