tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38700730724918949632024-02-22T13:53:13.445-08:00King of Dragon PassDeveloping King of Dragon Pass for iOSDavid Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-72248901916381939342021-08-15T17:25:00.001-07:002021-08-15T17:38:15.371-07:00KoDP on the web: 50 Years of Text Games / Storylets with Casting<p> Emily Short <a href="https://emshort.blog/2021/08/15/mid-august-link-assortment-5/">just posted</a></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em;"></p><blockquote><p style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(26, 26, 26); color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em;">Aaron Reed’s 50 Years of Text Games has now covered <a href="https://if50.substack.com/p/1999-king-of-dragon-pass" style="box-shadow: currentcolor 0px 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #007acc; text-decoration: none;">King of Dragon Pass</a>, which I strongly recommend reading: the game used techniques that we’re still very much exploring and discussing now, including elements we might now refer to as storylets with casting (that is, storylets that assign characters to particular roles). Well worth a look if you’re interested in the structure, code, or writing process of that game, or storylet games in general. </p><p></p></blockquote><p>First, Aaron did a very well researched look at King of Dragon Pass. If you’re at all interested in how we made the game (and how our effort at selling it was received), <a href="https://if50.substack.com/p/1999-king-of-dragon-pass">check it out</a>.</p><p>Second, Emily’s categorization seems pretty accurate. Our scenes (a term we used because of their similarity to scenes in a play) would now be considered storylets, and they’re chock full of assignable roles. In many cases, that role is a clan (a neighbor, a rival, an ally, etc.). It can also be a character.</p><p>Often the role is a requirement for the scene to be run. The scene condition is in square brackets on the second line of this script, the actual assignment is on line 4.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">scene: scene_228LetsPretend</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">scene228, left, [ProDragonewtOnRing AND dragonewt.knowledge <> 'unknown]</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">music: "CouldBeBad"</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">p = ProDragonewtCharacter</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">text: Two children have been pretending to be the god Orlanth and Aroka, the blue dragon. Somehow, their play has gone beyond pretend, and magic is gathering, almost as if they were on a heroquest.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">saga: Somehow two children playing at Orlanth and Aroka started a full-blown ritual.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">…</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">[ProDragonewt Priority] The children may learn draconic wisdom from this experience. [1]</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">[Trickster AND ProDragonewtOnRing] Good one, <p>! [1]</p><div><br /></div><div>This is a fairly typical script. The scene is richer if there’s a named leader who can be involved, and in general, we favor choosing leaders who are on the clan ring. Players have typically had an opportunity to learn a bit about their personality (as well as have invested in them as a representative of the clan). The advisor is curious to know about the summoned dragon, and another character offers a rejoinder.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF05FyGvzGCJuXM4PEjM6WmgP_oYDMI55_1igdWawim2NpTV9tqEgPvnUBedvaxhyCoYg-WrdtpYu6pNcFfx_pySyYG7LhgAvseK6JkD9G0U5Lkjb6bDWefXzmHZoU-C9wwO9Ye1G9ZvFt/s480/scene228.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF05FyGvzGCJuXM4PEjM6WmgP_oYDMI55_1igdWawim2NpTV9tqEgPvnUBedvaxhyCoYg-WrdtpYu6pNcFfx_pySyYG7LhgAvseK6JkD9G0U5Lkjb6bDWefXzmHZoU-C9wwO9Ye1G9ZvFt/w320-h180/scene228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(This scene was created by Lysander Xen as part of <a href="https://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/10/scene-contest-winners.html">our contest</a>, so it’s technically not part of the version Aaron was describing. The illustration is by Jan Pospíšil.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Note that KoDP’s spiritual successor, <a href="https://sixages.com">Six Ages</a>, also makes use of storylets. A <a href="https://blog.sixages.com/index.php/2020/11/05/not-branching/">blog post</a> goes into more detail. But pretty much it’s the technique we pioneered in 1997.</div>David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-51094464855459525362018-10-16T11:40:00.002-07:002018-10-16T11:40:57.421-07:00Farewell, GregLast Friday I got the sad <a href="https://mailchi.mp/chaosium/ab-chaos-the-chaosium-newsletter-562165?e=2064f98fa0">news that Greg Stafford had passed on</a>.<br />
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My first reaction was that I’d never be able to talk to my friend again. I think that really speaks to who Greg was — not just a wildly creative person who I collaborated with on <a href="http://a-sharp.com/kodp/" style="font-style: italic;">King of Dragon Pass</a>, and who taught me so much.<br />
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My first indirect interaction with Greg was in 1976 or 1977 when I bought his board game W<i>hite Bear & Red Moon</i> and sent in the registration card. He sent a copy of his mimeographed zine, <i>Wyrms Footnotes</i>.<br />
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A few years later, I sent him a cult writeup for <i>RuneQuest</i>. As I recall, it was more concerned with game effects than mythology, which he gently pointed out in a reply.<br />
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I probably met him in person after that, at a game convention. I don’t remember the specifics, but I know that he was a designer who I could like in person, not just for his works. (Unfortunately, this wasn’t true for every game designer.)<br />
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A later convention memory is playing a game of <i>Pendragon</i> which he was running, remembering one of the rules better than he (the author) did. That was a lesson in how the story is the important thing.<br />
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We had a fairly extensive correspondence, back in the days of mailing letters. This was usually related to Glorantha or his games. I suspect it was mostly me asking questions. It often ended up with Greg sending something he’d written.<br />
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When Greg wrote <i>King of Sartar</i>, he sent me parts of it for feedback. I think this is when I conceived the idea of combining his world of Glorantha with a multi-generational game, like <i>Pendragon</i>. The next time I was in northern California, he let me visit the Chaosium offices and make xerox copies of any of his relevant notes.<br />
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Our correspondence and convention meetings started to discuss making this into a computer game. As we got more serious, I flew down to meet him. He picked me up at the airport, having rented a car so that he could.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsyDUuBGr4Oz42Nx4iO7ha5r3sdzWZQ8ysTdwKLUShJl1PJgXYdbo52Nc8EG7aPCqB6VFCEAhDrIz-u7GUFuWZ5_nd801l8kKeahyphenhyphen9fr2oyGYNlAh9vmplT2Zku5VC6aR1LszrhY9u8yS/s1600/noble8y.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsyDUuBGr4Oz42Nx4iO7ha5r3sdzWZQ8ysTdwKLUShJl1PJgXYdbo52Nc8EG7aPCqB6VFCEAhDrIz-u7GUFuWZ5_nd801l8kKeahyphenhyphen9fr2oyGYNlAh9vmplT2Zku5VC6aR1LszrhY9u8yS/s1600/noble8y.png" /></a>We agreed on terms for the contract, which were very reasonable from my point of view. One of the most important issues was the freedom I had to make the game. I was worried about being second-guessed for getting Glorantha wrong, but Greg was totally willing to trust me with his creation.<br />
