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[AlexVsCoding]

Super quick update of today's output on Narcissus (Been doing other stuff as well!)

- Dutch, Swedish and German mostly implemented.
- Received the Italian, Spanish and French translations.
- Modified the trail particle so that it doesn't overlap the player at different speeds.

Will be getting Russian, Italian, Polish and German finished tomorrow and will be reaching out for translations to Chinese and Arabic. After that, I'll start experimenting with ads and getting a build ready to submit to test flight.

Stay tuned for more soon!

ALSO 100th POST WOOOOOOO

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks!

So I've reached the 10 language mark - I now have Swedish, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, English and Polish. I've got two folks working on Narcissus in Arabic and just need to pin down the translation for Chinese/Simplified Chinese and then it's just a matter of getting the remaining languages added (Russian, Chinese and Arabic). After that, I'll be experimenting with ads then preparing the submission to testflight then Apple! SO EXCITING! Also, if anyone is interested in helping test Narcissus on iOS before release, hit me up as it'll be handy to get some last minute checks done before I ship.

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks!

So update on things; Got all the translations collected, just a matter of implementing them!

Here's the final list of translations that'll feature in Narcissus:

English
French
Spanish
German
Italian
Arabic
Polish
Swedish
Dutch
Portuguese
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Russian
Japanese

Couple of setbacks through:

- Looked up the font I used for Japanese and it's not free for commercial use. So, to avoid making the same mistake with Chinese and Arabic, I started hunting for a Font set for all three that was free use. Thankfully, found Google Noto, a set of fonts created by Google under the Open Font License.
- Started implementing Arabic, got it done, showed it my contact for Arabic and it was ALL IN REVERSE ORDER, thus completely useless. Unless changed to the right setting, Photoshop reverses the text when imported. So, today having fixed the problem I'm going through all of the text again to address the problem.


I'm going to aim getting them done today so I can focus on the last section of development, Ad implementation and the testflight submission process.

Regardless of how this goes, I'll be writing up an article about localisation with some juicy bits of information that'll likely be useful for developers interested in venturing down this path!

More updates coming soon!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks!

Quick update before I go to bed. Managed to get Arabic and Simplified Chinese done. Should be easier to do from here! Here's a look at the different languages on display:

I'm going to London tomorrow to do a talk, going to be relaxing Sunday and doing contract work most of next week, so stuff for this will be patchy at best. Stay tuned regardless as I might get a half an hour window to get one of the remaining languages added!

[Zorg]

It's DEUTSCH, not DEUTSCHE.

"Deutsch" is the language, while "der/die Deutsche" is a German person, male/female. "deutsche" is used as an adjective, too, like in "der deutsche Tourist", the German tourist. "Deutsche sprechen Deutsch", Germans speak German.

Edit: Do you have a lot of text in the game? If you post or pm the german part i could have a look at it.

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey

It's DEUTSCH, not DEUTSCHE.

"Deutsch" is the language, while "der/die Deutsche" is a German person, male/female. "deutsche" is used as an adjective, too, like in "der deutsche Tourist", the German tourist. "Deutsche sprechen Deutsch", Germans speak German.

Edit: Do you have a lot of text in the game? If you post or pm the german part i could have a look at it.

Hey! I've got about 25 words worth of text. I've just looked back over my notes for German and looks like I had it written down correctly but inputted it wrong!

Oh wait, nope, here's a conversation with the fellow who did the translation:

ME: Deutsche is correct for the language name in german? Or Deutsch?

GUY: With the E

So yeah, it might be worth you checking the rest and making sure it's right! Thanks!

GERMAN
DEUTSCH
NARCISSUS (Name of Game)
Start drücken - Press To Start/ Press Start
START DRUüCKEN
Spiel starten - Start Game
Level auswählen (Level might not be Needed) - Level Select
Stufe auswählen
Level wählen
LEVEL WäAHLEN
PAUSIERT
Credits - Credits
Einfach - Easy
Mittel - Medium
Wahnsinnig (Hart = Hard, sounds better then insane in German) - Insane
Menü - Menu
Wiederholen (Neustart) - Retry
Ton - Sound
Farbe - Colour
Timer (Uhr = watch or clock/ Stoppuhr is Stopwatch) - Timer
Schwarz - Black
Weiß - White
Danke fürs Spielen - Thanks for playing.

