Castle Raid (Universal) - Same device multiplayer game! (by Arcticmill)

[Ndemic Creations]

This is a nice little game, I enjoyed playing it and hope to see it grow over time.

Off the top of my head - I think it could be interesting to have wizard and cannon share a cooldown.

Maybe also have a small upgrade ability for the two towers - press on the tower and 2 options appear (a la kingdom rush) - damage and radius if keeping it simple.

[Estupendo1]

My times for iron king:

Map1: 03m 29s
Map2: 02m 46s
Map3: 02m 57s
Map4: 03m 56s
Map5: 06m 30s

Should be able to lower Map5 by a minute or so I guess Longest game was >16m!!

==

I got lucky on maps 2 & 3 with those scores as well as playing some tight routines.

Suggestions (more): As the game is a "slippery slope" I wonder if a scoring system of achieving max points over an aloted time period, could be an interesting change of strategy also??

Game is really awesome.

[arcticmill]

Originally Posted by Estupendo1

Yup managed to defeat the iron king on all maps now. I found map3 and 5 the toughest. The one time I managed to play the multiplayer game it was bags of fun. But the single-player game is very fun and addictive also.

Totally recommend this game to everyone - it's one of the most enjoyable RTS I've seen on iOS.

As for suggestions for anything future update, if the tree resource spawns could be messed around with or a differen type of tree (or resource) rarely spawns and gives a bit more coin that be a nice paradox for players.

Hi Estupendo1, we wrote and answered to your feedback that you posted in the old "upcoming games thread", great! As I mentioned in that thread we are currently discussing what you out there, our beloved gamers, would like to see the most in a future update. An iPhone 5 update is coming very soon, we just need a device to test it on, and after that we will start looking at new content.

So what would you guys like to see the most?

* Gameplay changes?
* New maps?
* New enemies?
* New units/weapons
* Something else ?

[twstephens]

I still love the game but man it's really difficult. So much so it's getting to be not fun anymore. Im sure its easier for some but how are you beating the game? Props to you! At first I was glad it wasn't just so easy where you could just blow through it in a day but even the first few (beginner) levels were difficult. It just shouldn't be so hard that if you miss with your cannon once it's almost impossible to come back from. I, for one, can't wait for an update and see if it's playable again.

New unit ideas:
Mage
Shield man- a way to setup a "wall" for archers
Builder- I'd like to see a tower the player can build, on their side, and the builder would construct it in time. You would have to provide cover yourself.

I like the idea for an resource that pops up occasionally that would provide more gold/resources than usual tree.
Definately be able to upgrade units. A way to grind easier levels for $ to upgrade units to get by those impossible maps.

[arcticmill]

Originally Posted by twstephens

I still love the game but man it's really difficult. So much so it's getting to be not fun anymore. Im sure its easier for some but how are you beating the game? Props to you! At first I was glad it wasn't just so easy where you could just blow through it in a day but even the first few (beginner) levels were difficult. It just shouldn't be so hard that if you miss with your cannon once it's almost impossible to come back from. I, for one, can't wait for an update and see if it's playable again.

New unit ideas:
Mage
Shield man- a way to setup a "wall" for archers
Builder- I'd like to see a tower the player can build, on their side, and the builder would construct it in time. You would have to provide cover yourself.

I like the idea for an resource that pops up occasionally that would provide more gold/resources than usual tree.
Definately be able to upgrade units. A way to grind easier levels for $ to upgrade units to get by those impossible maps.

Thank you for your feedback twstephens!

We do realize that the game might be a bit too hard at earlier levels. We will soon submit an update that will bring iPhone 5 support and also adjust the AI difficulty curve to be more smooth. In the current version there is quite a big jump in difficulty between King Louée and the Evil Empress so we will try to make this jump smaller.

There are many ways to succeed but some key factors on the higher difficulties:

* Always always have 3 peasants out working. If you don't your going to fall behind.
* Use the cannon as often as you can, it's on a short 30 sec cooldown.
* I think archers are great for defending, create a small group of them to defend against invading armies.
* Try to always build groups with at least 3 units. When you do that every third unit will become heroic, which means it is a stronger unit!

I like your suggestions for new units btw. One question I have is about the upgrading. Do you suggest upgrading in between battles or during battle? If I understand you correctly you mean in between battles for money earned during a fight?

