That was a really good article on iLounge, I think it covered everything very well. It's good for us punters to see that you have a rival application to compete with, it means you have to work hard to stay on top. You strike me as someone that wants to make sure your app is the gold standard, so I'm really looking forward to MM getting better over time.
For what it is worth, the features I think would most enhance your app are as follows.
1/ Stats. Oh yes. Something clean and simple, but I would like to know how many times I have played each layout, and how many times I failed or succeeded in completing it. Recording a best time for each layout would be very nice, and if at some point in the future we could upload a best time for each layout to a central server then that would be gravy. Perhaps make it possible to download the top # of scores for an offline "best time" chart?
I really like seeing how I compare in games against other players, so having a "personal best" time for each layout, and a "world best" from the internet to compare it against is just a small thing to increase replayability.
It would be nice to be able to record stats for more than one player on the iPhone itself. I'm a bit anal about not letting people mess up my stats or savefiles on any game platform. They want to play on my Xbox 360, they do NOT get to use my Gamertag. I know, I know, it makes me a sad bastard, but I'm sure I'm not alone. So, if I could fire up MM and be signed in as Parkingtigers, with the option to swap to or create another user, then I'd be very happy. Girlfriend wants to play on my phone? Cool, I won't have to worry about her messing with my scores. Now you could just allow users to enter a name on a high score chart manually each time, but that wouldn't give users the stat tracking.
As you will be working on stats anyway, any chance of it recording total playing time? (And for each player per my previous point would be ace.) It's something I've always liked in every single game that has ever implemented it. I love knowing that I've put 28 hours into Advance Wars on my Nintendo DS, and seeing that I've spent X hours and minutes playing MM would be sweet.
2/ Multiplayer.
If you do allow multiple users to be created, then that would make hotseat multiplayer possible. I'm thinking of a time attack mode of some kind. Player 1 gets given 30 seconds to find a pair, and if they find one in time they pass the phone to player 2 and it is their turn to find a pair. The time limit per round would need to be customisable to allow players to set up a game to their liking, but just setting how many seconds you get to hunt and mark a pair would be all the difficulty that you need. I'd suggest that when a pair is found that it pauses the game and greys out the screen, with a "tap here player 2" button to start the next gamer's turn.
I think this would be pretty cool, normally I hate time limits in games but it would take this solo game and make it stressful (but fun) multiplayer game that I could see myself really enjoying. As it was basically a hotseat/turn based game, you could even have this as a "play by email" multiplayer option. Player 1 finds their tiles, the pause screen comes up, and the layout is sent via the internet to a remote player 2 who sends back his move the same way. Because the game gets easier when there are fewer tiles to choose from, perhaps have the amount of time to find the next pair gradually reduce each round to keep things tense for the players to see who cracks under the pressure first.
3/ The only thing your rival has over you right now is the presentation. I'd much rather have your multitouch controls and unusual board layouts, than their shiny backgrounds and tilesets, but not having to choose would be sweet. Getting the controls and the gameplay right was absolutely the right move on your part, dropping in new art assets later has to be simple compared to going back and redoing the entire input scheme like they would need to do to compete with you. I do feel envious of some of those backgrounds and tilesets they have though, things like movie posters, letters, numbers etc. Once you get some of those things on top of your current setup you'll be untouchable.
It's pretty sweet though, to know that the game I bought from you will automagically get better over time.
I don't see the problem with MM not having music though, that's what the built in iPod is for. If you do add a soundtrack at some point, make it possible to disable it. It would help with presentation to have some kind of short riff of Oriental music (just a couple of seconds even) when opening up the app, and on successfully clearing a layout etc. Some clicking tile sounds whenever they are selected would be very desirable though. It's a touchscreen after all, so there is no physical feedback (only visual and audio) when you are choosing tiles. Currently there is no audio cue to let you know a tile was chosen, only the visual. Of course, that visual marking of the tile can be obscured by the tapping finger of the user so a discrete click lets you know you've hit a tile properly.
Sorry for rambling on at length, I tend to do that. I clearly have too much time on my hands. I also don't have the talent to make these things myself, I rely on guys like you to make them for me and I can never resist posting wish lists for desired features. Keep up the good work.
I would hope stats are in the top 5 list or even in the top 1 list would be nice. Right now that's the only thing holding me back from buying it.
I don't give a care about the background, lack of music, or lack of different tile art. Like parkingtigers said these thinks have the iPod functionality (works great with the game).
I could see some intro/loading music, but again that's not high on my list as I just enjoy the game.
