iPhone Hexoscope. Puzzle game [Binokle Studio]

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by Binokle, Apr 27, 2014.

  1. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    One important point. Each level is assured to be solvable (from start position).
     
  2. cloudpuff

    cloudpuff Well-Known Member

    Sep 12, 2013
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  3. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Hexoscope: Future Improvements & Next Version

    We want to thank all the people, who interested in our game and who posted their opinions and impressions. We spent much time developing the game and your interest is pleasant for us.

    Now we work on the second version of Hexoscope (or MB version 1.5?). Its gameplay will be slightly extended: secondary goals in each puzzle will be added (in addition to the main goal - connect Power Source with Power Receiver).
    New types of puzzles will be added and of course new levels (arrangements).

    About the timer. Now the game has two time modes: "normal game" and "training" with turned off timer. I think we'll create third (less tight) mode with increased time but reduced points prize amount.
    I think any prompting about "time is low" is a good idea. We'll realize this.
    We'll think what we can do with the size of UI elements in level select menu but iPad screen is so small :)
     
  4. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Promo-codes

    Please, write in comments if additional promo-codes required.
     
  5. globbits

    globbits Well-Known Member

    Jul 24, 2009
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    Hi

    I've only played through the first few levels ("Chaoses") so far, but I really like the look and basic mechanic of the game, it's a nice puzzle game. I do have a couple of questions + suggestions though for a future update.

    Is there a reason why some of the tiles are green instead of blue? Do you get bonus points for using them, or do they just indicate the tiles used in the generated solution?

    What does "Min count of red chips at each blue" mean on the briefing screen? I guess this is the number of red neighbours you need to turn a chip blue that you suggested above? Presumably as soon as I get onto harder levels, this would have become more obvious what it meant, but it wasn't immediately clear to me so far.

    Is it possible to describe what determines the amount of points you win, please? Is it just time related, turn related, and is there a level multiplier as well? If the only way you can progress through the game is grinding until you earn enough points to unlock the next level, then 9392 points for Chaos 12 looks a little daunting, and having to repeatedly play the same levels might end up getting a little dull without some more variety to the level designs, or different game modes you can pick for example.

    Also, would it be possible to make the timer more visible somehow, please? On a couple of plays the game ended because I ran out of time, but I was so focussed on the game board, I didn't even think to look at the status bar at the bottom. If there isn't a better place to put the clock, them maybe there could be some other visual clues, such as changing the colour scheme with 1 minute or 30 seconds to go - you may have already added audio clues for the timer running out, but I only play with the sound turned off, so won't ever get them.

    Finally, there may be a problem with the rules pages. On my ipad mini retina, some of the screens have no text, or fall off the edge of the page. I've attached an example of one of the screens, and I have absolutely no idea what it is trying to tell me!

    Apart from that, thanks for the great puzzle game - easily 69p well spent. :)
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Hi,

    thank you for your interest in our game and your suggestions.

    1. Green pin is only a visual hint. Pins become green when its Connector is joined with at least one neighbour Connector (via pins Chain). In other words pins from non-powered chains are marked by green color. Pins from powered chains are marked by red color.

    2. You are right about "Min count of red chips at each blue". On easy levels you need only one red Connector to force all his neighbour Connectors change color from black to blue. But on the harder levels a Connector becomes blue only when it has two (minimum) red neighbours. On hardest levels even three red neighbours.

    3. The amount of points that one win is a sum of fixed part and bonus for saved (remained) time. Time bonus is proportional to the saved time value. So it is advantageous to solve puzzles faster and make less turns (each turn eats 5 seconds) because it's increase the time bonus. Maximum value of time bonus is 150% of fixed part.

    We have level multiplier too. Unlock price of the level, fixed part of prize and time bonus all are multiplied on the value 1.8 in regard to the same values of previous level. So to unlock any level one must solve previous level 3-5 time. It is right for all levels: 2nd, 3rd, 12th. One can earn points on lower (easier) levels too but lower levels prize is smaller. This is why all points costs and prizes grow after each level. For example for unlocking 12th level one can solve 11th level 3-5 times or 10th level 5-9 times or 9th level 10-16 times.