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As for the actual contract, Greg didn’t like how legalese my lawyer’s draft was, and rewrote much of it to be more clear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyYRqKSBS1io6-UTAiloLcLAj_tJVNrevkDQZjA5_PKkmdYm5eFhcWuqekQF_-iL9YQv4VC7w6QIbxdsEeREIdKaXdiVQ33PjMDFyLKWW-Wr7y5qDpEZs1O5U0xMV0WSajwjP_-76Q66a/s1600/noble8m.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyYRqKSBS1io6-UTAiloLcLAj_tJVNrevkDQZjA5_PKkmdYm5eFhcWuqekQF_-iL9YQv4VC7w6QIbxdsEeREIdKaXdiVQ33PjMDFyLKWW-Wr7y5qDpEZs1O5U0xMV0WSajwjP_-76Q66a/s1600/noble8m.png" /></a>During the game’s development, we had a weekly call. Greg usually had way more ideas than I could use, but always just put them out as possibilities.<br />
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The one point of approval we’d agreed on was art. We faxed illustrations for several weeks, until Greg finally told me that he no longer needed to approve them. Once again he was giving me a lot of trust, at a time when my game was going to be one of the only Glorantha products in print.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC7An4T-SXf011a5FFZcUFP2VYD_iXG2TZLuqSvCLirePMlghYdNlH3ZTVQIyQSwukKouch6VKHtzbqvGZncEnSo6b3gk-ZcsBQGSF0CS2Q29YLEfzFnTnTgfe6tuMOouZVbdBSL2Qp3p/s1600/noble8o.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC7An4T-SXf011a5FFZcUFP2VYD_iXG2TZLuqSvCLirePMlghYdNlH3ZTVQIyQSwukKouch6VKHtzbqvGZncEnSo6b3gk-ZcsBQGSF0CS2Q29YLEfzFnTnTgfe6tuMOouZVbdBSL2Qp3p/s1600/noble8o.png" /></a><br />
We both tried to pitch it to publishers. We went to a Computer Game Developers Conference. On the way over, Greg expressed his doubts about the quality of the coffee that would be available, so I had to drive around to find a Starbuck’s for him.<br />
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Other convention memories include how he always preferred t-shirts with a pocket, and how at one Tentacles, he shared a bottle of excellent mezcal someone had given him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyhvfb5DQFKcWO9kVawxJ38fw4xe-PR7pGRWeTymlzMtRCiwh_Qb1wgtW1_GyCWk_wLobvEgdXQsBxLQactbOWrDosc9aVZWPSsoiYb6fBMQsTD1sFpsNHBhh4AlbhuSdfBIrYyrBrvm-/s1600/P000402.jpg.tentacles99.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyhvfb5DQFKcWO9kVawxJ38fw4xe-PR7pGRWeTymlzMtRCiwh_Qb1wgtW1_GyCWk_wLobvEgdXQsBxLQactbOWrDosc9aVZWPSsoiYb6fBMQsTD1sFpsNHBhh4AlbhuSdfBIrYyrBrvm-/s320/P000402.jpg.tentacles99.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg (left) and me (center) at Tentacles 1999</td></tr>
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When Greg started a new company to publish Glorantha, Greg asked me to be part of it. I tried to help him as best I could. I’m not really sure I discharged my duties all that well, though I did what I could to resolve an unpleasant dispute. At one point the company needed a loan, which I was happy to give to a friend. Greg made sure to repay it when he could.<br />
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As for running a business, I know he was always honest. He once told me that if you had to cheat on your taxes, you didn’t deserve to be running a company.<br />
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Although most of what I’ve written is about playing and making games with Greg, he was also someone I could confide in about family problems, or share a good meal with. And one visit, we were on the way somewhere and he ended up hanging out with a kid who’d gotten hurt, until the emergency responders had showed up and Greg was sure the kid was in good hands.<br />
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I haven’t been able to get to many conventions lately, and Greg had retired. He was still willing to give me some ideas for <i><a href="https://sixages.com/">Six Ages</a></i>.<br />
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Thank you Greg for all you’ve given me over the years. I literally wouldn’t have had any kind of game development career without you. Or have branched out my interests into mythology and anthropology without you having made games informed by them. And maybe wouldn’t have had a tlayuda or mezcal. Best wishes on your final trip to the Other Side.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-50757951244126068962017-10-28T10:44:00.002-07:002017-10-28T10:44:51.043-07:00Happy 18!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFKHQskLJ3xoEothuMmIQbAVbav7EkCazVc1VkGufQxAeyFmWsyxZfvpfZbYLebG3vLT2OWPZrGAjvA7YzskiFSFPY9Keqhu-tJQlBUrm1pKti_Iwy8V5H9SMpwuJHsWz0e_D4PjMylQ1/s1600/InAShield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Raised in a Shield" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFKHQskLJ3xoEothuMmIQbAVbav7EkCazVc1VkGufQxAeyFmWsyxZfvpfZbYLebG3vLT2OWPZrGAjvA7YzskiFSFPY9Keqhu-tJQlBUrm1pKti_Iwy8V5H9SMpwuJHsWz0e_D4PjMylQ1/s320/InAShield.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>The first public release of King of Dragon Pass was 18 years ago — 29 October 1999. Back then, it was a boxed CD.<br />
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Since then, we updated and expanded the game for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iPhone and iPad</a>, and licensed it for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Android</a> and <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">Mac and Windows</a> (on Steam). And GOG made the <a href="http://www.gog.com/gamecard/king_of_dragon_pass">original version</a> available for download. To celebrate its birthday, the game is <b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">50% off on the iOS App Store</a></b> for a limited time!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc6I3MSjKvzfntbjd7BQbUZ83cG6FCte6REQPAK1E-41JsikDcjYwL-PN9clLTm-CQ8CnEq8C7FBaAZUOnbmyKvMnnNB82GaJPtvRrBmkvJqymTBaFcPlYkgOl6ToykdDYIbyl0EncFmW/s1600/SixAgesLogo-25.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Six Ages logo" border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc6I3MSjKvzfntbjd7BQbUZ83cG6FCte6REQPAK1E-41JsikDcjYwL-PN9clLTm-CQ8CnEq8C7FBaAZUOnbmyKvMnnNB82GaJPtvRrBmkvJqymTBaFcPlYkgOl6ToykdDYIbyl0EncFmW/s1600/SixAgesLogo-25.png" title="" /></a></div>
In 18 years, we haven’t seen anything like KoDP, so we decided to make another: <a href="http://sixages.com/">Six Ages</a>. It’s currently feature complete and being tested, for release in 2018. Making another game of this scope is a risk for an indie studio, and not many games last 18 years. But we hope we can approach KoDP’s sales (over 175000 on all platforms).</div>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-1364516129161289892017-07-17T07:20:00.000-07:002017-07-17T07:20:47.617-07:00A Hard GameI don’t think that it’s a secret that King of Dragon Pass is a hard game. Version 2.0 tried to prevent death spirals, but only goes so far. And there are plenty of ways your decisions can cause you to lose. (Almost always decisions plural…)<br />
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Although we have only had <a href="https://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/06/player-data.html">metrics</a> in the game since version 2.2 (and only for iOS), a quick look at them bears out the idea that it isn’t easy to win.<br />
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For example, of complete games, only 18% are won. Though only 17% of games are played to completion. Presumably a lot of players are restarting rather than play to a grim end. Looking at the overall picture, of games begun, only about 3% end in victory. (I haven’t checked Short vs Long games — presumably Long is played by more experienced players.)<br />
