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Horsepoo!!! · Aug 11, 2004, 12:15 PM

http://www.airburstextreme.com/abxtdemo.html

Do games this good exist on the PC?

phillryu · Aug 11, 2004, 01:11 PM

No! That is the BEST GAME EVAR and just so much better with the extreme powers. Kinda like SSX: Tricky vs 1.

Horsepoo!!! · 01:23 PM

There's a few bugs and slow downs (in the interface, not while playing games) here and there but this game is really good.

And a few things I don't understand is, it requires 10.1.5 and above, yet 'Get Info' says it can be launched in Classic? But it doesn't actually work in Classic or OS 9. Is this a CFM app? That's a little disappointing...I was hoping that if this game was OS X-only that it would at least be mach-o.

And if it doesn't work in OS 9, why isn't the app a bundle to hide all the data folders? And why is it compressed using Stuffit? DMG would have been a much better choice if this game was OS X-only.

The game is so awesome, it's a shame that it smells like an OS 9 app when it lands on your desktop and you unstuff it for the first time and see all the data files inside the folder.

Zwilnik · Aug 11, 2004, 01:35 PM

It is an OS X only app. The folders are left open so that you can edit the data in them. Currently you can edit your own skins, but we're also going to be adding the ability to edit balloons, stickers and floaters.

Horsepoo!!! · Aug 11, 2004, 01:53 PM

Originally posted by Zwilnik:
It is an OS X only app. The folders are left open so that you can edit the data in them. Currently you can edit your own skins, but we're also going to be adding the ability to edit balloons, stickers and floaters.

Hmmm...I know it may seem like a good idea to put these data folders inside a folder that contains the app but you guys should have maybe moved this stuff to ~/Library/Application Support/Airburst Extreme if the ability to edit these elements will exist.

The common answer is that users don't know to look in App Support but to counter that I could say that OS X users have gotten used to just moving the app bundle around...what if someone moves Airburst Extreme out of its folder? AE goes apeshit.

I think a simple interface to add edited balloons, stickers and floaters from within the game (which would move the files to the App Support folder) would be a much better idea.

I don't like to beg, but I begs ya...please, people are now getting used to app bundles and it just strikes me as odd to see some developers still using the OS 9 model of doing things 3 years after OS X's release.

Zwilnik · Aug 11, 2004, 02:02 PM

The simple reason is, our production method for ABE was still based around that method and it doesn't affect performance under OS X. By sticking with a tried and tested method for this project, we were able to finish it on time and with less bugs than if we'd shifted wholesale to a new method.

As it stands, we've got a chance to hop to Mach-O for future projects, so that's the way it'll go

(hey we might even release a bundled version of ABE for those who worry about such things

)

Horsepoo!!! · Aug 11, 2004, 02:11 PM

Originally posted by Zwilnik:
The simple reason is, our production method for ABE was still based around that method and it doesn't affect performance under OS X. By sticking with a tried and tested method for this project, we were able to finish it on time and with less bugs than if we'd shifted wholesale to a new method.

As it stands, we've got a chance to hop to Mach-O for future projects, so that's the way it'll go (hey we might even release a bundled version of ABE for those who worry about such things )

Sounds good to me.

Don't get me wrong...I've enjoyed every one of your games. I spent a lot of time playing Bushfire and if I had an iSight (I'll buy one soon enough), I'd have bought ToySight by now. Apple should be proud to have game developers like you.

I haven't tried network play yet but there doesn't seem to be any Rendezvous/OpenTalk support...is there a slight chance that'll be included one day?

phillryu · Aug 11, 2004, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by Zwilnik:
The simple reason is, our production method for ABE was still based around that method and it doesn't affect performance under OS X. By sticking with a tried and tested method for this project, we were able to finish it on time and with less bugs than if we'd shifted wholesale to a new method.

As it stands, we've got a chance to hop to Mach-O for future projects, so that's the way it'll go (hey we might even release a bundled version of ABE for those who worry about such things )

Yes! Bundled version! -chants-

GoGoReggieXPowars · Aug 11, 2004, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by Horsepoo!!!:

And a few things I don't understand is, it requires 10.1.5 and above, yet 'Get Info' says it can be launched in Classic? But it doesn't actually work in Classic or OS 9. Is this a CFM app? That's a little disappointing...I was hoping that if this game was OS X-only that it would at least be mach-o.

And if it doesn't work in OS 9, why isn't the app a bundle to hide all the data folders? And why is it compressed using Stuffit? DMG would have been a much better choice if this game was OS X-only.

The game is so awesome, it's a shame that it smells like an OS 9 app when it lands on your desktop and you unstuff it for the first time and see all the data files inside the folder.

None of that has anything to do with the game! So what if it's CFM? You're complaining about mundane details that don't matter in the slightest.

Horsepoo!!! · Aug 11, 2004, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by GoGoReggieXPowars:
None of that has anything to do with the game! So what if it's CFM? You're complaining about mundane details that don't matter in the slightest.

True...but the bundle detail matters a lot, imo.

The iMac Man · Aug 11, 2004, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by Horsepoo!!!:
True...but the bundle detail matters a lot, imo.

I agree!

Lately, if something uses an installer (instead of drag and drop), I wont even install it.

It is always preferred that OS X apps be bundled... nice and clean, and easy to move around.

-iMac

Zwilnik · Aug 11, 2004, 05:30 PM

Rendezvous is definitely on the way, along with more iTunes integration (and ToySight control). That's the nice thing about Mac only development, as we develop new stuff and improve the game, it's easy to make it available to all the current players

I'm not a fan of installers too. Just a folder (or a bundle

) that you can copy where you want and no worries about where it's putting other files.

Horsepoo!!! · Aug 11, 2004, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by Zwilnik:
Rendezvous is definitely on the way, along with more iTunes integration (and ToySight control). That's the nice thing about Mac only development, as we develop new stuff and improve the game, it's easy to make it available to all the current players

I'm not a fan of installers too. Just a folder (or a bundle ) that you can copy where you want and no worries about where it's putting other files.

I really love the iTunes fade-in and fade-out scripts.

Rendezvous and ToySight-like control would just about make this the coolest game ever.

[APi]TheMan · Aug 11, 2004, 06:00 PM

Cool game... but don't play it at work! You can't quit for at least 30 seconds while it informs you about the cool features of the full version of the game. Bah!

phillryu · Aug 11, 2004, 06:41 PM

Solution: Command + Option + Escape + Enter twice.

The iMac Man · Aug 11, 2004, 06:56 PM

Originally posted by phillryu:
Solution: Command + Option + Escape + Enter twice.

Or just:

Command + Option + Shift + Escape (Force Quits frontmost app)

-iMac

Turias · Aug 11, 2004, 07:52 PM

Awesome. And even better than the first, which is definitely the best $5 I ever spent.

Time to get out my credit card.

phillryu · Aug 11, 2004, 08:21 PM

Ok, issues.

LAN games can be confusing as hell. One thing that's needed is rendezvous. I'm sure that will be implemented soon.

When I host and others join, we enter a chat room, except the join game button does nothing. What's that?

Also, we each press play game to start a game, but we're all player 1, and it seems like we're all starting our own games. A bit strange.

Then, when a friend and I entered once together with the same default "Player" name, first, it let us join as it, then, it screwed up. When I started a game, he couldn't join it (after he had connected to me).

Also, once in a while the game screws up while in LAN and like two players just disappear. Then we have to restart.

Otherwise, it's not as bad as I made it sound. We've been playing "just one more game" for hours now.