During this sprint I spent some time improving the current Main screen. Similar to a concept created several months ago, the new intended direction for the Hub resembles the app screen for the average smartphone. Instead of simply offering basic buttons for the user to select, the screen will be viewed as an app hub, where the Micro-Games can be accessed and played as 1-shots. At the bottom of the screen, major menu options will be displayed as isolated apps, while the middle of the screen will contain an indefinite amount of app pages to be scrolled through at the player's leisure.
After gutting the current Main State as it used to be, I then went about creating a system to encapsulate the previous buttons available. These button interactions are no condensed into apps, which are available on the bottom of the screen. This section can be scrolled through in either direction, if there are more apps than would fit the screen. Currently there are buttons for Game Modes, Playlist, App Store, Achievements, and Options. Since only four can fit on the screen, the user can scroll slightly to the right to access the Options app.
The App Store button also doesn't do anything at the moment, but is placeholder for development during the next sprint. In the future, I also want to look at subtle snapping, allowing for the menu apps to be realigned properly once the user stops swiping left or right. However, this is mostly a polish bit for later, as the actual functionality and reconnection of the major game states was more important at this time.
There actually isn't anything unique about the Hub HUD at the moment, which is basically just a black bar on the top of the screen. As with the iPhone app hub, this area is typically reserved for system information, such as time or battery life. While it could be removed altogether, I thought about the possibility of utilizing the space for similar features, potentially also including the user data and currency values at the top of the screen as well.
The App Selection creates Apps similar to how the Playlist currently handles the process. Each App is basically an image and name with stored data concerning the Micro-Game class to run if activated. The App selection then determines its bounds and begins placing Apps on the grid system. It continues navigating through rows and columns until the maximum bounds is reached, which then allows it to transfer to the next available page, continuing additions. At the end, it makes a note of the total width of the pages, allowing for proper scrolling later.
Since the game currently does not have that many apps, everything is on one screen with no scrolling, but this will likely be impacted within the next few sprints. Apps, once selected, will send off events to the GameCycle Handler. The Apps, as well as the Playlist State, will now also send their desired return state. This allows the GameCycle to know which State to move to after completing the Micro-Game session.
Moving forward, there is still a lot to include with regards to the Achievements, App Store, and Difficulty inclusion. I primarily will be focusing on the unlocking methods during the next sprint, which will possibly include setting the foundation for the App Store. This should provide a scenario where Achievements earn players points that can be used to enable further Micro-Games. These unlocked Micro-Games will then appear within the Game Modes, App Hub, and Playlist. Therefore, other factors might take a backseat until these features are added, as more complex details surrounding these systems will require the initial connections between all of them.