Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rogue-assassin/id1408062901?mt=8 Rogue Assassin BravoBug Software A Retro 2D Stealth Adventure! You are a member of a secretive clan of rogue assassins, an agent of stealth and shadow. … $2.99 Buy Now Watch Media DetailsA Retro 2D Stealth Adventure! You are a member of a secretive clan of rogue assassins, an agent of stealth and shadow. You will go on critical missions using only your wits and your ninja-like abilities to disable your foes and subvert any group which poses a threat to the peace of the kingdom. How you achieve victory will be up to you! Will you use the steel of your sword to crudely slice through and backstab all enemies who stand in your way? Or will you use poisoned darts, deception, and your mystical powers to avoid detection entirely? Sneak through each map to reach your goals (whether it be stealing war documents, freeing prisoners, or assassinating political enemies) and find secret entryways and solutions to challenges - or barge right in through the front gate and destroy everyone you see. The choice is yours! Features: - Unique stealth mechanics: observe the sound waves from your footsteps, and how they deflect from nearby obstacles. - Be a rogue: use distraction, flash powder, and poisoned darts to confuse and disable your enemies. - Sneak, steal, and deceive: pick locks, steal treasure, and buy supplies. - Multiple solutions: each mission poses puzzle-like challenges, with multiple possible solutions. You choose how to make it through each mission! - Solve puzzles and mysteries: uncover subversive political plots and save the kingdom. The fate of the kingdom now lies in your hands. You must not fail, rogue. Good luck! Information Seller:BravoBug Software Genre:Adventure, Role Playing Release:Jul 09, 2018 Updated:Jul 27, 2018 Version:1.0 Size:30.9 MB TouchArcade Rating:Unrated User Rating:Unrated Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal Subscribe to the TouchArcade YouTube channel Lull4by Well-Known Member Aug 21, 2014 767 313 63 #2 Lull4by, Jul 10, 2018 Last edited: Jul 10, 2018 Just try the tutorial level and recorded it, hope you like it. The game is really nice and it is on sale right now, so if you are interested about nice strategy/stealth games, give it a try if you have iPad or Mac! Collin Well-Known Member Jul 29, 2010 719 46 28 Graphic Designer/Illustrator/Art Director Colorado Springs, CO https://www.theislandsofmisfitcreativity.com/ #3 Collin, Jul 14, 2018 Last edited: Jul 14, 2018 I’m not far into the game. I played the tutorial, and made one attempt at the first mission. Given more time my opinion might change. I like the idea, but the execution isn’t thrilling me. I’ll have to try it again, of course, but it seems like any person that isn’t in a fixed position has a random turn rotation and direction of movement. That makes it pretty difficult to plan ahead, and usually (so far, for me at least) means you’ll be fighting a lot. I’m also having trouble using the poison darts. The two times I tried in my attempt at the mission, they didn’t fire. It may have been because by the time I had the dart selected, my target in both cases had turned and seen me and was proceeding to beat my ass. Maybe it doesn’t work close up? Again, I’ll give it another shot before giving up on it. I have no idea if the dev is aware of this thread, however in case (s)he is, I have a suggestion that might make the darts work better: Since you can’t move while firing the dart, and the icon for it isn’t handy on the screen (you have to click it in the sidebar and then tap on your target), I feel I would enjoy it more if as soon as I tap the icon in the sidebar, the dart automatically fires at the closest (or strongest; excluding the one enemy it won’t work on) target. If there isn’t one, or it’s the black knight (or whatever he’s called) it doesn’t fire. I also would like to know if you plan on adding the level builder to the iOS version. They seem to be the same build, since in the tutorial it mentions using keys to select things like your darts, etc. I’ll be back with further impressions when I’ve spent more time with it. —- (Edit) I clicked on “retry” and now I don’t have any poison darts at all. So I’m not sure what happened there; whether I used them all without realizing it in the final cluster while I was being swarmed by guards and I’m not given a chance to resupply before the mission starts – giving it the “rogue” in its title – or if it’s a penalty or a bug. If it’s a penalty, it’s a bit crap, because as I recall I had 7 darts. And taking my one “non-combat” takedown tool away forces me out of a stealth strategy into having to use a combat strategy, and to be honest the combat isn’t fun. Also, if I lose equipment that I’ve used whenever I fail, and have to purchase replacements between missions, and not given the opportunity to before a retry... .... yeah. I may not be up for giving this much more of a chance. —- (update) I beat the first mission on my second try, even though I didn’t have darts at the start. In the level I found 5 darts and ended up successfully using 2. That was more fun, although I was detected 4 times, once through a window. Again, at least two of those times could have been avoided if their rotations weren’t so fast and random. I’m not sure if that is to try to make it more dramatic or difficult, but it’s annoying. It’s like I’m up against a bunch of tweakers or people with ADD. Even the guy I was supposed to steal the documents from wouldn’t stop spinning his noggin for more