EveryGame iPad Blog

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sample Game with "Free" Piece Movement

We've just posted a new game called AmoebaWar.ege to the EveryGame Google group.

http://groups.google.com/group/everygame/files

To open the .ege files, remember that you can download them, rename them to .zip, and then double click to open them.

AmoebaWar isn't a complete game -- more a work in progress / technology demonstration. It should give you some good ideas for implementing a miniature or wargame. In particular, it has examples of:
* Simulating free movement with a grid of small squares
* Selected different terrains by picking them from a tab-based menu
* Tapping pieces to show their movement / attack range

AmoebaWar also makes use of several features that will only become available once EveryGame version 1.3 is out. You won't be able to see them until it's available, but a peak in the xml file will give a preview. You'll get more control over tab placement and naming, the ability to annotate pieces with their names, and a whole lot more!

4 comments:

  1. I was wondering if there is any documents I can read that shows how to make a game with Everygame. I like the idea of Everygame very much and would love to buy the app, but unless I know I can make a game myself, I would hesitate a bit.
    Do I need to know xml? Is there a set of common commands? What do they mean? etc.

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  2. EveryGame has all of it's documentation built in, but we also keep a copy posted online: http://www.proofblocks.com/iPhone/EveryGame/page2/page2.html

    You can also view the xml for existing games, so there are plenty of samples to copy from, or to get an idea of what is involved.

    XML isn't very complicated. It's very similar to making a webpage in fact. Making a simple game where you drag pieces around is pretty easy. As you start trying to make the behaviors of your pieces more complicated and automatic, it gets trickier obviously.

    Hopefully for really simple games, you soon won't have to bother with XML at all. We're working on a mode right now where based in the images for the pieces you create, it can at least let you freely drag them around the board. That is still probably a few weeks out though.

    -Nathaniel

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  3. Thanks Nathaniel! I am sold, and so will a copy of EveryGame ;-) !

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  4. Great! Let us know if you make anything cool!

    And if you do need help, remember you can always post a question at the google group, or email us questions using the links right inside the app.

    -Nathaniel

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