First prototype!

Hi guys!! :))

I finished my first game prototype! You control a dog that runs and jumps over pits! Tap right side of the screen for a big jump, and left side of the screen for a smaller jump.

I haven't thought of a name yet.

Its a prototype. I plan to remake all graphics, probably will hire an artist. Will add animations for falling, jumping and standing (at the start screen), also sounds and a nice background is planned.

Please share your thoughts!

DOWNLOAD:

JAR
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Libgdx supporting different screensizes

I finally fixed the density problem! I should have read the docs and libgdx wiki more careful, that would have saved me 3 days! The fix was pretty easy. There was no need in making several copies of each image in different resolutions, not even setting any coordinate to relative instead of absolute. Libgdx is a game engine, a framework, where most common problems have easy intuitive solutions.

I ended up adding just a few lines of code instead ~50+ of my noob-solution code. In the create method:

        viewport = new StretchViewport(480, 800, camera);

The StretchViewport stretches viewport to screen. You can use other ones (check libgdx wiki), so that you don't stretch, but show black borders on the sides of screen. But my game is locked in portrait mode, so there will probably be almost no difference in aspect ratios on different devices. 

and the resize method:

        @Override
public void resize(int width, int height) {
viewport.update(width, height);
}

The game now looks exactly the same on 480x800 and 1080x1920 screens. Just need to add Linear filter to images so they dont look too pixelated. In my case i added the filter to my assets.pack after TexturePacker.

Deadlines are important!

One, especially a hobby game developer, should set deadlines for himself. Without setting goals and deadlines for them I tend to procrastinate to much. So i'm setting the first real important goal and a deadline : to release my first game for public playtest on 31 august, or earlier. There is another goal and deadline list - the technical one, with fixes/features etc. To release to public i have to put around 10 checkmarks:

First game prototype almost done! One problem to solve... different densities

 

So there it is. You can see a device with 480x800 resolution on the left and a device with 1080x1920 on the right. This is wrong for sure. Problem is that when making an native android application there are folders for different screen densities and the app chooses assets depending on screen densities/sizes. There is another way in libgdx to deal with it, but im not familiar with it yet. Probably you need to load several sizes of one image and switch between them depending on screen size. That is really easy to implement using the Gdx.graphics.getHeight() and choosing different images to load depending on the value returned from that method, but i better learn about the ready solution first. There are some probable pitfalls concerning image coordinates if they are of a different size. Probably this can be solved by not using actual pixel coordinates, but using instead proportions of the screen, like Gdx.graphics.getHeight()/10 etc.

So many ideas!

I have so many ideas about completely new gameplay concepts never seen before! Each of them can be realized into a potential hit game. But as i have learned in my life ideas mean nothing without realisation.

You can have mediocre ideas and be very good at realizing thus creating a lot of value. And you can have amazing ideas but be very bad at realizing them, resulting in zero to none value at all.

Concerning realization there are two major pitfalls that i see now:
1) Actually having the motivation to start and complete the development of the game. There is an idea that an average Google Play developer publishes around 10 games before they are somewhat profitable. So, it looks like a bad idea to target profits - they can take some time to come. The best thing is to target quality and value of your products, as those two aspects are immediate - you create them yourself, and can fully control them. And profit will be just a side-effect of quality.
2) Balancing a game so that it is hard enough to provide frustrating challenge, but not so hard that it is unplayable. This is a thin line, that needs a lot of effort put in to find.(As i understand on my current level)

If the first pitfall just needs discipline and determination, with the second one you probably need to be gifted in a certain way. Take for example Flappy Bird. Put the pipes 5 pixels closer and the game becomes unplayable. Put them 5 pixels further from each other and the games becomes easier.

libgdx: making camera follow player

So, i had this problem. Looked everywhere and couldn't find a decent tutorial, actually any info, so here it is:

In class:

OrthographicCamera camera;

in constructor:

camera = new OrthographicCamera(Width, Height);
camera.setToOrtho(false);

in render method:

camera.position.set(player.x, player.y);
camera.update();

batch.setProjectionMatrix(camera.combined);

The last line is what was missing from all those tutorials, and the single line that makes the difference.

My first game prototype half done!

