ionAXXIA brings console level control to Windows touch-screens. Beta testers wanted

[Shifty Geezer]

Posted this is my natural habitat of the console forum, but it's more a mobile and PC creation at this point*. I've worked hard to create a touch-screen interface that works like a controller, meaning you can play arcade-style games on phone and tablet. I also support controllers, so through UWP and Play Anywhere, you could play on PC with controller in classic Star Control style, then on tablet through my smart interface (still in Star Control style ).

There's a public download if you want to give it a try on any platform. zip format - unzip wherever you want
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g03prwftanqjm9l/novaWARS_0627.zip?dl=0

* There's no mobile thread because that place is a barren wasteland!

 

[Cyan]

gotta try it later in my tablet and share some quick impressions, hopefully it runs it okay, it is very weak in the hardware side --1.6GHz Celeron APU, with a 6W power consumption. I downloaded the file yesterday already, but has been sitting in my main computer ever since 'cos I didn't find the time.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Thanks. Make use of the resolution options. I do half res on my Nexus 7 with none of the post effects and it runs pretty smoothly and doesn't look any worse.

 

[Cyan]

Thanks. Make use of the resolution options. I do half res on my Nexus 7 with none of the post effects and it runs pretty smoothly and doesn't look any worse.

I did but it was running at 1366x768 without any issues. Some occasional framerate drops but very playable. The advanced controls even after watching the video you posted, is not for me. The touch control on the other hand is superb. What I don't like about the touch controls is that you can't shoot enemies -or I didn't manage to- without it being automatized. That's okay with me and I liked how it is implemented, but it seems to be a bit random, sometimes there are potential targets close to the ship and it ignores them.

In the case of the touch controls, if you hold the finger in a position for 0.5 seconds or so, aside from going there where you want the ship to go, it could fire some projectiles instead of being fully automated. Excuse me if I am wrong. It got me a little to get the controls but it wasn't your game's fault, I was moving my fingers in circular patterns because I thought it was the way to move the ship, but I always ended up in the blackness of the deep space, so to speak.

keep up the good work, it's actually fun to play it with the touch screen.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Posted this is my natural habitat of the console forum, but it's more a mobile and PC creation at this point*. I've worked hard to create a touch-screen interface that works like a controller, meaning you can play arcade-style games on phone and tablet. I also support controllers, so through UWP and Play Anywhere, you could play on PC with controller in classic Star Control style, then on tablet through my smart interface (still in Star Control style ).

There's a public download if you want to give it a try on any platform. zip format - unzip wherever you want
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g03prwftanqjm9l/novaWARS_0627.zip?dl=0

* There's no mobile thread because that place is a barren wasteland!

I'll give it a go when I have time. Hopefully sometime tomorrow. I'm assuming there's a Win32 version in there?

Regards,
SB

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I did but it was running at 1366x768 without any issues. Some occasional framerate drops but very playable. The advanced controls even after watching the video you posted, is not for me. The touch control on the other hand is superb.

That's good to hear! Trying to cater for lots of tastes.

What I don't like about the touch controls is that you can't shoot enemies -or I didn't manage to- without it being automatized. That's okay with me and I liked how it is implemented, but it seems to be a bit random, sometimes there are potential targets close to the ship and it ignores them.

Improving the targeting is on the todo list. You have got manual control with the fire buttons.

In the case of the touch controls, if you hold the finger in a position for 0.5 seconds or so, aside from going there where you want the ship to go, it could fire some projectiles instead of being fully automated. Excuse me if I am wrong. It got me a little to get the controls but it wasn't your game's fault, I was moving my fingers in circular patterns because I thought it was the way to move the ship, but I always ended up in the blackness of the deep space, so to speak.

I hear what you're saying. It'd be nice to have an immediate 'shoot' action local to the touch movement. Sort of thing where a second press next to your directional drag might work, but fitting that on the screen might be awkward.

Actually, a couple of buttons next to the drag point. That'll keep them local and you'll know where to press as it's relative to your pointing finger. I'll try and get that in today!

keep up the good work, it's actually fun to play it with the touch screen.

I'll give it a go when I have time. Hopefully sometime tomorrow. I'm assuming there's a Win32 version in there?

It's just a Win32 exe at the moment.

 

[orangpelupa]

Hi shifty, just got time to play.

On 5.5inch phone, everything is so small and dark. I imagined if playing outdoor it will be even harder to see anything.

The automatic shooting works fine for me but yeah it would be nice to have manual shoot. Or maybe allows auto shooting all the time by upgrading the ship?

Anyway, why the game needs access to my photos and contacts? I denied all of them and the game still works.

