I'm looking for some feedback on a game I'm developing for both WM and Windows. It is written in C# on .Net so the same executable runs on both platforms.

At this point the basics of the game are done, I just need input on the parameters on gameplay, i.e., is it too hard, etc.

The game is called Frantic, and is available to download from http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~jmisurda/ppc/fr ... rantic.zip

Unzip and copy to you WM device or play on your PC. Both will require the .NET (Compact) Framework 2 to be installed.

The game is played as follows:



There are 6 hexagons that surround a center hex in which a colored wedge appears. Your task is to place it in one of the surrounding hexes before the timer bar fills up. A wedge can only be placed in a hex that has that particular wedge empty.

When a wedge fills up, regardless of the colors of the wedges, it is cleared. If the timer runs out before you place the wedge, you lose a life, and a new wedge is generated with the timer reset.

The colors account for scoring and bonuses. If you complete a wedge with a single color, you will gain an extra life. Additionally, if you complete a wedge of the same color in one of the hexes with a bonus button next to it, that bonus becomes available to be used.

The bonuses are: nuke - clears all of the wedges, slow - halves the timer speed for 5 seconds, and trash - discards the current wedge without losing a life.

The other thing that color contributes to is how many points you get for placing a wedge in a hex. If you place a wedge in a hex that is the same color as the previous wedge, you get double the points as for placing the previous one.

For example: empty hex, add one red, +1 points. add another red +2 more points. add a third red, +4 points. If we now add a green wedge, that is only +1 points.

A completed hex is worth 6 points.

A new level happens at 64, 128, 256,... points and decreases the amount of time you have to place a wedge. A fourth color, purple, is added when you reach level 5.

The current version is gameplay complete but needs tweaked for difficulty. I will likely add three levels of difficulty that tweaks the speeds.

I also will add a highscore table.

Right now it won't support landscape or square screen devices. It is VGA compatable though.

I am seeking beta testers to suggest gameplay ideas, and to spot any bugs that might be in the game. You can just post in this thread with your suggestions/bug reports/etc.

Thanks.

Jon

I've updated PlaylistEditor to version 1.7.

It now has a button to launch the current playlist (without saving) with the program registered to handle that type of playlist.

It also has a new menu command to shuffle the items in the playlist in a random order.

Get it from the usual spot, click the link on the right sidebar.

Jon

I've updated the VGA version of GSPlayer to the latest normal release, 2.25.

This includes a WM5 version that uses the Soft Keys.

Just drop the new exe over the old one from the regular 2.25 install. Otherwise copy a version of gsgetfile.dll into windows to make sure you can browse anywhere.

As always, I have no idea what the difference is between the 3 version (regular, 64-bit, and xscale) beyond 64 bit should have better sound quality for high bitrate mp3s.

You can get it in the usual place, look on the right sidebar for a link.

Enjoy.

Jon

I've uploaded a version that allows you to specify a non-standard port to connect to.

http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~jmisurda/ppc/PocketPuTTY.exe

Jon

I've uploaded a new version of RadarWatch to the website. I haven't updated the webpages yet, but I have fixed the source of the images so they should work now.

Let me know if there are any lingering problems.

I have started to add the framework for the new images too, I'll try to incorporate them in my next release, whenever that is.

Download by following the link on the right ->

Jon

vBar 2.2 is out with my fixes:
-support for the default WM5 theme
-Tap-and-hold to close, tap to minimize option
-fixes squished menu in WM5
-battery meter looks like a battery

Download it from http://www.vieka.com/vbar.htm

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I am sorry for the total lack of updates in a while. Life has gotten busy^2 this month. I hope next month I can make progress on something.

Things still on my agenda (but on the backburner):
-Keep trying to fix the keyboard problem for SearchToday
-do the VGA update for GSPlayer 2.24
-Release a beta version of my AstronToday plugin

Thanks for your patience, I just need to take a break before I can get to all this.

Jon

I'm going to be picking up working on SearchToday some more soon, and as I've discovered from all your wonderful feedback is that I need to have access to many more devices than just my x50v.

I'm now accepting applications for about a dozen Beta testers. What I'd like is to have a variety of people, especially those who have encountered a problem with the existing version (i.e. people with non-English devices and devices with a built-in keyboard.)

The only requirements are: you have a pocketpc, you are willing to hard-reset in the unfortunate event it doesn't work for some reason, and you can respond fairly quickly when test builds go out.

If you'd like to apply, send me a message through the "contact" link on the right side with your device type, what problem you're experiencing, and an email address to reach you by.

Jon

I see GSPlayer 2.23 is up with a new WM5 version. I've downloaded the source and made all the VGA changes I believe. I'm doing a few days of internal testing, then I will unleash it upon the New Year.

Jon