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The iOS Gaming Thread January 2013: We beat the apocalypse without buttons!

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Ardvent

Member
Interface frustration and the in-app purchase bonus to multiplayer made me remove clash of heroes with kind of a sour taste.

Not sure if I want to give it another shot since I don't know another game that I'm interested in installing and I need a game to fill my Games folder

Maybe i'll try heroes and castles, does it run well on a iPhone 4?
 

GeekyDad

Member
Interface frustration and the in-app purchase bonus to multiplayer made me remove clash of heroes with kind of a sour taste.

Not sure if I want to give it another shot since I don't know another game that I'm interested in installing and I need a game to fill my Games folder

Maybe i'll try heroes and castles, does it run well on a iPhone 4?

Runs good enough on my 3GS, so I'm guessing it should run fine on your phone. But I found it to be a bit over-rated. I gave it a good shot, but it's clunky and repetitive. I can see some appeal there, but eh...
 

Heel

Member
It's a pretty out there puzzle game but I think it's a pretty unique title. Pocket Tactics seems to like it and I'd love some feedback. So, hidden in this post is fifteen codes (its a universal app)- if you do use one, I'd love any comments you might have, good or bad! Or just have fun with the game, whatever. :)

chubs: First impression is that the gameplay is great and there's definitely something there as a core concept. That said, as a shallow AppStore consumer who just browses lightly and takes things at face value constantly, the art style is not something that would make me take a second look or make a blind purchase.

There are puzzle games that have overcome their style with substance (Flow Free, Trainyard) but I feel like they're in a very unique situation. Personally I would've never have played those without A) Their overwhelming approval through AppStore reviews and their chart placement. B) A free version to try it out and have that 'ah-ha!' moment of realizing how great they really are.

I'm no expert on business models, but just as a consumer I'm not buying puzzle games without some kind of way to try them first. Whether that's being a free game with an IAP unlock, having a lite version, etc. I think Hundreds is my only exception.

So yeah, in my opinion:

-Ditch the half step into grittiness and go with something more clean and polished to catch some eyes on first impression. You don't have to try to suspend my belief that I'm disarming a real bomb if it's a puzzle game (but thinking about it, wouldn't a super hardcore bomb wire-snipping game that's controlled like The Room be awesome?!)

-Like Minesweeper, show me where my error was when I fail.

-When sliding the SDUs, let me see how many triggers are in a lane as I slide past them. Having to slide and let go each time feels a bit clunky.


All I got for now, I'll update if I see anything else worth mentioning.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Should I play Clash of Heroes on iPhone 5, iPad 3, or Mini? I'm thinking iPad 3 for the resolution (is it high res?) and because I have the most space there.

Also Dash! I can't replicate your problem with DDP:R HD on the Mini. It runs like it does on my other devices. Now you've got me thinking though, will have to try them side by side. Are you sure you're not just used to playing with "wait control" off? It prevents the intended slowdown when things get hectic.

This pisses me off, damn. I can only hope the problem is with the Lite version only.
I'd really appreciate if you could check out DDP:R HD LITE and do a comparison ( edit: I thought you couldn't choose the wait control option on the Lite version, gonna check out if OFF makes any difference). It's not only the constant slowdowns but frame-skipping as well (mostly 30fps). I know these games very well myself, having played them on iPad 1 since release and owning each one of them -bar Esp2- on X360. It'd mean there's a problem with my Mini but that seems unlikely and unheard of, also because the versions that I do own fully (every Cave's iPhone/Universal release) and which are not "HD" perform much better than on my old gen1.
Have you also got Pinball Arcade by any chance? If so check out the TotAN table (you can try it for free) and tell me if it's rock solid 60fps for you... Even the intro with the camera panning over the table has frame hiccups for me, while Zen Pinball (which was barely 30fps on iPad1) is butter smooth 60fps at all times, which tells me it's a matter of apps instead of my device acting up.

But it'd be awesome if you could have a go at the Smartphone/Arcade modes on DDP:R HD *Lite*!


