Amoebattle by Grab Games [RTS] (Universal)

[Dazarath]

I bought Amoebattles on release day, but I just never got around to posting my impressions. One thing I think they really did right with this game is build a stripped-down RTS for a touchscreen. Unlike Starfront, which really just feels like a bad version of SC2 (IMHO), it seems like Intrinsic Games realized that a touchscreen has only a fraction of the inputs that a keyboard/mouse combo offers, and designed the control scheme with that in mind. Other than the 2-finger swipe for moving the camera, the rest of the controls seem pretty intuitive to me and are easy to use.

[PeterM11]

Really enjoying the game so far. Love the artwork and the storytelling isn't annoying like a lot of iOS games seems to be. Also really liking the gameplay and control mechanics. The multiple ways to select and deselect amoebas is very good.
Definitely hoping enough people buy this game so that a skirmish mode gets added. I've never been a huge multiplayer person when it comes to RTS games but I always love a good skirmish mode.
Definitely a recommendation from me for any fan of RTS games or someone who wants to try out the genre as a beginner.

[IntrinsicGames]

WHOOOO! Thanks everyone! We're super excited to have gotten a great TouchArcade review!!

Here's the link to the TouchArcade Review: http://toucharcade.com/2012/04/10/amoebattle-review/

I know there's a few posters with questions - I hope you don't mind, I'd like to respond to them tomorrow so that I can give each question the proper answer it deserves, rather than rushing through it

[Drexiel]

Originally Posted by IntrinsicGames

WHOOOO! Thanks everyone! We're super excited to have gotten a great TouchArcade review!!

Here's the link to the TouchArcade Review: http://toucharcade.com/2012/04/10/amoebattle-review/

I know there's a few posters with questions - I hope you don't mind, I'd like to respond to them tomorrow so that I can give each question the proper answer it deserves, rather than rushing through it

gratz on the review


and no problem, take your time =]

I'd much prefer a thorough and complete answer than a rush "yeah but later" response

[IntrinsicGames]

What a week it's been so far - following the great TouchArcade review yesterday, Amoebattle's been featured as Kotaku's Gaming App of the Day!

Originally Posted by Drexiel

Question.... How likely is that you guys will implement a new mode?
And which one would you shoot for first? Mp or skirmish?

Originally Posted by nicoga3000

Is multiplayer a possibility in the future?

We definitely hear you guys loud and clear about getting new modes in the game - we're hoping that we can, and we're looking at all our options. Not sure which would come first, skirmish or mp. As mentioned previously, it's mostly going to depend on how the game performs. I know everyone here's been eagerly looking over each day's sales to see how we're doing, because we'd love to add some new modes in and try to create the best RTS on mobile.

Originally Posted by Drexiel

Also since ive yet to get the game... Are there any "races" or theyre just amoebas? Cuz i don't understand how multiplayer will be if everyone will use the same units all the time...

All the units are amoebas, but there are 3 types: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Each type has their own advantages and disadvantages - for example, carnivores can stealth when moving, while herbivores are ranged.

Each type then has 3 units, each one stronger (but also costlier) than the previous. One of the reviews called it Pokemon meets Starcraft, and that's a pretty good way of looking at it.

You can mutate into any other amoeba (once it's been unlocked), so multiplayer will be all about your tactics and strategies - and how quickly you can adapt.

Originally Posted by syntheticvoid

Someone posted in the comments on The App Shack that the game keeps crashing for him on the 6th level. I haven't had that issue on either my iPad 2 or 4th gen Touch (which goes crash crazy with a lot of newer games)... Both running iOS 5.1... They didn't say what device or iOS they were running...

Thanks for bringing this to our attention We did a ton of testing on every device to try and iron out as many bugs as possible, but I think there's just always gonna be some issues - we'll be looking into it. The worst bugs are the ones that we can't reproduce (which means we don't know what's causing it), or it's something that we don't handle (like a bug with Apple's memory management) which means our hands our tied. Hopefully we can figure out some of the larger issues that people have been complaining about though!

Originally Posted by Dazarath

I bought Amoebattles on release day, but I just never got around to posting my impressions. One thing I think they really did right with this game is build a stripped-down RTS for a touchscreen.

Originally Posted by PeterM11

Really enjoying the game so far. Love the artwork and the storytelling isn't annoying like a lot of iOS games seems to be. Also really liking the gameplay and control mechanics. The multiple ways to select and deselect amoebas is very good.

Thanks for posting your impressions! We're always on the lookout for impressions, feedback, and reviews of the game, and seeing what people like and what can be improved. We'd also love to hear what kind of strategies you guys are using for the various missions - often times players come up with strategies that we've never even considered!

[noraszk]

Looks interesting...

[Drexiel]

Originally Posted by IntrinsicGames

What a week it's been so far - following the great TouchArcade review yesterday, Amoebattle's been featured as Kotaku's Gaming App of the Day!





We definitely hear you guys loud and clear about getting new modes in the game - we're hoping that we can, and we're looking at all our options. Not sure which would come first, skirmish or mp. As mentioned previously, it's mostly going to depend on how the game performs. I know everyone here's been eagerly looking over each day's sales to see how we're doing, because we'd love to add some new modes in and try to create the best RTS on mobile.




All the units are amoebas, but there are 3 types: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Each type has their own advantages and disadvantages - for example, carnivores can stealth when moving, while herbivores are ranged.

Each type then has 3 units, each one stronger (but also costlier) than the previous. One of the reviews called it Pokemon meets Starcraft, and that's a pretty good way of looking at it.

SOUNDS AWESOME!

You can mutate into any other amoeba (once it's been unlocked), so multiplayer will be all about your tactics and strategies - and how quickly you can adapt.

Skill other than reliance on knowing the weakness of the other race and exploiting that?... I like how it sounds


Thanks for bringing this to our attention We did a ton of testing on every device to try and iron out as many bugs as possible, but I think there's just always gonna be some issues - we'll be looking into it. The worst bugs are the ones that we can't reproduce (which means we don't know what's causing it), or it's something that we don't handle (like a bug with Apple's memory management) which means our hands our tied. Hopefully we can figure out some of the larger issues that people have been complaining about though!





Thanks for posting your impressions! We're always on the lookout for impressions, feedback, and reviews of the game, and seeing what people like and what can be improved. We'd also love to hear what kind of strategies you guys are using for the various missions - often times players come up with strategies that we've never even considered!

my replies underlined

[LOLavi]

As a complete newbie for RTS games, would I find this fun and easy enough to complete levels?

[syntheticvoid]

Well... You might end up having to replay a couple stages... Especially later on in the game. But yes, I'm finding it very fun. I also think it'd be a great title if you're a newcomer to the genre. The controls are top notch, and everything is explained very well. There are resource management, group building, different class mechanics, and it's all very simple to understand while keeping it pretty challenging. =oP

Really, it's in my top 3 favorite RTS titles already (even without MP or Skirmish Modes).


Also, if you're into achievements... It'll give you loads of replay value.

[BoogilyWoogily]

Hello Touch Arcade

I'm the lead designer of Amoebattle and over the past week I've been keeping an eye on this thread. Since this is one of the more active Amoebattle threads, I decided to swing by and let you know I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have from amoeba tips to mission strategies to reasoning behind the design decisions. I may not be able to answer everything, but I'll do what I can