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Show HN: The most comprehensive app for Heart of the Swarm

27 points by dracoli 14y ago

kmfrk 14y ago
Is it such a good idea to use "SC2" in the name of an unofficial app? I imagine that's entering a legal minefield.
- geuis 14y ago
  It's fine (probably). While you can trademark and copyright an abbreviation, my searches turned up no matches. Additionally, there are dozens of other sc2-related apps in the App Store.
- nolok 14y ago
  I would worry less about the name, and more about using Blizzard's assets ... The player's avatars and the units/races/leagues icons are ripped straight from them.
  - kmfrk 14y ago
    More yikes. This goes to my main concern that Blizzard might take issue with it, because people could confuse it for an official app. At least it's free. :)
- dracoli 14y ago
  Yeah there might be some issues with it if it became very popular. However there are already so many StarCraft apps in the app store that I thought maybe Blizzard is okay with it.
softbuilder 14y ago
Is there a Korean-language version?
- dracoli 14y ago
  The app is ready for internationalization but I dunno Korean and I don't have funds to get someone to translate it for me... So no right now.
geuis 14y ago
I'm your primary target. The site isn't mobile friendly and I can't really tell what your app does since I can't read the site.
- chmullig 14y ago
  ++ I play SC2. I'm on an iPhone. Your site is broken for me, and made it do I didn't download the app.
- dracoli 14y ago
  Thanks for letting me know! I'll see if I can write up a more mobile friendly version as soon as I get some free time.
vosper 14y ago
Not a Starcrafter (term?) at all so I can't comment on the app itself, but your site looks beautiful on my laptop - the parallax effect is great, and the scrolling takes advantage of it despite being only a few screens long (which is for the best). Nice work!
- Jauny 14y ago
  Yeah those parallax effects are pretty good and fluid too :)
jzone3 14y ago
I don't play SC, nor am I interested in the app, but I have to say... your site is GORGEOUS.
curtu 14y ago
You should add support for watching Starcraft streams on twitch.
- sjm 14y ago
  If you watch and follow pro SC2 you may like this old app I knocked up while initially learning iOS and Objective-C: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/starlive/id456029193?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/starlive/id456029193?mt=8
gailees 14y ago
Let's get an Android port!....and a more attractive mobile website :)
catshirt 14y ago
awesome. where did you get the data from? specifically, wins, losses, league info, etc. i wanted to try to make a program that reasoned your best chances of winning based on who you are facing and how they play, but the proper APIs didn't exist to get any of this data. given the reason i was attempting to access the data, i could see why they don't expose it. :) far be it from me to shamelessly self promote, but i'm not sure i'll ever find a more apt route for promoting this one, so i don't mind. a few months ago i finished a node library that scrapes Blizzard and exposes unit attributes through an HTTP api: https://github.com/catshirt/sc2-unit-api https://github.com/catshirt/sc2-unit-api
- dracoli 14y ago
  I'm scrapping player data (achievements, ladders, history, etc) directly from Blizzard. As for units/buildings information I had to update them myself right now which is a bit of a pain. Last for rankings, I'm taking data from sc2ranks.
estel 14y ago
Looks cool! Have you considered adding a Smart App Banner? http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/PromotingAppswithAppBanners/PromotingAppswithAppBanners.html http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/AppleA...
- dracoli 14y ago
  Thanks for tip! Will add it as soon as I get the chance.

27 points by dracoli 14y ago

kmfrk 14y ago

Is it such a good idea to use "SC2" in the name of an unofficial app? I imagine that's entering a legal minefield.

geuis 14y ago
It's fine (probably). While you can trademark and copyright an abbreviation, my searches turned up no matches. Additionally, there are dozens of other sc2-related apps in the App Store.
nolok 14y ago
I would worry less about the name, and more about using Blizzard's assets ... The player's avatars and the units/races/leagues icons are ripped straight from them.
- kmfrk 14y ago
  More yikes. This goes to my main concern that Blizzard might take issue with it, because people could confuse it for an official app. At least it's free. :)
dracoli 14y ago
Yeah there might be some issues with it if it became very popular. However there are already so many StarCraft apps in the app store that I thought maybe Blizzard is okay with it.

softbuilder 14y ago

Is there a Korean-language version?

dracoli 14y ago
The app is ready for internationalization but I dunno Korean and I don't have funds to get someone to translate it for me... So no right now.

geuis 14y ago

I'm your primary target. The site isn't mobile friendly and I can't really tell what your app does since I can't read the site.

chmullig 14y ago
++ I play SC2. I'm on an iPhone. Your site is broken for me, and made it do I didn't download the app.
dracoli 14y ago
Thanks for letting me know! I'll see if I can write up a more mobile friendly version as soon as I get some free time.

vosper 14y ago

Not a Starcrafter (term?) at all so I can't comment on the app itself, but your site looks beautiful on my laptop - the parallax effect is great, and the scrolling takes advantage of it despite being only a few screens long (which is for the best). Nice work!

Jauny 14y ago
Yeah those parallax effects are pretty good and fluid too :)

jzone3 14y ago

I don't play SC, nor am I interested in the app, but I have to say... your site is GORGEOUS.

curtu 14y ago

You should add support for watching Starcraft streams on twitch.

sjm 14y ago
If you watch and follow pro SC2 you may like this old app I knocked up while initially learning iOS and Objective-C: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/starlive/id456029193?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/starlive/id456029193?mt=8

gailees 14y ago

Let's get an Android port!....and a more attractive mobile website :)

catshirt 14y ago

awesome. where did you get the data from? specifically, wins, losses, league info, etc. i wanted to try to make a program that reasoned your best chances of winning based on who you are facing and how they play, but the proper APIs didn't exist to get any of this data. given the reason i was attempting to access the data, i could see why they don't expose it. :) far be it from me to shamelessly self promote, but i'm not sure i'll ever find a more apt route for promoting this one, so i don't mind. a few months ago i finished a node library that scrapes Blizzard and exposes unit attributes through an HTTP api: https://github.com/catshirt/sc2-unit-api https://github.com/catshirt/sc2-unit-api

dracoli 14y ago
I'm scrapping player data (achievements, ladders, history, etc) directly from Blizzard. As for units/buildings information I had to update them myself right now which is a bit of a pain. Last for rankings, I'm taking data from sc2ranks.

estel 14y ago

Looks cool! Have you considered adding a Smart App Banner? http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/PromotingAppswithAppBanners/PromotingAppswithAppBanners.html http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/AppleA...

dracoli 14y ago
Thanks for tip! Will add it as soon as I get the chance.