One thing we are discussing now, that we would LOVE for you guys to give us feedback on, is the kind of direction the game should take. We wanted to build a game that was easy to pick up and play, that is, easy to learn, easy to teach others (so that you can face them in multiplayer) and allowed you to still have some sense of control during the sometimes very hectic battles. Having too many options or different type of units would probably make the gaming experience deeper but also more complex.

What made you guys buy the game? Was it the appeal of same device multiplayer, the single player compaign or perhaps both? Would you like the game to have a higher focus on singleplayer, upgrades etc? Because these decisions would ultimately affect the multiplayer experience as well.

And ultimately, what is it, in your opinion, that makes the game fun in single player today?

[Hero211]

Online multiplayer would be amazing make it happen!

[twstephens]

Originally Posted by arcticmill

Thank you for your feedback twstephens!

We do realize that the game might be a bit too hard at earlier levels. We will soon submit an update that will bring iPhone 5 support and also adjust the AI difficulty curve to be more smooth. In the current version there is quite a big jump in difficulty between King Louée and the Evil Empress so we will try to make this jump smaller.

There are many ways to succeed but some key factors on the higher difficulties:

* Always always have 3 peasants out working. If you don't your going to fall behind.
* Use the cannon as often as you can, it's on a short 30 sec cooldown.
* I think archers are great for defending, create a small group of them to defend against invading armies.
* Try to always build groups with at least 3 units. When you do that every third unit will become heroic, which means it is a stronger unit!

I like your suggestions for new units btw. One question I have is about the upgrading. Do you suggest upgrading in between battles or during battle? If I understand you correctly you mean in between battles for money earned during a fight?

One thing we are discussing now, that we would LOVE for you guys to give us feedback on, is the kind of direction the game should take. We wanted to build a game that was easy to pick up and play, that is, easy to learn, easy to teach others (so that you can face them in multiplayer) and allowed you to still have some sense of control during the sometimes very hectic battles. Having too many options or different type of units would probably make the gaming experience deeper but also more complex.

What made you guys buy the game? Was it the appeal of same device multiplayer, the single player compaign or perhaps both? Would you like the game to have a higher focus on singleplayer, upgrades etc? Because these decisions would ultimately affect the multiplayer experience as well.

And ultimately, what is it, in your opinion, that makes the game fun in single player today?

Thanks for the tips. The direction I think it should take would be more depth. More strategic. I understand wanting it to be easier for people to learn for multiplayer purposes but I am mostly a single player campaign gamer. I play multiplayer little. So for my taste I'd love to have more options and depth. I like to play a game for more than 10 min. Your game now has appeal to me when I see it on my iPod I want to select it and play. But I usually play 1 level for a few minutes. Win or lose theirs no real reason to keep playing. If there was something to earn by grinding like upgrading units or items to buy you would need to play longer. That's what I want in a game. Looking at the top 25 in the Apple app store Strategy cat. (which I see your top 5 congrats!) there's alot of time management games with a little bit of battling included. You gather resources to level up a character or base over usually a long period of time you'll have a strong enough army to finally take it into battle. Games where you'll spend 95% of time building up to just 5% of fun battling. Your game however allows for the % to be flipped. You go right into battle. That's why I love your game. You got a fantastic spin an a TD game that no one else has had. I think anyone that loves TD games has at one time wanted to play a game similar to this. We've all played the TD games that are on a flat plain where units are one behind the other ala Crystal War and Naked King among others. Or ones that enemy has predetermined route and thats it. Yours has given the genre a new twist. But the thing, IMO, that's missing is that 5%. The ability to grind and build up units to reward you in a tough battle later. My idea is to earn $ during battle or for performance in battle so between battles they'd be an upgrade screen to upgrade units and towers. That would give a reason to play longer and a need to grind. Anyways, that's my opinion. Sure others have a totally different vision. Love the game and can't wait to see what you guys decide to do in the update and future updates.

[Estupendo1]

Originally Posted by twstephens

It just shouldn't be so hard that if you miss with your cannon once it's almost impossible to come back from.

Ah that feeling of sheer frustrated panic when you miss... *bliss*! My tips would be that your accuracy WILL IMPROVE the more you use the cannon. Also remember the more you play a map the MORE FAMILIAR the correct frame of reference will be when you fill up the bar for distance and touch the right lane to target. Nothing is worse than when a cannon shot *PLOPS* into water harmlessly with zero splash damage! ARRGH!