than a couple of seconds. It really annoys me; normal people don’t act like that. It messes with my immersion in the game. I was reminded on this playthrough that I really enjoy how the lockpicking is handled, and I appreciate that you aren’t required to have a tool you have to buy that can break to be able to pick them. It’s a fun little mini game at the moment. It may grow old with time. It also seems that you can’t replay a mission. If that’s the case... the map editor really needs to be added to the iOS version. I would like to see that changed, since it would allow me to brush up on my strategy. Even if I was only allowed to keep the gold I find that is above what I found on the previous run(s) (as long as I also don’t loose the tools that I use, since I have to pay to replace them). The draw of a stealth game for me is seeing if I can do better. At the end of the level I was given stats, including how much loot I got (I think I got 91% or something) and a ranking (I got “Assassin”). What is the point of any of that if I can’t replay the level to try to improve? I don’t even see a way to check my stats again once I leave that screen after the level. The also means that at some point I will end up with nothing to do (unless something opens up later that I’m unaware of right now), other than start a new game. You’re given a large number of game slots, so maybe that’s the intention? If so, I feel like that’s a subpar solution. I may not want to replay every level. I might end up despising certain levels, and never want to see them again. One more thing I noticed this time. My sound waves pass through trees, but I can’t walk through them. Further recommendations: A difficulty option for old people like me, or people who would rather not have to deal with Linda Blair from the Exorcist: slow their turn speed, increase their rest times and maybe shorten their eyesight a bit. Or allow all three setting to be individually adjusted. As for the vision cones, maybe have a variety within the same mission. It could be longer for a marksman type of person, and shorter for an average guy. Make it less “all the same”. Add an option to replay missions, even if it’s just for the experience; heck, give me a standard loadout (or a choice of loadouts) and don’t let me keep anything from the replay. That would be fine. Allow me to hide in a tree/bush spots. For a stealth game, there aren’t very many cover options. Sure, there’s the smoke grenade that gives you a chance to run away, but those cost 100 gold each; being priced so high disincentives me from using them unless I absolutely have to. Make it clear what can be interacted with/picked up. I’m wasting a lot of time clicking on things to see if I can interect with them, specifically containers like boxes, bags and dressers. So many games before this have made those sources of items, and it’s fun finding things. My assumption now is that, if it isn’t a chest, don’t bother. But because of my conditioning from other games, there’s a voice in the back of my mind saying, “But what if this dresser is different?” Even if 90% of the container items I click on don’t have anything in them, or have very little like 2 gold, it gives me something to look for. I probably have Bethesda to thank for that. When I find something big it’s even more enjoyable since I feel like I worked to find it; it wasn’t just in the obvious chest. But if you do that, either make every container something you can open, or make the ones you can open stand out from the ones you can’t so I’m not back to wondering, “Can I or can’t I?” And clicking on everything again. Objects on top of things like tables also blend in really well. It’s nice they are there, and I appreciate them. But is this a stealth game or a hidden object game? —- I’m sure there are more, I’m just forgetting them now. I’ll be back with further updates, or to chat with the dev if they join in the conversation. Collin Well-Known Member Jul 29, 2010 719 46 28 Graphic Designer/Illustrator/Art Director Colorado Springs, CO https://www.theislandsofmisfitcreativity.com/ #4 Collin, Jul 14, 2018 Last edited: Jul 14, 2018 Mission 2: That was fun. Although it felt a little buggy a couple of times. I backstabbed a guard, and another guard who was beyond a solid wall well outside of the room I was in was alerted. The guard that was alerted was the same guard that I earlier tried to distract by tossing a bottle which he completely ignored. Later I was able to use a bottle and successfully lure three guards out where I was able to shoot them. Although the third guard was missed with the first shot I fired at him, so I ended up using my last dart to take him down. At another point I killed the guard that was holding the side door key* which alerted the dog who made the long trek from the room he was in to where I was waiting. I didn’t have poisoned darts selected, and when I started tapping on the dog to engage and attack him as he was running toward me, I threw two darts... that was irksome. *Speaking of the guard that was holding the side door key, as I was sneaking up to him I was hiding by a tree, waiting for him to stop spinning his vision cone all over the place for a second so I could sneak up and dart him. His cone passed over me, he didn’t see me. I didn’t move. His cone passed over me again and he saw me, which also alerted the dog... ? Also irksome. If you knock out a guard that’s carrying a key, will he drop the key? I hope so, or else I can see me at some point needing to go around slaughtering guards I’ve knocked out in