Oh, so price is going to go up on the app? I think I might buy now, then. Thanks for the heads up on that. I'm going to sit out this KS because I need to be conserving money (as far as buying the app now, I have some credit so that money has already been spent).
I've had about 6 games against the AI so far and lost each one. Was close once (93vs92) but usually there is like 30 between us. Though once it whopped me by 85
It's funny, Small World was on the list I had made up of the the very first things I wanted to buy when I got first got my ipad2. I never got around to picking it up and kept waiting for them to update it. Looks like they are doing it right this time. I don't really have time to play right now, so I just got the tier that includes the game for 15 bucks. That's 7 dollars more than the Triton level, the same as the cost the game is currently (going up to 10 when v2 comes out).
Bear in mind if you're one of those abnormal types standing in the "wait and see" queue that not only is the price of the base app increasing, but the expansions are also going up, so picking the game up after the update will cost you quite a bit more (relatively speaking) than if you grab it now. The new version will cost $15.97 instead of $10.97 for the game and first two expansions, and another $4.99 for the third expansion.
If you can trust a publisher which completely abandoned the first app for nearly 3 years, has not provided async for TtR iPad yet and has provided a fragmented experience on the iPhone then more power to you. I'm going to be "abnormal" and watch how this plays out instead.
There's no "trust" involved. The original game was already outstanding when it was released (and remains so), and the developers are currently and very publicly updating that existing app with a massive (and free) engine, graphical and multiplayer platform overhaul, which is the very definition of "not abandoned". Unless, of course, you're going to try to argue that any time between updates counts as "abandoned", or that the developers have a fixed timeframe from the last update to add arbitrary features in order not to qualify as "abandoned", regardless of the state of the app in question. If you've got evidence that the features outlined for the update in the new Kickstarter aren't going to appear, and that the developers are lying for whatever reason, feel free to present it. Otherwise you're just being a bit of a petty dick, really. There's no "yet"; the developers haven't promised asynchronous play, so they're not somehow failing to live up to a goal you've invented for them. In fact, the developers have already explained that the reality is that they believe the game doesn't suit asynchronous play but decided to take a chance and add it anyway to the Pocket version, whereupon the evidence has clearly shown that the "crowd" demanding async actually turned out to be a very, very small number of people, who were loudly demanding a feature they weren't even using. It isn't surprising that DoW don't particularly want to waste time or money making the same mistake again with TtR. Small World, however, will have asynchronous play, because DoW believe that the nature of the game warrants it, and SW is the game being discussed here.
Since you've played the "vocal minority" card with TtR iPad (even though async drives board game app sales on iOS, ask Playdek) I'm going to just poke holes in your defense of the original app that was left in its perfection on September 22nd, 2010. Since then in the coming years, * The app had no online multiplayer of any kind * It only supported up to 2 human players * It received no further content updates, despite the vast wealth of expansions available for the physical game * It did not receive retina display update While TtR and TtR Pocket kept receiving updates and expansions, this app was left in limbo. This is where the issue of trust presents itself. I would love it if this thing turned out all hunky dory, but I'm going to stay skeptical. If DoW will prove the worth of the new app they will earn my cash.
While in dropping the $8 on the kickstarter, I am completely on Neo's side here. Small wonder was created, touted as the first and one of the most important board games in he App Store. Then that was it. They haven't updated the game in ANY fashion in almost 3 years. I'm sorry, I don't care what is happening going forward, there is zero excuse to completely ignoring a game you supposedly tout as the game that ushered in iOS board gaming. There is no excuse, none, for the complete lack of any activity on the game. It is a joke. Even a minor update, bumping up the graphics or adding something, ANYTHING to the game would be something. But no, nothing. Last update was September of 2010. Any other developer would be written off if they ignored a game for that long. To have DoW produce TTR like they have, release multiple versions and add ons since launch, 13 in the 2 years which is pretty good. I'm glad DoW is giving us a "free" update to their game, I would be happy to pay for the upgrade, which is why I've put up the money for the free races, but I don't think they just deserve a "Aw well they're working hard to make a great new game!" When they have fallen so stupidly far behind versus other developers that have produced an incredible breadth of board games on the platform. I still believe DoW's continued ignoring of Asynchronous play on TTR for the ipad is downright moronic. I only play asynchronous games, as my schedule doesn't permit being able to ever play them live. My Ascension games will take sometimes 30 seconds to play, maybe less. My Fluxx games can all be finished in even less time usually. I see almost everyone playing these games in this way, so it is ABUNDANTLY clear this is a very desired way of playing board games. Their stodgy stance is frustrating, ignorant and just because they're adding it into this game does not absolve them of ignoring it on TTR. And while TTR is not SW, it clearly shows a trend or an MO for the developers to dismiss feedback from their player base. They were able and willing to add asynchronous to their iPhone version, but yet ignored the iPad version? I mean REALLY, the logic behind that is really very, very silly. I believe DoW have some amazing games to give us, hence why I own their games and will continue to own their games, but their approach leaves so much to be desired sometimes. And I am still, and will continue to be, wary of their handling of games they produce on the platform. There is hope, still. Their decommission of the original kickstater project to make it more clear and concise, as well as provide more accurate and appropriate rewards was one of the smartest things they've done, but was that really motivated by their respect of the player base, or was it more focused on the almighty dollar? Don't get me wrong, I know we live in a capatilistic world, but we also live in a world that includes very picky customers who have other options now. Plus the AI on SW sucks. Hard. It's very unwelcoming to newcomers and the fact that the board faces the AI player making it impossible to easily view what the AI is doing has to be one of the worst design decisions in a board game in the iPad as of yet.
