creating things
So I read about the Google Easter Egg thing and decided to see it for myself. See link
And it’s the Tardis baby. The best blue box ever.
Something Old,
Something New,
Something Borrowed,
Something Blue,
Something…
As a Dr Who fan walking inside it is a dream come true.
So if I was asked the question: All of Time and Space, where do you want to go?
So finally decided to try Mac OSX programming. This should be easy with some experience in iOS programming. True, true… but also not true.
My first impression while still using X-Code as the main programming tool and objective C as the language. There is still a lot that I’m not familiar with: first so many new options in Interface Builder. This is all nice, but a new list of Outlet names and connections to learn. Second new frameworks & methods to learn. Third the feeling that I don’t know anything at all… guess it’s research & reading time for now.
Personal note: I already fell asleep twice while reading a Cocoa Programming book. My mind trying hard to learn the content by heart (new and interesting things and also a repetition of old things). So how would a describe: why I fell a sleep? A psychological explanation called Cognitive Restructuring or just plain old NLP.
The content wasn’t that boring and it didn’t cause my mind to wander off into NeverEverLand….. oeps NLP would make this into:
The content was that boring and it did cause my mind to wander off into NeverEverLand…
So something new then. Ehm the content contains a mixture between old and new information. The new information did catch my interest and attention. But the old one didn’t and made me think of boring old repetition.
The word to look out for is “boring”. Because “old” can and is in someway the new “new”. Vintage is in nowadays. And old can be associated with wise. With age comes wisdom.
To me repetition is a good word and it equals hard work & progress. It’s training, training and training again. Like grinding for XP.
How to reframe “boring”? Boring can’t equal sleep, because I already have my daily dose of caffeine & it’s 13:00 now. The sun is shining, certainly not night time & bed time. So what about distractions? What are the things that causes my mind to wander off? If I picture my mind as a processor, then a part of the attention/resource is focussed on something else instead of reading the Cocoa Programming book. Pinpoint it and resolve it before going further.
Give in to the distraction, enjoy it but put a time limit on it.
Do something totally different like writing a blog post. Which is what I’m doing now. Plus updating the website, something that I keep putting off.
Find another book to read. Sometimes it can just be the wording that a writer use, which does’t connect with you. So glad that I’m not in school/university anymore and that I have the freedom to choose & gather my own information resource. And the internet is a big, big resource pool.
So was working on a location based & aware App. The coding went good somedays and bad on other days. But guess that’s the life of an App Developer. You miss one line of code and everything literally breaks down.
NSLog is my new best friend a real life saver when it comes to error checking and application progress checker.
The other thing that’s weird for a non Developer, after weeks, months or more time coding something….you have to spent another additional time to think of ways that a user can break the App. Start the App and refusing to give location permission. Let the App run and put it in background, turn of internet access. Change time settings and other things. Really why… would someone do this. So any way I think Daylight is pretty robust now after all the error checking that I’ve done. It’s a good thing in the end I guess.
So what can I tell about Daylight? The name “Daylight” was taken in the AppStore… by the movie Daylight itself (which was kinda boring in my opinion. Vampires yeah!! Future & Vampires…bweehhh big no on that). So in the AppStore Daylight is submitted as –> Daylight Timer
And that name gives a lot away, doesn’t? Yep it tracks the daylight. More about it in a couple of days when it’s approved…or maybe not. Rejection still always a possibility.
Guess I’ve been away for a long long time. What can I say… I’m not really a blogger. Just updated 3 Apps on the site, not new apps but old ones that are already out on the AppStore but didn’t had an entry on the site. Hmm….bad. So site not really up to date then 🙁
All that I can say MysteryFiles.nl is run by a one man team. I can’t do everything at once can I. Anyway currently I’ve some free time so hence these blog updates etc.
So what’s on my mind? Just uploaded a new app and now… a week nothing and waiting for approval. App approval is still long as ever…or one week…is reasonable in a way considering all the updates and new apps that Apple has to review and check.
