Starterkit: Line-Drawing
Line-Drawing Game Starterkit
Get a head-start for your Line-Drawing game and save days if not weeks of your time! You’ll get gameplay code modelled after the extremely popular Flight Control game. You’ll learn how to draw lines, detect touches on objects, have objects follow a path - and much, much more! Written by a professional game developer and game industry veteran (me) the source code is annotated with lots of comments explaining my rationale and written with readability in mind.
Contains both iPhone & iPad versions!
The Starterkit compiles to both iPhone and iPad devices natively using the same code. If the iPad Target is selected hi-res images will be used. Image selection is done automatically by loading those images whose filenames have the “-ipad” suffix. Game parameters can be tweaked individually per device using
precompiler directives.
All artwork provided by Arezou Ipakchi Design.
What others are saying:
“Code is quite clearly written and decently documented [...] definitely a fine investment.”
From: Commercial cocos2d Code review from Alex Curylo.
“It was an awesome moment when I found the source for a line draw game of this caliber.”
-Franklin Lyons, SpinFall
“Especially the path and movement system is saving me lots of headaches.”
-Martin Hoffmann
Made with the Starterkit:
 |
 |
 |
Feature List:
- clearly seperated and well-structured GameScene code design with a minimum of dependencies
- easy to add new objects and extend object parameters
- assertive coding style to help catch coding errors early on
- touch object & draw a path for it (whether it’s already following a path or not)
- path drawing ends when path is drawn over appropriate target location (eg airstrip for airplanes, respecting angle of approach)
- path drawing ends when arbitrary point limit is exceeded (to avoid slowdowns)
- path is drawn when dragged with thick transparent line style like Harbor Master, without glitches
- path is split into equal length pieces no matter how quickly user moves finger
- objects spawn outside screen, locations can be re-defined and extended
- objects display incoming warning marker at screen border
- objects display collision warning when any two of them are getting too close
- objects follow path to end - then fade out and increase score or continue moving
- objects always rotate in movement direction
- objects bounce back at screen borders
- motivational Labels for successful landings, precached
- Score and HighScore Labels
- HighScore saved to disk between play sessions
- supports both Landscape orientations with autoflip
- loads correct resource files depending on Target (iPhone or iPad)
- proper Pause handling for incoming calls, SMS
- Many generally useful Math Helper functions included
- Lots of comments explaining rationale and giving tips for improvement
- Fully documented
- Uses the professional Xcode Project from my Tutorial (Feature List)
- includes both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad versions using seperate Targets, same codebase
- compatible with cocos2d v0.99.5 (stable) and iOS SDK 4.2
- easy setup, just unzip and use - includes Cocos2D for your convenience
Questions? Need Help?
You can ask Pre-Sales questions in the Line-Drawing Game Starterkit Pre-Sales forum.
After purchase, please create an account on Cocos2D Central and send me a private message from your Cocos2D Central account, then I can give you full access to the private Starterkit support forum. Note that I need your forum account to do that, so the easiest way is to register and send me a private message from your account.
Legal Disclaimer
Cocos2D is a registered trademark of Ricardo Quesada. Steffen Itterheim, the Learn & Master Cocos2D website and the Line-Drawing Game Starterkit are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by Ricardo Quesada.
Try Before Buy!
|
Demo App for iPhone
|
|
Site License! Unlimited Apps!Royalty Free!30 day money-back guarantee!
Now only US $119! (*)(*) Price slashed by 33% down from US $179.
A download link will be sent by email after purchase. The Starterkit requires cocos2d game engine to be installed seperately (Download cocos2d / Installation Instructions). |
License Agreement
Copyright
The Source code offered in this Starterkit is owned and sold by Steffen Itterheim where source code files include this copyright notice: “Copyright 2009 Steffen Itterheim. All rights reserved.”. The provided copyrighted source code remain property and copyright of Steffen Itterheim. Purchase grants you the License to use and modify the source code and assets under the following Terms and Conditions:
You are not allowed to make the source code publicly available. You are not allowed to give or sell the source code to others, modified or not. Licenses are not transferable.
All Licenses are royalty free. You can make as many free or commercial Apps using the source code as you want. You may re-use any existing assets in your App.
If you do contract work and have or want to give the Starterkit source code to your client, your client needs to purchase a Site License as well.
Site License
Each purchase grants you a Site License. The Site license grants you the use of the Starterkit without restrictions at one site.
