Real-life Tron for Android

[marcin.oczeretko]

I'm developing an Android tron-like game for a competition. I'm planning to create an app that'll make it possible to play with friends in real-life, e.g. on bicycles or by simply running. Everything will be drawn on top of google maps and location will be tracked with built-in GPS.

Do you think that this is an interesting idea? Maybe you've got some ideas to share with me?

Any feedback appreciated.

Oh, and by the way - it'll be available free of charge, I'm not trying to advertise and sell something here.

[teen]

lol anything for android is appreciated

sounds like a crazy game you are creating but what the hell

[sinewav]

*Ahem*

http://gps-tron.datenmafia.org/

[marcin.oczeretko]

Damn! Should've googled it too... Anyway, that project seems to be abandoned (last post in 2006) and I believe that my "high-tech" version with google maps integration would be able to compete with theirs

[ItzAcid]

if you successfully make this, i'll bow down to you This could be really cool haha.


p.s. if any funding is required (that isn't a ridiculously high sum) let me know via p.m. I doubt there is, but I'd love to help in any way possible for this to be a success.

[Jip]

For them who havent seen this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb1Z9VU_Yco
Title: YouTube - Bicycletron - Real Life Tron

[marcin.oczeretko]

Well.. prepare for the bow! Alpha version will be published tomorrow or on Friday. I've already coded the server, client app is almost working but is still pretty buggy.

No funding is required at the moment, all I will need is some help in testing and making my app popular Anyway, thanks for asking.

@Jip Brilliant!

[Tank Program]

http://codeninja.de/tron/ <--- still the best real-life Tron I've ever seen. (But good luck bringing it to the masses!)

[Jonathan]

This is actually a great time for real-life tron. There's GPS phones and cheap mobile internet access, making it much more accessible. I don't think I'd like running (or worse, racing a bike) through traffic with a phone in my hands, though. Don't want to slow down, don't want to lose track of others and their walls. Maybe you could mount it on a bike à la a cyclocomputer, if you just remember to look around once in a while. Would a small screen with outdoor glare be good enough to see the situation at a glance?

Oh well. I'm probably pessimistic. Just do it! Best of luck.

Top panel:


Edit: I hate you! Now I need a smartphone.

[marcin.oczeretko]

I've just published a first version of the game on the Android Market - search for "katronka". Please report any issues, and of course rate it high! I'm also going to post today some screenshots on my blog: http://kakamukaka.blogspot.com

codeninja's real life tron was my inspiration - I saw it and thought that it should be much easier to do the same thing with smartphones that are now available.

[ZURD101]

I've just published a first version of the game on the Android Market - search for "katronka". Please report any issues, and of course rate it high! I'm also going to post today some screenshots on my blog: http://kakamukaka.blogspot.com

codeninja's real life tron was my inspiration - I saw it and thought that it should be much easier to do the same thing with smartphones that are now available.

cool, just downloaded, fast, works well, just waiting for more players

[Tank Program]

Cool, wish I had an Android phone. Will you be doing a port to Symbian? (Hopefully the touch screen editions? ) I'd love to be able to try it out. Unfortunately I only know two people with Android phones, and quite a few more with Series 60 phones.

[INW]

what about blackberrys...come on! :D

[marcin.oczeretko]

Other players have to be within 5km radius to join your game I'm totally frightened that everything will just stop working in a minute or two (server is a very weak machine, I had to limit the number of simultaneous running games to 20).

Unfortunately I don't know how to develop for any other mobile platform. Maybe if I win anything in this competition* I'll think about learning another one


* Move Your App! Developer Challenge

[Tank Program]

Well, I don't know what language you're working in for Android, but there's a pretty slick python runtime for S60. The documentation's pretty good and from what I see you can do quite a bit of stuff that you can do in C but "easier" in the sense that python tends to be "easier."