Aaah, the joys of data compression!
OK, here's the complications with Monkey.
1. File Access is a little bit touch and go.
I've had a play with it, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

OK, folks, here comes the big test.
Is everyone ready?
Get your Android device, be sure to enable "UNSAFE!" apps in your settings, point your device's browser to this page, then <a href="https://socoder.net/MonkeyGame-debug.apk">Click here (.apk) to Download</a>. It's a small enough download, only 1.5Mb.
Note : This is simply a test engine. This is not a game! Do not expect a game!!!

So, here we go again.
We're up to Year 5, and hopefully we'll get a full year out of it, this year (nnngh).
With Monkey, we get a chance to go back over our previous games, and remake them for a new audience, with iOS, Android and Browser based versions. I expect this will prove to be an exciting year.
Given that we can play at showing off, what games do you think would work best, and adapt well to the new touchy/mouse based gameplay options?
Or, what games could prove to be an obsc...

I've been delaying a large list of things, but as I continue to make great strides with Monkey, those tough bits are getting ever so close.
Here's what needs doing, as well as explanations as to why they're tough..
(Note : Very waffley, and probably not all that interesting!)

Badges?!
Got them!!
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/needbetterart.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/needbetterart-300x168.png" alt="" title="needbetterart" width="300" height="168" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2490" /></a>
Took longer than expected, but got a basic "Give Badge, play jingle, show badge" type thing going on in the framework, today.
Easily expands for up to 128 badges, which all get sav...

Already!?
Who saw this coming?!
I sure as hell didn't!!
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/shootybangbang.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/shootybangbang-300x228.png" alt="" title="shootybangbang" width="300" height="228" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2486" /></a>

Deary me, this took some doing!!
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/highscores.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/highscores-1024x565.png" alt="" title="highscores" width="590" height="325" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2482" /></a>
Today's additions might not look like much, but bloody hell was it tricky to add!
Here's the complicated stuff.
For starters, Monkey gives you a whopping ONE variable t...

Today I took some time to build a Bitmap Font Creator, and a way to implement them into the new Monkey framework. It didn't actually take as long as I was expecting, but there was one marginal stumbling block along the way.
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/text.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/text_thumb.png"></a>
I had originally intended to have all the character widths outputted to nice data files, so that the fonts would be nice and neat when displaye...

<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Menu_Plus_Buttons.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Menu_Plus_Buttons-300x232.png" alt="" title="Menu_Plus_Buttons" width="300" height="232" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2476" /></a>
Things should be starting to look a little familiar, now!
Today, I added a simple frontend menu system to the framework.
Nothing too fancy, just the usual Easy/Normal/Hard options.
You can...

<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/done_before.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/done_before.png" alt="" title="done_before" width="396" height="308" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2473" /></a>
You might recognise that little icon.
Redrawn in super-high-definition (128x128 pixels!) for iPad Retina display, or other high-def displays.
I'm currently halfway through adding in the Pause menu, with appropriate Qui...

I'm all out of little experimental ideas, so I figured I'd play it safe, and make a shitty little classic game!
Plus I've been FAR too busy with the Monkey framework, this week, to do anything bigger.
No matter, here's a nice little fun shooty thing.
You know how this one goes.

Welcome aboard, Tam Toucan, you're apparently the only one interested in the job of testing my crazy shit, so you're now chief tester!
I've no idea when the first test engine will be ready to get to you, but I can't imagine it'll be too long a wait.. Maybe a week or so..?
Keep your eyes on AGameAWeek for progress reports!
Meanwhile, I did a teensy bit of audio testing, yesterday, and can happily report that Monkey can pitch it's audio, unlike a certain other languag...

As I continue to build up the new Monkey-based framework, I have a lot of things to test, and get working.
As most of you have noticed, I tend to forget things, like "hey, your game doesn't quit when I hit Alt+F4!???.. That little thing took years for me to bother to implement!!
In order to build the best framework that I can, I'll be needing pokes and prods along the way.
I also need a fair number of testbeds, to try out everything on.
If you'd like to join in, stick yo...