A site is an office, building or living space rented or owned by the company or individual making the purchase. It allows anyone working on site to use and modify the Starterkit source code.
Large companies operating at several sites need to purchase a site license for each individual location if the Starterkit is to be used at multiple locations. Contact me if you’re such a corporation and you prefer a flat fee license with your own license text to go along with it.
Support
After purchase, please create an account on Cocos2D Central and send me a private message from your Cocos2D Central account, then I can give you full access to the private Starterkit support forum. Note that I need your forum account to do that, so the easiest way is to register and send me a private message from your account.
Updates to the Starterkit are done on an as needed basis. I will also keep it up to date and running with the latest stable releases of cocos2d. Updates are distributed via a download link sent to the email address you used for your order. If your email address ever changes please contact me, ideally you should forward me your order confirmation in that case to speed up the change.
Refunds
If for whatever reason you are not satisfied with the Starterkit you can request a refund by email within 30 days after your purchase. Please attach a copy of the purchase confirmation email. In turn your right to use and modify the Starterkit Source Code and publish games built with it will be revoked.
A refund can not be issued if you have already published a game on the iTunes App Store built with or using any of the Starterkit source code or assets.
Source Code not covered by this License
The licensed Source Code project contains files which are available for free and are governed by different licenses. The Terms & Conditions outlined here do not apply to source code files which do not contain the Copyright notice “Copyright 2009 Steffen Itterheim. All rights reserved.” or which is part of the Free Source Code Collection.
Disclaimer
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Questions? Contact me!
If you have any questions or if you require specific License texts before making a purchase, please contact me.
Hey. I like what you are doing, and I appreciate the help. I do feel however that you are inadvertently positing yourself as opposition to the guy who wrote cocos2d. he even went so far as to mention on his blog that he did not ask for your support. Combine that with your discussion about him not promoting starterkits - which I feel is a bad move on his part, and you are likely to take a giant chunk out of his profits, and definitely his motivation.
Have you considered taking a chunk of the money from sales and sending it his way? Maybe even starting a campaign or store encouraging others to do so? At some point, if successful, this might change his mind to the idea of opening a single shopping-mart for cocos2d kits. You’d be the the guy who wants to help cocos2d, and its developer, who has helped us so much. Not the guy who is competing and hurting him. I respectfully acknowledge the fact that your starterkit move is a) totally legitimate and honorable and b) the smarter thing to do from a business standpoint.
I suspect, though, you would’ve stayed in the mainstream business if smart business tactics and money was your main interest.
thanks for listening to this rant,
Jesse
First of all, thanks!
As for speculation about profit losses: since I’m selling only to people who want to make a Line-Drawing game, there is hardly any competition. No more than pickups compete for the same customers as electric cars, which means on average close to none despite both being cars.
It’s also not like that there are only ever 10 people around who would buy a cocos2d source code project just based on the fact that it’s a cocos2d source code project. Instead there are hundreds, if not thousands of cocos2d developers willing to pay for the right project if it were available, and offered at the right price. I’m absolutely positive that none of my customers decided not to buy any of Ricardo’s products because they heard of the Starterkit, and some said they already have bought his products and were looking for more specific/advanced projects to learn from/use. They saw it was a good investement and continue to make such investments.
Customers make very informed decisions, and at this point the big majority of the cocos2d developers willing to spend money on a source code project simply do not find what they are looking for, and thus do not buy anything, because no one is selling to them. I absolutely believe the market is big enough for more products, but of course eventually those that are executed and marketed better will prevail, but it’s a long way before we’re even close to that. We could actually make cocos2d a better ecosystem if a greater variety of commercial products existed, and that includes more commercial products from Ricardo as well.
Take a look at the Unity ecosystem and how that works and what great products are offered there, while for cocos2d you can be happy if you find yet another beginner’s Tutorial. And that only happens because developers know that this is going to attract a good number of site visitors as a return of investment. Without a return of investment no bigger and better things are going to get made.
Assuming that the Starterkit competes with Ricardo’s products and that this hurts him financially is just that: an assumption. I can not stress that enough. Ricardo initially made this assumption, a lot of people simply took that for granted. Please ask him if it really came to be true, he is the only one who can tell. I doubt it made any difference, and so do a lot of people who know something about products and target audiences and business in general. It is sad actually to see that people honestly believe I’m hurting Ricardo without any conclusive or even circumstancial evidence. And it’s even sadder to think that the problem should be the Starterkit, and not Ricardo’s limited choice of products he’s offering, not to speak of the lack of good product promotion, that is losing him money.
