iPhone Companions - Dungeon-Crawler/RPG by smuttlewerk interactive

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by smuttlegiaco, May 26, 2011.

  1. currymutton

    currymutton Well-Known Member

    Oct 16, 2008
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    Any video of the game play?
     
  2. ojtitus

    ojtitus Well-Known Member

    Jul 7, 2010
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    These are the only videos I could find.

     
  3. Gabrien

    Gabrien Well-Known Member

    Nov 24, 2009
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    A few other issues that have cropped up:

    Already been mentioned, but the ability to move the group as a whole is sorely needed.

    Way too much micromanagement in general is involved. If my fighters are being attacked from range surely it's not too much to expect of them to face and engage their attackers instead of standing like statues until dead?

    Getting your characters to execute commands needs to be made simpler. If I already have a skill selected tapping on an enemy should execute it immediately; I should not need to double-tap. That is just one example. In general I find too often a character dies not through my lack of tactics or an error in judgement but rather through my inability to issue commands efficiently enough through the interface, or the character's complete inability to execute the simplest tasks autonomously.

    None of the above are game-breaking flaws. Simply more polishing and a bit more thought is required to turn this game into a smoother running experience. Party movement and issuing of tactics is the first step.
     
  4. smuttlegiaco

    smuttlegiaco Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
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    good morning everyone! :)

    thanks you for your feedback Gabrien!
    part of the gameplay is the fact of controlling all four characters. that's why we implemented the tactical pause. this feature is ESSENTIAL for the player to successfully smash his enemies. without the heavy use of it, you will get a severe beating in many situations.
    nevertheless, we will talk about your suggestion of auto-attacking player characters. at the moment I am not sure if such a feature would make many exciting and fun moments of the game superflous. :confused:

    I guess you mean the fact that the characters first finish their current skill action?! you don't have to double tap, the character just has to finish the skill that has been activated before.
    would you like it more if a skill gets interrupted when you choose to use another skill instead? did I understand your problem you correctly?

    the game has a learning-curve, not steep, but it's there. it's no TinyWings (which is a good game btw).:D
     
  5. Gabrien

    Gabrien Well-Known Member

    Nov 24, 2009
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    #25 Gabrien, May 27, 2011
    Last edited: May 27, 2011
    I guess in a real time strategy game I just expect the AI to be capable of reacting on its own in at least the most basic ways. If one of my characters is being attacked while standing there doing absolutely nothing I expect him to retaliate on his own instead of continuing to stand there until he dies.

    Example: party stands in a "two hand to hand fighters in front, mage and archer behind" formation. A ranged attacker approaches from the front and proceeds to fire at one of my tanks. My character stands in place oblivious to being damaged until I actually click on him, click on his attacker and then click on his attacker again. Only then will he take the three steps forward required for him to be within melee range and commence attacking.

    Essentially what you have made is a turn based strategy game which plays out in real time. It cannot work well that way. Adding the pause function isn't a solution. In a real time game certain concessions must be made; one is lessening the amount of micromanaging to task the player with.

    Now, I am still playing and still learning. But these are my impressions as I'm going along.
     
  6. KiddToKmart

    KiddToKmart Well-Known Member

    Feb 10, 2011
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    I figured since you've probably played them all, could you share your thoughts between the big hitters of the past (100 rogues, SoF) and the current contenders (Pitman, Companions)? I blind-bought Pitman and looking forward to trying it out, haven't even fired it up yet.
     
  7. rozetta

    rozetta Active Member

    Jan 12, 2010
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    This is interesting looking. I liked Battleheart, and this seems like a similar concept. I also like the fact that this is an iPad only game, meaning it was designed specifically with the iPad screen size in mind. (I'm sick of iPad games being mostly an afterthought from the iPhone version).

    I'm kinda worried about spending $4.99 on a game that has 10 hours of content, though. I was hoping for perhaps randomly generated levels and items, etc. I'm really tempted, though, but perhaps I'll hold off for a proper review from here or pocket gamer, since this forum thread doesn't really have any detailed opinions (apart from Gabrien's observations).
     
