I'm not really understanding all the hate for the lack of a fixed virtual dpad in landscape play. If you want to keep your left thumb there for dpad then just put it down there and pretend that it is a static dpad rather than floating - problem solved!
That makes some sense, and don't get me wrong I dont hate the lack. I can live without it, just would be nice. Just me speaking from the heart
Hey just chipping in with a suggestion: I've only briefly played, like it so far. But when I level up and it tells me how my characters have improved the window goes away too quickly! I'd like to see a "tap to continue" there so I have more time to review what levelled up. Thanks for your time!
Clearly I think it's impossible to offer one control schema that everyone likes. But, hey, that's why we offer several of them! I would also hope that the high-quality music, fully animated cutscenes, and spoken dialog make it a much more engrossing experience.
Of course! it's just plain boss olive the music and the cutscenes. The dialogue is also a great feature. (i love threads in their prime)
Okay, this game has problems. First of all, it's clear from the outset why this is such a beloved game. The presentation is truly stellar, and I imagine when it initially released, it must have really knocked people's socks off. But good lord, the controls are broken, as is the frame rate. And to be honest, I think the one is affecting the other. The collision issues seem to be hanging up the animations, and it's driving me nuts. So far, it's only truly playable in portrait mode for me. If we could get that D-pad in landscape play, and do something about the uber-sensitive collision detection, I think we could get this party underway. Still, it's an incredibly endearing game.
This game is great. well worth the money to any rpg fan. A very decent port and a developer that is listening to feedback. What could a person really complain about? Just wanted to start with that. I, like some others, would like a fixed d-pad option. Ideally not analog. 4 way fixed directional would be great. I think something like the one in portrait would be work. I use the dpad for less precise controls then tap to move for speaking to people and getting chests. Anyone not enjoying the controls might want to try this for now.
Child hood revisited Everyone on this forum knows I have been following this game since the start. Somoga will be glad to stop hearing from me......until I'm done playing and want Lunar 2. I love this game it brings back memories of a child hood spent playing lunar sega cd all day. Is there flaws yes of course. It's the flaws that make it great in my opinion. The original wasn't perfect but to judge a game because a voice is different or controls arnt perfect is silly. I will be playing this game all night when I am done I will get out my computer and email Somoga and start perstering them for Lunar 2 and let me beta LOL
I'll wait for a price drop. This is one of the most touching RPGs I've ever played, and I like the thought of playing it on my iphone, but I still have access to the PS1 version if I want to replay it.
I played Lunar SSS the first time on the PSX. I have also played Lunar SSH on the psp. This will be my third time playing Lunar and I will love it as much as the first. I can only hope and pray for a port of Lunar Eternal Blue!
I'm trying really hard to enjoy this game. RPGs(and JRPGs in particular) are without a doubt my favorite games and I'd sadly never played the Lunar games so figured with the praise the port has seemed to be getting I'd give it a go and at the moment I greatly regret the purchase. I haven't even gotten out of the initial town at the moment, and I'm hoping the actual meat of the game helps me overlook these "little" things but getting TO the meat of the game is proving almost infuriating. The controls, regardless of how I go about them, are absolutely terrible. The virtual stick(a favorite control method on the device of mine) seems very clunky to me, and it's not out of desire for a fixed pad or anything, it just doesn't act as I expect it to from other executions. The touch to move would be great if the pathfinding wasn't so broken =\ Between getting stuck on absolutely everything and not being able to make minor adjustments due to inadvertently interacting with things it really brings forth rage. I've spent a good amount of time trying to get a balance of using the stick and touch to get everything smoothed out but it just never seems to work out right. Also with the button placement, there are obvious areas of the screen that simply cannot be touched to access due to the buttons. The menu button would really be more at home as a small button in a top corner, but there's not much I can say about the interaction button(especially since cutting off virtual controls altogether would be crippling with the current state of touch-to-move) EDIT: The virtual stick is becoming a bit more tolerable when I treat it like a d-pad instead of a stick. I'm essentially ignoring the entire possibility of moving diagonally with the stick. Navigating the cave is proving a lot less infuriating than the town with all its furnished houses and whatnot but I do fear my next trip to a village. The menu system, too, is remarkably broken feeling to me. I have no idea what the original game's menu system was like but this is one of the worst I've ever used, and I've played quite a few classic text-based roguelikes. Why are all of the slots invisible? No labeling of any kind. If I hadn't read the help first thing, I would have been completely screwed because the menu's so incredibly un-intuitive. Hell, I apparently have to shake the device if I want to get back to the main menu to read the help? I feel really sorry for