LCARS Interface Release 12 Released!

Update: This update passed certification VERY fast, and is now available in the store!

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I know I've tried to hype up this update, and I'm happy to finally announce that I have completed the update and submitted it for certification!

So, what does this update actually bring? Read on to find out!



First, I was not happy with the sound as it was. Using media elements were unreliable, and occasionally just didn't play anything. This didn't happen often, but it started happening a lot when I was working on the new module that uses a lot more sounds and it was unacceptable that it was so unreliable. So, I have now moved to using DirectX to process the sounds and in my testing, the quality is far superior and it never fails to play the sounds now. This also resolves the occasional problem of sounds being cut off if you do other actions while they are playing. Nobody actually reported this issue to me, but I've known about it but never had a better solution until now.

I have also modified the Red Alert theme to be more accurate to the consoles you see in the show and movies, and this also makes it less retina-burning by not being totally red anymore. This is a significant improvement that actually makes this theme something you might use more often. However, I have also changed it so that this theme will not save as being your default. It was causing some issues with the new module. This won't stop you if you change to Red Alert as soon as you open the app, but I wanted to get the best effect from the new module which is by using a different theme to start with.

Finally, and I know many of you have asked for it since the beginning, is a FUN module! If you wanted to command a starship and control all of its systems, now you can! Inspired by the old "Star Trek" text-based game from the late 1960s, I have made a new version of this game which has been re-imagined for Windows 8. You fly your ship around the galaxy on a mission to destroy all enemy ships before you run out of time or energy. If you've ever played that old game, you will appreciate this version, fully graphical now and with great sound effects added to enhance the experience even more! I tried to keep the gameplay a tribute to the original, but with a few added bonuses like some autopilot functions to make it easier to get around until you get used to the controls. I spent the better part of a month developing this module and I hope you all enjoy it! I had to make several new LCARS controls, designed after the panels seen on the shows, which will no doubt make appearances in future areas of the app as well.

I will have instructions on how to play up hopefully before the app passes certification so you will be able to get started, but for now you can get ready by finding an old copy of the text game and figuring out the navigation and torpedo firing!

Now that this update is in for certification, it's time for me to get back to resolving the International Weather issue! The next update after this one will be using a new weather service which will let you search by the same zip codes you have been using, or by City and Country, or most any type of postal codes! It should function mostly the same as it does now, just with global capabilities and the data offered may be slightly different depending on what the new service provides.