Sword of Fargoal Legends ($6.99 -> $2.99)

[ImNoSuperMan]

HD Screenshots:
(click to enlarge)

http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/039/Purple/82/27/c1/mzl.bljwepfb.480x480-75.jpg (http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/039/Purple/82/27/c1/mzl.bljwepfb.1024x1024-65.jpg)

http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/020/Purple/77/51/4d/mzl.vaagdjyw.480x480-75.jpg (http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/020/Purple/77/51/4d/mzl.vaagdjyw.1024x1024-65.jpg)

http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/059/Purple/ef/f3/71/mzl.gmrtgahl.480x480-75.jpg (http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/059/Purple/ef/f3/71/mzl.gmrtgahl.1024x1024-65.jpg)

http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/036/Purple/44/37/10/mzl.vabsdhqa.480x480-75.jpg (http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/036/Purple/44/37/10/mzl.vabsdhqa.1024x1024-65.jpg)

http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/040/Purple/8a/54/76/mzl.imzszmfz.480x480-75.jpg (http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/040/Purple/8a/54/76/mzl.imzszmfz.1024x1024-65.jpg)


http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sword-of-fargoal-legends/id364354021?mt=8


Welcome to Sword of Fargoal® Legends, the classic dungeon crawler adventure, now reimagined in a brand new HD adaptation for the iPad!

Explore the perilous dungeon in your attempt to rescue the Sword of Fargoal. It is said to be hidden deep on the 20th level and guarded by a host of monsters and other powerful foe, but you must avoid devilish traps, wrong turns, and other obstacles along your way. Once you find the Sword you must make it out alive before the walls begin to collapse around you!

You embark on a new quest each time you begin a new character! The entire dungeon is generated randomly each time, giving a satisfying, infinitely-replayable experience to both retro gamers and newcomers alike. Originally developed over 25 years ago for the C64 (and other classic Commodore computers) it is a perfect old school adventure with amazing new graphics, original music, and retro-inspired sounds.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
NOW FEATURED IN APPLE'S "WHAT WE'RE PLAYING"
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

★ PACKED WITH NOSTALGIA, PERFECT FOR DUNGEON CRAWLER NEWCOMERS

Selected as one of the "Best iPhone Games" by TouchArcade's 2009 Buyer's Guide (5-stars)

"This game is really worth its price and even more. There are games you pay 5 to 10 bucks for and they aren't nearly as addicting as Sword of Fargoal is. I hadn't more fun with the last RPGs I played."

"This is one game that is not to be missed, and I could kick myself for waiting so long to get this. So do yourself a favor and instead of kicking yourself later, just go and get this."

— Fans from TouchArcade forum

“Sword of Fargoal is one of the best loved roguelike games ever to light up a CRT … Those who've never played a dungeon crawler before might just find themselves drawn in to Sword of Fargoal"

— TouchArcade

“It's playable and addictive … certainly one of the best mini-adventures you can get.”

— iPhone-Gamer.net

★ NEVER THE SAME GAME TWICE

✔ Completely randomly generated — different every time!
✔ Over 20 Dungeon levels & 100 unique dungeon maps per game
✔ Over 28 monster types with special abilities, weapons, & spells
✔ Hidden traps & treasures, gold, spells & potions
✔ Subtle 3D dungeon with cool “retro” top-down map
✔ Full zoom, tap, & swipe intuitive on-screen movement
✔ All original music by British composer, Daniel Pemberton
✔ Or play your own music while you go on your quest
✔ Animations by Emmy-winning animator, Charlie Canfield
✔ Crystal social gaming platform fully-integrated!

★ REACH NEW DEPTHS OF HIGH DEF GAMEPLAY ON IPAD

The touchscreen controls on the iPad’s big and beautiful screen bring you into the dungeon crawling action like never before as you attempt to reclaim the Sword of Fargoal from the infamous 20th level of the dungeon.

Along the way you gain experience points battling the terrifying creatures lurking in the depths of this treacherous dungeon, with a cunning array of magic spells and potions to help you when swords and brute force fail.

Simple click- and pinch-zoom scaling lets you view an entire dungeon level or zoom in close to the action!

New themed maps and episodic adventures are added via regular updates, including future in-app purchases such-as the original C64 version tiles!

★ EXPLORE SWORD OF FARGOAL FURTHER

Website: http://www.fargoal.com/
Trailer: www.youtube.com/swordoffargoal

Return to the HD dungeon in a brand new iPad adaptation of the classic retro adventure game!

[Vester]

Looks hot :D I'm not getting an iPad so I'm glad I have it on my iPod

[Madgarden]

I'm anxious to get my iPad and actually test this out, heh! Got lots of cool new stuff planned for the HD version. Make sure to request your most-wanted features, guys!

[missalexis]

I'm anxious to get my iPad and actually test this out, heh! Got lots of cool new stuff planned for the HD version. Make sure to request your most-wanted features, guys!

Are there any gameplay differences between the two versions at the time being? The regular version actually seems to look pretty good upscaled (as do most games for that matter).

[Madgarden]

The most notable difference right now is the Crystal social gaming integration for the iPad version. Also, the iPad version properly supports the larger resolution, so you get a very crisp display especially when zooming far out. We didn't have a lot of time to add all the iPad features we wanted, but the next update will further adapt the iPad version to take advantage of its higher resolution and power. Really looking forward to playing it for myself, heh :D

[missalexis]

The most notable difference right now is the Crystal social gaming integration for the iPad version. Also, the iPad version properly supports the larger resolution, so you get a very crisp display especially when zooming far out. We didn't have a lot of time to add all the iPad features we wanted, but the next update will further adapt the iPad version to take advantage of its higher resolution and power. Really looking forward to playing it for myself, heh :D

Thanks for your reply. So given the Crystal integration does it support achievements and leaderboards?

[Madgarden]

Yeppers! And soon we will be supporting challenges as well. That should be coming in the next update, along with an improved iPad-specific HUD, high-res videos, and other stuff.

[Anders]

Looks awesome, will be picking this up when I get my pad.

[Doffie]

Just put up a review in the app store. Lied through my teeth and said it wasn't too bad a game, heh. Hope others will do the same and help out these cruel, wicked, and totally unresponsive dev boys.

[Madgarden]

Hey Anders, thanks! Look forward to trying out Labyrinth 2 HD on my iPad when I get it... seems a perfect fit for your game. :D My kids will love it.

Thanks Doffie! So nice of you to lie for us so vehemently. ;)

I was thinking more about your high-res comments, and realized that the current artwork really is *pixel* art, and I think it should be accentuated as such. So I think I might do some work that will actually make them a higher-res, but give them a filter effect that looks more like they came off straight of a CRT, in all of their pixel glory. Just a thought, but I think it will be cool!

And as we add themes, we'll be able to have completely different graphics sets, so we'll get the C64, VIC20, PETSCII themes as well as possibly some cool hand-painted work done in the style of the videos. Who knows what may come. :)

[Doffie]

Hey Anders, thanks! Look forward to trying out Labyrinth 2 HD on my iPad when I get it... seems a perfect fit for your game. :D My kids will love it.

Thanks Doffie! So nice of you to lie for us so vehemently. ;)

I was thinking more about your high-res comments, and realized that the current artwork really is *pixel* art, and I think it should be accentuated as such. So I think I might do some work that will actually make them a higher-res, but give them a filter effect that looks more like they came off straight of a CRT, in all of their pixel glory. Just a thought, but I think it will be cool!

And as we add themes, we'll be able to have completely different graphics sets, so we'll get the C64, VIC20, PETSCII themes as well as possibly some cool hand-painted work done in the style of the videos. Who knows what may come. :)
Yeah that sounds cool, Paul.

I have another trivial request and Ive no idea whether it either makes sense or is more work than you like. Colors. I really like the charcoal grey and green dungeons, but still think there's too much purple. So maybe you'll see fit to design some different floors sometime.

I'm enjoying the game as ever, but because of the larger dimensions of the Pad it seems to take noticeably longer to make my way through a dungeon. Not a complaint, just an observation. Trade-offs are always present. Cheers.

[Madgarden]

Yes, too much purple, I agree. There are a lot of cave levels. I will work on that!

And, what do you mean it's taking longer? The dungeons the same size as on the iPhone, not bigger... do you mean your hero is moving slower or something?

[severinggecko]

When i saw this on the AppStore is actually started to jump up and down at work (I work at an apple specialist) sword of fargoal for iPhone is one fo my favorite games and i am glad i can play it on my iPad!

Can't wait to see what you guys are able to do in the coming updates!!!


From my iPad

[Doffie]

Yes, too much purple, I agree. There are a lot of cave levels. I will work on that!

And, what do you mean it's taking longer? The dungeons the same size as on the iPhone, not bigger... do you mean your hero is moving slower or something?
Paul, I just mean that, say on a long dungeon edge/wall, one's finger has to move a lot further to get your guy from one end to the other when there are no traps or baddies to slow you down. No biggie, just a physical fact of life.

One more crispness question: might you make the text sharper, not so pixellated, or would that spoil the effect you want.

[Madgarden]

When i saw this on the AppStore is actually started to jump up and down at work (I work at an apple specialist) sword of fargoal for iPhone is one fo my favorite games and i am glad i can play it on my iPad!

Can't wait to see what you guys are able to do in the coming updates!!!


:D Yes we are just getting started with the iPad version!


One more crispness question: might you make the text sharper, not so pixellated, or would that spoil the effect you want.

Definitely, we don't want any blurry text. If any of the UI elements can be updated to make it sharp and crisp on the iPad, it will be the first thing on our list to fix. We just have to see it on the iPad first... :o Soon! Most devs pretty much were working blind for the iPad, not having the hardware to test with!

[Madgarden]

Doffie, is this less-purple-enough for you?

http://www.madgarden.net/junkz/sword-brown-cave.png

[Doffie]

Doffie, is this less-purple-enough for you?

http://www.madgarden.net/junkz/sword-brown-cave.png
Grin. Yeah, Paul. I guess I'm pushing for serious color variety. Maybe some lighter greys, blues, tan, etc.

There are two things I still don't understand. Do you need tons of gold to get your shield healed at temples? And when you get Lion's Eye, do you have to use it for each individual fight? And, since there's no number beside it in the menu is there any way of knowing how long it will last? I'm probably being stupid, but....

[Madgarden]

So you want more variety within the level itself, really. Yeah, I'm working on that too. There are certain limitations we have right now, but we're going to try to get past them.

OK, so 2000 gold will get you blessed. Right now, you have to be hurt for the blessing to happen, and this fix your shield, but this behaviour will change over the next updates as more stuff happens.

The Lion's Eye... you don't have to use it at all. Once you have it, it is in effect. Having one, or two eyes has a different effect, with 2 being the best but 1 is better than nothing. And if an orb gets stolen, you lose the effect of it. But no manual action is required on your part.

[fargoal]

Looks awesome, will be picking this up when I get my pad.

Hey Anders,

Thanks for popping into this forum! I *love* your Labyrinth HD on my new iPad! Also it was really fun to see the results of your great work on the iPhone and iPad game tributes for other games such-as "Pocket God," "Flight Control," and Yours Truly, our game, "Sword of Fargoal." Our collaboration worked out wonderfully on that!

