[app] Afar Mobile Edition

[Ellie]

This is the project thread for a subgame of Afar, a popular game in the completed games boards.

Afar thread: viewtopic.php?f=77&t=73055

Afar was previously known as Vengeance.

Afar is a free browser based RPG game. It is online, multiplayer, and is built mainly from scratch.

What is Afar Mobile Edition?

The mobile ed is the full game of Afar squeezed into the tight space of a mobile device app.

The idea is this will bring a larger user base, and given it's form, the game is ideal for remanipulating for different sized devices and such.

Platforms

Afar Mobile Edition will be available on iOS (for iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone) and Google Android. It will be available for free in their respective marketplaces.

Screenshots & Systems

On launching the app you're given a login screen. This acts as both a login and register form - all you ever have to enter is a username and password. Pressing begin starts the game with a brand new account using those details. Pressing continue logs you in (using cookies, so it will remember you in future).

Moving around uses the same map system, but in a different resolution to fit the screen. As before, clicking map objects does certain actions - here, the three trees can be cut down to obtain wood.

Battles work exactly the same as in the full game, however they have also been shuffled around to fit on a smaller resolution.

Items and spells are going to work as sliders - you move your thumb along on them to select a new spell or item and press it once to use or cast.

This screenshot shows the largest size of enemy pitted against the player to show how it would fit on the screen.

When you open the app, instead of going to the main menu, you will immediately appear in the last area you visited (if you're logged in).

There will also be a "menu" screen which acts as a sort of landing page offering links to a few things, latest news (Twitter feed), etc.

The inventory lies untouched - it magically just worked in the new resolution. It just needs a bit of tweaking, out by a few pixels etc.

The game itself

For the "full" game you can play now at http://www.afar.ws or see the project thread @ viewtopic.php?f=77&t=73055.


Current Progress

What you see above is a mix of live working things and mockups.

It's going to take a lot of work. As I design each section I'll upload them as screenshots.

There's a lot to get through.

Thanks

Thanks Action who found a way to do this! Yay!


Missing bits

If anything is missing here, please ask. I'll answer to the best of my ability however stupid you think the question may be.

Feedback is welcomed and necessary. >:O

 

[Ares]

It looks awesome! Love the logo with the compass-thing :D
I admire the amount of work you're putting into Afar, good job!
Hopefully it will get more people to play the game more actively.

Also, I wouldn't mind paying for the app, jsyk.

 

[Luthur]

It's already looking way better than about half of whats on the android store :D. I admit to the horrible crime of only having played a little of Afar, but having it in my pocket might change that. I also still find it very interesting how the netplus based RMXP game from so long ago became this. Great job for sticking with it, and great job with the app.

 

[Ellie]

Making progress!

Had some breakthroughs etc, been working on this the past few days.

iPhone vs Browser

The game now displays differently to iOS users than to normal browser users. This was a big step getting this to work, as essentially the app is still just loading web pages (just in a stylised way).

Android compatability is going to come later once I get iOS working. As I don't own an android, I am going to need somebody to help test this if you want Android.

I've done some work and my own scripts :smug: and made a template tag for checking user agents. It's now as simple as this:

<!-- IF U_IPHONE -->
Show this text to iOS users
<!-- ELSE -->
If not, show this
<!-- ENDIF -->

Which is cool and very useful!

With this I've been able to restyle several pages.

aCode Updates

Changed the aCode navigation tidbits. Instead of the aCode generating the images and positioning, instead it creates a javascript variable. This variable is then plugged into the actual page template which is different for iphone users than to normal browser users.

Therefore, navigation is now done, looks like the normal star for normal users, but in a row as per above to iOS users.

Positioning of interactive graphics has been completed, some look a bit daft and need changing.

Need to remove page title for iPhone users as there isn't space for it. That's gonna mean editing 200 maps to wrap them in aCode. IJho8r9y0b3Q386)p&b^£RT;ES

Towns and Outposts

From the "what are you doing" thread:

I'm about to start mapping for my game. Proper, tileset based mapping (but in a graphics program so not tiled). I am replacing the MS Paint graphics with proper pixel art. I'm struggling to find a way around that. Anyway, by pixelling it I can make it fluid so if the screen's too small the houses will just magically shift closer together (which is cool really).

Before:

After will be like this but obv representing the image above:

The first graphical map

Base camp (as seen above):

 

[ZenVirZan]

This is going to be great!
I cant wait - my iPod is gathering dust, after me neglecting it because I have nothing to do on it anymore.
I really hope this works

EDIT: Have you registered as an Apple Developer?