iOS Games Thread

[Flavor]

I think the concept is great - I really like the mix of deckbuilding with the strategy of playing out your hand, deciding when to try to hold onto a card and trying to decide if you should go for a direct attack. It’s enough activity to make you feel involved, but not so much that you feel frantic. I love the gameplay!

I only have some minor issues with the game - really minor in the great scheme of things. Lots of typing but I’m wordy - there are all minor issues.

I’ve actually made notes of all your points, but I’ll make some limited responses here. Okay, let’s get to it!

1. When starting the game, why do I have to backspace over the name “Player 1” before typing my name?

Actually, this is a good thought. I will have to look into this. This one is tricky, as I don’t have much control over the name entry dialog that pops up (as it’s in a library I make use of). If I can auto-select the text, it’s probably a simple thing that really should be the way to go.

3. When building your deck it’s difficult to see what’s selected.

This is a recurring theme, and I like some of the suggestions you’ve made to fix this.

5. The sales job on Chapters 2 and 3 is a bit lacking. It would be nice to spend a little more screen real estate on them and show, for example, what cards you would be getting, what troops you’ll use, what robots you’ll fight… some sort of marketing other than a gray button.

Yeah, I really like this idea. It seems so obvious in retrospect, but (in some cases like this) I’ve been known to get something working and then move on to the next big problem. Getting the IAP integration working properly was a huge issue for me. “Selling” it to the user should not be an afterthought.

6. If you try to purchase an additional chapter then cancel the itunes dialog, the popup you return to has only a “Retry” button on it so you can retry the purchase. There is no way to cancel that popup though so the only way to go back to the game seems to be to force quit it and re-launch.

When you hit the RETRY button, it should go back to the popup that shows the UPGRADES (purchase options). That popup should have an exit button. Is this not the case for you?

I played through all of Trouble With Robots, finished all the levels in chapters 1-3 on both normal and Limited except Clean Up. Clean Up took me a couple of days to manage with a careful selection of cards, there was no way I was doing it with a random set. Similarly, I unlocked all the cards except the one you get for finishing Clean Up with no healing cards.

Of course, this is the hardest unlock. But it sounds like you really got your money’s worth! You must have put a lot of time into the game to get this far. Nice work!!!

I ended up deleting it because I didn’t want the temptation of returning to try those again after beating my head against that level.

Heh Heh! I think this technique is more common that people think. :D

The suggestions about having a RETRY button at the end of a level (especially in limited mode) would really make a lot of impact here. I feel pretty swamped (yet completely grateful) with all of the feedback/suggestions. I still need to get this Android version out, and then there’s some language translation stuff in the pipeline.

THANKS GUYS!!!

[Chaplin]

Anyone playing Vainglory? I have fiddled with it some and it seems like fun if you like MOBA’s. Haven’t dropped any money for any characters. Will likely just save up the in game cash until I can buy a character that ends up being a favorite.

i have had my eye on this one. I played Solstice Arena for awhile as a doable remote MOBA, but ultimately grew tired of it. Vainglory looks interesting, but the reviews seem really mixed so far. Too slow and too hard to comeback seems to be common complaints.

[RainRaven]

It is a little slow but I don’t know what the sweet spot on a mobile device is as far as time. Haven’t had a comeback win but I can’t say my teammates were good enough to pull it off. Maybe as my ranking increases and the matchmaking puts me with better people comebacks will be more possible. I don’t consider myself a great MOBA player but the lack of common sense tactics by some people are surprising.

[Charlatan]

(me complaining about the Retry button when you back out of a purchase)

When you hit the RETRY button, it should go back to the popup that shows the UPGRADES (purchase options). That popup should have an exit button. Is this not the case for you?

Ah, you know - I didn’t even hit that button because in my mind it would “Retry” the purchase (which I was trying to back out of). In fact hitting that button does take you to the “Upgrades” screen (so… working as intended!). I think since it said “Retry” I thought it would try to purchase again when it really takes you back. So then my objection is that it should be called “Back” or something other than “Retry” since you’re not really trying anything again! :D

[Mysterio]

Hoplite for iOS is free for the first time ever.