But still sometimes really annoying. For example a couple of weeks ago I updated QuickFlip with gestures and IAP (do have to make money somewhere :|). After a week the App was live. Good…but when I checked the IAP. That wasn’t, this due to some weird error while the App was submitted the IAP wasn’t apparently. So had to submit another version of QuickFlip just for the IAP. A week later IAP rejected…WTF… turns out. A rule being “non consumables” needed a restore button. Oh dear…..resubmit again for just one button.
So the lesson I learned from this: rules are rules.AppStore rules are RULES to be followed otherwise a big red rejection sign.
So I’ve been playing Diablo 3 for two weeks now. The result so far I’ve got an level 60 Demon Hunter called Buffy. Hell yeah I do. If she’s not a vampire slayer, then she’s a demon hunter 😉
Currently I’m in the first act of inferno and pffff the elites are hard. especially the invulnerable minions with fast movement coupled with arcane, jail or frozen orb. Still can’t beat them or out run them. Sigh grinding for better gear. Farming for gold and go to the AH to look for some cheap and affordable stuff. Still can’t and won’t pay over a million gold pieces for a single item. Prices are indeed sky high.
So far I have changed some of my playing tactics by switching some skills. My first setup was to use strafe with drifting shadow for running away from enemies while placing caltrops with jagged spikes. I say running but it isn’t really running because I’m still fighting and doing damage this way. My main form of attack was hungering arrow with scatter. Really like seeing the arrow split in three and going back to the enemy. What homing missiles? As a secondary rapid fire with high velocity. And at last evasive fire with displacement if the enemy got to close and shadow power with gloom for life and defense. This was good in nightmare and hell. In a way but in the later levels of hell and especially inferno. It’s not fast and mobile enough. After some careful thinking and experimenting with the skill setup. Thank you Blizzard for this. Back in the Diablo 2 time, you have to start all over again :S
People keeps saying with out smoke screen inferno is impossible. Ehmm to be honest I’ve never really used smoke screen before. And after hearing that it has been nerved. I thought why? Then I saw some video’s….ahh I understand. In a way constant being invulnerable that’s good but cheesy isn’t it? Plus not really my style and in a way it does feel boring. The hit and run tactics is more my way and it feels engaging. You have to be alert all the time and no slaking off. Pressing some buttons and yawning.
In my new skill setup hungering arrow with scatter and caltrops with jagged spike remains. Those two I really like. While exploring a new area shoot a hungering arrow ahead and seeing it automatically going to the nearest enemy. That’s fun and also cool. The caltrops is for defense and attack. Certain enemies and targets remain immobile place a caltrop next to it and it will do constant damage to it. Like before the skeleton king, you have to do the four pilar thing with lots of skeletons. Placed for caltrops at the pillars. stand back and fire some hungering arrows while using rapid fire and the skeletons. I completely ignore the pillars because thanks to the caltrops they got destroyed. In later levels when fighting elites use bombs running away not a good way to survive. Instead do the opposite strafe to the enemy until your face to face. Put down a lot of caltrops to slow them and also doing damage to them. Fire you attack skills for life steal. That’s my way to deal with them. And it really works. The catch is you have to withstand a blow or two. So these two skill a must for me (hungering arrow and caltrops). In the new setup I’ve picked elemental arrow with nether tentacles. In the early levels I used ball lightning and really cool to deal with packs of enemies. This is a cooler version with life regeneration. By choosing the nether tentacles, I dropped the shadow power with gloom. Don’t need the life steal effect for this. But for some tricky boss fight the life steal and added defense of gloom is a must… so my spare change of skill by choice then.
Next up a second secondary skill impale with over penetration. Discovered I needed a hard hitting skill and with 250% weapon damage this is the skill of choice and it’s s good crowed control when the enemies line up for you in narrow passages. By choosing impale, I dropped rapid fire with high velocity. Used this for the same effect. Impale works faster and doing more damage. When it hits. Not saying it’s better then rapid fire. You fire less often and if you’ve got certain effect bonuses as slow, bleed, chill, knock back or other effect on hitting enemies. Using rapid fire is the way to go. More arrows means more changes those effect will be triggered.
