I've read a comment on the appstore saying that it is useless to put settlers on the board in the very begin of the match, but only later when you are close to the temples in the corners. Yes and no. This is partially true. But if you will wait too long you can find that all tiles are on the board already, and most of your settlers are in your hand yet. So you will miss opportunity to put all your settlers on the board. And this is bad for scoring. So this strategy isn't the key to success all the time. But I'm aware of this flaw. And I'm thinking about fixing it to reduce the possibility to use this strategy to the minimum. One possible solution was already mentioned on this forum: random temples. What do you think about this flaw? Is it a big issue or not? UPCOMING UPDATE 1.1.0: I don't like minor updates - so that you can't see if anything is changed at all. So this is going to be online multiplayer update right away. And it is the most requested feature. This will be real-time multiplayer for now. No async multiplayer yet. The game match is quick enough - so I think real-time fits well. And what is more important it is easier to implement so you can expect it very soon! After that I'll make few gameplay updates. To fix few gameplay flaws. Let's see what's next - async mutiplayer probably?
It is true that you usually won't have the necessary time or moves to get even one or two pieces from the very centre to the corners (especially on the 9x9 board). However, I've actually won handily with only two escaping pieces versus three opponents who had all corner-located settlers, largely because I killed off many of their pieces while safely moving my own trapped ones around the buildings in the centre of the map. Most of my pieces didn't escape to the temples, but I still won as I had the most settlers initially placed, and the most settlers still alive and on the board at the end of the match. Trying to reach the corners at all costs definitely isn't a smart play, and conversely it's not necessarily bad if your pieces start off (and stay) in the middle.
I can confirm this 100 %. I think there's a delicate balance you have to strike, because initially getting out settlers and also just keeping them alive (without them escaping) gets you important points. And finding that balance is one of the most interesting things about the game. I don't think waiting for the corner tiles and then starting to place settlers is a dominant strategy. It's probably a valid strategy, depending on the situation. But that's a good thing. There should be as many valid strategies as possible without dominant ones.
Yes, it's a neat little game! I think it would be cool if there were multiple modes. One for Random Temples, one for corner temples, maybe one with... One? Temple? Even larger board sizes? I dunno! The possibilities are endless.
If possible, can you fix the mute button issue with the first update? I'll purchase the full version in a second if I know this is coming. Thanks!
Sure - this mute button issue and also few minor bugs including ads poping up sometimes during the gameplay will be fixed in the update. (I never wanted to interrupt gameplay with any ads - only between games - this is a side effect)
QUICK UPDATE: Online Multiplayer is already working in the dev. version. It is really coming... and also with a tweak in the gameplay that should make mistakes made during the Build Phase a bit less "tragic" in the Escape Phase.
A screenshot from the upcoming update - new gameplay tweak demonstrated. Can anyone guess what that tweak does by looking at the picture? Yes, and online multiplayer is also included as promised.
The idea is that everything that wasn't completed during the build phase will turn into the unfinished roads and unfinished buildings as it is depicted on the screenshot above You can go out into the field and leave the unfinished road or building. But walking through the field tiles is more expensive, it will take 2 move points for every move. So if you didn't complete something during the build phase it is still bad for escape, but it is not a complete fail. And no - you can't go in absolutely every direction with this new rule. You can only leave the road or building tiles in the places where they are unfinished and merge into the field. With this tweak it is not that easy anymore for opponent or for a bad luck to break your perfect plans
QUICK UPDATE: I think because of July 4 holiaday - Online Multiplayer update won't be approved this week. So most likely - on Monday.
ATTENTION! Online Multiplayer Update v1.1.0 is out! I hope everyone is ready to destroy a few little towns online! What's new in v1.1.0: - Online Multiplayer and Leaderboard - Limited Edition Meeples (ATTENTION!!! It is enabled if you purchase the Full Version before updating to this version) - New gameplay rule during the Escape Phase (unfinished constructions) - Restore Purchases Button - Settler move auto undo (when settler is moved to the previous position) - Mute button fix
A little bit of statistics: about 2/5 of the initial install base have updated to the Online Multiplayer version in the first 2 days. Have you? You should!
Upate 1.1.1 is out: - Online Leaderboard is fixed - Also this is the LAST chance (really!) to get Limited Edition Devil Meeples - if you upgrade to Full Version before updating to v1.1.1. Attention! One issue is found: From v1.1.0 game doesn't work on the 1st gen iPad. Yes, there are people who use these devices even today. Actually I'm one of them - I keep this piece of technology since it seems that it has some historical meaning: the 1st device that started all this tablet revolution. And it seems that iPad 1gen support is broken because of Online Multiplayer. So the only way to solve the problem - is by disabling the online multiplayer. Not a solution that I like. So I'll think about a proper one.
