Sometimes I think you try to make things difficult for yourself on principle
Why would you remove the hot linked images? I can't think of a good reason why you would. People want to see screenshots, but they don't want to jump through hoops or links to see them. Why bother having a log on gamesalad if you are not going to provide the gamesalad users the same information are are posting elsewhere.
jonmulcahy said: Why would you remove the hot linked images?
I think the better question is... why would a Sous Chef edit my posts instead of making a new post with those images?
As a web developer, I know that hotlinking is wrong. And by the way that it was done, it made it look like I was the one hotlinking. That's unacceptable.
Photics said: There were lots of screenshots available on Touch Arcade, but they were hotlinked to this thread... so I took them down. If this forum had image uploading, I probably would have uploaded them here
A video is planned, and should be available before the game is released.
Photics said: I think the better question is... why would a Sous Chef edit my posts instead of making a new post with those images?
As a web developer, I know that hotlinking is wrong. And by the way that it was done, it made it look like I was the one hotlinking. That's unacceptable.
ok, that is a good reason but why not upload them to flickr or image host or something?
jonmulcahy said: ok, that is a good reason but why not upload them to flickr or image host or something?
I probably should just open up the Photics.com anti-hotlinking settings to allow the GameSalad.com domain... or create a GameSalad sub-domain on my website for GameSalad images. I keep thinking... "GameSalad should have a new forum soon." HA HA. That's the real problem here.
I only have three levels left to create... then it's just some final touches. Once the final game is complete, I can put some promotional material together. I'm looking forward to showing this game off. I'm having lots of fun playing it. Maybe you will too!
Hey there! This sounds like my kind of game - fun eye candy and instant gratification. I don't actually buy that many games as I tend to be super selective. This one I would buy and enjoy. I'm looking forward to the trailer and being able to purchase this. It's interesting reading this as I'm about to begin a short development cycle on a new simple game. One is on hold due to sound issues in Gamesalad needing to be updated/fixed and the other is a big assed platformer that I decided to reevaluate and go in a slightly different direction with. What's the entire dev cycle on this, approximately a month? Whatever it is, fast iteration is the way to go. I'm building out my next game play mechanic with absolutely no graphics at all, just box actors and text over them. Seems to be faster and cleaner for me. The times I had to redo graphics due to changing my requirements taught me that, lol! Anyway, good luck with it. Just have fun finishing and get it out there. I hope it does really well for you. Cheers! Mike
Whew, it was a bit of a fight today, but Arch Fiery has been sent to Apple. I'm quite pleased with how this app turned out. I think it's interesting on how my mood changed while playing it. At one parts, I could feel my heart pumping. I was like, what?! I made this game. It's not supposed to be that exciting to me. HA!
Some of the challenges are tricky to accomplish. Other times, I would laugh at failure. Unlike BOT, this game isn't so punishing. I really like how the scene resets... WITHOUT RELOADING! Yet, the loading times are well-managed for a GameSalad game. It's noticeable, but not too bad... especially if you play through the levels in order. Overall, I found the game to be exciting — yet relaxing.
But to get to that point, I had to overcome some challenges. Heh, my certificates stopped working. To fix the problem, I deleted and reinstalled the certificates. Also, iTunes Connect was being fussy. I got the following error...
"A network timeout error occurred. Please try again later."
Firefox and iTunes Connect aren't playing nice. I had to use Safari to upload my screenshot. Heh... and that leads to another problem. I only have one screenshot and no description.
I'm figuring that since it takes Apple about a week to review my app, I'll be able to think of something creative for my app listing by then.
QuinnZoneStudios said: What's the entire dev cycle on this, approximately a month?
If this game is very successful, I'm thinking that I might add the pinball game as a bonus level... unlocked after a certain amount of stars are collected. There's lots of potential for expansion here. The final .zip size was 11.1 MB, so there's still room for more content.
UtopianGames said: I have been reading your progress reports and it has got my attention for sure!
I didn't pick up a copy of BOT because tbh it's not my kind of game but this one i will be picking up on day 1.
Best of luck with sales...
That's great! You're really good at building platformers, so it's an honor that you're interested in playing Arch Fiery.
