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iOS Gaming Thread May 2013: Another board thread, now with 4X the backlog

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D

Dynoro

Member
Between Sorcery, Star Command and Talisman (now I've been convinced to get it) its going to be a pretty packed week.
 
W

wetflame

Pizza Dog
Nihilistic Monk said:
Just made an idiot of myself in the Star Command Tutorials. made a laser gun, and it just says push the button to fire. I'm tapping at the points without realising it's a mini-game where you have to time the dots inside the circles. I've just been tapping them without realising it for about 4 turns thinking "why am I always missing?"

Very early impressions is that the graphics look nice. It is a little FTL like, but this is much more about micro managing & getting crew to make "tokens" for skills and stuff so far.

The tutorial isn't brilliant. It seems like you have to give a "token" to recruit a staff member (science/engineering/tactical) but they don't inherit anything from that, all their stats are still 0 and they start as a white shirt until you assign them, so it seems like just an arbitrary "staff costs 1 token" rather than you giving them a point start in a discipline or anything.
Click to expand...

I had exactly the same experience as I started playing. Missed the lasers repeatedly until I realised about the dots, with crew battles happening in real time I was in the "quickly fire at things!" mentality and so missed a lot. I also kept trying to use the tokens to make crew members to match the rooms I wanted to fill, now I realise it's just a one token cost I'll try and save the kind I need for building/upgrading. Didn't realise that the captain has a special skill for a while either, just had him sitting in the bridge doing nothing while the ship was being attacked.

Enjoying it so far, though I haven't had a chance to play too much. Downloaded Sorcery too so will be trying that out soon!
 
S

SteveWD40

Member
PittaGAF said:
EDIT (somehow I missed pasting the important part):
As someone who didn't enjoy a lot the 'choose your own path' books digital adaptation (I tried with the exceptionally made Tinsomething games) because I love to be part of a story, but I hate replaying the same part over and over to select other routes...would you say it's enjoyable?
Click to expand...

Perhaps, you can move around the map with a little more freedom than the books it seems.
 
C

colinp

Banned
Is it really not possible to move all troops at once in Autumn Dynasty? Or at least more than one at a time? Seems fun enough, but the writing is terrible.
 
M

m0t0k1

Member
Dash Kappei said:
Anything old (Super Bit Bash, Run Like Hell etc.) I can recommend requires at least 4.3 now due to updates sorry

edit: found a couple! Used to like the paid app, now it's free with iap and requires 4.0

I Must Run! Reloaded

ty2sL.jpg



This is on sale for €0,89 and it's not really "endless" but pretty cool, runs on 3.0:

Mirror's Edge
Click to expand...

I already got Mirrors Edge during a free period. That one was great fun i will check out I must run thanks.
 
PittaGAF

PittaGAF

Member
SteveWD40 said:
Perhaps, you can move around the map with a little more freedom than the books it seems.
Click to expand...

Did you find a situation where you died and had to backtrack 'pages back'...re-read parts of the very same story and then choose another path to succefully continue?
That is the part that I hate and can't enjoy.

Thanks, much appreciated!
 
S

SteveWD40

Member
PittaGAF said:
Did you find a situation where you died and had to backtrack 'pages back'...re-read parts of the very same story and then choose another path to succefully continue?
That is the part that I hate and can't enjoy.

Thanks, much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty much if you die, maybe best you avoid.
 
N

Nihilistic Monk

Member
wetflame said:
I had exactly the same experience as I started playing. Missed the lasers repeatedly until I realised about the dots, with crew battles happening in real time I was in the "quickly fire at things!" mentality and so missed a lot. I also kept trying to use the tokens to make crew members to match the rooms I wanted to fill, now I realise it's just a one token cost I'll try and save the kind I need for building/upgrading. Didn't realise that the captain has a special skill for a while either, just had him sitting in the bridge doing nothing while the ship was being attacked.

Enjoying it so far, though I haven't had a chance to play too much. Downloaded Sorcery too so will be trying that out soon!
Click to expand...

