I could draw a prototype of this, along with ideas for it's skills. Just thinking of this actually being implemented into Battleheart makes me smile.
+1 for achievements, I'm holding off playing it (and subsequently recommending to friends) based on achievements alone Gun-slinger sounds good too though...
since someone's recommending classes, i'd like to share my ideas too maybe a lance wielding class or a samurai would be cool
I loved this game but it was only fun when there was direction. I was a little perplexed as to what I should to do after defeating the final boss. There was no NG+, highscores, history logs or challenges outside arena. I thought about starting new characters and testing everyone's play style but it felt redundant as there was nothing left to achieve. Due to the "playground" nature of the game, it really needed difficult, time consuming achievements. Such as complete every level using only 2 heroes or defeat the final boss in 30 seconds. This would give reason to players levelling characters other than their final party.
new class idea another thing i think could come in handy is a heavy weapons expert, like a guy that would hold a weapon like a mace or battleaxe or warhammer or morningstar, either that or someone that would hold a 2handed weapons such as a 2 hand sword. i had a lot of different ideas on page 210
With long-term being a wholly subjective and variable definition, there are tons of things that could be added, logically and otherwise This thread has plenty of suggestions. Achievements, NG+, Game Center leaderboards, specific challenges... together, such auxiliary systems could create at least the illusion of considerably longevity, and possibly even a true state of long-term appeal that would hold up under most comparisons (in discussions of iOS game longevity, it is always a boon to forget about The Quest + all expansions and Mission Europa ). The first and foremost of prolonging mechanisms, however, would be online multiplayer. The fast-paced tactical nature of Battleheart would make for an almost ideal fit for a real-time PvP iOS game. More lag-resistant and less dependent on precise controls (even if only slightly) than SFIV Volt and first-person shooter games, but more frantic and directly personal than asynchronous multiplayer titles. The true challenge (as always) would be the netcode, but gameplay-wise, Mika could just throw us into an arena with our chosen party, and face a party controlled by another player, and many of us would have fun until iOS devices offer neurally linked VR games (a hyperbole, but only slightly ). So while tons of work would have to be done, as always, very little would have to be spent creating specific multiplayer modes (along the lines of Infinity Blade), as the game's default mechanisms would be enough. Slap an ELO rating on top of this, and yet another iOS e-sport would be born. Do note that I am not saying this would be viable (economially, technically or ecumenically), or even possible for MikaMobile (though single devs have been known to add multiplayer all by their lonesome before). But it is an example of something that could be added to the core design that would add tens or hundreds of hours to the long-term appeal of Battleheart, and offer long-term appeal in almost any possible definition of the word, absolute or comparably, in the context of computer games. I do agree with this completely, and since I've the fortune of having forgotten Battleheart after only having reached levels 10-15 with my primary party, and just recently having been reminded of it, I expect to have quite a lot of fun once the new classes patch remind me yet again But yeah, just like with Bug Heroes (another game where I have been a vocal proponent of the viability of multiplayer as a new e-sport/competitive iOS scene), in spite of all the brilliance that is already there, I will continue to dream of taking all that fun online... It is nice to see players can disagree with the devs so completely, and still enjoy the stuffing out of the game But yeah, MikaMobile, I find the basic design of Battleheart to hold quite a lot of staying power. Perhaps that is why some players expect even more in the ways of content and playtime. A nice accolade, even if it results in some malcontents
As you said, it's subjective, but to me long-term means there's either a viable open ended aspect to the game or something about its design that allows for potentially endless replaying because otherwise, nope, it's a finite game, and Battleheart is undoubtedly a finite game that doesn't take that long to exhaust. Also, based upon this thread, the most vocal about the lack of content are those who jumped on this $3 title, got 20-30 hours or whatever it took to reach the end, level up a bunch of classes, acquire max gear, and play a few endless arenas till they were bored, and then, yep, hit the end of what is a finite design. Besides, ultimately, achievements, leaderboards, etc., are just ways of adding onto existing gameplay, but they don't really do much to equal long term game play unless you've got the design for it, and for Battleheart 1 (heh), nope the design isn't there. But, take the art direction, party creation, and combat mechanics into a more structured and complex sequel, and who knows?
I believe it is. Damn achievements and other forms of artificial respiration, but read the paragraphs on online multiplayer in my comment above Yes, that's probably a most acute analysis. The App Store pricing culture has created what might just be the weirdest investment-return atmosphere in the commercial history of mankind (yep, possibly including pre-WWII Germany ). But while 2-dollar complainers almost always come across as cheap, those simply wishing for more of their favourite game are harder to brush away. Fortunately, they offer a much more pleasant form of complaint I suspect we both believe, in our hearts of hearts, that it would be nothing short of bloody amazing.
Really? Are you seriously bitching about getting 20 plus hours from a game that costs less than a typical Starbucks? That's more than some console games can give you. Honestly I don't understand people today. Games aren't meant to last forever. At some point it WILL end for you. This isn't a bad thing, it's life. Hell I loved playing Legend of Zelda on SNES, but I'm not whining that I'm still not playing it now. The value of a gaming EXPERIENCE is not based on how many hours it went on for.
Just thought I'd let you guys know that we expect to submit the update featuring the two new classes any day now. The paladin and ranger are both complete and we're just doing the final tweaks. We also found and fixed a few other small bugs, such as the fact that you can currently "lock up" the monk if you have him use Ki Blast immediately followed with 1000 palms against a boss. I also made healer enemies have a limited amount of "mana" so they can't keep healing forever, to avoid the occasional stalemate in the arena. There was also a pretty sneaky crash bug, where selecting a character a tenth of a second before they die would crash the game. That's all been cleared up.
healer enemies get limited mana? sweet I think i've had that stalemate twice lol. usually happens when 2 of the 4 party members are dead. great to hear about the updates. i'm really excited!
Are you seriously that lacking in reading comprehension that you took the precise opposite meaning from my post?
I think Battleheart has incredible, not-quite-yet-realized potential. Why? Because it's party-style action RPG that's totally manageable, simple, and flexible. It's only a tiny bit hyperbolic to say that it's really a brand new genre. One person controlling a mix-n-match party of action-adventurers? All on a touch screen pocket device? Frankly, that's about as innovative as it gets. Just a few things that model can be used for: - MMO where each player brings not just one character, but an entire team to (not a party but a) huge battle - Multiplayer arena combat that stays fresh because of the number of party / equipment combinations a single player has access to - A real-time tactical game (as opposed to RTS) - Battleheart 2
when updates are submitted to the store are they also on a timeline like the every wednesday releases? or are they automatic?
The release date of apps and updates are up to the developer once they're approved, the wednesday tradition is strictly optional (a holdover from the retail world I think). We haven't submitted the update just yet, we're hoping to wrap it up early next week.
One Question are the new characters going to be available from the start as I recently formatted my iPod and lost my battle heart save and I was going to start again but thought I'd wait for the update. Thanks.
