Shape Reactor, chain reaction game, available now

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Shape Reactor, chain reaction game, available now

(17 posts) (6 voices)

Started 2 years ago by jonathan0382
Latest reply from jonathan0382

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jonathan0382
Member

Hi all,

I'm pleased to announce that my summer project Shape Reactor has gone live in the App store. Shape Reactor is a challenging and addictive chain reaction game where the goal is to clear all the shapes as quickly as possible. There are 4 tiers of difficulty, each with 7 levels, and within the levels there are 4 different types of shapes, each with different characteristics and upgrades.

Shape Reactor was made with cocos2d, and I found the framework to be excellent. I only started reading C++ and objective C books in April, and had no prior programming knowledge or experience, and this framework made a lot of very tedious work incredibly painfree.

For the online part I used Agon, which I cannot recommend highly enough. The integration is ridiculous... 5 lines, link a framework, and I was ready to rock.

If anyone is interested in how I did anything in the game, let me know.

Here are some promos for the first 4. Please leave the last code for Codematic - I promised him a code a while back when he helped me in a thread. If you use a code, please leave a review.

JW44YJHJLR33
YYRW79EAL6NW
HFJTNM3LLJML
XJP4FJWJ393T
P347YHNWLNTX - DO NOT USE - leave for the mod codematic

Oh, and before anyone says anything, yes, I know there is a way to get easy and early access to the bonus game, and it is sloppily implemented. I was using it for debug and forgot to remove it from the final build. I've already submitted an update which will fix this, a sleep bug, and a few other things including level balance.

If you have any feedback, or find something odd, let me know!

Get the Video Widget

App store link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=327436931&mt=8

Posted 2 years ago #
natanavra
Member

I've been wondering abot the triangle AI, how does it find circles?

Great gameplay conecpt, a nice polished game. GOOD LUCK!

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

Thank you :)

The triangle has no AI. Once set off it is controlled by tilt. Sorry to disappoint.

If I was to do some pathfinding then I'd use A*. I believe there is a book by Appress on this, and in the example code this is a slighlty modified A*. Else I'd just have it randomly select a circle, ge it velocity, momentum, angle of direction, and then work out the x,y in a timer that runs every 1/60 using some good ol' fashioned physics/math. hth.

Posted 2 years ago #
natanavra
Member

Ok, Thank you jonathan!
I wish you the best of LUCK again, sorry but I can't buy the game and support you (I'm a minor for ISR).

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

So, anyone used a code? Lets have some feedback! If it's good and you like it, tell me. If it's crap, tell me!

Posted 2 years ago #
jd
Member

Without watching that video I was totally confused on how to play. You might want to put a tutorial or a help section in the game because it's not intuitive what to do. I just came back on here to watch the video. Now I'll give it another shot.

EDIT: I apologize. I found the "info" button in the top right corner. With so much on the screen it was difficult to see at first. The game is entertaining, just not overly addicting for me.

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

@JD: good point about the tutorial. I'll add a pointer in the top right showing users to click on the 'i' to get info etc. Thanks for the feedback.

Posted 2 years ago #
Codemattic
Moderator

First of all - thank you very much for my personal promo code! Glad I could help you previously. I like the game and left a review.

I did find the shop interface hard to understand - it took me way too long to figure out how to start the game! Maybe its just me. Give your device to someone who hasnt played the game before and watch them try and navigate the main menu. See if you can make it easier to understand.

Good luck in the store.

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

@Codemattic: Thanks for the feedback and store review. I gave the game to my brother-in-law, and he is not into games at all, and yeah he struggled. I'll add some info and stick it in the next update.

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

Just a shamless bump to my thread: I'm happy to say that v1.1 is on it's way to the app store and should be good to go any day now.

Also though I have a question for those who have lite versions out there: to what degree did you restrict your full version to make your lite version?

Posted 2 years ago #
thesmileman
Member

@jonathan: Game looks great and is fun to play! Thanks for the code!

I have to say that I launched the game seven times before I could even get to play. I felt a lot like my mother must feel when she tries to do anything on the computer (Like a total idiot.) Here is my story...