=========
October 4, 2011 — Progress Report
Tricky Mac!
I decided against 1280x800 for the Mac. I like the iPhone size. This gives the player a choice. They can play in full-screen or they can play in a little window. Yet, there were two main problems with the Mac version.
1 - A blue Line was appearing on the side of my game. I don't like how GameSalad adds black bars on the sides of my game while it's in windowed mode.
2 - GameSalad ruins my splash screen, with a bizarre fade-to-white effect.
I had two choices... wait for GameSalad to fix this... or figure out a way to fix it myself. I think I have a good solution, so you might find this information useful too.
For problem #1, I had to change my background. Previously, I was using a transparent blend and a blue background. Regardless of the size of the transparent blend, the blue color would leak out on the side. To fix this, I went with a black background and I changed the blend to compensate for the background color change. So... if you're making a Mac game, you might want to keep the background black.
For problem #2, I changed my loading screen. I simply used the words "Photics Presents" on a white background. Heh, like the old splash screen for Nintendo games... but that has a black background. So, the fade to white looks intentional. Then boom... the Arch Fiery title screen appears.
I'm thinking of making the title screen available as a Desktop Background. Today, I'll have to get some promotional material together... screenshots... a video... but at least the text is done. I wrote the description yesterday.
Arch Fiery for iPhone just went into review. That was fast. I think I should bump up the release date to tomorrow.
I didn't even get to finish all of the screenshots yet... or the video. I have three really good looking images, but I'm not sure what to do with the last two. Heh, at least I updated it from the blank box. That would have been an instant rejection and a waste of three days of waiting.
It has screenshots and a download for a desktop wallpaper.
I'm not sure what to do about the video. Right now, I'm thinking it's better to not release a video than to release a bad one. I haven't been having fun making promo videos lately. It feels more like a chore.
Think you could use a single font for all the text and with the dark blue running through the game you could run the text in a 'firey' colour (an orange/red). If you selected something very carefully I think it would add to the look. On the icon I think the present font might get a little difficult to read when very small. Just my waffle, but years of graphics tend to make v fussy about fonts.
There's an old song, "Video killed the radio star". So, where are the video stars today? With apps becoming so popular, it feels like Angry Birds is generally more popular than most videos. Are videos obsolete?
Well, supposedly, videos help increase the popularity of apps...
I'm not terribly happy with it. The video compression chopped up my background, which looks a lot better in the real game. Here's something else that annoys me. The video is 23 MB. That's more than double the size of the whole game. It's like... why bother downloading the video when you can get the whole game for less?
Because of the importance on frame rates, I didn't use Sound Stage. Performance is not that great in the iOS simulator. And yet, a Quicktime screen capture wasn't that great either. It butchered the colors and was also a little choppy.
That's why I buried the video on page two.
Although, it is a nice tutorial on how to play the game and what the game's about. The video also shows off a lot of the cool elements of the game, like the instant reset, particles and physics.
So, now I can watch the feedback. Is it better to release no video than a bad video? I don't think the video is terrible, but the game itself looks a lot better... especially on a Mac or iPhone 4.
I think it gets the job done. I don't think anyone watches an iOS game video the same way they watch a movie or tv. They aren't looking for some sort of video watching "experience". They just want to see if the game looks like it will be fun. This video makes me think the game will be fun. I think you accomplished what needed to be accomplished and I don't think you should burry this on page two of your site.
Any ways, looks good. Will check this out when it is on the appstore.
Trailer looks great to me. It explained and showed a lot more game play and also the mood of it too. It does seem original and due to all the variables would be quite addictive. I definitely think the vid helps and you should be proud of your game and push it using your video as much as you can!!!
scitunes said: I think it gets the job done. I don't think anyone watches an iOS game video the same way they watch a movie or tv. They aren't looking for some sort of video watching "experience". They just want to see if the game looks like it will be fun. This video makes me think the game will be fun. I think you accomplished what needed to be accomplished and I don't think you should burry this on page two of your site.
Hey, thanks. I'm glad that you like the video.
The video is not too buried. It's just on the second page of the article. I can see if people make it to the second page. If there are too many bounces from the main page, then I can move the video up.
