As always, thanks to everyone who pitches in and helps when issues are uncovered.
With 82 games across multiple devices and platforms (81 on Android), the code base for Riverboat Gambler has grown tremendously.
As my first app, this was originally/simply meant to be a fun diversion. Now, though, it has grown into a popular
application with a loyal Player community and it requires a lot of care and feeding to maintain.
I really couldn't do this without your help!
~ Danny
I've made some significant adjustments to the underlying scaffolding/core code.
The deeper I dive into Android programming, the more embarrassed I become about some of the poor design decisions I made early on.
New Game Names:
I've had to rename some games to avoid any potential trademark infringement. Towards this end, I've been working with a trademark attorney.
I have to be honest, I hate having to come up with alternate names for games because it is not a superpower that I possess, but I have to play by the rules.
If you are unable to find a casino game that you like, ensure that you use the Search feature to look for it. I've also added a reference list to the
Search Menu that will suggest an RBG game that is patterned after the games you would find in a casino. Not surprisingly,
the same game may have a different name depending on which casino you are in.
- Let It Ride was recently renamed to "Ride It Out". I've now named it "Pull'em Back" because I like that name better.
- Five Treasures Baccarat has been renamed to "Heavenly Fortune Baccarat".
New Game:
RBG now boasts a total of 82 games! In this release, I've added these two:
- Mini Hold'em: This game was requested by Gary, a casino Dealer. It is an interesting cross between 3 Card Poker and Texas Hold'em. In the game, the Dealer
and Player each receive 2 cards and will share 3 Community Cards. From those five card, each will form their best 3 Card Poker hand while ensuring at least one
of their original hole cards are used. Please read the rules to fully understand the game and pay particular attention to the optional bonus wagers.
- Three Card Hi Low:
This game was requested by another Player, Zach. It is an extremely interesting three card game that seems to have been influenced by Bacarrat. In this game, the Dealer will
form two different hands, a High Hand & and a Low Hand. The challenge for the Player is to decide, based on his three card hand, whether his hand is likely to be the highest or the lowest on the board.
Please read the instructions carefully to fully understand the rules and how the values of the hands are calculated because "High" & "Low" are based on points - not on hand ranking.
Other Change:
- A major flaw in Heavenly Fortune Baccarat was reported by Courtney who is casino Dealer and very familiar with the game. The rules upon which I based the game incorrectly stated that the
Fortune 7 bonus required that the Player hand be wagered and that the Golden 8 bonus required that the Banker hand be wagered.
As it turns out, this was bad information. I have updated the game and want to thank Courtney for "getting involved" and letting me know about the issue.
- The games listed on the Search Menu were not properly alphabetized.
- Preferences for some games was incorrectly showing options for "Player Reveals Cards" & "Show Other Players' Cards".
- The font sizes used in the instruction screens were not adequately sized. This was a really big deal on tablets.
The rest of the work will not be as obvious to you, but it is consequential to the extent that it has reduced and streamlined the core code base to help
support some requested enhancements that are in the backlog.
Those who have supported RBG for a while know that I turned off ads when I went on vacation to celebrate my birthday last month. The revenue hit is a little painful,
but I still haven't turned them back on. The truth is that supporting ads and trying to work around all of the underhanded tricks the advertisers play to
get you to click on their product has been a real pain. I've not missed any of the support messages complaining about an ad. So, for the time being,
I'm going to leave them off and see if I can adjust to the lost revenue. If I do bring them back, the frequency will likely be significantly decreased.
A lot more is coming and I'm excited. As always, I want to thank you for your continued support and request that you spread the word by telling folks in your circles about RBG.
Also, if you haven't already, please consider leaving a review in the Play Store. The Player Community is my best form of advertising!
I appreciate your support!
~Danny
