AGS Stream (Version 2.1.5 --- 2/11/13) For Android released.

[Joseph DiPerla]

(SCROLL DOWN FOR RELEASE NOTES)

Yes, I have finally gotten around to updating my app for Android. Just so you have a few details, AGS Stream is an app that facilitates the installation of AGS games on your android device. This can fully be done by the user manually. However, many in the past have found it difficult to do so. This app will download the game, extract it and place it in the appropriate location. Real easy to do. All you have to do is find a game you like, click download and then run AGS and you are all set to go. Its amazing how many people have wanted this market app. In fact, you would be surprised how many users have PM'd me on the forums and others from the Google Play store that have e-mailed me to continue this project. A good 80% have offered to pay for it, others even offered sponsoring me. So, I decided to go ahead and re-do this project.

Currently, its fully functional. I plan on adding some more features to make the app more streamlined and provide the user with abilities to make finding and installing games easier. The features that do work currently:

-Feature Game (With every update, the Featured Game will change)
-9 Games currently installable.
-All games are hosted on my private server to ensure that the games never become unavailable.
-All Games have the project developer listed right below the title.
-Each game gives you a screenshot and brief description along with how large the download will be.
-The app will download, extract and install the game for you.
-The app will download and install the latest daily build of AGS for Android at the time of upgrade/installation.
-Search feature so you can easily find a game you know you want. With 9 games currently available, it shouldn't be too hard to find anyway, but as the database expands, you want to have a search feature so that you can find games easily.
-Slightly different Interface.
-Other little things such as bug fixes, etc...

As I mentioned, a new version of the app will be updated to contain a new list of games. This will be done once a week. At times, with the updates, new features will also be made available with the App.

The App is not free and the reason for this is because:
1) My wife and I and our little daughter are struggling financially. I have received help from many members of the AGS community and would be happy to offer the app for free to them. Things have gotten better, but we still are not able to pay all our bills on time or at all.
2) The app takes time to upgrade. Even though there is an easier process which needs to be implemented, adding games is done manually by me and is time consuming.
3) In order to ensure proper installation of the games, I have to go through each game Zip, RAR, 7Z, EXE, etc.. and restructure the files into a new zip file that will be extracted properly once the app tries to install it. This is a pain, a BIG pain.
4) After ensuring that I have a proper zip, I need to upload it to a site that will allow me unlimited hosting, bandwidth and no ads or any other non-sense so that installing the game will be easy. So, I have to pay for that.
5) Its only a $1.15 USD, hardly would break the bank for anyone, I would think. However, if this is difficult for you to pay, you can PM me and I will give you the app for free or you can feel free to find it on the internet and download it for free from some site that would offer it.

If you would like to ensure that your game will make it on the list sooner than later, please post it here. If you have a personal issue with the app or would like your game removed, please PM me and I will respect your wishes. If you wish to make sure your game will never make it to the market, please do let me know. As I said, its still an early developed app, but it does do its what its intended to do. As time goes on, more features will be added (Game website, email author, credit the dev team, post reviews, etc...)

Now that I have given you that spiel, you can check it the Google Play listing and its screenshots (Which are a little older) here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agsstream1.diperla

Thanks and I hope you can find this app useful.


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RELEASE NOTES

AGS 2.1.5

Media:
-Changed the Image logo again to better fit the play store, thanks to Selmiak.

App:
-Resized Icon.
-Fixed an error that appears if the device does not have an internet connection.
-Fixed the notification area to properly tell you when a game is being installed or has succeeded or not.
-Adjusted some layouts for different size devices. It still will not be perfect, but it will be better.
-When clicking on the game download notification, it will take you to the apps main page.
-When clicking on a game, the main page will no longer interrupt the page while loading its list of games.
-Downloading on Tablets has been fixed.
-Fixed an issue where if you downloaded a game and then return to any games listing, the notification would report that the game download was %100 when in fact it was still downloading.

Games:
-Added a new game

AGS:
-Updated to the latest AGS Build.



AGS Stream 2.1 Update Log (2/8/2013)

Sorry for this one, I had to pull it originally from the store as I noticed a major bug in it. Either way, I have now re-uploaded and it is ready to go.

Games:
-No new games added. I apologize for that. Getting the kinks out of AGS has been very difficult and I had to focus all my time on that for now. However, the next update will have an additional 21 games, bringing it up to 30 games. That will be later in this week or early next.

Interface:
-Updated the Menu system so that it works with the older and the newer versions of Android OS, especially for devices without a hard menu button.
-We now have an action bar which works very well with the design of the app.

AGS:
-JJS has updated his port to Android and therefore it has been included in this update. A new notable feature is that you can use the menu button to bring up the keyboard. Another feature is that its configuration settings are now available and exposed to outside apps, therefore, In the next version coming, we now can allow users to set configuration options for AGS and for the games in general. At the moment it may work, at times it may not. Need to investigate whats going on.

App:
-The App now properly checks if AGS has been installed or not and will prompt you upon the first time you run the app to install it.
-If you do not have the latest daily build of AGS, the app will also prompt you to update AGS.
-Downloading and extracting has been fixed. Therefore, games will properly install whether you are using viewing the app or the game page or not.
-Notification telling you what percentage of the game is downloaded and what its current process is. Please note though that if your device is charging, the notification may not appear properly.
-Fixed some bug fixes.
-Improved App performance.

Games Page:
-If the game has a Youtube vide, you will now have a menu option to view the youtube video.
-If your game provides you with errors, or if your game is not installed properly, you will have the option to re-install the game now or to delete the game directory.


Release Notes for V2.0.0 (1/31/2013)
App:
-More Games coming soon!
- Added a Genre Page for the games and an installed games view.
- Removed Landscape version and different size versions. The app works on almost %100  of all devices and From Android 3+ you can stretch the app on your screen to make it compatible (Built in feature with Android, not this app). So, the app should look good enough on any device. It may not end up looking pretty, but at the very least, smartphones should look good.
- Changed the application icon (Thanks to Selmiac from the AGS Forums)
- Changed Play Store details and description as well as version number.
- You will have a link that takes you to the Official AGS Web site.
- Demo App will no longer be updated.

Interface:
- Updated the interface to look a little cleaner, have a better color scheme that fits in with AGS and its website.
- We included Menu Item both on the main page and also on the games page itself.
- You can now swipe left to right and vice versa on the main page to switch between pages.

Footprint:
- The app will have a smaller footprint than it did before when adding new games. Before we would add the screenshots into the apps resources, making the app larger and larger. This time around, the games list and page will simply load the games screenshot off the web, meaning that the app size will hardly increase as games are added.

AGS Runtime:
-Latest Run Time Build has been added.
-If you have AGS already installed, you can still install the latest version through the app.

Games Page Features:
- New Menu option to take you to the games official web site.
- New Menu option that takes you to the games AGS Database page where you can find more details about the game and user reviews.
- New Menu option that takes you to the main page.
- New Menu option if the game is installed that launches AGS and allows you to play the game.
- If a Game is installed, you can uninstall the game.

New Features:
- You have a "Help" option in the menu that helps you get around the app.
- You have a "What is AGS" option in the menu explaining what AGS is.
- You also have an "About" Section giving you information on the team that brought you AGS.
- Added a Progress Notification to the downloads so that you are aware the game is still downloading.

Bug Fixes:
- Some people were saying that they were having download issues. I looked into it, tinkered with what I could and hope that it solved the issue.
- ANR keyDispatchingTimedOut errors that Many Galaxy S3 and Nexus 7 users were experiencing should be fixed now, or at the very least, made to happen less frequently.
-Freeze ups after the game downloads have been fixed.



V1.0.3 - 1/16/13 (11:58PM Eastern Time)
-Fixed a couple of Typos
-Fixed a couple of bugs
-Added more games
-Displayed the developer under the games name
-A new featured game is displayed.
-Latest Daily Android Build of AGS Run-Time.
-On the games page, you will now know how big the game file is.

V1.0.2 - 1/16/13 (9:20PM Eastern Time)
-Added a few more games.
-Fixed a couple of bugs
-Added the ability to search for a game as they are put in.

[.M.M.]

This sounds great! I've been thinking about making an Android version of my game, but I realized that it would be a problem to find any potentional players... And this could be the solution, as there's no need to look for the original AGS Android plugin and install it manually, who would bother just to try a freeware game. ;-) Unfortunately, I'm having trouble with my credit card (Google Play doesn't accept it for some reason), so I can't download it right now. But I have to remake the game first anyway, and I'll try to solve the credit card problems in the meantime, because I really want to contribute at least a bit. :-)

[StillInThe90s]

Great news! Great work!
Unfortunately I don't have a finished game to publish and I can't afford an android phone atm, but I'm excited nevertheless.

Couple of thoughts:
The alpha version of the app is still up on google play. Is it doing anything else/more than the later version? If not, I would suggest taking it down or at least making a note in the description. (at the top, where lazy people will bother to read...)
Also, it could do with a snazzier icon than a dump of the app imo. I'm sure a few of the artistic people on the forum would be happy to help out.

Cheers.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Thanks Guys!

Yeah, The alpha version is up there, but I was leaving it up there as a demo version of the paid app. Basically the Demo version would only contain one game but give you an idea of how the whole thing would work. The old app also had over 1000 downloads, so I am trying to get all those users back. I am also trying to get a higher star rating on the play store. So, if you purchase the app, Please, rate it(Whatever you feel it deserves, not just 5 stars) and spread the news on Facebook, Twitter, G+, wherever you can.