order to find a key I need. I’ve also noticed as I’ve moved around that it seems guards are drawn before the walls are; their vision cones will pierce past the walls briefly. I haven’t been detected that way yet, but it seems like it’s possible that I could be. This time I got 100% of the loot and was given the rank of “Adaptable”. I would like to try again and see if I can do better, but... you know. I can’t. Suggestion: When you have the drop on a guard or other character, somehow allow the option of performing a non-lethal takedown instead of a kill. Even if it pauses at the point of impact and asks, or is a toggle you can set. A non-lethal takedown could be quieter than a lethal kill. —- (edit) As I returned to the game, I realized that on the map screen you only have a single option, “Begin”. You can’t exit to the main screen, you can’t replay an earlier level, and you can’t go back to the store. That’s bad UX. If I only have a single choice, why give me a choice at all? I guess it shows me where I’ve been, but there’s no road I’m following so I can’t see how many levels might be ahead of me, and since I can’t select previous levels it doesn’t really matter where I’ve been. It’s not like I need a break from the action, since it’s not an action game. It’s a pointless screen. RogueAssassin Member Jul 15, 2018 5 1 3 Male http://sound-of-silence.com/tanks #5 RogueAssassin, Jul 15, 2018 Thanks Lull4by for posting the video, and thanks Collin for the extensive feedback. A couple quick answers / comments: "it seems like any person that isn’t in a fixed position has a random turn rotation and direction of movement." - Patrolling or wandering enemies will look where they are walking (and their line of vision will rotate when they turn around to walk the other way, etc.). Some enemies have a fixed gaze. All others will look around randomly. Your comments about the randomness are a good point, I've added a ToDo to make the behavior more natural. "Since you can’t move while firing the dart..." - You can move while firing darts, but it requires that you begin moving first. While walking (or running / sneaking) you can then either A) tap an enemy at a distance to fire a dart or B) tap the Dart button in the toolbar, and then tap on your target. Both will work while moving. "As I returned to the game, I realized that on the map screen you only have a single option, “Begin”. You can’t exit to the main screen" - To exit to the main screen tap 'End Game' (in the pause menu, which is accessed by tapping the sprocket-looking icon in the top corner). You won't lose anything by beginning a new level and then ending it. The game is auto-saved in two spots: immediately upon completing any level, and also after you finish purchasing items in the shop (which is shown after the score). "I’m also having trouble using the poison darts. The two times I tried in my attempt at the mission, they didn’t fire. Maybe it doesn’t work close up?" - You're correct, if an enemy is within attacking range tapping on him will use your weapon, not darts. For auto-firing darts, the enemy must be at least a short distance away. Alternatively you can tap the Dart button in the toolbar to explicitly activate dart mode, and then tapping anywhere will fire a dart regardless. "usually (so far, for me at least) means you’ll be fighting a lot." - Most of the challenges in each map have more than 1 possible solution. There are almost (though not always) ways of avoiding fighting or detection completely. This game definitely isn't easy though. The mechanics to some extent were an experiment and can be (admittedly) frustrating, especially in the beginning. The game asks a lot of the player, which is how it was designed to some extent, but I realize that requires a shift from what many people are possibly expecting. It really requires that you stop and ask yourself "how do I approach this next challenge using the tools I've been given", even if that may not be the way you'd instinctively try to solve the challenge. A couple examples: If you're having trouble being detected, you can use Eyes of the Crow to explore nearby areas to see where guards are in advance, or you can use Vanish to walk past guards without being seen. If you're having trouble getting past a particular guard, you can often use bottles to create distractions and lure them to other places where they're more vulnerable, or where you can pass by undetected even without Vanishing. If you're running low on supplies, you can explore to collect loot. Most chests contain darts, crows eyes, flash powder, etc. Some challenges can also be avoided entirely. Maps often have several ways into a fortress for example, or side doors / hidden passageways that can be accessed, or multiple routes into a particular area. "I also would like to know if you plan on adding the level builder to the iOS version." - There is a large amount of work still required to support the editor on iOS, but I would like to add this (if the game finds enough players). "It also seems that you can’t replay a mission. " - This will be added in the next update, but yes right now you can only continue from the point where you left off in your saved game. "If you knock out a guard that’s carrying a key, will he drop the key?" - Guards will only drop items they carry when killed, however very few of the maps require killing a guard. "Further recommendations: A difficulty option Add an option to replay missions Allow me to hide in a tree/bush spots. Make it clear what can be interacted with/picked up." - These are