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The Muffinlord posted:Welp, I beat Dungeon Diary earlier today. I would love to play a more advanced variant of this same idea. Or a version with more dress-up options. Did you ever get above 60 max HP? I stopped when I hit a wall where I would donate 999000 G at a time and still only get upgrades to my treasure chest.
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May 3, 2013 18:10
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More games need full widget interaction and murder mantises.
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Anyone have a clue what LWarships is going to cost on the tablet? 9.99? If it was like 4.99 I'd consider grabbing the desktop version for a few days. e: Looks like the tablet version is going to be 4.99 as I saw it in 2 places.. http://www.slidetoplay.com/news/big-game-night-star-command-leviathan-warships-and-more/ quote:The PC/Mac version will set you back $9.99 or equyivalent while the tablet version goes for half that price. Looks like My :tenbux: for a few persistently trickling amazon associate links is going towards the PC version. tater_salad fucked around with this message at 18:20 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 18:16
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pixaal posted:If the game is good I will spend money on it. Any "paywall" is retarded and should just be avoided its bad and plenty of games with in game currency being purchasable while still having a good income and feeling balanced have made tons of real money. These are the games I actually buy the in game currency in so I don't feel like I'm ripping off the developer playing their game for free. (and some people will insist on having all the gold now so they can beat the game pretty much instantly and spend $1k+ because they have too much money). Thanks for the responses. Seems like there's a disconnect because "paywall" posts (and I use that in the demo->full unlock sense) have generally been positive, but they don't actually perform well in terms of conversions. Also, games that do have a "full game unlock" component collect a lot of bad user reviews because "developer never said this was a demo you can only play so far before it hits you up for money, uninstalled" regardless of how clearly you spell it out -- in-game, in the store description, or wherever else -- that this is a game that has a paywall. Oddly, a lot of responses blast the virtual currency approach. I think this entirely depends on the type of game. I totally agree that having progression-oriented IAPs available fuels the idea that the player is "supposed" to purchase in order to beat the current challenge, and that's bad design. That is, if you're playing a dungeon crawler and the difficulty to complete one floor requires 1 health potion, but the difficulty to complete the next floor requires 10 health potions and it harasses you with potion IAP reminders, that's bad. It conjures the belief not that I suck at the game and should employ new strategic methods, but rather that everyone has to have 10 potions in order to beat this floor and that's just the way the game is tuned. For vanity/optional stuff, experience enhancement, and fun factor I think it's totally fine. However, both approaches appear to monetize pretty successfully. I have some other ideas for optional IAPs in line with "I like this game so I'm going to buy something" that I'm considering. Disabling ads is a good, quality IAP. I also agree that any sort of permanent addition to gameplay (level packs, new characters) are worthwhile IAPs. I have the game design already laid out, unfortunately I won't be able to provide any detailed information, but I'm only going to include IAPs that make sense. That's going to include some stuff that appeals to big-ticket users as well as stuff that appeals to value-seeking users, but maybe there's a way I can separate them so that it's obvious which purchases are targeted to which users (a "progression" store versus a "content" store, for example). All these responses have been very valuable, so thanks.
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May 3, 2013 19:45
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Excalibur_Z posted:That's going to include some stuff that appeals to big-ticket users as well as stuff that appeals to value-seeking users, but maybe there's a way I can separate them so that it's obvious which purchases are targeted to which users (a "progression" store versus a "content" store, for example). All these responses have been very valuable, so thanks. The problem with this approach is unless you are really good at game design, the progression is going to be at least somewhat tuned around your progression IAPs, which goes back to pissing off the people who aren't willing to buy them. If they are not required to make the game an enjoyable experience, why will people buy them?
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May 3, 2013 19:56
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I'm just going to come out and say that if you want your game to make you a huge pile of cash then implementing the type of IAPs we've mentioned as acceptable won't do it unless your game is absolutely phenomenal. If your game is merely really good then you'll need to implement all the most annoying IAP systems and catch some whales. See D.O.T.
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May 3, 2013 20:39
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NewcastleBrown posted:I'm just going to come out and say that if you want your game to make you a huge pile of cash then implementing the type of IAPs we've mentioned as acceptable won't do it unless your game is absolutely phenomenal. If your game is merely really good then you'll need to implement all the most annoying IAP systems and catch some whales. ^^ that. Given current Android market trends and user spending habits, it's actually a better proposition in the long run to put out (for free, without IAP) a couple of highly polished but not too extensive games/apps to get your name out there and bring in a lot of positive reviews and perception, then make your magnum opus and drop it on the market for a flat purchase price. There's a growing backlash on the market against all of the IAP forms that are actually likely to make any serious profit. On the other hand, people aren't all that hesitant to drop money on an initial purchase price, provided that you have some credibility on the market.