UPDATE

YAY, mistery solved! Thank you Zeth for making me look into the Wait Control option.
Basically:
1) there's no such option on my iPhone game (I can post a screen if you guys don't believe me), maybe cause it's not updated to the latest version but I saw no reason since it ran perfectly. So I didn't know about looking into such a thing for the HD app.
2) Wait Control was indeed on ON, as soon as I switched to OFF it was fine!
3) the way that option is implemented sucks imo (or at least it does on the Lite version) and I couldn't recognize the "intended" slowdowns simply because: Smartphone mode which runs like crap with ON doesn't exist on 360, even in Arcade mode there's not only slowdowns (which would be ok and included on the 360 port/PCB) but plenty of frameskipping as well, which isn't intended at all and in my opinion would ruin every shmup out there... and this one's no exception.

Off to buy some iTunes cards, thanks a lot Zeth, much happier about the Mini now :)

There's still the Pinball Arcade mistery to solve and then I'll be completely satisfied with my purchase as far as gaming goes (yeah, Cave's stuff and PA are my iOS' Uncharted/Mario/Halo and whatnot, so they're pretty important to me) anybody wants to tackle that one? App and tryout of the TotAn table are free
 

jediyoshi

Member
Success!
I have reversed the charge for the item that you did not intend to purchase. In three to five business days, a credit of $6.56 should be posted to the payment method that appears on the receipt for that purchase.If the order was paid for with store credit and you do not see the refund, sign out and back in from the Store menu.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
lots o stuff

Thanks so much Heel! Great feedback. This was originally an old prototype I did for iOS about a year or so ago for a company, and once Game Maker Studio came out I thought I'd just port it to iOS. So I do realize that a game that "looks" like this doesn't have the potential to really stand out. That's the style of the game since it was first released on PC, but yeah, I would have had to invest some money into it to get it into commercial-tier shape, but this is more of a side fun project.

I do think it's a good idea to have a Lite version for sure. I plan on releasing that in about two weeks or so.

Also you're right about showing the user the error, but with the way the game is coded I'm not sure how easy that'll be, but I can certainly try.

Thanks again!
 

joesmokey

Member
I was going to wait until it went on sale again, but finally took the plunge on Super Hexagon.

This game is amazing! I'm on Hexagonest right now and though it seems impossible, the music is so good it just keeps pulling you back in.


Any other suggestions? Punch Quest is my most recent addiction. I tried to like Time Surfer but cannot stand it. Debating on Puzzles & Dragons.
 
Yeah, I'm liking Shell Blast Forever. I would agree with Heel regarding the fail state reflecting my error though. I'm really into the Picross/Sudoku process of elimination gameplay. I think it's also pretty refreshing for a puzzle game to not start out with 25 hand-holding puzzles, before getting to the real meaty gameplay.

The podcast/music halt in playback, upon the apps launch is honestly my biggest issue at the moment. I play most apps with a podcast going in the background at this point. It's not huge, as you can call it back up once in the game, but it's still a bit annoying. Outside of that I'll definitely be adding this to the daily roster!


On the other end of the spectrum, I played through Hysteria Project 2 last night, and was totally disappointed. I dug the original for what it did, but the sequel tries to introduce more interactive gameplay sequences, which are almost all frustratingly bad. A Game Center achievement informs me that I failed 83% of each sequence at least once. There's a horrible balance puzzle that has you swiping sides of the screen to stay up (the over-sensitivity led to me failing this one over 10 times, across it's multiple appearances throughout the game). Then there's a fidgety endless runner type sequence in a hallway that's 10 times longer than the exterior shot of the building (to which I'm fairly confident is not any 'House of Leaves' type stuff). They're not fun.

Also the story of the game is much shorter than the first, which I'd be okay with if anything actually happened in it. You're trying to escape the building you ran into at the end of the game. In that time they try to pump you full of unnecessary lore regarding the thing that's chasing you ('something...something...nanomachines...'). Then you have the aforementioned endless runner sequence followed by a "TO BE CONTINUED...". The first one was a pretty self contained story, that was left open toward the end. This just ends.

It just feels like half of a story, that I don't feel particularly interested in seeing the conclusion to. The first one felt special, especially given the landscape of the App Store at time of release. This could have been a step in the right direction, had they taken time to make the gameplay stuff actually fun, or tried to tell a story instead of a dump of lore. It's disappointing. It's safe to skip this FMV game from a year ago, guys.
 