OK, let's get some stress testing going, shall we?
This test took ABSOLUTELY AGES to get working, because my Mac and iPod suddenly decided they were no longer friends, and XCode was playing up like a moron.
AN HOUR!!
For two little bloody tests.

<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/image-11-01-13-15-41-40.jpg"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/image-11-01-13-15-41-40_thumb.jpg"></a>
o/yeayo/
There's a simple blast test.
I installed Monkey on the Mac, I opened my Monkey Framework, I clicked "iOS", compiled, switched to XCode, built and run.

I'm rummaging through my hard drive, and what do I spot?
System Defender!!!
An unfinished piece of crap that I abandoned early on.
...

About a month ago, Twitterer @McFunkyPants declared that it might be a fun target for him to attempt one game a month, over 2013.
Other devs took interest, and within a couple of days, his whole OneGameAMonth idea had taken hold of the indie community.
@McFunkyPants has since created a handy community website at (URL "https://onegameamonth.com"> where devs can sign up, and earn XP points as they build their monthly warez.
The community now holds more than 2000 members, and is growing! C...

Um, yeah, here's Tuesday's game!
I started this, a couple of hours ago, expecting to finish it off by Tuesday.
.. I've finished it, already!
sod it, here you go, have an early game!

PlayMyCode.com no longer works

Even a (URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/2012/08/home-again-home-again-jiggity-jig/">Brain Tumor) can't stop me from achieving 12 games in 2012!!!
True, I'd've much preferred to have done AGameAWeek for the entire year, but.. meh.. whatever!
(stupid tumor! hmpf)

January

1. (URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/2012/01/rooty-tooty-shooty/">Rooty Tooty Shooty) - Garbage

You didn't get to see a lot of the BlitzMax template, last year, but if you'd like to try your hand at rapid game-dev, you might like to have a peek at it's contents.
If you're a BlitzMax owner, this might be useful to you... maybe.. but you'll have to wrap your head around my coding style, first!
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Template-2012.zip">Template - 2012 - Download Here</a>
Soon, hopefully, there'll be a Template - Monkey - 2013, but tha...

I might make this a monthly feature, or then again I might forget all about it!
Who can tell!!
If it's popular, someone will remind me!
Here's Platdude in a precarious position, for January!

I'm marginally bored, sitting, waiting for Midnight..
".. hmm.. what to do..?
I know!
I'll write a new game!!"

Continuing with our recent lack of coding, here's a cheap bit of artsy shit.
Introducing Jay's 2013 Avatar, in super high definition!
.. well, ok, maybe not as big as the Xmas one, but still nice and big.
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/avatar2013_512.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/avatar2013_512.png" alt="" title="avatar2013_512" width="512" height="512" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2431" /></a><...

Over the course of my illness, and recovery, there's been a fair number of forum topics, over at Socoder.
If you're interested, and/or bored, why not have a nosey!
You can also read the great big epic story of my hospital visit, <a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/2012/08/home-again-home-again-jiggity-jig/">here</a>
March <a href="https://socoder.net/?topic=2796">Linkage</a>

I suppose I should explain things. Right now I'm still learning to cope with my health! It's not easy, and it's taken me a heck of a long time. I'm still not up to 100%, but I'm definitely getting close to it.
I'm quite glad that my mind is intact, given what I've been through, but at the minute my mind seems to be quite happy to sit about and be lazy. Although I've managed to create a couple of little playthings, I'm not yet ready to go the whole hog, and whitt...

Sorry, guys, I'm still not up to speed doing gamey things, but here's a nice Xmassy desktop pic for you!
Yeay!
(URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PlatXmas_HD.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/PlatXmas_HD-1024x1024.png" alt="" title="PlatXmas_HD" width="590" height="590" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2422" />
Click for MASSIVE, then shove it on your desktop, or your iPhing, or your A...

I've been asked to chip in on this whole Kickstarter issue. If you follow me on Twitter (@Jayenkai) you'll have noticed my dislike of people spamming my twitter feed with constant requests for cash. It's annoying when you get into the busy periods, have your own cash issues to worry about, but still get bombarded by tens of hundreds of requests a day for things that don't yet exist.
As a cash strapped indie dev, I'm in exactly the same situation as most of these guys, with the si...