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May 3, 2013 20:52
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Trastion posted:Original Carmageddon is coming to Android next week according to a kickstarter message I just got. To add to this, the game will be free for the first 24 hours on May 10th. The issue is that it will be a separate app from the paid version and it will be removed in 24 hours. If an app isn't on the Play Store, you can't update it so they probably won't update it at all. http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/03/carmageddon-for-android-will-debut-may-10th-free-for-the-first-24-hours/ I'd say if you want Carmageddon, just wait until the 11th and buy it at full price because you won't get updates at all the way they're doing it. Apparently, they could just do an in-app purchase for $0 and boost it to whatever later on but they won't.
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May 3, 2013 21:55
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Excalibur_Z posted:Thanks for the responses. Seems like there's a disconnect because "paywall" posts (and I use that in the demo->full unlock sense) have generally been positive, but they don't actually perform well in terms of conversions. Also, games that do have a "full game unlock" component collect a lot of bad user reviews because "developer never said this was a demo you can only play so far before it hits you up for money, uninstalled" regardless of how clearly you spell it out -- in-game, in the store description, or wherever else -- that this is a game that has a paywall. Hello Android thread! I made Punch Quest. I'm usually in the iOS thread, we had a porting company make it available to Google Play/Amazon. Yeah people really seem to hate the "full game unlock" stuff, with a handful of exceptions. "They SOMEHOW feel tricked" is a pretty good way to describe why. Our goal for Punch Quest was to be really nice about the IAP, to preserve the game's design. We were probably too nice, especially at first. And at the same time, the IAP is still tied to the progression. Even though you can get all the important abilities pretty fast, any coin pack purchase means you're skipping the progress system, which really isn't ideal design-wise. So next game, we're going for permanent additions to gameplay in the form of new characters for our upcoming action-adventure game. Kind of League of Legends inspired. Will see how that goes. The game will also be a way to promote our upcoming $5 price point Zelda-like games.
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May 3, 2013 22:01
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Flarestar posted:^^ that. I'd love this to be true but is there any evidence? Of the first 60 games in "top grossing" 7 aren't free. A quick glance seems to show a fair split between "pay to not wait" and "buy lives/moves/dumb poo poo like hats" If you want to make money, don't target goons, target the people who buy digital trading cards, bejewelled poo poo, Facebook games, poo poo like that. The people stupid enough to buy $40 IAP funbucks.
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May 3, 2013 22:54
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Cruseydr posted:I made sure to leave you a great review. Sorry about the Kindle users who are jerks. =( Images for later, for late comers to the thread... #1 in Free Games, #1 in Free Apps overall (I still have no idea how much this will translate to revenue later, but I'm not sure I care anymore. I beat a new-release Angry Birds. I beat Angry Birds, and can claim a #1 game. That's freaking HUGE.) Oh, right, and just a heads up, but we're doing a 50% off promotion for Cinco de Mayo. So if you're budget minded and want to buy Jones / but want to get it cheap, wait until the price change hits (which'll be soonish). 
Shalinor fucked around with this message at 23:06 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 22:58
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Maybe I'm the only one who had this problem but Jones on Fire is still really frustrating for me because the camera jolts up and down on my N7. It's kind of weird but it has something to do with jumping as the floor changes level. I would play the game a whole bunch but this really put me off  .
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May 3, 2013 23:11
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Tunga posted:Maybe I'm the only one who had this problem but Jones on Fire is still really frustrating for me because the camera jolts up and down on my N7. It's kind of weird but it has something to do with jumping as the floor changes level. I would play the game a whole bunch but this really put me off
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May 3, 2013 23:18
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Tunga posted:Maybe I'm the only one who had this problem but Jones on Fire is still really frustrating for me because the camera jolts up and down on my N7. It's kind of weird but it has something to do with jumping as the floor changes level. I would play the game a whole bunch but this really put me off The only major bug I know of, that I haven't been able to figure out, is it hitches right when you finish a stage. I'd be more concerned if it actually interfered with the play, but it doesn't / you're not in control at that point anyways, so I've left it mostly alone. EDIT: VV Hrm. I'll look into it. Very possible there's a camera zone bug - Jones uses v1.0 of that tech, and I've refined it quite a bit for Hot Tin Roof. EDIT2: Oh, god. I think I know what you're hitting. It's a non-trivial fix - it enforces a super hard transition there because any delay/lerp would leave you being unable to see where you're going / you'd hit stuff. It's just too hard, if you're jumping too. Shalinor fucked around with this message at 23:37 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 23:30
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I had it happen on the first and second stage. It jerks a little when you jump right before the terrain goes down. e: but not always? It seems to happen on slopes, too. e2: it seems like it happens when you jump right before it goes down a lot so the camera has to adjust very quickly. The game itself runs smoothly, it's just the camera jerks vertically and it's a little nauseating. butt dickus fucked around with this message at 23:43 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 23:33
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Shalinor posted:I wish I knew what bug you were hitting. I do all my testing on a Nexus 7, and it runs more or less flawlessly for me. Can you describe it beyond that? Certain conditions, hazard levels it gets worse at, etc?
