What IOS games have you been playing? ARCHIVE

MattDP wrote: I'm confused. Are they saying this is a potential future update to the game then, or a new version that existing owners will need to pay for? And if they don't manage to make it universal and end up releasing an iPad only version, will existing owners be able to download and play both without paying extra?

If they can manage to make it universal, then the game you (and I) already own will be updated so that it's designed for both iPhone and iPad, i.e. the universal version will replace the iPhone-only version. So there will only be one version total, and existing owners won't pay anything more.

If they can't make it universal, then there will be two versions, one for iPhone and one for iPad. It's highly unlikely that there would be any discount for existing owners; I'd certainly expect you'd have to pay the full price.

It's worth pointing out to folks that you can play the current version on an iPad already (in fact, that's exactly how Matt and I are playing it now). You just either have to keep it the original iPhone size on your display or blow it up to 2x (which looks like crap, unfortunately).

(One side effect that I never expected from owning an iPad is that I'm now planning on getting an iPhone when my current contract expires. It seems stupid not to, since I've paid for a number of apps I can use on both).

I hear you. I have an iTouch (no phone) and an iPad, and I'm totally locked into iOS now.

Bullwinkle wrote: If they can't make it universal, then there will be two versions, one for iPhone and one for iPad. It's highly unlikely that there would be any discount for existing owners; I'd certainly expect you'd have to pay the full price.

This is the source of my irritation. Having been told from the outset that this is supposed to be iPhone/Universal app, suddenly the potential of having a separate HD version comes creeping into the scope. But I guess I should reserve my nerd rage to see if they actually end up releasing it separately or not.

Although going down my current route of thinking about an iPhone, I'd probably have gone for the iPhone version anyway. Recently I've been buying the non-HD versions of apps instead and blowing them up to 2x. Yes, it does look like crap but I'm entirely willing to put up with that for the sake of not paying for the same thing twice.

As I said above, charging separately for HD and non-HD versions of games where - as in most cases - the only difference is a resolution change seems unnecessary and rather cynical. If you own one version you should, at the very least, get a hefty discount on the other.

I hear you on the separate app argument. The other day Civ Rev went on sale. I mistakenly bought the iphone version, moments later learning of the ipad version. Too late by then! They could at least SCREAM that an ipad version exists when viewing the iphone version's page.

Lately I've been playing Mage Gauntlet, Game Dev Story, and the iOS game I'm developing myself. Once it's good to go, I'll definitely post about it so everyone can give me 99 cents. It's still quite a ways off.

I'm looking forward to Nightfall... I wonder when it will come out?

MattDP wrote: As I said above, charging separately for HD and non-HD versions of games where - as in most cases - the only difference is a resolution change seems unnecessary and rather cynical. If you own one version you should, at the very least, get a hefty discount on the other.

I'm with you, although it's not necessarily just a resolution change; there's often a UI switch as well. Here's a comment by Thomas Lund, developer of Tactical Soldier:

Re: price difference and work involved in iPhone vs iPad
Its a little more difficult to generally talk about why there is a price difference. Some games you spend a lot of time creating higher definition art to look nice on iPads. This is actually one of the real expensive things to do, so if someone spend many weeks polishing the art - then I can see why its a price difference.

For ourselves we use a 3d engine - which automatically scales things up. So all we had to do was to make sure that the menus scale to the different aspect ratio. Thus we decided to go universal instead for our game with a single (higher) price.

So I understand that sometimes, there are costs associated with it. But honestly, yes, a lot of the time it's a money grab. It puts me in mind of the switch from vinyl to CD, back in the day. Unit costs for CDs were actually cheaper, but they charged the customer more for them for perceived value.

Anyway, since I currently have both, I'm often stuck making the decision. But I've found over time that any meaty game I'm going to get, I just buy for iPad. The Touch gets used more for 10-minute throwaway games.

Bullwinkle wrote: Anyone tried out Elder Signs: Omens yet? It's out for iPhone. Still waiting on iPad. Looks like it's not a universal app.

EDIT: Now I see it also comes with only one GOO and no allies. And to think I saw CP defending FFG's digital strategy somewhere.