Rob2 said: I thought it was interesting, lively and fun.. but desperately needs audio. Also it seemed a bit dark in places.
edit: found the audio
Yeah, those are two fair critiques. The Burnt Forest is a bit dark. I think it's even a bit darker in the video. That's why I like Sizzle City more than The Burnt Forest... which is why access to that level is not locked from the beginning.
As for the audio, the video doesn't have the in-game sound effects. The "Arch Fiery" has a nice swooshing effect. There are also sliders to change the sound of the music and the sound effects. So if you like it, you can make it louder. If you don't like it, you can lower the volume.
Hey, that's great. There are some big names in GameSalad making favorable comments about this game. That's a good sign.
Even though the game is in review right now, I set the release date to October 8, 2011. This make me nervous, as it might mess up the "Release Date" listing. Yet, I think it's important to have time to prepare for the launch. The idea is to make a surge. So, if the app is approved today, I'll have an extra two days to contact the review websites.
...and if the launch date is not screwed up, then Arch Fiery should sit at the top for the next three days. I think Monday is a holiday.
lildragn said: Lighting those wood planks on fire would be ace for gameplay strategy You probably thought of that already. Looking forward to more progress.
Yeah, I thought about having things set on fire. That's a possibility for expansion. Those wood planks are labeled internally as "Petrified Tree", so that they're not flammable. Making burnable items is something that can be added for new levels... but I'm waiting to see if the demand is there. I've got a good idea of what I'd like to make for the third area.
Also, with the new updates to GameSalad, I have lots of ideas for achievements.
Oh... and the Mac version has a secret cheat code.
lildragn said: Btw I'm really digging your GS book, great reference guide to have handy.
Good, I'm glad that you like the book! An update is planned. Again, I'm waiting for GameSalad. The next two updates could be big.
QuinnZoneStudios said: "Video made the Gamesalad star"..........
Ha ha!
beefy_clyro said: Looks fun Is there any benefit of getting your Arch Fiery bigger?
Yes, the blocks are easier to push while bigger... and it's health. If the "Arch Fiery" takes too many hits, it shrinks... and then explodes.
Strange, the app is still in review. If the app is approved, tomorrow... for Saturday morning. I'm actually OK with that. Although, when an app sits in review too long, it usually means there's a problem somewhere.
Note: The previous update was on October 5, not October 6
butterbean said: Looking forward to this one Photics! (didn't have time to read all of your logs, but from the screenshots, this looks like fun!)
Yeah, I've been having fun with the game. This game could do well.
I'm taking a risk though. Apple approved it, but I set it to release on Saturday, October 8, 2011. That means I might mess up the new release listing. But if it works, it should sit at the top of the list for 3-4 days. If it doesn't work right, if Apple treats tomorrow as the launch day, the app gets buried on the new release listing.
butterbean said: I find that as long as I save the date "once" then it works... if you keep hitting the save button, it resets it everytime.
I had it set to the 8th before it went into review. But then, I changed it to an earlier date while it was in review. (That was like three days ago.) But after I realized that the review was going rather long, I set the date back to the 8th. Today the app was approved and I haven't changed anything.
with a long way home I put the release date like 14 days after I submitted it. it was approved in 7 days, and I had 7 days to send out pre-release requests, get my prmac press release ready to go, and a few youtube videos.
on the 16th when it was released, it showed up as expected at the top of those new release lists.
I've been frantically sending out promo codes... telling review websites that they can download the game today, even though it's not available until tomorrow.
...but is it already tomorrow somewhere in the world?
Comments
Why would you remove the hot linked images? I can't think of a good reason why you would. People want to see screenshots, but they don't want to jump through hoops or links to see them. Why bother having a log on gamesalad if you are not going to provide the gamesalad users the same information are are posting elsewhere.
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As a web developer, I know that hotlinking is wrong. And by the way that it was done, it made it look like I was the one hotlinking. That's unacceptable.
but why not upload them to flickr or image host or something?
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I only have three levels left to create... then it's just some final touches. Once the final game is complete, I can put some promotional material together. I'm looking forward to showing this game off. I'm having lots of fun playing it. Maybe you will too!