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May 4, 2013 00:17
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Tunga posted:Hmm...is there a way I can record a record a screencap or something? I'm rooted, seems like it should be possible. I think you can use airdroid to mirror the display on your PC then cap that.
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May 4, 2013 00:33
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Cakefool posted:I'd love this to be true but is there any evidence? Of the first 60 games in "top grossing" 7 aren't free. A quick glance seems to show a fair split between "pay to not wait" and "buy lives/moves/dumb poo poo like hats" Comments and reviews, basically, both on Play and external sites. The Top Grossing thing isn't a particularly good indicator really. It's still being heavily influenced by the growing Android install base that hasn't had time to become jaded from the overly aggressive IAP that's become the norm for a lot of the major developers.
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May 4, 2013 03:35
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Comments and reviews are one thing but unless developers see a hole in their income they'll carry on. Addendum to IAP chat, paid, ad-free draw something ran a lot smoother and lunched less battery than the ad-riddled version.
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May 4, 2013 14:59
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- When you purchase an IAP, what is your expectation? Where is the value line? How much gameplay do you expect to get from your purchase of $1? $5? $1 should be something like removing ads and a permanent unlock that is desirable. $5 better be a full game with no further even optional IAP. - In a F2P game where it's possible to grind out progress, how valuable are consumable IAPs as compared to permanent content unlocks? I would never buy a consumable, something that is permanent is a possibility. - Should every F2P IAP-enabled game have an alternative virtual currency purchase option as well? How do you feel about games which tier purchasable content (tier 1 = cash only, tier 2 = grindable virtual currency)? I feel that if you are going to charge for content, you shouldn't have IAP and just a flat fee to play the drat game. - If you don't buy IAPs, will you instead grind out your target even if it requires an unreasonable amount of playtime? Yes, to a degree. If it's overly excessive I just delete the game. - How long do you expect to be able to play before IAPs become "necessary" in order to meaningfully progress? If a game has IAP become necessary, they should just charge for the game up front. I have never been hooked enough to a game that when that wall comes I pay. I just delete the game.
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May 4, 2013 16:55
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IAP that is totally acceptable and cool: one that adds something extra and is literally extra to the game, like bonus side quests that give some cool loot, mini games, new skins for existing things, extra land to explore or something neat to do outside of the base game. Edit: Like mini DLC
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May 4, 2013 17:43
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Cakefool posted:Comments and reviews are one thing but unless developers see a hole in their income they'll carry on. Comments and reviews are what drive the games industry to change. When people don't particularly have a choice, they'll continue buying whatever form of entertainment is available, but the level of bitching about it increases steadily. Once someone decides to listen, set a different model, and does so competently, people flock in droves, and the industry is forced to adapt. We've seen this pattern over and over - there's no reason at all to believe it will be any different here, really.
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May 4, 2013 19:02
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I hope you're right, nothing to do but leave relevant comments and reviews and wait to see what happens in the future.
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May 4, 2013 21:23
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Many gamers loudly exclaimed how they hated paid DLC when it first became a thing, sales were great. Gamers foamed at their mouths and talked about boycotts when companies began with on-disc "DLC", the games sold great. Just about every game has on-disc DLC now, and companies are making huge profits regardless of angry comments online, because gamers don't understand the concept of voting with their wallets, or just suffer from a total lack of integrity/impulse control. IAP in mobile games aren't going away as long as people keep throwing money at the developers who implement them.
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May 4, 2013 21:45
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Are there any Mahjong games on android in English? Not the 'find a pair in this pile of cards' style Mahjong, the cardgame style of Mahjong.
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May 5, 2013 00:25
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EvilElmo posted:Are there any Mahjong games on android in English? Not the 'find a pair in this pile of cards' style Mahjong, the cardgame style of Mahjong. Mahjong friends I play it, it's lots of fun but according to some real mahjong players the computer is extremely nontactical.