[Zorg]

DEUTSCH - GERMAN
START DRÜCKEN, Start drücken - Press Start
Spiel starten - Start Game
PAUSIERT - Paused
Credits - Credits
Einfach - Easy
Mittel - Medium
Schwer - Hard
Wahnsinnig - Insane
MENÜ, Menü - Menu
Wiederholen - Retry
Ton - Sound
Farbe - Colour
Schwarz - Black
WEISS, Weiß - White (double S for uppercase ß if your font does not provide a capital sharp s, WEIẞ)
DANKE FÜRS SPIELEN, Danke fürs Spielen - Thanks for playing

^^^^^ Those are definitely correct

Level Select depends on the context, Stufe auswählen is likely too imprecise.
LEVEL AUSWÄHLEN, Level auswählen - Level Select in the context Stage Select
Schwierigkeit (aus)wählen, Schwierigkeitsgrad (aus)wählen, Schwierigkeitsstufe (aus)wählen - Level Select in the context Select Level Of Difficulty

(Hart = Hard, sounds better then insane in German)
Hart is okay, but i would prefer Schwer, because Hart is rather used as an adjective for an object (for example a hard surface, eine harte Oberfläche) than an adverb.

Press To Start
That's a tough one, because the action and the area is not specified.
(Hier) drücken, um zu starten - Tap (Here) To Start (Smartphone, Tablet)
(Hier) klicken, um zu starten - Click (Here) To Start (Mouse)

Timer (Uhr = watch or clock/ Stoppuhr is Stopwatch) - Timer
What does the Timer in the game do? Every German (younger than ~60 years old) likely knows the word Timer, but maybe there is a better word. If you could send me screenshots of the english menu, i'll look into it.

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks! Finally got all languages done and implemented! Super proud of finally getting the bulk of it done, likely just a couple of tweaks and refinements here and there and it'll be ready!

Other than this, there's ad implementation to do (Explained in an earlier article) and then making sure my press details/website are updated and that my promotional material is up to scratch. Stay tuned for more stuff soon!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks! I've got 14 languages implemented in Narcissus now! Couldn't have done it without your help! One more language request - Anyone know how to translate/write Hindi? Cheers!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey folks, been a pretty busy week so far, here's an update on where I'm at:

- Managed to source someone who can speak and translate Hindi and Bengali which is super useful. Got half of them which I'll be implementing tomorrow!
- Fixed an bug on level 34 that broke the level of exploited.
- Altered the save points in the game (Saving when the player completes the level, rather than when it restarts or begins)
- Optimised the particles - there was a dip in performance as both players died, due to 1. Multiple particles spawned for both characters 2. Particles created on the same location. Made it so the side which the player falls off first gets the majority of particle effects.
- Fixed the spike code (Killed the player/created death particles 6 times over)
- Got my website working again (was previously down)
- Tweaked the Ad values: originally my strategy of distance based probability (see earlier post), it didn't bring the desired number of ads in (14 ads for 250 deaths). I've tweaked the numbers and it's now closer to one ad per 10 deaths.
- Ads disabled for first level
THINGS TO DO TOMORROW
- Update website
- Update presskit
- Test on iOS
- Implement Benghali
- Get basic ads working (Stretch)

Stay tuned for more soon!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey folks!

So daily update, today was somewhat useful - after two weeks of 12 hour shifts at my part time job I burnt out for a good chunk of today. Here's what I got done in the time period where I wasn't asleep/going to a cafe gallery/ playing Castle Story:
- Exported to my iOS tablet and phone, runs real smooth on both.
- Fixed the high score display and cut my score out of it. (May add back in)
- Started messing with Dreamweaver to design my website (have put together a couple of simplified designs on paper. My current site is a mess, so I'll be refining it down to something much more clean and core (cut all the fluff and merge the pages into one). Sadly my burnout hit as I was refamiliarising myself with the tools for DW so this was cut short.

