Universal Dangerous (a.k.a Null Space)

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by violentv, Dec 20, 2011.

  1. Cromwell

    Cromwell Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2011
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    @Seinfeld It isn't the sensitivity, which makes problems.
    When I look at an object eg space station and press up/down I see it circling, not leaving the screen up or down.

    What goes for Newtonian Flight I look where I find this option :)
     
  2. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
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    Seinfeld? Geez, the insult. Do I look like a 3rd class comedian? :D

    And you are right with the view rotating/circling when you fly up/down. Funny thing I never noticed that before. I *seem* to fly up and down correctly, only the view is a bit odd.
    @Binaryhelix: Did you do that on purpose (it is quite interesting, albeit unusual), or is that a bug?

    Newtonian Flight is a skill that allows you to do more realistic spaceflight: Fly in one direction, and turn your ship to look/fire in another direction. I never tried it, but supposedly it gives an advantage when dogfighting. When you have it, you get a button labeled "I" below the follow/orbit/keep distance buttons. The new button toggles between normal and Newtonian flight physics.
    You can get the skill from Mining Inc. in Hekka system as loyalty reward.
     
  3. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
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    Hhmm, do just take your time to fly around and explore, or are you stuck somewhere?
    Can we help you out?
    On my first playthrough I clocked ~20 hours playtime in 2 weeks or so, and finished 9 main quests. I really took my time, explored, got all skills and derelict ships, plus made maybe 5 billion credits with ship sales.
     
  4. Cromwell

    Cromwell Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2011
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    Cologne, Germany
    Sorry for that Sheinfell! :D Bad mistake from me :)
     
  5. Sheinfell

    Sheinfell Well-Known Member

    May 14, 2012
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    @Binaryhelix:

    Found one more thing I would like to see in a future update:
    A way to upgrade the modules on your wingmen's ships. My thought on how it could work:

    Have an additonal button "upgrade ship" for each wingman, in the Quarter's wingmen dialog.
    For the upgrade you need to be either at a hub station of the level you want to upgrade to (t1 or t2) , or at a station were they manufacture the particular ship type. I like the latter one better personally, because it gives the ship manufacturing stations more purpose, instead of concentrating everything on the hub stations.

    Price would be the total price of the new modules. I first thought of an additional fee (say, 10% of price) for having the hangar technicians put it into the ships. But now I don't think that is needed, because you will lose out on the resale value of the previously used modules.

    In addition to the modules, it should also upgrade the ammunition used where applicable. Makes no sense to fly around with a t2 missile launcher using t0 ammunition.
     
  6. Cromwell

    Cromwell Well-Known Member

    Jun 25, 2011
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    #406 Cromwell, May 30, 2012
    Last edited: May 30, 2012
    I encountered crashes just before I could dock and save the game after the tutorial.
    So, I have to do the tutorial again. :(
    Maybe add an autosave after each sequence of the tutorial :)

    Ok, now for something which goes around in my mind every time I visit this thread: your website.

    I do not know if anybody mentioned something about it, but as it is right now, it is not good as a marketing instrument for your game in my opinion.

    The first impression is the most important one, so if you want to get someone interested in your product then you have to water his mouth.

    A potential buyer has to be lured into your site by a graphical design which shows the atmosphere of the game, so that he gets the feeling that there is something he must have.
    Instead he only gets a lot of text. Nothing catches his eyes.
    So he leaves.
    Unsatisfied.

    No appetizer, no mouth watering, no immersion...

    Result: Less, or even worse, no interest at all!

    You don't need to make a page full of flash animations and other shiny things.
    Add a background image. Change the overall colors scheme to a darker one. Move the Navbar, put it below the "Dangerous" banner or make it a vertical one.
    Add some ingame pics and maybe a (youtube) video.
    A good example for what style I mean is the homepage of Vendetta Online.
    Take a look at their website, maybe try something like this.

    And please do me a favor... Add a cockpit view to the game. The UI has hold me off buying your game for a long time. I must have the feeling being in a spaceship.
    I need immersion.

    Ok, I hope this all doesn't sound too harsh. I just want to help you to be more successful and give you something to think about.
     
  7. So quiet here... Any news, Binary?
     
  8. binaryhelix

    binaryhelix Well-Known Member

    Oct 15, 2011
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    Wow, great timing! After a much much longer development period than we anticipated, we are finally done. We'll be submitting the game update later today.

    Version 1.1.0 has these features:
    - cloud save (play your saved game from any desktop or mobile device including iOS & Android)
    - new autosave slot and save your game to any slot (now you can "back up" your saves so a corrupt save won't waste tens of hours of play, you can also experiment more easily)
    - integrated autopilots: dock, warp, gate (no longer need to manually transit)
    - graphical improvements (exhaust, smoke, bigger and better explosions)
    - better missiles (no longer have the slow initial phase, cooler launch sound)
    - revamped UI (buttons moved under the Contacts area: select, lock, eye, hide); and more UI polish
    - radial autopilot and wingman control with a simple autopilot button (cuts down on the clutter); also pauses the game so you can plan your tactics; zooms in to each ship that you select while the radial is up
    - radial modules display is also available, but off by default.
    - short-cuts wheel lets you fire all offensive modules with a double-tap; also fire all turrets/missiles, use all ECM/damp/vampire/neut, use all webber/warp jammers; you could hide the active modules and just use the short-cuts wheel which reduces clutter
    - on the short-cuts wheel is a shoot all lasers button, and shoot grav bomb button (you no longer have to press an active module for these)
    - support for new iPad at retina resolution
    - pulsing arrow in the tutorials
    - scanner button under Contacts instead of the ? button; pause button instead of M button
    - hi-resolution celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons) with animated clouds for the Earth-like planets and animated star coronas.
    - tons of bug fixes, other subtle improvements

