Can't exit on 3.4a

[customswolf]

Just downloaded the update. There's no exit button any more, but the back button doesn't work anywhere in the game anymore. In the previous version the back button would take me out of the game. Now it doesn't even do that.

So, I can start the game, but when I return to the main menu, there's no way to exit the game apart from to press the home button. If I wanted to shut FMH down completely, I'd have to use a task manager, which obviously isn't ideal.

I'm using an Archos G9 80 250gb. FMH is the only app where the back button doesn't work. Can you fix it?

[aepacino]

Same here, on a Samsung galaxy s2 with ICS

[Alari Naylor]

Hi - this is by design. The Close Game button was removed to prevent undesirable behaviour of some devices when exiting the app.

It's perfectly fine to leave the app in the background when doing something else, if the phone needs to free up resources the OS will handle it automatically.

[customswolf]

That can't be right! My back button doesn't work anywhere in the app.

Are you saying that the only way to leave the game is to use the home button?

No other android app I've got disables the back button.

[Marc Vaughan]

That can't be right! My back button doesn't work anywhere in the app.

The back button should work anywhere 'back' is shown on the button bar options - it isn't enabled for 'cancel' as these options are generally not easily undoable.

Are you saying that the only way to leave the game is to use the home button?

Yes this is because people said using the 'back' button to exit the application was something which was 'non-standard' for Android applications and that they'd prefer it to act as a back button in the game proper (which is what it now does).

[customswolf]

No, my back button doesn't work at all now, anywhere in game. Archos G9, running ICS 4.03.

[tomdubs]

Yes this is because people said using the 'back' button to exit the application was something which was 'non-standard' for Android applications and that they'd prefer it to act as a back button in the game proper (which is what it now does).

Standard for android really should be going back to the previous screen you were on, as it is now (I Think) and then if you press back while on the main menu it gives you a choice of closing the game. Thats what Most android games do.

[Medion]

Standard for android really should be going back to the previous screen you were on, as it is now (I Think) and then if you press back while on the main menu it gives you a choice of closing the game. Thats what Most android games do.

I'm not sure it's standard but this is the case for ES Explorer and seems a sensible feature.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm not sure it's standard but this is the case for ES Explorer and seems a sensible feature.

Ok will consider this for a future update, its on the list.

[Tafkans]

The Back button is doing exactly what I'd expect now (Galaxy S2 ICS), so as somebody who was asking for that change, thanks!

The disappearance of the Exit Game button was rather unexpected, but the new Back button behaviour makes up for it - agree that pressing Back on the main menu to close would be a nice future addition.

[AnthonyAquino]

Hi - this is by design. The Close Game button was removed to prevent undesirable behaviour of some devices when exiting the app.

It's perfectly fine to leave the app in the background when doing something else, if the phone needs to free up resources the OS will handle it automatically.

Exactly, Android apps DON'T need a exit button. If you dont believe it, read some android development docs...

[customswolf]

Using the back button on the main menu to return to the desktop is a common feature though.

Mind you, I'd settle for the back button doing anything at all on my Archos G9 80 ICS right now!

[Medion]

Weird that the updated reviews are so negative about the lack of a close button. I guess if it was never there then it wouldn't be an issue.

[Alari Naylor]

Weird that the updated reviews are so negative about the lack of a close button. I guess if it was never there then it wouldn't be an issue.

We're a bit surprised as well actually, we may look to find another way of introducing one that closes the app down in a slightly different way but nothing's definite on that yet. As you've mentioned, exiting apps in this way is 'officially' discouraged by Android but if people really want such a button I guess we have to see what we can do.

[Kaizen]

Hi, most of android apps support the back=exit from main window, especially games. However it would be fine not to have it: but the main problem I'm facing is that fhm consumes a lot of processor even when it's closed, so I'm for ed to close it with task manager...

[Marc Vaughan]

but the main problem I'm facing is that fhm consumes a lot of processor even when it's closed, so I'm for ed to close it with task manager...

The processing it does when backgrounded is incredibly minimal unless you placed the game on holiday or something similar before backgrounding it, basically there is a thread which wakes up every one fifth of a second, checks if a flag has been set and if it hasn't it goes back to sleep for 200msec (if it has then it brings everything back to life).

As such the 'draw' from the activity should be next to none.

On my Galaxy S2 I found I could play an entire season on the phone (with all normal features, ie. phone, wireless, blue tooth etc.) while listening to music and still have 25% battery power left.

(does anyone know of a reference point for how they measure processor usage btw? - as it must be a sampling system and seems very inaccurate in my experience - I could 'tune' the activity to reduce the 'apparent' usage further from what I know it truly is if I understood their sampling approach - ie. it might be that my 'sleeping' of the processor actually isn't seen as such and is counted as active FMHi time rather than time within which the processor is inactive and saving battery usage)

[Medion]

We're a bit surprised as well actually, we may look to find another way of introducing one that closes the app down in a slightly different way but nothing's definite on that yet. As you've mentioned, exiting apps in this way is 'officially' discouraged by Android but if people really want such a button I guess we have to see what we can do.

I think that having a 'Close' button mimic the back button functionality that Kaizen suggested would be sensible first step; obviously the app is just backgrounded but I wonder if the people complaining are referring to the app closing from the foreground or completely shutting down.