I don't know if anyone has played Mushroom Wars, but this may be the most addictive game on iOS game I have ever played. I suggest people try it out.
 
So, I had another game come out yesterday that's called ShellBlast Forever- it's a bomb defusing game that's a cross between Picross and Minesweeper, in a way.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shellblast-forever/id587121204?ls=1&mt=8



It's a pretty out there puzzle game but I think it's a pretty unique title. Pocket Tactics seems to like it and I'd love some feedback. So, hidden in this post is fifteen codes (its a universal app)- if you do use one, I'd love any comments you might have, good or bad! Or just have fun with the game, whatever. :)

I took 9LLJKE6TL7R7 - thanks very much. I'll load it up on mine and my wife's phones and let you know!
 

Dawg

Member
Been playing a bit more Knights Of Pen & Paper and I'm liking it even more. Anyone else playing this?

knights-of-pen-paper_1.jpg

knights-of-pen-paper-screenshot-5.jpg

549248038-Knights_Pen_Paper_002_ZN%20copy.PNG
 

Anilones

Member
So, I had another game come out yesterday that's called ShellBlast Forever- it's a bomb defusing game that's a cross between Picross and Minesweeper, in a way.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shellblast-forever/id587121204?ls=1&mt=8



It's a pretty out there puzzle game but I think it's a pretty unique title. Pocket Tactics seems to like it and I'd love some feedback. So, hidden in this post is fifteen codes (its a universal app)- if you do use one, I'd love any comments you might have, good or bad! Or just have fun with the game, whatever. :)



(These codes *should* work, but if it says "offer expired" let me know and I'll replace them with new ones).
Thanks chubigans, I took the fourth code from the top (started at the bottom and it was the first to work).
 

Zeth

Member
This pisses me off, damn. I can only hope the problem is with the Lite version only.
I'd really appreciate if you could check out DDP:R HD LITE and do a comparison ( edit: I thought you couldn't choose the wait control option on the Lite version, gonna check out if OFF makes any difference). It's not only the constant slowdowns but frame-skipping as well (mostly 30fps). I know these games very well myself, having played them on iPad 1 since release and owning each one of them -bar Esp2- on X360. It'd mean there's a problem with my Mini but that seems unlikely and unheard of, also because the versions that I do own fully (every Cave's iPhone/Universal release) and which are not "HD" perform much better than on my old gen1.
Have you also got Pinball Arcade by any chance? If so check out the TotAN table (you can try it for free) and tell me if it's rock solid 60fps for you... Even the intro with the camera panning over the table has frame hiccups for me, while Zen Pinball (which was barely 30fps on iPad1) is butter smooth 60fps at all times, which tells me it's a matter of apps instead of my device acting up.

But it'd be awesome if you could have a go at the Smartphone/Arcade modes on DDP:R HD *Lite*!


UPDATE

YAY, mistery solved! Thank you Zeth for making me look into the Wait Control option.
Basically:
1) there's no such option on my iPhone game (I can post a screen if you guys don't believe me), maybe cause it's not updated to the latest version but I saw no reason since it ran perfectly. So I didn't know about looking into such a thing for the HD app.
2) Wait Control was indeed on ON, as soon as I switched to OFF it was fine!
3) the way that option is implemented sucks imo (or at least it does on the Lite version) and I couldn't recognize the "intended" slowdowns simply because: Smartphone mode which runs like crap with ON doesn't exist on 360, even in Arcade mode there's not only slowdowns (which would be ok and included on the 360 port/PCB) but plenty of frameskipping as well, which isn't intended at all and in my opinion would ruin every shmup out there... and this one's no exception.

Off to buy some iTunes cards, thanks a lot Zeth, much happier about the Mini now :)

There's still the Pinball Arcade mistery to solve and then I'll be completely satisfied with my purchase as far as gaming goes (yeah, Cave's stuff and PA are my iOS' Uncharted/Mario/Halo and whatnot, so they're pretty important to me) anybody wants to tackle that one? App and tryout of the TotAn table are free

Glad you figured out what it was! The emulated slowdown is bad in some of the ports, but that general choppiness shouldn't be there. I'll check out the Lite version anyway. I've been relatively happy with the Mini, so much so that I've considered getting rid of my 3rd gen Retina, but I think I'll be hanging on to it until a)a retina Mini is released or b) a 5th gen iPad.
 

chris121580

Member
I'm a little confused. My bear, fairy, and arrow guys are all maxed out at level 5 in Clash of Heroes. Is there not a way to level them up any further?
 
