Some Updates

February 28, 2013

I’m back with another TestTubeGames update –

A Quick Trip

And I do mean ‘back,’ because I just returned from a trip to London.  We got to visit friends, family, and some interesting science-attractions.  There was, of course, Newton’s grave in Westminster Abbey.  The tombstone(?) towers higher than I would have expected, and he wasn’t alone, either.  Darwin is there – though I didn’t get to chat with him.  The place is littered with memorials to physicists, including Kelvin and the infamous Green.  (Yes, of Green’s functions — a topic I’ve learned many times and not at all.)  But there was also the tiny Fleming museum, set in the lab where Alexander Fleming first discovered penicillin.  *And* the visually stunning ‘King George III Collection’ of science demonstrations in the Science Museum.  A whole bunch of beautifully crafted brass and glass physics experiments straight out of the era when people used to have parties and zap their guests with newly discovered ‘electricity.’

The Solar System on a turntable. (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/stories/~/media/5FF62C757FB14E1EB94E26A337807056.ashx)

Agent Higgs updates

But even if I’ve been traveling, there are a couple things to report.  First, I’ve been tweaking Agent Higgs Chapter 2.  I’m getting a lot of nice feedback, and am trying to get everything running as smoothly as possible with the game before I release it other places.  I added in Keyboard functionality (to save the fingers of folks using a track pad), and beefed up the instructions a bit.  You can see all the changes in action here.

I also revamped Chapter 1 while I was at it.  I just released that update today, so feel free to check it out.  It should (a) run smoother than before, with easier interfaces and controls.  And (b) it now has a Level Editor, too!  So if you were pining to make some levels with electrons, you’ve got your wish.

Is that Higgs? In a prettier ‘Chapter 1’ icon? Yes, I suppose it is.

Nicely, the Level Editors from Chapters 1 and 2 are compatible, so if you share a level with your friends, they can load it up in either game.

-Andy