I made over $5,000 within 23 days during the $179 sales period, then made 0 sales since 10 days at $299, so what does that tell us?
First, there’s enough money to be made if you find something developers want to pay for and offer it at the right price, and then there’s a lesson learned in pricing which shows how oneself can make or break sales much much more than someone else’s product ever could. Unless the sales suddenly keep kicking back, I have to accept that customers voted with their wallets and I have to drop the price sometime soon. And by saying that I probably closed the deal already.
And then maybe those 30 customers I sold to were 80% of those who would ever buy my Starterkit, and I just happened to have reached almost all of them right away. I still don’t know how many sales per month will regularly be made. This is still open and I’m determined to find out about that and what the influencing factors are.
As for donating: Ricardo made it clear he wants no affiliation. This includes promoting his software (which I removed) and making donations. When I started out, I wanted to help the developers and that included Ricardo. He never gave me a chance to prove that. I’ll give back to the community for sure, if only spending more time on this website after the cocos2d book is completed.
I don’t get the part about mainstream business, or what mainstream is, or what that has anything to do with smart (or not smart) business tactics. I never had any “tactics” in mind. I’m selling a product that I’m proud of and helps others make Line-Drawing games. My main motivation to make money from the Starterkit is at the very least to cover the costs of running this site, and eventually to achieve financial independence. I’m in the middle of the two right now. I want to live off doing what I love doing, and most of that boils down to helping others and enabling them.
I’m happy you took the time to ask these questions. I hope you and everyone else appreciates my honest answer to that. Feel free to ask me more questions.
That was a very informative and honest answer. I appreciate the well thought out response.
You definitely won me over on many fronts. I hope the discussion helps others.
As for “releasing” sales figures, I’m amazed and enlightened, really. I had missed the discounted price, and had found myself thinking I could fork up $150 to $175 just to learn the gems that must be in the code, though I have no immediate plans for a line drawing game. I myself am still at the rag doll end of the spectrum with a (hopefully) fun twist.
It’ll be interesting see if it’s simply the pricing point the stopped sales. In my case it is. A flash developer (I’m going to butcher his name) Emmanuel furtanado (I think) blogged for a quite a while releasing as many actual numbers as possible about his experiences trying to make income through flash games and the various monetizing schemes. It was well received and oft visited. I hope you do more official blog posts about this, or even publish an Ebook about it. I’d buy it without hesitation.
Best of luck, btw, and congrats on the book!
Thanks! I definitely intend to write a post about the numbers and someday update the Marketing FAQ with what I’ve learned.
And eventually I’ll have to write an eAutobiography … but I guess that can wait another 15 years. I’m not old enough yet.
Hi .
I just read this conversation and I couldn’t help giving my opinion .
I’ve been following through this little issue for a few days now , more as an individual than as a developer , and I love the terms in which things were said and explained here from both parts ( Jesse and Steffen).
Beeing educated, polite and honest is they key to success in any field .
In my opinion , this chain of events is nothing but a natural an usual thing that happens everyday . The market is open to everyone , and fine tuning concepts
and ideas form other people is not only natural but positive and necessary to make those things evolve.
I think Ricardo should take this situation as an eye opener and as a motivation to make his world move on the direction he is claimming it should be moving to . Don’t get me wrong, he’s done a lot and we all appreciate his hard work and his help , but in my opinion taking sides is not only childish (no offense intended) but is not helping anyone to keep moving forward to a better situation than the one you were at before .
Cheers.
Suso.
Signed!
Hey dude, this is a great idea. Hope you sell plenty of them.
One suggestion, why so cheap?
To hire one programmer at a game company grosses about 17 to 20 thousand per month (including salary, taxes, benefits, office space, equipment, overheads, support and all the other many costs).
A game company would assign say nine man-months (3 guys for 2 or 3 months) to look in to a job like this.
The product you’re selling, the source is worth “thousands or tens of thousands” it’s a shame to sell it so cheaply.
Another way to look at it - say you’re a app store programmer working independently and you want to do a line-drawing app. That person could spend say 2 or 3 months to get to this stage, or, just buy your product. If the person simply chose to buy your product, they could instead do any old boring programming freelance or contract for TWO OR THREE MONTHS, earning 20 to 40 thousand bucks in that time. (Basically a QUARTER OF A YEAR of work.) Thus, your product puts them 20 or 40 thousand ahead.