So, I had another game come out yesterday that's called ShellBlast Forever- it's a bomb defusing game that's a cross between Picross and Minesweeper, in a way.

It's a pretty out there puzzle game but I think it's a pretty unique title. Pocket Tactics seems to like it and I'd love some feedback. So, hidden in this post is fifteen codes (its a universal app)- if you do use one, I'd love any comments you might have, good or bad! Or just have fun with the game, whatever. :)

I nabbed one of those codes (thanks for that). I've only played through the tutorial and the first few bombs, but it seems pretty well made. I'm not sure how you can describe it as an 'out there' puzzle game when it's so derivative of something as familiar as Minesweeper though.
 

TrutaS

Member
Just a note: we only created the original game - the iOS version isn't at all "ours".

But I am very happy that more people will be playing the game. We really did work hard to make it something special, and we're very proud of it.

Why not kickstart a spiritual sequel? That game can be done with any fantasy world, skip the might and magic franchise and kickstart something yourselves. Boy, That would be really great. Food for thought!
 

Flunkie

Banned
Really enjoying Clash of Heroes but I'm not a fan of the expiring special units. I guess it's not bad as it could be but I hate anything "consumable" in games.
 
Why not kickstart a spiritual sequel? That game can be done with any fantasy world, skip the might and magic franchise and kickstart something yourselves. Boy, That would be really great. Food for thought!

We love the game. It means a TON to our studio, both as a part of our history and as an example of what we can do.

That being said, we're making crazy, new, exciting, and in my opinion, equally as interesting games... so we don't feel like we need to fall back on something we already know. "Exploration" is a driving force in our studio - trying to find NEW ideas and making them work as games. Super TIME Force is a perfect example. We LOVE run 'n gun shooters a la Gunstar and Contra. So some of our team came up with a twist on it that has everyone super excited to work on it. The twist is insanely challenging to design around, just like creating an entirely new puzzle-strategy hybrid battle system was challenging.

Anywho, that was a total blabber way of saying: yea, we love Clash, but we also love making new games. But who knows.

Really enjoying Clash of Heroes but I'm not a fan of the expiring special units. I guess it's not bad as it could be but I hate anything "consumable" in games.

It was a design decision. If we didn't make them 'limited' you could, at any time, break the balance by using Elite/Champion units as 'always movable' walls with no counterbalance. When designing it, we played around with making them unlimited once you 'find' them, and good players could create massive stalemate situations by blocking incoming attacks with an elite/champion > calling reinforcements > repeat.

I believe that the game's economy leans heavily enough to the player that you should always be able to have enough of a unit you want available.
 

GeekyDad

Member
I'm a little confused. My bear, fairy, and arrow guys are all maxed out at level 5 in Clash of Heroes. Is there not a way to level them up any further?

You're not confused. It's a strategy game, not a grind RPG. That's it. You can level up units a set amount; then it's time to start using the ole noggin.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Would anybody be up to buy me a $20 iTunes card or even a $10 one if that's the only option... They don't sell US cards around here unless I go ebay where it'd cost me $15 every $10 worth :/
Or even gift me the couple of games I'm interested in... Although I've got some $ leftovers in my US account which I'd like to put to good use.

I'll PAYPAL the money in advance of course.
 
Would anybody be up to buy me a $20 iTunes card or even a $10 one if that's the only option... They don't sell US cards around here unless I go ebay where it'd cost me $15 every $10 worth :/
Or even gift me the couple of games I'm interested in... Although I've got some $ leftovers in my US account which I'd like to put to good use.

I'll PAYPAL the money in advance of course.

I'd be happy to. I'm going grocery shopping today and could pick one up.
 

