Universal Defender Chronicles II: Heroes of Athelia (By Gimka Entertainment)

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by killercow, May 23, 2012.

  1. gunxsword

    gunxsword Well-Known Member

    Dec 24, 2010
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    Stuck on 3rd level, when the red bats and slimes come in. Any tips on beating the level? I haven't unlocked the enemy encyclopedia yet so I can't check their strengths/weaknesses.


    Apparently the IAP were added after the game development and balancing were complete (according to the devs), so the existence of IAP should not directly ruin the game experience.
    However, the IAP items are just a little bit too, tantalizing. They're rubbing me the wrong way, in that their existence make me think about purchasing them when I'm not getting a perfect score or is failing a level (repeatedly).
     
  2. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    On iPad1 and 2 it's not. On iPad3 it is a bit, but not by much. Some of the graphics were simply drawn before the iPad3 resolutions were published. But they are much bigger than normal iPhone Retina size, or iPad2 size and so on. But all towers and guilds, enemies and so on are perfectly fit for iPad3 and looks stellar clear. But to go back and re-do the hand drawn graphics lacking the full iPad3 Retina size, would mean about 6 months work. It is something talked about.... and depending on iPad3 demand...

    I hope people will agree with me, when I say that DC2 doesn't seem 'blocky'? :)
     
  3. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    Hint: They really both really hate archers and lizardmen :)


    I certainly don't hope so. And true, only two from our test group had access to IAP at all during testing, so you should (hopefully) be successful against those buggers ;)
     
  4. Rivozzz

    Rivozzz Well-Known Member

    Oct 6, 2009
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    The last 2 charchters are not found in the great library!!! When will they appear!!!
     
  5. eev

    eev Well-Known Member

    Oct 26, 2009
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    too many iaps and they are like thrown in you face, buy me buy me. even if it is really optional, than still it's annoying to see them in such game where one of the fun is to grind and get better stuff. but ok, there are some ui problems. if you want to equip the item than an info stuff can cover slots because it's quite big i would say. another point is that hit boxes of text like heroes parameters and abilities are too off. but more important there is no fast app switching, this is a joke.
     
  6. HLW

    HLW Well-Known Member

    Sep 2, 2010
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    Well it's not blocky, but all the graphics outside of the levels are stretched so the aspect ratio is all distorted. It really doesn't look good.

    I can't imagine the thought process that went into this -
    "shall we redraw the menus, the main map, and the comics for the iPad version?"
    "no can't arsed"
    "OK shall we adjust them on iPad (by putting a border for example) so they are the same proportions as the iPhone version"
    "no can't be arsed, also it doesn't matter, because all the reviews will have iPhone screenshots, and the app store won't show the distorted graphics either, so people will only discover that we couldn't be bothered to convert it to iPad properly after they have bought the game, and by that time we already have their money, LOL!!!"

    I've got iPad-conversion games that put a border in (eg Tiny Tower), that just leave a black border (eg Defender Chronicles), quite a few that move the UI to the top and bottom of the screen and leave the visible bit in the middle the same as the iPhone version, but I don't remember ever seeing one that just stretches and distorts things to fit them on the iPad screen.
     
  7. Rivozzz

    Rivozzz Well-Known Member

    Oct 6, 2009
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    I noticed also the IAP stuff are really expensive.. I mean there is no even 0.99 cents..which one may buy one IAP once every while..but cheapest IAP is 1.99$..which is a price of many excellent games on AppStore
     
  8. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    Hehe :) - Not quite. I'm sorry if people think this is all some big studio production, with cash to spare. - But Gimka is one guy. - Menara is a couple of guys. All in all, just a couple of regular joes with regular jobs during the day, who wanted to make a sequel to a very much beloved game. Off course it was a blow when the new iPad3 Retina resolution was published. At the time a lot, of the little money reserve, had already been spent on hand drawn artist work. Off course adjustments were made for the rest, but to re-do the already made work, would mean saving more money during daytime jobs for six months and... But as stated, if there enough iPad3 demand it might just happen during one of the patches. Time will tell :)

    Well the AppStore shows both, if you look at the images there. - And the images that went out to review sites show both. - Or you could visit the forum and look at the big retina resolution images there: Defender Chronicles Forum.
     
  9. HLW

    HLW Well-Known Member

    Sep 2, 2010
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    I really don't see how a black border like in Defender Chronicles can take six months to save up for.
    I'm not talking about retina graphics for the iPad 3. Just non-distorted graphics for iPads in general.
     
  10. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    The thinking behind the prices were a mixed one, to be honest. The items you get are VERY good. Meaning each set pack for the heroes will be good enough to bring you at least to Legendary, and if your strategy is just right, further than that :) So it's quite a boost.

