UPDATE: This game is now called Starcassonne. ------------------------ Original post: I'm currently working on a Carcassonne-style game for the iPhone called Xeno Sola. It's a slight twist on the traditional game. Tiles can be lifted if not claimed or part of a complete structure. You place bets on structures to get more points back. And the game is set in an Anime space theme. -------------------------
Thanks. Development is going really smoothly. I'm currently putting together the tutorial, which will be fairly in depth -- about on par with the complexity of the XBLA Carcassonne tutorial.
Hey you're the dev for Shogi Chess also... any way to put contact info on your website for both games? This one has it for music but it'd be great to have one for questions
I love Carcassonne! It's deffinetly one of my favorite board games. Once it came out for the 360, I was in heaven. My wife and I play it all the time, it's great fun, and a great time waster. Deffinetly excited for this game.
The XBLA version is actually how I found out about Carcassonne. It was a free promo game one week. I got hooked and decided that I'd try my hand at making my own game like it. The PC version I put together was pretty solid but lacked a tutorial. So newcomers got confused. For the iPhone version, I have a nice, thorough tutorial to show people how to play. I think once people catch onto how it works, they see how much fun it is.
I will be wrapping this game up and submitting it to Apple this week. Any feelings on an appropriate price? Let's say you're browsing around in the app store.... does $0.99 seem like a bargain or make it seem cheap? Does $1.99 discourage you from checking it out?
I enjoy Carcasonne, and your take on it interests me, but anything higher than $0.99 would turn me off, simply because of the anime graphics. Sorry.
Lol. No need to apologize. Is why I asked. Out of curiosity, what theme would appeal better than anime?
I actually really like the anime style, I'm not sure why people don't like it. I'd happily pay $1.99 for this but I think that maybe a $0.99 introduction price would be good?
Cool. Ya, I'm not sure what it is with anime.... a lot of people hate it, a lot love it. It's fairly popular in my area, so that was part of why I went with it. I'm never sure on the price. If you start at $1.99 then drop to $0.99, you show up in the new releases list twice. $0.99 perhaps gives you a better shot at popularity from the get go... so I dunno!
I believe you also show up in the new releases list each time you update the game. I may be incorrect, but it seems like it.
One of my favorite games of all times. If the game holds true to the original (I notice that you can change the liftable tiles off) then I'll give it a glowing review on the appstore
That's the trouble with anime. There's no gray area, people either hate it or love. Unfortunately, I hate it, but I do love Carcassonne. I used to play in on the 360 quite frequently, as that is where I was introduced to it. If the game has a great set of features (global leaderboard, online multiplayer, multiple customizable settings etc) I will disregard the fact that anime is in it
I think I would prefer a more western style of art, the best example I can think of is the concept art for Mass Effect. That sort of hard sci-fi painterly look.
The portraits seem to be a relatively small aspect of the game so while I'm not a fan of anime style I could easily overlook it. I'm more concerned with the overall production values of the entire game-- a balanced and fun design with good AI and lots of replayability, consistent art direction, solid menu design, tight controls and lots of player feedback (effects, fanfare, etc.) Though I'm a big fan of Carcassonne, if I ran into this game in the AppStore I'd probably pass based on the screenshots for a few reasons: 1. It seems like you put the art investment into getting those portraits made whereas the rest of the game looks very utilitarian. 2.The comic font and the portraits feel disconnected from the Carcassone game design. The splash screen is a non-sequitor...it is not evocative of the gameplay at all. You're focusing on characters when the city/space-station building is the core of the game. 3. "Tile placement game" does not sound interesting or evocative. Perhaps something like Xeno Sola: Cities In Space. Something to give potential customers a remote idea of the game play. The bottom line is that I would not expect a Carcassonne-esque game from what you've presented so far. Something to think about, but also realize that you can't please everyone. I personally gravitate more to a 1950's retro sci-fi or even steampunk look, but it's not my game. Either of those art directions are just as potentially alienating to an audience.
I appreciate all the feedback. I did drop the "Tile Placement Game" subtitle. Images online simply haven't been updated to the game's current state. I do agree the title doesn't let a potential app store browser on to what the game is... I've considered changing the title, but for the moment am sticking with it. Nothing has struck me as better fit. Voodoo is correct that you show up in the new releases list with every update to your game. In some ways, it's a cheat to the system -- old games can show up and replace new games in the list. It rewards iteration, for sure, but also forces developers to do their own patching to keep up. My other game, Mini Shogi will be patched later this week, for example. I expect to see another downloads spike when I do. Anywho, game should be submitted this week. I'll post new screen caps and info when I do.
Well I believe I've played all (or at least most) versions of Carcassonne in real life (boardgames). I own Hunter's and Gather's..and gave away original. After playing the City one I was really tempted but it was $25 so I passed although I'd say that's my favorite version. Most people get confused about the farmer rule so some especially beginners you should probably play without it. Only version I've played computer version is quite a bit of is the free java version here. $1 I'd check it out...I already got burned once spending $2 on Stroll Garden (yes I know not version of Carcassonne) so was kinda ticked about that. If Hey that's my fish has a space mining (mining bots) theme then heck why can't carcassone have a anime theme.
Put it at 1.99$ check for a day-two how it goes, then drop the price if you're not satisfied. Once you start at 0.99$ it will be difficult to increase the price, people will get all excited about the game and then they want to buy it - 1.99$ instead of 0.99$. That will turn lots of people away. Try to give promos to iPhone app sites so they can review it, esp. Toucharcade.