I love the combinations you have to figure out about opening the doors (metal sliders), and the twist at the end about the timing to get to the Sword!

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord

http://www.fargoal.com/imagefiles/photo.PNG

[fargoal]

I just posted the Fargoal thread summary here:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=981030&postcount=1105

— Jeff

[JindoFox]

I love Fargoal, but I do wish this were a universal app. The "old" iPhone version scales up beautifully on the iPad and it seems a shame to split the market like this.

[antispin]

I love Fargoal, but I do wish this were a universal app. The "old" iPhone version scales up beautifully on the iPad and it seems a shame to split the market like this.

My thought on this: the market split is inevitable. The iPad is a significantly different piece of hardware (faster processor, even if the RAM is the same, and higher-res screen), and most good devs would want to leverage that and explore any opportunities the new hardware may present. Right now, I feel that most of the iPad early-adopters would also own another iDevice, which is why most of us feel the pinch when an app needs to be bought "separately", i.e. is not universal. On the dev side, making a universal app brings with it size issues and most devs would not want to change the size of their apps lest they affect the much larger iPod/iPhone market consumption. So universal apps might be few and far in-between for games that are already quite big in the MB department.

However, the new iPhone/iPod line should definitely move things into the next-generation. The new devices might have a similar processor as the iPad as well as a higher-resolution screen (note that the screen is the main power draw in the iPad, so a smaller screen as compared to the iPad + one battery, versus the two in the iPad, might be the way forward). So over time, the currently small iPad-hardware-class base will grow, offering a better market for developers.

All in all, the market split is coming. Might take a year or so but the older devices will eventually be abandoned. Hopefully, the transition will be graceful thanks to things like pixel doubling.

[iloveyouall]

Antispin your thought and response is extremely well put. The only point that irks me of rebuying the apps is the double and triple cost without many perks if at all.

[jeffyg3]

There should be a split between iPhone and iPad games if there's a big difference between the 2 versions. It's all run on the same OS...it's not as if a lot of these developers are coding for an entirely different system for a lot of their games. Games like Soosiz HD adds nothing new at all other than higher res graphics, while Cliffed which is a universal app not only has higher resolution, but iPad exclusive content, all in one package and the size of the package didn't increase dramatically.

Eventually there will be games that can only be done on the iPad due to it's power, but for many of these iPhone/iPad games, there is no reason they shouldn't be universal apps, especially since the big diffrence between a lot of them is just update res, which should have been a free update as a universal app. Developers would rather rip their own fans off, I'm just glad there's still some good developers left that won't cheat their own customers...plus it's a big incentive for buyers knowing they're getting a universal app.

[Psykikgmr]

I have much more respect for developers who make universal games.

I was hoping there would be much more universal games
But let's face it.
They all know they can get away with double dipping and take more money from their previous buyers even if they are releasing the same game with no differences.
Theyre all crooks in the end, well Except for you universal app game makers - Iugo, konami, parachute HD peeps, parcel panic developer, etc

[fargoal]

My thought on this: the market split is inevitable. The iPad is a significantly different piece of hardware (faster processor, even if the RAM is the same, and higher-res screen), and most good devs would want to leverage that and explore any opportunities the new hardware may present. Right now, I feel that most of the iPad early-adopters would also own another iDevice, which is why most of us feel the pinch when an app needs to be bought "separately", i.e. is not universal. On the dev side, making a universal app brings with it size issues and most devs would not want to change the size of their apps lest they affect the much larger iPod/iPhone market consumption. So universal apps might be few and far in-between for games that are already quite big in the MB department.

However, the new iPhone/iPod line should definitely move things into the next-generation. The new devices might have a similar processor as the iPad as well as a higher-resolution screen (note that the screen is the main power draw in the iPad, so a smaller screen as compared to the iPad + one battery, versus the two in the iPad, might be the way forward). So over time, the currently small iPad-hardware-class base will grow, offering a better market for developers.

All in all, the market split is coming. Might take a year or so but the older devices will eventually be abandoned. Hopefully, the transition will be graceful thanks to things like pixel doubling.

I think you have all captured the issue well regarding the split between iPad and iPhone versions. Our biggest issue about a universal version for our game is that with HD graphics and videos for the iPad size packed into the iPhone version (which would not be used on iPhone) it would make the game huge!

Our plan is to continue to refine the iPad graphics to reach the ideal of what the iPad is capabile of. Already Paul and Elias have come up with some super-cool character and monster sprite enhancements that will appear in the next Sword of Fargoal Legends (iPad) update. In addition, we will continue to offer rich new updates and story enhancements for both versions, and, being very careful to be sensitive to our loyal fans of the iPhone version, we may be able to offer some iPad-specific enhancements that will continue to make the game more enjoyable both visually and game content-wise. Both versions will continued to be honored and supported equally overall, though, as any new enhancements come along.

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord

[Psykikgmr]

Only thing that would have made an unacceptable increase in file size would have been higher resolution videos.

Looking at a game like Parcel Panic (awesome high res 3d universal game) where all the textures and everything look much nicer on the iPad and when it went universal the file size didn't jump up too much. Never got FarGoal, is there a lot of high resolution videos that would make it unacceptable as a universal app? If not why on earth would a game like yours have a file size that would become unacceptable in comparison to many other examples of universal game apps where this wasn't so - games with more textures and higher graphics than yours.

Seems like a lot of BS to me from non-universal app developers making idiotic excuses to double dip.

If your game was actually universal I may have gotten it. I bought about 4 games because I knew it was universal. Being a universal app is a big plus in my book

[Madgarden]

Psykikgmr, yes actually we do have videos in-game, as well as an intro video, as well as some nice BG artwork, icons, etc. and the high-res versions of these would severely bloat the game as a universal app.

We're an extremely small team, and this stuff takes a lot of time for us as a part-time effort (everyone works day-jobs). So, be patient. Cool stuff is coming. :)

[VeganTnT]

Seems like a lot of BS to me from non-universal app developers making idiotic excuses to double dip.

If your game was actually universal I may have gotten it. I bought about 4 games because I knew it was universal. Being a universal app is a big plus in my book

While I would normally agree about the double dipping I think it's important to not that it is IMPOSSIBLE for this to have been a universal app because it's now published by chillingo.

Games as good as fargoal require money to make and publishers like chillingo help take some of that financial strain off the guys hard at work on games/content.

You can't fault a dev because of the appstores limitations regarding publishers (a good example was what happened with Vector Tanks)

I ended up buying this game and I don't even own an ipad, I just want to support the devs for making such an incredible game and continuing to improve it. At least you will actually get to play it! ;)

[Madgarden]

Thanks VeganTnT. :)

[antispin]

Why the hate? Sword of Fargoal is good people. Let's support them instead of berating them for an app they will surely only improve on the iPad.

[jeffyg3]

Why the hate? Sword of Fargoal is good people. Let's support them instead of berating them for an app they will surely only improve on the iPad.

I think maybe because people are fed up with developers "double dipping"...as someone put it. I've felt cheated with some of these games I bought...spur of the moment buys for my new toy...why the hell did I waste money buying Dungeon Hunter HD, Soosiz HD, Zombieville HD (iPad features are heading to iPhone)...I loaded the iPhone versions up on the iPad with 2x mode and it was very good...there was no need to waste my money rebuying it. They all felt like they should have all been universal apps like Metal Gear Solid Touch. They're not adding anything new, it's simply double dipping to get people to unnecessarily buy the same exact game for the same OS twice.

I would rather have gotten Sword of Fargoal with the the same iPhone vids expanded with the updated textures in one universal app. I'm not buying the same game twice anymore simply because almost all of these games don't deserve another purchase...some of them do however since they added a lot of iPad exclusive features, new exclusive ipad levels, a much wider play area, and more or whatever. Games like Soosiz HD you get the same exact game and you feel cheated. Sword of Fargoal is the same exact way. We can live without the short HD videos, really we can...iPhone vids w/ updated textures in 1 universal app would be fine on the file size as proven with similar universal apps.

Its easy to give more leeway to smaller developing teams, and I like supporting good developers, but only if they deserve it. Like another iPhone web site put it when they said something along the line they were very disappointed in many developers not doing universal apps, and so am I.

[antispin]

I think maybe because people are fed up with developers "double dipping"...as someone put it. I've felt cheated with some of these games I bought...spur of the moment buys for my new toy...why the hell did I waste money buying Dungeon Hunter HD, Soosiz HD, Zombieville HD (iPad features are heading to iPhone)...I loaded the iPhone versions up on the iPad with 2x mode and it was very good...there was no need to waste my money rebuying it. They all felt like they should have all been universal apps like Metal Gear Solid Touch. They're not adding anything new, it's simply double dipping to get people to unnecessarily buy the same exact game for the same OS twice.

I would rather have gotten Sword of Fargoal with the the same iPhone vids expanded with the updated textures in one universal app. I'm not buying the same game twice anymore simply because almost all of these games don't deserve another purchase...some of them do however since they added a lot of iPad exclusive features, new exclusive ipad levels, a much wider play area, and more or whatever. Games like Soosiz HD you get the same exact game and you feel cheated. Sword of Fargoal is the same exact way. We can live without the short HD videos, really we can...iPhone vids w/ updated textures in 1 universal app would be fine on the file size as proven with similar universal apps.

Its easy to give more leeway to smaller developing teams, and I like supporting good developers, but only if they deserve it. Like another iPhone web site put it when they said something along the line they were very disappointed in many developers not doing universal apps, and so am I.

I see your point and I agree with you for the most part. But we are currently in the Sword of Fargoal thread, wherein the developer has clearly stated that HD videos are just the beginning of what's planned for the iPad version. I'd give the dev the benefit of the doubt. You can still play the iPhone version on the iPad, and when/if you feel the iPad version is up to its price tag, you can pick it up.

It's not ideal, I agree but it's the way things are. Let's be patient, vote with our wallets, and the market will correct itself as per the majority's ruling. See, for example the prices already dropping on a lot of launch apps...

[Mrs.Madgarden]

Sword of Fargoal Legends is now featured in the "New and Noteworthy" section of the Appstore!

Congrats guys! This little 3 man team (who've never even met) rocks!

[Madgarden]

Hey you're a big part of the team as far as I'm concerned... being my "Chief Financial Officer" (taking care of the tax crap, heh) and quality playtester, not to mention the numerous other things you do that helps me get my part of the stuff done. Thanks! :)

[Tyvan]

Good game but not worth the price in my opinion.

[Madgarden]

Yeah, for that amount you could enjoy lunch at McDonald's!

[jehbeh]

Hello, Fargoal devs!

First, I wanted to give you guys a big THANKS! for releasing this on the iPhone. I've done a lot of research and tried a lot of games and this is one of my top 3 favorites. It's perfect to play in long stretches, or if I only have a minute or two (since it saves your progress if you close mid-game). It's really polished and fun, great interface/controls, and a perfect light-roguelike. I don't understand why it doesn't get more attention but I hope word of mouth continues to grow for it and you guys get the payoff you deserve.

