Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

AppGameKit Classic Chat / Can someone explain a tier?

Author
Message
kordman916
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Oct 2007
Location:
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 10:22
Link
So I've seen people talking about tier 1 and tier 2 but what are they exactly?

Asus N53Sn, Core i7 2.9ghz,
16 Gig DDR3 ram, Geforce 550M 2Gb
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Hodgey
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 10:48
Link
Tier 1 is using the BASIC language to develop apps. Tier 2 involves using the AppGameKit libraries with C++ in native SDKs to develop apps.

Back to top
Profile PM Email
MrValentine
AGK Backer
13
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Dec 2010
Playing: FFVII
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 10:54
Link
Just to add to the above, Tier 1 uses a ready to go interface [IDE] and Tier 2 uses your own choice C++ interface [IDE]

Back to top
Profile PM
JimHawkins
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 26th Jul 2009
Location: Hull - UK
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 10:58
Link
Tier 1 is AppGameKit Basic. You don't need anything else to work with this for PC.

Tier 2 is a C/C++ interface to the AppGameKit libraries - for this you need the free or paid version Visual Studio. You have access to vast amounts of powerful code, and compile to a native code executable, not an interpreted file like the Basic produces.

Tier 3 (unofficial name!) uses Pascal instead of C/C++ but works just like Tier 2. For this you need either Delphi or Free Pascal compilers.

In all cases you may need extra things to produce Android and Mac code: Eclipse and the Android SDK (+ Cygwin for Tier 2 but not 3) for Android and a Mac and Xcode to produce iOS and Os X apps.

The main advantage of T2 and T3 is that you can work directly with the host operating system if you know how to do it.

Some people on the forum prototype in Tier 1 because it's faster, and then go to Tier 2/3 for final production.

-- Jim DO IT FASTER, EASIER AND BETTER WITH AppGameKit FOR PASCAL
Back to top
Profile PM Website
kordman916
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Oct 2007
Location:
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 11:32
Link
So if I wanted to create an app for Android/iOS I would use Tier 2?

Asus N53Sn, Core i7 2.9ghz,
16 Gig DDR3 ram, Geforce 550M 2Gb
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Hodgey
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 10th Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 12:34
Link
You can use either. It's just a matter of personal preference.

Back to top
Profile PM Email
Ancient Lady
Valued Member
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Mar 2004
Location: Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 19:14
Link
kordman916, as Hodgey says, you can use either.

Regardless of which Tier you use, you need to do a serious setup for Android publishing and for iOS, you need to have some sort of Mac with Xcode and an Apple iOS Developer's License.

Cheers,
Ancient Lady
AGK Community Tester
Back to top
Profile PM
bjadams
AGK Backer
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 29th Mar 2008
Location:
Posted: 1st Dec 2012 21:49
Link
If you use T1, you still need to get your hands a bit dirty with the platform of choice compiler and the T2 interpreter setup to upload on to the appstore of your platform of choice. So if you know c++ you might as well get into t2 straight away.
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Mungkeh_Man
12
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 11th Apr 2012
Location:
Posted: 2nd Dec 2012 13:25
Link
I have concerns around the Tier differences too.

The product website gives the impression that Tier 1 code cannot be compiled for different platforms (just 'deployed').

So, I have a finished game in Tier 1. Can my game be compiled for Android et al and sold via appstores?
Back to top
Profile PM
Marl
12
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2011
Location: Bradford, UK
Posted: 2nd Dec 2012 13:47
Link
Quote: "So, I have a finished game in Tier 1. Can my game be compiled for Android et al and sold via appstores?"

Yes it can, check out examples in the showcase;

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_read&i=48
Back to top
Profile PM Email
Ancient Lady
Valued Member
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Mar 2004
Location: Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Posted: 2nd Dec 2012 17:35
Link
Mungkeh_Man, in the non-Windows platforms, the Tier 1 .agc files are not actually compiled. iOS and Android use the compiled <proj>.byc file that was compiled by the AppGameKit IDE. In Tier 2, the C++ files are actually compiled in all platforms. So, Tier 1 is 'deployed' as opposed to 'compiled' in non-windows platforms.

But, as long as you set up the correct environments, you can publish in all the supported platforms for Tier 1.

Cheers,
Ancient Lady
AGK Community Tester
Back to top
Profile PM
erebusman
12
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Jul 2011
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posted: 2nd Dec 2012 17:46
Link
The examples everyone has given are good but I didn't see anyone mention what I have found to be one of the biggest and most important items myself.


Tier 1 has a provided IDE that you have to use and there is no debugger.

Tier 2 you may use several different IDE's and I believe they all have debuggers.


I just started programming this year; the first 5 months was using Tier 1 client and I some times spend a week and a half re-writing functions until I finally realized that it was a small error returning the wrong thing, rather than the function did not work.

Now in Tier 2 if I make such an error I use the debugger and find out what each variable is doing and step through my program. I usually know within 5 minutes of writing a function that doesn't work exactly why and have become MUCH more productive.

In fact I have 2 apps on the App store written in Tier 2 now.


Holiday Cheer on iTunes
Back to top
Profile PM Website
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-05-02 07:33:13
Your offset time is: 2024-05-02 07:33:13