all great suggestions, thanks. Most of these are at the top of the feature list for the next update, and I'm hoping to have them added soon. Hiding in trees/bushes is a cool idea I hadn't considered and I'll definitely try that out also. Thanks again for the feedback Collin. Rogue Assassin was just released, so this is a first pass and there are definitely areas which are frustrating and which I'll be addressing and attempting to smooth out and make more intuitive in the next update. Collin likes this. Collin Well-Known Member Jul 29, 2010 719 46 28 Graphic Designer/Illustrator/Art Director Colorado Springs, CO https://www.theislandsofmisfitcreativity.com/ #6 Collin, Jul 16, 2018 Last edited: Jul 16, 2018 First, thank you for your response, and joining in on the discussion. I really appreciate it. Perhaps this is an issue with the interface on the large iPad Pro, but that gear is not available on the Overworld map screen (screenshot attached). So the only thing I can do is see where I've been, and "Begin" to start the next mission. I'm glad to hear in a future update you plan to allow us to replay missions. That will make the Overworld map more useful. I still feel being able to go back to the store from there would be helpful as well, as would being able to hit the store before retrying a mission that you've failed. True, I didn't need the Side Door key on that level to complete the mission, but I did need it if I wanted to get 100% loot, since there's a chest in the bottom right corner of the level that can't be reached except through the locked side door. Do you have a gameplay reason for not having items dropped by guards when you knock them out rather than kill them? Have you considered adding something to indicate visually that a guard has an item, so you don't have to go all Freddy Kruger on everyone to track a key down? Another skill that could be nice to add is pickpocketing; if the player is able to approach a guard/person without being detected. Maybe a variation of the lock picking mini game, but with an emphasis on speed so you don't get caught, with an option to bail out if you are about to be caught. Ah! That's must be what happened with the dog, when I tapped on him intending to close in and attack with my sword. I didn't know the darts would auto fire. Good to know. You're welcome. I hope I don't come off abrasive with my feedback. UX/UI and usability are always on my mind, as are ways of improving them, and my social skills aren't the best. I feel like too often I come across as a pretentious a-hole, especially in text. I've enjoyed playing Rogue Assassin more than I haven't, and just bought the MacOS version as well, to help show support. Although I almost never game on my Mac, I might with this since I'll have access to the level builder. I hope you're able to grow an audience on iOS so it makes sense to add it to the iPad. One last thing I just remembered, why are the iPad and Mac operating system requirements so high? I tried to install this on my smaller old iPad Air (1st gen) that I haven't updated to iOS 11 because I wanted to be able to maintain access to older apps, and it wouldn't work. I also tried buying it though the App Store on one of my Macs that's still running Sierra and it said I couldn't. It surprised me somewhat, as this doesn't seem like something that can't be handled by older operating systems. Attached Files: Image-1-2.jpg File size: 981.3 KB Views: 4 stubbieoz likes this. RogueAssassin Member Jul 15, 2018 5 1 3 Male http://sound-of-silence.com/tanks #7 RogueAssassin, Jul 20, 2018 These are great suggestions, thanks! The ability for enemies to carry inventory was added somewhat late in the development process and I never felt like the player should be forced (or even encouraged) to attack the guards (which is why it's rarely used). I think the pickpocketing skill would make for a great / fun solution to that, I'll definitely experiment with it for the next update. Yes you're correct about the map screen, what I meant was that you can tap 'Begin' and then access the Pause screen from the game and immediately quit to the main menu. (You won't lose anything by doing so.) But I agree this is not great UX, I've added a note to fix this. I appreciate the feedback; the 1.0 release was essentially a first-pass attempt at mixing together some of these game mechanics, so in a way this was kind of an experiment. The suggestions you've made have all been interesting and helpful, thanks! Thank you! I'm hoping to have a tutorial video up soon with a walkthrough of how to use the level-editor (it is very un-user-friendly), once it's up it will be available on YouTube and the game's website. Yeah there are a couple reasons, but the main one is that the game is built primarily upon Apple's SpriteKit framework and takes advantage of some of the newer API features. Multi-line text labels for example weren't added to SpriteKit by Apple until macOS 10.13 etc. Some of these features could have been implemented with custom solutions that worked on older operating systems, but unfortunately I didn't have the time. (There are a couple other reasons for the high OS requirements but the APIs it uses are the principal one.) Rogue Assassin is just a side-project, and I ran into several setbacks during early development, often due to bugs in Apple's libraries. I wound up having to completely ditch GameplayKit, for example, due to issues in Apple's pathfinding code (and write a custom solution which uses a variant of an A* algorithm). I also had to rewrite how the game world