Anyway, I'll have an iPad in the next couple weeks and am looking forward to seeing what you do with Legends. With a game like Fargoal it's pretty easy to come up with really interesting and fun additions to it, as well as to just add layers to its gameplay (even though it is based off of a classic). I'm going to wait for the first update before I purchase it, though, since I want to make sure you guys deliver on your promise of makint Legends iPad specific.

Anyway, I would absolutely love it if you implemented some or all of these ideas for both versions:


- Multiple character sprites to choose from (or, perhaps, customizable hair color & mix and match head and body?)

- Really simple quests where you have to search the side level dungeons in hopes of finding a certain item, killing a certain item, to give more incentive to explore the extra dungeons on that floor

- A way to make monsters more unique (changing the size of the sprite, to make a tiny ogre vs a large ogre).

- Of course a way of differentiating the varying levels of monsters (weak vs normal one)... a simple color change would more than suffice

Pure pipedream stuff:

- Sandbox-y/roguelike & random events (where different pieces of the gameplay can combine to create something unexpected -- certain enemies fighting each other?). And events that can happen in more than one square... a cave-in that changes the surrounding layout of the level, for example. Nothing super complex, of course! I understand Fargoal is supposed to be nice and streamlined and I'm quite happy with it if it stays that way!)


Thanks again, you guys have done an amazing job with the game so far!

[fargoal]

Wow Jehbeh,

Those are all great suggestions! We have been thinking about most (or all) of the things that you have talked about and we will *definitely* be implementing at least 90% of what you have suggested. We love it when people weigh on on content suggestions like this, so please keep the suggestions coming.

Soon new to iPad: We have been having some fun with some enhanced sprite illustration techniques, so we might include one or more new "looks" to the character and monster sprites. Also, we have long wanted to add new character types and sprite choices, so definitely those things will be coming too.

Since we are a three-person team, please be a little patient with us about the timing of some of these additions. But we are excited about things to come — I especially like the addition of small side-quests and challenges (which we will enjoy continuing to add into the game).

Sincerely,


Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[Mrs.Madgarden]

I'm pushing for these side quests as well. Love that idea, always have! :) It's going to rock.

[jeffyg3]

I've actually had a change of heart about all this universal app stuff...which I kinda posted here:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=52047

I apologize if I sounded a little harsh before. But I do like what you're doing with the iPad version and I'll probably probably get it once the price goes down or if you have a sale or something...$8 is a little too much for me especially after all the apps I got for the new iPad. Anyways I'll keep my eye on this game and maybe when I get it the iPad version will be nicely updated.

[Madgarden]

Hey jeffyg3... no worries, you know we're all really just figuring this stuff out, since the iPad came out, heh. Definitely we have to consider business aspects and try to make enough to make the effort worthwhile, but a big part of that is pleasing the customers. So all of this sort of feedback is good stuff. :) We'll keep going until we get it right, too.

[Doffie]

Sword of Fargoal Legends is now featured in the "New and Noteworthy" section of the Appstore!

Congrats guys! This little 3 man team (who've never even met) rocks!
Really, they've never met in person? I assume the reason is geographical. Hope you all eventually make mucho gold and plan a group celebration in a spot of exquisite beauty.

And send us Slaves of Fargoal postcards, too.

[Madgarden]

Thanks Doffie! I'll be happy enough when I can just quit the day job. ;)

BTW, working on the iPad update... hopefully submit Sunday with some fixes and features.

[Mrs.Madgarden]

Really, they've never met in person? I assume the reason is geographical. Hope you all eventually make mucho gold and plan a group celebration in a spot of exquisite beauty.

And send us Slaves of Fargoal postcards, too.

Yep! Jeff lives in Seattle, Washington, Elias lives in Austria, and Paul lives in Ontario, Canada. It's really quite a neat little story about how they all met and started this project, at least I think so. It would be really neat to meet Jeff and Elias some day. Paul and I even named our 3rd son Elias because I had never heard the name before hearing it from the Austria Elias, and loved the name. Heh.

Anyway, that's all way off SoFL's topic. Just wanted to answer you and say thank you for the well wishes from one SoF slave to another! :D

[antispin]

Bought this a week back. Still need to play it. Work... Le sigh

[jeffyg3]

Sweet...the iPhone version is free for a day :)

[Snooptalian]

Sweet...the iPhone version is free for a day :)

Too bad the iPad version doesn't go free as well...

[ImNoSuperMan]

Too bad the iPad version doesn't go free as well...
But it does go on a 50% sale though.

Its now $3.99.

[Bigdog002]

Nice lower the price 8 hours after I buy the #*%= game. Now Im po'd when I think about playing.

[caltab]

Nice lower the price 8 hours after I buy the game.

they did it just to spite you...it always sucks to buy right before a sale, but thats the nature of the app store. Overall, all these ipad sales will help trend prices lower, which will benefit you in the long run. Also, if the game sells more, they will be more likely to support it better with updates.

the game is still showing up as 7.99 when i click on it, but shows up as 3.99 when i first search for it, probably will be 3.99 in a little bit though.

[fargoal]

Too bad the iPad version doesn't go free as well...

Hello Snooptalian,

Due to our iPhone version of "Sword of Fargoal" having been voted to be featured at freeAppCalendar.com free for one day — April 18, 2010 — Chillingo has lowered the price of the iPad version, "Sword of Fargoal Legends," to $3.99 for a limited time.

We all hope that this next short time will give far more people an opportunity to enjoy the game who might not have otherwise. For those of you who already own it, please tell all your friends! We thank everyone for your ongoing encouragement, support, and feedback. A rise in awareness about the game will continue to help us pour our hearts (and time) into continuing to add to and improve the app.

Everyone can count on MANY fun additions and thematic enhancements to-come as free updates. This will include more iPad-specific improvements we have been working on. A new iPad version (update) will be submitted the Apple later this week with some of those improvements!

Grab the game during the sale period. Also please be sure to share your reactions to playing it on the App Store as a review if you feel so inclined...

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord,
Fargoal, LLC

[MicroByte]

Thanks for the heads up, was waiting for a price drop to pick it up. I loved the iPhone version and spent most of the morning on this one already! I can't wait to see what's in store for the iPad specific versions.

One comment, would there be any way to customize the placement of the menu's? I usually play by holding the iPad in the center and the spells/action button are at the top so you really have to stretch to reach for them. Also, any thoughts on maybe shortening the control range? I found that I had to mive pretty far across the screen in order to run.

Other than those two things, it's still a fantastic and fun game!

[Madgarden]

MicroByte, yes those are good points that I've noticed as well. We're expanding the Settings screen(s) so we'll be able to add more such interface options soon.

And yes, the iPad version will be updated really soon with some new stuff. :) So, thanks for grabbing it!

[jeffyg3]

Well I finally bought the game. I enjoyed the free full version of Fargoal for iPhone, so got the iPad version since it was at a good price. At least I got my wish at being able to play the game on both systems and only had to pay once for it :) only thing I really didn't like was that on the iPad it only has one landscape rotation...would have been nice to be able to play on either rotation.

Thanks for the hard work on the game and looking forward to what you do with the iPad updates.

[Madgarden]

Hey jeffyg3, we gotcha covered... the iPad update we're almost done with supports both landscape orientations. As you were, soldier! ;)

[Snooptalian]

Also just got the iPad version. Can't wait to see what iPad specfic stuff you guys come up with... :)

[gekkota]

I just downloaded the free-for-a-day iPhone version, and I was planning to try it on my yet-to-be-purchased iPad. I am just wondering how the iPhone version looks at 2x on the iPad...and whether it's really necessary to buy an iPad version at all.

I am mainly interested in how the graphics look, and the controls. (I know the iPad version probably has some extras not available on the iPhone version.) Opinions?? :confused:

[Madgarden]

I'll post something about it here a little later tonight! :)

[Agitator Academia]

I've had the iPhone version since release day and really enjoyed it even though I've never finished a play through! (I'm slow and thorough...also read "slow and anal retentive")

Just bought the iPad version even though I've no idea when I'll actually get my iPad as I've preordered a 3G version.

Just want to make sure I've got Fargoal on board when I first boot it up. Oh, and support the Fargoal team.

[Madgarden]

Thanks so much... we'll do everything we can to make it worth it. :)

[GordonFreeman]

Thanks so much... we'll do everything we can to make it worth it. :)

I just bought it knowing you guys will make it worth it. I can testify that you did just that with the awesome iphone version.

[Madgarden]

:)

OK Doffie, this one's for you... hope you like it:

http://www.madgarden.net/junkz/fargoal-smooth.PNG

This is the Smooth graphics option for iPad. We've also got Chunky for the more retro style.

[Doffie]

:)

OK Doffie, this one's for you... hope you like it:

http://www.madgarden.net/junkz/fargoal-smooth.PNG

This is the Smooth graphics option for iPad. We've also got Chunky for the more retro style.
Oh wow, Paul, I love it. You are something else indeed. Chunky is fine, but smooth is beautiful. Wow. Did I mention I like it?

[Doffie]

And you even chose the chick hero to show me --- how nice is that for a guy who diabolically threatens to kill me every day.

[Maynerd]

How long is the sale going on for?

[iloveyouall]

Will you be adding support for the screen to flip? The way my iPad case works is keeping this from being propped at a 90 degree angle.

[Madgarden]

Doffie, glad you like it. Kill ya later! ;)

Maynard, I'm not really sure! Not very long though I think.

iloveyouall, yes the flip is supported in the update which is almost ready! Should be live this week.

[iloveyouall]

Has the update for the screen flip been submitted yet?

[Madgarden]

We've just submitted the iPhone version... the iPad one will take a few more days to get ready, there are a few more complicated things going on with it. But, should be this weekend! I can't wait, it's really slick. :)

[GordonFreeman]

We've just submitted the iPhone version... the iPad one will take a few more days to get ready, there are a few more complicated things going on with it. But, should be this weekend! I can't wait, it's really slick. :)

Wow! Now you have me very interested on this update! :D

[iloveyouall]

Sweet! Thank you for the update. Battle for Wesnoth just dropped so I have that to tide me over. :)

[Bremen Cole]

I look forward to the flip feature as well.....

Wow, what a lame first post......

[Madgarden]

Could have been worse. ;) Yes, the flip is handy. We may eventually support portrait view as well, but that requires some UI rework to support nicely.

[fargoal]

Has the update for the screen flip been submitted yet?

We have not implimented screen rotation in the upcoming iPad update. That functionality will probably be on or two updates down the pike, but we will certainly work toward it's implimentation as soon as we can do the work necessary to make it happen. In the mean time, the new iPad update will contain lots of great graphical and content improvements.

— Jeff McCord

PS: Sorry for the double-post. Paul and I answering at the same time! ;^)

[Doffie]

We have not implimented screen rotation in the upcoming iPad update. That functionality will probably be on or two updates down the pike, but we will certainly work toward it's implimentation as soon as we can do the work necessary to make it happen. In the mean time, the new iPad update will contain lots of great graphical and content improvements.

— Jeff McCord

PS: Sorry for the double-post. Paul and I answering at the same time! ;^)
I am _really_ excited about the coming update, Jeff. Have been playing on both iPhone and iPad, but particularly because the map is so much easier to read on the Pad (hence I make fewer stupid errors/decisions), I play more on the Pad lately.

