Well That’s Ball Crushing.

I’ve got my new Phone. It’s a Nokia 6600, which I’m incredibly impressed with. However I’ve discovered that it’s got a multiplayer snake game, which you can play over Bluetooth. A*se!

I’ve come to realise I don’t know how many of these games are there that support this kind of functionality. I was under the impression that it was pretty rare. It looks like I’ll have to go with the three-step model and hope that the free version generates enough interest for people to get the later versions.

I’m having better luck with the Java compilers but I’m now getting exceptions, which I don’t understand again. I think it’s got something to do with one of the new classes I’ve put in. I’ve tried to be clever and use an alternative to the public statements and boom.

I’m having a lot more success with the tutorials (surprise, surprise) that I’m working through but those are using a completely separate JDK. The N-Gage arrived today. Between that and the 6600, I’ve now got a full testing environment. I also think I’ve got my language design ready.

1. Display Extraction - Started, about 50% done.
2. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
3. The Array list object for J2ME – This seems to work fine with the Java Prototype.
4. Basic Website design started is still on hold because I’m still knackered.
5. Started work on the first tier of menu screens on the mobile version.
6. Designing multi-language functionality – 30% design complete – Now it’s coding the bugger.

Thinking too hard.

Well I’ve been doing a lot of work on the game last night and I’ve had a lot re-thinking to do. I’m going to change the types of game you can download. I’m going to do three editions.

1. Basic – This will basically be free apart from the download fee. It will have single player, hot seat, Bluetooth duelling, two themes and language support for English, French and German.

2. Standard – This will have the above and will be able to play against Basic Players. In addition there are two more themes, GPRS duelling, Bluetooth & GPRS messaging and free updates. Small fee will be charged for the database functionality. Thinking about £5 a year.

3. Advanced – In addition to the standard package. This will have two extra duel types, different types of playing pieces and downloadable themes. The fee will be slightly larger (maybe £10) for the advanced version.

At the moment I’m focusing on the basic version, which will be used as a building block for the others. However, I am evaluating SQL SERVER 2000 and .NET for the backend components for the standard game. Hopefully a demonstration of the basic version will be enough to convince backers that this game could be a seller.

1. Display Extraction - Started, about 50% done.
2. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
3. The Array list object for J2ME – Bugs have been found in the replacement to the Arraylist object. Erk!
4. Basic Website design started is still on hold because I’m still knackered.
5. Started work on the first tier of menu screens on the mobile version.
6. Designing Multi-language functionality – 20%

Blue Sky Thinking

More concepts under the belt, I’ve been looking at how the different J2ME Screens relate to each other. I finally managed to get a working mobile app on the emulator last night for the first time. Now I’ve got start applying those lessons I’ve learnt to the game.

I’ve decided to change the security model. I had intended to use a Mobile Phone’s IMEI Number to check that no cheating is occurring. However, this falls outside the ‘privacy’ sandbox that J2ME has access to. It means that the player will have to be registered with a central server somewhere if they want to keep track of their results.

I’m in two minds whether to allow unregistered players to play over Bluetooth, or do I force the players to register before allowing them access to the whole game. I’m also looking into adding GPRS networking to the multiplayer options.

Ouch! Show Stopper!

Ar*e, Ar*e, Ar*e! I’ve been counting on being able to use the IMEI number of a phone as a registration for the players. Looks like I’ll have to use DRS used by Nokia instead.

It also looks like I’m going have some competition. Worms is coming to the N-Gage and it’s going to support Bluetooth. The difference is the game is turned based, while mine is real-time. I’ve also been looking at what’s coming up on the N-Gage and it does seem that I’m going to be little fish in a big pond.

I think the only advantage is that this game will work on more than just the N-Gage. I’ve been checking ‘What Cellphone.’ Every month, just to see if anybody else has had a similar idea. So far – nothing thankfully. But now It feels like I have a real deadline.

I have been busy! Honest!

