Android Gamify: May 2014

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Flash Builder 4.7 Error: "dx tool failed"

The annoying bugs of Flash Builder 4.7 continue apart from my last post.

This time, the Flash Builder 4.7 throws me this error message: "dx tool failed" while I try to perform the Export Release Build, as shown in the picture below:

"Error occured while packagin the application: dx tool failed"

The thing is, every thing works properly in the debug mode. The error message only appears which you are packing the application.

The wild search from the search engine doesn't bring me too far. I haven't modified anything critical, except Remove and Add back the necessary SWC file before packaging. It definitely has nothing to do with the corruption of JRE.

Finally? I restart the computer. And the "dx tool failed" error disappears. Right. It is another workaround that doesn't bring any insight to the root of the error...

Can anyone tell me what has happened?

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Flash Builder 4.7 Error: "Initial Content not found"

When developing mobile games in Flash Builder with the Adobe AIR, i come across this horrifying error that wasted my hours: "initial content not found", as shown in the picture below.

This error takes place when i try to change the app name (<filename></filename>) in the xml. Then, no matter how many times i clean and rebuild the project, the above error still appears. One of the observations is that, the .swf file in the bin folder disappears and will never be generated again.

I am writing this post as the current search engines still do not have a clear solution on this (I have tried a number approaches as suggested but still fail). Apart from that, this seems to be an old issue that already happened in the previous version of the Flash Builder.

In the end? i have no choice but to re-create a new project (copy and paste everything) in order to solve this "initial content not found" error. I know this is a lame workaround. And I really wish someone could correct me if i am wrong...

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Monopoly Deal Mini Game Update: Double The Rent Card added

Still remember the game Monopoly Deal Mini? It has been a while since i last updated it. Recently a new card has been added - Double The Rent.

What does the Double The Rent card do? And most importantly, how to use it?
Here, it is intuitive to say that, the card would raise the rent amount for 2 times. To use it, there are 2 conditions to be fulfilled here:

a) Use any Rent Card
b) Two or more action points left.

Since "Double The Rent" card is itself an action, it is only feasible if you have sufficient action points left (you own 3 action points for every new turn). Hence, when you use the rent card, it will automatically pop up to ask whether you want to double your rent amount, as shown in the picture below.

Note, you need not drag the Double The Rent card to the center table. Just perform the rent action as normal, it would alert you if you have sufficient action points left.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Metal Slug Defense - How to rescue the Prisoners of War (POW)?

Previously, i have mentioned that the rescue of POW (Prisoners of War) is still a myth as it isn't stated clearly how to do that. Then, after some trials and errors, i here deduce that it isn't a 'random' rescue. Instead, the POW could be saved if you meet the 'hidden conditions' of defeating the stages.

P.S (before you comment):
The conditions of the POW rescues stated in this post MAY apply only to the Metal Slug Defense of the version before 1.5.0. If you have something to add on, please proceed to the latest post here (v1.8.0).

Before that, let's see how far i have reached:

.... And many more....

Yeah! I have completed World 1, World 2 and World 3! (Including all Emergency Areas)

World 1 Completed

World 2 Completed

*****UPDATED (2014-07-10)*****
*Thanks for all your feedback for the points here*

Below shows the summary of the conditions to save the POWs in the Metal Slug Defense game. Each condition might only allow you to rescue 1 POW. So you might play the same stage again and again to rescue the others.

DO NOT activate soldiers' skill (Yup, it is the glowing lights on the soldiers. Suppress yourself from the temptation. lol. You will be surprised that the chances of saving the POW would be greatly increased. Suspected stages: World 1 stage 1-1, 3-2, 3-4, 7-1, etc)

Minimum Casualties (or NO casualties) (At the beginning stage, you may use the Sandbag strategically to minimize the casualties to 0. After you have unlocked or purchased more powerful units, you may use those high-HP units while reducing the low-HP units in the battle)

Minimum soldiers summoned (Don't unleash all your soldiers on the deck infinitely. If impossible, reduce your soldiers amount to as minimum as possible in order to save the POW. Suspected stage: World 1 stage 5-3 (around 7 soldiers for my case) )

Minimum soldiers types summoned (It is observed that in some stages, you may only use limited soldier types in order to save the POW. Suspected stage: World 1 stage 6-2 (only summon Marco, Eri and Sandbag, or just 2 types) )

Time consumption (This is the most common requirement - defeat the stage AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. With the new updates, you may take the "Rank S" as the reference. Usually, you can experiment this condition as the first priority after having all the HOME and UNIT upgraded to the Max)