  8. smuttlegiaco

    smuttlegiaco Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
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    hey rozetta,

    please keep in mind that the 10 hours are only for the campaign game with ONE of the possible party combinations. then add the single maps (three at time with highscore leaderboards) and the randomized loot and (sometimes) random creatures and you have much, much more than 10 hours of playing time. :)
     
  9. rozetta

    rozetta Active Member

    Jan 12, 2010
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    By randomized loot, do you mean randomized stats on loot or just a random chance of looting one of the 100 possible item types?

    Are the single maps a single room?

    Lastly, is there a possibility that you'd add an endless mode with randomly generated maps?
     
  10. smuttlegiaco

    smuttlegiaco Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
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    Both, randomized stats and drops! (unique items are always the same of xourse, but have a lower drop chance)

    one of the maps is a big arena with a unique play system (you can play the map when you beat the 3rd level of the campaign), one a labyrinth in a pac-man style where you collect gold and get pursued by skeletons (gets available at the beginning of map 2 of the campaign) and the tutorial, a medium sized map with one large room and several small others, where you find no loot and have to survive as long as you can.

    as it is now, no. but who knows what'll be in half a year?! we will add more single maps, that's for sure.
     
  11. rozetta

    rozetta Active Member

    Jan 12, 2010
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    Thanks Giaco for your replies - they were really helpful! It's good to see developers interacting with the community and actively planning on improving their games.

    I'm going to purchase this right now. Feel free to have a beer this evening on the proceeds!
     
  12. BazookaTime

    BazookaTime Well-Known Member

    One review said there is no auto or menu save? How often does the game save then?
     
  13. ojtitus

    ojtitus Well-Known Member

    Jul 7, 2010
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    I don't know how often it auto saves but it does auto save and you can also manually choose to save from the menu.
     
  14. smuttlegiaco

    smuttlegiaco Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
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    hi,

    that's not true. I read and I was a little pissed off :mad:. No problem with not liking the game, but posting wrong info isn't very nice. I guess he played only the tutorial, a survival map without save option.

    In the campaign game you have the basic auto saves in each level (which we set on spots we thought good for saving) and your manual save which you'll see, when you hit the pause button, like in other games also.

    when you load a game, you can always switch between auto and normal save.

    @ojtitus: you were a bit faster than me :)
     
  15. Movementcat

    Movementcat Well-Known Member

    Mar 1, 2010
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    Hi Smuttle gutes Game, klar viel micromanagement aber ich finde die induvidualität gut das man soviele Combos an Helden spielen kann. Und ich liebe looten :)

    Ich hoffe echt du arbeitest weiter dran mit neuen Items Levels, evtl auch Klassen wäre auch bereit für IAP.

    Glaub bisher bestes Deutsches Game.

    Keep the Good Work ! ach und kannst gern Englisch antworten nicht das dir hier wer böse wird ^^
     
  16. BazookaTime

    BazookaTime Well-Known Member


    Thanks. I held off buying this after I read the review but I will pick it up now.
     
  17. smuttlegiaco

    smuttlegiaco Well-Known Member

    Aug 19, 2010
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    @movementcat: thx for your praise!

    @bazookaTime: this review will cost us sales. :( as you said, no one wants a game without save option, especially not when it's a huge game like ours. if somebody would correct the statement on the app store, I would be eternally grateful.
     
  18. ojtitus

    ojtitus Well-Known Member

    Jul 7, 2010
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    I don't think whom ever left that review is on this forum, I did however mark that review as not being helpful as did four other people. So hopefully people will know that that review is not credible. My small review seems to have been helpful to a couple people though. :D
     
  19. Marcus70

    Marcus70 Well-Known Member

    Dec 7, 2010
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    #39 Marcus70, May 28, 2011
    Last edited: May 28, 2011
    Well, I've seen that particular itunes reviewer write several negative reviews for other games that I currently own, I don't think they are on this forum.
     
  20. ZugZug

    ZugZug Well-Known Member

    Jan 14, 2011
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    I really like this game. I'd also like to see some sort of group select and maybe formations, but i think full blown auto attack would take away from the game aswell.. Just my 2 cents.
     

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