Even though the duelling part of the game is complete, there is still quite a lot of work left to do. The first thing I’ve got to get my head round is how J2ME handles a user interface. My experience with VB helps me understand the concepts, however it does get in the way of the implementation.

A J2ME app has one midlet class and several screen classes. The comparison I have with VB is Main module = the midlet and VB Forms = the screen classes. However it’s the switching between screens that has been causing me a headache. I think I’ve got it sorted, however, I’m going to have to completely rethink my approach to the User Interface.

However, I've had problem with the IDE I'm using doesn't seem to debug or run the app. It will run when you call up the Emulator and run it seporatly. Wierd.

1. Display Extraction - Started, about 40% done.
2. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
3. The Array list object for J2ME - Done.
4. Have decided to on SQL SERVER 2000. Wondering if I should put in a .NET component to handle the player statistic upgrades.
5. Basic Website design started and then put on hold because I’m knackered.

A Lull in Coding

Since achieving a Java stand-alone prototype of the game, earlier this week, I’ve been mostly looking into how to get J2ME working on my machine and how to use the relevant Phone SDKs within the development environment. However, I have been coding up the replacement classes I need in order to get it to run on J2ME. In addition, I’ve got my Bluetooth connection working on the PC. To my present phone, this will help with the emulation of P vs P Networking.

1. Map Generation. – Complete all generation tests are complete.
2. Pathway Activation Animations. – All Animations are complete.
3. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - All Animations are complete.
4. Display Extraction - Started, about 40% done, no new work done.
5. Animations outstanding – 0. This is now a complete theme. I have at least another two to do, to make it more acceptable to just the tech heads
6. Examine the functionality of the RMS Data store facility. – Done. I’m going to have to look at implementing some kind of security system through this as well
7. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions – Looking at. Finally got Bluetooth working from my PC, so I can start emulation quite soon.
8. The Array list object for J2ME. – Coded, only took me an hour to replicate the functionality I use. However testing will be another business.
9. Work has started on the Supporting Back End Database. As I code SQL Server Stored Procs in real life. I might as well use SQL Server.
10. Basic Website design started. This is going to be a lot more involved than I first realised. The site has to support wap as well and I’m not too clear on that at the moment.

Bloody Hell!

That's it, the game engine working with a single graphical theme. I'm backing up the source before things get scarey.

Speedy Code Man

A lot of work has happened with the game last night. It was mostly bug fixing, but a lot of progress was made and some play testing was performed. I’ll be coding the remaining animations and game logic tonight (hopefully) and that will bring me to the first fully working Java Prototype.

I’ve had an additional idea, in order not to confuse people with the maps, I’m going to give the user three complexity settings; Simple Maps, Moderate Maps and Complex Maps. These should help players ease into the game. Another addition is that a player will gain more points by winning a complex map.

I’ve been looking to the future of the game and I’m wondering how to finance the promotion and the running costs. I’ve got only a few options; -
· Go to the Bank, demonstrate the program and see what they say.
· Talk to Nokia or one of the other big phone companies and see what they say.
· Find a publisher, demonstrate and see what they offer.

This is the bit I’m scared about because I don’t want to put my family in financial trouble. I know Business is supposed to be a risk, but when you have a baby on the way and you’re up to your eyes in debt, then you want to play it safe.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but still to test the remaining advanced generation
2. Pathway Activation Animations. – Basic Player Complete. Advanced player 50% done.
3. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Basic Player Complete. Advanced player 40% done.
4. Display Extraction - Started, about 40% done.
5. Animations outstanding – 4.
6. Examine the functionality of the RMS Data store facility. – Done
7. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
8. The Array list object for J2ME.
9. Work has started on the Supporting Back end Database, Trying to decide between Access, Oracle Personal and SQL Server Personal.
10. Basic Website design started

This is just getting better and better.

