Sunday, April 25, 2010

Progress Update

If you're looking to play the current version, you can do so in the new "Play" tab (just under the heading).

Just in case you're wondering how the new game is coming along, I've decided to give a progress update. I've had a bit of time this weekend to add the actual game play to the completely redesigned game. I thought it needed a bit more of everything - more options, more game modes and more choice in how you play.

Main Menu
Firstly to house all these new features, I've redesigned the main interface. Generally speaking, I've kept the same menu layout as the previous version because I thought it was simple and to the point, but it now looks much cleaner. Clicking the "Settings" tab will take you to a much more organised screen, allowing you to quickly find the setting that you want to modify. 

"Statistics" and "Instructions" will not take you to a new screen anymore, simply because I think they should be used 'on the fly'. Instead, they will activate a sliding canvas which will fill the rest of the screen space.

Note: This is still not the final design, just a sneak peak (I welcome your input).

The Game
Okay, so I had to rewrite the whole game, so I thought, why not add some major improvements? Some of the feedback I've been getting really made sense, and I've been wanting to add it to the game, so I thought now was the chance. So here are a few of the features I've already written:
  • Automatic Resizing Keyboard that changes size depending on the note range you've chosen. I received some comments stating that the keys were to small; this won't be a problem any more.
  • On the same note, the game won't be running in a browser anymore. It's going to be a standalone Java application, meaning the size won't be as much of a limit. The window is now a fair bit bigger than before, so you'll be able to see the notes for longer and the keys will be larger.
  • Midi Input has probably been the most frequently suggested feature. I've gone ahead and added it to the game. It's working great so far, but I'm still yet to test it with different devices and give the option of selecting one if there are multiple inputs. 
  • I've added an In-Game Tempo Changer to the scrolling games. This will give you much more freedom when choosing the speed of the game. 
  • There are also some other little things, like a pause button, individual note range for each staff, chord mode, solfa mode etc. 
  • I still haven't started designing the song mode, but I plan to dig into that some time soon. 
I can say that there is a chance I'll have the game finished by the end of July, but if not, the end of the year. If there is anything else you want me to include that I haven't mentioned, email me at developer.fastkeys@gmail.com or you could just leave a comment.

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