Do not upgrade "AP Buildup speed" during combat (The Rumi Aikawa, on the bottom left. We tend to upgrade the AP buildup initially. But sometimes it requires us not to tap on it in order to save the POW. Suspected stage: World 1 stage 6-4, 7-4, World 2 stage 1-1)

Do not use sandbag (Sandbag is a great defense, especially when you haven't upgraded your troops sufficiently. But you might not need it any more once you own more powerful units. The chances of rescuing the POW could be increased without the sandbag. Suspected stage: World 1 stage 9-2)

Metal Slug Attack activation (It is definitely one of our favorite weapons to effectively crush the enemies. But in some stages, you might not use it for the sake of POW saving )

Maximum One unit per soldier type on your deck (Thanks for some Metal Slug Defense maniacs here for proving that this condition is effective in the POW rescue. Yup, tap your soldiers never more than once on the deck during the combat)

DO NOT summon the bought soldiers (To be more precise, you may only use the basic units, such as Marco, Eri, etc. Suspected stages: World 1 stage 9-5, and many others in World 2)

Only use Blue Soldier (and Metal Slug Attack > 3 times) (This is the strangest observation made. But surprisingly it does help rescue the POW ... Suspected Stages: World 2 stage 5-1, stage 5-2, stage 10-4)

Defeat the BOSS first (eg: giant tanks, etc) before the enemies' portal (Here, the BOSS may be anything with larger-than-usual sizes (eg: tanks, lobster, etc). The approach is, to wait until the BOSS moves out of the portal completely before you unleash the soldiers' skills. )

Defeat the portal first before the BOSS (This is the opposite with the point above. Before the Boss moves out of the portal, destroy the portal with the soldiers' skill. Suspected stage: World 2 stage 6-4)

Some other game variations suggested by other players that you might want to experiment on (which i haven't tested)

Only summon machines, but no walking soldiers
Fully upgrade "AP Buildup speed"

Then you might be asking "Are you crazy? Nobody got time for that!".

I feel the same. So, to reduce the sortie amounts consumed and my time, i tend to test on multiple conditions at the same time.

Especially now there is a new Daily Boss Challenge introduced. Both time and sortie points are running out easily. Here's my order of experiment (Except the third 'Hell' Boss stage):

Use only minimum Trevor. (while using it, i tend to 'Not Upgrade AP buildup', 'Not activate skills', and 'Not activate Metal Slug Attack'). I assume Trevor as a bought unit should also be able to meet the conditions with the similar effects. If the stages are too strong to beat (such that i am forced to activate the skills, then i would further experiment on that later.
Test on both 'Basic Units' and 'Minimum soldier types', Such as Fio, Marco, Eric.
Test on 'Time Consumption', by using the strongest troops ever on my deck.
Use only 1 soldier per unit type
...

In the Boss stage, I would go for 'Time Consumption' factor first. Then, gradually, I test on the minimum troops and casualties.

I believe this approach would save some time.

Trevor: Highest HP among the non-machine soldiers. Fast Movement. Low AP Cost. Long Attack. Very High Attack. Special ability is to jump backward while unleashing more attacks.

*Thanks to 'dneng' for the info. Trevor is indeed an awesome unit that is worth a try.

Just one thing for sure, you got to upgrade your HOME and UNIT from time to time, so that you can use the minimum resources and soldiers to defeat a stage. Apart from that, you are more able to use different approaches and strategies to destroy the enemies for the sake of the POW rescue.

Before coming to an end, last but not least, you may also use the Bonus item 'Radar' to 100% rescue the POW. lol

*To avoid you from getting drowned in the comments below, here's a quick list of specific stages that you might want to refer to, based on the game play experience from other players. (Thanks again for all the contributors' efforts). Search their names on this page to reach their comments faster...

World 1 stage 2-2: Rami Civil
World 1 stage 3-1: wakamolee
World 1 stage 3-4, 4-3, 4-4, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4: Hugo
World 1 stage 6-3, 7-1: Gregz Amorim
World 1 stage 7-1: Jhon Li
World 1 stage 7-2, 7-3, 8-2: Hoong Yi
World 1 stage 7-2: 김민섭
World 1 stage 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 8-1, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4: Hugo
World 1 stage 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 8-3: Ben Castanon
World 1 stage 7-3, 7-4, 8-1: Franz Eubanque Corsini
World 1 stage 9-4, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 11-1, 11-2, 11-3: Aeron
World 1 stage 9-5: Aeron, Lui Viayra
World 1 stage 10-4: Reddustgamer d
World 2 stage 10-4: gApcH
World 2 stage 11-1: Evil Greebo

