iPad The Necronomicon Horror : Card Game - by Lucidsphere Media

Discussion in 'iPhone and iPad Games' started by ImNoSuperMan, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. mwhite67

    mwhite67 Well-Known Member

    Apr 3, 2010
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    Overall I enjoyed the game, but I think the final battle and university parts need to be fleshed out a little better. The university part just felt like chutes and ladders or something, and the final battle involves no strategy whatsoever. You just take turns rolling dice which kind of feels uneventful. It would be nice if maybe during the course of the game you amassed offensive and defensive spells you could use against the end boss and in turn he would use spells against you. as it is now it's pretty much luck of the draw.
     
  2. SHutch01

    SHutch01 Well-Known Member

    May 26, 2010
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    #42 SHutch01, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    Really sleepy, so just a quick few more impressions tonight:

    - art is A+
    - music and sound is A+
    - theme is awesome
    - card game part of the game is pretty good, a bit too easy for the player vs. the monsters
    - MU library board game UI needs changes, it is far too cumbersome and counter-intuitive. Rolling the die is sometimes hard to do, you can't see what paths are open very easily, some rooms don't need to be explored but you can't tell which, etc. It almost seems like it would be better to have to scroll around rather than fit that whole area on one iPhone screen. Also it would be nice if the investigators were not just white sillouettes in that part. Takes me out of the mood to see that, which is a shame when the rest of the game sets the mood so perfectly.

    - Battle at the end is too simplistic and easy, and could do with some animation or other feedback to spice it up.

    I don't mean to be overly critical, I still like the game and will play it as is. I just mostly like the card part for now. Would be great to see the board game and final battle aspects fleshed out more in an update sometime.

    Thanks for listening!

    Edit to add: I love mwhite67's idea of adding a little character development in there. Perhaps select 1 of your investigators from the card game for the final challenge and give them access to spells and/or weapons based on what they collected in game. Pie in the sky thinking, and I know you guys were torn between getting this out the door and making it your dream game, so hopefully we'll get some of these features in at a later date. As it is the game is still enjoyable for any HPL or horror fan.
     
  3. mekanikal fiend

    mekanikal fiend Well-Known Member

    Sep 9, 2010
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  4. dyscode

    dyscode Well-Known Member

    Apr 11, 2010
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    The number is more like an approximation, so asides from the tools, dictionaries and Music apps, I need everyday,
    these are definite permanents so far:

    - Galaxy of Fire 2
    - Kometen
    - Cat Rides The AstroBus
    - Jet Cars Stunts
    - Meow Meow Happy Fight
    - Mirrors Edge
    - Solomons Keep/Boneyard
    - Hungry Shark
    - iTraceur
    - geoDefense
    - Wheeler`s Treasure
     
  5. Chocolate

    Chocolate Well-Known Member

    Jan 10, 2010
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    #45 Chocolate, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    Hmm. I love, LOVE Lovecraft and the art style looks amazing. Not a card game fan, but a good game is a good game, and I'm open minded.

    Added to my wish list.

    QUESTIONS for people who bought it:

    1) Is this high in replayability?
    2) Is there a storyline as you play?

    Would like to see a Lite version to try it first (mainly because I'm not usually into card games).
     
  6. dyscode

    dyscode Well-Known Member

    Apr 11, 2010
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    #46 dyscode, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    I am also NOT a TCG / card game fan and if you mention Magic the Gathering in my presence you can see me puke. Put this one really hooked me.
    There will be add. cards to unlock as you go and since it´s a card game, each game will be very different.

    There is a storyline culminating in the ultimate battle. So there is an end to the game.
    As the nature of card games, I think the replay value is very high.
    But only time will really tell.
     
  7. dyscode

    dyscode Well-Known Member

    Apr 11, 2010
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    There seems to be a bug in the first game screen where you can (accidentally) call up 2 cards but can only close one. Resulting in the remaining card to block the view on all menus.

    anyone else has this?
     
  8. FPE

    FPE Well-Known Member

    Sep 25, 2010
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    Before I click buy ... Will it be once universal or you plan an HD.? Since I only have an iPad .....
     
