Hi Steve, Loving the game. I play solo only and found your comments re 1 player interesting. There was a recent interview on Pocket Tactics where Campfire Creations who developed the Stone Age app found that "the vast majority of people continue to play Stone Age (and Ive seen from other interviews with other companies) that the vast majority of Apple users play solo." So I feel that you are spot on in developing the solo campaign.
Solo Campaign Love that idea if you need any help with brainstorming, polishing or whatever, let me know. And - depending on the size and quality of it, of course - at least I would make it DLC with a pricetag.
I think at first the campaign is a challenge, you want to go up in level, get the gold, and not have your ass handed to you in the two player. Once the campaign is over its over and then the two player becomes invaluable. Doing the achievements was a nice little challenge at first too.
And FYI I need to disagree COMPLETELY with the 2 player thing. I play mainly solo, but that's just because of the crap game centre connection and no other players in the lobby when I want to play. Long term, imagine if the game had its own server, and became more of a social meet up with in game chat etc, then I feel strongly you'd not be concentrating on solo play. Single player campaigns will always be limited, they have a finishing line, finito! Online play is open ended and a much bigger market. I've nagged Mike plenty about ideas like using cards or gold as stakes to give the online games more of a gambling feel, would make it exciting if you have something to really win or lose. Then there's games like Mystery Manor, where the community aspect really takes over. You visit people's Manors, check out their collections, get jealous, try and trade with them, chat on their walls, organise meet ups..... The people playing solo campaigns will all be back here when their campaigns are finished saying the same thing. Don't limit yourself!
The campaign I am working on just uses special cards that only the AI has access to. These cards are indestructible, have no colour and start in play on the AI's side. (So yes, they use up a slot) Lower level AI decks won't use them. Higher level ones will use nastier upgraded versions of such cards, or even multiple copies of them, or combinations of them. They will make each level more of a puzzle, more of a challenge, and in many cases a careful and thoughtful designed deck is required to win. Your "Kill AI Deck 1" won't take you through all the levels They will play out something like the various challenge Achievements do now. Example cards (simple ones): Enchanted Glade I : Each turn creates and plays 1 random Forest aura Enchanted Glade II : Each turn creates and plays 2 random Forest auras Kraken's Eye I : Each turn destroys an opponent's card costing 2 or less Kraken's Eye II: Each turn destroys an opponent's card costing 3 or less As you can see, the 2nd example in particular, demands quite a specific deck design to beat. It will be fun. Steve @ ThreeGoblins
A question for you all, if I may. Which is your preference about the contents of the computer AI decks? (1) I prefer them fixed and I want them to be the same each time I face them so I can test my deck design consistently (2) I prefer them to keep a theme but mix it up a little. (3) Don't care, mix it up. Want a different fight every time Thanks Steve @ ThreeGoblins
2) themed but mix it up a bit, is my vote. Mix it up and in accordance with the level. Isn't that what currently happens? Can I quickly flip the question briefly and ask, what currently happens at the moment anyway, if not that? I've noticed that they get a little harder as you go up but haven't got far enough to really tell the underlying difference. I think the answer is gonna come down to what challenges people the most. This will be the best. If its a straight up mix up, but the AI deck has no unison, then I'd think these would be a easy knock over. That's why I think themed, to help keep unison, but mix up both to use more difficult cards, and whatever the AI uses well. By the latter part, I say that because I've noticed there are things the AI doesn't do so great, like wastes away cards, here and there.
3. I want a different game every time. I often choose my games by closing my eyes and rotating the iPad so I get a surprise. I also find the latest AI makes illogical moves, like putting out aura eliminators as a first card when the board is empty. I don't mind that each area has a similar deck every time, so do I, but I find it a bit tedious that they come out in the same order every time whereas mine is always jumbled up. Eg Bloodfire peaks, all the flame spikes and meteors are coming out first, so whatever you lay is sacrificial, whether I win or lose become almost entirely down to luck of the draw rather than skill. I'd like the AI to have more variety in the draw. One other thing that always bugs me slightly, although I can't see a way round it, is that you know what trap has been laid by how many points were spent. If the AI lays a trap and three points went, you know it's a Lost At Sea so you know how to get round it.
Actually I'm really interested in how the AI is made in general. How many decks does Bloodfire peaks have? I'd guess at 4 or 5 but also think they are similar in order.
2.5? I want a different fight everytime but expect there to still be some thematic limits based on the deck colors. All I can say for sure is NOT 1! My biggest pet peeve in practically all CCG games with AI is that silly unfair fact that, if I've fought this opponent before, I'll have a damn good idea of what they have in their deck and can just whip up a deck to specifically counter their deck. If I had less of a precise idea of what to expect, while I still might be able to tailor it a bit toward the region's predominant mana type and will have a rough idea of my opponent's quality (a low level grunt with all commons or some scary elite guy with scads of rares), the real specifics should remain a mystery beforehand.
I vote for 2, with a very similar opinion to LordGek: I like it that I can test deck designs against the AI, because I know what to expect from a certain stage. If the general theme stayed the same, with some variations, that might actually be an improvement. Random mode (3) sounds a bit too odd. And you would still need to set parameters, which cards / factions the AI can pick. If you make it truly random, you run the risk of getting a lot of really crappy combinations for the AI decks. I did not notice what Cat describes, that the AI's card order is always more or less the same. @Goblins: Is her observation correct? If yes, changing the AI to use the same draw mechanism as players would be a good improvement. To all the players here: Whenever we notice the AI doing something odd, that needs improvement, can we report that here? I know I do not do that enough myself, but really want to start it. First one coming right up: Against Cat's beloved Bloodfire Peaks, I found that the AI quite often goes total overkill, e.g. blasting the 0-point Rats away with a 4-point Meteor. A human player just wouldn't do that, as it wastes a powerful card against cannon fodder.
Sorry guys, don't know if this has been discussed before, but i just downloaded the game and all i can see is a screen where says "Syncing, may take several minutes...Attempt (and a number follows)". It's almost 30 minutes i'm waiting, thinking about something gone wrong Could you please help me? (iPhone 5 32gb) Thanks very much!!! Edit: someway i got to the main menu, and made my first tutorial game. Now i want to buy a card pack for 100 coins but when i confirm the purchase nothing happens!
Because you are only playing with 30% of the complete card set. When more come out you really won't be that sure any more. Steve @ ThreeGoblins Edit : especially when we get to Jungle eventually, whose theme is traps
Yep. That observation is incorrect, it uses the same rules as players. (The same code actually!) Deck is shuffled just the same. The only differences are the contents of a deck - it can break the max of 4 copies of any card rule and the max of 2 factions rule. In play it has no special,advantages, cheats or anything else whatsoever. To an observer it may well appear it like it always draws the same card, if it always tends to use similar cards for similar situations. The thing is you can't see the cards it didn't play. As for noticing oddities in computer play, I am aware it could be improved, ad-infinitum. But it's not designed to be perfect. That's why it's fast. If it makes the occasional funny move that is fine. If it's a really utterly stupid move then I would like to know about it. Cheers Steve@ThreeGoblins
Steve please, could you kindly tell me how can I purchase card packs? Unfortunately, when I click to buy them nothing happens. I tried with the 100 coins I have at the beginning to buy the undead pack. Thanks for the help!!
Do you still have the 100 coins ? Is it syncing ok now? Probably best to contact us via the website. I live in Japan so won't be able to respond here as its night now, but the other 2 are in Europe. Steve@ThreeGoblins.
Hi Capro, a few pages back we discussed a list of settings and things to help, make sure you read the FAQ on the News link too. Any probs, email the goblins via the website and they get back to you real fast. X