    Since the hi-resolution celestials will inflate the size of the game to over 800 MB, we are offering a separate "HD" version. The normal and HD have the same improvements, but the HD has the extra hi-res celestials and allows the "ultra high" quality setting for special effects. (Ultra high is mostly usable by desktops, but the HD gives you the option to turn it on.)

    The screenshot shows you the new autopilot radial, short-cuts wheel at the bottom right, and the new row of buttons under the Contacts UI.

    With all the graphical and UI improvements, it feels like a whole new game! A more immersive and fun game, but one that's also easier for noobs to get into, and for veterans to plan out their tactics especially in the heat of battle in null security space.

    Let us know what you think!
     

    Attached Files:

  9. athros

    athros Well-Known Member

    Nov 13, 2011
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    So, do we have to buy the separate HD version? I would like to have the HD option in the version I currently have, and not have to buy it again.
     
  10. Yay!

    I'm gonna start playing again :D:D:D

    Same doubt here...
     
  11. binaryhelix

    binaryhelix Well-Known Member

    Oct 15, 2011
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    Here's the thing: you get all the updates and features with the exception of the hi-res animated celestial bodies and the "ultra high" quality setting in the regular version. This huge amount of features we're offering to our fans for free. However, because the size balloons from 130 MB to close to 900 MB for the hi-res textures, it made sense to offer the HD version only to those who wanted the quality and had the graphics power and memory for it. And it's not practical to do it as IAP.

    It's important for mobile especially lower end iPhones/iPads and Android devices to have the smaller footprint version. Also, from a business perspective, we could use the extra revenue. No, make that we need that revenue. Sadly, the sum of all revenues from iPhone/iPad/Mac App Store is about one month's salary for the both of us. Now consider that we've spent over 3 years on this game. Break-even is a dream and profitability would be a miracle.

    Luckily, we are targeting other markets and ironically, Google Play easily beats iOS. And we don't have to play the price drop game over there. Go figure. Probably makes for a good blog entry.

    Anyway, I'm hoping the HD version will get us more press and let us keep developing. The game is finally in a state that I'm particularly proud of, so time to ramp up the PR and marketing engines.
     
  12. Is it worth for the regular iPhone?
    If yes, I'm in!
     
  13. athros

    athros Well-Known Member

    Nov 13, 2011
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    That sucks. If you don't want to play the price drop game: don't.

    An example is the makers of Starbase Orion. They had an introductory sale for a month, then raised the price from $2.99 to $4.99, and they have never wavered since, a fact I appreciate, since I know I bought it at $4.99 and I never have to watch it go down to $1.99, or $.99. I'm pretty sure that company is doing ok, but I have no facts to back that up.

    Looking at the pricing history of your app, you change the price regularly. Others will notice, and will put it into their AppShopper/TouchArcade apps and wait for the price to come down before purchasing.

    I know I was pretty irritated to see the price drop as far as it did for Dangerous, knowing I paid $6.99 for the app originally. The pricing game in the iOS app store is something that has become a problem. I don't know what the solution is, but seeing apps constantly change their prices (Dangerous is not alone in this) certainly doesn't help.

    And I certainly understand you wanting to have a separate app to try and generate more revenue. I'm sorry that Dangerous hasn't done well enough to keep you coding. It's a good game, there's a lot to it.

    I'm sorry to say, I won't be buying it. Just like I won't buy the GoF2 HD app, since I paid $9.99 for the original GoF2.
     
  14. binaryhelix

    binaryhelix Well-Known Member

    Oct 15, 2011
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    At some point, the economics of the situation requires a developer to do something or essentially have little to no revenue. The choice can be to stick to your principles and go out of business or try something to keep the biz alive. When it's just one person doing it in his spare time, it's not a big deal. But if it means laying off an employee or closing up shop, it's a different story.

    Well, if you have decent revenues, you don't have to worry about having sales. But there's an old adage that applies here and in life: incentives matter. Everybody loves a sale, and any more, they expect it on iOS. We've kept our price at $4.99 on Android pretty much since launching, but we can keep it there because the revenue is relatively consistent compared to iOS. The price drop mentality (and associated price watch websites) don't seem to be as strong on Android as on iOS.

    For an instructive lesson on what happens when you no longer offer sales: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/marketing-sales/2012/05/30/lessons-learned-from-jcpenneys-no-sale-tactics/

    Also, look how popular Steam has gotten with all of their big sales. The summer one is right around the corner.

    So why hold the App Store (and the mostly indie developers) to a higher and unsupportable standard?

