Topic: AGS engine Android port

[HunterZ]

So I'm using monkey's 2014-04-30 build to attept to play AGD's Quest for Glory II VGA remake. It seemed to run perfectly, until I realized that I cannot access the special actions menu (run, character sheet, time of day etc.). In addition, most of the Ctrl+key combinations don't seem to work on either a software or Bluetooth keyboard.

For reference, this is on a first generation Nexus 7 tablet running Android 4.4.4.

Is there anything I can do to fix this? If not, is there any hope of the porters fixing it? I was hoping to avoid having to play the original version of QfG2 on my tablet because parsers are cumbersome on small devices.

Edit: this only seems to be an issue with non-relative mouse control, but I'm not sure that relative mouse control will work well with this game.

[Iceberg]

Any trick to getting HQ to work? I'm using the 2014-4-30 apk.  QFI works beautifully(occasional crash) but HQ returns the error "Script link failed: Runtime error: unresolved import 'AGSteam.SetAchievementAchieved^1'"  when I try to start it

You need a AGSSteam plugin stub. Frankly I don't know how it works on Android (and whether any plugin work there at all). I hope someone else will comment on this.

Probably it's worth to ask game authors if they have a game version without Steam support.

I get exactly the same error - but only when trying to run HQ version 1.2.  Version 1.1 runs without any problem for me.

[Radiant]

I would also be interested in a technical way of dealing with this. The game runs fine on Windows even when Steam isn't installed, but throws this exception on Android.     

[monkey0506]

The Steam version of the game can still load the plugin (on Windows) even if the Steam client isn't installed or isn't running. The problem here is the lack of a plugin for Android (and/or, a missing/deleted plugin). The plan is for future versions of AGS to allow these plugins to be stubbed for precisely this type of situation. You can read more about that in this thread.

[Crimson Wizard]

Can't the existing plugin stub be built for Android? If I understand this right, it should work almost same way as Linux port does?

Just checked the engine code, and it looks like there's support for loading plugins on Android already (same Library class used for Linux, Android and Mac).

[Blackthorne]

Yeah - the GoG and Humble versions of QFI will run on Android fine because the steam.api stuff was stripped out of those versions; that's how I did it for now.


Bt

[monkey0506]

Blackthorne, have you tested QFI on Android? I know Himalaya Studios was having issues with their games silently crashing, but I could never reproduce it.

[DjCzermino]

At first, thank to all community for AGS ports (Android, Linux, iOS, ...) and new Windows editor 3.3. version - now it supports storing project files in separate files (for GIT/SVN purposes COOOL !!!)

-----------------------

My first question:
How to resolve in game source code, what platform i am running?

I thing, is there some function for example.

if (Envorement.GetPlatform() == Platform.Handheld) {
    // mobile devices, no keyboard, mouse etc..
} else {
   // desktop devices
}

or better: Enviroment.GetPlatformId()
// returns: Android, Windows, Linux, iOS, PSP, other...

For example: in my game i want to server different controls for mobile devices than on desktop etc..

I FOUND only one workaround:

create TXT file: platform.txt and store information about platform in it...
Next soulution is ASK user in first game start what type of device he is holding (and store it in global game variable..)

Any other ideas?

-----------------------

Second question:
Will be next release of Android engine? Now IF I compile game in lates AGS 3.3.0.xxxx  i see Error message on Android (game is in newer version of AGS) but after confirming it, game loads well.

Thank you for good job!

-----------------------

Third: BUG report
sometimes, when editing a room script there is no inteli-sense on named objects. For example. object

• .Visible... jes intellisense is correct, but when i set NAME of object (in object properites on the right-bottom of editor) to for examle: MyObject, sometimes i write MyObject.Vis.. but NO intellisense. But sometimes works well...

-----------------------

Thank you!

[Gurok]

or better: Enviroment.GetPlatformId()
// returns: Android, Windows, Linux, iOS, PSP, other...

Regarding this, there is System.OperatingSystem, which returns eOSDOS, eOSLinux, eOSWindows or eOSMac. It would probably be a good idea to add Android, PSP System Software and iOS to this enum at some point. I don't know of any way to detect Android specifically at the moment.

[Blackthorne]

Monkey,

Yeah - I've tested it on Android; I haven't encountered any problems so far.

Bt

[Iceberg]

I've played through the whole Brigand campaign and am currently working on a Rogue.  No problems so far.

[monkey0506]

It's great to hear that the latest APK is working well. I'll pass that along to Himalaya so they can try it out!

[rmonic79]

hello everyone, i've just read all twenty seven pages of post. Me and my friend are making a game and we would like to release it on google play and maybe ios. The game is ready at 20% and i have no android development skills, but we would like to continue use ags because it have all we need to make our retrostyle adventures. I don' t understand if today is possible to convert a game in an standalone apk without rewrite it. if it is, what instrument and what knowledge we need to do it? thanks

[Crimson Wizard]

I don' t understand if today is possible to convert a game in an standalone apk without rewrite it. if it is, what instrument and what knowledge we need to do it? thanks

No, you can't make a game a standalone apk yet. You have to use an engine apk, and upload game data to device (or on SD card) separately.

As far as I know, there's a work in progress that would let Editor to build a stand-alone game apk, though. It may be available after some time.

[HappehLemons]

Just wanted to say thank for the continued support on the android version. I'm really hoping that we get steam plugin support as it seems that I'm running into games that no longer work because of this! Just tried Heroines Quest and I ran into the AGSteam error. I did drop a message on their forums too but it looks like if AGS is updated that this would be fixed which would be awesome!

[rmonic79]

I don' t understand if today is possible to convert a game in an standalone apk without rewrite it. if it is, what instrument and what knowledge we need to do it? thanks

No, you can't make a game a standalone apk yet. You have to use an engine apk, and upload game data to device (or on SD card) separately.

As far as I know, there's a work in progress that would let Editor to build a stand-alone game apk, though. It may be available after some time.

thanks for the answer, i put this question because i read somewhere in this thread that someone already did it using the engine made by jjs and game like Blackwell and Gemini rue was ported to android and ios. And even thoug it may be difficult, i would like to know where to start and what i need to learn. sorry for my insistance and for my english:)

[Crimson Wizard]

i put this question because i read somewhere in this thread that someone already did it using the engine made by jjs and game like Blackwell and Gemini rue was ported to android and ios.

I will note just in case (because people got confused by this often), that you may use ANY game on Android and iOS with JJS ports right now. But you will have to have these games as separate files, not part of APK.

Regarding Blackwell games, maybe they did standalone APK somehow... Frankly I don't know that much. Perhaps you could ask monkey_05_06 who, if I am not mistaken, was working with Wadjet Eye to solve some technical issues, or Janet Gilbert, who is Wadjet Eye's programmer.

[rmonic79]

i put this question because i read somewhere in this thread that someone already did it using the engine made by jjs and game like Blackwell and Gemini rue was ported to android and ios.

Hmm, maybe they did somehow... Frankly I don't know that much. Perhaps you could ask monkey_05_06 who, if I am not mistaken, was working with Wadjet Eye to solve some technical issues, or Janet Gilbert, who is Wadjet Eye's programmer.

thanks so much for the information and thanks to everyone involved in the project, i discovered ags three month ago and i make one of my dreams come true, create my own adventure!!!

[Radiant]

Wasn't there a Stub DLL for AGSteam that could be downloaded to run an AGS game on Android? Because currently it technically works but is crashing on the plugin.

[fischkopf]

Could someone provide a link to the most recent build? The most recent I could find is from 2013...