(I keep thinking how proud you must be to see how this game you made when you were just a kid has evolved. Must feel super!)

[fargoal]

I am _really_ excited about the coming update, Jeff. Have been playing on both iPhone and iPad, but particularly because the map is so much easier to read on the Pad (hence I make fewer stupid errors/decisions), I play more on the Pad lately.

(I keep thinking how proud you must be to see how this game you made when you were just a kid has evolved. Must feel super!)

Thank you for the kind words, Doffie,

Yes, I am proud of all three of us — Paul, Elias, and myself — for what we have accomplished as an independent developer in a short amount of time. I think you (and all) can see that the main reason we are able to keep the game as fun as it is is because we *love* what we do! We also love players like yourself — and I would say without hesitation that you each make direct contributions to the game. Paul incorporated some of your direct feedback about the way the "cave levels" look, for example, and the game is all that more rich and fun as a result.

Thanks again for your ongoing support and for helping to make "Sword of Fargoal" and "Sword of Fargoal Legends" a better game as a result!

Sincerely,


Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[Doffie]

Thank you for the kind words, Doffie,

Yes, I am proud of all three of us — Paul, Elias, and myself — for what we have accomplished as an independent developer in a short amount of time. I think you (and all) can see that the main reason we are able to keep the game as fun as it is is because we *love* what we do! We also love players like yourself — and I would say without hesitation that you each make direct contributions to the game. Paul incorporated some of your direct feedback about the way the "cave levels" look, for example, and the game is all that more rich and fun as a result.

Thanks again for your ongoing support and for helping to make "Sword of Fargoal" and "Sword of Fargoal Legends" a better game as a result!

Sincerely,


Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC
Thank you, Jeff. A lot. We seem to have created a nice (and creative!) little community here in this forum. And I am pleased to be part of it. Large game companies don't encourage or allow for this to happen and I think I've never seen devs' as responsive as you guys. For me, this enhances my personal investment In the game.

Also, I'm hoping you all can make some big-enough bucks and get to quit your day jobs, assuming that's part of your dream.

[LordGek]

I know I as a user am stoked that Jeff, the original designer, hasn't merely allowed some crazy upstarts (Paul and Elias) to create their own nonsense and just tag it with the Sword of Fargoal name but instead is still very actively involved in this modern rework of his game! It's been entertaining to sit in on chat sessions as the three of them hammer out new ideas for the game.

From my simplified understanding of the interactions between the three:

Jeff (fargoal): Original designer and "Keeper of the Flame"/Producer (i.e. Holds the whip and gets to tell Paul when he's going too far off base from what SoF is all about).
Paul (madgarden): The crazed sleepless coder of of this current form of the game constantly dreaming up new wild ideas to add to the game.
Elias (allefant): The Velvet Fog Machine that takes Jeff's initial design and Paul's code into a fully optimized state (he makes it run gooder).

[Madgarden]

And incidentally, the iPad update that is coming *does* support the alternate landscape rotation, so we're all good there. Flip away! :)

We've a funny issue with the videos, but will be solved this weekend and then we will submit. I really do enjoy and prefer the iPad version now, to be sure... the smoother graphics just make such a difference.

[magihiro]

Do you have any estimate when this sale ends? I'm getting an iPad in three weeks, and I really want this game for it (already one of my favorite iTouch games), but if possible, I want to wait and purchase the game when I get the iPad. Will it still be on sale by then, or is it wise for me to jump on it now?

[Madgarden]

It's actually not on sale right now... $6.99 is the new regular price. So, whatever works for you. :)

[magihiro]

Oh, drats. The topic title confundled me. Oh well.

[Madgarden]

Ahh, good point... Hmm, I guess I need to poke an admin or somebody...

[LordGek]

Having just snagged an iPad this was one of the first games I had to add on!

The Crystal support is a cool addition and I appreciate being able to see more of the map clearly when zooming out, but I'm pretty sure the real cool iPad extras are still under development!

[BazookaTime]

Well, I just read through the thread to see if I want this or not. I love the iphone version but I am trying to stay away from double dipping.

Other than Crystal the version are pretty much the same? If anyone has played both are the graphics a lot better on the ipad or not that noticable? The iphone version looks pretty good on the ipad.

[Madgarden]

This is what the update for iPad is looking like:
http://www.madgarden.net/junkz/fargoal-smooth.PNG

We will also be adding more info to the HUD.

[fargoal]

Well, I just read through the thread to see if I want this or not. I love the iphone version but I am trying to stay away from double dipping.

Other than Crystal the version are pretty much the same? If anyone has played both are the graphics a lot better on the ipad or not that noticable? The iphone version looks pretty good on the ipad.

Hello BazookaTime,

This is Jeff McCord, one of the devs. In addition to what Paul just posted, I wanted to say:

We can tell you that the iPad version will be getting a significant graphical upgrade, as well as capturing all of the incremental upgrades that have occurred in this 1.3 version of the iPhone release. Typically both products tend to leapfrog each other by a short while (from a few days to a week, usually), so the next iPad release will have some elements that will come in the future 1.4 update for the iPhone.

Also, we have noticed a bug on the iPhone version (1.3) when played on the iPad — but we know how to fix it and are working on a small bugfix update to remedy that issue so that people can continue to play their iPhone versions on an iPad without issues. Sorry if you end up experiencing the bug — it will be fixed soon!

NOTE: Specifically if you play the iPhone version (1.3) on the iPad the videos will not play, and sometimes the touch screen will not be active when you first go down some stairs. This can be solved by simply turning off the videos in the "Settings" screen (until we post the update fix).

Thanks for considering the iPad version. Like the iPhone version, it will continue to be added to and improved, and there will be a great advantage of the HD character and tile graphics with this upcoming update!

Sincerely,


Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[BazookaTime]

Hello BazookaTime,

This is Jeff McCord, one of the devs. In addition to what Paul just posted, I wanted to say:

We can tell you that the iPad version will be getting a significant graphical upgrade, as well as capturing all of the incremental upgrades that have occurred in this 1.3 version of the iPhone release. Typically both products tend to leapfrog each other by a short while (from a few days to a week, usually), so the next iPad release will have some elements that will come in the future 1.4 update for the iPhone.

Also, we have noticed a bug on the iPhone version (1.3) when played on the iPad — but we know how to fix it and are working on a small bugfix update to remedy that issue so that people can continue to play their iPhone versions on an iPad without issues. Sorry if you end up experiencing the bug — it will be fixed soon!

NOTE: Specifically if you play the iPhone version (1.3) on the iPad the videos will not play, and sometimes the touch screen will not be active when you first go down some stairs. This can be solved by simply turning off the videos in the "Settings" screen (until we post the update fix).

Thanks for considering the iPad version. Like the iPhone version, it will continue to be added to and improved, and there will be a great advantage of the HD character and tile graphics with this upcoming update!

Sincerely,


Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC


Hello, yes I ran into that bug and that is why I was looking at picking up the ipad version which I still may do. Thanks for the info.

[shaneguay]

Just saw that iPad screenshot and wow, those sprites are going to look HUGE. Here is hoping that with the 'major graphic' overhaul that they allow us to view "more of the playfield" with smaller player/monster/item sprites.

[fargoal]

Hello, yes I ran into that bug and that is why I was looking at picking up the ipad version which I still may do. Thanks for the info.

Thanks BazookaTime,

Thanks for still considering the iPad version. I think you will like it if you decide to get it — especially after the upcoming update!

— Jeff

[Madgarden]

Just saw that iPad screenshot and wow, those sprites are going to look HUGE. Here is hoping that with the 'major graphic' overhaul that they allow us to view "more of the playfield" with smaller player/monster/item sprites.

Haha, well it is zoomed in for combat there. And yes, the major (for us) graphics enhancement works great with the existing pinch zoom feature.

[fargoal]

Just saw that iPad screenshot and wow, those sprites are going to look HUGE. Here is hoping that with the 'major graphic' overhaul that they allow us to view "more of the playfield" with smaller player/monster/item sprites.

How about this, shaneguay!!

(we call it our "Dark Levels," so it is very dark)

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

http://forums.toucharcade.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17850&stc=1&d=1273116310

[Ashenor]

I must say I did not really look much at this app at first. But after reading through this whole thread and the devs interacting and putting In suggestions I will buy this in the next day or so for sure. Being my first apple product I love the community so far, and after a day with my iPad it's great.

Thanks for being part of the community and my 5th paid app!

[Madgarden]

Thank you, Ashenor. I hope you enjoy the game, and look forward to your feedback so we can continue making the game increasingly cool. :)

[FlyingNorseman]

Are there any plans to allow us to move the context sensitive buttons on the screen?Sometimes it is a little far to reach the upper right corner on the iPad.

BTW, I LOVE both the iPhone and iPad versions of this game! The original on the Vic 20 was my entry point into RPG gaming. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you made this game.

[Madgarden]

That seems like a reasonable option, FlyingNorseman, especially for the larger screen. We will be working more on the iPad UI so stuff like that should appear in the options.

Glad you enjoy the return of Fargoal. :) It's really nice that the oldskool players enjoy the new version, and don't feel like we've jumped the shark with its evolution. That's pretty important to us.

[Doffie]

How about this, shaneguay!!

(we call it our "Dark Levels," so it is very dark)

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

http://forums.toucharcade.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17850&stc=1&d=1273116310
Think I'll need you guys to add an Amulet of Miner's Lamp, Jeff.

Looks beautiful though, and I'm extremely eager to see the HD update! Waiting for that, I'm playing the iPhone update double-pixeled, which isn't bad to look at really, but the new eye candy will give me a Ray of Happiness spell for sure.

(My husband, already thinking me insane for my game obsession, is going nuts as I walk around the house making up new spells. Hey, live the adventure, I say.

Cheers.

[fargoal]

Think I'll need you guys to add an Amulet of Miner's Lamp, Jeff.

Looks beautiful though, and I'm extremely eager to see the HD update! Waiting for that, I'm playing the iPhone update double-pixeled, which isn't bad to look at really, but the new eye candy will give me a Ray of Happiness spell for sure.

(My husband, already thinking me insane for my game obsession, is going nuts as I walk around the house making up new spells. Hey, live the adventure, I say.

Cheers.

Hey Doffie,

We consider you to be one of our "Super-Fans," and your suggestions have already had a direct influence on the game. Just ask Paul!

Please tell us any time you have a brilliant flash of imagination about new spells, monsters, or other additions to the game and I would not be surprised to see it appear in a future version. ;^)

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[Doffie]

I must say I did not really look much at this app at first. But after reading through this whole thread and the devs interacting and putting In suggestions I will buy this in the next day or so for sure. Being my first apple product I love the community so far, and after a day with my iPad it's great.

Thanks for being part of the community and my 5th paid app!
Welcome, Ashenor. Addiction ahead --- fair warning. Also one of the coolest, funniest, and most helpful forums around, so jump right in.

[Doffie]

Hey Doffie,

We consider you to be one of our "Super-Fans," and your suggestions have already had a direct influence on the game. Just ask Paul!