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Anecdotally, the game may be hard, but you can learn to master it. Some people complain that 2.0 is easier than the original (which I believe to be true). I think the statistics agree that the game can be mastered, because 11% of long game victories are on the Hard level. You definitely have to know what you’re doing to win playing at Hard.<br />
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Interestingly, almost as many people win at Hard as the middle difficulty, as the graph shows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP9IEgMAcL0s7QmkBeA_QE7VbRN82EwvFlW5UhnYVWXi7TBi5KEhQ0FvvNzfTBLlAGmjdW6rmUlPew4LZdkoMETh4o050wfbcxhiPxEYa4nhDi_5ycf6sukZCLp9ATuziYCXIH4pnJB23/s1600/Wins+by+Difficulty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1532" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP9IEgMAcL0s7QmkBeA_QE7VbRN82EwvFlW5UhnYVWXi7TBi5KEhQ0FvvNzfTBLlAGmjdW6rmUlPew4LZdkoMETh4o050wfbcxhiPxEYa4nhDi_5ycf6sukZCLp9ATuziYCXIH4pnJB23/s320/Wins+by+Difficulty.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wins, broken down by Difficulty</td></tr>
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There’s not a lot we can do with this data, years after the game was designed. But it’s something to think about as we consider <a href="http://sixages.com/blog/index.php/2017/06/difficulty-level/">difficulty level for Six Ages</a>, our next game.</div>
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And if you have won King of Dragon Pass, congratulations! It wasn’t easy.</div>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-37075106249292719942016-12-19T06:18:00.000-08:002016-12-19T06:18:06.379-08:00Where’s Kero Fin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52Z0nENKjsBzUAeLLk4h_AhtbdAcDEejB2W1hlE1IoA_W_3CjIsoOEbDdcxPaigQLBUwTiXpSfVLKHXGu3c9RN2bqV9gklMU3qmiHIuzI5VS4PyvFDNIQYSxC7X2Wp9dHAXxvUnqxlKUw/s1600/Kero+Fin+debug.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52Z0nENKjsBzUAeLLk4h_AhtbdAcDEejB2W1hlE1IoA_W_3CjIsoOEbDdcxPaigQLBUwTiXpSfVLKHXGu3c9RN2bqV9gklMU3qmiHIuzI5VS4PyvFDNIQYSxC7X2Wp9dHAXxvUnqxlKUw/s1600/Kero+Fin+debug.png" /></a>Recently a player was having trouble sending exploration missions to Kero Fin.<br />
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We tried to make this a fairly easy hit target. (After all, an omen tells you to visit.) Probably the easiest thing is to tap or click the label, but the picture shows the extent of the map zone (with debug shading turned on).David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-76295016052801033642016-10-29T05:28:00.001-07:002016-10-29T05:28:24.548-07:0017 And CountingThe first public release of King of Dragon Pass was 17 years ago today — 29 October 1999.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmgVzR8cYk8smdc0QpP5oHNTbKtwoABW5QXiiEi2UrbqA91kQSAosafKfE1187n4-RIMamUZz5ZoESCVPLwqJXNIALHqXLly08IxA9ilfCJXqZsHFgs594IzDoKdv8kxWfkvjJZGlCRWE/s1600/H3h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmgVzR8cYk8smdc0QpP5oHNTbKtwoABW5QXiiEi2UrbqA91kQSAosafKfE1187n4-RIMamUZz5ZoESCVPLwqJXNIALHqXLly08IxA9ilfCJXqZsHFgs594IzDoKdv8kxWfkvjJZGlCRWE/s320/H3h.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Since then, we updated and expanded the game for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iPhone and iPad</a>, and licensed it for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Android</a> and <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">Mac and Windows</a> (on Steam). And GOG made the <a href="http://www.gog.com/gamecard/king_of_dragon_pass">original version</a> available for download. To celebrate its birthday, the game is <b>50% off on all platforms</b> for a limited time!<br />
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We’d like to thank our fans for keeping the game going over the years. Selling more than 150,000 copies (on all platforms) seems pretty good for an indie game, and your continued support encourages us as we continue to work on its spiritual successor, <a href="http://sixages.com/"> Six Ages</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXDKec_Kb2Nk2K9rWK_J9RzkSEmxYcNqiyNFptf7bn583ZUGMu7RsanRoZPwg2MYZZAfNWzqWLSlnycqeqF9lcfx8E2yqJkoE632KlKlxbQuBONmrSOk_8V80qjuYuMJDAeWMpjRauVZv/s1600/scene042-small-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXDKec_Kb2Nk2K9rWK_J9RzkSEmxYcNqiyNFptf7bn583ZUGMu7RsanRoZPwg2MYZZAfNWzqWLSlnycqeqF9lcfx8E2yqJkoE632KlKlxbQuBONmrSOk_8V80qjuYuMJDAeWMpjRauVZv/s200/scene042-small-crop.jpg" width="200" /></a>We just posted a <a href="http://sixages.com/blog/index.php/2016/10/october-2016-progress-update/">progress update</a> to the Six Ages development blog, and here’s a sneak preview of some of the art.</div>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-75863256028370971662016-10-19T10:30:00.000-07:002016-10-19T10:34:01.229-07:00Cannot say enough good things about KoDP<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I just got this email today, and decided to share it (with the permission of the writer). The title of this post is the subject line.</span></blockquote>
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Mr. Dunham,<br />
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Firstly, if this email is an imposition, I apologize in advance. I know you are probably very busy with Six Ages (which I am absolutely giddy to find out about!), and support for the various KoDP versions.<br />
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There is no need to reply, I just wish to share some of the joy that King of Dragon Pass has brought me as an avid gamer.<br />
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A close friend of mine was one of the original 1999 buyers, and I had watched him play a bit back then, though at the time I was more of an FPS gamer. He was completely enthralled with it for several months,and this convinced me to buy it last year when I found it in the Android store.<br />
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Let me say that my tastes have expanded considerably in the last 16 years, and my newfound appreciation for storytelling and immersiveness, have not been satisfied by many 'modern' game releases.<br />
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King of Dragon Pass has not only satisfied that desire in a unique and beautiful way, it has rekindled my long-forgotten adolescent dream to be a writer.<br />
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The richness and depth of the story woven by KoDP creates an interesting phenomenon where we as players begin to think about the characters in the game as far more complex than just game mechanic aspects. This is especially the case with the Duruluzei as I always spend far too many resources and too much time trying to get them into my tribe (no luck so far... But there's always next replay!)<br />
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At first I saw them as just a source of early food tribute to feed my growing clan. This changed pretty quickly once I saw some of the other events, and I confess it was they that inspired me to look into Glorantha's lore in depth.<br />
<br />
I actually felt remorse for my previous playthroughs and now make every effort to befriend those valiant warriors of Humakt. Even to the extent of putting my tula at risk by lending way too many weaponthanes to their cousins to fight the swamp undead.<br />
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And here's where the genius of this game really shows: Even though I've only ever seen maybe five different Duruluz events, the writing, choices, and art create a living breathing culture in the player's mind that actually transcends the few megabytes of content presented, and we begin to think about the Ducks in the same complex ways as we think about traditional book fantasy cultures where literally thousands of words are used to fill in cultural detail.<br />
