Disadvantages of Gamesalad

ZainZain Member Posts: 37
edited November -1 in Miscellaneous
I am very excited about tools like gamesalad and others available for people with less programming background to build games/apps. But I don't want to get too excited and want to do a thorough research before investing time. I know gamesalad has many positives.

I want everyone to tell me what disadvantages/negatives gamesalad has, I'll start with few:

1) No multiplayer option
2) Can't work on Windows
3) Can't publish to Android (coming soon I guess)

Can you guys share from your experience.

Comments

  • orbnooborbnoob Member Posts: 79
    you cant have in game purchases
  • POMPOM Member Posts: 2,599
    @Zain
    Try focusing on the advantages of the engine instead of the disadvantages .
    Download it for free , mess around with it for a few days and see if fits you .
    There are many disadvantages to this engine much like any other engine , exploring them will take you nowhere .
    Give it a try , and think positive ;)

    Cheers.
    Roy.
  • StusAppsStusApps Member, PRO Posts: 1,352
    Zain said:

    2) Can't work on Windows

    I consider this an advantage. I can't possibly imagine what the forum would be like if any bonehead with a computer could have a go. At least the snobbery created by apples high prices tends to result in a certain level of intellect (mostly).

    Is that an awful thing to say?
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Heres Mine.

    -the non-Pro Version is Free so everyone and their brother have access to this great tool without having any upfront commitment to making a good game and only see the Promise of fast cash which most find out doesn't happen.

    Sorry really don't get the point of this thread. We all know the areas GS needs improvement. I really don't see how this thread benefits anything.
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  • StusAppsStusApps Member, PRO Posts: 1,352
    tenrdrmer said:

    -the non-Pro Version is Free so everyone and their brother have access to this great tool without having any upfront commitment to making a good game and only see the Promise of fast cash which most find out doesn't happen.

    +1000
  • SlickZeroSlickZero Houston, TexasMember, Sous Chef Posts: 2,870
    1) No multiplayer option - Is coming soon
    2) Can't work on Windows - Thank God
    3) Can't publish to Android (coming soon I guess) - Yes it is
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  • ZainZain Member Posts: 37
    orbnoob - Can you expand on that a bit

    P-O-M - I understand what you are saying, but I don't have the luxury of time to download and learn every engine out there. I need to decide which Kit makes most sense based on what I want to do as a noob developer..lol Plus, I would need to buy a MAC for gamesalad, that's a big step just to 'try it out'.

    StusApps -- lol. I'm using Wondows *sniff sniff*

    tenrdrmer - I'm just doing my research. Want to figure out all the positives and negatives before I commit. Some ideas I have in my little brain may not be viable via gamesalad.
  • JohnPapiomitisJohnPapiomitis Member Posts: 6,256
    Zain said:
    orbnoob - Can you expand on that a bit

    P-O-M - I understand what you are saying, but I don't have the luxury of time to download and learn every engine out there. I need to decide which Kit makes most sense based on what I want to do as a noob developer..lol Plus, I would need to buy a MAC for gamesalad, that's a big step just to 'try it out'.

    StusApps -- lol. I'm using Wondows *sniff sniff*

    tenrdrmer - I'm just doing my research. Want to figure out all the positives and negatives before I commit. Some ideas I have in my little brain may not be viable via gamesalad.

    If you want to do games for apple you need a mac. Thats not just a gamesalad thing. if gamesalad ran on windows you would still need a mac to publish and submit to itunes. Any apple application or game needs to be submitted from a mac and theres no way around that. So you wouldnt be buying a mac to try gamesalad, but to make ios games period.

    The other thing is gamesalad is compeltly drag and drop AND free to use and publish.
  • StusAppsStusApps Member, PRO Posts: 1,352
    Regardless of the sdk you use you have to have a mac to publish to ios devices. All use xcode to some degree.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Zain, If you want to develop for the iPhone you have to buy a mac. No matter what SDK.

    Buy your mac and try GameSalad. Remember its free.

    Since you don't have the luxury of Time GameSalad will be your best bet. All the other SDK's you have to Learn Code and then apply the code. In GameSalad with a little trial and error you can have a shabby semi working Game within a few hours of downloading. Even if you have no Game Making Experience. The trick then is not not get greedy and just publish the Shabby game because feel your on a time crunch. And instead Take the time you need to make it a good Game.