  9. olio

    olio Well-Known Member

    May 5, 2010
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    Game Impressions

    In essence the game is Dungeon Solitaire with dice-rolling resolving ties in the battle, and with two added dice-based parts: Campus and the Final Battle. You cumulate turns by playing cards on the Main Board and use those turns to search items in Campus so you can enter the Final Battle.

    Few oddities I've encountered:
    Couple of times I've drawn a card from the deck and after viewing it full screen, it just vanishes. Also, when you draw a card and then exit to the main screen and then continue your game, the card you just draw has disappeared and your deck count is still one down, as in "the card is not re-shuffled back in the deck, it just disappears".

    I've also seen the full screen picture of card staying in the screen until you exit and re-enter the game -bug others have mentioned. It seems that when you draw a new card and view it in full screen and the accidentally tap a card already on your board, beneath the full screen you're just viewing, the program opens that board card in the full screen, but fails to close the first card you're viewing. (Hope that makes sense :))

    Can you boost an ally already boosted? There's no indicator that your ally is boosted. Also sometimes it feels that the weapon values don't add correctly to your allies. Is there a way to vies what you've equipped your allies with?

    I have hard time to see when the Cthulhu Tzolkin is breaking up.

    Few Campus-related things:
    When you want to investigate the Library in Campus, it only works if you go out of it and then back in.
    I got all the items, but no text screen what I should do with them, not until I later came back to Campus.
    Why can't I access Campus from the Main Game Board?
    The Dice is unresponsive at times, especially in Campus screen.
    After you've moved in Campus, you can press the exit and then get back to Campus. This way you'll start in the Library, and you won't be having the random encounter you'd have if you use the "End Turn" button.


    All that said, I can see great potential in this game. The Campus and Final Battle are now very bare-boned experiences, but like someone mentioned before, putting one of your investigators in the Final Battle with items you've collected would be great. You'd had to make decision of getting better equipment against the time you have left before the time of mankind ends.

    Also the cards and achievements you get when you finish the game or do certain combos will keep me playing the game already in this form :)

    And, excellent sound and visual designing. It really adds to the atmosphere!
     
  10. ProfitOfDoom

    ProfitOfDoom Well-Known Member

    Nov 2, 2010
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    Just took a drive down Omg Boulevard, and checked myself into the Instabuy hotel!!!:D
     
  11. dyscode

    dyscode Well-Known Member

    Apr 11, 2010
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    Game Impressions

    totally second this.
    I also think the loading time are much too long!

    But yes, def a great app already! Now make it excellent, Dustin!:D
     
  12. mwhite67

    mwhite67 Well-Known Member

    Apr 3, 2010
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    The game crashed on me when loading the video after defeating the final battle. I am using a jailbroken 3GS on 4.1, and yes, I paid for the game.
     
  13. lazypeon

    lazypeon Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    Enjoying it so far, but a little confused as to the second 'exploration' part. It's not clear what, if any, effect it has on the rest of the game and as far as I can tell, you can't actually lose at that point.

    I was also a bit confused how the card game phase ended and the exploration began. Lastly, I would agree that the end fight could be spiced up. Without reading the rules, I thought that maybe there was some advantage to quickly winning the card game phase quickly, like I got to take the remainder of the deck into the final battle or something.

    Just some thoughts :) Definitely fun so far, especially if you're a fan of Dungeon Solitaire.
     
  14. vklymenko

    vklymenko Well-Known Member

    Jun 23, 2010
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    Europe
    #54 vklymenko, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    supports 3.1.2 - 4.1

    hi all !
    the game supports all firmwares from 3.1.2 to 4.1 (including iPad 3.2)

    here you can order fixes ; )
    http://necronomicon.forum-motion.com/tech-support-f1/fixes-for-11-fill-the-list-of-whats-annoying-you-and-we-will-fix-t19.htm#56

    to go away from crashs, small tip: you should complete base card game first, then go to board game and then to final battle. Crash is more possible if to switch between screens very often as far it is like 3 games in one.
    be sure, everything will be fixed in updates ; )
     
  15. olio

    olio Well-Known Member

    May 5, 2010
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    #55 olio, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    This quote made me think that can you really lose the game when the Cthulhu Tzolkin breaks? It just'd be great if it would add to the tension of the game, forcing the player to make a hard decision when to enter the final battle. But if you can just complete the base game first without any danger, then that's doesn't happen.

