Beta 5

Beta 5 was released yesterday and today we are confirming that 1.0 is done and ready. A few more days until submission to Apple. Cannot wait...

Dice Tower beta 4

Finally, beta 4 was released yesterday. This one is the last step towards the ultimate goal of submitting to Apple. However, I have flirted with some publishers lately and will need to send them a build of the game and see what they have to offer first. This game has great potential and I already have some neat ideas for future updates to add more RPG elements to the game.

Here is what changed since beta 3.

    - iOS 4 fastapp switching support added.
    - Faster web view loading times.
    - Fixed name entry field in iOS 4.
    - Fixed hint system issue with multiple hints one after the other.
    - Removed FPS counter from release builds.
    - Fixed lots of documentation and hints.
    - Fixed rectangle drawing routine.
    - Added icons to most buttons.
    - New step-by-step tutorial.
    - Roll button badge does not track presses anymore. Should be easier to press roll button.
    - Fixed Continue button to be disabled on Title screen.
    - OpenFeint notifications appear from the top of the screen now.

Why not give you some more screenshots while we are at it? I have improved the artworks once more for this latest beta.

Doesn't the icon look beautiful next to the iOS4 Game Center icon?

The loading screen in action...

The title screen with the new button icons. It still says version 0.3 on this screen but it is really 0.4.

Dice Tower comes with a great online help designed in HTML and easy to access anytime.

Dice Tower beta 4 progress

Just a few days after beta 3 was released, things are going very well with beta 4 already. I have added full iOS 4 support, with fast-app switching. I have also upgraded Cocos2d to the latest version. Documentation and tutorials are really taking shape now. So after beta 4, there won't be much left until an official release. So next week might be a good estimate time frame for a submission to Apple.

Work has already started on a new game for the iPad, it's only on paper right now but the game mechanic is going to be very cool. More on this later and in another blog! :)

Beta 2 is coming soon

Quick update on the status for Beta 2 of Dice Tower.

Here is the change log as of today. Dice Tower is really shaping up to be a great and fun game.

    - Die position is higher when moved with finger.

    - Improved die movement recognition over slots.

    - Routine to verify out of moves now checks if Extra Roll die is in play but not processed when rolls left are equal to zero.

    - Moving die colour is changed to red if cannot assign to die slot.

    - New goal line graphic.

    - Can now go over goal line, all completed rows over it are extra points.

    - Increased starting number of dice rolls per level.

    - Straight combo gives you Extra Roll, Treasure or TimeUp die.

    - Fixed bomb die.

    - Fixed Joker die not changing to any value when row is finished.

    - Now show version number in Title screen.

    - Accelerometer support added. You need to shake the device quite a bit to shake the dice cup though.

    - Added a number of games played counter internally.

    - Changed the score icon to a Trophy.

    - Fixed small memory leaks.

    - New dynamic hint system implemented.

    - How To Play page is a nice transparent HTML page now.

    - Updated scoring calculations for combos and chains.

    - Increased start time to complete a tower in Time Attack mode.

    - Updated how combo chains affect scoring of each floor.

    - Fixed the Earthquake special die behaviour.

    - Number of starting rolls in endless mode is set to 6.

    - Implemented a better dice randomization mechanism.

    - Fixed multi-touch issue.

    - New OpenFeint leader boards for Time Attack and Endless mode.

    - Tons of new OpenFeint achievements added.

    - New multiplier value that accumulates when you do combos. It goes down by 1 point every 15 seconds or more depending on your luck factor (combo chains value).

    - Support for multiple combos per floor added.

    - Chest added to allow you to save dice in your inventory to re-use later on.

There are still a few things left to do before it will be released. I am planning on getting it out tomorrow if all goes well.

Simplicity

After a long time trying to make the game more complex, I have decided to come back to the roots, the simplicity, the fun of the game. This game does not land itself to RPG elements very well. Sometimes, simpler is better.

The game is already very fun, so now I am concentrating on polishing, bug fixing, finishing songs and getting the graphics reworked by a professional. My goal is to go beta in two weeks.