I've added some subtle stadium lights to the newest version. It doesn't jump out at you, but I think it does provide some nice graphical depth. Actually, I think it also helps with gameplay, because depth perception is a little easier, as areas of light or dark become good reference points to judge distances.
Overall, the field does look a bit darker, but I think it raises the drama.
Love it? Hate it? Can hardly tell the difference?
Comparison pictures: Original (Above) and Lit (Below)
In other news, lefties should make it into 1.2, and I've started work on multiplayer, but I need access to another ipod/phone to really make good progress there.
10 comments:
Not sure why, but it seems version 1.1 keeps crashing out right after the logo when I start it up. I never had this problem with version 1.0. Anyone else encountering this issue? Damn... I was really looking forward to trying this update. Did you tweak the cameras at all? It was pretty hard in version 1.0 to try to grab the disk when the camera was zoomed so far out. Oh, I was also wondering, will you add a turbo button in the future? In real ultimate, I know I've sprinted across the field with what energy I had to get that tough layout block/catch. Oh, and any chance we'll be able to have "the greatest" implemented?
Oh no! What iOS version do you have, and what's your device? (iPod Touch 2nd gen, iPhone 3G, etc.) Could you try rebooting your device?
I don't think I added any camera changes to 1.1, but I've messed with it a little for 1.2. Would you like it zoomed in more on hucks, or for regular in-cuts?
A turbo button would be nice; I've thought about it a lot. I'll add it at some point, I think.
As for greatests...wow :) I guess I could get that to work. It would require some fast button pressing though!
Oh wow. Haha, I didn't expect such a quick response. :D
I'm on 3.1.3 firmware w/ an Iphone 2g. I rebooted it and still no luck. :/
Hmmm, I'm thinking probably more zoomed in on big hucks. Like, those endzone hucks to your own teammate. From what I could tell, in 1.0, it seemed the camera wanted to capture the entire field/team. If you could somehow design the camera to be closer to where the frisbee is in play. I mean, if the player I switched to and the disc are in the same relative area, then have the camera zoom in closer to them. I don't need to see where my teammates across the otherside of the field are doing at that point.
Haha, awesome! Yeah, that turbo button will definitely improve the gameplay. :D Maybe make it limited to about 4 seconds or something.
True, it would be pretty complicated. But say you can make a player layout from inbounds and if disc is caught before the player hits the ground, the player holds a direction on the d-pad and the disc will autorelease in that direction.
Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts about implemented different stack plays for future versions?
Oh yeah, and the lighting does look slightly better in the lower screenshot. It's a little less cartoony. Haha..
Ah, I guessed you were running 3.1...
Apple makes it pretty tough to test on older OS versions. I only have my ipod running 4.0 to test with.
Anyway, I have a good idea of what the problem is. I'll submit a fix and ask them to review it asap. Sorry for the trouble. Thanks for reporting the problem.
I get what you're saying about the hucks. That should be easy to get the camera to zoom in there. Look for it in 1.2.
I'll probably implement the turbo button like most soccer or football games. I.e., each player has a little turbo meter that slow refills. My only reservation has been how to have the AI handle that. Should they use the turbo? If so, I have to make them use it intelligently. If not, does it give to much advantage to the player? So, it'll take a bit of work, but it's not too bad. I'll get it in 1.3
For greatests, I guess if you catch a disc in mid-air, you can just hit the action button again (before hitting the ground) to toss it somewhere. And hold down the DPad in the direction, of course.
About the stack...it's funny. Originally, I made my offense programming system very flexible and easy, because I definitely wanted different types of offenses. However, it was hard to get the AI to work properly, so I limited it to just a vertical stack to make my life easier. But, I do eventually want to get more in. Maybe I'll get a horizontal stack into 1.3?
Thanks again for your input.
Ha, no troubles at all. I did buy the game just this past Wednesday, but I still have real ultimate to keep me entertained in the meantime. :P I'm just glad you're making these updates/fixes for us with older iphones. :)
Sweet! Thanks for listening to my suggestion about the camera. I'll let you know what I think of it once 1.2 update comes out.
Well, I'm thinking only allow the AI to use turbo on the currently highlighted/controlled player. I thought I remember seeing that player hi-lighted with a yellow ring.
Yeah, that sounds like a better idea. The greatest should be more of a challenge to pull off so it would make more sense to have to tap the button again in midair to throw.
Ooh, ho-stack! Nice! Man, I'm really surprised at how detailed you plan on making this game. I think my most favorite thing about this game is that there are no picks and fouls.
I have some other minor cosmetic suggestions. I was wondering if by any chance you can have the players talk while the disc is in play? Like if the disc is thrown, they'll yell "up!" or they'll count off during the stall counts? Also, having the stall count numbers popping on the righthand corner seems somewhat out of place. Maybe somewhere in the middle of the screen might be a better.
You gave me an idea. What if the stall count appears right above the head of the guy holding the disc, like numbers floating in space? I think that would look neat.
I have a long todo list. :) The sky's the limit.
I'm actually really interested in feedback about the look of the game and the menus and everything. I'm a programmer-- not a designer, so I've been just guessing on a lot of stuff. I did make some new buttons that look a lot better (and less cartoony). They'll make it in 1.2.
Haha, I was going to leave my purely cosmetic suggestions after you polish up the gameplay as I think that's what's most important, but well if you insist. :P
That would be pretty neat. Yeah, like it comes from above the head pauses for a second, then flies off the top of the screen. What I had in mind was something more like Super KO Boxing 2's count.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO6ax45jAZw#t=0m43s
Both would work though. The font def. must change though imo. Black by itself is somewhat hard to see. Most subtitles solve this problem by placing yellow text with a black outline to make it more visible. See below for an example.
http://ufoseries.com/videos/gerDvdSubtitle.jpg
The textures on the models could use some work. Some built in shading would make a big difference on the textures. If you take a look at the models for the iphone game Backbreaker Football, you'll notice the textures on their models have shading colored on there on the inner thighs/arms/etc. Also, maybe in addition to the plaid field for depth, make the field look a little more spotty for the grass effect like Backbreaker Football.
http://theappera.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/backbreaker-football-7.png
hmm, i just noticed upon closer examination of your screenshots that you did place spots on the field to make it look more like grass. I guess make the white lines a bit more transparent with the grass texture. The solid white gives it somewhat of a cartoony rather than realistic effect.
Great suggestions. I'll keep them in mind, although some might take more work than is practical.
The field lines are a pretty interesting problem. Unfortunately, a near-horizontal line off in the distance doesn't render very well. It comes out looking like a broken line-- big pieces are missing. So, if I render the lines directly on the field, they are hard to see sometimes.
You can actually see it on the backbreaker screenshot. The close yard lines look fine, but down the field they are broken up. It might not be a big deal in football, but in Ultimate, it matters strategically where the endzone is, and so it's crucial to see clearly where it is.
I end up rendering big blocky cylinders for the lines (they actually grow when the camera is farther away).
Of course, in football they have big painted endzones which make it easy to tell where they are. Maybe I should do the same?
ah, so it's a rendering problem. Well, that makes sense. Your method does seem more practical for ultimate.
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