iOS App Store Launch — v0.1 Early Access — Plan

iOS App Store Launch — v0.1 Early Access — Plan

Status: plan for review · Date: Sun 2026-06-28 · Target ship: Wed 2026-07-01 Decision frame: launch the current build as v0.1 early access; the 6 roadmap systems (biomass spawning, dash/web/regen, shop overhaul, Giant Zombie, drones, areas) are post-launch updates (the 0.1 → 0.5 path). The game already gives a free player 1–2 hrs of fun — that’s a legit v0.1.

Why 0.1 / early access (and the save question)

Launching at 0.1 sets the right expectation: it’s evolving fast, and progression may reset between updates. State that plainly in the App Store description. Because meta-progression is short (you rebuild in an hour), an occasional save wipe isn’t painful — so for now we accept resets and don’t bend the roadmap to preserve saves. To make future resets graceful rather than crashes, add a schemaVersion to the MetaState save now: on load, if the version is older/unknown, reset to a fresh save instead of erroring. That’s the only save-compat work needed pre-launch.

Critical path (must be done before submitting to review)

1. Touch controls (the blocker). A left-side virtual joystick drives InputRouter.set_touch_vector for movement; on-screen buttons for dash + decoy(/drone); right-side touch-drag or auto for aim (the projectile is already auto-targetable). Verify the menus/level-up/shop are tappable (their cards are Buttons, so tap should already fire — confirm on device). Only shown on touch devices.
2. iOS export preset + signing + icon. New iOS preset (portrait or landscape — decide), square iOS AppIcon (separate from the tvOS brandassets), bundle digital.lumara.bulletheaven (iOS added to the same ASC record as tvOS — multiplatform, one bundle id). Build + test on a real iPhone.
3. MEASURE_FULL_QUALITY = false (main.gd) — restore adaptive quality, kill the fps overlay.
4. Version = 0.1 (CFBundleShortVersionString); internal Sim_Const.BUILD continues independently.
5. App Store listing: name, subtitle, description (with the early-access/reset notice), keywords, category (Action/Arcade), age rating questionnaire, support URL, screenshots (iPhone 6.7“ required; iPad if Universal), and the privacy nutrition label.
6. Telemetry/privacy decision (below).

Telemetry & the privacy label

The game POSTs anonymous perf + gameplay samples to our CF worker. Apple’s privacy label must declare any data collection. Two clean options:

• Disable telemetry in the App Store build (a release flag) → privacy label = “Data Not Collected”. Simplest; we lose live perf/balance data from store players.
• Keep telemetry, declare it as anonymous Diagnostics / Gameplay, not linked to identity. More paperwork, keeps the data flowing. (Recommended — the data is exactly what tunes the post-launch updates, and it’s genuinely anonymous.)

Sun → Wed timeline (tight but doable)

• Sun (today): decisions locked; start touch controls + iOS export preset/icon scaffolding.
• Mon: finish + device-test touch controls; MEASURE_FULL_QUALITY=false; save schemaVersion; build a signed iOS build; capture screenshots; draft the listing. Aim to submit Monday to maximise the review buffer.
• Tue: buffer — fix anything from device testing / a fast review rejection; resubmit if needed.
• Wed: release (set the build to “manually release” so approval ≠ go-live; you hit the button Wed regardless of when it’s approved).

Risks (honest)

• Touch controls are net-new — the schedule’s make-or-break. If they slip, Wed slips. (Mitigation: build them first, today.)
• App Review timing — usually ~24h but a first submission can be slower, and rejections (metadata, guidelines) cost a day. Submitting Monday + “manual release” is the safety margin for a Wed date.
• iPad/Universal adds screenshot + layout testing — iPhone-only is the faster path if Wed is firm.

Decisions (resolved 2026-06-28)

1. Scope: ship the current build as v0.1; the 6 roadmap systems are post-launch updates.
2. Telemetry: KEPT, declared as anonymous Diagnostics/Gameplay (not linked to identity).
3. Universal (iPhone + iPad) — needs both iPhone and iPad screenshots + a layout pass on iPad.
4. Landscape orientation (matches the existing HUD/arena layout; least rework).
5. Submit Monday + “manually release” so approval ≠ go-live and Wed is in our control. (default)

Universal note

Landscape + Universal means the touch layout must hold on both phone and tablet aspect ratios (anchor the joystick/buttons to screen edges, as the HUD already does), and the store needs iPhone 6.7“ and iPad 12.9“ screenshots.