itself was rendered due to performance issues I ran into with the first implementation once lights were introduced to the map. Recent versions of SpriteKit have some pretty major bugs with SKLightNode, so supporting fairly big maps with many dozens of active light sources (torches on the walls, lamps, and candles), required spending considerable time debugging SpriteKit's lighting quirks and issues, and finding custom solutions to allow it to work at all. Such speed-bumps all added to the considerable development time the game took and eventually I had to cut some things out for the 1.0 release, which includes work which would have lowered the minimum OS version. It's definitely on my list though and something I'm hoping to fix soon! Thanks again for the feedback Collin! RogueAssassin Member Jul 15, 2018 5 1 3 Male http://sound-of-silence.com/tanks #8 RogueAssassin, Sep 12, 2018 A quick bump to mention that Rogue Assassin is now free for both iPad and Mac. Thank you to those of you who supported it by purchasing a copy and/or providing feedback. (You must log in or sign up to post here.) Show Ignored Content Share This Page Tweet Your name or email address: Password: Forgot your password? Stay logged in
Just try the tutorial level and recorded it, hope you like it. The game is really nice and it is on sale right now, so if you are interested about nice strategy/stealth games, give it a try if you have iPad or Mac!
I’m not far into the game. I played the tutorial, and made one attempt at the first mission. Given more time my opinion might change. I like the idea, but the execution isn’t thrilling me. I’ll have to try it again, of course, but it seems like any person that isn’t in a fixed position has a random turn rotation and direction of movement. That makes it pretty difficult to plan ahead, and usually (so far, for me at least) means you’ll be fighting a lot. I’m also having trouble using the poison darts. The two times I tried in my attempt at the mission, they didn’t fire. It may have been because by the time I had the dart selected, my target in both cases had turned and seen me and was proceeding to beat my ass. Maybe it doesn’t work close up? Again, I’ll give it another shot before giving up on it. I have no idea if the dev is aware of this thread, however in case (s)he is, I have a suggestion that might make the darts work better: Since you can’t move while firing the dart, and the icon for it isn’t handy on the screen (you have to click it in the sidebar and then tap on your target), I feel I would enjoy it more if as soon as I tap the icon in the sidebar, the dart automatically fires at the closest (or strongest; excluding the one enemy it won’t work on) target. If there isn’t one, or it’s the black knight (or whatever he’s called) it doesn’t fire. I also would like to know if you plan on adding the level builder to the iOS version. They seem to be the same build, since in the tutorial it mentions using keys to select things like your darts, etc. I’ll be back with further impressions when I’ve spent more time with it. —- (Edit) I clicked on “retry” and now I don’t have any poison darts at all. So I’m not sure what happened there; whether I used them all without realizing it in the final cluster while I was being swarmed by guards and I’m not given a chance to resupply before the mission starts – giving it the “rogue” in its title – or if it’s a penalty or a bug. If it’s a penalty, it’s a bit crap, because as I recall I had 7 darts. And taking my one “non-combat” takedown tool away forces me out of a stealth strategy into having to use a combat strategy, and to be honest the combat isn’t fun. Also, if I lose equipment that I’ve used whenever I fail, and have to purchase replacements between missions, and not given the opportunity to before a retry... .... yeah. I may not be up for giving this much more of a chance. —- (update) I beat the first mission on my second try, even though I didn’t have darts at the start. In the level I found 5 darts and ended up successfully using 2. That was more fun, although I was detected 4 times, once through a window. Again, at least two of those times could have been avoided if their rotations weren’t so fast and random. I’m not sure if that is to try to make it more dramatic or difficult, but it’s annoying. It’s like I’m up against a bunch of tweakers or people with ADD. Even the guy I was supposed to steal the documents from wouldn’t stop spinning his noggin for more than a couple of seconds. It really annoys me; normal people don’t act like that. It messes with my immersion in the game. I was reminded on this playthrough that I really enjoy how the lockpicking is handled, and I appreciate that you aren’t required to have a tool you have to buy that can break to be able to pick them. It’s a fun little mini game at the moment. It may grow old with time. It also seems that you can’t replay a mission. If that’s the case... the map editor really needs to be added to the iOS version. I would like to see that changed, since it would allow me to brush up on my strategy. Even if I was only allowed to keep the gold I find that is above what I found on the previous run(s) (as long as I also don’t loose the tools that I use, since I have to pay to replace them). The draw of a stealth game for me is seeing if I can do better. At the end of the level I was given stats, including how much loot I got (I think I got 91% or something) and a ranking (I got “Assassin”). What is the point of any of that if I can’t replay the level to try to improve? I don’t