This sounds like my kind of game - fun eye candy and instant gratification. I don't actually buy that many games as I tend to be super selective. This one I would buy and enjoy. I'm looking forward to the trailer and being able to purchase this.
It's interesting reading this as I'm about to begin a short development cycle on a new simple game. One is on hold due to sound issues in Gamesalad needing to be updated/fixed and the other is a big assed platformer that I decided to reevaluate and go in a slightly different direction with. What's the entire dev cycle on this, approximately a month? Whatever it is, fast iteration is the way to go.
I'm building out my next game play mechanic with absolutely no graphics at all, just box actors and text over them. Seems to be faster and cleaner for me. The times I had to redo graphics due to changing my requirements taught me that, lol!
Anyway, good luck with it. Just have fun finishing and get it out there. I hope it does really well for you.
Cheers!
Mike
DONE... almost
Whew, it was a bit of a fight today, but Arch Fiery has been sent to Apple. I'm quite pleased with how this app turned out. I think it's interesting on how my mood changed while playing it. At one parts, I could feel my heart pumping. I was like, what?! I made this game. It's not supposed to be that exciting to me. HA!
Some of the challenges are tricky to accomplish. Other times, I would laugh at failure. Unlike BOT, this game isn't so punishing. I really like how the scene resets... WITHOUT RELOADING! Yet, the loading times are well-managed for a GameSalad game. It's noticeable, but not too bad... especially if you play through the levels in order. Overall, I found the game to be exciting — yet relaxing.
But to get to that point, I had to overcome some challenges. Heh, my certificates stopped working. To fix the problem, I deleted and reinstalled the certificates. Also, iTunes Connect was being fussy. I got the following error...
"A network timeout error occurred. Please try again later."
Firefox and iTunes Connect aren't playing nice. I had to use Safari to upload my screenshot. Heh... and that leads to another problem. I only have one screenshot and no description.
I'm figuring that since it takes Apple about a week to review my app, I'll be able to think of something creative for my app listing by then. It took about three weeks to build Arch Fiery, but this project started about two months ago. It was originally a pinball game... http://photics.com/game-creation-log-a-fiery-pinball
If this game is very successful, I'm thinking that I might add the pinball game as a bonus level... unlocked after a certain amount of stars are collected. There's lots of potential for expansion here. The final .zip size was 11.1 MB, so there's still room for more content.
I didn't pick up a copy of BOT because tbh it's not my kind of game but this one i will be picking up on day 1.
Best of luck with sales...
Darren.
=========
October 4, 2011 — Progress Report
Tricky Mac!
I decided against 1280x800 for the Mac. I like the iPhone size. This gives the player a choice. They can play in full-screen or they can play in a little window. Yet, there were two main problems with the Mac version.
1 - A blue Line was appearing on the side of my game. I don't like how GameSalad adds black bars on the sides of my game while it's in windowed mode.
2 - GameSalad ruins my splash screen, with a bizarre fade-to-white effect.
I had two choices... wait for GameSalad to fix this... or figure out a way to fix it myself. I think I have a good solution, so you might find this information useful too.
For problem #1, I had to change my background. Previously, I was using a transparent blend and a blue background. Regardless of the size of the transparent blend, the blue color would leak out on the side. To fix this, I went with a black background and I changed the blend to compensate for the background color change. So... if you're making a Mac game, you might want to keep the background black.
For problem #2, I changed my loading screen. I simply used the words "Photics Presents" on a white background. Heh, like the old splash screen for Nintendo games... but that has a black background. So, the fade to white looks intentional. Then boom... the Arch Fiery title screen appears.
I'm thinking of making the title screen available as a Desktop Background. Today, I'll have to get some promotional material together... screenshots... a video... but at least the text is done. I wrote the description yesterday.
So now, the waiting begins.
Whoa!
Arch Fiery for iPhone just went into review. That was fast. I think I should bump up the release date to tomorrow.
I didn't even get to finish all of the screenshots yet... or the video. I have three really good looking images, but I'm not sure what to do with the last two. Heh, at least I updated it from the blank box. That would have been an instant rejection and a waste of three days of waiting.