    4. We'll realize not only the prompting about "time is low" but fully-functional timer-free mode too.

    5. Thank you for bug reporting. It's a very annoying bug because it damages the main part of the game - Rules :)
    The normal look of the Rules screens is a picture and a text line (with explanation) in the bottom of the screen.
    Can you see text line on any of the screens or all six text lines disappear?

    Unfortunately, we cannot publish update (even only bugfix!) right now because of the promo-codes that we've sent to the magazines. The game will be updated soon.
     
  7. globbits

    globbits Well-Known Member

    Jul 24, 2009
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    Thanks for your reply.
    That makes sense, I hadn't realised that all unpowered connected pins were green. These hints became very useful when I started getting to the 2 "min count" levels! I can imagine 3 would be very challenging.

    Apart from labels on the images, the only text is on pages 4 (Static Connector can never move or become blue) and 5 (The goal and conditions of each Chaos are described in the "Briefing" panel).

    I hope the promo codes work and the game gets reviewed.
    I'm working my way through the second set of chaoses and still having fun, although with the tight time limits, it feels like some starting positions are "luckier" than others - Chaos 4 (Archipelagos) with a 2:10 time limit held me up for a very long time until I got a starting grid that almost solved itself. I'm sure this will all change once I get better at working out the puzzles though. :)
     
  8. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
    Thanks for additional info that you provided. We've reproduced the bug with Rules on Mini Retina. We'll publish bugfix soon. Also this update will include time-free mode. We receive many requests for it :)

     
  9. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
    Hexoscope 1.1 Update

    Hi, Hexoscope 1.1 is here.

    Yesterday we published the update of our Hexoscope that includes several features.
    - Time-free mode: now timer is not a tight constraint.
    - Bugfix: the Rules screen displayed correctly on all screens.
    - Added support of Deutch, French, Spanish and Russian languages in AppStore (not in game UI)
     
  10. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
    Promo-codes

    Please, write in comments, if promo-codes are required.
     
  11. LordGek

    LordGek Well-Known Member
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    Feb 19, 2009
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    Saratoga, CA, USA
    Game Impressions

    While I'm enjoying the game, how hard would it be to implement something that tracks my best runs locally per puzzle so I can tell if I just scored better than my previous best run on that puzzle?
     
  12. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
    Interesting idea. I think such feature (game statistitics) will be usefel when a user solves each level 8-10 times or more. Can you tell me a few words about replayability? How many times do you solve each level before upgrading to the next one? How frequently do you return to the level that is already solved and not a "must" for unlocking next one?


     
  13. LordGek

    LordGek Well-Known Member
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    Feb 19, 2009
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    #33 LordGek, Jun 30, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2014
    Hard to say how much I would replay each level presently as no scores are tracked so I have no incentive to do so.

    Even early on I find some levels enjoyable and others, while cleverly designed, something I would never replay more than I had to in order to get through them.

    I see myself learning the levels on normal, maybe even getting most of my required unlocking points from a level that way, but once comfortable with a level replaying it in turbo to perfect my score on that level.

    On an unrelated note, I love how this game will often force you to make a pathway that does nothing to bring you closer to your real goal just to pickup a needed piece. So play is often building toward your end goal, going off on a weird tangent for a specific piece, and then cutting off a big chunk of your current path to resume the path to your true destination again.
     
  14. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Thank you, LordGek, for your opinion and for experience that you collected in our game. It is pleasant for us that our game is replayable. I think that in the situation of rather high replayability of the game collecting of puzzles solving statistics is a very good idea. So I think that wi'll realize it in the near future: best your score in each level and after that maybe best score all over the players.

    Now we prepare Facebook release of Hexoscope and maybe we'll realize game statistics after this sprint.
    The next essential extension of the gameplay is to realize secondary goals on the game map and probably optional bonuses. I think that game version with solving statistics will be published before that big update.
     
  15. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
    #35 Binokle, Jul 9, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2014
    Hexoscope on Facebook

    Hexoscope for Facebook is coming soon!

    This is the application's page:
    www.facebook.com/Hexoscope

    Please follow us, if you like it :)
     
  16. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
  17. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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    Moscow, Russia
  18. Binokle

    Binokle Member

    Apr 27, 2014
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