even see a way to check my stats again once I leave that screen after the level. The also means that at some point I will end up with nothing to do (unless something opens up later that I’m unaware of right now), other than start a new game. You’re given a large number of game slots, so maybe that’s the intention? If so, I feel like that’s a subpar solution. I may not want to replay every level. I might end up despising certain levels, and never want to see them again. One more thing I noticed this time. My sound waves pass through trees, but I can’t walk through them. Further recommendations: A difficulty option for old people like me, or people who would rather not have to deal with Linda Blair from the Exorcist: slow their turn speed, increase their rest times and maybe shorten their eyesight a bit. Or allow all three setting to be individually adjusted. As for the vision cones, maybe have a variety within the same mission. It could be longer for a marksman type of person, and shorter for an average guy. Make it less “all the same”. Add an option to replay missions, even if it’s just for the experience; heck, give me a standard loadout (or a choice of loadouts) and don’t let me keep anything from the replay. That would be fine. Allow me to hide in a tree/bush spots. For a stealth game, there aren’t very many cover options. Sure, there’s the smoke grenade that gives you a chance to run away, but those cost 100 gold each; being priced so high disincentives me from using them unless I absolutely have to. Make it clear what can be interacted with/picked up. I’m wasting a lot of time clicking on things to see if I can interect with them, specifically containers like boxes, bags and dressers. So many games before this have made those sources of items, and it’s fun finding things. My assumption now is that, if it isn’t a chest, don’t bother. But because of my conditioning from other games, there’s a voice in the back of my mind saying, “But what if this dresser is different?” Even if 90% of the container items I click on don’t have anything in them, or have very little like 2 gold, it gives me something to look for. I probably have Bethesda to thank for that. When I find something big it’s even more enjoyable since I feel like I worked to find it; it wasn’t just in the obvious chest. But if you do that, either make every container something you can open, or make the ones you can open stand out from the ones you can’t so I’m not back to wondering, “Can I or can’t I?” And clicking on everything again. Objects on top of things like tables also blend in really well. It’s nice they are there, and I appreciate them. But is this a stealth game or a hidden object game? —- I’m sure there are more, I’m just forgetting them now. I’ll be back with further updates, or to chat with the dev if they join in the conversation.
Mission 2: That was fun. Although it felt a little buggy a couple of times. I backstabbed a guard, and another guard who was beyond a solid wall well outside of the room I was in was alerted. The guard that was alerted was the same guard that I earlier tried to distract by tossing a bottle which he completely ignored. Later I was able to use a bottle and successfully lure three guards out where I was able to shoot them. Although the third guard was missed with the first shot I fired at him, so I ended up using my last dart to take him down. At another point I killed the guard that was holding the side door key* which alerted the dog who made the long trek from the room he was in to where I was waiting. I didn’t have poisoned darts selected, and when I started tapping on the dog to engage and attack him as he was running toward me, I threw two darts... that was irksome. *Speaking of the guard that was holding the side door key, as I was sneaking up to him I was hiding by a tree, waiting for him to stop spinning his vision cone all over the place for a second so I could sneak up and dart him. His cone passed over me, he didn’t see me. I didn’t move. His cone passed over me again and he saw me, which also alerted the dog... ? Also irksome. If you knock out a guard that’s carrying a key, will he drop the key? I hope so, or else I can see me at some point needing to go around slaughtering guards I’ve knocked out in order to find a key I need. I’ve also noticed as I’ve moved around that it seems guards are drawn before the walls are; their vision cones will pierce past the walls briefly. I haven’t been detected that way yet, but it seems like it’s possible that I could be. This time I got 100% of the loot and was given the rank of “Adaptable”. I would like to try again and see if I can do better, but... you know. I can’t. Suggestion: When you have the drop on a guard or other character, somehow allow the option of performing a non-lethal takedown instead of a kill. Even if it pauses at the point of impact and asks, or is a toggle you can set. A non-lethal takedown could be quieter than a lethal kill. —- (edit) As I returned to the game, I realized that on the map screen you only have a single option, “Begin”. You can’t exit to the main screen, you can’t replay an earlier level, and you can’t go back to the store. That’s bad UX. If I only have a single choice, why give me a choice at all? I guess it shows me where I’ve been, but there’s no road I’m following so I can’t see how many levels might be ahead of me, and since I can’t select previous levels it doesn’t really matter where I’ve been. It’s not like I need a break from the action, since it’s not an action game. It’s a pointless screen.