(Don’t even mention if the programmer is still on a learning curve, where the time-price would be vast.)
So, really I’m just complaining that the price is so low! All the best,
I had the price at $299 for two weeks and did not sell a single copy during that time. As far as I can tell, I sell only to Indies and very small companies. What you say is only true for some bigger companies who happen to think that way, and unfortunately not all of them think like that. And 17-20 thousand is very high as the running cost for a programmer. It’s more like 7-10 thousand (USD). Anyway, with other like-minded products developers also compare and will find that my Starterkit is more towards the lower end of the pricing range, which currently spans from $99 to $349. So the current price works for me, and for my customers.
Dear Steffen,
Thanks for your helpful website.
I don’t want to do anything with your source, I would just play with it and try to learn how did you implement it.
I don’t want public it just for my knowledge propose.
Anyway if you think you can give it to me with very very small amount please email and let me know.
P.S. I don’t want to pay that amount and after 30 days I request you to refund the money. B/c I think 30 days is enough to learn!
Sincerely,
-Ali
I think what you’re asking here is like going into a restaurant and asking them nicely if they will let you smell the entree, and then saying that at least you’re not ordering it, smelling it, and demanding a refund. Respect yourself.
Seriously Ali that is bad. It’s like paying for a course, learning, then asking for money back. That isn’t fair at all. I hope others would never do the same.
Hi Steffen, I’m on the vergenofmpurchsing this StarterKit but was curious asmto whether or not in includes support for the retina display…I don’t see any mention of it anywhere. Thanks.
Oops, sorry for the typo…that’s what I get for typing on an iPad and not checking before hitting Submit!
Right now it still uses cocos2d 0.99.4 which doesn’t have “official” Retina support. I intend to upgrade the starterkit when 0.99.5 is stable, which would then allow an HD version simply by suffixing the images with “-hd”.
Thanks Steffen, I just placed my order.
Got it. Thank you!
You’ll get an email from me whenever the starterkit is updated.
[...] Starterkit: Line-Drawing [...]
Would just like to add just purchased linedrawing at the discount price main reason is I am trying to learn cocos2d and this will give me a good insight into how it all ties together. The discount price makes it worth while to me not sure I would have spent double. Have your book on preorder so hopefully will have the tools now to get me fired up.
One question what extra would I have got with the cd?
Keep up the good work you site and words are helping people like me who have apps published but would like to get into game type apps
Thank you
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! The CD option is just a service from Plimus which allows you to get a copy of the download on a CD. To be honest, only one in 50 customers take that option. These days it’s a bit moot because burning a CD/DVD has become so ubiquitous.
hey, does the code include game menus and such?
no, the focus is on the actual game code
The source is very easy to follow have created a couple of variants already and starting to add some functionality to the code ie blockers, path etc as all good apps the real problem is ideas. I will probably be submitting one shortly to the store. nickthedude your right about menus and such they do need adding to a game so currently trying to work out the best way to add a start menu and optional game screens the easy way. But I really found this useful, just hope the book is as good. I down loaded the source from the book and have compiled it up I reckon some of the ideas from there will get incoperated in the app. WWould just like to say thanks to Steffen.
I bought your book while it was in beta awhile back from apress during the special intro price. I have waited for it to be done and I am glad it is. It is very good and I am a newbie dillness to obj c, but I get it.
But I must say I maybe “getting” it is because I also bought the iphone gamekit in 24 hrs, I bougth both svg and sapus. I think the competition amongst you developer guys just means better products for us. Ricardo is a great guy, I talk to him on email and he really cares about cocos2d and his customers.
What you all are doing is completely different games, styles, and teaching ability. I do not think you are hurting Ricardo at all, I think you may make him better by introducing competition. There is plenty of $$ to go around.
BTW, you are in no way infringing on anything. It is just the liberal free will market of the internet. Find a need and fill it. They will buy it. Simple fair.
Hi,
Was wondering if it is possible to purchase the book yet?
Also, I’ve written a form of SVG Parser that can be used in platform games using Box2D, I’m using it in my game, you basically use Inkscape to draw box’s around platforms for collisions and use lines for hills - the SVG file is then parsed and the Box2D bodies created dynamically, wondered if this could be of interest to anybody?
Regards,
Steve - contact me [email protected]
Depending on your country (UK I guess) it’s already available or will be shortly.
Have you heard about LevelSVG? It does exactly that.
[...] Starterkit: Line-Drawing [...]
[...] Starterkit: Line-Drawing [...]