 

[Cyan]

some more feedback. Touch controls are my favourite by far, super clean ui they work great and you don't feel confused. Apart from manual shooting, another suggestion is that the button 1 and 2 -the one that gives you a burst of speed- aren't well placed.

The buttons of the ui could be customisable (think of VBA8 Gameboy Advance emulator and custom fixed positions) but if they weren't, placing both the touch button 1 and 2 at the left bottom would make those controls much more natural. I play the game on a 11" display device, and they are too far away for my taste. Close to the middle to bottom left seems to be a much more natural position.

Thinking of it though maybe it would even be better to have to button number 2 at the right bottom for a burst of speed using your right hand and the button number 1 at the left bottom --1 for left hand, too for right hand. I am always talking here about the touch controls interface, the other control interfaces didn't feel as natural as that one.

 

[Cyan]

tested it on my everyday PC and the game looks like this:

Problem is that it isn't playable at all. The mouse keeps disappearing, the gamepad controls don't work. I never expected it to be playable, but navigating the menus with a touch screen shows there is available a gamepad setting, so I thought it would work.

you use d3d9 as the api...but which api do you use for other devices? Or is it d3d too?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Anyway, why the game needs access to my photos and contacts? I denied all of them and the game still works.

That's the social libraries for Twitter and Facebook shares. I might be able to disable them, but generally they get pretty hooked in and to do any little thing, you need to (ask to) allow a whole load of permissions.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

tested it on my everyday PC and the game looks like this:

Problem is that it isn't playable at all. The mouse keeps disappearing, the gamepad controls don't work.

If you can't select controller through the menu with the mouse, it won't work. I'll add an F key shortcut. Can't think why the mouse would disappear though. Will need to investigate.

you use d3d9 as the api...but which api do you use for other devices? Or is it d3d too?

OGL2 and the like. One of the issues with targeting lower spec is I can't go all out on the graphics. Limiting to a more powerful spec machine could potentially be better PR as the graphics could be amped up.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Game updated, changes listed here.
https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/...ouch-screens-beta-testers-wanted.60214/page-4

On 5.5inch phone, everything is so small and dark. I imagined if playing outdoor it will be even harder to see anything

I've upped the base brightness of everything and increased the default zoom. You can zoom in quite closely if you want.

some more feedback. Touch controls are my favourite by far, super clean ui they work great and you don't feel confused. Apart from manual shooting, another suggestion is that the button 1 and 2 -the one that gives you a burst of speed- aren't well placed.

The buttons of the ui could be customisable

They already are! They can be positioned anywhere on screen. Go into options and drag them wherever you want. I spent a couple of days prototyping some dynamic buttons where the buttons are local to where you press, so you'd use your index finger to move and your middle finger tapping next to it to shoot or use special. Decided they didn't work and abandoned them. Just felt awkward.

Problem is that it isn't playable at all. The mouse keeps disappearing, the gamepad controls don't work. I never expected it to be playable, but navigating the menus with a touch screen shows there is available a gamepad setting, so I thought it would work.

There's a bug with the UI library where the controller can cause the mouse to mess up. I've disabled controllers on the front screen so you can use the mouse to go into levels and then use the controller to play. Let me know if that's fixed it.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I really need to remember to download this onto my Windows Tablet and try it out. Grrrr, too many things taking my attention in different directions.

Regards,
SB

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Know that feeling!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Filling in my Steam store listing, I have to add a minimum spec PC. Which of course I don't know so I'll grab any tablet spec. Much documentation to read, which of course I don't want to do because I just want the thing listed, so hoping I can fudge a release and then read up on what I should have done after the fact...

 

[orangpelupa]

Hi shifty, I'll be on a paid leave for a couple of days...

So is the testing still going? I'll be glad to test it again (on Android / windows 10 tablet)

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The last update was a whiles back. It's going into open public release now so anyone can jump in. Frustratingly I need Google to delete the current app so I can start again, which they said they'd do but haven't got around to doing yet. On the PC side I need to suss out Valve's distribution process, but I've ended up setting a release date of the 18th which I guess I have to hit!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Steam Store page. Coming soon!

Has an updated vid tailored a little more for Steam - touch screen gaming isn't such a big thing there, obviously. Shows the improved visuals.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The game's approved for release in a few days. Sadly, deployment of games is far harder and more confusing that writing the things. Can't get Steam to accept my update. fingers crossed it'll be ready by the 22nd, the earliest release date.

 

[Cyan]

hopefully I am going to give it a try, I have my tablet/laptop computer at my gf's house, which lives 70Km from here, but next week I shall be there.