As I mentioned, today hasn't been overly fruitful but a rest was necessary. Here's what I'll be aiming to do tomorrow:
- Benghali implementation
- Refinement of jump code
- Language fixes (sound doesn't change on simplified Chinese)
- Preparing press kit
- Refining credits list
- Maybe implement ads (At a stretch)

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks,

So been a little while since my last post, been a pretty hectic few weeks (Contract work, planning future work and a wedding to juggle!) I've taken a break from Narcissus over the last week to finalise a pitch for whats up next after I've finished Narcissus (With any luck exciting news on that soon!) So one I've sent the documents off for that tomorrow evening it'll be a solid week of getting the game prepared for shipping to Apple.

Here's the list of stuff left to do:
- Set up Testflight
- Get Test Ads working
- Sign up to Admob
- Implement Hindi/Benghali
- Make sure game runs smoothly with Ads implemented
- Revamp Credits Screen
- Look into localisation codes to automate the language setting
- Run with Testflight users (Do a variety of tests)
- Add purchase for ad free option
- Look into costs of localising game description (For storefront)
- Update press kit
- Produce trailer/screenshots
- Send out press copies
- SHIP THE DAMN GAME

I'll keep you updated as I progress through the list, stay tuned for more soon!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks!

Things are moving pretty fast now, got a bunch of updates for you!

- Implemented ads
- Registered App with Apple, in the setup phase
- Created a leaderboard
- Credits screen optimised
- Started registering Testflight users (Get in touch if you want to get involved!)
- Fixed a pile more bugs for little issues.
- Made sure the game runs smoothly with or without ads

I'm aiming to have a build uploaded tonight for Testflight to begin testing this week, stay tuned for updates with that.


Scoreboard functioning in App - I'll be setting the Highscore tonight!

Things to do left:

- Look at where to position "Buy ad free version" and "Leaderboards" in the menu, thankfully there's two items that need implementing so it keeps balance in the App interface wherever it's implemented.
- Filter through the Ads and make sure they are suitable and don't clash with my morals.
- Submit Beta version for Testflight
- Do a week of testing/sending out copies to press
- Produce a new 30 second trailer
- Look into producing some flashy Vines.
- Update Website/itch.io Website.
- Update presskit/screenshots
- Ship to Apple

This is all super exciting stuff, not sure what's going to come of it, but just grateful to be reaching the end of the project. I'll let you know soon how things are going!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey folks,

Super quick update to let you know that I've finished the build, will be submitting the app to register for beta testing on iOS tomorrow. Other than sorting out paying for disabling the ads built in the game, it's done.

Once again, if you're interested in being a tester for this game, I'll be putting up requests in the coming days. I'll need the following:

1 Name (first and last name)
2 Email

You'll need to download TestFlight onto your device, the instructions from there upon receiving an email for the game should be a piece of cake to follow.

Hopefully you'll be able to dig up any last minute bugs before release!

[DuskedSky]

Wow, you really have everything sorted and put together. Wish I could be that organized.

Really looking forward to the full release. Don't know if this has been asked already but will there be an android version?

[AlexVsCoding]

Wow, you really have everything sorted and put together. Wish I could be that organized.

Really looking forward to the full release. Don't know if this has been asked already but will there be an android version?

Hahaha, Genuinely take that first comment as a compliment - The fact that the project has taken nearly 5 years to finish isn't exactly showcasing my organisational skills, but having said that I have been pushing a lot of new stuff through. Before this point I've had a cosy job and location, and removing both of those from my life has forced me to get this done. Stupidly risky but in this case seems to have done the job!

