Sneech Alpha 008 Released

(As usual, the testing of iPhone Sneech is limited to pre-registered testers only, so it will not install on any other devices. Feel free to contact me about joining in on the testing. The latest releases is available on the http://sneech.net/beta/ page. )

Another big update, with many changes listed as followed.

1. Added better League Set-up screen (similar to old Sneech Menu Screen) where you can select players, which CPU snakes you want (e.g. play against 6 x Mr.Pinks if you wish), and change the colour and mode (Learner mode not fully implemented) of your own Snake. You can also set-up a game with no human players and watch the game play out as a rolling demo (more demo, and “practice game” options to come.)
2. Worked on lighting/visuals. Added subtle shadows under snakes giving more of pseudo 3d look. Also worked on arena lights, as seen in the corner spot lights which affect lighting and shadows when you move past. I may also add some lighting to some new ‘blocker’ objects.
3. Speed and Size Bonuses, Kill and Damage bonuses, and Random Factor is awarded at the end of each game, similar to original.
4. Now, when  you quit a game early, the game fades out slowly for 4 seconds and you see the remainder of the game in rapid fast motion (with no sound effects), so the outcome of the match is the genuine outcome, as if you watched it in real-time.

So, the game has taken a big leap towards being aesthetically complete, and I guess it’s about 85% of the way now. The next big feature will be the shop screen, the proper league results screen showing the winners,  and some weapons/gadgets like Bombs and Deflects. I also need to add the ‘Kill Points’ display next to each snake at the start of a game.

Only a few more sounds left to add too!

Sneech Plans and FAQs

Yesterday I sent out emails to everyone that had emailed me about Sneech over the past 10 years! I’m sure some of those email addresses have long since gone out of service. Maybe those people will eventually hear about Sneech and get in touch — please do.

However, quite a few did get through ok, so that’s good!

I’ve been asked quite a  few questions, and thought I’d go over some of the faq’s here, to clear things up.

Q. Will there be a Network mode to play over the Internet or LAN?

A. Yes! This is a core part of the current rewrite and everything I do takes into consideration the ability to play over a network. I’m not 100% sure the Internet will be fast (low latency) enough for sneech at high speed play, but LAN play should certainly be great! Also, on iPhone (in a future update) I’m planning Bluetooth head-to-head mode and probably Wifi mode too.

Q. Will there be support for other Phones, like N97, Palm Pre, Sony-Ericsson, Android etc.?

A. Not until the game project is  highly tested, bug-fixed and more complete. Conversions to these types of devices may need a rewrite in Java, and may also require modifications that would cause the code base to be “forked”. Currently the iPhone/Windows/Mac versions share 95% of the code, so only a small piece is rewritten for each platform.

Q. When is a Windows/Mac Version available to try?

A. I currently develop/test Sneech in Windows, although it’s a bit rough (has poor keyboard input), and is currently set to mimic the iPhone screen size (480×320). Maybe in 2 weeks time I’ll rework it a little, for a bigger screen (maybe 800×600), and improve the keyboard control, and make it available on this Blog. A Mac version would take another few days. Once I get a little further with the game I’ll keep you posted!

Q. How about a Linux version?

A. That should be simple to do, but I just have to prioritise my time, so a Linux port would be done once the project matures on Windows/Mac.

That should cover most of the popular questions…..

Just a quick note about pricing. The iPhone version will be released at 99c, and then there will be regular updates adding advanced features, hopefully leading up to (but not promising yet!) Bluetooth and WiFi play, where the price may go up by a dollar or two.

Sneech on other platforms wont cost much more, and it will be free to anyone who played the original