After clicking play I would tap the first level box and it would lite up and then I would press the arrow to the left (It seemed like a "Lets go to the next screen kind-of button"), But this took me to the next screen. Then I tried the arrow on the bottom right which took me back to the main menu. Then I thought "oh I need to touch the shapes to play or to continue". Then I thought, "Oh maybe I need to touch the original box twice" but then I had accumulated a charge in the upgrade of the shapes so it wouldn't let me continue (I couldn't tell that I had a negative charge I thought it was a dash serving as a separator not a negative sign.) I had several other mishaps but I finally got to play and played the first level and I didn't have a clue what to do. I came back several times and finally figured out some of what was going on with the circles but then came the triangles and I threw up my hands in complete frustration, threw something at the door, grabed a beer from the fridge and loaded up Rope-n-Fly for 30 seconds of satisfaction to release my stress because I knew I was a moron and this game couldn't be that complicate and it had to be me. After wasting 20 minutes trying to beat my high score of RopeNFly (That game is annoyingly addictive) I tried again but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to do with the freaking triangles as they seemed to move erratically. Hours later I am drunk out of my mind and now completely fixated that "This game cannot outwit me!" so I log on to the cocos forums and she you bump and read the past listing only to hear about this magical "info" button mentioned by jd. "Now wait just a minute!" I say to myself "I never saw and info button". I load up this game and search frantically looking for this light in the darkness and I can't find it. But then what is that a glimmer..wait no...yes a glimmer of light there in the top right. YES!!! I have found the key to this unbeatable unconquered able game. I am so excited here it is..."Wait I already know what the box labeled score means. Hey I don't care about XP I want to know what to do tell me about that stuff later. Ahhhh there is how to start a game we are getting warmer. SHAPES here comes there explanation, wait that still doesn't make since because it seems that are duel purpose because I thought they were for upgrades not telling me how many were in each level.". I click more hoping for...well...more. "There is that crazy arrow that threw me into confusion. Oh here I see the shapes that seems to explain there second purpose but doesn't note the fact they are dual purpose which seems very strange." I click more. Okay now this is helpful we have an explanation about how to get money to get the upgrades. Now I am ready to click more and learn about these misterious shapes and what they mean.........wait that button I just clicked says "touch here to go online now". Why is that where the "more" button should be....."Where the @*@&!* is my beer!" Okay I make it back from the fridge and I try to get out of this blasted acon screen but it won't let me. I say I don't want to go online and then it say "You need to enter a username" well I said I didn't want to do that so why the hell do I need a user name? Confident there must be a way out of this screen I try for 5 minutes and then kill the app. I now load it back up go through the first three menus and get back to number 4 and I am searching for the more button but there isn't one. WHAT THE @#*@&*!# do the shapes do and how can I beat them? PLEASE tell me it is driving me insane. I am now virtually passed out typing on my hackintosh on the chaise lounge needing to go to bed because I have work tomorrow with my job at a defense contractor and I can freaking figure out and ITunes App. I Love the game, I see the potential, I just don't know what the hell to do with these bloody shapes and what the different ones do. I really do like the game. I haven't spent this much time trying to figure out anything on the iPhone so clearly it is very interesting and you have done a great job with the game but it needs more aid for the end user.

I hope this information was helpful and constructive but I am going to have a bad week unless I figure this out.

Startup tutorial levels would be great to walk people through the shapes and how they move and work or possibly ingame hints that popup on the screen when a shape appears for the first time.

Good job on the game and I think it will do well when you get a tutorial together!

Posted 2 years ago #
Codemattic
Moderator

jonathan0382, I know you are working on the interface, but for the 'lite' version, you have to make the user interface very, very simple to understand. Otherwise you will get a ton of reviews that basically say "this thing doesnt work", bc they will try it and if they cant understand it in 30 seconds, they will complain. And it would be too bad bc it could put people off who would enjoy/buy SR!

thesmileman has good points in his post.

Good luck!

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

@thesmileman: lol thanks for the excellent post! An enjoyable read! I am adding a tutorial video at the moment, in the vein of sapus tongue. I have showed the game to a bunch of randoms, and it seems the best way to get them into the game is to have them watch me playing a level. Then they want to play.

@Codemattic: good point on the simplicity of the interface. My plan is to add a video that plays the first time you start the game and is then accessible from the main menu, and then add info screens that pop up the first time a user touches the different elements. I'll test it on my brother-in-law. The poor guy almost got mugged yesterday so if he gets it I know everyone else will!

Posted 2 years ago #
Codemattic
Moderator

@jonathan0382, sounds like the new versions going to be great. I like the video idea. We should all test our games on your brother-in-law!

Posted 2 years ago #
Dan
Member

@themilesman Havent played the game, but I think you need more beer.

Posted 2 years ago #
thesmileman
Member

@dwyszyns,

first off you are correct that I need more beer. Shape reactor has put me through a 24 pack over the last three days so I am all out beer. Second you shoul try the game it is fun and will last a long time especially if you don't read the instructions. Now if you will excuse me I am off to get a little captain in me....wait that sounded wrong...I meant the alcohol not... nevermind

Posted 2 years ago #
jonathan0382
Member

Some more codes. If you use one please leave a store review:

NRK97496W7Y3
EJJ6YFEH6A4X
A6E9LYKNT4T9
E6WT9K76RFP4
HWHYPW7LJMAA

Thanks!

jonathan0382

Posted 2 years ago #

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