Please tell us any time you have a brilliant flash of imagination about new spells, monsters, or other additions to the game and I would not be surprised to see it appear in a future version. ;^)

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC
Thanks so much, Jeff. I am indeed your Super Fan and haven't had so much fun with any game (on any platform) in years. It's my first (perhaps my last and only) roguelike, and I'm pretty much blown away with how it keeps getting better, and how responsive you guys are to user feedback. Paul (and, I'm sure, you and Elias as well) seems very much to honor the idea of giving players options whenever possible.

Funny:while early on in my participation in these forums, I had "discussions" with some of the experienced gamers here about the "necessity" of permadeath in roguelikes. The purists felt it had to be that way and I didn't. Turns out that I now no longer play at Squire level, ever, but I'm glad it was added because I think it will encourage more people to give Fargoal a try. It was easy to see things from the point of view of a noob, because that's what I am/was.

I suspect you devs have a clear view of what the "heart" of this game is and should be. In any case, this roguelike ex-virgin will be happy to make more suggestions and bombard you with more questions. Happy to contribute any way I can, because your work continues to give me a great deal of pleasure.

(Casting a thank-you spell)

Doffie

[jehbeh]

What's the ETA of the next update? I swear I remember reading it had been submitted 2-3 weeks ago?

[Mrs.Madgarden]

What's the ETA of the next update? I swear I remember reading it had been submitted 2-3 weeks ago?

That's a good question! I will let Paul know that you asked and he'll be along shortly to answer. He spent a good portion of the weekend upgrading his desktop system, a necessary evil. I do know that no iPad version was submitted, just the iPhone one was submitted and approved.

[BazookaTime]

That's a good question! I will let Paul know that you asked and he'll be along shortly to answer. He spent a good portion of the weekend upgrading his desktop system, a necessary evil. I do know that no iPad version was submitted, just the iPhone one was submitted and approved.

Speaking of the iphone version, has a fix been sent in for the freezing that is happening on the ipad. Even with the video turned off, the game still freezes on my ipad.

[Madgarden]

Does the freezing happen at the same place as it did with videos enabled? And does the game still progress, just your touches don't work?

[Mrs.Madgarden]

What's the ETA of the next update? I swear I remember reading it had been submitted 2-3 weeks ago?

I've been told within the next couple of weeks it should be ready to go.

[DJDJDJ]

I've been told within the next couple of weeks it should be ready to go.

Omg, that long... too bad :(

[BazookaTime]

Does the freezing happen at the same place as it did with videos enabled? And does the game still progress, just your touches don't work?

I have turned off videos and the game stll freezes when starting a new floor. The character can not be moved no matter how long I wait.

I will delete the game and reinstall and see what happens.

[BazookaTime]

Just loaded it up again and turned off the video. The character still freezes at the start of level two. The music still plays, the lights still flicker and the dot on the map still blinks but the character will not move. Also, the pause button ect. Do not work either.

Even though it is a pain, I can live with the black screens since video has to be turned off, however I would like to find a fix for the character freezing.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was considering buying the iPad version. I don't have a problem doing that but don't want to do it just because the touch version is not working.

[Madgarden]

Hey BazookaTime... I'm sorry about this freezing thing. It seems to be some difference between how the iPad handles video and the UI views, which of course we didn't notice when working on the iPhone version. We are working on a bunch of new versions right now, and will submit an update for both iPad and iPhone as soon as we can.

In the meantime, you could try exiting the game when you encounter this freeze, and then start/continue, it should work just fine.

[Doffie]

Maddest-of-Gardens (Dungeons): Any ETA for the iPad version?

Not bugging you, just asking.:)

[Madgarden]

I'm hoping we'll get to working on it soon this weekend. We have to sort out a few priorities between various projects. But yes, I really want to get that one updated ASAP, so that I can start focusing on the next big thing. ;)

[Doffie]

I'm hoping we'll get to working on it soon this weekend. We have to sort out a few priorities between various projects. But yes, I really want to get that one updated ASAP, so that I can start focusing on the next big thing. ;)
Thanks, Paul. That's good news indeed. I'm yearning for the way smooooth graphics.

And shaking in my heroic and legendary boots anticipating the "next big thing "

[Jim G]

Hi there..

I'm holding off on buying this until the update. I'm just wondering how its coming?

[fargoal]

We are very close! It is basically just going into the submissions process at Apple and should be in review soon after this holiday weekend.

— Jeff McCord

[gsspzcw]

I have been considering getting this for the iPad. Maybe I'm being picky, but one thing that is just a visual thing that has prevented me from taking the plunge is that the sprites do not look like they animate. Am I correct? I have been playing 100 Rogues recently and the animated sprites just help me get into the game a little more. I know implementing something like this isn't trivial, but have you guys considered this at all? One other question, when you equip items, does the character sprite change at all?

Thanks,

Eric

[fargoal]

Eric,

The sprites do not animate but they do eqip when you have thing like shields. Later we will be adding things like helmets, swords, and other weapons.

Let us know what you think if you get it. Version 1.4 with smoother graphics and lots-o-new-stuff will be coming out very soon – as soon as Apple has a chance to review and approve it.

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[gsspzcw]

Thanks for the reply. I might try it out over the long weekend. Any thoughts on animating sprites?

-Eric

[fargoal]

Thanks for the reply. I might try it out over the long weekend. Any thoughts on animating sprites?

-Eric

Yes, Eric,

We have thought about animated sprites and know they would have a lot of appeal. In fact, a few of the NPC characters are minimally animated. However, we also realize that by animating slightly we almost need to animate more fully, or it starts to look a little cheesy with partial animation.

Our philosophy so far has been to celebrate and enjoy the "retro" aspect of the game, and have it be somewhere between moving playing pieces around and being immersive in terms of dungeon rendering, random creation, and richness and depth in terms of content.

This does not mean that we would never animate. Our first area — if we could add it — would be in some of the battle moves. It really looks cool when a game does it well!

But for now we are pouring our energy and talents into adding more content to the dungeons in other super-fun ways. I think you will enjoy the game anyway, even without the animation being there at present. But it would also be fun to know what you think once you try it out!

Sincerely,

Jeff McCord
Fargoal, LLC

[Madgarden]

Animating sprites would be awesome. However, there are a few reasons we haven't done it:

1. The original game didn't do it, mostly due to tech limitations, but it was part of the charm of the game, and classic dungeon crawlers in general. The hero and monster symbols are thus more iconic as a result, like chess pieces. We wanted to really do a *remake* of the original game, and this is part of it.

2. We have a lot of other cool effects and animations on the game that are based on movement, particles etc. There is no lack of movement, you can be sure!

3. It's a lot of work for a small team like ours. We are just 3 guys. I myself create all of the sprites and tiles, as WELL as a large portion of the design, gameplay code, sound effects (I wrote a realtime synthesizer for all sounds), particle effects, and what have you. I know exactly how I'd animate all of our 40 or so characters, especially for combat but I'd have to focus *solely* on that aspect in order to accomplish it.

4. We're not done with the World of Fargoal by a long shot, so who knows what we'll see in future versions and spin-offs. ;)

[TexRob]

Animations go against the traditional "rogue like" game. There are plenty of people who would be happy with this if it was ASCII based. I think the graphics are just enough, any more would make it feel like Diablo territory, which I love, just not for this game. I finally bought this for iPad, couldn't decide on which to get, and love it. Been playing Angband for years, and this is as close to that on the iPad.

[Madgarden]

Thanks TexRob. You'll be happy to know that we will be adding a retro theme pack down the road, with C64, VIC20, and even PETSCII skins for the game. :) So yes... that would be pretty hard to animate. ;)

[TexRob]

I can't figure out what the numbers that blink over the minimap mean. Anyone able to explain this to me?

Ahh, dungeon depth + gold?

[Madgarden]

TexRob, it's just as TexRob says. ;)

We'll be updating the UI for iPad though so that blinking overlay won't be necessary. More stats in the HUD area.

[fargoal]

That is: as soon as a certain "Jeff McCord" provides the final HUD layout to Paul and Elias! ;^)

Yes, I admit it. It's overdue...

— Jeff McCord

[Madgarden]

Jeff McSlacka! ;)

[funkychipmonk]

Will an Update ever arise? I mean it's just not funny anymore. "Submitting this weekend", hohoho...:(

[Madgarden]

Ahh, well we did attempt submit that very weekend (and multiple tries thereafter), and the game is ready to go; but there seems to be a bug in one of the SDK's we link to, so we're waiting on a fix for that. Can't do much about it... sowwy.

[Jim G]

Ahh, well we did attempt submit that very weekend (and multiple tries thereafter), and the game is ready to go; but there seems to be a bug in one of the SDK's we link to, so we're waiting on a fix for that. Can't do much about it... sowwy.

Not to be a jerk, but I'm just a consumer waiting for the product. That literally doesn't mean anything to me. :D. It amounts to "fluxuate the shield phase modulator".

Though I'm guessing there is a tool with which you upload updates to Apple and it's not working? Just curious.

[Madgarden]

Heh, yeah sometimes it's easy to forget that not everybody is a developer. ;) What I am saying is, the flux modulator must be rerouted through the warp conduit... er.... I mean, there's a piece that we didn't make that is broken, and we're waiting on a fix from the guys who made that piece.

[Jim G]

Heh, yeah sometimes it's easy to forget that not everybody is a developer. ;) What I am saying is, the flux modulator must be rerouted through the warp conduit... er.... I mean, there's a piece that we didn't make that is broken, and we're waiting on a fix from the guys who made that piece.
Lol.. Okay fair enough. Tell 'em to hurry up, they're holding up your business.

(on the bright side I'm only posting because I'm interested in buying it)

[Madgarden]

Yes, indeed I have sent them info on the problem and my expectations that a solution be provided. ;)

You'll like the updated Legends... it's a lot nicer looking. And Fargoal 2.0 is on the horizon, big changes!

[funambulist]

Yes, indeed I have sent them info on the problem and my expectations that a solution be provided. ;)

You'll like the updated Legends... it's a lot nicer looking. And Fargoal 2.0 is on the horizon, big changes!

Umm... I've been playing Legends pretty intensively the last couple of days and was wondering if there is any news on the API fix by Apple (which I understand is holding up the update).

Paul?

[Madgarden]

It's not an Apple issue... anyway, the fixed version has been sent off, and we're waiting on word now.

[funambulist]

It's not an Apple issue... anyway, the fixed version has been sent off, and we're waiting on word now.

Oh this is good news. Tell me Paul will the forthcoming update overwrite my current ever-so-careful crawl (Dungeon level 11 / Experience level 17)?

Kudos to both you and Jeff for this great game! :)

[Madgarden]

No this one won't overwrite it... you should be fine.

[gatizo]

No this one won't overwrite it... you should be fine.

Oh good, I've been holding off playing Legends to avoid just this issue. Time to get going now, then!

[KungPhoo]

Make sure you consider the orientation feature of the iPad. My App was rejected when it was missing that.

I really look forward to play the iPad version.
With the additional space, an option to keep the left menu open (or have 2 layers visible) would be nice.

[Madgarden]

Hi Gernot! Yes, both landscape orientations are supported now. We're still working on the HUD design, so expect improvements there over the next updates.

