App Binary RC 1.25.20210804 - Updated Android API Level 30 / Ad Networks

adent42

To get these benefits use "Build RC". It doesn't matter which version of GameSalad Creator you publish with as long as it's a version 1.25.x.

For people used to the old RC thread, I will be repeating features that are not present in the regular "Generate" build, so you know in total what you are getting with this RC. New fixes since the last RC will be in bold.

This build is focused on upgrading to Android API 30 to allow app store submissions to continue.

Android

Changes

• Android targets have been compiled agains API 30.
  • Does not apply to not Kindle or FireTV
• Ad Network Updates:
  • IronSrc 7.1.7 (and matching updates for mediated networks)
  • Admob 20.2.0
  • Chartboost 4.3.6
  • Does not apply to not Kindle or FireTV

Fixes

New build system has pulled in a large number of missed dependencies for ad networks, so you may see better ad network performance for mediated ads.

Other

• No change

Notes

With our new build system we were able to relatively quickly update ad networks (though there was a significant code update for Admob that took some time).

Speaking of Admob, if you use admob, you will need to set a valid Admob App ID or the app WILL crash. You will likely also need to set it if you use IronSrc as well (we still need to test that).

We've only updated the Android targets because the issue affects people submitting to Google Play. In our next RC we will deprecate FireTV and Kindle as separate targets. These targets were only created to enforce a limit on the APKs so that they ONLY work on the target devices. This is not really necessary and we mostly did it because for a short time Amazon sponsored FireTV and Kindle targets for the old "free" tier.

Unless major issue crop up, this will be the last build using this version of the publishing build system. We'll be moving to an improved build system that will allow for aab and apks to be generated from the same publishing process.

Hopefully there aren't any big issues with this release and we'll be able to work on the aab release next as that will be the Google Play store's next big requirement.

UPDATE 2021-08-05 18:18 CDT

Publishing has been updated to include your Admob App ID if you use IronSrc. If your app has never used Admob, but you do have Admob mediation enabled in IronSource, then you NEED to add your Admob App Id in the Admob Service Config.

Also, we added switches for two new mediated networks on IronSource on Android: Smaato and MyTarget

freneticz

Dont Google need aab yet?

adent42

Seems like no, I’m hoping end of month.

freneticz

I see in the google developer console that new apps must be aab...

Any news?

adent42

At a conference this week, hoping to have something early next week. Seems like if you have an app, you can still use APKs but as you said, new apps need aabs.

adent42

FYI I made some updates to publishing to better clean APKs based on a bug report. Basically if you publish with a non-IronSrc ad network, then some stuff will have been missed in clean up and it should be properly cleaned now.

We'll hopefully be done with the aab stuff soon.

bob loblaw

@adent42 two people have today told me my recently updated project freezes after the splash screen on android.

google accepted the project as target api 30 when I submitted the build, even though on the gs publishing page it doesn't go higher that 29. is this causing a problem?

otherwise it may be the tweet sheet behaviour I have on that first page (for iPhone ads) causing an issue on android.

adent42

The minimum shouldn't matter since the system is compiled to work with min SDK 21.

You may want to try hitting the RC generate again and resubmitting. The was some unexpected stuff left in the apks from the new ad network updates and the updated build system that might be causing issues. If you can find out what device / OS version they're running on, that would also help us track down issues.

bob loblaw

will do. it may be their devices. just looking at my admob page and someone with the latest android version did play the game last night with an ad impression popping up, so it must work on at least one device.

i’ll let you know if i come up with anything. thanks for getting back to me.

bob loblaw

they are both on android 11

bob loblaw

so i tried turning off the tweet sheet behaviour on the first scene to see if that made a difference. same problem- freezes on the splash/loading screen.

not sure what’s going on, or if anyone else has the same issue. the build rc works perfect for ios though.

likevi said in the other post, according to admob, someone played the most recent android version of the game last night which means i guess it worked for at least one person?

bob loblaw

ok, an update. got a mate to do a clean install and it works fine. not sure why those two updates freeze on the load screen.