By the way, appletini, Neo's comment was far less "petty" than your follow up page long dissertation against voicing frustration in the clear abandonment from the developer. And yes, not updating your game in over 30 months is enough to feel that a game has been left by the wayside. 3 versions of the iPad have released since Small Wonder made its way onto the iPad. 3. And there hasn't been a single update during that time.
Please keep it civil folks. Do keep in mind that DoW isn't a big company with endless resources. Not an excuse, but there it is. I get the impression they realize they haven't done the game justice and they want to make amends, but I could be wrong. Hopefully, they take what they learn developing the asynchronous and apply it to some of their other titles, for the sake of those into multiplayer.
Not on anybody's side here, but just making an observation that not updating a game that still runs under the latest iOS seems to be fine as the game still works. If a newer iOS broke the game, then I would expect the developer to fix it, or I just won't buy from him anymore, such as Gameloft with Dungeon Hunter 1 and Modern Combat 1... If you are referring to new content releases, then it kinds of sucks, but hey at least Small Worlds still runs under 6.1.2 right?
Let's not forget that they skewed the results to get the result they wanted. I play TtR on my ipad, and have all the expansions. I would LOVE async multiplayer because I actually have a life and may actually have to deal with the real world or maybe just another app from time to time. So instead of giving the iPad async they release two iPhone only apps. So now I need to rebuy the content I already own AND play it in 2x mode to get async... No thanks. The "minority" is a minority because DoW makes us jump through hoops and there are few people willing to deal with it. Remember when they said no universal app because TtR wouldn't fit on the small screen? Well they proved that wrong... Yet still no universal. On principle I didn't buy the iPhone versions, I waited til they were free. TtR was built with expansions and online play in mind. SW needs a new engine for good reason, it was made to test the waters on iPad and DoW let it die because it's too much trouble to code in new features. I'm with neo on this one. I'll believe it when I see it.
^^^^^^ That. Many times many thousand times that. TTR should have been made universal, rather than fragmented. I mean hell, it makes me really wonder if they didn't combine the 2 because they wanted to ensure Asynch stayed iphone only because apparently people on the iPad don't and won't ever use Asynch, it's only something phone users would be interested in. I just don't get it, they've seemingly gone through so much work to NOT provide Asynch play, but why? Just because according to them no one would use it? Like TTR could never fit on the iPhone? It's frustrating to have developers tell us how we do or don't want to play the game.
I do tend to think that playing TTR asynch is kind of ridiculous. I am currently in a game, but it's really not much fun to come into the game, draw two cards, and then go back to waiting. Now, in fact that is how I'm playing, so I'm glad it's there, I guess, and yeah I wish they'd put it in the iPad version, but really it doesn't work great for TTR Pocket. So both are right.
That's how I play Ascension, Fluxx and carcassone. All of them take next to no time to do, but exactly what you said is why. It's the freedom to play live when needed and then take lengthy breaks when needed. I've had many times where I end up having the time and go in and play real time for a while or for the whole game. Then if I need to step away I can, and that flexibility is truly AWESOME. Now I need to play some TTR
I think the tipping point is, yes they do not promise any async play on iPad. Fine. But what in the 'verse is there an iPhone version later, with all async play but cannot restore any IAP bought in the iPad version?! Care to justify? I am just another voice that I am not boycotting this publisher and will get their apps when they (including IAP) are free.