[Nightgaunt]

Hoplite for iOS is free for the first time ever.

I ignored everyone talking about this game for too, too long. If you don’t have it, get it!

[Profanicus]

Not free on the Au store for some reason. Unless I’m too late. US only? Surely not, given Pocketgamer is a UK site.

edit: I guess it is technically the 10th here now. I’m too used to thinking in terms of US release dates!

[TheRock]

Been playing Vainglory the past few nights. Play with my 9 year old. When we are on opposite teams and we get near each other, he begs me in his still little kid voice to not attack him…I have to comply and my team usually loses. I dont play MOBA’s but I’m having a fun time playing with the kid casually.

[biosc1]

Not free on the Au store for some reason. Unless I’m too late. US only? Surely not, given Pocketgamer is a UK site.

edit: I guess it is technically the 10th here now. I’m too used to thinking in terms of US release dates!

We will now call you “Tomorrow Man”.

[Gus_Smedstad1]

I picked up Fiz because the price dropped to $0.99. I believe I put it on my watchlist originally because of positive comments here.

Man, it bored me to tears. You’d think that a business management game with crafting would push all my buttons, but the endless repetition and waiting was too much. This is a game where you sit around watching the brewers make the beer one… stage… at… a… time. At a profit-per-batch which means any significant upgrade of equipment or personnel requires 20-ish batches to break even.

The designer clearly realized the waiting was awful, but instead of turning this into a turn-based game where you just tap “brew” and you move ahead 2 game months, he added a mindless smash-the-mouse-for-prizes minigame to burn time while you’re waiting.

The next indication I had that the designer had his head screwed on backwards was that to unlock a user interface button that relieves a small amount of the tedium, you have to complete a beer-brewing challenge. Just to avoid having to drag the same jobs to the same slots every time. It has no game advantage, just a user annoyance advantage.

Pretty soon I just didn’t care anymore, and deleted it.

[Tyjenks]

I picked up Fiz because the price dropped to $0.99. I believe I put it on my watchlist originally because of positive comments here.

Man, it bored me to tears. You’d think that a business management game with crafting would push all my buttons, but the endless repetition and waiting was too much. This is a game where you sit around watching the brewers make the beer one… stage… at… a… time. At a profit-per-batch which means any significant upgrade of equipment or personnel requires 20-ish batches to break even.

The designer clearly realized the waiting was awful, but instead of turning this into a turn-based game where you just tap “brew” and you move ahead 2 game months, he added a mindless smash-the-mouse-for-prizes minigame to burn time while you’re waiting.

The next indication I had that the designer had his head screwed on backwards was that to unlock a user interface button that relieves a small amount of the tedium, you have to complete a beer-brewing challenge. Just to avoid having to drag the same jobs to the same slots every time. It has no game advantage, just a user annoyance advantage.

Pretty soon I just didn’t care anymore, and deleted it.

Same. And I love beer too!!

Disappointing.

[Charlatan]

I saw that Craft The World has hit the App Store. It sells for $4.99. I toyed with getting it but decided not to since the impressions of the Steam version started out strong and sort of petered out.

[Enidigm]

Supposedly Pike and Shot is coming out tonight from Slitherine.

[Janster]

It’s out now, but unsure how well this works on pad

[Enidigm]

/ahem.

[Enidigm]

I don’t have time to play it! Fine! I’ll buy it. Hold on for s report later today.

[Reemul]

Some good stuff this week,

Radiation Island looks great link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vZU02uLUSw&feature=player_detailpage&x-yt-cl=85027636&x-yt-ts=1422503916

Active Soccer 2 link https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=85027636&feature=player_embedded&v=4ASle4Fd5iI&x-yt-ts=1422503916

[tylertoo]

I don’t have time to play it! Fine! I’ll buy it. Hold on for s report later today.

It’s later today now.

[Enidigm]

It’s later today now.

House rule: ‘today’ ends at sunup. I started it! Looked at two units and then had to leave.

[Janster]

Tell us more ! Leave no stone unturned