There should be a new update available either tomorrow or on Sunday in the Play Store. I have decided to revamp the user interface again. Basically it will use a swipe interface rather than a tab. I will also add menu options to it that would take you to the game website, the AGS Games page for the game, etc... The Search for game option will also be put in a menu rather than in button form. I removed Landscape mode. It just was not working out. And honestly, to try and fix the design for every new thing I add is just a pain. I may add it back in the future though. I also decided that rather than leave it up to the user to decide whether to install AGS or not, I am letting the app figure out if it has the latest version of AGS and then installing it on your system. Many have complained that the app itself does not work because they cant load the game. So, obviously, for those that do not know what AGS is and simply want to play Adventure Games, I am going to implement this feature.

As for the logo... Selmiac has already helped me out with that. Keep an eye for that as well in the future updates. Please, let the support, the questions and the suggestions keep on coming!

[StillInThe90s]

...So, obviously, for those that do not know what AGS is and simply want to play Adventure Games, I am going to implement this feature.

I think this is the way to go if you want to reach more people. The closer to 'one click and you're done', the better imo.
About landscape mode. Does not having landscape mode mean no flipping between modes, or does it mean no horizontal screen mode at all? This would leave about 7x4 cm actual game area on a small device, right? ...which would make quite a few games virtually unplayable? Could you clarify this?

[Joseph DiPerla]

As for automatically installing AGS, it will have to wait a little bit. I am having a bit of trouble with detecting the package appropriately.

For the Landscape, portrait stuff... No the game engine is independent from my app. Therefore, when you play the game, you will be able to play the game in either mode. The App itself, which works as a sort of launcher and market app will not support it. But as I said, the games will themselves will. JJS and others have done a great job in making AGS work appropriately when it comes to the games. Outstanding job, really.

For those that are beta-testing or receiving the app by me, I should have this next version done soon. I did a complete Overhaul of the app and want to get as many bugs out as possible, so please be patient as it is coming soon.

[R4L]

Hey JD, cool app. I bought the full version to lend some help your way. Hope things improve for you and hopefully you can keep working on this app!

[Joseph DiPerla]

Thanks R4L! Appreciate it a lot. Remember, if someone can not afford the app, I will be more than happy to provide it free for you as well. Let me know. I made an update to the app just now. It should take a few hours for the Play Store to update with the changes. Look at the first post for release notes.

[R4L]

I like the new ui. However idk if its my phone (HTC evo 3D) but the ui is weird:

Spoiler

[close]

The paging dots could be more defined. I didn't know they were there at first. Otherwise its shaping up nicely.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Hmm... Other than the dots, whats weird about the UI? Is it too much to the left? I might need to adjust dimensions a bit. I will try to have a fix out for tomorrow or the day after. I also noticed another bug I need to fix Thanks R4L!   

[R4L]

The UI is fine, it just seems... not fit to my screen. I feel it can be accommodated better on the screen. It's not a problem just a pet peeve for me.

Also, I tested downloading Pleurghberg and it works flawlessly. Are you planning to add a progress bar when games are being downloaded? Again just another pet peeve of mine. I guess I'm just spoiled haha.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Hmm... With interface design on Android, it can be tricky. I can do percentages and such, rather than fixed dimensions. The thing I am afraid of is that percentage wise, it could distort how things like on the screen. I will give it a shot though and see how it goes. Besides that, my wife took note of a few things that bothered her about the design that I will need to fix Pronto .

As for the Progress Bar.. Yes, I certainly do. I have already got it implemented on the games specific page and I plan to implement it as well in the notification area. The Notification area is giving me some trouble, but I will get it. I might also add a little tidbit to the games page which tells you which games are installed already and if its in the middle of installation, it may tell you the percentage that it is currently at (No Progress bar though on the games list... Not yet anyway. Sorry).

There were some issues with Storage memory that I did fix. For one thing, once the game zip was downloaded, I forgot to make the app delete it, giving you extra space on your storage device. I am also using a different method for downloading the games. Its not as fast, however, it ensures that the game is downloaded and installed properly rather than not. I am also adding a "Clear AGS Directory" Command which allows you to uninstall all games in case of an issue.

Thanks for the input

[StillInThe90s]

Thanks for clarifying landscape stuff.

[R4L]

Awesome news. It's nice being able to play pleurghberg again on the go, and having a brilliant service like this to simplify it even more. I patiently await the next update!

And J, your situation will improve. I've been there plenty of times in my life and even the roughest times have gradually improved when it seemed impossible. The difference is you're an adult and can fix it. I grew up poor and at my young age I couldn't do anything to help my mother out in those times. But you guys will pull through! Take this as some inspiration from the wise R4L...

Ok... Not wise. Maybe wise ass, but you get the picture xD

[Joseph DiPerla]

HAHA. Thanks for your encouraging words R4L and for your support. This is a great community and has never failed to be there for me or any other member of the community when someone is in need. Its been tough. Could it be worse? Absolutely. I have been unemployed for nearly 3 years now and spent hours a day looking for work either being over-qualified or not having the proper degree. So finally I decided to do something about it. With help from my wife, I started this project. I figured why not, right? But I understand the value of a $1, thats why if someone wants the app for free, I do allow people to PM me for it.

I do want to take some time to thank Selmiak and JJS. They have been very helpful to me in regards to this project. Selmiak provided a nice icon for the APP and without JJS, this app would never have existed if it weren't for his port and also his listening to my suggestions and offering help whenever he could. What a great community!

[Igor Hardy]

Hey Jospeh! Have still to download the app, but good to see something like this - making setting up the games on Android a breeze.

Could you write down somewhere the list of games already available to install?

[Joseph DiPerla]

Sure. Unfortunately, the current App has 9 games. But the next update will have some more. The problem with the games is that I have to manually download them, unzip/extract/install them, re-zip them up into a structure that I can use with Android and then unzip them again into a directory so that AGS can read the game properly. Then I upload it to my own website. It seems like a lot of work, but, since I am charging for the app, its only right that I make sure the games are perfectly downloadable with great speed and that when they are downloaded, the are installed properly, causing little to no aggravation to the user. So I apologize for how long it takes to get more games on the app.

I have been updating the App's UI. I think you will be most impressed with what I have done. I hope anyway Anyway, without further babbling, here is the list:

1. 9 Hours to Dawn
2. A Tale of two Kingdoms
3. Space Quest minus 1: Decision of the Elders
4. The Journey Down: Over the Edge
5. The Marionette
6. ColourWise
7. Pleurghburg: Dark Ages
8. Kings Quest I VGA Remake
9. A Second Face

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If there is one you want to see on there sooner than later, please let me know and I will get to work on it

[selmiak]

So I have A second face in the App now but there is no play button where the download button was before. What do I do now?

[Joseph DiPerla]

Its a bug. It will be fixed in the next update

[selmiak]

So I basically can't play the games I downloaded? Or is it only happening on A Second Face?

[Joseph DiPerla]

It seems to be happening on just a couple of games. Not all of them. And it doesn't happen all the time. The next update has a fix for this. You could also try and run AGS itself and the game should appear in the list. If the game does not show up there, it might not have installed properly. Its an issue with loading services and activities in Android. I apologize for the inconvenience. But in a few days the new update should be out which fixes the issue.

[R4L]

It seems pleurghburg is unplayable halfway through. For some reason in the old man's apartment parker never walks in the room so you can never show her the cloth to advance. :/

Of course this could also be a bug with the android port and not the package.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Yeah, in this case, I am almost positive its either engine or game related. I haven't played the game in a while, so I cant remember that part of it, however, if its based on walking into the room, sometimes you have to click to the edge of the screen as much as possible because of the way walkable area's are done. I hope that made sense. Its 2:00 am here and my brain is getting sloppy.

In any case, I don't believe it has anything to do with the games package. If that were the case, the game or app would have just crashed rather than just do nothing. We will have to see what JJS has to say.

[R4L]

Alright sounds about right. The problem exactly is, to advance you have to find an item in the room and show it to your partner but she never walks in the room so therefore it is impossible to do. I've posted in JJS' thread about the problem but wanted to double check lol.

[Joseph DiPerla]

OK, I uploaded a new version to the Store. Check your updates in a few hours. For those receiving the app for free, give me a day to upload it for you.

[Joseph DiPerla]

There is another update: 2.1.5 and it is mostly a bug fix update. I did add one new game ! Anyway, those that download the app from my private server, its been updated there as well. For everyone who purchased from the Play Store.. Give it a few hours.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Does Anyone here use a Galaxy S3? It seems that S3 owners are having some major issues with the app and I just want to solve this as quickly as possible.

[MrWood]

I hope, that this is still the right thread even though it is quite old.

First of all, I am really happy that I discovered this app. Nice work, I gladly paid the price and hope that I could support you a little bit.

I got the app for Maniac Mansion Deluxe. The game itself runs just fine. But unfortunately the music won't play, sound effects are there but no music.

Is there any way to get the music in the Android version?

I use a Sony Xperia S and a Gametab One, both run with Android 4.1

EDIT: I found the other thread where a tuturial how to do it is posted, therefore my request is DONE