Thanks Lull4by for posting the video, and thanks Collin for the extensive feedback. A couple quick answers / comments: "it seems like any person that isn’t in a fixed position has a random turn rotation and direction of movement." - Patrolling or wandering enemies will look where they are walking (and their line of vision will rotate when they turn around to walk the other way, etc.). Some enemies have a fixed gaze. All others will look around randomly. Your comments about the randomness are a good point, I've added a ToDo to make the behavior more natural. "Since you can’t move while firing the dart..." - You can move while firing darts, but it requires that you begin moving first. While walking (or running / sneaking) you can then either A) tap an enemy at a distance to fire a dart or B) tap the Dart button in the toolbar, and then tap on your target. Both will work while moving. "As I returned to the game, I realized that on the map screen you only have a single option, “Begin”. You can’t exit to the main screen" - To exit to the main screen tap 'End Game' (in the pause menu, which is accessed by tapping the sprocket-looking icon in the top corner). You won't lose anything by beginning a new level and then ending it. The game is auto-saved in two spots: immediately upon completing any level, and also after you finish purchasing items in the shop (which is shown after the score). "I’m also having trouble using the poison darts. The two times I tried in my attempt at the mission, they didn’t fire. Maybe it doesn’t work close up?" - You're correct, if an enemy is within attacking range tapping on him will use your weapon, not darts. For auto-firing darts, the enemy must be at least a short distance away. Alternatively you can tap the Dart button in the toolbar to explicitly activate dart mode, and then tapping anywhere will fire a dart regardless. "usually (so far, for me at least) means you’ll be fighting a lot." - Most of the challenges in each map have more than 1 possible solution. There are almost (though not always) ways of avoiding fighting or detection completely. This game definitely isn't easy though. The mechanics to some extent were an experiment and can be (admittedly) frustrating, especially in the beginning. The game asks a lot of the player, which is how it was designed to some extent, but I realize that requires a shift from what many people are possibly expecting. It really requires that you stop and ask yourself "how do I approach this next challenge using the tools I've been given", even if that may not be the way you'd instinctively try to solve the challenge. A couple examples: If you're having trouble being detected, you can use Eyes of the Crow to explore nearby areas to see where guards are in advance, or you can use Vanish to walk past guards without being seen. If you're having trouble getting past a particular guard, you can often use bottles to create distractions and lure them to other places where they're more vulnerable, or where you can pass by undetected even without Vanishing. If you're running low on supplies, you can explore to collect loot. Most chests contain darts, crows eyes, flash powder, etc. Some challenges can also be avoided entirely. Maps often have several ways into a fortress for example, or side doors / hidden passageways that can be accessed, or multiple routes into a particular area. "I also would like to know if you plan on adding the level builder to the iOS version." - There is a large amount of work still required to support the editor on iOS, but I would like to add this (if the game finds enough players). "It also seems that you can’t replay a mission. " - This will be added in the next update, but yes right now you can only continue from the point where you left off in your saved game. "If you knock out a guard that’s carrying a key, will he drop the key?" - Guards will only drop items they carry when killed, however very few of the maps require killing a guard. "Further recommendations: A difficulty option Add an option to replay missions Allow me to hide in a tree/bush spots. Make it clear what can be interacted with/picked up." - These are all great suggestions, thanks. Most of these are at the top of the feature list for the next update, and I'm hoping to have them added soon. Hiding in trees/bushes is a cool idea I hadn't considered and I'll definitely try that out also. Thanks again for the feedback Collin. Rogue Assassin was just released, so this is a first pass and there are definitely areas which are frustrating and which I'll be addressing and attempting to smooth out and make more intuitive in the next update.