[funkychipmonk]

So sad to see some of the most vibrant app evolution somewhat dead.

What happend? Have you been corrupted by the success and do you spent your day on drugs and television? Or golfing all day long?

Is their an internal argument about the developmental direction of sword of fargol?

Their have been much promisses about new updates, but disappointment was the only result so far in the recent months.

Gimme In-App-Purchases, if your App doesn't sell anymore! I will pay :)

I'm sad :( I want my fargol alive again...

[starcat]

i have been contemplating buying legends for a long time now. i have it for the iphone but i just cant bring myself to do it.. one of the things i look forward to most is upgrading my weapons and armor.. i didnt see any of that in the iphone version, so i cant justify spending the money for legends.

if you guys are going to add a bunch of weapons and armor and stuff then id be more than happy to. or maybe i just missed all of them? who knows.

it just seems kind of empty to me otherwise.

[Madgarden]

So sad to see some of the most vibrant app evolution somewhat dead.

What happend? Have you been corrupted by the success and do you spent your day on drugs and television? Or golfing all day long?

Is their an internal argument about the developmental direction of sword of fargol?

Their have been much promisses about new updates, but disappointment was the only result so far in the recent months.

Gimme In-App-Purchases, if your App doesn't sell anymore! I will pay :)

I'm sad :( I want my fargol alive again...

Hah, success? Nothing like that. ;) Well the update has been submitted over a week ago, and we're still waiting!

As for the rest, yes that is coming, but it's a couple months off as there's just me working on it pretty much. :)

i have been contemplating buying legends for a long time now. i have it for the iphone but i just cant bring myself to do it.. one of the things i look forward to most is upgrading my weapons and armor.. i didnt see any of that in the iphone version, so i cant justify spending the money for legends.

if you guys are going to add a bunch of weapons and armor and stuff then id be more than happy to. or maybe i just missed all of them? who knows.

it just seems kind of empty to me otherwise.

I'm working on the next update, and it's a big one with lots of new stuff, and a totally revamped dungeon generation. It's going to take a little while though, so just hang tight.

[funkychipmonk]

Uuuuahhhhhhh, damn Apple, it takes forever!

What about mindbeams?

[funambulist]

The update is live folks!

Graphics are much better (crisper) on the iPad.

[Soulblitz]

Yep, here's two comparison shots from the update. The enemies moved just as I took the second one, but it should be alright.

Original:
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/8181/phototp.jpg

Updated:
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4333/photo2kc.jpg

[Madgarden]

Oh yay, finally! :D Yeeah, I'm glad you guys get to play with this crisp version now, it makes the iPad experience sooo much nicer. Also, there are a lot of other little fixes and tweaks that I can't even remember now, since we've been waiting forever for this update. ;)

There's also a "chunky" option for those who like the pixelly look. It's a bit sharper than the older scaled-up version, too. I'm looking into how feasible it is to use the sharper graphics set in the iPhone version as well.

[Jim G]

weird.. The update is up, but Apple's store description only mentions that you updated the Crystal social networking component.

You did more than that didn't you?

[Madgarden]

Yes, we did do a lot more, obviously. :) Crystal update was really the smallest part of it, but we don't control the update description for the "Legends" build.

[starcat]

so is this the update with all the weapons?

[Mrs.Madgarden]

so is this the update with all the weapons?

no, that's going to be with the huge update that Paul is working on now.

[Doffie]

Starcat, it ain't empty, it's beautiful. We're all eager for the next update, with all it's additions and goodies, but my personal opinion is that Fargoal devotee with an iPad who doesn't start enjoying the beautiful, smooth and popping, new graphics right now is missing a really good game experience.

I'm also hoping that the guys will see their way clear to adding the smoothity (what???) option to the iPhone version at some point. Although that would obviously be of lower priority than new aroma, weapons, redesigned dungeons, side quests, etc. Oh hell, I just made myself drool.

[fargoal]

Starcat, it ain't empty, it's beautiful. We're all eager for the next update, with all it's additions and goodies, but my personal opinion is that Fargoal devotee with an iPad who doesn't start enjoying the beautiful, smooth and popping, new graphics right now is missing a really good game experience.

I'm also hoping that the guys will see their way clear to adding the smoothity (what???) option to the iPhone version at some point. Although that would obviously be of lower priority than new aroma, weapons, redesigned dungeons, side quests, etc. Oh hell, I just made myself drool.

Cute! Stay tuned, Doffie, depending on which way the winds blow you might get your wishes for iPhone "smoothity" as well! ;^)

— Jeff

[Madgarden]

Doffie, which generation of iPhone/iPod(s) do you have?

I am looking into the high-res graphics for the next little update, but I can't support all of them due to the size of the graphics.

[Doffie]

Cute! Stay tuned, Doffie, depending on which way the winds blow you might get your wishes for iPhone "smoothity" as well! ;^)

— Jeff
You guys are terrific and have already made some of my major wishes come true. And you know I _always_ stay tuned.:)

[Doffie]

Doffie, which generation of iPhone/iPod(s) do you have?

I am looking into the high-res graphics for the next little update, but I can't support all of them due to the size of the graphics.
Just got a new iPhone 4,lucky me.

Signed,

Steve's Slave

[Doffie]

Just started a game on the new iPhone. The graphics look excellent, thank you, Paul. And I probably shouldn't say this because not everyone is lucky enough to have an iPad, but playing Fargoal on the phone is not so easy for older eyes.

Still it's lovely to have this great game available on both devices. Hard to fit the iPad into my levis.;)

[Madgarden]

Doffie, unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make the screen bigger. ;) But hopefully the high-res graphics combined with pinch-zoom will take care of you.

[Doffie]

Doffie, unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make the screen bigger. ;) But hopefully the high-res graphics combined with pinch-zoom will take care of you.
I can find my way around with pinch-zoom, Paul, albeit my guy's movement is then a little less graceful than it is on the large screen. My greatest problem is seeing the map, well, seeing markers for items, stairs, etc. on the map. It's sorta hard for me to see the diff between up and down stairways.

Of course I wouldn't want a larger map to interfere with the view of the dungeon. But it would be pretty cool to be able to click on the map to make it larger, reclick to bring it back down to size. Is that a crazy or impractical idea?

[Madgarden]

I think it is a great idea to have a bigger detailed map view that you can refer to. I will have to play around with the clickability of the minimap and whether it interferes with normal navigation. Maybe a double-click on it...

[Doffie]

I think it is a great idea to have a bigger detailed map view that you can refer to. I will have to play around with the clickability of the minimap and whether it interferes with normal navigation. Maybe a double-click on it...
I think it might be both useful and cool for situations where one is looking for something specific. A real quick look is all that's need; then back to getting murdered.:)

[sesshoumaru80]

I see that version 1.7 for iPhone/iPod touch is out, and all the owners of a new iPhone4 will have the higher resolution (retina display support) with this FREE update.

I don't understand: why the owners of iPad cannot also have higher resolution for free like iPhone4 owners ?
Why there is a specific, more expensive, version of the game for iPad and free update for iPhone4 if the final content is the same ?

I really love this game, but I cannot be satisfied by this different treatment.

[Doffie]

I see that version 1.7 for iPhone/iPod touch is out, and all the owners of a new iPhone4 will have the higher resolution (retina display support) with this FREE update.

I don't understand: why the owners of iPad cannot also have higher resolution for free like iPhone4 owners ?
Why there is a specific, more expensive, version of the game for iPad and free update for iPhone4 if the final content is the same ?

I really love this game, but I cannot be satisfied by this different treatment.
I'm sure Paul or someone else will answer your questions better than I can. But, please, understand that this game is made by a small group of three talented independent developers, not by a huge company like Gameloft or Square Enix.

What's more, for both the iPhone and iPad versions of Fargoal, all the updates so far have been free, including those that added game elements. I play both versions, with great joy, and take pleasure in supporting these devs and others like them.

And I totally dare you to find any independent iDevice devs who are more responsive than these guys. You won't find any.

(Don't mean to sound angry, and you are, of course, entitled to express your opinions, although I guess I'd be happy to see them expressed in a more constructive manner, especially since you're a fellow lover of this wonderful game.) ;)

[BazookaTime]

I guess I am out of the loop, what is different in the new iPhone updates from the iPad?

[Madgarden]

Thanks Doffie.

sesshoumaru80, the iPad version has all of the high-res graphics, and was the first to get them. I'm not going to just hold back on the iPhone version to differentiate them. I want to make the game as awesome as possible, but it all takes time and effort. Both iPhone and iPad versions combined come to about $10. Compare that to a meal at McDonald's. Which has more value?

And by the way with the income we're making on the game, about the only place I can eat out is McDonald's. :P

BazookaTime, the iPhone differences from the iPad version with this update are mainly some minor bug fixes. The last couple of updates have been streamlining and fixes in order to better support the big 2.0 version to come.

If you guys have iPad feature requests for 2.0, now is a good time to make them. ;)

[DaviddesJ]

I don't even know, what happens if you run an app that supports the new hi-res iPhone but doesn't support iPad? Does the 1x view take up a larger part of the screen to include all of the new pixels? Does the 2x view zoom in on that higher resolution image?

[seyoon]

Fargoal Legends has been in my wish list (because of its price for a retro game) and I'm glad I didn't bite the bullet yet. Am a big fan of the iPhone version before the iPads even launched. And now with the iPhone version's Retina Display update, it looks simply stunning even at 2x on the iPad screen. So happy I didn't double dip and can still enjoy the game fully. That's $7 saved. :)

[sesshoumaru80]

I don't even know, what happens if you run an app that supports the new hi-res iPhone but doesn't support iPad? Does the 1x view take up a larger part of the screen to include all of the new pixels? Does the 2x view zoom in on that higher resolution image?

Nope, the 1x version is the old iphone one, with low res graphics.
From the iPad, you cannot have the "retina display" resolution, you have to buy the iPad version of the game.

[Conan]

I do understand you are not a big compagny but $6.99 is too expensive for people like me already having the game on Ipod. So lower the price and maybe I'll buy the Ipad version. Meanwhile I will playing the Ipod version on my Ipod :p

[DaviddesJ]

From the iPad, you cannot have the "retina display" resolution, you have to buy the iPad version of the game.

I guess we can hope that changes when the iPad gets iOS 4.

[seyoon]

Nope, the 1x version is the old iphone one, with low res graphics.
From the iPad, you cannot have the "retina display" resolution, you have to buy the iPad version of the game.

Well I must be blind because the iPhone version now looks crisp and brilliant after the update using the 2x upscaling.

[seyoon]

I do understand you are not a big compagny but $6.99 is too expensive for people like me already having the game on Ipod. So lower the price and maybe I'll buy the Ipad version. Meanwhile I will playing the Ipod version on my Ipod :p

This is probably true, Madgarden. I am also a big fan and I understand the hard work, money and effort placed on good quality games. Sorry about your McDonald's meals, mate. But sometimes part of the reason some games don't do well could be smart pricing factor. (?)

Case in point, after having played this game and when Legends got released with the $7 pricetag, I was a bit reluctant. And still am. Some people are okay with this price but I'm thinking about the game's success and boosting it up in the charts.