PFD

Member
I'm a little confused. My bear, fairy, and arrow guys are all maxed out at level 5 in Clash of Heroes. Is there not a way to level them up any further?

That's the max level, but soon enough you'll play a different faction and level new units.

I was pissed that they took away all my gold
 

Prezhulio

Member
Does clash of heroes work well on iPad? I've never played it but heard amazing things from the other versions, but the reviews are a bit troublesome
 

Flunkie

Banned
It was a design decision. If we didn't make them 'limited' you could, at any time, break the balance by using Elite/Champion units as 'always movable' walls with no counterbalance. When designing it, we played around with making them unlimited once you 'find' them, and good players could create massive stalemate situations by blocking incoming attacks with an elite/champion > calling reinforcements > repeat.

I believe that the game's economy leans heavily enough to the player that you should always be able to have enough of a unit you want available.

Oh no I see exactly why you did it and I think it's the right choice, but when I see consumables my first reaction is negative. Totally get it and doesn't detract from my experience in the slightest.
 

Heel

Member
Thanks so much Heel! Great feedback. This was originally an old prototype I did for iOS about a year or so ago for a company, and once Game Maker Studio came out I thought I'd just port it to iOS. So I do realize that a game that "looks" like this doesn't have the potential to really stand out. That's the style of the game since it was first released on PC, but yeah, I would have had to invest some money into it to get it into commercial-tier shape, but this is more of a side fun project.

I do think it's a good idea to have a Lite version for sure. I plan on releasing that in about two weeks or so.

Also you're right about showing the user the error, but with the way the game is coded I'm not sure how easy that'll be, but I can certainly try.

Thanks again!

No prob. I was wondering where you found the time to make another game already, hah!
 

PFD

Member
Oh no I see exactly why you did it and I think it's the right choice, but when I see consumables my first reaction is negative. Totally get it and doesn't detract from my experience in the slightest.

You should see King's Bounty. The unit shops can run out of stock permanently. At least here they have infinite units, lol.
 
Oh no I see exactly why you did it and I think it's the right choice, but when I see consumables my first reaction is negative. Totally get it and doesn't detract from my experience in the slightest.

Cool. To be honest I kind of enjoy explaining the game and will take any opportunity to do so (even when an explanation is prooooobably not needed).

:)
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
Hey, a small team of 4 people including myself just released our first iOS game last night.

Robo Force:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robo-force/id569413714?ls=1&mt=8

mzl.bfuvrdnt.320x480-75.jpg
mzl.larchglf.320x480-75.jpg
mzl.yjlebrma.320x480-75.jpg


The game is a Doodle Jump inspired Jumper with some "modern" design mechanics like power-ups, upgradable items, an XP system and several level and character unlocks.
On top of some design quirks, we've also worked on a full Story Mode for the game, complete with beautiful cut-scenes.

Our artist did an amazing job with all of his animations, and the game's look is probably what I'm most proud of.

It's free, and does have IAP options, but if you're at all good at the game you don't need to purchase an extra orbs to enjoy Robo Force! :)

Let me know what you guys think, I know it's far far away from a "great" game, but it's our first one so any feedback would be much appreciated!
I played it! I'm not a huge fan of Doodle Jump to begin with, so in regards to gameplay I can't offer too much input there. But it's a very slick package. Really well done animation and menu transitions.

The only thing I'd ask is being able to deselect a booster- I pressed one to see if it'd offer more info or something, and instead I spent those IAP coins. Not a huge deal, but something to check out.

I wish I could be more thorough but like I said, this type of genre doesn't appeal to me, but it's a well built game for sure. For your first iOS game, it's pretty darn great.

Oh man, just 1,317 IAPs more and you could have scored 999,999,999,999

Haha seriously, I can't think of another game offhand that ruins leaderboards. Thought I'm sure there's plenty.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Cool. To be honest I kind of enjoy explaining the game and will take any opportunity to do so (even when an explanation is prooooobably not needed).

:)

Sorry to bother, I have a small question about the game. (It's awesome, but you already know that).
I'm in the second world now...tapping in the world map I noticed the first world had a 10/11 side quests done.
THE HORROR.
I debated with myself if re loading an old save (before ending boss, the save slot has an elf portrait) or just loading the last one (with the soldier portrait) which let me to select the first world, complete the missing quest then exit the world and continue where I left in the second world (pretty neat).
I did the second...is that right? (Meaning....the very same as doing the first)
I guess yes but I ask just in case (now I understood why there are 4 save slots).
 