Glad it's not just me! That bit wasn't greatly explained.

I see I can add multiple people to the same job/room as well. Apart from having more staff on teh ship to shoot/heal/repair, I have no idea if having them in the room offers a stats/speed boost or what.

I also had no idea the captain had a special skill. Mine has been sat on the bridge the entire time.
 
K

krYlon

Member
Wow, the Sorcery app is incredibly impressive. They've really made an effort to make it more than just a digital replica of a gamebook. I love the map, the combat seems pretty cool so far, even the spell casting is really stylish.
And I'm so glad they've kept the original illustrations by John Blanche. One thing I don't like about the Tinman releases is that the new images are no match for the old Fighting Fantasy illustrations.

So, it seems like they've got everything right, so far...

Good to know that the second part, Khare: Cityport of traps is on the way soon. Was my favourite gamebook as a kid, cant wait to see it if it holds up.


Edit: Pocket Gamer gave it 9/10
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Steve+Jackson's+Sorcery!/review.asp?c=50527
 
M

Marv_79

Neo Member
wetflame said:
I had exactly the same experience as I started playing. Missed the lasers repeatedly until I realised about the dots, with crew battles happening in real time I was in the "quickly fire at things!" mentality and so missed a lot. I also kept trying to use the tokens to make crew members to match the rooms I wanted to fill, now I realise it's just a one token cost I'll try and save the kind I need for building/upgrading. Didn't realise that the captain has a special skill for a while either, just had him sitting in the bridge doing nothing while the ship was being attacked.

Enjoying it so far, though I haven't had a chance to play too much. Downloaded Sorcery too so will be trying that out soon!
Click to expand...

Snap, took me about 15 into the first battle to realise it weren't going nowhere.

What does the captain’s special skill do? I just tried it for the first time and nothing really seems happens a part from the screen blinking once?

Also, I'm not gonna play it anymore on the iphone it's far too fiddly, I'm only on the 3rd battle and I’m getting mullered, gonna wait till I get home and play it on the ipad instead. Such a shame there ain’t no cloud saving.
 
W

wetflame

Pizza Dog
Marv_79 said:
Snap, took me about 15 into the first battle to realise it weren't going nowhere.

What does the captain’s special skill do? I just tried it for the first time and nothing really seems happens a part from the screen blinking once?

Also, I'm not gonna play it anymore on the iphone it's far too fiddly, I'm only on the 3rd battle and I’m getting mullered, gonna wait till I get home and play it on the ipad instead. Such a shame there ain’t no cloud saving.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what it does, looks like a target so I assume it's for use during combat. There's no indication within the app that it's there, let alone what it's for though. I clicked it when I saw it, nothing happened as there were no enemies around, and then it needed to recharge before I could use it again. I'll try it out in the next battle I have.
 
T

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Tunesmith said:
PittaGAF said:
In the end, Touch Arcade did cover Star Command, and it seems they actually really liked it.

http://toucharcade.com/2013/04/09/ta-plays-star-command-a-brutal-and-quirky-sci-fi-sim/
Click to expand...
4.5/5 stars!
Click to expand...
From the April iOS thread #426

I'm a magician:

http://toucharcade.com/2013/05/01/star-command-review/

TouchArcade Rating: 4.5
Click to expand...

Still looking at some quotables summing up the good/bad for the OP for this.
Mined some impressions for Sorcery! already. :)
 
T

toddhunter

Member
All this board game goodness has made me think that the ipad needs this:

captureojuhy.png


Good old HeroQuest, so many hours as a young lad. Is Warhammer Quest pretty much the same thing? They look sort of the same but different with their focus.
 
S

SteveWD40

Member
toddhunter said:
All this board game goodness has made me think that the ipad needs this:

captureojuhy.png


Good old HeroQuest, so many hours as a young lad. Is Warhammer Quest pretty much the same thing? They look sort of the same but different with their focus.
Click to expand...

Not sure about the boardgames, but I imagine WHQ will be as close as we will get on iOS.
 
