Tell us about the planned level editor. How different will it be from the Doodad placement interface, and how will players share their new levels exactly?
The level editor itself is actually already built and working great! I had it accessible to players in the beta, and quite a few of the testers made some really phenomenal levels with it. It’s completely supported on all three devices, so users can tap out levels, and then play them and see how they feel, right in the game. Everything in the level editor looks just like it does in the game too, so there’s no guess and check work going on.
I’m waiting to release the editor until after I can create a sharing community. I am planning for a complete level browser where players can upload their created worlds, then rate and comment on them. Top-rated or downloaded worlds can be sorted to the top. I’m even planning OpenFeint integration with Time Trial leaderboards, so that these user-created worlds can become competitive.
As you transition from release to post-release product support, what do you have in mind for content expansions? Can we look forward to new Doodads, phobias, and powers?
All of the above! I am shipping a quick patch to Apple this afternoon that includes a couple key bug fixes. First and foremost, a fix to the iOS 4.0 compatibility crash, which currently makes the game require iOS 5.0! No, Apple didn’t pay me anything under the table to do that…
Before Christmas, I’ll be shipping the first major content expansion for Mystery Ball, which will include several new Doodads, some hats to put on the frenemies (imagine Mr. Pail with a Santa hat!), a new fear for FRED to conquer, and some new worlds to explore in an entirely new setting. Like clockwork, I’ll continue pumping out similar expansions early next year too! Keep an eye out in early December for a sneak peek at the first expansion.
iFanzine’s thanks goes to David Howe for taking the time out to answer our questions. You can find our Mystery Ball review here, and if you’re already a fan be sure to keep an eye on the game’s site, Facebook page, and Twitter account for the latest news on planned updates! Let’s leave you with David’s dev diary video: