Back to work!

I cant understand the reason, but for some past days i was lacking motivation, not only to do my game, but for everything else too. Probably its the weather.

Anyway, im back on track! Added some features to my game, including the double jump. Also added highscores, store and instruction screens, but they are empty for now:

Now everything else i want to implement requires application published to Google Play, so i can use those services like storing data on Google servers, logging in with Facebook and sharing score etc.

Only thing left before that is to remake graphics. This is a completely new thing to me, and thats why it will be so much interesting! :)

About deadlines - probably everything is possible to be made until end of October, but im not so strict about deadlines anymore, because i cant plan/assume terms/dates correctly, because there is yet so much to learn during the process of making a game.

Monetization and marketing research

Hi! Last few days i was researching about monetization, ad networks, marketing, in-app purchases (IAP) etc. And i will continue. Already learned a lot, have some game-changing ideas.

As currently im working on my first game, looks like it will be a learning ground also for me - i will try to implement all the stuff i learn.

What i have in mind:

• use TapJoy, implement some sort of currency, that user can use to get consumables/permanent boosts.
• must implement IAP
• coins/items for inviting friends, for sharing scores, etc. 

Huge potential in this stuff. Only question - doesnt this violate GP ToS? How the user will react? 

So much to research yet. Also case studies of the top grossing games must be done. I feel like im discovering a whole new world, besides the one that consists of writing code. 

Final prototype

Hi! Finished everything that was planned for the prototype!

update 9.9.2014:

-three different backgrounds, chosen randomly

-added parallax background

-instructions as a picture, not text

-fixed some bugs (jump sound playing twice)

-added all animations

-added all sounds

-start screen now shows your previous score

Now there will not be anymore updates until i publish in to Google Play. Planned changes are:

-remake all graphics

-share score button

-global highscores

-call to rate

-implement a store with a double jump

-ads

-professional company logo and game icon

DOWNLOAD:

JAR
APK

September so far - working like a maniac!

Its unbelievable, knowing myself, to stay so motivated and focused for such a long time, being super productive! I'm in love with such a workflow. Managing to study full time, work full time, do sports few times a week and doing so much on my hobby project. This is the only way i wish to exist.

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
APK

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: