Welcome to the Construct 2 public preview

I'm actually quite impressed by this choice. It's the one that gives the most flexibility in product dispersal. Also, I would predict that an .exe exporter will be written, just as soon as all the basics are down.

Flexibility? Somewhere in the future, maybe. Currently, HTML5 means you have to confine to casual games, because there is no hardware acceleration AND you can't tell or force, which browser the gamer will use. So, to let them be able to play within Firefox you have to be very careful, how many objects you use, etc. Comparing 2000+ sprites with C1 and 120 in C2 I feel this being a step back and not forward. If there would be an exe exporter WITH hardware acceleration (OpenGL, DirectX) and we had the choice, I would hail C2. But, together with Ashley saying, that there won't be a Scirra .exe exporter, I'm not very happy.

Hopefully this will encourage third party ports to new platforms. This could include an official Windows desktop EXE runtime in future, a third party Android native exporter, or whatever anyone thinks up.

Let's face it, HTML5 might be the architecture of first choice in 5 years - but I need something I can work with now...

I have to agree with Tulamide. HTML5 is a great feature, but its still just a web format. It's the replacement for Flash, not for full-fledged programs. For serious games, people are going to want to use .exe and with anything not small, .exe with external, encrypted resources.

BTW, I get similar slowdown as Tulamide in the latest version of Chrome.

Now for some feature requesting. I think Custom Movement needs to be very very high on the feature list. You can do so much with it so it makes sense to add it as one of the first plugins.

For those who are complaining about the choice of export, HTML5 is an excellent multiplatform starting point, considering the state of C2 as of now. Having other export modules will obviously be necessary as C2 becomes more and more functional, but right now, C2 is hardly in any state to actually make anything more than demoes and whatnot.

Scirra-developed or not, there WILL be a Windows EXE export module, and lots more. Right now, it just isn't needed.

Also, for the record, I've got the latest version of Chrome and my framerate is perfectly fine.

Having worked in IT for 15 years, and seen fads come and go - and I am NOT saying HTML5 is a fad - I can't see that anything other than the usual 5 minute diversion type games being developed, and that is not what I was hoping for.

Having re-read what Ashley proposes and the comments here, I find it a bit disappointing to be brutally honest - I'm pointing the finger at you tulamide (only joking)!

Even with it's quirks and bugs, Construct 0.9x is a brilliant little dev tool, and only needs a decent level/tile editor system to be complete (for me). As a learning tool for kids, it's invaluable.

If this is the future, then so be it. But old dog that I am, I think I'll stay here, in the past for now

[quote:fasncx4b]Seeing as it's the primary focus as an export, I think it's fair to be concerned about it. The speed is not there, even if it runs "perfectly fine" for you. Web browsers just aren't a great platform for retail games, unless your focus is the casual market.

Well, it could be worse. It could be like GMK where the exe refuses to work on certain computers, period. Or, at least that's what I've heard.

Really, I understand the concerns being raised here, but there's a reason why the Modular Export feature is there. If people want a Windows EXE export, there will be one sooner or later, before or after such a thing actually becomes viable.

As others have already mentioned, HTML5 is nice, but it's not going to attract many serious Indie devs.

For me, C2 will have to have hardware accelerated exe export before it's a viable option.

After that, things like HTML5 or Android export will be bonuses, but certainly not a priority.

Regarding the way the browsers run HTML5, I have no intention of running Chrome or IE, that's why I run Firefox.

You can't be blamed for Firefox's performance though, and I'm sure that they will fix this soon, and it'll no longer be an issue.

Krush.

Don't make me go back to MMF2 HWA ... PLEASE

Lol, I missed that first time I read it.

Krush.

I agree that an .exe exporter would be nice. It's more in line with the kinds of games I want to make as well. I've never been one for browser games, really. When I'm in the mood for games I want to spend one or two hours vegging out, and I've never found a browser game worth more than five minutes of my time. And I like my full screen.

But even so C2 won't be able to do much for a while. By the time it's at a state to where you can make a long and complex "serious game," then I'm sure there will be some kind of .exe option from somewhere to follow soon enough. I'm not terribly worried.

As others have already mentioned, HTML5 is nice, but it's not going to attract many serious Indie devs.

I have to disagree with you there. Do you know how many indie devs currently use web technologies like Flash, if only for the sole reason that you can easily do cross-platform? TRILLIONS.

Yes, there are more indie devs than there are people on the planet.

Well duh. What kind of advanced civilization would they be if aliens didn't have indie games?

Well, there's little point in arguing over the matter.

You're just as likely to convince me that it's a good decision as I am in convincing you that it's not a good decision.

I'll pop in from time to time to see whether Construct 2 has exe export out of the box.

Krush.

Well, there's little point in arguing over the matter.

You're just as likely to convince me that it's a good decision as I am in convincing you that it's not a good decision.

I'll pop in from time to time to see whether Construct 2 has exe export out of the box.

Oh I'm not entirely disagreeing with you. I won't really have much need for C2 until it can export to desktop runtimes either. I'm just saying that there's a whole lot of people out there who will be thrilled by it, what with Flash, Flixl, Flashpunk, Unity, and Yoyo Games being so popular. (Notice I didn't mention Silverlight, hehe-OH CRAP I JUST MENTIONED IT )

Although, I would love to see an .exe exporter very soon I think some people are forgetting some stuff about the .9x version of Construct.

1. Just about all of the non-gamers I gave Construct made games to..had to download the Directx runtime..a massive 100MB download. So Construct wasn't as simple as just giving somebody an .exe. And downloading and installing Chrome is smaller than the DirectX runtime. Of course, there needs to be a .exe exporter and I'm curious how difficult that will be.

2. HTML5 games can be pretty awesome.. http://code.google.com/p/quake2-gwt-port/ and https://gaming.mozillalabs.com/games/133/far-7

3. IE9 is fully hardware acclerated for HTML5 so games can be pretty fast. Chrome performance is close as well.

I am a bit sad that my beloved Python is gone...but I guess this gives me a chance to learn a new language. It's funny I had been looking at engines like impact http://impactjs.com/ so it would be nice if this could play on all of the platforms like impact with the HTML5 export.

I'd like to throw my $0.2 in the HTML5 discussion as well. I think it's great. Don't get me wrong, I'd like an exe exporter too, and I'm pretty sure there will be one so I'm not fretting about it. C2 is still in an early stage and we should expect to not see a particular feature we want right now, not the other way around.

The way I see it, going for HTML5 opens up for a lot of cool new things we can do. Like network code for instance, which as far as I can tell was a real hassle on 0.X. With HTML5 and Javascript at its core such things will (probably) become much less of a hassle (though network coding is never easy)

Let's face it, HTML5 might be the architecture of first choice in 5 years - but I need something I can work with now...

Then use a program that is not in such an early stage. It's just that simple. 0.X didn't somehow just disappear just because we're trying out an early build of C2.

I remember seeing the link to this game here on the forums a pretty long time ago.

http://playbiolab.com/

Edit: saw just now that scidave linked to that engine right above my post.

I'm pretty sure there'll be an EXE exporter down the line. By that time, HTML5 will be handy 'cause you can do a demo of your full price game and people can play it BEFORE downloading it. Also, you can get sponsorship deals by having a browser game. It's step in the right direction for sure.

My gripe atm is the way the event sheet is done. Not keen on the "system | on start of layout" and "sprite | is onscreen" kinda layout. I definitely prefer the old way as it was easier to read. Maybe it's just me...

I have a suggestion. Would it be possible to support PSDs? Like if you import a PSd, if imports each layer into separate frames.