Meanwhile, I added a post about Arch Fiery on Photics.com...
http://photics.com/arch-fiery
It has screenshots and a download for a desktop wallpaper.
I'm not sure what to do about the video. Right now, I'm thinking it's better to not release a video than to release a bad one. I haven't been having fun making promo videos lately. It feels more like a chore.
iPhone killed the video star
There's an old song, "Video killed the radio star". So, where are the video stars today? With apps becoming so popular, it feels like Angry Birds is generally more popular than most videos. Are videos obsolete?
Well, supposedly, videos help increase the popularity of apps...
So OK, I made a video...
http://photics.com/arch-fiery/2
I'm not terribly happy with it. The video compression chopped up my background, which looks a lot better in the real game. Here's something else that annoys me. The video is 23 MB. That's more than double the size of the whole game. It's like... why bother downloading the video when you can get the whole game for less?
Because of the importance on frame rates, I didn't use Sound Stage. Performance is not that great in the iOS simulator. And yet, a Quicktime screen capture wasn't that great either. It butchered the colors and was also a little choppy.
That's why I buried the video on page two.
Although, it is a nice tutorial on how to play the game and what the game's about. The video also shows off a lot of the cool elements of the game, like the instant reset, particles and physics.
So, now I can watch the feedback. Is it better to release no video than a bad video? I don't think the video is terrible, but the game itself looks a lot better... especially on a Mac or iPhone 4.
Any ways, looks good. Will check this out when it is on the appstore.
edit: found the audio
Can't wait for release.
Darren.
Btw I'm really digging your GS book, great reference guide to have handy.
~t
It explained and showed a lot more game play and also the mood of it too.
It does seem original and due to all the variables would be quite addictive.
I definitely think the vid helps and you should be proud of your game and push it using your video as much as you can!!!
"Video made the Gamesalad star"..........
The video is not too buried. It's just on the second page of the article. I can see if people make it to the second page. If there are too many bounces from the main page, then I can move the video up. Yeah, those are two fair critiques. The Burnt Forest is a bit dark. I think it's even a bit darker in the video. That's why I like Sizzle City more than The Burnt Forest... which is why access to that level is not locked from the beginning.
As for the audio, the video doesn't have the in-game sound effects. The "Arch Fiery" has a nice swooshing effect. There are also sliders to change the sound of the music and the sound effects. So if you like it, you can make it louder. If you don't like it, you can lower the volume. Hey, that's great. There are some big names in GameSalad making favorable comments about this game. That's a good sign.
Even though the game is in review right now, I set the release date to October 8, 2011. This make me nervous, as it might mess up the "Release Date" listing. Yet, I think it's important to have time to prepare for the launch. The idea is to make a surge. So, if the app is approved today, I'll have an extra two days to contact the review websites.
...and if the launch date is not screwed up, then Arch Fiery should sit at the top for the next three days. I think Monday is a holiday. Yeah, I thought about having things set on fire. That's a possibility for expansion. Those wood planks are labeled internally as "Petrified Tree", so that they're not flammable. Making burnable items is something that can be added for new levels... but I'm waiting to see if the demand is there. I've got a good idea of what I'd like to make for the third area.
Also, with the new updates to GameSalad, I have lots of ideas for achievements.
Oh... and the Mac version has a secret cheat code.
Waiting
Strange, the app is still in review. If the app is approved, tomorrow... for Saturday morning. I'm actually OK with that. Although, when an app sits in review too long, it usually means there's a problem somewhere.
Note: The previous update was on October 5, not October 6
I'm taking a risk though. Apple approved it, but I set it to release on Saturday, October 8, 2011. That means I might mess up the new release listing. But if it works, it should sit at the top of the list for 3-4 days. If it doesn't work right, if Apple treats tomorrow as the launch day, the app gets buried on the new release listing.
I find that as long as I save the date "once" then it works... if you keep hitting the save button, it resets it everytime.
Fingers crossed the release date is set properly and you're at the top of the list!
on the 16th when it was released, it showed up as expected at the top of those new release lists.
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...but is it already tomorrow somewhere in the world?
Here's a link... http://photics.com/fiery