Hey! I think by the end of this week i should finish a playable version of my first game. I mean that all will work. What needs polishing - graphics, they need to be VERY GOOD. Surely i will hire a professional to make an game icon for launcher, but with ingame graphics im not sure yet. Draw them myself or use outsource? Or look for a artist-partner. I really dont want to share, so the latter option is not for me :D. Pros for outsourcing are the time conservation and professional result. I guess some $50-$100 investments in professional graphics for a small game are more than justified.

Following my Game Life Cycle model i still have plenty of time, because i started work on this game a week ago. Actually, the development time with small games could even be less than 25 days, but i wont rush this, as i want quality. Really quality games!

This game will be similar to flappy bird, but the player will run and jump over pits. I am concerned about game being too easy and not having any challenge, is that a plus or not i will see later. As i am not targeting hardcore gamers this might be a good side. When my game will be finished i will first post it to different forums like java-gaming.org etc and ask about improving gameplay.

Perhaps i will also publish it with my own graphics, and hire a professional from the earnings to redraw everything.

Currently i have all implemented except:
-randomly generated ground, that ceases to exist when it will not be seen anymore, and is generated a second before it appears on the screen. I already thought of a way to to this.
-camera to follow player's x coordinate. Dont want it to wiggle up and down when player jumps.
-play button that unpauses the game
-minor fix to collision detection

Anyway, i am stating that i set a deadline to 24 of august 2014 to finish the playable game prototype.

Motivation: Friend on cover of local Forbes, general thoughts on success

A huge motivation boost i have received when saw this. This guy i was in school in one class with, and still is my close friend. Known is that he is successful and earns good, but such proof like this revitalizes the understanding of it.

Reading his, and many other super-successful people stories, i constantly stumble on one similar phase in their lives : the one were they struggled to survive, or had some similar problems. These problems forced them to evolve, forced their ideology to evolve, their mental state, and everything else. Forced to evolve beyond mediocre level. And tougher were the obstacles in their lives that they overcame, the further they have evolved. Far beyond that state of a average man. I didn't use the term "normal", because what is normal? Is it normal to grow old in poverty? That is average, but not normal. Poverty is when lack of money restricts you in any way.

And what makes us want to change? Not accepting the things how they are now. If you accept your condition, you will never change.

Life presented them with a challenge, and they had two choices: evolve and strive, or brake. The ones, that didn't brake, come out of this phase as different beings, with tempered willpower and a sharpened mind.

And it is so much different from just average self-development. Like reading certain books, attending seminars, thinking proactive and all that ARTIFICIAL stuff. There is no challenge in reading a book about self-development. You can come in your warm house, read it or not read it. No difference, almost. But when you are in front of a deadline - evolve or die - then you have no choice than to evolve, and ASAP. Exactly this difference makes the difference.

As a logic-driven mind, my questions: how can i create such a phase in my life? Is it even possible to artificially create such conditions? And would it be safe? And i think - yes, it is possible, and no, it wont be safe. Chasing a radical changes in your life you cant expect for them to happen smoothly, with minimal impact. But it is sure worth it.

For a rough example - just go to another country on the other side of Earth, with no belongings and start all over. Either you will die of starvation or something like that, or in some years you will return a completely different person than you were. Much more independent, much more tenacious, much more proactive. Then, just for laughs, compare yourself after this to yourself that stayed at home for all these years.

Game Lifecycle Model

So, there i was, thinking about my game lifecycle model and drawing this:

This would be a perfect cycle as i see now, releasing a game every month. At first, the development time might be longer, as i am still learning libgdx. Then, i should concentrate only on important stuff. 25 days should me more than enough to create a simple quality game. Keep in mind that Flappy Bird was created in 3 evenings after work, thats the type of games i will be concentrating on : simple, easy, fun casual games.

P.S. this is for a hobby-like project, with time spent after work at evenings! 

Managing time and your hobby game development projects

Just copying from stackoverflow, useful info.

These tips apply to any hobby software project, and not just games.