Twie

Member
I played it! I'm not a huge fan of Doodle Jump to begin with, so in regards to gameplay I can't offer too much input there. But it's a very slick package. Really well done animation and menu transitions.

The only thing I'd ask is being able to deselect a booster- I pressed one to see if it'd offer more info or something, and instead I spent those IAP coins. Not a huge deal, but something to check out.

I wish I could be more thorough but like I said, this type of genre doesn't appeal to me, but it's a well built game for sure. For your first iOS game, it's pretty darn great.



Haha seriously, I can't think of another game offhand that ruins leaderboards. Thought I'm sure there's plenty.

Thanks for the feedback! We did aim for Robo Force to feel a little faster than it's Doodle Jump counter part, but overall the gameplay still feels very similar.

As for de-selecting power-ups, that's a solid idea. Currently we figured that the power-ups are cheap enough where users wouldn't mind selecting them without a toggle on/off option or a confirmation box to actually activate each power-up. Although we can always change that in an update, so I'll be sure to keep it in mind! :)
 

PFD

Member
This isn't gaming related, but this app is so good I just had to share it. iStudiez Pro just went free. I actually bought it last week for $2.99, but I have no regret because the devs deserve to get paid for this excellent software.

If you're in college or taking any sort of class, this app will greatly help you keep things organized and stay on top of assignments. It's full of features, including a weekly class schedule chart, customizable class reminders showing the name, time and location of each class, assignment reminders/to-do list, exams, holidays, and the list goes on. You can even add contact information for each professor, and even your project partners.

It also has automatic iCloud syncing between iPad, iPhone, and Mac. And you can back up your data inside an email if needed. If you're taking any kind of course (or planning to in the future), be sure to download this while it's free!
 

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
Oh man, Clash of Heroes is AMAZING, I've been playing it literally all day. I was a bit skeptical of it at first, I don't know why. But I'm so glad I gave it a chance, it's so addictive and the puzzle aspect of the game is incredibly satisfying. It's melted my brain, I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight...
 

dantehemi

Member
Welcome back dash, nice to see you around again. I haven't been posting much at all, but I'm on this thread all the time....it's like I know the regular guys here so well...but nobody knows me lol

Really looking forward to challenges again.

And I should really find more time to post impressions of some games I have been playing, the iOS Comunity has been one of my favorites on gaf for the longest time, there's a great group of guys here.

I have actually been sucked into 10000000 lately (ok its become an obsession) I know this has probably been said alot about ios games before, but this game has me hooked, the ultimate "just one more run" type game and 3 hours later your still left grinding it out. Who here has beaten the game? I'm at aprox 1.8 million now and 10 million seems worlds away, but I'm loving every second of this.
 

GeekyDad

Member
Oh man, Clash of Heroes is AMAZING, I've been playing it literally all day. I was a bit skeptical of it at first, I don't know why. But I'm so glad I gave it a chance, it's so addictive and the puzzle aspect of the game is incredibly satisfying. It's melted my brain, I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight...

:)

Yeah, I remember immediately starting a new game right after the first...and played straight through a second time.

As an aside, I've gone back FFT...again. If I could only have one game on my phone, War of the Lions would be it. True gaming love, warts and all.
 

railGUN

Banned
Anyway to get paid games for free legally? There seems to be a few websites but not sure which one is legit.

I'm interested in the 'Neogaf Favourite iOS Games 2.0' but don't have the money to buy most of the games
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=494971

I use Free My Apps and Free App Slots. I've gotten about $80 in free games / apps, mostly via gift cards (so you can get what you want and wait for deals). You need a US iTunes account, but those can be created even if you're not in the US.
 
I use Free My Apps and Free App Slots. I've gotten about $80 in free games / apps, mostly via gift cards (so you can get what you want and wait for deals). You need a US iTunes account, but those can be created even if you're not in the US.

Do these sites put some sort of spyware on your iOS device?
 
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