iOS AVID Assistant Kickstarter
about 6 years ago
– Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 12:42:19 AM
Mike here again with an update on the iOS version of the AVID Assistant.
We now have an iOS version of the AVID Assistant ready for beta testing. We plan on spending a month or so in beta testing before rolling the software out onto iTunes for all to see. We mainly want to make sure that it works on as many iOS devices as possible.
If you want to participate in the beta test, do the following:
1) Install the TestFlight App from Apple.
2) Send an email to
[email protected] with the subject line "iOS Testing" and your Apple Id, which should be your email address.
We'll then add you as a tester and you will receive an email invite.
3) Open the email invite and click the "View in TestFlight" button and follow the instructions.
Ken and I will host a Q&A on the AVID Assistant on April 5th at 7pm Chicago Time on Google Hangouts. Space is limited, so email
[email protected] if you wish to attend. The Q&A will be hands-on/interactive and walk everyone through the AVID Assistant.
If we get more attendees than Google supports, we'll schedule additional Q&A sessions.
If all goes well, the AVID Assistant will go for wide-release on ITunes in May.
Note on Prior Update
over 6 years ago
– Sun, Sep 24, 2017 at 11:17:32 PM
That was Mike's last update as a developer.
It's not my last update as the project owner.
When I have an iOS version you can get, I'll be posting it here.
If people haven't received things, I will still be reachable through here, and by email.
If you still want to receive version update notices here, I'm open to doing so, but Kickstarter is not my primary way of interacting with customers. Ad Astra is a very small company, and with enough different ways to reach people (Patreon, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Email, Kickstarter...) it's really easy to lose track of one.
Last Developer Update on this Kickstarter
over 6 years ago
– Sun, Sep 24, 2017 at 12:16:28 AM
Mike here with my final update for this kickstarter.
Why final? Because, with the exception of the iOS version, everything for this kickstarter has been delivered. I don't know about you, but I generally dislike getting updates for Kickstarters that have been fulfilled.
The fact that this is my last update for this Kickstarter doesn't mean that development will stop! Work continues on the AVID Assistant 2 as we continue to add in new features and make improvements based upon feedback.
I'll be posting future updates to my Patreon page in the public (aka free) section. The address is
https://www.patreon.com/mikeZekim.
So what about the iOS version?
Ken is still running around the corporate maze. He was finally able to talk to various people and they directed him to the exact form that he filled out months ago. A very Dilbert-like situation.
If worse comes to worse, Jon or I will have to post it from a personal account instead of a corporate account, but we've got it working in iOS in testing.
In other news...
AVID Assistant 2.1.1 has been released for web and Android!
This is a mandatory update; version 2.1.1 will not work with previous versions.
Changes:
- AVID coordinates have been renamed Offset coordinates.
- Added hex number coordinates, using the hex numbering scheme from the 2016 Ad Astra Space Maps. If you fly off the map, the coordinates switch to Offset from hex 1618 until your ship is back on the map.
- Added entering in Profile, ECM and ECCM values for ships. Using the Arcs tab will tell you the facing of the opposing ship, and the die roll modifier from their Profile & ECM, and your ECCM.
- Updated the turn sequence to add in Electronic Warfare step (this is why the update is mandatory. Earlier versions do not know about the EW step.)
- Can load in ship data from PNG files generated by SpaceShipPDF.
Future Development:
- Upgraded Horizontal plotting grid.
I've never been real happy with the horizontal plotting grid. While the circle plot works well, there is a level of disassociation between it and the tabletop.
The primary issue with using a hex grid has always been screen size.
The new grid design will dynamically change size and it looks pretty good out to range 15. Once past range 15, the grid reverts back to the circle plot. That should cover about 99% of the speed range that most games take place at.
I plan to eventually add in a "zoom" feature that will hide the vertical grid and plotting scoreboard to allow space to display an even larger horizontal grid if needed.
I'll also be adding in another feature to the vertical and horizontal plotting grids that will display more information about where the currently selected target is projected to be located. This is going to be tricky for mode 2 movement as you plot thrust and not movement on the grids.
- Range 0 Angle of Attack: Right now, if two ships are at range 0, the Angle of Attack defaults to +++, which is incorrect. As it is extremely unusual for two ships to ever end up in the same hex/altitude, this typically isn't an issue. However, with support for Torpedoes being added in, this issue needs to be solved.
I have a few ideas, but they will need to be implemented and tested. As with most corner-case conditions in the rules, the official approach is for the players to make a judgement call. Not really useful for software and I really don't want to add in another decision point. - Torpedo Movement
The previous two items are precursors to adding in support for torpedo movement.
Like Missiles, torpedo launches will entail a popup where the user enters some data. In addition to a group id and number of torpedoes in a group, users will also have to add in the thrust rating, movement mode, Hot Launch/Inertialess/Normal Launch, and Drag/No Drag turns. As most of this data is secret, it will be hidden on any the opposing devices, which will be a first for the software. - Fighter Movement
Similar to Torpedoes, but with a few more complications.
No real timeline to get all of this done. I'm hoping to get it done by the end of October/early November so that I can begin work on adding in Attack Vector:Tactical support.
As the features are added in, I'll be posting beta builds to the Patreon beta site for the "Coffee" and above patrons to try out.
In closing, while I will not be posting to this kickstarter in the future, I can always be reached via the patreon page, the Ad Astra Game Fans Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/182343092121997 ) and via [email protected]
Mike Zebrowski has a Patreon
over 6 years ago
– Wed, Sep 06, 2017 at 01:01:10 PM
Mike Zebrowski has done virtually all of the software development on the AVID Assistant 2, and he's written two versions of the software that I use to make Squadron Strike SSDs (with plans to expand the functionality on the second software project.)
Mike has steadfastly refused to let me pay him for his work, in part because programming is also his day job, and he gets paid pretty well do so some interesting stuff. So this was fun.
However, after the code is out there, there's maintenance of it, and with my blessing (and some coaxing), Mike has set up a Patreon.
If you find the AVID Assistant useful, please feel free to chip in some cash to Mike. It'll mostly go towards software licenses, snacks and occasional bits of hardware.
Mike has said that if it's a choice between supporting me on my Patreon or supporting his, please support mine - I live closer to the financial edge as a game publisher than he does as a programmer with a steady day job.
Mike's Patreon
