Change Log: v1.0.3.2
Date: 01-06-2013
- Added a low/high graphics option
- Added a white player skin for the last 10 levels
- Added a 'current level' text when paused
- Optimized performance for lower-end devices
- Optimized tap reaction timing
- Fixed minor background issues
- Fixed minor compatibility issues for some devices
- Tweaked cloud spawns for the third theme
Boxel had lag issues? Unbelievably, yes. The game runs off of a very intensive CPU-based library, so typically older devices have trouble posting visuals and calculations. There's a simple way to fix this problem...remove graphics.
Instead of switching to an openGL library, I decided to stick with the current system. Besides, it works great for most devices, why worry about the few right? Well... To subsidize the rare lag, I decided to make an option to decrease the graphics. On top of that, I managed to reduce the memory needed for certain bitmap textures so the game could run well in general. Furthermore, I evened out the background so that it looks like there are less objects with better placements. Here is what it looks like:
After many hours of testing, Boxel is now much more consistent for older devices. I played through the levels a couple of times on my Droid 1 and it runs like a hot knife through butter... with tiny rocks in it. It chokes up once in a while, but it that doesn't seem to bother too many people other than myself. I'm telling you, if your phone cannot run Boxel properly, it's time to get a NEW DEVICE! I only have the Droid 1 so that I can test and program games.
I managed to improve the contrast issues for some levels by tweaking the player's skin. Prior to this update, the last levels had a dark blue background so it was difficult to see the player jump. The player skin now automatically switches to white for these levels; making the game a bit easier to play. Here's a pic:
That's all for this update. It doesn't seem like much, but optimizing can really eat up time. I hope people with older devices can play the game a bit smoother. Thanks for reading and have a good year!