In this tutorial video, Andrew Voigt gives you a quick tour of Component Studio 2. He covers the features and shows how to get around the system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnG2a7Jz3qs
Component Studio 2 - System Tour
Fri, 01/28/2022 - 11:21
Fri, 01/28/2022 - 18:13
#1
Hmm... My only issue with Component Studio 1, 2, ... 10...
Is that your projects are stored somewhere on the CLOUD. Why is this an issue? Because it means that you MUST continue paying your subscription fee if you want to preserve your projects that are stored within Component Studio.
Tools like "NanDeck", "Cocktail", "Multideck", etc. Are all client-side tools that allow you to store all your files LOCALLY instead of somewhere UNKNOWN where the components can possibly be "lost".
What I am getting at... Is that IMHO Component Studio needs to go in the way of "TableTop Simulator". Yes you have a software program ... But you also have "DLCs" which are "Downloadable Content" that you can distribute to whomever owns a copy of TableTop Simulator.
I'm not interested in maintaining a $9.99 USD fee per month for Projects that I've completed and done... And now to PRESERVE them for "historical purposes", I need to pay a maintenance fee.
Sorry for me... That's too big of an ASK.
But if you could have a "DLC" (think ZIP) that I can DOWNLOAD once I am finished with the project in Component Studio "X" that preserves everything within the project... Well that could be reasonable. Of course, you would need an IMPORT feature that allows me to RESUME from where I was in Component Studio.
The problem with this is the FORMAT. You'll need to establish some kind of VERSIONING of the project files. And you'll probably need some kind of CONVERSION tool in the event that a project is too old. Or you'll need to do like Adobe does with PSD files... Features incompatible with older Photoshop Versions, ignore the "unknown" content.
Either way there will be a lot of time invested in DESIGNING the FORMAT... And making sure that for the most part, there is very little versioning just UPGRADING of "new" features/content that did not previously exist in the older format.
Anyhow this is my 2 cents... You'll probably ignore my advice ... The same like I honestly feel it's unfair that using The Game Crafter's Randomizer for cards no longer has any price breaks making the cost effectively double even with high quantities of purchases (same HIGH price no matter what the quantity).
But that's another one of my beefs with TGC...
Fri, 01/28/2022 - 18:24
#2
This reminds me of a couple other ONLINE tools
#1: Dropbox
What is the problem with their service??? Well if you SHARE a project with another person... ALL the SPACE used by that SHARED project costs ALL parties in terms of SPACE.
So if the Project Owner spent 20gb of space and shares it with 2 of his colleagues, they BOTH are HIT for 20gb of space usage.
Ridiculous and ludicrous. Why should I have to pay for SOMEONE ELSE's shared space??? I went with G-Drive... Even though it too has a limit on how much can be shared.
But NONE of this NONSENSE that MY "shared" space is combined to anyone else's shared space... Services that are Racketeering ...
#2: Netflix
They store your profile information for 6 months. After that period of time is over, they blow their "CLOUD" storage of any memory of the movies that you've watched and what episodes you have already seen with online shows. Like if I am on Season 5 of Hell's Kitchen and at Episode 4 in that season... How the F- am I supposed to remember this for all the shows I may watch???
Blowing the "CLOUD" storage is again an effort to FORCE people to continue to use Netflix even if they may not be watching much nowadays.
Fri, 01/28/2022 - 22:04
#3
I got rid of Netflix...
The moment I could get Amazon Prime for 7.99/mth (even cheaper if you pay yearly).
1. I get Amazon Prime 2-day shipping on most items.
2. I get FREE Radio Stations and Music Playback without any ads.
3. I get FREE Movies and TV shows with Amazon Video.
All that for ONLY $7.99/mth CAD. Or $79 CAD yearly which is $6.58/mth CAD.
That compared to Netflix which became real greedy charging $16.49/mth CAD. Yes I get that Netflix may have more variety ... But it is VERY pricey indeed.
Who needs to PAY so much for streaming services... IDK why they keep getting more and more expensive offering less and less competitive advantages to their competitors. Looks like the price increases are because they need to keep up their numbers as the number of subscribers dwindles.
Anyhow. I don't like being taken advantage of.
We're aware designers aren't always working on game projects and so on our FAQ (https://help.component.studio/article/283-faq)we clearly state the following:
1. There's no contracts
2. You can cancel at any time
3. You can download your data so you have it.
4. As a courtesy, we do hold on to your data for 90 days after you cancel. So if it's a temporary cancel and you restart in a month or two then it's easy to do so. (plus it gives you extra protection/time to make sure you backed up the data!)
The choices we've made in how Component.Studio works are based on:
1. experiences/feedback of game designers who have told us what they want 2. the costs to pay for the necessary hardware/software/storage
By now, we hope everyone has seen over the last 12+ years that The Game Crafter is not some greedy megacorp trying to trap you into a forever subscription. We're the company that supports like 50 indie game design events, schools, and non-profits around the world each year by giving away free blank components, game pieces, and shop credit. We offer products/features/tools that provide real value to game designers and gamers.
If you like alternative, non-subscription, client-only tools then you do you. But a lot of game designers around the world now believe https://Component.Studio is the best game design tool on the planet. So we're going to keep making it better (https://component.studio/v2) and listening to what the community wants on our ideas list at https://component.studio/ideas.