    We waited as long as we could, but when sales drop to single digits or worse, then I figured it was worth some experimenting to understand the price drop phenomenon first hand. I've learned quite a bit.

    Here's the thing: did you get $6.99 in value for your purchase? It's easy to play 20-40 hours or more in Dangerous. Sales are a fact of life in America and on the app-store. Look at all the big guys discounting their games to a buck or free for the 4th of July. Early adopters always pay a premium. If you're prepared to wait 6+ months, you can be assured of getting most any game for a discount. C'est la vie.

    I was a little miffed at Fishlabs when they didn't include the HD update in the regular GoF2, but having seen it from the other side, I understand it better. They (as we) spent considerable time and effort to bring the HD graphics to market. Also, as I said, it would be unfair to the people who originally bought Dangerous when it was a mere 130 MB on their device, and now it's 900 MB and they can't play it. This way, people have a choice.

    Perhaps the middle ground would be an IAP purchase and download of the data. However, that means we have to host that data and it is a large undertaking. We learned this lesson the hard way on Android since we had to host a large portion of the download and the bandwidth costs are killing us. But that's another story.

    Anyway, hopefully that sheds some light on the situation. Rest assured you're getting the same gameplay for the SD version as the HD version. Thanks for your feedback!
     
  15. Greyskull

    Greyskull Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2009
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    I bought Dangerous when it came out for full price. I think it would be more than fair to update the standard version w/HD visuals. Plenty of games have ballooned in size; however, even those who don't have HD devices now might upgrade in the future, and would probably appreciate the gfx overhaul when they do.

    Besides, no offense, but your game is not exactly as well known as Galaxy on Fire 2. If you split your sales between two different versions, you'll be nearly invisible on the app store. Just a thought. Not to mention the confusion it might sow amongst potential purchasers...it's more complicated than having an iPad and an iPhone version as opposed to a Universal app.

    I know it took me a bit of time to figure out which GOF2 to buy when I purchased it; it also caused fragmentation. Having the Hd version for my iPhone 4S, I had to wait months longer for the Valkerie expansion than those who had the SD version did.

    Also, your updates might not be approved for two separate versions at the same time.
     
  16. medianotzu

    medianotzu Well-Known Member

    Nov 21, 2009
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    Well, for what it's worth, as someone who owns an older device, I actually prefer the newer, larger binary be a separate purchase because I don't want to devote more space on my device to a game than I need to, if I won't be reaping the benefits. If I upgrade my device, I'll fork out for the new, higher-res version.

    Re: sales, you guys held off a lot longer than most devs on iOS do lately. On the other hand, so what... I can understand customers feeling buyer's remorse for a bad game, but all the angst about a game going on sale after you've bought it is way out of proportion. If you buy a game for whatever price because you want to play it and then enjoy the game until you hear it's had a price drop then you're only doing yourself a disservice by paying attention at all. It's not as though Dangerous went freemium and changed the gameplay; these guys have been great with updates and continue to improve their product, even if there is a better version coming out for some segment of the user base. If you like the game and want the new version or want to support the devs, get the new version; if not--don't. Don't lecture a developer on a decision such as this, because it's insipid and embarrassing. Of course, I suppose if some people have nothing to moan about then they won't know what to do with themselves. Personally, I hope the sales helped the developers to recoup some of their costs.
     
  17. bashesh

    bashesh Well-Known Member

    Jun 3, 2012
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    So, is the hd version out yet? If not whats the eta? I just stumbled upon this game and want to buy it as soon as possible. However if there is hd version on the horizon I would rather wait for it. Any update on the situation would be appreciated. Thanks
     
  18. binaryhelix

    binaryhelix Well-Known Member

    Oct 15, 2011
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    It should be released sometime on the week of the 23rd. If you get the normal or the free lite version now, you'll be able to transfer your save file to any version once the update hits (since we added cloud save/load). The lite version is the full game except you can't spend any XP.

    Thanks for the vote of confidence, medianotzu. I think most people who play the 1.1.0 version will be pleasantly surprised at just how good the SD version looks now. We have ringed planets, gas giants, rocky moons, different color stars with coronas, and lots of great FX like exhaust, bigger explosions and lots of particles. And the improved autopilots and UI let you plan your tactics better and streamline combat. It's an amazing amount of updated features that we could have charged an IAP of some sort, but we wanted to reward our fans with a huge free update.

    Also, adding the HD textures to the normal version as IAP might be possible down the road, but there's a lot we'd have to work out to make that happen due to having to host the data ourselves. Bandwidth costs for 500+ MB downloads add up especially since one iTunes account may have multiple devices or may need to reinstall the data occasionally.
     
  19. So, I ask again: is it worth de HD version for the first iphone? =S
     
  20. binaryhelix

    binaryhelix Well-Known Member

    Oct 15, 2011
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    The very first iPhone? As in generation 1? Can't run Dangerous. Only iPhone 3gs on up. The HD version will work with all devices supported by the SD version, but you might have to turn down exhaust effects to medium or high. Best if you tried the free HD Lite version when available to see if the graphics are worth an occasion hit in frame rate.
     

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