G'luck!

(But I think the tightness is actually good. I am so glued to watching everything that I literally lose track of everything else when playing = awesome game. )

@arcticmill:

Thanks for the info on the footsoldiers, I finally DID see what they're about: Very handy for initial holding force of cheap units while you stockpile for a big counter-attack! And yes a better choice than archers for a bit faster reinforcements or opportunistic peasant butchery. I notice also they make useful spread of targets so the AI does not immediately target your own peasants and as you say lower splash damage than archers so more economical to churn out In fact that's what makes Map1 really hard, is the fact the AI DOES target your peasants very well here.

My favorite details are archers creating a killing field; sending knights cutting down peasants immediately after a successful cannon hit (because of their great speed).

So what would you guys like to see the most?

* Gameplay changes?
* New maps?
* New enemies?
* New units/weapons
* Something else ?

I think the current gameplay is perfect for multiplayer so I'm really happy with it. Just need more time to play my bro (all in good time).

I'd like to see:

*Gameplay changes:

(1) If you add another harder AI, it should try to target your peasants more.
(2) It should churn out heroes if it can also.
(3) I like the current target preferences, but there may be room here to fiddle around? As said it's great atm.

*New Maps:

(1) More maps definitely
(2) More varied maps: eg water, hills, different resource spawns/values, lakes
(3) Potentially a middle controlling area and a 1/4 map controlling area so it's tug of war to reduce the slippery slope? Eg objectives need to be won so they open access to another area eg opens a gate in a wall?
(4) Link maps into Campaign pull-push might be cool?
(5) Maybe a map actually IN THE CASTLE with the defender advantage?

*New Enemies:

(1) Perhaps a crossbow weapon could be set up on the map to shoot at troops nearby? ie a static gun-turret effectively?
(2) Perhaps MORE CASTLE SIEGE WEAPONS /SIEGE DEFENCE ie burning oil!


*Something Else:

(1) As said perhaps different victory conditions? Eg current is slippery slope, maybe 1st to victory points (VPs) set amount? And different points for different unit types?
(2) Again, perhaps Battlefield Objectives "Held" for x amount of time reduces your points until 0? But while you hold, maybe the enemy resource collection can be boosted to be able nudge you off! Then your counter stops going down for each second you "held" the zone etc.

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Not sure about upgrades and resource management between maps ie you can purchase which unit types are available for the next map? It could work, but I like the current emphasis on RTS combat atm.

Also I like the current game mechanics a lot, they work, so don't see any major need to change them up that much.

===

In terms of multiplayer, the campaign pull-push might be nice way to get players to contest each other repeatedly eg. But I 100% multiplayer is very dependent on both players knowing similar level of tactics and mastery of the controls to make a match very tightly contested. So keeping the units fairly manageable does help.

Red Emperor Castle - Red King Castle - Red Prince Castle - No-Man's Land - Blue Prince Castle - Blue King Castle - Blue Emperor Castle

Can pause/continue at any time between a campaign etc.

[Estupendo1]

I should add another strategy tip:

If you just blasted the enemy peasants with a successful shot, the enemy will send out a new supply of these guys to hasten to collect wood a-sap. That small delay will allow your battleline army to reduce the enemy's front line holding/facing force. So a good tip is to disperse a couple of units top/bottom of map and center in hopes that the peasants will be sent out and one of these units can catch them unguarded and further dent the enemy recovery, immediately; as most enemy forces will be sent to resupply the holding ones. If you get a successful "free peasant beheading" - with a cheap unit, you're making hay!

[arcticmill]

@twstephens and Estupendo1

Very good feedback guys thank you very much!

@Estupendo1
Lots of great ideas! Wow, you have a lot of strategies btw very interesting. I like you ideas on maps, we definitely want to add more maps to the game. It's hard to make them all that different since they are pretty small but it can be done! We like to keep them on one screen however so you always can see the entire battle without scrolling, and also to make it work in same device multiplayer.

@twstephens
We totally understand what you are saying. We have already started planning on how to add more content and are really thinking about these things. We really understand people want to feel that progress matters and is rewarding. We just want to make it in a way so that the easy pick up and play style gameplay is still there but with more things to do and more choice. But I believe we have some good ideas in store for you guys. We never get tired of more feedback though, so if you have any, spit it out