Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it. I'm...a little unclear what you mean by "ripoff"? That's generally used in a super negative connotation. MC is def inspired by and loosely draws on themes of retro gaming / some elements of Missile Command / and solitaire-style card play, but it's definitely not a "rip-off" or a straight up Missile Command clone. That's not what I was going for at all, which I hope is clear among players. This is a homage to a few different games and styles of play I loved as a kid. I was clearly inspired by that in its design, but the gameplay itself is a very different animal. Also that phrase "rip-off" implies I copied the exact game and/or am ripping players off, which I don't think that's what you mean? I'm a little confused. Anyway, glad you're digging it nonetheless? Cheers!
Presuming he's just playing off the whole "coming soon" thing in your sig. I guess? *shrugs* Duke 3D you say? Wow, that's crummy. I still love that game to death. This changes things a little bit. Regardless, glad you've taken the whole thing with stride and I say "**** the haters". You and iOS embracing each other is heartwarming and I honestly hope you constantly stick around these forums because your enthusiasm is infectious.
Thanks! I've been wanting to make iOS games for awhile, and now that I've got the pipeline sorted and have things setup, it's going to be a lot easier to put out new games in the future, which I'm stoked to do. I'm very interested in card game design in-particular, though some of my other projects lean towards the RPG/roguelike/horror/sci-fi side of things. I've got a few promising prototypes in the works and lots of design ideas I want to explore. If there's a welcome audience of folks on here who dig weird and unusual card games (which is seems like there is), then I'll be sticking around on the platform (and the forums, too, since its cool to connect with other card game fans and folks who seem to be into what I'm doing). I'm pretty approachable and happy to talk shop, so if anyone ever has Qs or is interested in indie dev and game design, I'm always cool with chatting and sharing. Cheers! -Nathan
I would gladly pay for an add-on or beefy update. I imagine most everyone who has posted here (and beyond) would feel the same.
L0ck, check out Monster Slayers if you haven't already (on Steam, not iOS). Also, Meteorfall in the upcoming iOS games forum. Nathan, a card-based sc-fi horror roguelike rpg sounds great.
I am still in the early stages and this is undoubtedly my new favorite game. The retro aesthetic, chiptune soundtrack, and card mechanism are all highly polished and thoroughly enjoyable. The design reminds me of some of the other indie developer titles, especially The Last Rocket by Shaun Inman. As it stands the game seems very well balanced with upgrades unlocked at a pace comparable to the challenges and diversity introduced through the successive stages. Many thanks to the developer for introducing this creative gem into circulation as it is a breath of fresh air among so many derivative offerings released each week. I hope that you continue in the same vein of thematic retro RPG card games.
Just got serie of 6 comets of 8 cards, other two were batteries. How iI'm supposed to counter this? Looks like MC is still a game of chance, http://imgur.com/a/M7Kcz
Well, it's a card game. Chance is supposed to play a huge role in the gameplay. Your pics show 30 cards left in your deck, so I'm curious how you've been managing previous cards...have you been going in all guns blazing, or are you skipping certain cards so that they go back into the deck?
This. It's not a puzzle game, it IS possible to have things just go south on you. But knowing the ratio of threats to guns to other stuff will help you put the odds more in your favor. Also, especially early on, realize those towns next to your main hub are filled with jerks and deserve to get blown up on occassion.
Hi there! Yeah, this happens from time-to-time, as the deck shuffles. Occasionally, you might get a rough deal, but there are some systems things and "training wheels" going on in the background for a few of the core game systems, so it's not all 100% random. For example, while hazard cards can pop up frequently, there can never be more than two on the conveyor at a given time. The only exception is when a hazard is on the conveyor and gets played on the same turn a new hazard gets dealt, but in general the system tries to limit it so you don't get clobbered too frequently, outside of rarer cases. Sometimes you might get a bad draw, but typically its possible to turn it around (most of the time). You'll always get dealt at least 1 defense/weapon card in the first hand, and the first move is always a free play, so that can help (when you get a decent starting card). Looks like you're still playing the first level and haven't unlocked any base abilities yet? Those will help you a ton! Base unlocks, once you slot them in, let you discard unwanted cards to power up special things like added base HP, an (incredibly useful) laser that gives you an extra shot every time you charge it up, deployable shields, etc. So the more you play (and win) the more XP you'll get to put towards unlocking those things. Being able to discard unwanted cards to put them to better use is a key strategy beyond the first base area. Collecting debris (whether your win a match or not) is cumulative, so that's another way to ease things. By unlocking cards to slightly modify your current base's deck, you get a few more chances, and some powerful abilities, to turn the tide when things get crazy. So yeah, there's still some RNG going on (which is intentional, given that it's a card game), but there are ways to combat that and some training wheels behind the scenes that guide play so it's not entirely a roll of the dice. Hope that helps! Cheers!
A bit of behind the scenes: Every base's core deck is different, but the ratio of hazards to defenses is actually always 1:1 for the most part. Where things get a bit crazy is the power and type of hazard/defense in each base core deck paired with the guided randomness of the draw -- getting the right card to tackle the right hazard every time would be too easy (and pretty boring), so it's the random elements of what hazard/defenses get drawn when, mixed with the unpredictability of WHERE those hazards will deploy on the grid when they drop that makes things pretty wild and crazy (And fun, to me, at least). But I did spent a lot of time tuning and tinkering with the numbers and loadouts to try to keep things pretty challenging but not impossible across each base/deck. Things get WAY harder past the first base, but the more you play and get a feel for the strategies and start unlocking cards/base defense abilities, those give you tools to survive. I think a lot of players start off feeling that the first base is pretty tough, esp as they work to get a feel for the game. It is, at first, but by the time you beat it and get to future bases, that starting section starts to feel a LOT easier/simpler as the challenge ramps up constantly. That's one thing I've enjoyed the most about designing the game then playing through it myself once it was all tuned. I'm an expert player (because I've played the darned thing over a thousand times easily), so those early first two levels are zzZZZzz to me now, but the rest of the game can still be challenging enough (though beatable) to keep me on my toes. Glad to hear folks are having fun with it!
One helpful strategy if people struggle with the harder bases: If you find yourself getting clobbered too often, try focusing your style of play on survival vs collecting. That'll help with just winning matches. But if you're doing a score chase run, then it's better to focus on that vs trying to do it all at once. You can also always go back and play a few matches on the earlier/easier bases to get XP and debris for unlocks. That's sort of why I put the bonus missions there: so you have incentive to go back and master them if you want, or just have something else to shoot for if you need to collect stuff for unlocks.
Thanks. I already unlocked second base, but still cant unlock any base abilities as the game progression is slow. So you balanced the game for players who got them? Well, that's ok, but it can discouradge the beginners. I'd suggest some balancing so you can't get 4 comets in a row, for example. I never had such problems in Card Thief, Card Crawl. Somehow thise games don't oppress me with suicidal missions
I just had a great run on the first base and got 23 pieces of debri using the debri multiplier. There is a surprising amount of strategy to this game. I'm at the third base now and I use different load outs for each match depending on my goal. High score, survival or debri collection. Unlocking the cards really opens up the game.
The progression is a little slow in the beginning but after you get a couple base upgrades and a card or two, it does speed up. If you stick with it, you will be rewarded. I only have 22 total wins and I have 8 base upgrades and 4 cards. At this rate, I'm going to run out of upgrades in a couple days. As far as unlucky card draws, I just restart. It's like a game of solitaire. It can be frustrating but some games just can't be won.
