v0.7 ThinkTank

[Aceofspades25]

I always mute sound/music on smart phone games

[lord midnight]

see i think that is the difference, I bought a small portable computer that makes phone calls, not a phone that plays game, a device to play games I can call people on.

see the difference? Android is not a cell phone OS, its a device OS, teblets, PDAs phones, even laptops and desktops can run it. It isnt all about the phone. The game should be a good game to play, not just a good game to play on a phone.

[lord midnight]

My personal feeling is that I don't want the game to be made too complex.
This is a phone based game that people play on 3 inch screens.

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you mean like a gameboy and psp play games of massive complexity on a 3 inch screen?

[Aceofspades25]

My personal feeling is that I don't want the game to be made too complex.
This is a phone based game that people play on 3 inch screens.

.

you mean like a gameboy and psp play games of massive complexity on a 3 inch screen?

Neither of those are touch screen devices, and that changes everything! Touch screen games have to be simple to be successful (like angry birds) Hit boxes have to be large to stop you from accidentally pressing the wrong thing. When hit boxes are too small, it causes imense frustration. I have a windows mobile device, so I have a lot to say on the issue of crappy UI's.

In my opinion, an uncluttered and simple is more enjoyable for touch screen devices with small screens.

[lord midnight]

ok, but you can have plenty of options and features without cluttering the UI. Can I ask, if the UI was kept clean, would you be more open to more gameplay options and systems?

Im actually taking a graduate level class in Interactive Systems Designs, this is exactly the kind of thing we are covering, chunking and organization of user interfaces.

[Peter]

My personal feeling is that I don't want the game to be made too complex.
This is a phone based game that people play on 3 inch screens.
.

althou its a personal thing, i agree on this one, having to cope with all nifty details about hit chance and upgrades etc is not my thing, i play to relax.

some tacticale feedback would be cool, although with an option to disable.
sound i would disable when its to much repeating itself

-- my 5 cts

[Aceofspades25]

ok, but you can have plenty of options and features without cluttering the UI. Can I ask, if the UI was kept clean, would you be more open to more gameplay options and systems?

Im actually taking a graduate level class in Interactive Systems Designs, this is exactly the kind of thing we are covering, chunking and organization of user interfaces.

Yes unfortunately

I am a developer myself and have worked on an isometric rpg. I know from experience that some of the things you've suggested would be very time consuming. I also know of the very real dangers of developers getting bored of their projects half way through because the scope was too large to start with.

I enjoy this game, and I really want to play it through to the end. To me that means prioritising finishing the maps, the scripts etc, without allowing there to be too much scope creep. I like the idea of being able to pick pockets etc. But I see a very real risk of the game not being finished if all those things are implemented first.

[lord midnight]

ok, and I hear you loud and clear.

Id like to point out (again ) that oscar has doubled the game world in the 068 release.

The reason I started this forward looking ThinkTank, was to boil down which feature to go after. Other than content.

Really, the gameplay is very limited, it is basically squashing bugs by tapping on the screen, yes you can walk around and talk to people, but you really cant DO anything but go smack stuff by tapping on the screen repeatedly with no rhyme or reason.

Pickpocket is a great idea!

What do you want to do, in the large and expanded game world, besides tap the screen to squash a critter?

Id like to solve some puzzles and open some doors and make some items out of the 1gp wings and animal fur I collect.

If the was a small button in the inventory window, that took you to a screen where you could select items to combine or a craft skill to use, it would not clutter the AI, it would be optional, but it would add a ton of depth. Just item crafting alone, would add a lot to do in this game.

I dont think everything needs to be so complex it is hard to manage, and hearing the resounding cry of not too complex is heard. Im looking at ways to make things as simple as they can be.

There are 4 save slots, I want to use them! I want to at least select a basic archtype to try different strategies. I want to play a tough warrior and smash bugs! I want to play a fast moving thief who can evade every attack and strike like a cobra! I want to play a bare fisted fighter and a mage who can study under Vacor and a craftsman who trades for materials to make stuff and never enters a dungeon unless he has to while he looks for his brother. Ok, maybe not all of those things in the next release, but wouldnt it be nice to at least have one or two options?

There should be more to do besides just smash stuff. What else would people like to do?
What one or two features can we vote up to start working on?
What character option could be added?
What can be done for a Skill or Action Bar onscreen to facilitate using them without traversing menus, it should be just selecting one to put in the bar and tapping an icon to use a skill, how many should be on it without cluttering the interface?

I just have a hard time seeing this game 5 times larger without expanding on gameplay or adding a feature at all. Simple is good but its no reason to not add anything, what should we really look at adding?

[ScorpionZ]

Nobody mentioned sound - both effects and background music. Any plans in the works for that? Maybe seems superfluous, but to me a game without sound feels unfinished.

While I partially agree with this idea, I mostly disagree with it. When I play this game, I am in a waiting room, on a bus, in my office, in a meeting, etc. Basically, I am in places where I don't use sound and don't want sound. If it is decided to give the game sound effects, please make it an option (i.e. additional download of sound files just like adding a font pack to a texting program) that way I don't have to waste valuable storage space on my phone.

[oskarwiksten]

My idea of Andor's Trail as an Android game does not include sound or music. At the most, we might do haptic feedback when hitting monsters, but no sound in my opinion.