[PARTY GAME] The Shipping Game (Available for Android) UPDATED: 5/29/11

[Armada]

ABOUT

This game was inspired by a Japanese game know as the King's Game (or Ousama). Basically the rules work a bit like this:

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Here’s how you play: Take a chopstick for each player, write “Osama” on one of them, and number the others from 1 upwards. Then someone holds the chopsticks in their fist, so the numbers are concealed, and everybody draws a stick, without telling anyone their number. The lucky guy or gal with the “Osama” chopstick gets to be the King. The Osama decides on a task and then states the numbers of the players who must perform it, (without knowing who they are). For example: “number two must kiss number five!” or “number three has to do the Macarena!” or “numbers seven and eight must down their drinks!”
This inevitably leads to a succession of pant-pissingly funny antics (as long as you’re not the person performing the embarrassing acts.)

After each deed is done, the chopsticks are gathered again, and the process is repeated. Usually everybody gets a chance to be the King, and players relish the chance to exact revenge on those who tormented them in previous rounds of the game.

(Copypasted from the internet!)

So with the two weeks I had between Tekkoshocon and the Pittsburghstuck meetup, I came up with a "shipping" styled version of this with a Homestuck theme. "Cards" were used instead of just "free" commands so that there would four distinct quardants, but this could easily be played the original way.

HOW TO PLAY

To start, get a random way to select everyone's number and the Shipper (basically the king from the original game with a different name. They give the orders). Use cards, draw straws, use a random number generator. Anything will work pretty much. Just make sure you have something directly designated for the shipper (it could be the highest number or the letter S).

Randomly assign a number to everyone (draw you straws or cards). DON'T TELL ANYONE WHAT YOU GOT UNLESS YOU ARE THE SHIPPER.

The shipper draws a card from the pile. In the Android app, press the menu button and press new card. If you're using your own physical cards, just pick one off the top. If you feel like freestyling, go ahead and make something up. The shipper replaces X, Y, and Z on the card with numbers. The numbers then do whatever that card said. (The shipper places the card on the bottom of the pile if you are playing with physical cards.)

Gather up you cards or straws or whatever from the players. Randomize again and repeat the whole process. Now you're cooking with gas!

EXAMPLE ROUND

8 players are playing. They have 8 playing cards, 1 through 7 and a king card, to assign numbers. The cards are shuffled and everyone picks one. Nepeta is the shipper. Nepeta draws a new card that reads: "X and Y have a hate filled rap-off". She chooses numbers 1 and 5. John and Karkat are those numbers, and they proceed to have the shittiest rap-off in the history of love raps. Everyone has a good laugh!

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Oh god just shoot me now for that awful example.

SCREENSHOTS

Here's how it looks on the homescreen.

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Example cards to show off the spiffy new UI.

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DOWNLOADS

The original 104 cards. Use these to make physical cards. You can add anything you want.

PC application for all platforms coming soon! (Don't know how it could be useful but it was requested)

The Android app. Directions on installing (until I get this on the Android Market) are below.

FOR NON-AT&T USERS:

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1. Under Menu button > Settings > Applications, check Unknown sources (if not already checked). Say OK to the prompt. This will allow the APK file to be installed.

2. Download the APK file (called shipping.apk) from the link above. If you downloaded it onto your computer, put the APK into the root of you phone SD card (not in any folders).

3. Use a file manager (like ASTRO, Root Explorer, or Estrong) to navigate to the root of /sdcard/ (this tends to be the default directory). Select shipping.apk and install it.

4. You are done! The Shipping Game will now be in your app drawer.

FOR AT&T USERS (EASY WAY):
Use Sideload Wonder Machine. THIS IS WINDOWS ONLY! For those who use Linux or Mac OS X, see below.

