Gemini Falcon: Asteroid Miner                                                                                        (last updated December 24, 2014)

This app is a variation on the Gemini Falcon app. It is very similar, using the same framework, but it has less dodging and more running into asteroids and moons. Actually, there is still a lot of dodging, but now the player has 12 asteroids & moons to mine (run into) to get coins. There aren't any coins for the ship to run into anymore. Doing it this way seemed more 'realistic'. Also, I've made it mandatory for the ship to gather all the gold bars in space -- and there is another gold bar every 10 levels too. And I've changed the pure black background to a dark blue background which seems to give the screen more depth. 

Here are two screen shots from Gemini Falcon: Asteroid Miner: 

I wanted to take Gemini Falcon and change the gameplay to run into everything instead of dodging, but when I tried that, the game play was kind of pointless. It became too much like shooting fish in a barrel -- no real challenge since the player couldn't crash and have to start over. So I just made a few adjustments and decided to move on to my next app! 

Hindsight is 20/20

There are several things I wish I had designed into the game from the beginning. 

• Enable the player to save a game and start another. Allow up to x number of simultaneous games. 
  
• Full encryption of the game's settings file. 
• Enable player customization of the game's objects (ships, asteroids, background color, etc). 
• More upgrades that are unlocked as the game goes on.
• More purchasable upgrades and customization.  
• Ship artwork that changes as abilities are added (such as faster engines) 
• Create small text in the artwork so it doesn't seem like I'm YELLING in the Captain's Briefings. 
• More variety in game object sizes.
• Update the display of the fuel gauge differently so that every time the ship is refueled the gauge moves. 

It's not over 'til it's over

After playing this app a lot, testing the various features, I decided to add the ability to save up to 3 games. Now the player will select which player they will play (1,2,3) and they can stop and hand off the device to someone else to play, or they can start another game and use a different strategy. I like how the high score area is more meaningful now. 

Of course that meant the High Score area had to be redesigned and various screens had to be modified to add the player number. Now it's into final testing... really. No more enhancements. It's time to move on!