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I also very much love the intentional ambiguity and risk of the magic system, as it creates that same kind of complex mechanics-transcending thought with the gods as participants. Does giving food to a clan in famine help you with your Ernalda heroquest? I have no idea! But I am going to play like it does, and the game is just vague enough that things like this may make a difference at Sacred Time.<br />
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I own very few mobile games, and play them rarely. Not the case for KoDP, I have been playing it approximately 8-10 hours a week. It is so perfect for killing a 2 minute wait in the grocery line, or settling into a comfy chair and spending a rainy evening trying out strange heroquest options.<br />
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The art is beautifully unusual and paints a picture of Dragon Pass that is exotic yet familiar, bronze-age yet not of this world. The music is catchy and never becomes annoying, I occasionally whistle along with it while I'm playing.<br />
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I cannot thank you and the rest of A# enough for creating such a wonderful game, and I have no words to say how fortunate I am for the Android re-release, and the extra content that has been included. It is so rare that a older, less than profitable game gets a fresh chance at a new audience, and on such an ideal platform for the pacing of gameplay (Also: nice work on the UI modifications for mobile!). It is my sincere wish that Six Ages will receive sevenfold the acclaim and distribution that King of Dragon Pass <i>should</i> have gotten in the first place.<br />
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I look forward to the release of Six Ages with an eager heart, thank you again for an unforgettable game experience.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
[name withheld]<br />
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P.S. please feel free to use any part of this email, except my name, in any way you see fit. This game does not have enough testimonials online, and I want as many people to know about it in time for Six Ages' release as possible.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-53460576397186742242016-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:002016-05-04T12:44:21.268-07:00Sales Outlets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WP3X1wGmlPyz9YGQMN_OTAKayTizsSeTDRaBcEyvekLFlXmDOwTcmn2czZFYiAbqDLBYrgNTd11vVasA650qRWDRJbiGm7W-NwaEIk1DK4aaedvy3eoQJMhUeKDob6u84qVd8wWFKxGE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-04+at+15.16.50.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WP3X1wGmlPyz9YGQMN_OTAKayTizsSeTDRaBcEyvekLFlXmDOwTcmn2czZFYiAbqDLBYrgNTd11vVasA650qRWDRJbiGm7W-NwaEIk1DK4aaedvy3eoQJMhUeKDob6u84qVd8wWFKxGE/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-05-04+at+15.16.50.png" width="320" /></a>Not long ago, someone asked (on Facebook) how sales of the game on the Android platform compared to iOS. I recently got some quarterly updates, so figured it was a good time to share.<br />
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The majority of copies sold are on mobile, and the bulk of those for iOS.<br />
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The second largest outlet has been GOG.com, which sells the original version.<br />
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Comparing any of these is difficult, since the game has been on iOS longer than it has been available for Android, and Steam is even more recent. GOG sometimes runs sales of bundles, so not all of those copies might have ever been launched.<br />
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Plus, some of the numbers aren’t exact, due to how we get reports. (For example, I have no idea how many units were sold on Windows Phone, but I know it has to be insignificant.) Even the number of boxed CDs is an estimate.<br />
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But to answer the question: iOS is indeed selling better than Android (by about 2:1 over the last month).David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-39700930948085269762016-04-18T19:22:00.000-07:002016-04-18T19:22:01.716-07:00System RequirementsBack in 1998 or 1999, we were showing King of Dragon Pass to established game publishers. One of them turned us down by saying, “we only release games that make you buy a new computer.”<br />
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That’s not necessarily a bad strategy for a publisher (they knew their market!), but their rejection at least meant that we had hit one of our design goals: run on as many computers as possible.<br />
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You can find the original system requirements <a href="http://a-sharp.com/kodp/sysReq.html">here</a>:<br />
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Windows 95/98<br />Pentium processor, minimum 16 MB of RAM, 640x480 16-bit color, double-speed CD-ROM drive (faster recommended). </blockquote>
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Macintosh<br />System 7.5 or later, Power Macintosh or compatible, minimum 24 MB of RAM, 640x480 16-bit color, double-speed CD-ROM drive (faster recommended). </blockquote>
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You can run the game from the CD; an installation takes about 42 MB of hard disk space.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhCiKTZfdACzjyRttmCgqDCmCBvTLvcQYh-qO4PEAPNuvcTgvXAe3kD30BlL_1y1vSLwBZLbmSza4rdN9C677U2htvmHwsu9NyDcOsL8OWeWoTAacbiBycy3kFLtNwbdcJkVCHcUbXses/s1600/SystemReq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhCiKTZfdACzjyRttmCgqDCmCBvTLvcQYh-qO4PEAPNuvcTgvXAe3kD30BlL_1y1vSLwBZLbmSza4rdN9C677U2htvmHwsu9NyDcOsL8OWeWoTAacbiBycy3kFLtNwbdcJkVCHcUbXses/s320/SystemReq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For a late 1999 release, those are pretty generous requirements (since Windows 95 had been released more than four years earlier, KoDP ran on computers that were at least four years old).</div>
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We kept the same goal when we brought the game to iPhone. Even now, the iOS build runs on iOS 5.1.1. This makes development more difficult (since we can’t use conveniences added in later versions of iOS), and increases the amount of testing we have to do. But it means owners of the original iPad can still play the game. (And they do — 220 sessions on an iPad 1 in the last month.)</div>
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And I think our goal was the right one — if we’d been chasing the latest hardware, the art would have quickly looked dated. Instead, the watercolors still look great.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_49eIBLAsqXpKxt6zjyG03Qu6ZckkWm-G6bzjqo9QFQ1CACGc_0paQepkmf2qHMqvEWf1Ynvr1D0CGlbSmHKuKKanwZxtyB2Ww7wR_k_pZtRiNdteFAcN1rQ-Wi9Wijy6rG6mkDz4dGDD/s1600/DeBab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_49eIBLAsqXpKxt6zjyG03Qu6ZckkWm-G6bzjqo9QFQ1CACGc_0paQepkmf2qHMqvEWf1Ynvr1D0CGlbSmHKuKKanwZxtyB2Ww7wR_k_pZtRiNdteFAcN1rQ-Wi9Wijy6rG6mkDz4dGDD/s320/DeBab.jpg" width="300" /></a>Which is partly because of a suggestion made by another publisher. When we began the game, we were targeting 8-bit graphics systems that could display only 256 colors. We used a wonderful tool called DeBabelizer, that figured out the optimum palette (the 256 colors that were most frequently used in our specific set of art). The results were good, but the producer we showed the game to wondered why we weren’t targeting 16-bit graphics.</div>
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This did actually deliver a benefit — our art would look better — and given the game was still a year from release at that point, it seemed like we wouldn’t be cutting out too many computers. (It also had the benefit that we didn’t have to process the art, and make sure we had the correct palette, since different parts of the game used different ones.)</div>