Related posts:
1. Metal Slug Defense New Missions V1.4.0
2. Metal Slug Defense Daily Boss Challenge V1.4.0
3. Metal Slug Defense Wifi VS Mode
4. Metal Slug Defense World 3 V1.4.0
5. Metal Slug Defense World 3 V1.5.0 - Southern Brazil and China
6. Metal Slug Defense New Missions V1.5.0
7. Metal Slug Defense Wi-Fi VS Mode V1.5.0 - 2 VS 2
8. Metal Slug Defense New Missions V1.6.0
9. Metal Slug Defense World 3 V1.6.0 - Canada, Australia and Central Africa
10. Metal Slug Defense Fourth Map V1.8.0
11. Metal Slug Defense Fourth Map POW Rescue V1.8.0
12. Metal Slug Defense V1.8.0 - Which unit is the strongest now?

Monday, May 19, 2014

Metal Slug Defense Walkthrough

Metal Slug Defense - another FREE interesting mobile game is now available on both Android and iOS.

Guess everyone from the 80s and 90s is familiar with the name Metal Slug, as it has appeared in not only PlayStation, but also PC subsequently with multiple versions and series. The game play is fun and impressive, despite with only 2D graphics.

Here, Metal Slug Defense is another Metal Slug game, with some modifications. Overall, it is a strategic defense game like Brave Heroes in my previous walkthrough post. This time, you are not controlling the solo character. Instead, you are going to summon the units tactfully to destroy the enemies tower. The more stages you clear, the more unit types you will unlock.

Currently, here are the stages(and areas) that i have cleared in the Metal Slug Defense:

1. Southeast Asia (4/4 stages)
2. East Asia (4/4 stages)
3. Africa (4/4 stages)
4. Central Asia (4/4 stages)
5. DR Moureau's Island (5/5 stages)
6. Oceania (4/4 stages)
7. North American Southern (4/4 stages)
8. South America (5/5 stages)
9. North Asia (5/5 stages)
10. South Africa (4/4 stages)
11. Western Europe (3/3 stages)
12. (Final) North American Northern (4/4 stages)
13. (Emergency) West Asia (4/4 stages)
14. Currently, there are 2 Complete World Maps + 1 Map (only 2 areas)

When will the Emergency Areas be unlocked?

Emergency Areas Start at 12pm, 6pm and 10pm daily. Each time it lasts for 1 hour. So, if you start playing at 12.15pm, you would have 45 minutes left. Save more sorties points before the Emergency Areas are opened.

Basically, it isn't hard to defeat the enemies as you are able to upgrade each unit character through the "Home Customize" and "Unit Customize" option. More often than not, if you can't pass through a certain stage, you may just farm through the previous stages to obtain more MSP for the unit upgrade purposes.

Everything is clear until one thing - POW (Prisoners of War). The POW is the main variation of the Metal Slug Defense Game. According to the statement from the game, you "might" be able rescue the POW. It doesn't display clearly how exactly we are able to rescue them. This intrigues us: "How to assure that we can rescue the POW prisoners in each stage?"

From observation so far, I couldn't have a firm stand on this. But as experimented, it seems that every stage might have different 'condition' before you are able to rescue POW. For example, in the stage 1 of Southeast Asia, you can't rescue the prisoner (probably) if you use the bomb skill of the solder. Also, to rescue the two prisoners in the stage 4, you have to make sure there is no unit being sacrificed. Here you have 2 choices, either defeat the enemy tower before it launches the laser (which kill everyone on the path), OR you only summon the troops/units AFTER the first laser (such that you could destroy the enemy before its second launch!

The myths of "POW rescue" in the Metal Slug Defense are still under investigation. What adds to the difficulties is that i couldn't re-rescue the prisoners to confirm my statement. But most of the time, i believe the elements below might be useful as references:

Units variations: Maybe some stages require certain units ONLY. If you summon others, you might fail the mission.
Resources consumption: The lesser units you summon to defeat a stage, the higher possibility you rescue the prisoner.
Casualties: The lesser sacrifice of your units, the higher the chance to rescue the prisoner. Moreover, some may require the Home Tower to remain intact after the attacks.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

When will the Boom Beach game be available in Android?

Boom Beach - Another FREE strategic combat engine is available now, but is currently in the iOS devices only. It claimed that it will be available in Android soon. Recently i have a chance to play this with my friends' iPad. To conclude, it is a great one. Here shows what are the differences between Boom Beach and the other similar games.