N

Nihilistic Monk

Member
wetflame said:
I'm not sure what it does, looks like a target so I assume it's for use during combat. There's no indication within the app that it's there, let alone what it's for though. I clicked it when I saw it, nothing happened as there were no enemies around, and then it needed to recharge before I could use it again. I'll try it out in the next battle I have.
Click to expand...

The guide at Pocket Gamer explains some of the mystery CAUTION, HAS MISSION SPOILERS ETC

Also mentions some design choices I didn't know about

Assign crew members to the bridge to make extra red soldier units.
Click to expand...

news to me!

Your ship cannot blow up, no matter how much damage it takes. The only way to get a Game Over is for your captain to die.
Click to expand...

Wat?

So this game really is about micromanagement of crew & roles it appears, WHILST you deal with the mini-games of inflicting damage & ending the scenario by destroying the enemy ship. The ship/ship combat seems pretty secondary to the unit movement/job role/internal invader side of things.
 
W

whatevermort

Member
SteveWD40 said:
Dats pocket tactics mah friend.

Edit: you were fast, but not fast enough...

They have succeeded in putting me off as well, I figured if it was at least repayable on new game + then it might have some longevity but the campaign takes about 3 hours all told...

Will wait on the FTL port I think, sounds like the PC version of Star Command is getting the sandbox mode.
Click to expand...

I've heard from a VERY reliable source that there isn't an FTL port coming. Don't hold your breath...
 
PittaGAF

PittaGAF

Member
toddhunter said:
All this board game goodness has made me think that the ipad needs this:

captureojuhy.png


Good old HeroQuest, so many hours as a young lad. Is Warhammer Quest pretty much the same thing? They look sort of the same but different with their focus.
Click to expand...

I can try to answer this.
Hero Quest is the grand grand father of Warhammer Quest.
First, there was Hero Quest (fixed board)...then Advanced Hero Quest....then their spiritual successor, which is Warhammer Quest.
They are different games tough...the first thing that sticks out as evident difference is that WHQ didn't have a fixed board, but had tiles that you attached as long the game progressed, forming the dungeon...so every game was different (besides having picked different quests/target rooms and such).

Warhammer Quest (using the full blown rules, not just the core ones) tried to be less a boardgame (which is still is) and more a roleplaying game.
It is an happy medium I still find is ton of fun.

This video could help, as you are already familiar with HeroQuest...you will see almost immediately the differences (and the similarities).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAr67DEd5B4

In any case, I think you won't be disappointed with your iPad in the next future :p
 
W

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Star Command...hmm. Not really liking it right now. Poorly explained mechanics (I too spent a couple rounds of combat wondering what I was doing wrong) and the tediousness of battle is unacceptable to me on a portable game. I'm hoping it opens up a bit more, but right now it's not really a bad game, per se, but it's not anything special. Probably just a victim of its own hype. Totally serviceable, just not great or particularly fun.

Yet. Just initial impressions after an hour of play through.
 
S

SteveWD40

Member
whatevermort said:
I've heard from a VERY reliable source that there isn't an FTL port coming. Don't hold your breath...
Click to expand...

v7naLfW.gif


It's small, low impact and would be PERFECT for tablets. I can't be arsed sitting at my desk to play games any more and Star Command isn't half the game FTL is...

/firstworldproblems
 
F

Forkball

Member
I would definitely rebuy FTL if it came to iOS. I love it on PC, but it is a perfect portable game.

So Star Command is disappointing? I was hoping it would be an even more detailed FTL. Maybe I should get Sorcery instead.
 
A

a secret-boss

Banned
When I start seeing video of Star Command I was kinda bummed its not Game Dev story like. It focus more on battles rather the simulation and planets
 
T

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Forkball said:
I would definitely rebuy FTL if it came to iOS. I love it on PC, but it is a perfect portable game.
Click to expand...
I'm brainstorming how hard it would be to put the Mac version into a wrapper and emulate it on iOS for my own personal amusement. I've already played it natively via touch controls and it works quite alright as it is.
 