It was a day of progress yesterday. More animations were included and some major howlers were discovered within the map generation. There are still a few things to look at but I managed to one of the more advanced functions working. I’m deciding whether to add further animations, but for the moment things are fine.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but there seems to be bugs, but only with the first and last parts of the map.
2. Pathway Activation Animations. – Basic Player Complete. Advanced player 40% done.
3. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Basic Player Complete. Advanced player 40% done.
4. Display Extraction - Started, about 40% done.
5. Animations outstanding – 4.
6. Examine the functionality of the RMS Data store facility. - Done
7. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
8. The Array list object for J2ME.
9. Work has started on the Supporting Back end Database, Trying to decide between Access, Oracle Personal and SQL Server Personal.
10. Basic Website design started.

Miracles

A Miracle happened last night. I managed to get the first prototype working in Java. I was held up for almost three hours by an animation which should have been working but it turns out I forgot to add the graphics into the program. Exceptions were being thrown left right and centre but it didn’t click until I discovered some new debugging features in JBuilder.

This is only the beginning however. Only the most basic of Maps are available and I still have animations for the other map features still to do. I have then got to test these features and integrate them properly, but half the battle has been won.

This means I have been look more to the future and about porting the game to J2ME. This is where the fun really begins. I’ve been looking into the “Arraylist” problem and finally realising the limitations of the RMS system. I’ve got to find out where to store the graphics for a game because I thought they were stored in RMS. Turns out I was wrong. I’ll have to look into this a lot more.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but there seems to be bugs.
2. Pathway Activation Animations. - Defending player Complete. Offending player Complete.
3. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Defending player Complete. Offending player Complete.
4. Display Extraction - Started, about 40% done.
5. Animations outstanding – 6.
6. Examine the functionality of the RMS Data store facility.
7. Examine the functionality of the standard Bluetooth functions.
8. The Array list object for J2ME.

Warp Speed Captain...

I was on the Coffee and cookies on the game last night. I have now found out how to write text properly (drawstring), how to use the color class (even though it should be COLOUR!) and how to draw shapes on the screen. Now I know that, all in all, that might not sound like much but put it all together and you have filled in a few more missing bits. However, I have miscounted the amount of animations to do.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but there seems to be bugs
2. Player Graphics. - Complete
3. Clock Graphic and counter. - Complete
4. PU Keypress Capture. - Complete
5. Pathway Activation Animations. - Defending player Complete. Offending player still to do
6. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Defending player Complete. Offending player still to do
7. Players PU Collection - Completed
8. Display Extraction - Started, about 35% done.
9. lots Animations outstanding. - got to count them up.....

Successful Night

Confidence is growing. I managed to get one player's side of the game to work perfectly. This was just so supprising. I've been moving the game logic out of the display routine into the objects them selves and it's supprisingly easier than I thought.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but there seems to be bugs
2. Player Graphics. - Complete
3. Clock Graphic and counter. - Code complete, display code still to do.
4. PU Keypress Capture. - Complete
5. Pathway Activation Animations. - Defending player Complete. Offending player still to do
6. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Defending player Complete. Offending player still to do
7. Player PU Collection - Coded, but display code yet to be displayed.
8. Display Extraction - Started, about 30% done.
9. 3 Animations outstanding.

Weekly Update

There has been little movement on the game this week. New Animations have been added. I've been downloading articles abut J2ME and Bluetooth, like there is not tomorrow, but I haven't had the opertunity to do anything with it yet. I've come to a design desicion to move the game logic completly out of the display code. This should make it easier to put the game on phones with different screen sizes.

1. Map Generation. - Complete, but there seems to be bugs
2. Player Graphics. - Complete
3. Clock Graphic and counter. - Code complete, display code still to do.
4. PU Keypress Capture. - InComplete, futher code is now required
5. Pathway Activation Animations. - Complete
6. Pathway Activation Code Checks. - Complete.
7. Player PU Collection - Started but display code has yet to be written
8. Display extraction - not started, but assigned to do as soon as possible
9. 3 Animations outstanding.