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So we still weren’t making you buy a new computer to play the game.</div>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-60204618856445646112015-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:002015-10-29T07:10:59.169-07:00Sweet 16King of Dragon Pass was first released on 29 October 1999 — sixteen years ago today.<br />
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Since then, we updated the game and adapted it for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iPhone and iPad</a>, and licensed it for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Android</a> and <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">Steam</a> (both Mac and Windows). And GOG made the <a href="http://www.gog.com/gamecard/king_of_dragon_pass">original version</a> available for download. To celebrate its birthday, the game is <b>50% off on all platforms</b> for a limited time!<br />
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Over the years, it has been a well-regarded indie. For example <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/king-of-dragon-pass">Metacritic</a> gives it a score of 90. <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/04/24/best-strategy-games/7/">Rock Paper Shotgun</a> says it’s one of the top 5 strategy games of all time. And <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2014/07/your-reviews-version-23.html">players</a> give it 5 stars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCW3Z0FrKq25VeJCAjnY1hywQQzoov2fqK4IPvVo3YJYlr1LeqPf0eMC4p17DhNUz-E-e7MzXO8Mxpoi90V2vblx1iecKKZikHSOhI61AsEGRIgiagUqMx0ecCU1n-rdaxegvZBWzTrJtD/s1600/Media-16.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCW3Z0FrKq25VeJCAjnY1hywQQzoov2fqK4IPvVo3YJYlr1LeqPf0eMC4p17DhNUz-E-e7MzXO8Mxpoi90V2vblx1iecKKZikHSOhI61AsEGRIgiagUqMx0ecCU1n-rdaxegvZBWzTrJtD/s1600/Media-16.png" /></a>It’s also sold pretty well for an indie game, over 120,000 copies on all platforms. (The exact number is a little hard to determine, since our early records seem to have vanished, and we don’t get specific numbers for channels like Humble Bundle.) But we sold the most copies on iOS. And the original has been downloaded almost as often (probably because GOG periodically runs sales that make it ridiculously cheap).<br />
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To a large degree, these numbers reflect apples and oranges. The Steam version came out only 3 months ago, and this is the first Steam sale. And there is no way of knowing how many people have bought the game for both mobile and desktop (or even more often than that). So they aren’t really a way to compare platforms or predict anything.<br />
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Still, they give us hope that an indie game can find some success in today’s market, and and helped us decide to go ahead and start working on <a href="http://sixages.com/">Six Ages</a>, the spiritual successor. Thank you to everyone who has supported King of Dragon Pass so we could do that!David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-12582960576991580312015-08-11T17:35:00.001-07:002015-08-11T17:35:22.834-07:00Not a TalkieI recently saw someone suggesting that King of Dragon Pass should have voice acting.<br />
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We didn’t want to use voice because most text is not known ahead of time, but is full of placeholders:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After wearing the armor for a few days, <e> said that <he/she> felt quicker of step and clearer of mind.</span><br />
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(this is actually one of the simpler examples). It would be hard to keep this from sounding like one of those bad voicemail prompts, because it would have to be assembled out of pieces. There’s also the fact that the same text might be spoken by a male or female character, and they might be very young or very old when they spoke it. So it would be difficult to get quality results.<br />
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Plus of course there are <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/11/loss-in-translation.html">over 640 000 words</a> of text. That would obviously be expensive to record, but it would also make the game larger. If audio books are 160 words per minute, that’s about 67 hours of speech. Depending on <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2968417/compressing-voice-with-mp3">compression</a>, that might be another 800 MB to download!<br />
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And voice would make it really hard to update the game with more content, since we would have to have any new text recorded.<br />
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So while it sounds at first like a good idea, in reality it’s one of those things that’s impossible with a game of this scope.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-67066708549677878952015-07-23T07:05:00.000-07:002015-07-23T07:05:16.786-07:00New in SteamKing of Dragon Pass will be coming to <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">Steam</a> on 28 July. But the game has been available for mobile (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iOS</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Android</a>, and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/king-of-dragon-pass/9wzdncrdcrfl">Windows Phone</a>), as well as the original version (either on CD or as patched to be downloadable by <a href="http://www.gog.com/game/king_of_dragon_pass">GOG.com</a>). So what exactly is coming to Steam?<br />
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The version on Steam is essentially the mobile version, but tuned for desktop and laptop screen sizes (I ran it on a 30 inch iMac, but it should run on a 1024 x 576 netbook). HeroCraft has been responsible for the Steam versions, since I’ve been busy with <a href="http://sixages.com/">Six Ages</a>, so I am not completely sure of the specifics. But I believe the Steam achievements are the same as those we <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2011/01/sneak-preview-game-center-achievements.html">added in 2.0</a>. There are also Steam Cards (which may have some new art).<br />
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So if you played on Windows or Mac before, you’d be moving from 1.7 to 2.2. There are 48 new scenes and 4 new illustrations (plus a new Lore map). There are also new advisors, and a lot more advice in management screens. There are also more treasures. We made many bug fixes (such as unblocking two of the original scenes), and fixed typos. You no longer have to worry about sheep. The economics system should no longer be quite as harsh, with death spirals less likely. (Rest assured that the game is still difficult, especially on the Hard setting.)<br />
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The Tula screen was too<a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-tula-screen.html"> difficult to rework</a>, but it wasn’t part of game play. And HeroCraft originally started their porting before our scene contest, so those scenes are currently only in the iOS version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISiwJznfUh2QV1JSpaZAB3rKOHbq0_y1lO5Jjz9C0m5C7b9Gx-1NP6X4mTGyDLVm49d9fLFJ8oaumerhAag-7tFEd1lwJqb5T8a9XCv5Z3rKjjMghpqis0tzgxXCcjxRfR4GxQELM8VCK/s1600/scene215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISiwJznfUh2QV1JSpaZAB3rKOHbq0_y1lO5Jjz9C0m5C7b9Gx-1NP6X4mTGyDLVm49d9fLFJ8oaumerhAag-7tFEd1lwJqb5T8a9XCv5Z3rKjjMghpqis0tzgxXCcjxRfR4GxQELM8VCK/s320/scene215.jpg" width="320" /></a>We like to avoid spoilers, so it’s hard to talk about just what the four dozen new scenes are about. We did mention the <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/03/troll-hero-preview.html">Troll Hero</a> before, however. And here’s the artwork for one of them.<br />
