Spaceteam 3.1 is ready for beta-testing. This version is back on Android again, and the Wifi networking has been revamped. If you want to test it now you can use these links, otherwise you can wait for the final release in a week or so.

• Join the Android beta
  • if it says your account isn't eligible please send me your email address so I can add you to the list
  • ...and then download the game from Google Play
• Join the iOS beta (on TestFlight)

⚠️ This version won't connect to previous versions so make sure everyone on your team is using version 3.1 (or later)

Send bug reports to my email.

Feedback I’m looking for:

• In-App Purchases: if you’ve previously bought the Upgrades and they are still locked, or if you try to buy them and you can’t, let me know!
• Wifi connection mode: if you can’t connect to other people on the same Wifi, let me know
• Internet connection mode: if you can’t connect to people in different countries, let me know

P.S. There are some outstanding bugs that I’m still aware of and will fix soon (eg. cat paw not disappearing, reversed text in Hebrew, etc.)

🛠️ Boring Technical Details

In the last post I wrote about some of the difficulties I've had getting it upgraded/modernized. Well here's yet another batch of annoying hurdles:

• Even after adding the Multicast networking entitlement, network discovery still wasn't working on iOS. Eventually I figured out that it was because I didn't have a Usage Description for the permission in my app's information. This is a string shown to the user that explains why I need the permission (eg. "Spaceteam needs this to find other devices over Wifi."). Apparently when this explanation is missing, the feature silently just doesn't work??
• Google also gave me a bunch of headaches. The app got de-listed because it "violated policy", which is fair (it needed a security patch, and various system/service updates). So I tried to upload a version for testing, but they wouldn't let me upload a test version without also updating the Production version which goes out live to everyone worldwide. Which put me in a tricky situation because I don't want to release an untested version to Production, I need to test it first! Not sure how that makes any sense, but I found a workaround.
• The new version of Unity has caused my own build pipeline to stop correctly switching between Debug/Beta/Release versions, so I have to be extra careful not to accidentally release a Debug version to the public.
• Had to port some code from using Coroutines to async/await.
• Had to replace my QR-code scanning plugin.

🏢 MIGS

The Montréal International Gaming Summit (MIGS) is coming up in November. I got convinced by my sometime-producer Mike to not only attend, but to get a booth!

If I'm going to bring Spaceteam back from the dead I may as well do some publicity for it. Millions of people still don't know Spaceteam exists so there's a whole new audience out there waiting to discover it.

I ordered some new buttons to give out, and we're going to host a small in-person Spaceteam tournament during the conference to get the buzz going a bit. I still have medals left over from the original campaign.

There's also a small in-game reward for Admiral's Club members (and to encourage new people to join): new outfits! As long as you're logged in to the Admiral's Club you'll have access to the new outfit pieces when your character gets generated.

🎁 Parting Gifts

I have a tradition of ending my posts with a giveaway of some free Steam codes. If you want one just send me an email. Here are some older ones that haven't been claimed yet:

• Patrick's Parabox
• 🎁 Submachine: Legacy
• 🎁 Endless Space 2
• 🎁 Cosmic Express
• 🎁 Terraforming Mars
• Gloomhaven
• The Long Dark
• 🎁 Super Hexagon
• 🎁 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
• 🎁 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

See you next time Spacefriends! 🚀

~ Henry (aka Captain Spaceteam)