    Developing Takes time and rushing through will only land a bunch of published junk no one wants to buy. ;)

    Good luck

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  • TheBoss_123TheBoss_123 Member Posts: 60
    I totally agree with the idea of not working on windows - because yes with wealth comes a certain degree of intellect.
    Also we dont have any nooby kids making games CoRRupTiNg the App store.
    Having said that - I am using Gamesalad on a virtual machine. XD
    Cheers
    TheBoss_123
  • MetzoPainoMetzoPaino Member Posts: 195
    The software is unstable and can crash frequently enough that it isn't a surprise.

    Certain features are buggy/don't work in ways that you would originally think.

    On the whole though it is very good, and I think a good stepping stone into the world of game making.
  • MetzoPainoMetzoPaino Member Posts: 195
    The software is unstable and can crash frequently enough that it isn't a surprise.

    Certain features are buggy/don't work in ways that you would originally think.

    On the whole though it is very good, and I think a good stepping stone into the world of game making.
  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    TheBoss_123 said:
    ... because yes with wealth comes a certain degree of intellect.

    Like bankers and politicians, you mean? ;-)

    Hi Zain, if you don't own a Mac, have you any friends who have a Mac? Download the GS Creator for free - as has been said - on their machine and try it out before taking the plunge.

    Just to underline: i reckon there is a 0.01% chance that GS Creator will ever be available for use on Windows based computers.

    Hooray! Whoops, that slipped out...

    ""You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike." - Zork        temp domain http://spidergriffin.wix.com/alphaghostapps

  • ZainZain Member Posts: 37
    JohnPapiomitis said:
    If you want to do games for apple you need a mac. Thats not just a gamesalad thing. if gamesalad ran on windows you would still need a mac to publish and submit to itunes. Any apple application or game needs to be submitted from a mac and theres no way around that. So you wouldnt be buying a mac to try gamesalad, but to make ios games period.

    The other thing is gamesalad is compeltly drag and drop AND free to use and publish.

    Totally understand. Would it be necessary to get an Iphone also..lol To download and see how the game looks.

    Stusapps = Xcode? Thought there was no coding involved in gamesalad.

    tenrdrmer - Good advice. I'm just concerned that I buy Mac, start building my game and find out 2 months from now gamesalad doesn't support something I'm trying to do.

    Theboss_123 - I think more developers are a good thing. Then there will be more Developer Kits out there competing because of the demand.

    MetzoPaino - Are crashes a common known issue with Gamesalad? Or you're just having bad luck?
  • ZainZain Member Posts: 37
    gyroscope said:
    Like bankers and politicians, you mean? ;-)

    Hi Zain, if you don't own a Mac, have you any friends who have a Mac? Download the GS Creator for free - as has been said - on their machine and try it out before taking the plunge.

    Just to underline: i reckon there is a 0.01% chance that GS Creator will ever be available for use on Windows based computers.

    Hooray! Whoops, that slipped out...
    That sounds like a good idea. I'm sure eventually gamesalad will expand into Windows, but that might be a while.

    I've always been a passionate nerd about games, my dream was to develop games. But I'm scared the limitations or learning curve might discourage me down the road.
  • JohnPapiomitisJohnPapiomitis Member Posts: 6,256
    Zain said:
    Totally understand. Would it be necessary to get an Iphone also..lol To download and see how the game looks.

    Stusapps = Xcode? Thought there was no coding involved in gamesalad.

    tenrdrmer - Good advice. I'm just concerned that I buy Mac, start building my game and find out 2 months from now gamesalad doesn't support something I'm trying to do.

    Theboss_123 - I think more developers are a good thing. Then there will be more Developer Kits out there competing because of the demand.

    MetzoPaino - Are crashes a common known issue with Gamesalad? Or you're just having bad luck?

    Yes its absolutely neccesary for you to get a iphone to test on. As well as other ipod touches and as many dif generation devices you can afford, if you dont know anyone with them.

    And for the xcode comment, gamesalad is no code. But gamesalad uses xcode behind the scenes to build the project. Again every sdk does that. You cant build a .app without xcode. But you dont actually have to do anythign yourself inside xcode
  • StusAppsStusApps Member, PRO Posts: 1,352
    Zain said:

    Stusapps = Xcode? Thought there was no coding involved in gamesalad.

    There isn't but you use parts of Xcode. For example it's application loader is how you send your final app to apple. Also you have to press the compile button in Xcode to build out the gamesalad viewer app. It is also handy for installing adhoc builds to your device.

    All of these are very simple tasks that involve no coding. They are well documented on the GS site.
  • ZainZain Member Posts: 37
    Thanks JohnPapiomitis and StusApps. Very helpful infomation.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Bottom line you need a Mac. No matter what.

    So get one and try gamesalad. Its FREE. If you dont like it nothing lost. Try another sdk. You still need a Mac for those too.
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