Robotek HD by Hexage

[Rockchurch]

Originally Posted by Ubisububi

Although I hate the trend toward consumable IAP, I spent some time with this game. I really liked it at first, however, it didn't take long to realize that effective strategies are limited to just a few (like Blackjack), and the game is won or lost almost entirely due to how lucky you are (like Blackjack). Essentially, if you mirror the AI's strategy you will have the best chance of success, however, the "House" seems to have a built-in advantage (like Blackjack), ultimately making the game very frustrating to play.

I really like the developer's previous game (Everlands), and I hope he returns to something with a deeper strategy in his next title, with or without consumable IAP.

Almost all of what you've posted in this thread is malarkey.

Here are my thoughts. Note, I'm not affiliated with this game whatsoever, I am loving it and I really would hate if somebody read the baloney you posted and was turned off the game without trying it.

On IAP

The IAP is not really a 'consumable'. With any payment you get permanent access to a node which supplies you with energy, you get permanent access (even after campaign restart) to a pay-variable amount of coins (coins are the RPG experience 'point system', when you level up, you get a coin to spend on 'skills'), and you get a one-time bonus pay-variable amount of energy. I played the game for a couple hours, found that I was in no danger of losing all my energy, and thus had absolutely no need for the bonus energy (and even less need for the higher level IAPs, because you always have access to the recharge node with the $1 IAP).

The IAP offers an unlock of a completely useless feature (recharge node), a permanent edge in the game (if you want to use it), and a rather worthless consumable bonus. It is absolutely not needed to play the full game at all. Indeed, if you're at all good at the game, then you won't find any advantage at all to the IAP, other than the extra RPG EXP points.

That said, after a few hours, I gave them $3, because the game is absolutely worth it. This brought my energy from a more-than ample 700 or so to an equally unnecessary 1300. I'll never use up that first 700, so the consumable energy bonus is worthless to me (ditto for the recharge node). No, I paid just to support the dev (though I do admit that seeing an enemy bot get stunned on a failed hack attempt, thanks to a coin or two dropped in the relevant skill, does make me smile).

Edit: I forgot totally that any of the IAPs also give you permanent access to Duel Mode. Again, I don't know how worth it that IAP is, might be fun if you want to play a specific difficulty or practice some strategies. Once again, though, not something that you need at all in order to enjoy the Campaign.

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Strategy in the Game

Had you read the strategy guide (or I suspect played some higher level nodes, you'd see that, while randomness does factor into the game, you do need a decent amount of situational-specific strategy. When the computer gets a lucky couple of spins (or you mess up a spin or two), you're going to be put behind the 8-ball a bit, and you're going to have to think very creatively to counter the exact situation you face.

There are a stunning number of scenarios you can face at any given moment, and the randomness will ensure that you'll encounter most of them.

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The Myth of the 'House Edge'

If you think there's any kind of house edge, not only are you talking out of your auxiliary node interface, you're probably terrible at the game. You're doing a disservice to everybody reading this thread by spreading that falsehood.

There is no house edge. Rather there are four specific mechanics which give advantage to the player over the house. Do read the strategy guide, especially the section "The AI Never Cheats – OR DOES IT?!?!": http://blog.hexage.net/2011/05/27/st...de-to-robotek/

1. There is a losing player advantage (which makes getting a perfect spin easier to hit), but that edge for the losing side is less for the AI than it is for the player. It scales, depending on how far behind the person is (up to 14% advantage for the AI if it's *way* behind, but up to 25% for the player if you're *way* behind). Closer battles have a smaller perfect spin advantage, but the AI's is always only about half of the Player's.

Quite the opposite of a house edge, indeed the odds favour the player when only looking at the randomness of spins.

2. However, it's not just randomness! With skill and timing you can actually greatly increase your chances of getting the three-of-a-kind spins (it is not a random spin like a slot machine!), however the computer relies solely on luck. If you stop the slots randomly, these perfect spins happen 12.5% of the time (when there's no 'losers edge in play'). That's fairly often, and if you work the odds over all the spinning the AI will do, you should expect the AI to hit two perfect spins in a row somewhat regularly.

3. To give even more of an edge to the player, the AI is always prevented from rolling three perfect spins in a row. This would be uncommon and unlucky (I wouldn't actually mind seeing it happen once in a blue moon), but it has been prevented. Again, the exact opposite of a house edge.

4. Finally, since the player goes first in each battle, there is yet another definite advantage that the player has over the 'house'.

