A while ago I released Overwatch Player Log on Windows and OSX for recording player entries for when you are playing Overwatch. One thing I have noticed and has always been on the back of the mind is: unless if you have a second computer like a laptop handy, it is a pain in the bottoms to ult-tab out of the game, frantically try to remember what a OW player’s name was and type it down but you get busy again in the game!
Well, fret not! The Android version of the app is now available on the Google Play store for free! It is called Player Log for Overwatch (PLO). For now, it pretty much does the exact same thing like its desktop counter part. However, more features are on their way! I plan to focus most of my effort on the mobile version for now as I don’t myself using the desktop version again anytime soon.
You may notice that app name and icon have changed. That is because the original app name and icon would not pass the Google Play publishing reviews (despite several apps outright uses the Overwatch logo and name in their APK and store listing). It took several suspensions and reinstatement before the app was finally published onto the store…
The process was painful because it took roughly 24hrs each time when I send in an email to the Google Play Developer support team to appeal and ask for clarifications. I am just glad that that is finally over…
I consider the new icon a work in progress still as it looks unpolished and does not convey the fact that the app is something for Overwatch.
The app was built in Android Studio using the standard Google libraries. It gave me a good opportunity to really sit down and dig into doing Android development properly. It has been a great experience in learning about Material Design and applying it. I also got loads of practice making icons using Sketch on MacOS.
The source is currently available on an experimental branch in the Github repo but I am considering moving it to a private BitBucket repository as I am considering adding advanced features that are paid only.
BitBucket allows the combination of a private code repo + a public issue tracker so that could be handy. I just wish it provided something free that can facilitate the agile workflow with features, user stories and tasks tracking plus Kanban boards. Visual Studio Team Services provides that but I don’ t think it has public issues tracker. I also find the interface convoluted and the git repo’s slow.