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So if you have played King of Dragon Pass on a laptop or desktop, but not a mobile device, there’s a lot of new stuff. And if you haven ’t played at all, now’s your chance!David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-27420090907403482972015-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:002015-07-16T08:14:21.113-07:00Full CircleThe King of Dragon Pass dynasty began in 1999 with its release on CD-ROM for Windows and Mac. We polished the game and enriched it with more stories, and brought it to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iOS</a> in 2011. HeroCraft ported it to <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Android</a> in 2014. We’re pleased to announce that King of Dragon Pass will again be available for Windows and Mac, via <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">Steam</a>.<br />
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HeroCraft has brought the game back to the desktop, and added Steam goodness such as trading cards. And even if you played it on Windows or Mac before, you’ll find some game improvements, dozens of new stories, and new artwork.<br />
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King of Dragon Pass will be US$12, and <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/352220">available beginning 28 July</a>!<br />
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David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-39210800819039231342015-04-15T10:04:00.000-07:002015-04-15T10:04:50.893-07:00King of Dragon Pass Map<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIALhNjAhyufe655Ea7dfbQ8ImAjgtAUAd9khfsSkv6PpKr_vyL1dRYcr6WNghbX1kpGhf854n1lBDNdc-zde7Swkh-H-GjbSTWdQrU5x6_L8yKX9EBVE9tuz_aH7GWThz9fikxEIIuXX/s1600/KoDP+Zones-Zoomed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIALhNjAhyufe655Ea7dfbQ8ImAjgtAUAd9khfsSkv6PpKr_vyL1dRYcr6WNghbX1kpGhf854n1lBDNdc-zde7Swkh-H-GjbSTWdQrU5x6_L8yKX9EBVE9tuz_aH7GWThz9fikxEIIuXX/s1600/KoDP+Zones-Zoomed.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
The upcoming Six Ages game will have a map much like King of Dragon Pass. A blog post describes <a href="http://sixages.blogspot.com/2015/04/dissecting-king-of-dragon-pass-map.html">how the map works</a>.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-65630088105368996562014-10-29T00:30:00.000-07:002014-10-29T00:30:02.589-07:00Happy Birthday!Fifteen years ago, the first copies of King of Dragon Pass shipped from a warehouse in Seattle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEwXUixBXyeIUbPJvOMV4JYcIEauwLJjL1cDJoGEbvOrIxk49arPAH3-dNiHOwdL2-fN3n7XgMsf_ucqt7Q74kiBv1BMZnbnNFU82D_npk1gNxtTHmPjwdoxyoIsE2J5-X4tqswmpUR-b/s1600/15Years-box-iPad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEwXUixBXyeIUbPJvOMV4JYcIEauwLJjL1cDJoGEbvOrIxk49arPAH3-dNiHOwdL2-fN3n7XgMsf_ucqt7Q74kiBv1BMZnbnNFU82D_npk1gNxtTHmPjwdoxyoIsE2J5-X4tqswmpUR-b/s1600/15Years-box-iPad.jpeg" height="170" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since then, the game has been improved and adapted for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8, and the Windows version can now be downloaded.<br />
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We’ve sold over 100,000 copies of King of Dragon Pass. Not too bad for an indie game (even if it did take almost fifteen years). Thanks to all of you (especially the people who have bought it three or four times for different devices)!<br />
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To celebrate, King of Dragon Pass is now on sale for 50% off! Get it from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iOS App Store</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herocraft.kodp">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HeroCraft-King-of-Dragon-Pass/dp/B00NBQKDL6">Amazon</a>, or the <a href="http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/king-of-dragon-pass/1c49f60b-a17e-4a3d-9696-b660f3ffb878">Windows Phone</a> store. The sale lasts five days.<br />
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One more thing.<br />
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For fifteen years, people have been asking about a sequel. We’re really excited to be working on a new game, tentatively called Six Ages. It’s an equally ambitious game, and won’t be out until 2016. You can read a little more on its <a href="http://sixages.blogspot.com/">development blog</a>, or follow <a href="https://twitter.com/sixages">@SixAges</a> on Twitter for updates.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-64323270851154720522014-08-29T05:13:00.001-07:002014-08-29T05:13:15.302-07:00Watch It Play / InterviewLast night Brad Cummings of <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/blog/164/ios-board-games">iOS Board Games</a> played King of Dragon Pass for about an hour, while we talked about the game and answered player questions.<br />
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Brad was playing the iPad version, but the discussion covered the original desktop version, iPhone, and Android.<br />
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The video is <a href="http://youtu.be/MkOtulEObpc">archived here</a>.<br />
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David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-18797331551566180152014-08-11T05:12:00.001-07:002014-08-11T05:12:55.662-07:00Android!People have been asking about an Android version of the game since before it came out. There were technical challenges, but a major issue was that I have no particular expertise in Android development. And as a single developer, taking on such a major project would have meant that I couldn’t continue to enhance the game. And even if I did the port, selling via the various Android markets isn’t the same as going through the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iOS App Store</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJxhZob95SI49Rvbh7I8Yk0aa08Llyc3Se8XWB3bP9HzU1BNX8bBaJ51YbPPhdgyaYQiJ4vqZVD0k2CIdaPp28u938yFix6nDJhx26xuF-X8sGkJ45_0vOtEfjg2SaSsiHRpm0r9K6uai/s1600/screen_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJxhZob95SI49Rvbh7I8Yk0aa08Llyc3Se8XWB3bP9HzU1BNX8bBaJ51YbPPhdgyaYQiJ4vqZVD0k2CIdaPp28u938yFix6nDJhx26xuF-X8sGkJ45_0vOtEfjg2SaSsiHRpm0r9K6uai/s1600/screen_06.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a>Fortunately, like a heroquester travelling on the Other Side, I could call for help. <a href="http://www.herocraft.com/">HeroCraft</a>, a “top developer” on Google Play, took on the daunting task of making the game’s <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2011/11/big-game-visualized.html">50 screens</a> work on <a href="http://apptimize.com/blog/2014/07/how-to-optimize-in-a-fragmented-android-ecosystem/">arbitrary screen sizes</a>. Plus all the other work needed to get a game that depends on UIKit, Apple’s Core Audio sound format, Game Center, etc. to run on <a href="https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html">different operating systems</a>. And they own a lot more Android devices to test on than I do (just a Kindle Fire I bought to check out the port). Actually, with all that work, maybe <i>they</i> were the heroquesters, reenacting “The Making of KoDP…”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfmFLHErk0Nb6YkcanJ4mG3pGp0KLWbN7k_XecYowR2n_LOAq1-HVxsEfKZnlj1g4m7iS4ezKUKykKkEyCG9_98dC-QUiX_j_CgrFpykMpiNMv1TOidpdA2EJ7V8xiX1MJKXzCLsLVmh1/s1600/144.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfmFLHErk0Nb6YkcanJ4mG3pGp0KLWbN7k_XecYowR2n_LOAq1-HVxsEfKZnlj1g4m7iS4ezKUKykKkEyCG9_98dC-QUiX_j_CgrFpykMpiNMv1TOidpdA2EJ7V8xiX1MJKXzCLsLVmh1/s1600/144.png" /></a>I’m extremely happy to say that the journey is now complete.