    The prices set for the Token packs were set, and it might sound a bit... sideways, to discourage people from buying tokens, but to earn tokens during play.

    But as stated before, this IAP options: use them to get a head start, or a boost, if you will. Actually; we prefer it if you play the game, like true Defenders of the Kingdom ;)
     
  11. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    Certainly a valid point. The option between playing on the full iPad screen vs. a smaller area... In this case, for now at least, the decission was made to play on the full area. I really do hope you don't feel them as distorted as you make it sound? I actually think the game looks rather beautiful, and I play it myself, mainly, on my iPad3.
     
  12. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    As you progress in the storyline, you will meet new people, defend new areas and unlock new abilities. So as you meet enemies, and learn their weaknesses and strengths, they will be unlocked in the Academy. And as you meet new heroes and learn their place in the story, they will be unlocked in the Great Library :)
     
  13. Plast2

    Plast2 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    If I could ask all of you who have the game, and have any gameplay related questions unanswered, to ask away. - Either here or in the forum, and I'll try and work as much as possible into the in-game Game Guide. The Game Guide is one we can update when we want to. - Basically from hour to hour - if we're awake ;) - The idea is to have a guide that is as complete as possible. - Still a guide, though it might turn out to be more a complete faq, but it was originally meant to be a guide. But please ask away, and Gimka, Dark, me or... will try and answer as best we can, and I'll then try and work it in.
     
  14. HLW

    HLW Well-Known Member

    Sep 2, 2010
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    To describe something that has been stretched rather than properly converted as full screen is a bit misleading, IMO.

    Personally (YMMV), I find the stretched/distorted effect very unpleasant, and much prefer the undistorted graphics on my iPhone 4.

    Just to make clear, it's just the menus/main map/comics etc that are affected, the levels look fine.

    Maybe if it was a free game it would not be so irritating, but it's not free, it's relatively expensive for the app store and it has a lot of expensive IAP.
     
  15. gunxsword

    gunxsword Well-Known Member

    Dec 24, 2010
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    Ok I confess, I suck/is below mediocre at TD games. Stuck on 3rd level and can't figure out the right balance of towers + tower placement to deal with the slimes.

    Can someone perhaps post a map of where to build what tower to pass the level on casual difficulty? Thx :eek:.
     
  16. ArtNJ

    ArtNJ Well-Known Member

    Jul 13, 2009
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    #76 ArtNJ, May 24, 2012
    Last edited: May 24, 2012
    Why cant halflings attack werewolves? I didnt see anything in the werewolf skills.
     
  17. herzog

    herzog Member

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    #77 herzog, May 24, 2012
    Last edited: May 24, 2012
    Actually, I find DC II a bargain

    Having had lots of fun with Defender Chronicles, without IAP, and I'm glad that the sequel is universal (the iPhone version worked pretty well on my iPad though), and I am happy to have payed $3 (actually €2,39) for it.

    The developers fully deserve it in my view.

    But the website http://www.defenderchronicles.com/ still is all about the first version, even though you will get there from the DC II iTunes link. The forum covers both games.

    First impression (iPad 3): like it, general idea very close to the original.
     
  18. thevagrant

    thevagrant Well-Known Member

    Jun 8, 2009
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    I do agree with HLW on this. A smaller area is way better than distorted graphics. That's the first see of the game when launching it and was kinda disappointed. Second thing were the very simplistic animations...

    That said, the game is great, as the first one was and probably better a little further down the road (I only played three levels). I understand why you had to put the IAPs here, given the current appstore economy, but equipping your hero has always be a grind, and I like the fact you increased the token price to push people to play the game as it was intended.

    I can't wait to get to the heroic levels and pull my hairs off in frustration...

    EDIT: and yes it's a bargain if you consider playtime/price.
     
  19. araczynski

    araczynski Well-Known Member

    Oct 5, 2009
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    omaha, ne
    that's what i saw from the gameplay videos, was hoping it was the videos and not the game, but I should know better than to doubt the great Sanuku.

    the ipad side got hobbled together just so they could say its universal. but the animations i've thought sucked since the original.
     
  20. araczynski

    araczynski Well-Known Member

    Oct 5, 2009
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    omaha, ne
    Plast2: you're doing too much 'hoping'/'waiting'/'seeing', you should be listening.

    don't expect 'demand' from the ipad3 side if everyone finds out before hand that the game looks rough on the ipad3.

    you wanted to release a sequel to a great game, so where is it? you might as well have released an expansion to the original and charged it as an IAP instead of calling this a 'sequel'.
     

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