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May 5, 2013 00:38
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MJP posted:So this is ADTRW as hell, but does anyone know of decent visual novels for Android? I noticed that I had Steins;Gate on my laptop but realized I haven't seen decent Android VNs out there. https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Winter+Wolves These guys make a whole bunch of them, but the writing is of dubious quality. That's a matter of opinion, though, so check out the demos. I actually really like Lone Wolf Saga even though it's pretty cheesy, just because it reminds me of the choose-your-own-adventure books I had as a kid. Kepa posted:Hello Android thread! I made Punch Quest. I'm usually in the iOS thread, we had a porting company make it available to Google Play/Amazon. I almost never buy games, and especially not ones with IAP, but I bought Punch Quest because the graphics are rad and it looked super fun from the demo vid. The IAPs are mostly annoying because they make me feel like I should be buying them to escape the grind, rather than playing the game a lot and unlocking stuff because it's fun. I bought the doubler, because I figured $4 for a fun game is fine, but I'd have been a lot happier paying $4-$5 up front and having no IAP bullshit show up ever, with a separate free+IAP option available as a demo. Regardless, it's a great beat'em up, and the best distance survival game I've come across. I say that as a person whose job requires sifting through hundreds of Android games and apps every week, so yeah - nice work! I don't know if this thread has discovered Kitty Punch yet, but check it out. Completely ridiculous. Tangential to this thread/post, we're looking for people into Android games/apps for an entry-level job in San Francisco, check my post here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3052395&pagenumber=34&perpage=40#post415128181 AriTheDog fucked around with this message at 02:07 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 00:46
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EvilElmo posted:Are there any Mahjong games on android in English? Not the 'find a pair in this pile of cards' style Mahjong, the cardgame style of Mahjong. I usually play VirtualTenho-G, if you don't mind ads.
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May 5, 2013 01:06
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Bro Enlai posted:I usually play VirtualTenho-G, if you don't mind ads. Wrong version, Japanese style Mahjong. I play Taiwan/HK Mahjong. EvilElmo fucked around with this message at 01:51 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 01:47
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Iaps? gently caress them. I hate them so much that I simply refuse to install free games unless I hear raving reviews about them (then end up hating those games anyway). The only exception is Nimble Quest.
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May 5, 2013 02:28
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Excalibur_Z posted:Open questionnaire! - When you purchase an IAP, what is your expectation? Where is the value line? How much gameplay do you expect to get from your purchase of $1? $5? When I think of something like a level pack or some such, I think both in terms of gameplay size but also replayability. It can't be understated how much I value developers that put in completely optional "find stuff" or new game+ or crazy rear end time attack ideas to a level pack. I'm also a big fan of side grade "new way to play" stuff like a new character if they're more than a palette swap. In my head, for a mobile game, a $1-2 should probably add 25-50% to a game's length or I'd probably be unhappy. At $5, I expect it to essentially be a new game. - In a F2P game where it's possible to grind out progress, how valuable are consumable IAPs as compared to permanent content unlocks? I'm seriously allergic to consumable IAPs, like money packs or temporary boosts. But I'm also the kind of person who likes to go through the game proper and unlock content based on the criteria the game offers. So for me, these two types are dead ends as far as IAP goes. - Should every F2P IAP-enabled game have an alternative virtual currency purchase option as well? How do you feel about games which tier purchasable content (tier 1 = cash only, tier 2 = grindable virtual currency)? I look for this and think it's really a solid solution. There's a tiny bit of me that gets annoyed when there's real money only items that the outclass anything obtainable via virtual currency but I know that it's part of why the game is free in the first place. I'm sort of pleased with the system they used for Mutant Roadkill, where there's earnable cars and cars you can get with purchaseable coins. But they're interspersed so you never feel like there's a ceiling you don't progress past without paying but the price is high enough that you can definitely see the allure of buying if the game is fun enough. - If you don't buy IAPs, will you instead grind out your target even if it requires an unreasonable amount of playtime? Within limits. But the game itself has to be dyed in the wool fun to even consider it. If the horizon is silly far I'd continue if it was old school arcade fun (NimbleQuest's 100k per 3 star hero didn't phase me) but if it's rote busy work, there's no way I'll do it. Note, I didn't have the patience to grind World of Warcraft but I quested the gently caress out of WoW, basically trying to do every quest in the game. So I'll bend over backward if the journey is fun and it can sometimes be rewarding to go this route. - How long do you expect to be able to play before IAPs become "necessary" in order to meaningfully progress? If it came to that I'd prefer that the developer named the game "<Game Name> Demo" so I saw the IAP less as an unstated wall but as an unlock to go further. Feeling the pressure to buy IAP because sewer rats suddenly hit like sledgehammers feels cheap. But if there was a bridge to a new zone called "You'renotreadyland" and you needed to buy something to go there, I'd be okay because it would be clear instead of feeling like I made a bad choice in my skill setup or playstyle. - What would you consider a "reasonable" (versus "unreasonable") IAP system? What seems fair? Ad removers are totally fair. Content packs are also completely fair. Even though I don't use them, fast forwards/unlocks are also fair I'd say. I would say something that removed an energy system would be fair while buying "extra" energy isn't fair. If I"m buying something, artificial restrains feel like they should be removed in the process. Anything that provides 24 hours of kickassedness feels unfair because you feel obligated to play the game the whole time and that sucks when mobile gaming shouldn't be so career-y like an MMO. Thanks for asking the questions.
