The thing with Crystal is that you cant just download the SDK and try it out, you first have to get approved by Chillingo. I was in the process of this, emailing back and forth with them to try and get the SDK. However, I stopped getting emails just after Apple announced the upcoming Game Center. This could be a coincidence, but to me it looks like they might not be planning to continue supporting Crystal.
Having looked into both OpenFeint and Plus+, I must say I like them both equally. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses so it's a tough call. I'm really excited about Game Center though. What would be really awesome is if Game Center provides Online Multiplayer support.
BTW, I have lots of screenshots from earlier versions of the game going back to the initial prototype. Would you guys be interested in seeing some of them?
Here are some of the first screenshots taken during the initial prototype stage of the project. You guys might be interested to see that the game was originally meant to be somewhat different, but it changed and evolved over time to make it fit better to its platform. October, 2008: The very first screenshot of what was to become Alien Space, complete with one spaceship and one grid. Most games never even achieve this number of ships or grids, but I was able to do it with little effort. =) At this point I added a throttle control and the ship could now move and turn. This shows what was to be the other ship controls, just blocked out at this point. The red line is the edge of the level. Radar was also to make an appearance in the game. November, 2008: The ship could now fly around, target enemies, and had a functional radar.
Another set, this one further along, And these take us to the first stage of Alien Space, where it was actually tentatively titled "Fighter Command". The game at this point was to have many, many more controls on screen to control different ship systems. The game was also to be slower and more of a capitol ship combat simulator. If anyone is curious to see more of these let me know, otherwise I'll stop so as not to clutter up the forum. Thnx.
Sure. I'm surprised you kept such a detailed journal of your game development process. It would have been more interesting to see you post these screenshots and invite community feedback as you developed your game but perhaps you can do that for your next project
Yes, there were several reasons why I waited until fairly late in the development process to go public. One reason is that my day job is also in games development, and I cant put out a game and make money off of it unless I get approval from my bosses. So, I didnt want to ask for approval too early on in the development. If it was denied then I'd be in a tough spot. Another reason is that since I was only working on this in my spare time, I knew that it would take a long time to finish. Putting out information too early meant that I risked someone copying my game and coming out before me. There's also the fact that early on I didnt even know if I could make a fun game that people would be interested in. I really wanted to wait until I had something to show that could make a good first impression. I really appreciate all the feedback though. Also, I might be doing a limited beta test soon(ish). I'll have more info on that here and on the Facebook page when I decide.
Definitely a Beta test period is in the cards. It'll probably last a short time and only take in a few people. I'll post here and on the Facebook page when that happens. This next set of screens is from a newer iteration of the game. This version was to feature enemies from fighters up to capitol ships. This screenshot shows an early performance test, 40 or 50 enemies all non-stop shooting at the player. And there you have it, that's what the game looked like about a year ago.
Yes, I'm considering having a small round of beta testing within the next month. I'll post more about it when I know for sure.
Will you be able to slide your thumbs off the sticks without losing input(as in would you still move or shoot depending on whick thumb slides off)? I know a lot of DSSs don't do this which is a bit annoying considering the sizeof some people's thumbs.
If I understand what you're asking, right now if you slide your fingers too far from the sticks it does lose input. This, however, is something that's not final and I plan to tweak based on input once I can get the game more thoroughly tested. I think it's definitely a good idea to allow input even if your fingers are far from the stick... as long as there's not another button in the way.
I'm considering any and all good ideas. Even if I cant add them all to the game when it ships, I'm still planning to have additional updates and expansions. Some of the things I'm considering for the additional content are: -new play modes -new weapons -new enemies -new achievements, awards, leaderboards -more graphical polish and effects
BTW, I got to meet a couple of the TouchArcade guys at a WWDC party this last week. Check out their thoughts on the game: http://toucharcade.com/2010/06/13/wwdc-2010-a-preview-of-space-shooter-alien-space/ .
