How will be the "Loading Screen" on "Express" package?

cbt

Hi,

I'm new and looking forward to do something good. But I have a question. When we try to buy GameSalad Creator there is two options;

Express and Pro

On the "Express" version, It says it does NOT allow us to make "Custom Loading Screens".

If I choose Express version and need to put a Loading Screen, what will it look like? Or will I be ever able to put any Loading Screens with Express?

Thanks in advance.

criniit

Loading screens will have the game salad logo on them in the express version.

joemauke

Customarily when licensing a game engine, the engine splash screen is shown first and then a company screen, or any resulting middleware is followed including publisher, developer, etc.

I think 2k for a loading screen is a little excessive to be honest. But 2k to not have Game Salads splash included sounds more like a deal to be honest. Thats just my 2 cents. I really like what I see so far, as this lets those that are code handicapped get a game out, but this is a pretty big sticking point for me.

UtopianGames

Im sure it would be possible to have the GS splash followed by your own?

No big deal for me...50/50 about paying $99 atm.

GS looks great but im still unsure as it's missing some vital features, onlne high score, intro/cut scene movies, link to other games etc.

Darren.

Hunnenkoenig

"Loading screens will have the game salad logo on them in the express version."

All loading screens?

I have no problem with my game loading up with game salad logo, but between levels I want to use my own loading screens.

I also want to use some comic like image slideshow between levels while the next level is loading.

Am I able to do that?

Game salad has potential, but I discover more and more flaws. I mean, no high score, no open feint, no loading screens, no portrait style... I don't know, if I will buy it. And to pay 2000 dollars for such an early version with so many missing features.... I don't know.

Even MMO developers ask only 60 dollars for their unfinished beta crap.

beefy_clyro

There is one load screen at the start, if you do not have the pro membership then it will be gamesalads load screen. In your game you trigger an event, a scene change, whilst it is loading to your next scene (normally takes about 2 seconds) you will see a spinning circle, that is all. Unfortunately there is no way of changing this, the only customisation you have is to change the initial load screen but you must have the pro license.
@Utopiangames - you could put your own load screen right after gamesalads but i wouldnt reccommend it, gamesalads stays active for around 12 seconds on a 3gs so after making the user wait that long, just get into the game. lol. I would have a menu screen after the gamesalad load screen, i just wouldnt have a 'joebloggs games' screen.
One other thing i will say though is that GS is still in beta, every new release is getting better and better, for me, this has been amazing, without it, i could not make apps, its as simple as that.

beefy_clyro

Also you can now save and load attributes so you can have high scores, just locally.
There is a work round for portrait which is to simply rotate your images 90 degrees, this is a pain though but it has been stated that there is a new version coming soon which supports portrait mode. Like i said, every new release is getting better and better, i love it

Hunnenkoenig

Thank you! Local high scores are more than nothing :-)

My main concern is that I want custom loading screens between levels. Am I able to do that?
As I stated, I have no problem with the first splash screen when I load my game the first time, but I need custom loading screens between levels.

Is it possible? ANd if yes, how do I do that? I am new to this.

JGary321

A simple way to do it is on your actor that has the Change Scene attribute do something like this...

On touch - Spawn Actor - MY SUPER DUPER UBER SPLASH SCREEN. (front of LAYER)

After .1 change scene to - MY SUPER DUPER UBER NEXT SCENE.

This way it shows your splash & your little spinning circle. On your splash make sure it says 'loading..."

beefy_clyro

i dont think that really is possible. When you initiate the change scene it stays on your current one and a round circle spins to indicate its loading the next scene. If you had levels and wanted something to happen in between them then you would need to create a new scene to go between the levels, but then there will be a 2 second spinning circle as it goes from the level to the loading screen, then you would need to setup maybe a timer rule that says after x amount of time change to scene y (which would be your next level). Between any scene change would be about a 2 second delay with a spinning circle. hope that helps a bit

beefy_clyro

Ah great shout by JGary321, never thought of that

Hunnenkoenig

@beefy_clyro

I didn't see previously that you posted two messages

Thanks for explanation also at JGary321

coolhand71

I don't have a Microsoft logo on my Word documents, Adobe doesn't slap a logo on my Flash games, and just about any platform out there does not impose such needed touts. Let the user community spread the good word about GS, don't impose a tout over a user's work. If the platform is really great, it will catch like wildfire among programmers and creatives alike. This seem like a rookie business mistake, but that is just my opinion.For now, for me to spend hours on a game and not have full control over the entire user experience is a deal breaker at any price.

Think of a better way to tout and market the platform without imposition to the people using it.

JoshKahane

I see where you are coming from coolhand71 however Gendai Games are a company and by having the loading it essentially advertises them to all those people buying the games created with GameSalad. I feel its fair that they should want to have credit for some great games being made with great software. If removing that and having your own loading screen in your game is important to you then maybe you should invest in a Pro membership?

Sorry if it sounds like a stab at you, it really isn't, just my opinion.

design219

Well, good luck with the programming coolhand71!

JCFord

Its a sensible business model for GS to have their logo at the start of our games, although nothing can be done about the display time as this is loading the GS engine, I just wish from an aesthetics point of view if it was a bit smaller, a 10-15% reduction in its size would make it look so much nicer! - less is more!

design219

Just another point about the GS business model, it's apples and oranges to compair GS to Microsoft or Adobe. This is a beta software with, at the moment, a relatively limited customer base: Mac users, designing games for iPhone and Mac. On top of that, it's only $99! I think this is an amazing bargain. Honestly, if there was ONLY a pro membership, it would still be a bargain. Pick any game created so far in GameSalad and price getting it developed by a programmer.

design219

"I have 7 games up 3 of them make money. And since october i am well over $4000.00 and plan on hitting 20,000+ by X-Mas." -tshirtbooth

Way to go man!

fatmike

Having their logo seems fair - most xbox games have several logos when they start up so I'd have thought it was standard practice. I've even seen Adobe's logo in the credits of Assassins Creed II.

$99 is great value, I must be at least 10 times as productive in GameSalad vs Objective-C. I'd pay that just to use it for prototyping and level design.

JGary321

Ever play a Unity game? 'Powered by Unity' ring a bell??? This is not uncommon....

tom.tom

Yea I don't mind giving some recognition back to gamesalad in my game, after all without their help i simply wouldn't be able to make a game period.

My question is if I purchase the 99$ package, can i later upgrade to the 199$ version at a discounted price?

firemaplegames

Tom.tom, just to be clear, its 1999$, not 199$...

jonmulcahy

but yes, if you buy the $99 package, you get a $99 discount on the pro version (at least that's what they did if bought GS when it was $499, you could upgrade and pay the difference)

tom.tom

thanks firemaplegames, totally missed that. Now all the complaints about iAds etc. makes sense.

Back to my original question though, if i purchase the express can i later upgrade to the pro version at a discounted price?

tom.tom

Thanks for the response mulcahy