While frequenting the GameSalad forums, I spotted an interesting thread. Apparently, the default template for creating dual controllers is a bit buggy. I know the frustration that this can cause, as my first GameSalad project didn’t go so smoothly. The virtual joysticks would jam, creating a rather broken gaming experience. Fortunately, I designed my own system to resolve this problem. A free template is available for download.
Stencyl Officially Upgraded to 2.0
Production level — what does that mean to you? When is software ready to leave beta or be labeled with a new integer? When should software hit the point-0 mark… 1.0, 2.0, 3.0? If you’re GameSalad, three years is not enough time. If you’re running Firefox or Chrome, it seems like every other Monday. But with Stencyl, I think that they’ve got a good pace going. The numbers are ticking by quickly, but so are the new features. Version 2.0 is a significant change from the previous 1.4 version.
GameSalad Gets Better With Version 0.9.92
If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been the biggest fan of GameSalad lately. However, I was watching the progress of the software. I was looking for something that would reignite the enthusiasm that I once had. I’m thinking that other developers must have felt the same way, because GameSalad launched “Community Love Week”. From March 26-30, GameSalad showed their appreciation for game developers. It was cute, but the highlight of the week for me was the release of GameSalad 0.9.92.
Continue reading “GameSalad Gets Better With Version 0.9.92”
Building My Robot Army
If you’ve watched popular sci-fi movies, you might be able to spot a common theme — computers and robots are bad. At some point, they’ll advance so far that they’ll rage against humanity. If that’s true, there can only be one defense — other robots. I can’t fight as tirelessly as a robot. So if there are evil machines out there to get me, then I’ll need ones to protect me. If it’s so easy to imagine evil robots, why not imagine robots that fight on the side or righteousness? Recently, I’ve taken a big step in building my own robot army.
GameSalad vs Stencyl
Although, I’m not really cheering for a winner. I actually like the competition. Both applications need dramatic improvement. Considering that thousands — or even millions — of dollars can be made with a good app, I don’t see a problem with maintaining two subscriptions. Don’t get caught in the Coke vs. Pepsi mindset. A good carpenter doesn’t just have one hammer. While both game development applications can perform similar tasks, they’re different enough to be used with precision.
GameSalad is better if…
- You want to throw together a quick game in 24-72 hours
- You hate to program — you don’t even want to see code
- Need to create quick and simple particle effects
- You’re poor — the basic version of iOS publishing with GameSalad is free (with PlayHaven ads on your games)
StencylWorks is better if…
- You want to get more hands-on and create your own custom blocks
- Need more advanced features for your games
- You want Flash publishing
- Don’t have access to a Mac
- Need professional iOS publishing features, for less money
(Yearly Subscription fee: GameSalad $499 vs iStencyl $149)
There’s one other major factor in deciding which development platform is better for you. That’s performance. GameSalad has suffered in this area for a long time — especially with loading times. A major change is underway for GameSalad. Lua is being dropped. This could be a game changer — literally. Supposedly, improved performance is heading toward GameSalad later this year.
And yet, this is ultimately another reason why I’m using StencylWorks today. I’ve lowered my expectations with GameSalad, because I’m tired of being disappointed. I remember how project “Masala” was supposed to be an amazing improvement to GameSalad. After months of waiting, I was ultimately unimpressed. Masala was the codename for HTML5 publishing — mainly for the GameSalad Arcade. Most of my existing projects didn’t work with this new feature. Either my games were too large, not the right ratio or too complex. I could have created games from scratch for this new feature, but I couldn’t host the games on Photics.com — even though I was paying for a Professional subscription.
I don’t feel like I’m being held hostage when using StencylWorks. I don’t feel like StencylWorks is trying to own my games. StencylWorks allows me to publish my game to Flash, without it ever touching the stencyl.com server.
Both applications are free to try. If you’re serious about development, it might be a good idea to experience both for yourself. 🙂