• Set tiny milestones. Having a goal like "item system works in my RPG game" is all well and good, but that implies a whole lot of under-specified functionality that you probably didn't even know you needed. What about "graphics environment set up"? Or, "A sprite is displayed on the screen."
• Do a little bit each day. Marathon sessions are great and all, but you're trying to squeeze a long-term commitment into an already crowded life. If you do a little bit each day you are making measurable progress and establishing a structure within which you can achieve your milestones.
• Scale yourself back. Whatever your grand vision is, try and figure out what the smallest achievable portion is and do that. Making an RPG? Start with one quest and no NPCs. Making a platformer? Start with one level and no enemies.
• Prototype early. Before you sink a bunch of your hard-earned hobby hours into a game, figure out if it'd be fun first. There's nothing so dispiriting as working your ass off on something for dozens of hours only to find that the basic concept sucks.
• Develop something iterable. My favorite hobby software projects are the ones where the basic concept allows for later tinkering. Is your game like that? Can you ship something and then revisit it later and add cool stuff?
• Don't build an engine or a framework. You don't want an engine, you want a game. Don't worry about the framework-y, reusable bits until after your game is shipping. Once you start on the second game, then you can go back to your first and see if there's anything you could bring over. That's not to say that you shouldn't use sound software development praxis, but don't start by writing a Sprite class until you know what you need your sprites to do -- you'd be surprised how little it'll turn out to be. Start with a Hero class, then a Monster class, and then -- oh look! -- there's some common stuff!
• Shipping is a feature. You're never going to finish your game, you're only going to abandon it. ( = What is the minimum amount you can do before you're not completely embarrassed to show your game to someone else? Chances are, you can do less than that and still have a game to be proud of.

source

Motivation: Top Mobile Game Developers

While still having some doubts about my choice i was looking for some facts/motivation. Can i do it? Can i become a profiting game developer? Or is it a lost cause and i should think of something else?

Looking for answers to these questions i stumbled on an article about the 9 top mobile game developers. The last of them makes $100 000 000 per year! There are some who make $1 000 000 000. source

Numbers are astonishing. I think one could surely count on $100 000 per year. I mean a game development company, consisting of professionals. Not a single developer.

Why numbers are important? Because awesome games have huge budgets. You cant create an awesome brain-blowing game with no or small budget. You need a team of professional developers, designers, artists, etc. They need salary. Nobody will work for free, or for a percentage of future income.

So, the target now becomes to found a game development company. For that i need:
1) money
2) experience

Money earned from games, and experience how to make money with games. No point of hiring people and telling them to write games if you have no idea how to make this process profitable. I have to live through the lifecycle of a game. Will draw some visual later to represent my perception of this part.

When i will feel comfortable with this lifecycle model, and my games will be making profits, then will be the time to think about hiring somebody to speed up my work.

Copying a popular game

Hi! I want to share my thoughts on one of a possible way of making money with games. For example take flappy bird and its clones. As we know, the creator of flappy bird earned around 50k usd per day on ads. I've read somewhere that his monetization strategy was very poor, his banner placement was in the worst possible place, a lot of opportunities to squeeze more value out of the game were missed. So what i can think, that with proper monetization he could have been earning atleast twice that he did. Aleast.
And there was information that flappy bird clones, specially designed to make money, were making much more.
So, one of the paths that a game developer can take is to clone successful games and monetize the shit out of them. Probably with proper marketing, when some of the income of the game is spent on advertising the game, such a game could overtake the original game in popularity.
An interesting material to read next would be this question on stackoverflow: How closely can a game resemble another game without legal problems?
Looks like that game mechanics cannot be copyrighted. That means that you could do everything exactly like the original game, just use your own art/sounds.
Imagine cloning flappy bird, and implementing correctly placed ads, interstitial ads, exit ad-wall, in-game purchases and something more, instead of just one (!!) tiny banner.
Anyway, im keeping an eye on the next flappy bird.

About gameplay vs graphics

Hi! I've been thinking about this topic for some time. Now im 26, and i remember the awesome drive and emotions from playing games on my dandy console. Those games now seem to me the pure game experience there was. Now, considering their graphics, there could be only one explanation : gameplay.

I feel like today's games are so much centered on making profit, that they ditch the gameplay design process in favor of game implementation - fancy graphics, sounds. But what is a good implementation without proper design? Games are meant to be enjoyed not because of their stunning graphics, but because of the gameplay.

Thinking of games that were very successful, like for example Minecraft. Graphics is as simple as it could be. The game is all about interesting gameplay, new concepts.