I'm working on finishing Brain Bones. It's bugging me that I've got a dozen games that are 90% complete, so I need to make more of 'em 100% complete. I considered submitting it to the Macromedia PocketPC Flash contest, but I didn't want to give my submission a one-year freeware license (whether it won or not). I probably should have done it anyway, because the winning entry was pretty-much Click the Yellow Rhombus with gothic graphics, and Brain Bones was certainly more compelling than that. Of course, given Duck Tiles' success with RealArcade and Shockwave.com, I might be giving my games more credit than they're due.
I added a tutorial to Brain Bones because it's hard to figure out at first. It's actually a bit simpler than the similar-looking Yahtzee, but since Yahtzee's based on a familiar mechanic (poker hands), people grasp it quicker. I also think Brain Bones' cosmetic resemblance to Yahtzee makes people think they're similar, even though the rules are almost entirely different.
I made a detailed help file for the Windows version, but almost nobody read it. People just stumble through a game until they grasp the mechanic. Still, a tutorial will keep people from thinking I left something out.
One big change I made was to move all the draggable stuff to the bottom of the screen. It's not as obvious a layout, but PocketPC games work better if you do that for the simple reason that if you're dragging stuff on top of the screen, your hand covers the rest of the screen. And there's stuff you want to see on the lower 75% of the screen, so you end up moving your hand on and off the screen to play.
I've always contended that Windows Solitaire for PocketPC needs an option with the cards on the bottom "growing" upwards, upside-down from the current layout. Since much of Solitaire's action occurs at the top, you end up covering up important stuff while you play.
Of course, Solitaire's layout is so familiar that MS would've been roasted if they changed the look.
Attn TANSTAAFL. If you wanna do that game-book idea, check this out. This effect is just too cool not to use.
When Peter Bogdonavich was filming "Paper Moon", he was worried that the title would be too "arty" for people and they'd avoid the movie simply because of it. He reportedly approached his pal Orson Welles for his opinion. Welles' response was "That title is so good that you should just release the title and not bother making a movie."
I'm in that boat now. I've got a new puzzle game idea. It's got Pirates, Zombies, Ninjas, and Robots. Also clowns and aliens.
And while in the shower today I thought of the perfect title. It's a title so staggeringly good that I'm going to release without a game for the bargain price of ten cents. There'll eventually be a game, and if end up later buying the game (and you will after seeing the title) I'll give you a ten cent discount.
Remember, if you want to see the title, you must paypal ten cents to john@thecodezone.com.
That being said, click here for the title, but not until you've paid to see it.
Maggie started singing a song in the car today. Must be a standard from Kinder-Care. It's so cute I had to share it.
Sung to the tune of "The Addams Family" theme.
Days of the week clap clap
Days of the week clap clap
Days of the week. Days of the week. Days of the week clap clap
There's Sunday and there's Monday
There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday
There's Thursday and there's Friday
And then there's Saturday
Days of the week seem to be tough for kids to grasp, so I thought this was a cute way to teach it.
I'm webmastering a new site, and I need a site check. Go to http://www.dfwfellowship.com/ and lemme know what you think.
Shelly started a blog there, but it's mostly going to be fellowship-related doings, so don't expect much new insight into the most important person in your life (i.e. me).
Of the 12 full-length movies that Stanley Kubrick made, 8 of 'em are on IMDB's list of the 250 top movies.
Damn.