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That was a really good article on iLounge, I think it covered everything very well. It's good for us punters to see that you have a rival application to compete with, it means you have to work hard to stay on top. You strike me as someone that wants to make sure your app is the gold standard, so I'm really looking forward to MM getting better over time.
For what it is worth, the features I think would most enhance your app are as follows.
1/ Stats. Oh yes. Something clean and simple, but I would like to know how many times I have played each layout, and how many times I failed or succeeded in completing it. Recording a best time for each layout would be very nice, and if at some point in the future we could upload a best time for each layout to a central server then that would be gravy. Perhaps make it possible to download the top # of scores for an offline "best time" chart?
I really like seeing how I compare in games against other players, so having a "personal best" time for each layout, and a "world best" from the internet to compare it against is just a small thing to increase replayability.
It would be nice to be able to record stats for more than one player on the iPhone itself. I'm a bit anal about not letting people mess up my stats or savefiles on any game platform. They want to play on my Xbox 360, they do NOT get to use my Gamertag. I know, I know, it makes me a sad bastard, but I'm sure I'm not alone. So, if I could fire up MM and be signed in as Parkingtigers, with the option to swap to or create another user, then I'd be very happy. Girlfriend wants to play on my phone? Cool, I won't have to worry about her messing with my scores. Now you could just allow users to enter a name on a high score chart manually each time, but that wouldn't give users the stat tracking.
As you will be working on stats anyway, any chance of it recording total playing time? (And for each player per my previous point would be ace.) It's something I've always liked in every single game that has ever implemented it. I love knowing that I've put 28 hours into Advance Wars on my Nintendo DS, and seeing that I've spent X hours and minutes playing MM would be sweet.
2/ Multiplayer.
If you do allow multiple users to be created, then that would make hotseat multiplayer possible. I'm thinking of a time attack mode of some kind. Player 1 gets given 30 seconds to find a pair, and if they find one in time they pass the phone to player 2 and it is their turn to find a pair. The time limit per round would need to be customisable to allow players to set up a game to their liking, but just setting how many seconds you get to hunt and mark a pair would be all the difficulty that you need. I'd suggest that when a pair is found that it pauses the game and greys out the screen, with a "tap here player 2" button to start the next gamer's turn.
I think this would be pretty cool, normally I hate time limits in games but it would take this solo game and make it stressful (but fun) multiplayer game that I could see myself really enjoying. As it was basically a hotseat/turn based game, you could even have this as a "play by email" multiplayer option. Player 1 finds their tiles, the pause screen comes up, and the layout is sent via the internet to a remote player 2 who sends back his move the same way. Because the game gets easier when there are fewer tiles to choose from, perhaps have the amount of time to find the next pair gradually reduce each round to keep things tense for the players to see who cracks under the pressure first.
3/ The only thing your rival has over you right now is the presentation. I'd much rather have your multitouch controls and unusual board layouts, than their shiny backgrounds and tilesets, but not having to choose would be sweet. Getting the controls and the gameplay right was absolutely the right move on your part, dropping in new art assets later has to be simple compared to going back and redoing the entire input scheme like they would need to do to compete with you. I do feel envious of some of those backgrounds and tilesets they have though, things like movie posters, letters, numbers etc. Once you get some of those things on top of your current setup you'll be untouchable.
It's pretty sweet though, to know that the game I bought from you will automagically get better over time.
I don't see the problem with MM not having music though, that's what the built in iPod is for. If you do add a soundtrack at some point, make it possible to disable it. It would help with presentation to have some kind of short riff of Oriental music (just a couple of seconds even) when opening up the app, and on successfully clearing a layout etc. Some clicking tile sounds whenever they are selected would be very desirable though. It's a touchscreen after all, so there is no physical feedback (only visual and audio) when you are choosing tiles. Currently there is no audio cue to let you know a tile was chosen, only the visual. Of course, that visual marking of the tile can be obscured by the tapping finger of the user so a discrete click lets you know you've hit a tile properly.
Sorry for rambling on at length, I tend to do that. I clearly have too much time on my hands. I also don't have the talent to make these things myself, I rely on guys like you to make them for me and I can never resist posting wish lists for desired features. Keep up the good work.
Some great ideas there. I will seriously consider them.
FWIW, two-player has always been in the plans. It's currently not even in the top five on the To Do list, though. In time.
I would hope stats are in the top 5 list or even in the top 1 list would be nice. Right now that's the only thing holding me back from buying it.
I don't give a care about the background, lack of music, or lack of different tile art. Like parkingtigers said these thinks have the iPod functionality (works great with the game).
I could see some intro/loading music, but again that's not high on my list as I just enjoy the game.
Keep up the good work!
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