    One quite annoying thing I stumbled upon:
    If you go into dice-battle in the tie with your ally and the monster, and you just press the "Roll the Dice" button in the lower right corner, you automatically win. You don't even see the rolled numbers, just instantly win. So it's an auto-win button, which makes the game less enjoyable. Or maybe I'm just lucky and haven't yet lost a battle using that.


    EDIT: As it turned out, I was just very lucky for a while :D
     
  16. vklymenko

    vklymenko Well-Known Member

    Jun 23, 2010
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    Lead programmer/Producer
    Europe
    #56 vklymenko, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    Hi olio!

    there is a dice on this screen, which can be rolled,
    so in common there are 2 options:

    1. roll dice
    2. skip

    if you want to see result of the battle you should spin the dice (right-center) and if you want just close this screen with auto-result - use skip. In both cases you're not automaticly winning, game calculates results depend on dices which both cards have. e.g. 1D4 means random 1-4, 1D8 - random number 1-8, if you have weapons etc - it will be +N bonus to your result, in case you're rolling dice - the result will be showen near cards on the screen.
    (plz check the video from 0:35)
     
  17. dyscode

    dyscode Well-Known Member

    Apr 11, 2010
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    #57 dyscode, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    Just on a side note:

    in generally I presumed the gameplay would be a little different:
    like you make your way across the campus and encounter different enemies which you must defeat by playing out cards against them and they play their set.
    Essentially the Explore stage with the CG stage popping up in between thus advancing in the story.

    I am not very experienced with CG. I only enjoyed Arcadia from White Wolf so far, which, how surprisingly, plays out like described above.

    So the `Soltaire gameplay" was a bit underwhelming for me at first because I lead myself astray to expect something else. Maybe also more in the ways of Bloodbowl board game. More `action` in total.
    But I also freely admit, that I get only half of the game at best, so I might be missing something.
    But I love it already.

    just like to share some more thoughts,
    :D
     
  18. vklymenko

    vklymenko Well-Known Member

    Jun 23, 2010
    331
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    Lead programmer/Producer
    Europe
    #58 vklymenko, Nov 4, 2010
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2010
    all questions to Dustin about storyline : ) I am advising mostly on technical tips as far I see the game from programming side :D
     
  19. polycontrale

    polycontrale Well-Known Member

    Nov 29, 2008
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    Just want to agree with most of what's been posted so far.

    The art and sound are great (and I appreciated the audio more when I took the time to actually listen to it).

    The exploration and final battle stages seem really tacked on and unfinished. In the exploration, there's no real penalty. You just move and move until you find the pieces you need and finish. In the final battle, all you do is take turns rolling dice. You could almost cut both of these out of the game completely as they currently stand and have the game feel more satisfying.

    I've also had the cards getting stuck on screen then losing them bug (iPhone 4, 4.1). Exiting the app and restarting it makes the stuck card go away, so you can still finish the game, but the card is lost.

    Investigators definitely need some sort of indicators as to what has been used on them or can still be used on them. While you can obviously tell when you can't play a card on one (since it doesn't light up and allow you to do so), there's no indicator or explanation as to why. It's easy to forget what you've already played on top of or underneath which cards, so more info is needed. Maybe icons added to the front or the back of the cards? And a better explanation as to what type and how many can be played on each one.


    I'm hoping most of this will be fixed in updates. The sound, art, and theme are already ahead of Dungeon Solitaire. Some things just need fixing and polishing.
     
  20. pablo6630

    pablo6630 Well-Known Member

    Mar 18, 2010
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    why this not work on iphone 3G?game exit after few seconds:(
     

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