I recorded two insanely great, beautiful, amazing, wonderful (I’ve been watching Steve Jobs’ keynotes recently, it must be rubbing off a bit) feature presentations to explain two cool features in KoboldTouch.
Weak Typing
Weak typing allows you to create, read and assign variables just by name. You don’t have to declare the variable, just assign a value. No need to change the interface, and works with all KTModel classes.
Access is almost as fast as property access, and the values are mutable thanks to the KTMutableNumber implementation which feels like NSNumber except that it doesn’t create and release new objects every time you need to change a value.
Controller Sharing
It’s hard to find the right words to describe the launch of KoboldTouch. I can’t think of anything else but WOW! right now. 
I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about KoboldTouch, and then act on your feedback.
For those who were just waiting for the launch:
Sign up on the KoboldTouch product page to get access to KoboldTouch and Essential Cocos2D.
The rest of this post is a summary of what I wrote before on these two-products-in-one. Actually, I think of KoboldTouch & Essential Cocos2D as being much more a service than products. And it’s a full time commitment from myself.
This calls for music!
For tomorrow’s launch of KoboldTouch I made a quick 6-minute presentation about KoboldTouch and what makes it special.
UPDATE: KoboldTouch is now available!
Not everything made it into the presentation. There’s a couple things that may be worth adding or stressing: Continue reading »
I like to take a moment and explain what the development process of KoboldTouch will be, and how you will influence the direction of KoboldTouch. But first, let’s have a look what I have planned for the initial version:
UPDATE: KoboldTouch is now available!
First Goal: KoboldTouch equals Cocos2D
To be completed in November, the main goal is to allow users to use the MVC framework of KoboldTouch with all features of Cocos2D, minus a few exceptions (odd features like CCMotionStreak).
You should be able to write Cocos2D apps with Cocos2D features entirely within the KoboldTouch framework. You’ll experience the KoboldTouch API design goal “feels like Cocoa”.
The first version’s features will be:
- Controller/Model Framework wrapping Cocos2D views
- View Controllers for “view” nodes, minus exceptions (see below)
- Scene Transitions
- Scheduled updates (Step methods in KT)
- Touch & Accelerometer input controllers
- Mouse & Keyboard input controllers
- Simple Audio Controller
- Simple Model Classes
- Archiving & Unarchiving Model Classes
- Basic “Hello World++” Example Project
This first version will be KoboldTouch v6.0. Continue reading »
Since I started working on KoboldTouch a couple things fell into place. Mainly that it would:
Provide what Cocos2D leaves up to its users. Fixes what Cocos2D does badly. Adds what Cocos2D doesn’t do at all. Eases development with Cocos2D and accommodates actual developer needs.
While Cocos2D is moving towards cross-platform with their Javascript API, KoboldTouch will focus on adding & improving game design features.
I have a hunch most Cocos2D developers have better iOS/Mac integration and game-specific features higher up on their wish list than cross-platform. Most of you are indies, hobbyists, pragmatists and Apple enthusiasts without the need or resources to do cross-platform development.
UPDATE: KoboldTouch is now available!
KoboldTouch: Spiritual Successor
I first started working on KoboldTouch a few weeks back. I initially undersold it as a “MVC wrapper for Cocos2D”. With what I have in mind spiritual successor of Cocos2D is more like it.
It’s going to be a framework to program iOS & Mac games in, where best practices evolve naturally, where Cocoa programmers feel right at home, where beginners are not left in a void * EXC_BAD_ACCESS … and where Cocos2D is still at the heart of it.
KoboldTouch takes control over Cocos2D, to allows users to implement best practices naturally. Cocos2D provides the view, KoboldTouch provides the controllers, models and the framework to write your code in.
Here’s what I’m working on. Hopefully this answers the questions I’ve been getting, in particular those about KoboldScript. And what’s happening with it, when is it coming, when can we stop using Corona SDK, etc.
UPDATE: KoboldTouch is now available!
Well then, let’s start with …
KoboldTouch
Huh, what?
Well, the short answer is: KoboldTouch is an MVC wrapper around Cocos2D.
The long answer … let me start by saying that Cocos2D is suboptimal. From a code architecture point of view. Cocos2D has no concept of structure besides views (nodes), and doesn’t encourage structure in your own code. It happily lets users subclass views in order to add data and game logic.
I can’t stop but feel helpless to see beginners learning the things we’ve abandoned 20 years ago as bad practice. Yet Cocos2D code is written by subclassing views as if it were the most natural thing to do. It’s also the very thing Apple tells you not to do.
The result are projects lacking in what is called separation of concerns. It’s not just about experience. Without a clear architectural model frequently reminding you to consider separation of concerns, anyone is more likely to end up creating a blend of design patterns at best, or worse:
Kobold2D v2.0.4 is now available for download, as is v1.0.3.
Both versions contain compatibility fixes for iOS 6, Xcode 4.5, Mountain Lion and a few extra features like (finally) Kobold2D Class Templates for Xcode.
The Most Important Changes & Additions
- fixed: iOS 6 initial rotation issue
- iPhone 5 widescreen enabled in all template projects
- Existing projects must add a [email protected] image with size of 640×1136 pixels to their project to enable iPhone 5 widescreen support.
- Mountain Lion: no need to lower security level to run Installer. Package is now signed by “identified developer”.
- NEW: Kobold2D Class Templates available in Xcode.
- Use as basis for new CCNode class files. Includes stubs of frequently used methods: init, onEnter, cleanup, dealloc, update.
Continue reading »
- Use as basis for new CCNode class files. Includes stubs of frequently used methods: init, onEnter, cleanup, dealloc, update.
Learn cocos2d 2 is hot off the press and it once again entered Apress’ weekly bestseller chart (see banner on far right).
Now with iOS 6 released it’s about time I updated my Affiliate Products page.
Because there have been some awesome new products released. In order of most recently released:
iOS 6 by Tutorials
Ray Wenderlich and his team wasted no time in releasing this massive 1,500 pages tutorial double-whopper that’s actually a 5-star iOS 6 gourmet menu!
Commander Cool Game Starter Kit
Create your own platformer game for iOS and Mac with this game kit made with Cocos2D. As always with CartoonSmart products, you get an hour-long video documentation. Jump, run and be cool!
Paralaxer: Cross-Platform Platformer Kit
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Paralaxer is possibly the first commercial game kit available that uses Cocos2D-X. Ported to iOS, Android, Windows and Mac it also comes with a free ebook “How to Make a Platformer Game With Cocos2D-X” by Nat Weiss - who previously created the iPhone Action RPG engine.
If you’re working with Cocos2D-X you should spend $49 (limited time) on this excellent starter kit!
It’s a worthy investment, and so far the only really good example code plus documentation resource for Cocos2D-X you can find.