FOR AT&T USERS (ALTERNATE WAY):
Make sure you are pretty confident about using a terminal when doing this. This works for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

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Make sure you have the Android SDK installed. I recommend having /platform-tools/ in your Path environment variable so that ADB (Android Developer Bridge) is available easily. Otherwise you'll have to put the APK file in the same directory as ADB.

1. Open up a command prompt/terminal. Navigate to the location of the APK file (shipping.apk).

2. Enter this command: adb install shipping.apk

3. You are done! The Shipping Game should now be in your app drawer.

Please submit any bugs here.

[KarateLincoln]

Looks like meetups have a favorite activity now.

[prismaticNudibranch]

Hahahahahahaha I just noticed your shipping game example. All the hearts to you for that. :33 And also for programming this!

[Miff]

Pretty simple app, so why does it need to access my SD card and phone identity again?

And why does it stay resident when I close it??

[Armada]

Pretty simple app, so why does it need to access my SD card and phone identity again?

And why does it stay resident when I close it??

Modify SD and Phone Identity is pretty much a permission every app has. Go check the Android market. If that was implying this is malicious code. I have better things to do that mess up phones.

And by "resident" do you mean the state is preserved? It's so you don't have to restart the game if you accidentally mash the home button.

[Ace Rimmer]

How do you operate the android version?

I have it installed but now what?

[Armada]

I put the directions in the first post. Did you read it?

[Armada]

Just gave the app a HUGE graphical makeover. Updated APK is in the OP. The PC version will be coming soon.

[Lumeina]

Oh my god this is amazing. New favorite activity much?

[AriNemea]

I am now bringing this to school. It will be played at lunch. In the library. Jegus, we are such geeks!

EDIT: I just used up every last note card of mine for the making of those cards. I now will have problems next semester.....

[Acey Enn]

Note to self: Try to find more IRL Homestucks so you can play the crap outta this game!

[caddyl]

i downloaded this onto my phone fine, and it runs, but when i click "new card" it closes the program ):

any idea why?

[Armada]

Depends, what's your phone model and Android version. Works fine for me from Froyo to Ice Cream Sandwich on 3 devices.

[Loki.Metal]

This looks like fun! Sadly I don't have an Android or anything. -le sigh-

I'm hoping that there may be a computer version someday. Is that far-fetched of me? For now though, I'm going to bug the shit out of my roommate to get it on his Android. :3

[The Cool]

As for not seeing how a computer version can be helpful, imagine the game played as normal, but the SHIPPER KING has a laptop.

[Reecer6]

So, err, ACSWM isn't working? It said something wasn't set up the first time I tried to install TSG and it set it up, but I couldn't find the game. Every time after that, ACSWM said it couldn't find my phone!

[Armada]

This looks like fun! Sadly I don't have an Android or anything. -le sigh-

I'm hoping that there may be a computer version someday. Is that far-fetched of me? For now though, I'm going to bug the shit out of my roommate to get it on his Android. :3

I'll work on it. Its not a very difficult port at all. Perhaps I can even finish one today if I'm not a lazy piece of shit.

So, err, ACSWM isn't working? It said something wasn't set up the first time I tried to install TSG and it set it up, but I couldn't find the game. Every time after that, ACSWM said it couldn't find my phone!

Try the ACSWM thread. I haven't used it ever in depth and never have those options. Another option is Android Injector Also, double check that you can install from unknown sources. You may not need the sideloader.

[quadrangledReality]

could you possibly do one for iOS.

i know its lame that the money-grubbing apple requires a $100 fee thingy for putting things up on the app store like huge bitches, but i still have an iPhone and am probably not going to get an android untill im 18

[Angels Can Die]

i totally downloaded this the second i saw the word "android" eff yeah! its so cool!

incidentally i used my acer tablet with android OS to download it and it works fine. all i had to do was find this thread on my browser app, click the link and it downloaded. clicking the "finished downloading" icon at the bottom automatically brought up the installation menu and once i clicked install it was done. THAT QUICKLY! :3

[first post woooooo]

*messes around with it*