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Overall

I really like this game. It's a fun and quick strategy/logic puzzler, perfect for quick dips into a game when you have a bit of time to kill, and also for extended sessions. I highly recommend you try it out, but after playing for a bit (and before you spend too many coins on that laser!), make sure you read the strategy guide to understand the depth of the strategy and the subtleties of the RPG experience point spending mechanism.

Rockchurch

[Theintern]

@Rockchurch...Very well said! I must say I totally agree, this game is so much fun! It seeks to balance randomness with strategy, and I think it does so brilliantly! In any real life battle there's always some degree of randomness (ie whether, wind velocity, terrain,...etc) mixed with strategy, and one must over come that randomness in order to implement his or her...strategy! I very glad you said something, because with all these complaints, I thought I was the only one who thought that this game is really cool as is!

[FPE]

The game is cool and nice but i got bored after short while as there is not enough variety to. And this is a matter of taste.
To me this is the least interesting game from this dev, but I still took some IAP fr support to them

[Rockchurch]

Originally Posted by FPE

The game is cool and nice but i got bored after short while as there is not enough variety to. And this is a matter of taste.

I definitely agree that this game is not all that varied, yet somehow I'm having the opposite reaction. It's definitely got me hooked. I'm digging on the game theory aspect of it.

I've found that lately, as my strategy has evolved, that I almost never use the 'offensive' reels and just let my bots hack the other team apart while I protect them.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm overlooking something though, because I've only recently really started thinking in detail about the benefit of trying to repair a shield (or even a bot) that you already have up. If you manage to upgrade it, then you get the full HP boost of the new level, but if you only repair it, the repair is relatively minor. Perhaps it's better to sacrifice that extra 5-15HP on your shield and try to stun/lase some enemy bots. If you roll that shield again after it has fallen, you get much more HP out of it...

Anybody else have any Robotek strategy thoughts?

[syntheticvoid]

AWESOME UPDATE!!!

--Free online Multiplayer mode
--Duel can be played over internet with private groups
--Robot Outfits in multiplayer
--animated emoticons for network duels (premium feature)
--two new "mastery" nodes for improving your high score:
----------Robotek Mastery node is located in Asia
----------Battle Arena node is located in South Africa
-the mastery nodes are unlocked after completing the entire campaign


Totally excited about multiplayer! I'm thinking about dropping a couple bucks on the IAPs, even though they are consumable, and I'm usually totally against buying consumable IAPs... this game has givin me hours upon hours of entertainment, and the updates have made the game better each time. Devs have earned my respect! =oD

[Hexage]

Thanks! Robotek HD (free) now indeed offers crossplatform multiplayer. Enjoy!

[Ubisububi]

In spite of Rockchurch's assessment of my complaints being "malarky," I still find the game balanced slightly toward losing, thus compelling the IAPs that I previously whined about.

Regardless, I find it too random to be a strategy game and too vaguely, nebulously strategic to be played purely as a game of chance.

I'll still be passing, but glad you're all having fun with it.

To each his own.

[Rockchurch]

Originally Posted by Ubisububi

In spite of Rockchurch's assessment of my complaints being "malarky," I still find the game balanced slightly toward losing, thus compelling the IAPs that I previously whined about.

You may "find" the game however you want, but the facts of the matter state that you are quite wrong. The game is balanced toward the human player. Significantly so.

No amount of logic or reasoned rationale can point otherwise. Your opinion is certainly a valid opinion, but it is quite wrong.

[Ubisububi]

Originally Posted by Rockchurch

You may "find" the game however you want, but the facts of the matter state that you are quite wrong. The game is balanced toward the human player. Significantly so.

No amount of logic or reasoned rationale can point otherwise. Your opinion is certainly a valid opinion, but it is quite wrong.

Well, I can't really argue with logic like that; I mean, who could? I guess this means you win. Well-played, Sir; Well-played, indeed.

Does this mean I have to reinstall the game? because I'd really rather not...

[Rockchurch]

Originally Posted by Ubisububi

Well, I can't really argue with logic like that; I mean, who could? I guess this means you win. Well-played, Sir; Well-played, indeed.

I'm confused. Are you referencing the post where I suggested you had no possible evidence to back up your erroneous claim on balance, or are you referencing the first post I replied to your statement which exhaustively detailed how wrong you were about the balance?

Originally Posted by Ubisububi

Does this mean I have to reinstall the game? because I'd really rather not...

No, you don't like it, that's your preference, and you're entitled to it. You're not entitled to a free pass when you make demonstrably false claims though.