King of Dragon Pass will be <a href="http://kodp.herocraft.com/">available via Google Play</a> on 12 August for $9.99. If you’ve played the Windows or Mac version of the game, this is the updated version, with a host of new content, more advice, heroquest hints, and a somewhat simplified game. If you haven’t played before, you’re <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/07/your-reviews.html">in for a treat</a>!<br />
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As a <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=HeroCraft+Ltd&hl=en">veteran Android publisher</a>, HeroCraft made a fun <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uETh9Hu-9Y">game trailer</a>. (We probably should have made one ourselves, but wouldn’t have come up with their clever way of emphasizing the story aspects.)<br />
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Since I’m not an Android user, I was a little surprised that the game was a medium-sized download, but when you first launch, you need to download the bulk of the assets. I thought the size limit was a thing of the past, but I guess <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2012/03/android-apps-break-50mb-barrier.html">this is standard</a> and you’re probably used to it as an Android user.<br />
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In a discussion with HeroCraft, the subject of piracy came up. I have no experience with Android publishing, but they certainly do. It’s a sad fact that people steal games for any platform, but it appears to be worse on Android. If my publisher is concerned, then I am concerned, since affects my livelihood, which in turn affects my ability to make more games. And actual sales will encourage HeroCraft to bring their port to more mobile platforms.<br />
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I hate to remind people, because I don’t think it’s you, but buy the game, don’t pirate it. (This may protect you and your friends from <a href="http://www.androidauthority.com/pirated-android-apps-170550/">malware</a>, too.)<br />
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If you haven’t played King of Dragon Pass yet, be aware that it’s a unique game that can be a bit hard at first. Check out the manual! We also have a <a href="http://a-sharp.com/kodp/tips.html">tips page</a>. And, welcome to Dragon Pass!<br />
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David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-14975782352721743732014-07-01T16:36:00.000-07:002014-07-01T16:36:36.849-07:00Your Reviews (version 2.3)We want to thank you for taking the time to review or rate King of Dragon Pass. That’s one of the most important ways we can convince new players to buy it, which lets us keep making games.<br />
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The App Store shows reviews only for the country you’re signed in from, so I thought it might be interesting to share the reviews you can’t normally see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsYGvcG5hsyjKMP2Ch3CGX7eD2DMBNt3VaccVhXL6AXWQgrg1V9r4kMzaBL1MhMLBYMrcflHOsXchx053LGHHh4bAmOkTrQBMioVdbGQk0PCloOjJEs7qfxw5uuBf9Je-3PqeTPV1J7PC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-01+at+19.24.57.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsYGvcG5hsyjKMP2Ch3CGX7eD2DMBNt3VaccVhXL6AXWQgrg1V9r4kMzaBL1MhMLBYMrcflHOsXchx053LGHHh4bAmOkTrQBMioVdbGQk0PCloOjJEs7qfxw5uuBf9Je-3PqeTPV1J7PC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-01+at+19.24.57.png" height="79" width="320" /></a>Here are all reviews for version 2.3 so far. (And yes, all of them are five stars! So are the ratings without reviews! We are so pleased that people appreciate the work we put into the update.) These are all unedited, so you can truly read what other players say.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pure Genius ★★★★★ [Australia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In an increasingly popular 'cyoa' genre, KoDP stands apart via it's depth, detail and replayability. A text-based Civilisation with more personality, if you will. I've lost countless hours to this game, and expect I'll lose many more; hats off to the devs, and I hope to see more like it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Très bon jeu de rôle ★★★★★ [Canada]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jeu avec une rejouabilité infinie. Je le recommande fortement!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Great game ★★★★★ [Croatia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the kind!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Glorantha / Sartar comme si vous y étiez ★★★★★ [France]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">L'ambiance de l'univers de Gloranha créé par Greg Stafford est parfaitement rendue dans ce jeu totalement différent de ce qu'on peut voir par ailleurs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As Challenging As Ever ★★★★★ [Japan]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Relatively simple to learn in terms of mechanics, King of Dragon Pass is difficult to master. It rewards the player's attention, both to details and the overall story. And it is almost never the same story twice, even from a similar starting point. I've been a fan and owner since the original MacOS version, and I like this one even better. The interface is improved, and the illustrations and music, which were already very good, are better still. And the gameplay and story remain as challenging as ever. Enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Epic win ★★★★★ [Russia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Безумно крутая олдскульная стратегия/рпг, получившая второе рождение на ios. Порт идеален и под планшеты, и под телефоны. Даже если есть сомнения - берите. Такие игры больше не делают.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Интересная и оригинальная игра ★★★★★ [Russia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Полноценная, интересная игра, без доната, коих мало в айсторе. Для тех, кто любит читать и думать.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can't even tell you how many times I played this game ★★★★★ [Singapore]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Love it to bits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ett spel utan like... ★★★★★ [Sweden]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Inte bara på iphonen, utan alla plattformar. Tar ett tag innan man lär sig hur allt fungerar, men det är grymt underhållande -- även när man inte fattar allt. Rekommenderas starkt. Låt inte priset avskräcka heller, KoDP har minst lika många speltimmars värde som spel i stil med Skyrim, Dragon Age eller vilket annat stort spel till PC/Xbox/PS som helst. 5/5</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perfect ★★★★★ [Sweden]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My fav game on the iPad. A choose your own adventure combined with deep strategy and resource management all in a pretty package. A must have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fantastic ★★★★★ [United Kingdom]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As far as fantasy strategy/simulation games go on the App Store- you'd be hard pressed to find something better. Gorgeous visual style and addictive gameplay complete with a fascinating game world and lore make this a truly exceptional game. Offers a deep experience that no other game on my phone can come close to emulating. The price could easily have been twice as high and I'd still buy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A Game Like No Other ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not a role-playing game or a Civilization clone, but a storytelling game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best IOS Game Ever ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is probably the most interactive,strategic,and lore rich game on the App Store right now!I loved it so much,I seriously went around searching for other ios game like this and couldn't find any.Its difficulty is unforgiving!Its immersion is fantastic!Its artwork and script are well put together!You will not regret the hours you'll put into this great game! PS-Reading instructions and tutorials will help any new person to this game a huge deal^ ^!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enchanting ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">KODP is the greatest ipad rpg experience to date. The events are clever, almost impossible to predict, and playing without totally understanding the inner workings really gives the game a flavor of exploration and discovery few have achieved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Great game ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a tremendously fun game of you like intelligent strategy within a complex mythology/universe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hidden Gem ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This game was a huge surprise for me I had no idea how in depth and enjoyable it would be. If you want a good I highly recommend this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hours of fun ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">KoDP is a really great game. Loads of content keep you coming back to try and manage the ultimate clan. Very akin to a more interactive Choose Your Own Adventure with exploration and town building/management elements. The app itself is top notch and plays great on iPhone or iPad. Definitely give KoDP a try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Original ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've never played a game like this. The gameplay and style are unlike anything else. Thoroughly original, like a giant choose your own adventure mixed with the art of Magic the Gathering.