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I decided to become an Android game developer

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Is there anything I need to know about the differences between Android and PC shoot em ups?
 

Alex

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I don't know. I never had any cell phone that could run code outside what came with it. Still, I imagine the greatest limiter will be the controls. Shoot em ups are pretty frantic and cell phones are far from being as ergonomic as a console controller. Sorry I can't help you much, but good luck, Awor!
 
In My Safe Space
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I got some pocket money and went to Empik to spent it and then I saw this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-And...8&qid=1364591981&sr=1-1&keywords=j.f+dimarzio
I paged through it and decided to become an Android game developer.

My second game will be titled "School of Evil".

I don't know. I never had any cell phone that could run code outside what came with it. Still, I imagine the greatest limiter will be the controls. Shoot em ups are pretty frantic and cell phones are far from being as ergonomic as a console controller. Sorry I can't help you much, but good luck, Awor!
How do controls work?
 

Alex

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(...snip)How do controls work?

I don't know for sure. Like I said, I never even owned a smart phone, much less programmed one. But I'm sure that there will be libraries for handling user input, so I don't expect you will need to do any low level programming work. Still, you should be careful. For example, I imagine any game like Radiant Silvergun, where what kind of weapon you use depends on which of 3 buttons are pressed, would be unwieldy on a cell phone.

By the way, are you doing this as a hobby thing, or are you trying to make money?
 
In My Safe Space
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By the way, are you doing this as a hobby thing, or are you trying to make money?
Both.

Fuck, it seems that the book is rather outdated and judging by what the reviews on Amazon say it's badly written with a lot of mistakes in code :( .
 

sea

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I would imagine a shooter on Android (if 3D) would need to have a fuckton of auto-aim and challenges revolving more around threat assessment than reflexes. Think slow-witted AI and little focus on movement and use of cover, but a large number of enemies with distinct abilities who must be taken out in relevant priority. In other words, even more popamole than popamole.
 

Goliath

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By the way, are you doing this as a hobby thing, or are you trying to make money?
Both.

Fuck, it seems that the book is rather outdated and judging by what the reviews on Amazon say it's badly written with a lot of mistakes in code :( .

Paper books are outdated for stuff like that. The Android platform seems to update every other month. I know you don't like to pirate stuff for some reason but even if you stick to strictly legal sources you should be able to find all the information you need on the internet. Just google "android game development" and go through the results.

However, if you are serious about making money I would suggest you target the iDevices instead. Apple users are overwhelmingly a crowd with lots of disposable income who won't even bother trying to pirate your game because they paid more for the cup of coffee.

In contrast, Android runs on some seriously cheap platforms and the internet is full of Android warez.
 
In My Safe Space
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Paper books are outdated for stuff like that. The Android platform seems to update every other month. I know you don't like to pirate stuff for some reason but even if you stick to strictly legal sources you should be able to find all the information you need on the internet. Just google "android game development" and go through the results.

However, if you are serious about making money I would suggest you target the iDevices instead. Apple users are overwhelmingly a crowd with lots of disposable income who won't even bother trying to pirate your game because they paid more for the cup of coffee.

In contrast, Android runs on some seriously cheap platforms and the internet is full of Android warez.
So, Android is a platform for poorfags? Anyway, I can't afford an iDevice. I doubt if I can even afford an Android device.
 

Destroid

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You can simulate android and iOS on your desktop, although you will need to test on real devices before you actually ship anything. What programming knowledge do you have at present? It will be much easier for you if you use a framework, especially a cross platform one so you can distribute for iOS easily.
 

shihonage

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There are ways to get decent controls on a touchscreen. Limited (very limited) but workable. For example, left half of the screen is "jump", right half of the screen is "shoot". This way your fingers won't slide off some stupid "virtual buttons", as they can feel the edges of the screen.

Of course this doesn't change the fact that mobile gaming by definition will always have two main limitations - small screen size and user's short attention span (playing in a bus or on a toilet), which will always result in grossly oversimplified but flashy, barely-games, rising up to the top.
 

zeitgeist

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How do controls work?
They don't. Touchscreen is absolutely horrible for any kind of games except perhaps point&click adventures or visual novels. You could, however, attach a gamepad to the phone which not only looks very silly but is extremely clunky and impractical. I'd advise you not to bother with this, and do a CYOA project instead.
 

taxalot

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I am pretty much in the OP's position ; I hate my job, and I'm wondering licensing a copy of Gamemaker, churn out thousands of shitty android games while working on my INCLINE masterpiece/kickstarter. Fuck a desk job.
 

Mastermind

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I am pretty much in the OP's position ; I hate my job, and I'm wondering licensing a copy of Gamemaker, churn out thousands of shitty android games while working on my INCLINE masterpiece/kickstarter. Fuck a desk job.

This is sort of what I'm doing, except I'm making one game at a time, it's gonna be good for what it is, aimed at the PC Master Race and will most certainly not be shitty. Bros don't contribute to brocline. :rpgcodex:
 

shihonage

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I am pretty much in the OP's position ; I hate my job, and I'm wondering licensing a copy of Gamemaker, churn out thousands of shitty android games while working on my INCLINE masterpiece/kickstarter. Fuck a desk job.

It's really about shitty iPhone games, nobody cares about Android.
 
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It's really about shitty iPhone games, nobody cares about Android.
Do iFags also like simplistic "retro" games with shitty graphics?

I could try to obtain a dotation for starting a company and buying hardware and stuff.
 

shihonage

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It's really about shitty iPhone games, nobody cares about Android.
Do iFags also like simplistic "retro" games with shitty graphics?

I could try to obtain a dotation for starting a company and buying hardware and stuff.

My cousin is really enthused about mobile games because of in-app purchases, which is the main moneymaker right now. Make a F2P game, then buy more fishes or gold coins or whatever for a dollar.

But good luck getting noticed in this "hip" and oversaturating market, millions of people looking for money who worship at the pedestal of the few who actually succeeded.
 

J1M

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Use an existing game engine, like Marmalaid or Unity.
 

taxalot

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I am pretty much in the OP's position ; I hate my job, and I'm wondering licensing a copy of Gamemaker, churn out thousands of shitty android games while working on my INCLINE masterpiece/kickstarter. Fuck a desk job.

It's really about shitty iPhone games, nobody cares about Android.

Good. From what I hear I can do both in the same engines.
 

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