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May 5, 2013 02:42
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Shalinor posted:We're #1, dude. Also, when the dust has settled, it would be interesting to hear your experience on the FAOTD thing, especially given its past controversy. Also curious why Amazon vs. Humble Bundle or something, seems like the latter would provide a lot of exposure too, but the timing has to be right. Malt posted:- When you purchase an IAP, what is your expectation? It's like, you're holding 30+ MB of device memory hostage. Either figure out a way to deliver content packs with the IAP only, or just release a separate game for $5. Whatever you do, don't do that.
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May 5, 2013 04:28
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ExcessBLarg! posted:Also curious why Amazon vs. Humble Bundle or something  ... but now I'm going to go hunt down the submission process for that, because what the heck. Thanks for the idea!
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May 5, 2013 04:30
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Shalinor posted:Heh. Because the Humble Bundle is extremely exclusive, and only really, really big games get in there In other news Indie Gala Mobile 3 is underway. I didn't realize they had two previous ones. I'm not sure what to think of it though, having three app stores already is something of a chore, although the HIB one is pretty slick.
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May 5, 2013 06:10
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Has anybody played or have an opinion on Blood Brothers? My roommate mentioned it to me and it seems ok, maybe. Doesn't seem to be much to the game (at least so far), but I ask because it's asking me if I have an invite ID.
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May 5, 2013 06:33
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One in app purchase I liked was Grabatron's missile launcher. It's a permanently unlocked item that's nice to have, but still optional. What I hate is the smurfberry bullshit where the game slowly bogs down in an attempt to make you buy the premium currency.
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May 5, 2013 07:14
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Keito posted:Many gamers loudly exclaimed how they hated paid DLC when it first became a thing, sales were great. Gamers foamed at their mouths and talked about boycotts when companies began with on-disc "DLC", the games sold great. Just about every game has on-disc DLC now, and companies are making huge profits regardless of angry comments online, because gamers don't understand the concept of voting with their wallets, or just suffer from a total lack of integrity/impulse control. I haven't seen too many games with on-disc DLC? I don't personally mind on-disc dlc that much, because it adds extra content to the game, which is also the fundamental difference between IAP and DLC. IAP is stuff you really, honestly should have without a question, DLC is pretty much always extra - I haven't seen paid DLC that actually was needed to finish the main game. While I hate the word, I believe "gamers" don't buy IAP stuff, except for maybe the somewhat reasonable stuff, like the ad-removing ones. The thing is, there's a lot of kids and young people playing phones and tablets who either don't know they are using real money or just don't care. They'll never stop buying IAP.
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May 5, 2013 09:48
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ExcessBLarg! posted:Perhaps part of the issue is that past Android bundles have also requried Win/Mac/Linux versions too. The recent "Humble Mobile Bundle" was their first Android exclusive bundle. They might do more of that. Their system is basic/more of a pain. They just let you download the apk and handle it yourself, which is fine, I guess, but then you don't know when there are updates or anything. I've paid for the first two and don't have any of the games on my phone just because it's more of a pain than it's worth. I don't really like their whole system. You can't just log in to their site in a logical way, you have to get the link they email you to get to your profile. I'll still grab a good deal if they have it, but the Humble Bundle folks know how to do it right.
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May 5, 2013 11:49
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AriTheDog posted:https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Winter+Wolves That's because Lone Wolf was a choose your own adventure series of books 
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May 5, 2013 11:50
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Mr Beens posted:That's because Lone Wolf was a choose your own adventure series of books And Joe Dever being a magnificent bastard gave permission for Project Aon to re-release them for free, which resulted in the Lone Wolf Saga.
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May 5, 2013 12:22
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Are there any Idle RPG style games for droid? I don't know why but the thought of a thing just running that I can watch numbers get eternally bigger amuses me. Bonus points if it's a live wallpaper.
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May 5, 2013 14:09
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