Regarding Android, I'm going through learning the uploading process for both of these platforms, so I need to tackle one first. From speaking to other developers, whilst Apple has a more fiddly workflow for exporting their Apps, they have a lower variety of product and therefore less scaling and optimisation problems. I've also heard from other developers who build for both platforms that not only do ads pay less on Android, but the process for being featured is a path lined with a lot of hoop jumping. I also have more up to date iOS devices than Android and have more contacts within Apple than Google Play. With that in mind, I'll be launching iOS first then Android once I've covered the full process. How long there is between these two launches will entirely depend on how long either takes to complete. I'm also juggling a startup of a new project, so depending on how demanding this becomes might also effect how long the port takes. On the bright side, the tools within Stencyl are a piece of cake to export with, so it'll be however long it takes to get through the Android export workflow. Stay tuned for updates on that!

On the subject of my process exporting Narcissus on iOS, here's something exciting:


I've uploaded Narcissus to Apple Connect and have sent off the Beta to Apple for approval for testing. This means once I get the confirmation back, I can send out test copies for people to test the game with. It's probably going to take a day or two for them to get back to me, but if anyone is interested in helping test when they do I'd greatly appreciate it!

Here's what I'd need:
Surname
First Name
Email

You'd need to download TestFlight to your iOS device, within which you'll receive an emailed code that you can use to redeem a temporary copy of the game. If you're interested, drop me a message or a comment below!

Here's what I've got left to do:
- Implement the "Pay for Ad Removal" button
- Revamp my website
- Set up the Apple Store
- Create 30 second preview trailer
- Gather testers, distribute test copies of game
- Collate feedback and make appropriate changes (If any)
- Upload updated copy of game with above inclusions
- Update/Send out Presskit and copies of game
- Translate description into different languages
- Submit to Apple for final verification
- Cross fingers and hope for a feature!

Stay tuned for more soon!

[DuskedSky]

Now's one of those times where I regret not saving up for an iOS device haha. If only I had a game out, I could have a slight but steady source of income (curse my procrastination!)

Hope things go well!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey folks, got me approved for testing, so send me those emails and I'll start sending out test copies!

Here's the list of things I'm testing for:

1. What level did you reach before stopping play?
2. How many people did you have playing the game? (1 or 2)
3. Did you manage to find any game breaking bugs?
4. How many advertisements did you have pop up and did it feel an alright number?
5. Did you experience any audio problems?
6. Was the menu interface easy to navigate?
7. Were you able to find the pause menu easy enough?
8. Did you see any discrepancies in the various languages?
9. Did you experience a drop in frame rate, and what device version are you using?
10. Any other thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, I'd be particularly interested to test it on older devices to see how far it can go back. Remember that you'll need to download Testflight onto said device to make it work!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey Folks,

Testing is all up and running! Here's the list of improvements to experiment with so far:
- Paused menu needs to be made more clear how to access (Needs to be displayed during the tutorial with the other controls (It's in the centre of the screen, Downwell did it with the top of the screen without a description so figured I could try something similar w/ Narcissus, evidently not.))
- Upon unpausing, jump needs to not kick in from the presses operating the menu (Lest it piss of speedrunners).
- Black/White switcher overlaps with the timer, reduce the opacity upon toggling the timer on.
- Music overlapping issues - Need to look into fixing that (Think it's something to do with the ads)/game losing focus.
- Altering the pause buffer further (As someone still managed to break it)
- Adverts playing when the game is paused? (A weird one, needs more testing to identify what triggers it).

There's a lot of different stuff to take a look at, some stuff is easier to fix than others but thankfully most of it is not overly game breaking. Just the fact that the game loaded on other peoples devices without a hitch is already awesome. I've got something to finish tomorrow first but I'll get these things looked at afterwards.

Stay tuned for more soon!

[AlexVsCoding]

Hey, so I've realised a lot of the posts I've been putting up have been purely text based, so I'm going to start posting some nice little gifs of gameplay (And dotting some gifs back through the blog to make it a little more pretty to read!) Currently in town working on my next project, but I'll be back at fixing the problems for iOS real soon!