Thanks, felonious and ben. While we (perhaps mostly I ) wait for appstore approval, I thought I could share some of the expansion pack 1 content. 6 new enemy chars will be added (along with some more player animations, and perhaps also some of the planned 'mini' events (rescuing prisoners, epic loot chest) alongside any modifications or enhancements suggested by players or dev. So, here is the lineup for the added types (from left to right): Impa Poker, Imperial Chopper, Death Assassin, Death KaZabarist,Skeletal Axeswinger and the Sewer Man:
wohoo App approved, so a couple of days preparing and we are all good to go with version 1.0 at Thursday 13 March 2014.. Like Lars von Trier, in his Dogma films where he must put up where he broke the 'rules', here are my violation of the rougelike definition from the 'Berlin Interpretation': High value factors: Random environment generateion: Check Permadeath: Check Turn-based: Check Grid-based: Check Non-modal: Violation ! Both with the flying dagger tavern, as well as spells/buttns only available in or out of combat. Complexity: Check Resource management: Check Hack'n'slash: Check Exploration and discovery: Partly check. A health potion is always a health potion, you don't need to drink one first to identify it as such. Low value factors: Single player character: Check Monsters are similar to players: Check Tactical challenge: hmm. I guess its the Eye of the beholder. I go for 'Check'. If you insist on taking on the elemental caves filled with rock golems with you dagger/daggerskill as strongest asset.. well.. ASCII display: Nope. Dungeons: Check.
Happiness from Felonious: Check Day one purchase from Felonious: Check Little bit of wee in undies from excitement: Check! Shame: ........Check
To make a short answer long: right now it is Ipad only. It was designed for Ipad, so like a lot of games are designed for Iphone and don't play that well on the pad, this won't play to well on the iPhone. It gets a bit too small, and a game can last 15 mins to 2-3 hrs, not relay so well suited. One of the issues is that I dont use a SDK kit that just scales everything into a good fit, so all elements must manualy be repositioned, I estimate.. around 50 hrs work to do. Parts of the game have been tested With rescaling though, so it is doable. If it is requested and get a decent recival for the Ipad, it will be considered doing a universal app, as part of the first patches. So it depends, if players on the iPad don't like or buy the concept/game, chances are that iPhone users won't like or buy it either. That said, a different game (a completly different one) more suited for the iPhone is on the drawing Board, using a lot of the enemies etc.
Launch price is ridiculus low at 1.99$, with a set price increase one week later to 2.99$. With a possible price increase later when the expansion(s) are in, it is not very llikely to drop back to 1.99$ for a very long time. ยจ The apple market is very uncertain, and being well aware it is great possibilities this game is a huge loss eccomomical (limited niche market, low sale price, relative hight dev cost for a game in this genre, limited device support, no funding for promotion).. I'm trying to avoid both devaluate the price even more, and never have any IAP but still include modifications, additions and expansions. Lofty dreams Aim high, and be prepared for the high fall. Motto of today.