Development Blog #0021 - Global Leaderboards

Global Leaderboards

If you haven't already, download WOOL - a Rust simulator for iOS
You will now be ranked globally when you play Wool : Experimental Island.  I re-designed the leaderboard system in the newest update.  This decision came because I was coding a registration system for players to play online with, and because Apple's Game Center was not well suited for the job.  The new system will not require you to register with an email or password, rather it uses your device's unique ID to track your score.  This seemless and considerate implementation will allow you to enjoy unbroken play.  No login screens, no passwords, no emails, just play.

Oh, and it circumvents The Great Firewall too.

The update should be on the App Store by the end of next week.

Moving on

I'm stopping work on this project indefinitely.  I'm starting a software development company, and I'm afraid all of my free time will be devoted to getting off the ground.  I'm doing it for the money, I have to support myself and my girlfriend here in China when I resume school full time in September.  It's possible I'll be able to pick up where I left off when I'm in a better position, but for now, I must cease my game development efforts.  It's been a fun and interesting 6 months working on this project (in its many forms)  and I hope you all have enjoyed reading about, watching, and playing WOOL : Experimental Island.
 

Development Blog #0020 - Multiplayer Backend

If you haven't already,download WOOL - a Rust simulator for iOS

Multiplayer Server
Everyone will connect to a single, persistent, multiplayer server.  Wool is turn based, players will have up to a second to take their turn with everyone else.  It's a bit of an experiment, so we'll see if it's any fun to play when it's up.

Progress
This week I learned how to code a Java based back end server.  This will let me write game servers for any kind of multiplayer game.  I really should have figured out how to do this years ago, it's not very much different from writing iOS and Android applications.  I'm writing a server similar to Rust's servers -- a persistent world that everyone will connect to, and that's going to be a bit complicated for one guy.  I'm mainly concerned with latency and performance of the server.   I should have something functional in a week if all goes well.

The Leaderboard Update Is still in review @ Apple.
I think I'm going to re-code Wool in Javascript & HTML 5.  That way, these updates will not take a week to come out when I've finished them.  Also, it would allow the game to be played in your browser and on any modern smartphone.