Universal Lead Wars - by DemonStudios

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by DemonJim, Nov 19, 2010.

  1. djflippy

    djflippy Well-Known Member

    Mar 9, 2009
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    Set up a dummy 2-player game to practice, learn the two target points from the tutorial, use those two points in practice, and then when you have that down, start to continue the shot arc with your finger after the shot is in motion, toward the direction you want it to curve. Wash, rinse, repeat.

    And know that you're not the only one. LOL. It definitely requires finesse.
     
  2. djflippy

    djflippy Well-Known Member

    Mar 9, 2009
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    Thank you for the real-time tutorial and for your dedication to the project. Lead Wars has a rare quality; the simulation is actually better than that which it simulates. Somewhat of a paradox, really, because one would think the "perfect" simulation would be one that recreates the original exactly. Your game increases the space of possibility, with regard to player skill, enriches the experience of play itself, and increases extensibility, as compared to the classic style of play. I chose my words carefully there, because I really feel that you've modernized a classic, and I'm sure the first kid that drew up a battlefield and skittered his pencil across it, would whole-heartedly approve of your adaptation. I hope he owns an iDevice!
     
  3. Bytebrain

    Bytebrain Well-Known Member

    Jul 24, 2010
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    Medic8er wrote:
    "There needs to be more forgiveness with regards to movement IMO. Collision detection is great, but honestly as imprecise as movement can be there needs to be a little more forgiveness there I think. I was stuck on so many corners it wasn't even funny. Also, instead of being killed by driving through rivers/water elements, how about having that unit lose the ability to move or shoot for 1 or 2 turns?"


    I don't entirely agree with this.

    The whole point of this game is to emulate the original paper/pen game, and, at least on the iPad it's actually easier to avoid obstacles than with a real pencil..

    Its a game made for multiplayer using skill and experience against another live player, be it pass and play or via the net. It would take a lot of the fun out of the game if it changed the rules of the game to make it easier, and it would cripple the multiplayer aspect.
    The fun of this game is not only to shoot the opponent, but to watch him blunder into a rock or fall into the water due to a twitchy finger.. :)

    I just bought the game for the ipad and have had a heap of fun playing my friend in pass and play, this is a great game, and the dev deserves a lot of praise for this faithful adaption of the game.

    I realise the controls may be more difficult on the iPhone/touch, but on the iPad it's absolutely spot on! Thx for not making this game a simple line drawing game.
     
  4. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    For anyone struggling with the Training missions - I've uploaded a Walkthrough video:

     
  5. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    Lead Wars fans - Your Country Needs YOU!

    I'm considering changing the rules of play for the next Lead Wars update, so that you gain and can bank more Moves but it limits the number of moves and shots for each unit. This will make each turn a bit more interesting and increase the strategic element effectively making the maps feel bigger (as you won't be able move a single unit as far in a single turn).

    So I'd like feedback on this from some of you who have played a few multiplayer games and have started to learn the strategic elements.

    Current system (v1.0.1): Gain 2 Moves and 1 Shot per turn. Bank up to 3 Moves and 2 Shots. No limit on the number of moves/shots each unit can do.

    Proposals for v1.1: Same as current except Bank up to 4 Moves and 3 Shots and...

    • Option A
      1. limit it so each unit can only do a maximum of 2 Moves and 1 Shot per turn
      2. same as A1 but max of 2 Shots per unit
    • Option B
      • limit it so each unit can only do 2 "Actions" - ie. Only 2 Moves, Only 2 Shots or do 1 Move and 1 Shot
      • same as B1 but 3 "Actions" max per unit
    • Option C
      • It's fine as it is - don't change what isn't broke!

    Currently it seems because a unit can do 3 moves and 2 shots it makes any unit pretty lethal from long range and I'd like to eliminate this and make it all more strategic in terms of positioning units and choosing which to move. Just going from 4 moves and 3 shots (as it was in pre-release testing) improved things in this regard a lot but I hadn't considered limiting it per unit.

    I think A as B might be hard to show/explain clearly. What do you all think?
     
  6. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    Thanks to those who offered suggestions (in the iPad thread). I'm going to make it so each Unit is limited by Actions (ie Option B), but allow the num Actions per unit, max banking levels and gained moves+shots per turn to be set yourself via an Advanced Setup screen.

    Permitted number of Actions remaining for each unit will be depicted by small dots above or below each one (which you can only use if you have enough banked actions).

    These changes which should make games more fun (and configurable), along with the Map Editor and Single Player vs-CPU mode will make it into the next update (v1.1) - expect this to be released some time in January.
     