Another skill that I’m keeping is evasive fire with displace. Not doing this for the weapon damage but for survival. This skill is on my primary mouse button. Click on the primary button and character will move to where you want to go and if there is an enemy evasive fire is triggered. The good part now if the enemy is to close you will backflip to a save distance. From there do your worst with elemental arrow and impale.
My last skill is vault with tumble, this is really a lifesaver. It increases your survivability and your movement speed. Plus is gives you more control over your movement then evasive fire. You know the elites with the wall ability? With vault you’re no longer trapped by them. With two times vault and you’re out of harms way. Oh vault why didn’t I discover you earlier?
As for passive steady aim and sharp shooter for focusing on more damage. Brooding for life. Which fits well in the hit and run tactic. You run and vault to a save place while recovering your health and sharp shooter increases the critical hit chance on the next attack for damage. And in the meantime put some caltrops down to slow the enemy while dealing damage. Your running, but it doesn’t mean you stop fighting!!!! So fire some nether tentacles and hungering arrows back to your foe.
Like a lot of people I saw that wonderful 3003 error when trying to access the Diablo 3 Beta on friday (20th april). I tried for hours… a real stress test indeed.
Any how on saturday I did got access and how wonderful it was. First played the Witch Hunter. Which was cool, a real improvement from the rogue and amazon. Which of course I also had played from previous Diablo and Diablo 2. The bummer is a level cap at 13. Really wanted to see the more advance skills. I got the taste and wanted more…but not able until may 15th. Sigh. It’s like fishing you put out some bait and get them hooked before you wheel them in. So needless to say I preordered it. I wanted to wait first but I guess I gave in to the temptation. I foresee a future nights playing Diablo 3.
So the question that wondered into my mind is can you make a living out of playing the game? The in game auction house does seem intriguing. Auctioning your loot for real money. So my first aim and goal is to earn back the 60 euro I paid for the pre-order. Price wise it’s ok for a game like it, but for a digital version….it does seem and feel high. Doesn’t it?
Downloading the game now…
It was a sad day for me and for everyone who has a feeling towards Apple and the person who represent Apple to the core, Steve Jobs.
Where was I when I heard the news? Where were you? I was in bed, sleeping. And then I woke up due to a certain buzzing sound. Yes I hate mosquito’s. At 2AM or something in the morning. Certainly not pleasant. So turned on the light to do some hunting, but couldn’t find it. So after sometimes I just sat there on my bed. I was tired, but couldn’t sleep. Or somehow, something bothered me. It was like a small voice in the back of my mind telling me that something has happened.
What I did then was sigh deeply. I thought okay I’ll reed something before I try to go to sleep again. Opened the Reeder App on my iPad for some RSS feeds and there was something about Steve Jobs. A link to an old video about him. Then another feed with some other video’s of him. Then another one… hmm… this… don’t know how to put my finger on it. Then the dreaded feed with the announcement. NO…… I couldn’t believe it. I can’t be true. It has to be some media buzz thing. But unfortunately… I was wrong. Apple putting an statement on there site. Tim Cook’s email statement. President Obama’s statement. And a lot more evidence pointing to the same conclusion. The coin dropped in my head. I was wide awake. I can’t sleep now. It was around 3 or 4 AM in the morning 6 October. Time difference between Europe on the States. So it really just happened. I’ll remember this as 6 October in the morning. A sad day…
So I just got a mail from Apple saying my app: Been There, Done That has been approved and is ready for sale. I’m happy and excited to see how it will do in the AppStore. It’s one of my biggest app with a lot of time investment. So naturally I’m hoping for a good reception.
And what is this Been There, Done That App about? It’s a travel App that lets you keep score of where you have traveled to (with free choice of the user, developed this way before the location gate). What country you have visited. It displays this in formation in a map, so you can see it with a quick glance.
Beside this it also offers you easy access to information about your travel destination.
And then there is there it the Game Center support to keep track of your travel achievements. Compare with your friends or learn what they have done in travel achievements.
Then there was of course the flag game (which is fun and also informative). My real first game. Although a simple one, but still a game. This kinda took a while to complete. Not as much time as the other features of the app but still it took some time. With a lot of crashes and rewrites of the general frame work. So I’m proud that it’s up and running.
