Its been quite a long time since Ive used FlowLab but Ive been looking around for some cheap and easy game makers and used Construct for a long time until I saw the price tag. Anyway, I figured I used FlowLab a lot a few years back so I may as well get back into it. Here are my questions.
Is it currently possible to publish FlowLab made games, onto Steam and working? (Knowing that desktop support is available)
When monetizing my games, no matter what plan I purchase, Im always able to monetize my games. Correct? (Knowing that Ive seen plenty of free FlowLab users with their own websites)
EDIT: To me more specific about monetization, I mean by selling the game on Steam as Ive worked with Steam and publishers before.
Are higher quality games possible here? More specifically, am I able to do dramatic/smooth lighting effects?
Yes to all, though Idk bout steam.
Flowlab supports gradient and transparent sprites (I use Inkscape and import those sprites to flowlab). Using ease and possibly expressions, you can as long as you have good sprites.
@Luminous So if you use Inkscape, how would I set it up to make sprites for what works with this website? I’ve never used the app before, wouldn’t i have to create a template that is 32x32 grid or something to that effect? Not sure how it works so just curious, thanks
You don’t necessarily have to use Inkscape, but what you can do is make a drawing, then export it in any size you want. If you want the drawing to be 32x32, just make sure that same sprite is equivalent in x and y, like a square, then adjust it on the exporter (control shift E I think?). If you want a drawing to cover the whole screen, multiply 32 by the x and y grid of the maximum size of your game and export it. Pretty much everything you can draw on there works with the website, from what I can tell.
I’m not aware of anyone publishing their Flowlab games on Steam, but there is nothing preventing it as far as I’m aware. If you decide to publish a game via Steam, I can make sure there are no technical blockers there.
You own your game, all its content, and the Copyright - you can monetize however you see fit.
It sounds like you’re asking about using custom shaders, which are not currently supported.
@grazer Well I knew that I could export the game to an .exe which Steam supports but from what I know I believe you need Adobe Air in order to run FlowLab’s exe’s properly, which may interfere with Steam. Is there anyway it could just go completely “native” and it’s able to run without anything extra. Possibly convert the flash to HTML5 to an .exe?
Also for the smooth lighting I basically meant dynamic lighting which I can’t figure out. Basically a glowing circle that follows the character and reveals everything in a certain radius of the character.
Edit: I felt as if the emit feature would be able to accomplish this but I don’t think so. Maybe a new behavior is needed as I’ve tried everything to make it work.
You don’t need Air to run the exported exe. The exported game is C++ code that is natively compiled. Mobile exports (iOS and Android) are the same way - no Flash or Air.
How come when I installed an exe from here it said I was required to install Adobe Air? I mean Flash was pre-installed on my PC but I’m not sure if it has to do anything with that.
I haven’t used the PC exporter in a year or so, but on my old computer I do remember the exe demanding that I install Adobe before being able to run the program. I believe it’s because you have flowlab created on Apple computers and Apple usually already comes pre-installed with Adobe, and Windows does not. No idea. I’ll download one of my games onto my new laptop and confirm it for you. It’s a Windows 7, and XP and 7 normally did not come with Adobe already on it. I don’t really have any knowledge on 8 or 10 and what they require.
@grazer I just exported x-vioas to check the Adobe requirement, and it does not exist. Pixel may have exported an old game or something. However, flowlab sounds do not play in the exe, only URL sounds do. I used both sounds from flowlab and dropbox, and while they all appear as converted ogg files, the flowlab built in sounds do not play at all.
@grazer , if flowlab games exported as .exe are in C++, does the images and sounds will be stocked as external files? I think I heard something like that before.
The majority of the files seem to appear in asset folders, for example the sounds appear as ogg. That would mean that people can modify the graphics or sound effects of your game, which is pretty common anyway. Look at all of the Sonic Mania mods.