  7. jamesbond007

    jamesbond007 New Member

    Dec 15, 2010
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    Single player

    When we will have single player mode vs cpu?
     
  8. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    Sorry I totally missed your question on both threads! It didn't show up in my subscribed threads :(

    OK the update has taken slightly longer than I had hoped and the short answer is mid/late Feb. The current status is this:

    • Map Creator: all done - save/load, editor tips, and share-with-GC-opponent all working. Adding Custom Maps was a lot of work so hope you all like it!
    • New 'Action Limit' rule: all done - works great! Can customise number of moves+shots given per turn, the maximum of each and the max number of Actions each unit can do. Improves game strategy/playability a LOT!
    • AI: Work in Progress - unfortunately had to scrap my first attempt as it meant having AI points and lines on each map - not ideal given there is a map editor. So have started again and it's coming on nicely but will be another couple of weeks before it's good enough to release.

    I've added an ace new feature that allows you to search for an Auto-Match'd online game in the background (ie while you play vs-CPU), so this should mean you are much more likely to find an opponent to play.

    I've also fixed an issue with the Leaderboard - it now posts your score even if you don't win so we can see how many online players there really are.

    I'll Tweet as soon as v1.1 has been submitted so be sure to follow @DemonStudios to be the first to know, and I'll post back here once it's in the AppStore.
     
  9. Bytebrain

    Bytebrain Well-Known Member

    Jul 24, 2010
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    Oh, boy. It all sounds absolutely fantastic!
    Can't wait for the update.
    Thank you for the effort, and for your great ideas and additions to the gameplay.:)
     
  10. jamesbond007

    jamesbond007 New Member

    Dec 15, 2010
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    Thank you for reply & the great effort on the update
     
  11. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    Just to fill anyone in that has been patiently waiting for this update to Lead Wars, v1.1 has now been submitted to Apple and should be available next week!

    So you can look forward to finally playing the CPU, creating your own maps and playing/sharing them online, all with the new configurable 'Action limit' rule system! Big thanks to those who helped decide on the new rule system - I think you'll agree it has worked out pretty good.

    I hope the new "search for an online game while playing locally" feature will mean you're more likely to find an opponent too. Will post back when it has gone live.

    cheers,
    Jim
     
  12. rodrighezalex

    rodrighezalex Member

    Aug 8, 2010
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    Nice, loving the game can't wait for the update.
    How about a smaller pen? :)
     
  13. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    #73 DemonJim, Apr 7, 2011
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2011
    Lead Wars update v1.1 is now in the App Store!

    If people are up for some online multiplayer how about posting times you plan on searching for a game here in this thread so others can challenge you to a battle. Or maybe use Twitter and hashtag #ImUpForSomeLeadWars.

    I'll be looking for an auto-match at various times so be prepared for a good challenge if you meet me on there (same name as my profile). I don't want to dominate my own Leaderboard by racking up loads of Saved Units so if you're a beginner I will try and toy with you a bit :)

    If you're new to the game ensure you complete the Training first though to get a gist of what the game's all about. Hope you enjoy playing!
     
  14. iNdEMAND

    iNdEMAND Member

    Aug 31, 2010
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    I love it!
     
  15. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    I've done a quick demo of the Map Creator for those wondering how it works.

    It shows how to link and split river sections and add bridges and other obstacles like trees and buildings. It also shows how to resize the paper. Some units are placed then a very quick game is played with the AI, where I play as the cross-shaded army and am severely outnumbered! This isn't a good map, it is just a demo of how to use the editor - careful thought is needed to make nicely playable battlefields!

     
  16. MidianGTX

    MidianGTX Well-Known Member

    Jun 16, 2009
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    I picked this game up last night and it practically turned into an obsession straight away. I sat and played for about 3 hours straight, then I had dinner and went to watch TV... while simultaneously playing more Lead Wars ;)

    I noticed a few of the App Store reviews complained about the controls and it worried me initially but after playing for several hours I just think they're plain wrong. The game Lead Wars is based on also combines luck with skill when flicking the pencil, so the virtual iteration should do the same. Yes it can be difficult getting a perfect shot, but that seems completely intentional. It's like rolling dice and I think the game is all the better for it.

    There were a couple of things I'd like to see changed if possible. The map is happy to zoom in further than necessary but there's no way to get an overview of the entire map on an iPhone/iPod. You can kinda zoom out and hold it there, but letting go of the screen makes it snap back to default. The default zoom level is perfect most of the time, but it'd be nice if I could also get that occasional overview.