So for the person reading this. What are you waiting for go and download it. Try it out. It’s free!
* update 1 *
So developing is never finished. Just after the app went life I tried to install the app on my iPhone 4, but it kept crashing. And I didn’t know why. Stupid thing was that app runs perfect on my iPhone 3GS (running the latest iOS). Then after some debugging and digging it turns out that iAds was causing some issues on iOS 4.1 (which my iPhone 4 was running on). Update for the fix was made and submitted the next day. So my fastest update ever for an app. But that’s not all currently working on new options, which hopefully will be ready in a week or so. That’s after Apple approves the update fix.
So yesterday evening I found my new addiction. It all started around midnight when the game “Infinity Blade” was made available through the AppStore, which I downloaded. Really liked the demo of Citadel.
After around 300 mb of download and installation. Wow….amazing graphics….all this on the iPhone. Really beautiful and when you look around lots of special effects to see. Lights, dark shadows, moving objects, flames and lots more. Music also nice and it just puts you right in the middle of it all. There is just on low, after a few minutes of play: WTF you can’t move around freely? Hmmm… to bad, but beside that and accepting this fact. The game is like “Rage”, everything is on rails. No free moving, there is a fixed path that you have to follow (although at some point you can deviate from it ad take a side path up the stairs. Enemy are higher in level in this path plus good for exp, gold & items).
The battle system is great and inventive. Tap the lower left or right to dodge the attack. Tap the middle/shield to block. Or parry the attack by swiping at the same direction as the attacker and there’s also the of a weapon lock. Keep tapping to win, you can even see the sparks from the swords clashing. Very nice!
You are able to preform combo’s and deal more damage than regular attacks. There is apparently a a standard combo swiping left, right and left again (or right, left and right). This is cool, but there are hidden combo’s which is harder to find I did one accidentally when I swiped randomly using crisscross swipes. If you think this is enough at some point during battle you will see blue circles hovering on some part of the enemy, if you tap them, you’ll stab them there for even more damage. Double nice or instance kill even.
Weapons can also deal elemental damages. Like lightning, bzzz….and a cool purple after glow with each stroke. Flame damage, the same effect. The ice damage and effect are not so clear to me, but poison is cool. Just hit them and see how the live bar drop. The elemental damages can be found in swords, but shields apparently can also give them to you. First thought is represented the protection against the elements…but after equipping the spectral shield and a regular sword with no effect. I notice me dealing elemental damage, you can see this you the color of the after swipes.
The magic rings on the other hand also lets you deal elemental damage by casting spells. Which is cool, but not for me. Don’t like wizards. So my ring of choice is the life ring, which allows me to cast regeneration and shield repair).
Equipent are accessible at every moment, except during battle. There are to ways to get them fast. The first thing is try to wear the special helmets which adds +++ to item drops or +++ to gold (enabling you the buy then, the store list all the weapons).
The mastery of the weapons are a little disappointing. Because all you get is one extra skill point and nothing more. In my opinion not really worth it to master all of them during battle. Why you ask? You can also master them by paying money. Just do this on the lower level ones, which you never going to use any way because of the low stats.
And the skill points distribution is all up to you. Life for extra health. Attack power. Defense for a higher shield count (which decreases when you block an enemy with a higher attack count than you shield defense). And magic for how fast the meter fills. Personal note I’m trying a build with all focus on power and using items to fill in the other stats. It’s kinda like kill or be killed. Which is a working build thanks to the battle system. I managed to injure the god king in the first bloodline and second bloodline. But still being killed by him (him being level 50). And in the third bloodline finally PWND him with me at level 11. I was kinda surprise at the start of bloodline four, hero saying father I’ll revenge you. Hey I killed him…..stupid. But I think it has to do with the next update of the game. During the ending sequence something happened, not going to say it now for spoilers. Think that in the coming update the battle will go on after defeating god king, with new enemies….maybe something green and high tech 😉
So this is my quick review of the game. Why mentioning new addiction? Ehmm I downloaded it at midnight last night and kept playing it until 4 in the morning….didn’t notice the time….it kinda flew past me. And that’s in my point a good selling point for a game.