First, thank you for your response, and joining in on the discussion. I really appreciate it. Perhaps this is an issue with the interface on the large iPad Pro, but that gear is not available on the Overworld map screen (screenshot attached). So the only thing I can do is see where I've been, and "Begin" to start the next mission. I'm glad to hear in a future update you plan to allow us to replay missions. That will make the Overworld map more useful. I still feel being able to go back to the store from there would be helpful as well, as would being able to hit the store before retrying a mission that you've failed. True, I didn't need the Side Door key on that level to complete the mission, but I did need it if I wanted to get 100% loot, since there's a chest in the bottom right corner of the level that can't be reached except through the locked side door. Do you have a gameplay reason for not having items dropped by guards when you knock them out rather than kill them? Have you considered adding something to indicate visually that a guard has an item, so you don't have to go all Freddy Kruger on everyone to track a key down? Another skill that could be nice to add is pickpocketing; if the player is able to approach a guard/person without being detected. Maybe a variation of the lock picking mini game, but with an emphasis on speed so you don't get caught, with an option to bail out if you are about to be caught. Ah! That's must be what happened with the dog, when I tapped on him intending to close in and attack with my sword. I didn't know the darts would auto fire. Good to know. You're welcome. I hope I don't come off abrasive with my feedback. UX/UI and usability are always on my mind, as are ways of improving them, and my social skills aren't the best. I feel like too often I come across as a pretentious a-hole, especially in text. I've enjoyed playing Rogue Assassin more than I haven't, and just bought the MacOS version as well, to help show support. Although I almost never game on my Mac, I might with this since I'll have access to the level builder. I hope you're able to grow an audience on iOS so it makes sense to add it to the iPad. One last thing I just remembered, why are the iPad and Mac operating system requirements so high? I tried to install this on my smaller old iPad Air (1st gen) that I haven't updated to iOS 11 because I wanted to be able to maintain access to older apps, and it wouldn't work. I also tried buying it though the App Store on one of my Macs that's still running Sierra and it said I couldn't. It surprised me somewhat, as this doesn't seem like something that can't be handled by older operating systems.
These are great suggestions, thanks! The ability for enemies to carry inventory was added somewhat late in the development process and I never felt like the player should be forced (or even encouraged) to attack the guards (which is why it's rarely used). I think the pickpocketing skill would make for a great / fun solution to that, I'll definitely experiment with it for the next update. Yes you're correct about the map screen, what I meant was that you can tap 'Begin' and then access the Pause screen from the game and immediately quit to the main menu. (You won't lose anything by doing so.) But I agree this is not great UX, I've added a note to fix this. I appreciate the feedback; the 1.0 release was essentially a first-pass attempt at mixing together some of these game mechanics, so in a way this was kind of an experiment. The suggestions you've made have all been interesting and helpful, thanks! Thank you! I'm hoping to have a tutorial video up soon with a walkthrough of how to use the level-editor (it is very un-user-friendly), once it's up it will be available on YouTube and the game's website. Yeah there are a couple reasons, but the main one is that the game is built primarily upon Apple's SpriteKit framework and takes advantage of some of the newer API features. Multi-line text labels for example weren't added to SpriteKit by Apple until macOS 10.13 etc. Some of these features could have been implemented with custom solutions that worked on older operating systems, but unfortunately I didn't have the time. (There are a couple other reasons for the high OS requirements but the APIs it uses are the principal one.) Rogue Assassin is just a side-project, and I ran into several setbacks during early development, often due to bugs in Apple's libraries. I wound up having to completely ditch GameplayKit, for example, due to issues in Apple's pathfinding code (and write a custom solution which uses a variant of an A* algorithm). I also had to rewrite how the game world itself was rendered due to performance issues I ran into with the first implementation once lights were introduced to the map. Recent versions of SpriteKit have some pretty major bugs with SKLightNode, so supporting fairly big maps with many dozens of active light sources (torches on the walls, lamps, and candles), required spending considerable time debugging SpriteKit's lighting quirks and issues, and finding custom solutions to allow it to work at all. Such speed-bumps all added to the considerable development time the game took and eventually I had to cut some things out for the 1.0 release, which includes work which would have lowered the minimum OS version. It's definitely on my list though and something I'm hoping to fix soon! Thanks again for the feedback Collin!
A quick bump to mention that Rogue Assassin is now free for both iPad and Mac. Thank you to those of you who supported it by purchasing a copy and/or providing feedback.