anyone that doesn't catch on to that bit... I spent awhile trying to find my way to the main menu in hopes there would be some settings to tweak somewhere x.x A much more minor but still slightly annoying thing, why does it immediately try to use consumables when I tap them in the inventory? I wanted to see what the item was, and found myself having to close a use prompt just to get to that info. An unselected item should become selected, not used, when first tapped. I'm really, really, hoping that once I get further into the game, I'll be distracted from these glaring flaws. Even that may prove difficult with a status bar always on my screen preventing immersion, though. Ever since iOS5, opening the notifications menu has been second nature for acquiring that information. (Personally I'd also prefer an option to have japanese dubs with english subtitles as well but the controls and menus are far, far, more important) For people looking at this with nostalgia glasses this may be great but as a first time player of this game, this port is proving incredibly off-putting. It's reminding me why I've avoided so many ports of other games in fear of this very problem, though. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of hate here from this post, but I honestly don't mean anything bad by my statements. I'm trying to provide my criticisms in hopes that the application will be improved. I want to like it, and I want for it to succeed and to have more great classics I never got around to come to the platform, but there are mistakes here - noticeable ones. They should be recognized(hopefully repaired) and learned from so as to produce even better products in the future. My intentions were not to bash the game or developers, but to give my opinions on what could use improvement. Anyway, now I'm going to get back to the game and try to enjoy it. If anyone has any suggestions for making the controls more bearable etc I would love to hear them though.
This game was one of the first RPGs I played as a kid... back when I was seven or eight. It's been over ten years now and this port absolutely brings me back. Honestly I can't understand all of the complaint about the controls because there are so many types offered that it SHOULD appease many people.... just how people are, I suppose. I really hope newcomers will pick it up, because this storyline has been one of the most endearing ones I've ever come across! And the difficulty is much higher than the PSP remake for sure ;D
I feel you, man. I love the game; it's just not loving me back in the same way. And one thing I wanted to add to my previous post is that during battles, if you're holding the device landscape, it can get really difficult to choose characters to heal or enemies to attack, etc. I'm constantly turning my phone back and forth -- far from an ideal way to play a game. But again, I'm really diggin' the game. It seems to have a lot in common with Chrono Trigger gameplay-wise, cool art reminiscent of Ys, and a jaw-dropping presentation, even today. Plus, I could swear I hear Yuri Lowenthal as the main character, though I may be mistaking him for someone else. Great game that needs some serious attention. No one should hate on the criticisms.
Alright so I'm back, I've got some more playtime under my belt and I've got a little more to say. First off, I've adapted a bit more to the controls. They're still far from perfect but they're more bearable now(especially outside of town. Houses are still really frustrating to navigate). I love the battle system(and difficulty) of the game so far and my only gripe about this is exactly what GeekyDad said. There are situations where tapping to select just doesn't work right because of something in front of/behind your intended target. A two-step selection process would do wonders for this(tap once to highlight, again to confirm). I'm really liking the game itself, but the issues I've already pointed out proved to be a big barrier to entry and I'd hate for people to be turned off by first impressions(and even moreso to be left with a bitter taste in their mouth about dropping $7 on a game they couldn't bear to get into - and I can see that as a possibility, especially in the smartphone market). I've given criticism, and I'm not going to say people should overlook that and instabuy the game. But I am going to say the game itself is good. The implementation is far from perfect, but if you're looking for a solid RPG and can bear with the flaws this is certainly a good choice.
I kinda agree with seil. I think instabuy, the control aren't perfect, but the flaws are fairly minor.
The joypad is growing on me too. Not perfect. It'll work though. As for your issue of wanting to know what items are without the prompt, put your finger on the item then drag it off to the side. You'll get the description without the prompt. I'd say my first priority in an update would be to get rid of the status bar. It does detract from the feeling of being immersed in the game. Second would be a fixed d-pad. Maybe even just a four directional one. I get the feeling that might be best for movement. Still, really enjoying this.
As far as I remember: the menu looks that way because that's what the menu looked like in the console game (also why I was able to just pick it up). I would believe that it wasn't changed for the nostalgia factor/keeping the game intact.
There were certain elements of the UI that the dev was expressly forbidden from changing by the owner of the IP, just so you know. I don't remember specifics but there was more than one time I made a UI change suggestion while testing and was told "sorry, can't change that because that is how it was in the original game". I'm pretty sure the status bar isn't one of those things though
