Back in April Soma Games launched our first game called G:Into The Rain and the people on this board gave us a lot of really good input including telling us what sucked and what worked. We were listening. To cut to the chase, we recently had the opportunity to rebuild G basically from the ground up to take up (most of) the input we got from players and we're re-releasing the game with a big contest March 3-16. With everything that's been added or changed it's really a totally new game and is finally the game we were hoping to make all along...but frankly didn't know how. So what's new in the game: Twice the speed. The most common comment was that the game was too slow. So we gave it a major power boost and it plays a lot more like an arcade now. It's still a puzzle game and not a twitcher, but this one thing radically improved game play. On-line leaderboards The second most popular request was a set of leaderboards and we're pretty proud of what we've done here: http://www.somagames.com/ARC/top_contractors.php. A limited version of this feature was actually released about a month ago so we could test everything out, but 2.0 adds a lot of new features including a location sensitive option for local leaders. In-flight thrusters With the new thrusters we've dropped the whole fire-and-forget gameplay model for something much more interactive. New ranks and achievements Corporate Specific Benefits G is chapter one of four games, but now we've started to roll out the benefits players will get by working for different corporations. Keep in mind, other benefits will be revealed in future games and carry over from G to F to E... Facebook and Twitter integration You can also challenge a friend via email ala DoodleJump Better iPhone performance New Free -> unlock version This should be live by the March 3 contest opening but we'll allow folks to play the first 20 or so levels for free before being asked to upgrade to finish the game. So to celebrate we're doing this contest thing. We'll be posting official rules on our website in the next day or two but the basic idea looks likes this: Must play 2.0 version on the iPhone or iTouch (no PC/Intel players) Scores must be posted to the on-line leaderboard between March 3 and March 16 Any corporation bonuses don't count toward contest score. Highest cumulative score in those two weeks wins the iPad. So if you don't already have the game, it might be a good idea to get the full version and get practicing. The competition is already looking pretty fierce... http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/g-into-the-rain/id312131862?mt=8
By the way, can somebody lend me a pointer here: I'm not sure if this post should go here ('cause both the update and the lite version are new) or in the contest section. Is it important or is that not really an issue?
looks like a beautiful game, looking forward to trying the demo. as soon as i saw that ship i was taken back to Spelljammer
araczynski & steelfires, As usual we love to hear feedback. That is what got G to where you see it in 2.0. Let us know how you like it. Tell us here or on Facebook and Twitter adamans (john)
ancient AD&D RPG on the PC. ships in space. http://images.google.com/images?q=spelljammer+pirates+of+realmspace&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=qxaES7qUJo-3ngec87TlAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCMQsAQwAw
So this contest looks like its off to a great start even before it started... Yesterday's high score for the day was 134,390 on level 4 (Icteroid Orbits) by a player with a (lame) callsign of Nugget149801100220. Check them out: http://www.somagames.com/ARC/contractor_profile.php?contractor_id=40 Nugget...220 -> you gotta get a callsign...
Just had a few minutes with the game, I'll focus on the things I would change: 1) the +/- icons for initial velocity and burn length, make the button click areas much bigger and much more responsive, it seems to register the first click, and then not respond to any additional clicks. unless i make it so i tap in a rhythm no faster than one click per half second. this annoys me to no end. this is also true for the vector adjustment of the projectile, extremely unresponsive to successive clicks. 2) allow the 'map' zoom to be adjustable before and during missile flight. i'm not sure if things are as intended due to it adding to 'challenge', but for me it is at best extremely annoying. i saw mention of a 'zoom level' in the controls, but no details as to how to actually use them, the apple 'universal' 2 finger pinch/spread doesn't seem to be the mechanic. 3) besides looking at the beautiful graphics, i'm not sure the 'prep' screen (ship image/vector/thrust/burn adjustment screen) is of any use. I think (for me) the ideal solution would have been to use the same screen for flight and prep: zoom in all the way, and the beautiful ship and prep controls appear on the screen. vector can be adjusted on the ship, like in the prep screen, thrust along the bottom or left, and burn along the bottom/left (opposite of the other). when all set, can zoom in/out more to taste, and then hit launch. launch causes the sliders/vector to disappear and the other situationally appropriate buttons to appear. screen would still be zoomable during flight. anyway, i'll try again, but #1 alone will keep me from playing for long.
Hi araczynski - excellent comments. Thanks! on #1, if I'm reading your comment correctly it may be that you're missing something. All the FC controls respond primarily to tapping and dragging on the controls themselves. the +/- buttons are meant only for itty-bitty adjustments once you've drug the control into the right neighborhood. If you were using those to make all the settings...I'd quit too! On #2 - this feature will likely be in an update soon. We don't want to zoom during flight because the zoom level effects your score, but I do want to move it from the settings page to the FC screen so you easily tweak it level by level. Do you think you would want a slider kind of option or the five discreet setting like we have now?
Thanks for the info. If i look at the controls as you described them, then their response makes more sense. Might want to make that fact a little more bold in the game somehow, so people like me don't just assume bad controls. i figured if i have 2 control options, they both should work equally 'well'. Didn't know they were meant for different/specific uses. Also didn't understand why the difficulty modifier was under the visual settings in the options, but now that i tried it, i see that that is the zoom, might want to put "(zoom level)" somehwere near that 'difficulty modifier' phrase. As for discrete or slider, i'd go with the slider any day, one of those 'bump sliders' (you can slide it, but it has preset resting points/notches) where you differentiate between .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 1.0 1.1 1.2 exactly. actual value selected could just show in a label next to the slider, then use a notch for each of the 8 settings. Thanks again, things make more sense now.
araczynski - mind if I ask - what's your call sign in the game? BTW, if you did the quick start option you can change your call sign from the generic Nuggetxxxxx to something you like by selecting SWIG from the main menu and then changing your profile.
There - now I se you. Playing for Rosetta North. The 'dark side' of each corporation has yet to really be revealed (and they all have secrets) but I'll give you a hint. The folks behind Rosetta North are a bunch of cultists fortune tellers...so you got that going for ya.
The competition continues to heat up...people are practicing their G chops. High individual score for the 23rd goes to pajo_ojep with 138,991 in a single day. http://www.somagames.com/ARC/contractor_profile.php?contractor_id=1397 High corporation total is Mystery Alliance with 239,730. http://www.somagames.com/ARC/MysteryAlliance/ Keep it coming!
You want YOUR iPad?! Do you know how hard this is going to be for me to take the very first iPad I see and give it away to somebody else? Actually Sourpunch - you look like you have your competition cut out for you. SOme young bucks have started to burn up the leaderboards. I think this is going to be a serious race...
We've had an idea come up to add a series of smaller prizes into the contest to reward players along the way. Still keep the grand prize as an iPad, but let folks compete for other prizes along the way. Maybe: $10 gift card for the leading player in each of the ten corps Maybe a card for the weekly high score Just thinking out loud here but I'd appreciate feedback to the point...
Dude, I have been trying to beat your score for a while. I am jb on the leader board. Every time I come close you move one up. Willing to share some knowledge here?