New Elements on the Battle Field

Rifleman, Heavy, Zooka, Medic, Tank, Warrior are the troops for your battles in the Boom Beach. Each has his strength. For example, the Heavy has a higher Hit Point but a lesser attack point. While the Zooka is the opposite, dealing a higher damage but moving slower. Apart from that, there are boosts such Artillery, Flare, Medkit, Shock Bomb, Barrage and Smoke Screen to aid you in the battle fields. If those skills are applied strategically, it is going to increase your chances of defeating the enemies significantly. The key point of a battle in the Boom Beach game, is to destroy the enemy's headquarter.

Here i intelligently use the Flare to direct the troops to the rear side of the base which has a much weaker defense.

Having said that, all you need to do, is to make use of your troops and the Powers to come out with a plan to destroy the Headquarter as soon as possible! If the base has too much towers placed together, use Shock Bomb to effectively avoid their attacks. If there are Rocket Launchers equipped, use Shock Bomb/Artillery on them while approaching them. If there are Machine Guns or Mortars, prepare Medkit for your troops. Analyze your enemies' base first before landing your troops.

Here shows how my enemies attack my base when i was away.

On the other hand, you may get busted too, if you are loose in your base development. The good thing is that, there always come with a video showing how (poor/breathtaking) your base is being raided, playable the speed 1x, 2x or 4x. Learn a lesson from that and become stronger next time.

The Bases are evenly distributed across the map.

You may discover that in the Boom Beach game, you won't come across some jokers (who have reached much higher level than yours) around your base (after exploring with the Radar). Depending on your levels and the Victory Points, you would be placed/arranged in such a way that the enemies around are good to be your opponents. This is something that i really favor. I used to play this kind of combat games in the Facebook before. But this Boom Beach has indeed done much better in the placement of our bases.

The myths of the Statues in supporting your bases.


The statues (on the bottom) are meant to improve your bases in various aspects (resources production, troops stimulants, etc)

The introduction of Statues in the Boom Beach is indeed an interesting one. It serves as a stimulant for the base in various aspects. For example, resources (Gold, Wood, Stone) production, increasing your troops health, etc. The thing is, the success of building a "productive" statue depends on luck. There are 3 types of statues: Idol, Guardian, Masterpiece. And they are only built with Crystals (Life, Ice, Magma and Dark) which are only obtained through defeating other enemies. This adds more variations into the game play.

Money doesn't dominate the game

Last but not least, this Boom Beach doesn't allow someone to dominate the game with money. Yes, you can use money to buy diamonds which boost your base development progress. However, it doesn't mean that you could always bully the weaker with your troops (due to the almost evenly distributed bases algorithm). Moreover, the enemies that you have defeated would be replaced with a stronger one. Apart from that, you have limited troops according to your levels. And the Power in the battle field only depends on your action points accumulated, but not the money.

In short, i really look forward to playing this game in my Android devices soon. But i believe it may still take a while, as i still experience glitches in the iOS version now (sometimes the servers are under maintenance).

Block Puzzle 2 - Another Block Puzzle Game

Hey, don't forget that I am an Android Game developer as well. After posting so so much solutions about the Ultimate Block Puzzle, I am inspired to create another block puzzle myself - Block Puzzle 2.

First, it is NOT just a duplication. In fact, to add more variations in the block puzzle game, I specifically added a new mode - Special Mode, in which the grey regions are not a rectangular shape.

It takes about 1 week. And here shows the challenges of making the block puzzle game.

Time-consuming on the Block Puzzles generation

The block puzzle game usually contains hundreds of puzzle. In each puzzle, it has 5 to 12 block pieces to drag and drop. The challenges are to create unique levels for different modes. In fact, I really wonder how much time the original game takes in order to generate more than 6000 block puzzles. Is that an algorithm for that? Generating one by one is gonna claim your weeks or months!

Should the solutions of the block puzzles be made unique?

I believe this is a great challenge. Of course, to make the puzzle game more complicated, somehow the uniqueness of the puzzle solution is critical. However, this requirement poses another question - How to ensure that the solutions are unique? If you have played the original Ultimate Puzzle game, you might observe that there is only single solution for each puzzle. Hence, sometimes you might get mad when your solution is so closed but is still not successful.

Here, this is another difference between the Ultimate Puzzle and my Block Puzzle 2. In my game, you may come across some puzzles that could be solved in several ways, probably due to the symmetrically arrange-able blocks.

Anyway, hope you can enjoy this block puzzle game, and feel free to drop any comment.