
Show HN: I built an Android game - simpletimewaste
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scl
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simpletimewaste
I built this (using libGDX) having bought Andreas Oehlke's book [1], which I
found very useful. I'd used libgdx before to make a simple snake game, but
somehow Andreas made things a lot clearer for me. What's particularly good is
that he gives the full source code to a game (a side-scrolling jump/run game).

My design skills are awful, but using Inkscape [2] I was able to come up with
something half-decent (according to my friends, assuming they're not just
humoring me). I found Derek Banas' youtube tutorials [3] very handy for
learning how to use Inkscape.

Incidentally, one very useful tip I found (can't remember where, maybe
stackoverflow) is that you must avoid creating any new objects during the
render() method (ie during the game), because you'll get unpredictable garbage
collection, making the game pause at random intervals. A handy way to check
you haven't missed anything is to put a breakpoint in the Object class
constructor in android.jar. If it gets hit during play when running in debug
mode on a real device, then you're creating an object when you shouldn't be.

Feedback / suggestions on this game very welcome. Thanks!

[1] [http://www.packtpub.com/learning-libgdx-game-
development/boo...](http://www.packtpub.com/learning-libgdx-game-
development/book) [2] [http://www.inkscape.org](http://www.inkscape.org) [3]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUIOEXssTSE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUIOEXssTSE)

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stickydink
It's always nice to hear these libraries and people get a mention around here.
I have been fortunate enough to have worked with both Mario/Nate of libGDX,
and Andreas (the book). LibGDX really is a fantastic project. I've spent 3
years with it every working day.

I see a bright future too. For the best part of the last 12 months, a team of
us have been working on a very complex game. Just the other week; using an
outdated (pre-RoboVM), bastardized fork of libGDX, it took me a grand total of
3 hours (and I had never attempted it before) to merge in the RoboVM changes,
install RoboVM on my system, fix a couple of bugs; then had the whole thing
running flawlessly on the iOS simulator, iPhone and iPad. It runs faster than
our native (albeit, Objective-C) iOS version of the game.

I couldn't recommend a better set of tools. I have a lot of respect for the
contributors.

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__xtrimsky
I don't like the graphics (I haven't installed the game, just looking from the
screenshots).

The graphics look like it was something created in 2002 using Paint Shop Pro.

I'm not a designer, but in order for me to install a game, the design needs to
look appealing.

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jayadeeptp
I feel the game is missing an exit option.

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herbig
Oof, yeah, overriding the back button so heavily is really bad.

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ethanhunt_
The difficulty needs to ramp up significantly quicker (does it even ramp up at
all?).

Make the tutorial a single page.

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ljf
Nice little game, if anyone wants to upgrade to silver you can use my
code:NRtZCAa7

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bduerst
Clever two-tiered upgrade system.

You can upgrade to silver using someone else's code. But to upgrade to gold,
you need someone to upgrade to silver using your code.

The forced ad impressions are very annoying though.

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ditoax
Yeah. I want gold now though so here is my code NAT6rw96 :)

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ultimatedelman
What's the upgrade code? :D

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mankyd
PZ4cp7fy

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knocknock
Here's a code: GFt3JRxr

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jedanbik
Got any gameplay videos?