[sesshoumaru80]

Thanks Doffie.

sesshoumaru80, the iPad version has all of the high-res graphics, and was the first to get them. I'm not going to just hold back on the iPhone version to differentiate them. I want to make the game as awesome as possible, but it all takes time and effort. Both iPhone and iPad versions combined come to about $10. Compare that to a meal at McDonald's. Which has more value?

And by the way with the income we're making on the game, about the only place I can eat out is McDonald's. :P

BazookaTime, the iPhone differences from the iPad version with this update are mainly some minor bug fixes. The last couple of updates have been streamlining and fixes in order to better support the big 2.0 version to come.

If you guys have iPad feature requests for 2.0, now is a good time to make them. ;)
I understand your efforts, but still I don't understand this behaviour.
Unfortunately, you are not the only one: cro-mag rally too has been updated for the retina display for free, and iPad owners have to pay for their high res version.
I would have preferred to pay for an universal upgrade, with improved contents and high res.

[gsspzcw]

Stupid question (no longer have an iPhone, just an iPad), but can a developer set a game to be iPhone 4 only? If not, this totally makes sense.

As for 2.0 features... I would love animated sprites as an option :) But I like flashy things...

[Madgarden]

Sure, you could set a game to be iPhone 4 only. There are ways to detect what hardware it is running on, how much memory is available, etc. This is how I switch the low-res/high-res graphics versions for the iPhone build currently.

And animation would be great... it takes me a long time though, and if we add new/alternate graphical themes, then all of *those* will have to be animated too. We'd need full-time artists then instead of just me, and well... see McDonald's post above. ;)

[gsspzcw]

I completely understand. I code for a living and reasons like that are why I haven't created anything for the iPhone. But I can wish, right?

[Mrs.Madgarden]

This is probably true, Madgarden. I am also a big fan and I understand the hard work, money and effort placed on good quality games. Sorry about your McDonald's meals, mate. But sometimes part of the reason some games don't do well could be smart pricing factor. (?)

Case in point, after having played this game and when Legends got released with the $7 pricetag, I was a bit reluctant. And still am. Some people are okay with this price but I'm thinking about the game's success and boosting it up in the charts.


Madgarden only wishes we had enough money to eat at McDonald's. He's tiring of my cheap tofu stir fry quickly, I think.

[Madgarden]

I will never tire of the macaroni and cheese though... NEVER!

[gatizo]

I think my main requests have already been mentioned, but I'll repeat them just in case.

1. I would like to see smaller swipes needed to move and better control placement (the top corner is easily accessible on the iPhone but not on the iPad!)

2. Also, a tidier map that doesn't overlap with the gold count (again, the iPad isn't the same as an iPhone in terms of screen real estate). And Doffie's comments about old eyes are spot on — clearer markings are also welcome.

Finally, regarding the comments about animating the characters, how about a compromise, only animating the hero and even then, only with a couple of frames, a la the good old days? Just a thought, not really a request like 1 or 2 above.

Thanks, Paul. I'm really looking forward to seeing Legends reach it's full potential. I love it as is, but think it has so much more to offer!

[Madgarden]

Hey gatizo, all reasonable requests and I think we've plans to cover most of them. Just keep bugging us if we've left something out, and we'll get to them. :)

As for the animation, well I can't just animate the hero, how fair is that? ;) Once the game's sprites are finalized (some time down the road), then we may revisit the idea. If you notice already there is a bit of animation in creatures like the Killer Wasp, so it is slowly seeping its way in anyway.

[DaviddesJ]

I haven't played this game in a long while since I was on level 3 or 4 while at a significantly higher level myself and a random enemy blew me away in a single blow with a critical hit worth something like 52 hp. If I have to play so cautiously that I never risk a swing like that, I'm just grinding and grinding forever. I understand that Legendary difficulty should be hard, but there's a difference between "hard" and "no way to protect yourself". In general, what I miss is ways to get away from enemies. It seems that sometimes I can just swipe to run away when my HP get low, but sometimes (more or less randomly) it doesn't work and the only way to escape is teleport. The whole experience ends up not as strategic as I want because there's no way to manage risks.

[Madgarden]

Was the monster you fought stronger than you? Sounds like it. The messages at the top should tell you when you engage. So they hit harder and more accurately.

Also, if you are attacked, you can't swipe to run away. You can only hit the action button and teleport, shield, or flee if none of those options are available. I'm working on expanding this behaviour for 2.0.

[LordVader]

Was the monster you fought stronger than you? Sounds like it. The messages at the top should tell you when you engage. So they hit harder and more accurately.

Also, if you are attacked, you can't swipe to run away. You can only hit the action button and teleport, shield, or flee if none of those options are available. I'm working on expanding this behaviour for 2.0.

It'd sure make chickening out a lot easier :P

[DaviddesJ]

Was the monster you fought stronger than you? Sounds like it. The messages at the top should tell you when you engage. So they hit harder and more accurately.

All this may be true. It doesn't change the fact that if I successfully fight a monster 10 or 20 times, and the 21st time it kills me in a single blow before I can do anything, the game feels less fun. I went away with the impression that the only way I could win would be to do so much grinding that I am way more powerful than anything I fight, which would make most of the game tedious.

Also, if you are attacked, you can't swipe to run away.

Well, I certainly can and do swipe to escape from fights, often. Sometimes it works the first time, sometimes it takes a few tries, sometimes it doesn't seem to work at all.

Are you saying that there is a difference between "If you make the attack" and "If you are attacked"? So I can only swipe to run away when I attacked the monster first, and not when it attacked me first? Or are you saying something different?

[Madgarden]

Yes, if the monster makes the first attack and you hear that "MREEEEEeeeuuuueeeEEEE!" sound, then you can't just disengage. In the original C64 version, you couldn't even flee, you had to use a spell. If there were no spells, you had to wait it out.

Not all monsters of the same kind are the same strength. They also have experience levels, and you may occasionally encounter a monster that is "out of depth," which means he's from a deeper part of the dungeon and is stronger than normal.

Them's the breaks. :) If you want a cakewalk, that's what Squire mode is for.

[DaviddesJ]

So, basically, as long as you always time your move so that you get the first swing, then you can always disengage if things start to go badly? But if the monster somehow gets the first swing, then you can't?

It seems strange.

I think there is a difference between wanting an easy level of difficulty and not wanting to die in a single random blow. The whole "auto-resurrect EXCEPT if you take too much damage in a single blow" thing is not entirely to my taste. But to each his own.

[Madgarden]

When you are attacked, that means the enemy gets the jump on you. At that point, you're just trying to defend yourself. That's how it works.

If a single blow removes your head, well there's no way to drink your restoration potion. :) That auto-drink behaviour is not guaranteed to save your life every time, only if you are not struck with a fatal blow. If you want to use strategy then I suggest drinking healing potions while you're still alive. ;)

[DaviddesJ]

When you are attacked, that means the enemy gets the jump on you. At that point, you're just trying to defend yourself. That's how it works.

It just seems odd to think that whether I can escape from battle after I've hit an opponent 10 times and it's hit me 10 times depends on who hit whom first. Is it fair to conclude that "good play" means you will virtually always make sure to get the first strike, and therefore almost always leave yourself in a position to escape?

If I had known this was so important, I would have been playing differently all along.

I do appreciate your explaining it to me so that I can enjoy the game better. However, I doubt I'm the only one who didn't grasp this distinction even after hours of playing the game, and it would be cool if you could be a little bit less snarky about it.

[Jyankee30]

It just seems odd to think that whether I can escape from battle after I've hit an opponent 10 times and it's hit me 10 times depends on who hit whom first. Is it fair to conclude that "good play" means you will virtually always make sure to get the first strike, and therefore almost always leave yourself in a position to escape?

If I had known this was so important, I would have been playing differently all along.

I do appreciate your explaining it to me so that I can enjoy the game better. However, I doubt I'm the only one who didn't grasp this distinction even after hours of playing the game, and it would be cool if you could be a little bit less snarky about it.

He was hardly snarky, he was just stating facts. Now you are aware of how it works which should improve your gameplay. You should actually thank him.

[DaviddesJ]

You should actually thank him.

I actually already did.

[Madgarden]

I think we will eventually have an expanded tutorial and possibly some other sort of guidebook that will explain these little details better. There are a lot of little things to know, even though on the surface it seems simple.

[DaviddesJ]

After this exchange, I did go back and replay the tutorial and it does say that you can only withdraw if you initiated the attack. So, it's still not my favorite game mechanism, but it does seem to be explained, and I should have noticed it (unless this was added to the tutorial after the last time I went through it).

[Madgarden]

I will explore the use of the swipe as an alternate way to to "flee" the monster-initiated battles. Fleeing is a special case, as you take a full hit before leaving the fight.

[DaviddesJ]

I will explore the use of the swipe as an alternate way to to "flee" the monster-initiated battles. Fleeing is a special case, as you take a full hit before leaving the fight.

I don't understand exactly how it works now, when you are attacked. Is this right? If you have a teleport spell you can use it, and if not then if you have a shield spell then you can use it, and if neither of those then the action button will give you an option to flee but while taking an extra hit?

[Madgarden]

That is exactly how it works. :)

[DaviddesJ]

I am not certain what you mean by, "I'm working on expanding this behaviour for 2.0," but if that means giving the player more ways to select between different options, rather than a single context-sensitive default option, I'd be all for it.

[Madgarden]

That is exactly what I mean. :)

[DaviddesJ]

Based on what I learned I played again, down to level 9. Got a dragon scale shield early, which seems to make everything easy. But then I exited to main menu and tapped the crystal symbol on main page, game crashed and reset me back to start of game. :-( :-(

I notice on levels with vaults with dwarf guards, you can keep returning to the level and it keeps generating new guards, which you can farm for shields. But it's sort of irrelevant once I got the dragon shield.

[Madgarden]

Hmm, never heard of a Crystal crash yet... strange. As for the farming, that won't be possible after 2.0.

[DaviddesJ]

My game crashes to desktop whenever I tap the crystal, regardless of what I do first. I've never played any other game with Crystal, so I don't know if the problem extends further than SOFL.

But why does the crash cause my last 2 hours of play to be lost? That's not ideal. I'm hoping it won't happen again if I stay away from that button (although I guess that means I lose achievements?), but in a long game it sucks to have to go all the way back to the beginning.

[RttaM]

Why did you guys even add Crystal in the first place? It is a requirement by Chillingo? I found it pretty odd that Fargoal Legends was published by Chilling yet Fargoal (original) was published by Fargoal LLC.

[Madgarden]

DaviddesJ, I'll make sure that is working properly for 2.0.

Pretty much all Chillingo-published games integrate Crystal, AFAIK.

[DaviddesJ]

I don't know if there is any more troubleshooting I can do to help you?

When I turn off my networking, then the Crystal icon pops up a menu that displays something like, "You aren't connected to the internet," but it doesn't crash. If networking is on, then it always seems to crash.

I have been playing more and observe the long tail of monster damage quite a bit. E.g., I was fighting a dwarven guard on level 5 (not a "strong dwarven guard") and it was doing amounts of damage like 4 or 6, between misses, and then suddenly it hit me for 30 in one blow. OK, I survived that time, but it means that to get through the whole game I need to play ultra-safe and run away whenever I take even a few damage.

