Unity 2.0.1 is now available. The update includes bug fixes, minor improvements, and the ability to serve policy files directly from Unity to movies running Flash Player 7.0.19.0 and later. Policy files allow cross-domain connections to Unity and connections to ports under 1024. (Prior to Flash Player 7.0.19.0, cross-domain connections required policy files to be served over HTTP, and connections to ports under 1024 were completely forbidden, even with a policy file.)
For more information on the new version of Unity, see:
http://www.moock.org/pipermail/unity-dev/2003-December/001740.html
the first update to flash player 7 is now out. the version is 7.0.19.0. get it here:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/flashplayer7updater.html
complete info on what's new is listed here:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/
flashplayer/7/releasenotes.html
here are some of the more interesting changes:
* auto-update now works on windows-based netscape/mozilla
* policy files can now be placed in an arbitrary location, and XMLSocket servers can load policy files without http. in addition the player can now connect to XMLSocket servers on a port below 1024 (when permitted by the server's policy file). a Unity update to address this change will be released soon.
* tab key can now be used to enter and leave a flash document in a web page (this feature can be enabled or disabled on a per-movie basis)
* flash player 6 format .swfs can now use Mouse wheel events
* various fixes...see URL above
yugo nakamura has a very nice new project up:
http://www.intentionallies.co.jp/
neat stuff about the site:
-data-cards are fun to drag and throw (even when zoomed)
-zoom in/out interface
-visual sorting (make sure to try sorting!)
-settings are saved between visits (via SharedObject)
-for speed, the movie auto-switches to low quality during transitions
-image sequences auto-play...you don't have to click
-context sensitive interface builds itself when needed and removes itself when not
i just noticed that the good people at the venerable playland, globz, have a really great selection of games up at www.globz.com. many of them are multiplayer...take a look at this soccer game:
http://www.globulos.com/
sweet stuff. very inventive combination of realtime and turn-based features, which work around the relatively slow socket communication flash provides (i.e., tcp/ip, not udp).