G

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
Guys... Sorcery is SO GOOD. Great style, great writing, clever combat system, very user-friendly... I like everything about it.

Between this and what Tin Man Games is doing, I'm extremely excited about the possibility for more interactive fiction / light RPGs / board game... things to hit iOS. It's just a great system for deep storytelling.
 
F

FlashFlooder

Member
toddhunter said:
All this board game goodness has made me think that the ipad needs this:

captureojuhy.png


Good old HeroQuest, so many hours as a young lad. Is Warhammer Quest pretty much the same thing? They look sort of the same but different with their focus.
Click to expand...


same here, I even hand-painted all the pieces. LOL, such a young nerd.
 
S

SnakeXs

about the same metal capacity as a cucumber
GDJustin said:
Guys... Sorcery is SO GOOD. Great style, great writing, clever combat system, very user-friendly... I like everything about it.

Between this and what Tin Man Games is doing, I'm extremely excited about the possibility for more interactive fiction / light RPGs / board game... things to hit iOS. It's just a great system for deep storytelling.
Click to expand...
Any word on length, or silly as it may sound replay value?
 
D

Double D

Member
Year Walk
The Silent Age
Broken Sword
Broken Sword 2
Beneath a Steel Sky
Gemini Rue
Ghost Trick
Finding Teddy
City of Secrets

City of Secrets completed. Decent game, but definitely has it's issues. Found myself using the hint system too much instead of just warping randomly from area to area to figure out what I'm supposed to do next. If I just hit the hint button, it tells me where I'm supposed to go, then I figured out what to do from there.

And yes, it does beat you over the head a bit with it's humor, but not too bad. Probably the worst part was the voice acting. Aside from the main character, it ranged from mediocre to bad.

It was good enough for me to want to play the sequel, but I think I'll wait until all the episodes are out to dive in.

So where should I head from here? Anyone know of anything decent currently on sale? iPhone compatible games, please.
 
S

sueil

Member
Sorcery is a lot of fun. Was playing it this morning when cut off with no internet. Not sure about replay value overall but I died along the way and am going to replay it due to that. Very cool game.

Edit: Turns out if you mess up at any point you can rewind the game and make different choices. A nifty feature and pretty handy.
 
chris121580

chris121580

Member
How in the hell do you fire your weapon on Star Command with the rotating circles??? This is driving me absolutely nuts. I'm assuming the dot has to be in the center of the circle which I've been doing and it's not working
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
chris121580 said:
How in the hell do you fire your weapon on Star Command with the rotating circles??? This is driving me absolutely nuts. I'm assuming the dot has to be in the center of the circle which I've been doing and it's not working
Click to expand...

You want to tap right in the middle of the big circle just as the little, moving dot is inside of the little circle. You have a small window of opportunity to hit all three for maximum damage. It seems like pretty much all of us were confused by this.
 
chris121580

chris121580

Member
Snuggler said:
You want to tap right in the middle of the big circle just as the little, moving dot is inside of the little circle. You have a small window of opportunity to hit all three for maximum damage. It seems like pretty much all of us were confused by this.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I understand they want us to "figure things out" on our own but not having a tutorial for things like that is just unacceptable to me. For as much time as they spent on this game, you'd think they could've made a more fleshed out tutorial for us
 
N

nimbus

Banned
Been playing nothing but Michael Vick's Gametime lately. Really captures the art of quarterbacking well. Is there a better football game on the App Store?
 
C

choaffable

Member
Double D said:
So where should I head from here? Anyone know of anything decent currently on sale? iPhone compatible games, please.
Click to expand...

Here are a few more, most of them ports of PC games. I just wrapped Fester Mudd and really enjoyed it's sharp writing and puzzles that make sense. About to get Fetch and start on that. Hamlet (Which I played on PC) looks brilliant, but it's brutally difficult with a nigh-useless hint system. Just FYI.

The Journey Down: Chapter One (Free right now)
Fetch
Mcpixel
Fester Mudd: Curse of the Gold
Hiversaires
Kaptain Brawe: A Brave New World
Hamlet
 
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