bob loblaw

and further to this @adent42 (sorry for the string of posts), I got one of the people who this affected to show me what happens. basically the game sits on the custom splash/loading screen for a while, before the following error message appears:

Unexpected error: Not an error (Code 0 SQLite_ok)

Like I said, it only happened for people that updated my app on android (one using a Samsung, one on Sony - both on android 11), not for fresh installs. The app updated fine a couple of weeks ago prior to the implementation of api 30. The two people that it affected also tried uninstalling the game then reinstalling it, but the error kept occurring.

adent42

So it sounds like an issue with the save game data and the update. I'll do some research, but I think I'll need to figure out a repo case to figure it out.

NoobDev

hi, I'm sure I bothered you before about the billing library but I'm still getting that error code. Here is a screenshot of all the error codes I get as of this morning august 18th 2021. I remember you said you updated the billing library but maybe there is still a piece of the old library hiding somewhere? I don't know what any of the other error codes mean but since they don't reject my apps due to them I'm not really concerned. Also these error codes are from the stable build, not the RC.

adent42

So the word from Google (which I'm not sure I fully buy) is that if you game used the old billing API before, you'll keep getting the error even for new APKs.

In other words, Google wasn't helpful, but they did verify that my various test APKs were using the new billing system. So no idea what's up. We'll hopefully get the AAB stuff done before that and it shouldn't be an issue any more.

adent42

The RC definitely targets API 30, so not sure why you are getting that message, but if they let you upload, I guess it's fine until we get AAB support complete.

NoobDev

I didn't upload using the RC, I will continue to build with the stable version until I have to use something else. Thanks for letting me know about the billing. I guess we will see.

adent42

So yah, if you're not using the RC, please comment in the main release thread, so that there's less confusion on what we're talking about :)

badcomics

@adent42 I have compiled and signed with "Build RC" and with "Build". Only the Build apk works for me. The RC shows splash screen then stops app. Testing on Samsung Note 10+ running Knox 3.7 API level 33.

adent42

Could you DM me your games, @badcomics I want to see if it's a specific configuration are a general problem with the builds. Thanks!

bob loblaw

https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/617051#Comment_617051

it sounds like the same thing two of my users got.

@adent42 if it helps, that first entry scene reads data for two saved things on my project, which is probably what’s snagging it. i’m guessing the first scene of @badcomics app also reads from tables or stored variables.

@badcomics if you leave the splash screen for a bit, like 30 or so seconds, your user may get an error message. grab that as it may help (and may be the same one or similar to what i posted higher up)

adent42

I found an issue with the build that I fixed in publishing that's related to expansion file builds. Any chance your apps use expansion files?

bob loblaw

mine did on the first update in april, but since then no.

ejj456

Any update on when .aab support will be complete? I have some games I want to upload to Google Play, but haven't been able to this month. Guess I can't until aab support is complete.

adent42

It's in test mode in production. We're hoping to complete testing by tomorrow or Firday.

bob loblaw

https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/617062#Comment_617062

i thought this was only needed if the app build file you submit is 150mb +

badcomics

@adent42 ... any word?

adent42

Where we're at:

• Tested app
• Tested google play game services
• Tested admob

Now we need to test Chartboost, IronSrc, and a few more complex games. Based on our test progress, it's looking good for Thursday, though we have been thrown curveballs before.

You will need to sign the aab yourself, but with the announcement thread I'll add instructions for signing the aab and creating an APK you can use to test FROM the aab.

adent42

@bob loblaw from what I can tell is that it is required of new apps.

Old apps can update via APK.

BUT you should uncheck expansion files for aab (though I'll look into fixing that before full release) since Play Asset Delivery is integrated into the aab and that handles large games.

For our system, games will be placed in an asset project called gameproj by default but set to deliver at install-time, so no more slow obb loading.

Armelline

Getting reports of RC built APK getting stuck on the GameSalad loading screen on X3 Pro. On other devices the same APK shows the splash screen and plays fine. Sounds like it might be related. I built with RC.