The other thing that always annoys me, although it's really minor, is that the rubble piles that stun you stay pink ("good") on the mini-map, even though they stun you every time you walk onto them. It seems like after the first time, they should turn red.

Is there anything useful to do with ossuaries? I can keep digging and keep finding more skeletons, but it seems pointless.

[RttaM]

Why not just take Crystal out? And contact Chillingo about it?

[DaviddesJ]

I don't have anything against Crystal, myself (although maybe I would if I used it). I just don't want it to crash.

[niezam]

Now $.99

[rogerchiu]

Yeah.. Just bought this iPad version for keeping. I will still playing in iPhone version.

[Mindfield]

Forgot about this iPad version. Gonna snag this one as soon as I get home and on WiFi; this would be so much better on the bigger screen.

[tomheroes]

Already had the Iphone version, but for a buck, I grabbed the Ipad version as well.

[fargoal]

Already had the Iphone version, but for a buck, I grabbed the Ipad version as well.
Yeah, isn't it nice to have so much more map real estate to see while you are playing!? ;^)

— Jeff

[Squeaker]

This is so crazy. There's no excuse, bought.

[djflippy]

FTW. Bought, finally. Thank you devs.

[cprloe]

Extra screen real estate for one of my most-played Iphone games?

I couldn't hit the BUY button fast enough.

[Madgarden]

Thanks! For those who end up owning both versions, I will be adding a little something extra special. :)

[Mindfield]

Thanks! For those who end up owning both versions, I will be adding a little something extra special. :)

Just don't take it off sale 'til I can get home and on WiFi, 'k? You don't live far from me, you know how crappy our public WiFi coverage is. :D

[medianotzu]

Thanks! For those who end up owning both versions, I will be adding a little something extra special. :)

Hmmm...sounds good! I don't have an iPad but just picked this up anyway. Just got a 4G iPT by the way, and the graphics looks unreal. The "Fargoal Presents" banner really pops out. I thought it was in 3D when I saw it, actually.

[drelbs]

Thanks! For those who end up owning both versions, I will be adding a little something extra special. :)

Dang, now I'm really considering picking this up in case I ever get an iPad. (Not much chance since I just shelled out for a shiny new iPhone4...)

[BazookaTime]

Own the iPhone version, just bought the iPad version. Thanks for the sale.

[Bad Hanson]

Own the iPhone version, just bought the iPad version. Thanks for the sale.
Same here. Really enjoying the iPad vesion too. Don't mind upgrading for 99c. Shame dev's can't offer upgrades for 99c as tagged purchase through iTunes or via in app purchase. I.E. if you download the standard iphone version of the app onto the iPad and buy the upgrade that way. No idea if this would be possible but could be a workable solution. Anyway - great game!

[pluto6]

Crazy pricing for one of the best games out there. Own on the iPhone with many hours in. Have to buy iPad version for this price. Thanks to the devs for the great deal.

[Madgarden]

Bad Hanson, we could do it that way, but we have cooler plans in the works. You'll see. ;)

[Mindfield]

Got it for iPad. Playing it on the big screen is definitely the way to go. I do have one suggestion: Shorten the stroke length needed to run. It's okay on the iPhone where you've got a small screen and can just swipe a thumb halfway across the screen to run, but the iPad's screen is close to 3x the size, so swiping across half that screen to run is a little much when the real benefit of playing on the big screen is keeping your thumbs out of the way. :)

Otherwise it's perfect.

[Caprone]

Got it for iPad. Playing it on the big screen is definitely the way to go. I do have one suggestion: Shorten the stroke length needed to run. It's okay on the iPhone where you've got a small screen and can just swipe a thumb halfway across the screen to run, but the iPad's screen is close to 3x the size, so swiping across half that screen to run is a little much when the real benefit of playing on the big screen is keeping your thumbs out of the way. :)

Otherwise it's perfect.

I agree to the swiping "issue".
Other than that, on the iPad is the perfect SoF.

[Madgarden]

The length is shortened somewhat for iPad, but yeah I think I will make it adjustable. Definitely can and will be improved.

[djflippy]

Got it for iPad. Playing it on the big screen is definitely the way to go. I do have one suggestion: Shorten the stroke length needed to run. It's okay on the iPhone where you've got a small screen and can just swipe a thumb halfway across the screen to run, but the iPad's screen is close to 3x the size, so swiping across half that screen to run is a little much when the real benefit of playing on the big screen is keeping your thumbs out of the way. :)

Otherwise it's perfect.

/agree

Let's all rate it on the app store to thank the devs for the sale. I've been playing this all day.

[Mindfield]

The length is shortened somewhat for iPad, but yeah I think I will make it adjustable. Definitely can and will be improved.

That would be awesome. I just find it's far too long a stroke to be able to start running as quickly as I'd like. Making it adjustable would be great.

/agree

Let's all rate it on the app store to thank the devs for the sale. I've been playing this all day.

Already ahead of you. There aren't many reviews on this, surprisingly, and I wonder who the one bonehead who left a one-star review was?

[Madgarden]

There will always be the One Star Brigade. Can't be helped. I mean... WTF TEH DUDES LEGS DONT EVEN MOEBV 1 STAR!!!!1!!!1

[Mindfield]

There will always be the One Star Brigade. Can't be helped. I mean... WTF TEH DUDES LEGS DONT EVEN MOEBV 1 STAR!!!!1!!!1

He's a paraplegic, you insensitive jerk! He gets around on remote-controlled rollerskates! Just like, uh, everyone else in the game.

[fargoal]

Just don't take it off sale 'til I can get home and on WiFi, 'k? You don't live far from me, you know how crappy our public WiFi coverage is. :D
We'll wait for ya! No, wait, you probably already nabbed it!

;^)

— Jeff

[fargoal]

/agree

Let's all rate it on the app store to thank the devs for the sale. I've been playing this all day.
Thanks djflippy! That means a lot to us...

— Jeff

[hellboy8x]

I will try it now!

[cell-gfx]

Okay, is it kind of mental that I bought this, even though I don't own an iPad yet?! Seriously... now I have a reason to hold out for a second gen!!

[amroc]

I love sword of fargoal. I'm sure that in terms of actual hours played, this is one of my top 3 iDevice games ever, quite possibly no.1.

[Qordobo]

Picked thanks to the nice sell. I'm not very tempted with Roguelike even if I have a high estimate of their design, at least for the best. But with that sell the fan of RPG I am could not skip Sword of Fargoal anymore.

I tried it a little and wonder how stuff was working and where was the help. But after to have tried the tutorial everything is clear. It looks nice, the interface is rather clear, seems quite well polished.

Two minor points that could because I'm not fully used to it. The touch controls to move are great but when it's to move in an unexplored area the swipe controls are tempting. But sometimes when doing a swipe command it seems I trigger the touch. Perhaps it is link to what some other posts commented about the swipe length.

Also I felt it was missing a similar command like classical Roguelike have, "move to this direction or point until there's an event", ie an event like enemy in vision, and so on, that makes stop the moving.

Anyway nice pick and thanks for the bargain sale.

[Madgarden]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Qordobo, yes the tap-to-move can sometimes be triggered accidentally. Fargoal 2.0 fixes all of those issues, and those movement improvements will be adapted back to Fargoal Legends.

[Qordobo]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Qordobo, yes the tap-to-move can sometimes be triggered accidentally. Fargoal 2.0 fixes all of those issues, and those movement improvements will be adapted back to Fargoal Legends.

Cool, one detail, I like clear control icons, but perhaps and option could allow use some smaller.

[medianotzu]

Okay, is it kind of mental that I bought this, even though I don't own an iPad yet?! Seriously... now I have a reason to hold out for a second gen!!

I think I saw a note that this is going universal. That would be nice since I never plan to buy an iPad and I have it now. :)

[FPE]

This is universal ....

[Mindfield]

This is universal ....

Not yet it isn't. SoF and SoF Legends are still two distinct apps. SoF supports iPhone/Touch (including Retina display), SoF Legends is iPad-only.

[drelbs]

I think I saw a note that this is going universal. That would be nice since I never plan to buy an iPad and I have it now. :)

There are already dedicated versions for the iPhone/iPod and iPad, and the developer has hinted towards a bonus for owners of both versions - unless I missed something I don't think this is going universal.

Paul - Feel free to correct me, I'll buy this in a second if it's going universal! :D

[FPE]

Not yet it isn't. SoF and SoF Legends are still two distinct apps. SoF supports iPhone/Touch (including Retina display), SoF Legends is iPad-only.

Ops, my bad. Sorry. I did not realized mine was the legends

[Madgarden]

Both versions are going universal. Legends/iPad will continue as a 1.x version, while 2.0/iPhone will be quite a bit different. So, nobody has to worry about losing the classic 1.x play style. We'll continue to support both. :)

[medianotzu]

Both versions are going universal. Legends/iPad will continue as a 1.x version, while 2.0/iPhone will be quite a bit different. So, nobody has to worry about losing the classic 1.x play style. We'll continue to support both. :)

Looking forward to it! Does that mean Legends will have shields or no?

[medianotzu]

There are already dedicated versions for the iPhone/iPod and iPad, and the developer has hinted towards a bonus for owners of both versions - unless I missed something I don't think this is going universal.

Paul - Feel free to correct me, I'll buy this in a second if it's going universal! :D

Looks like it's time to visit the app store, Dr. Elbs!

[drelbs]

Looks like it's time to visit the app store, Dr. Elbs!

Just bought it! :o

[Mindfield]

Looking forward to it! Does that mean Legends will have shields or no?

Legends already has shields and wands and stuff.

Since I own both now it'll be interesting to see what the universal SoF 2.0 will have that will change things so drastically that the 1.x versions will have to be kept around to satisfy the crowd that may not like the new changes or prefer the old version.

[Madgarden]

Since I own both now it'll be interesting to see what the universal SoF 2.0 will have that will change things so drastically that the 1.x versions will have to be kept around to satisfy the crowd that may not like the new changes or prefer the old version.

People playing 2.0 may fear hobgoblins wielding a skull-on-a-stick:

http://madgarden.net/junkz/sword-2.0-hobgoblin.png

This could send them running back to Legends.

[Mindfield]

People playing 2.0 may fear hobgoblins wielding a skull-on-a-stick:

This could send them running back to Legends.

Oh, psssh. Skull on a stick.

Um ... y'know, just out of curiosity ... whose skull?

Also: I spy with my little eye something that is plinth-with-a-potion-on-it-shaped. And a bunch of axes, swords, warhammers, a mace, a shuriken, a quarterstaff, and a club with a giant tooth sticking out of it.

Wait. Where are you in this screenshot? Are ... are you playing the goblin?

[Madgarden]

The mysteries deepen...

[drelbs]

Um ... y'know, just out of curiosity ... whose skull?

Wait. Where are you in this screenshot? Are ... are you playing the goblin?

That's your skull. Hobby's carrying it down to the bottom level so he can win the game. :p

[Mindfield]

The mysteries deepen...

Ooh, you get to play other creatures in the game! Called it!

I want to play a mushroom.