    I've only played against the AI so far and it seems fairly competent, but on Normal difficulty (the only one I've tried) it sometimes appears to have difficulty getting its units out of the base and strolls around inside seemingly wasting turns. It's far from crippling but it'd be nice to see any improvements... perhaps even an option for enemy mentality with choices like aggressive and defensive.

    Another thing I noticed is that when a plane is flying over a building/tree, ground-to-air missiles still get blocked by the object. In reality the missile should be way above the object at that point but I'm thinking perhaps its intentional in the game? It'd probably be a lot harder to program that in and maybe the game is best left as simple as possible, lest it lose some of its charm.

    A relatively simple (I think) addition I'd like to see is a stats screen showing wins/losses, total tanks/artilery/planes destroyed, bullets fired, successful kamikaze attempts, etc. Also the map editor should display the number of sprites currently placed, just a "XX/200" at the edge somewhere, it'd be slightly easier to plan ahead when you know how much you have left to work with.

    New mode idea: destroy the base. Rather obvious, bases take several hits to destroy. To simplify things victory could be achieved either just by taking out the base OR wiping out all of the enemies as per usual. If the only way to win is base destruction then you'd need some way of building new units which could get too complicated. I played this version in school and we also had missile launchers on the base which could attack close enemies but it was tough trying to figure out a way to keep it fair... I'm not sure if we ever did.

    One final suggestion, but a rather ambitious one... boats?! Obviously the pencil & paper version was extremely open to customization so there must be a whole range of neat additions that could be made, but sea warfare seems the most obvious one to me. Same basic principle as planes: sea-to-land and land-to-sea shots must end on the target, boats can shoot other boats, but can only travel on water (duh). I don't think it'd require too many additional sprites in the editor either (one sea sprite and 4-5 edge sprites?) but mass areas of water would likely use up a lot of sprites which could cause problems if the 200 sprite limit remains in effect.

    Regardless of what the future holds for Lead Wars, I freakin' love it :)

    Edit: Oh, one more thing! I actually quite enjoyed the training. How about a challenge/puzzle mode where you set up certain scenarios and we have to achieve victory with a limited number of moves/shots?
     
  17. DemonJim

    DemonJim Well-Known Member

    Nov 19, 2010
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    Lots of superb suggestions and valuable feedback thanks MidianGTX - the Campaign mode is a popular suggestion and will 100% make it in a future update.

    Also popular is wanting more unit types - I've thought about how I could do this without complicating the UI or the game. There could be themes for each map, so there could be a battlefield theme (as it is now), a space theme (planets, space ships, asteroids etc.), a Marina theme with boats, jetis, sea and islands (where the open space is water and the sprites are the land) etc. etc.

    More game modes takes priority over themes though I would say, a Defend the Base and CTF mode would be the most welcome I think. Preliminary work has started on these.

    The next update should be ready to submit soon, which will mainly include improvements to the AI. It makes bad decisions sometimes (Ending Turn early when it clearly shouldn't is the biggest issue - also pathfinding needs improving as you point out).

    You'll be glad to hear your point about the auto-zooming has already been fixed for this next update, so it now it lets you stay fully zoomed out if nothing is selected. Also it now shows "x / 200" on the map editor where your name normally appears (this one was a one-line fix - if only they all were :) )

    I want to add some button feedback clicks and some sort of fanfare/bong noise when it pops up for your turn in an online game (in case the player isn't paying attention watching TV and it's suddenly their go!).

    I'm also working on another project (a 3D LOGO programming educational app, which is almost finished) but am dividing my time as best I can.

    Over and out.
     
  18. backtothis

    backtothis im in ur base killin ur d00dz
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze

    Jul 13, 2009
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    Houston/Austin, TX
    Got it today after some recommendations from a few guys in the game discussions forum. Awesome game that brings back memories from how we entertained ourselves on boring days in middle school. Once you get the hang of the controls, it's a ton of fun. Definitely not something I'd play alone though. However, since the multiplayer system is so full in the game, with local and online, it's just great since I always have someone to play with. The map editor is a plus. Love how you can customize the settings of the game before each match. Nice work on this one.
     
  19. dxfan101010

    dxfan101010 Well-Known Member

    Mar 17, 2010
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    Have seen several recommendations and have added this to my wish list ...wish i had itunes credit.
     
  20. Ubisububi

    Ubisububi Well-Known Member

    Oct 8, 2009
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    It just went on sale for $1.99...
     

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