This is a programming concern. The GOO is Azathoth, which is to say, not a GOO at all. The game just ends. It means they could put the game out and not worry about programming Final Battle. Personally, I support the strategy at this point. They are making games and they look great. If you compare the EveryGame interface to AH TOOLKIT and the real deal from FFG, you can see it's worth the wait. yes, a kludgy PoS could be cobbled together by a diehard college kid, but it would look like ass. I'm waiting for the iPad version myself.

jeb wrote: This is a programming concern. The GOO is Azathoth, which is to say, not a GOO at all. The game just ends. It means they could put the game out and not worry about programming Final Battle.

This doesn't strike me as a positive thing. Do you imagine they did this so they could meet the Oct. 31 release date? Or so they could add more (and the Final Battle) as paid expansions? Or is it just to ensure the app offers less than the boardgame? I'm betting it's all three. Especially the last one.

Personally, I support the strategy at this point. They are making games and they look great.

They do look and feel great, and I'm happy to both wait for a solid product, and pay for it when it arrives. But I have to say that everything they're doing feels to me like they're being dragged kicking and screaming somewhere they really don't want to be.

Ap is solid for me. Worth the 3.99. I don't give a fuck if it doesn't have the final battle.

I'm not sure I'd pay the extra for the iPad ap.

Fuck the final battle. That's the STUPIDEST part of any Arkham Horror game. For a while, we played with Azathoth just to avoid the utter bullshit fight.

Elder Sign is actually quite a bit better on IOS than on the table. It feels like it's actually finished,

I got my first iPhone (or i-anything) a few weeks ago when the 4S came out, and I too have been playing Mage Gauntlet - nice game that does the retro thing well. At first I thought it was too easy, then it got challenging fast.

So what's up with Mage Gauntlet? Lots of people playing it at all the websites I haunt. It looks like Secret of Mana. Does it have a story and characters or is it mostly just pure action/RPG fight scenes?

Bullwinkle wrote:

jeb wrote: This is a programming concern. The GOO is Azathoth, which is to say, not a GOO at all. The game just ends. It means they could put the game out and not worry about programming Final Battle.

This doesn't strike me as a positive thing. Do you imagine they did this so they could meet the Oct. 31 release date? Or so they could add more (and the Final Battle) as paid expansions? Or is it just to ensure the app offers less than the boardgame? I'm betting it's all three. Especially the last one.

Nah. I don't think so. Not having to build code for the second "game" of GOO battles is a big deal. I hope they add it eventually. If you want to get consipratorial, they will have GOO packs as a paid upgrade. Mwah hahahah.

Bullwinkle wrote:

Personally, I support the strategy at this point. They are making games and they look great.

They do look and feel great, and I'm happy to both wait for a solid product, and pay for it when it arrives. But I have to say that everything they're doing feels to me like they're being dragged kicking and screaming somewhere they really don't want to be.

Disagree here as well. They just want their shit to look good. They have a reputation for the finest board gaming craftsmanship, and shoddy implementations of their electronic versions would reflect poorly on the brand.

I wouldn't buy the other GOOs, the meat of the game is already in it so fuck that.

The final battle in elder sign is daft and should have been given the flick in the table version as well. It's far too divorced from the main game. I still would like more Goos for the special powers and shit.

If FFG do charge more for some extra Goos - so fucking what? The app cost $4.00! You are seriously going to nerdrage because you didn't get the entire game for a cup of Joe and a Donught?
The app as it stands is easily worth $4.00, end of story.

$7 for the iPad HD version. It's out now.

Guys, I don't give a rat's ass about the four fucking dollars (which I'd happily pay, but I'm waiting on the iPad version) or the Final Fucking Battles. I'm talking about something bigger: FFG's reluctance to wade with real seriousness into digital media. Maybe I'm the only one who gives a shit, since while that's where I'm looking for boardgame stuff these days, and seeing from the other thread about the TED talk everyone else wants to play with their pieces. That's fine. But what I see is a company keeping a different medium at arm's length when they could be the fucking leaders for quality boardgame-style AT.