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perfect. ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brilliant translation from PC to iOS. This version is actually improved greatly from the original. Interface is fantastic. Gameplay is timeless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Positively Fantastic. ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just complex enough. Great storyline. Interactions with other tribes and clans is superb. Your choices now will have consequences years later. Excellent replay-ability. I return to this app time and again, and am never disappointed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Utterly brilliant! ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, thanks for the update I started playing it again just now. What a strange coincidence. Replay value, story depth, gameplay and sound can really get you into it. Worth the price I paid for it years ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wondrous Indeed ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By Far the very best game on the apple store in my personal opinion. Have had this game over a year and still play it constantly an consistently. Love the ability to expand and branch out. As well as the tribal system. I wish there was more room for larger clans the optimum seems to be 1k-1.1k, there should be a little more leeway. Besides that its is my favorite game by far. A must buy, recommended to all players serious and casual!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kodp ★★★★★ [Australia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Great game! Great illustrations!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Outstanding ★★★★★ [Australia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is one of my favourite games out there by far. A game from 1999 yet it's reputation and pure awesomeness of it makes it seem like it's better than any game on the App Store. Flappy bird can get wrecked by king of dragon pass. A truley worthy game for my iPad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing ★★★★★ [Canada]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deep gameplay and a rare gem in the AppStore. If you are even remotely interested in this type of game then you will not be disappointed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">BEST GAME EVER! ★★★★★ [Canada]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hands down, this is the best game i've ever played on a phone... Worth every cent!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Awazing Game ★★★★★ [United Arab Emirates]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This game is still amazing whether you are playing for the first or hundred time. Extremely creative and fun for all</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Awesome ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This game. Just goddamn. Get this game. Kickin music and so much to discover! Lots of content and not too draining on the battery.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Perfect ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best game ever</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Practically perfect ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cannot say enough good things about this game. To top it off it is well supported and new content just released. Wonderful RPG/CIV/Story game like no other. Very satisfying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Storytelling at its finest! ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Classic fantasy storytelling. No flashy animations needed. Just superb art and words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Storytelling done well ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">KoDP is highly story focused, with randomly timed events which have consequences years down the line. It is far less a civilization-style management simulation and far more a politicking and plotting story game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing ★★★★★ [Australia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing game. Love it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like the original! ★★★★★ [Denmark]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fantastic game!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fantastic port of a classic ★★★★★ [United Kingdom]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the type of game iOS games should aspire to, polished enhanced port of a classic clan sim/interactive story, chock full of lore, beautiful artwork, music and a great interface. No game is the same, and each is as engrossing as the next. The only thing I can fault is that I simply want more (and they're adding!). No game exists like this on the iPad, and I have lost many a day in the pursuit if trying to understand the mechanics that underly this game. Two years later it still surprises and challenges my decision making and management skills. Top notch! More please! The only game to top my 150h+ played on FTL, well worth the £££! Do yourself a favour, buy it and enjoy your couch for the next few weeks!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just astonishing ★★★★★ [United Kingdom]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The iOS management game I've been looking for for literally months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing Fun ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Absolutely enthralling game. And the UI is phenomenal. I've never seen an old computer game better ported to an iPhone. Hours and hours of fun, and so much replay value! A must have for fantasy RPG/strategy gamers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Delightful and deep. ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This game is unique and fascinating. You may find it hard at first, but rest assured, you will get better. Don't expect to find the one best answer to any problem; leader skills, luck, and other factors matter greatly. Be brave and honest, hope for the best, and keep trying. I've been playing KoDP for over ten years and I'm still finding new things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">great game ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">best iphone game i have and the developer keeps updating with new content.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing ★★★★★ [Australia]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is literally no other game like this on the App Store. It's huge, detailed, in depth, and the characters are endearing. You feel loss when one of your best advisors dies, and not many games can do that. It's also HARD the first couple of times you play, but that makes it rewarding. Spoiler: don't agitate the dragon kin too early!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">厳しい世界で生き抜く骨太シミュ ★★★★★ [Japan]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">RuneQuest(Glorantha)の知識はそれなりにあるのですが、いやあそれでもこれは厳しい。牛を盗まれ、近隣氏族からは因縁をつけられ、獣人だ蛮族だと襲撃が続く。交易騒ぎがひと段落したかと思うと疫病が流行り……。万全の備えで挑んだヒーロークエストに失敗して有能な人材が倒れるとがっくりきます。逆境に次ぐ逆境、神々や精霊の力を得てもなお、Dragon Passで生き抜くのは大変です。Hardの難易度は相当きついでしょう。1999年のゲームの移植版でイベントは紙芝居状態ですが、いまでもアップデートが行われており開発陣のやる気と誠意を感じさせます。全く思った通りに氏族の歴史は進みませんが、自由な選択ができ、とても楽しめています。難は価格だけですね。</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ej juego de siempre muy mejorado ★★★★★ [Spain]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">La edicion definitiva de King of the Dragon Pass, el juego basado en el universo creado por Greg Stafford. Infinitamente superior a la edicion de pc, consiste en gestionar la vida de un clan barbaro en todos los sentidos. Un gran juego de estrategia con gran complejidad que no te decepcionara si le das una oportunidad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amazing ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By far the best App on my iPhone right now. I just wish I hadn't bought it on vacation... I'm spending more time playing this than being in the pool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deep, well thought out game ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Simply put, slightly hard at first, but enjoyable deep without being silly in amount of details.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rich text-based game ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a rich text-based interactive game. It has many role playing elements. Also it has a lot of replay value. The story can be a bit silly at times, but it is also very serious. The story has a very unique Norse-like lore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">GREAT GAME ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm a huge fan of this game since having it on PC so long ago. I recommend buying it for sure. If your playing games for a fun, yet thoughtful challenge, then this is the game for you. It's really great to see a game that isn't just mindless drivel and explosions or gun work. This game is a refreshing change nowadays. AND it's always fun to come back to after a hiatus. The only negative I can think of is that there aren't more of these games.. Playing as trolls or beast men or dragonnewts or any of the other fantastic species would be a blast! Edit: just started again. Can't believe I've been playing this for years and only beat it once :) Edit2: delighted to see new scenes coming to this game. The few negative reviews seem to be people that have trouble understanding written language, or not caring at all to get into the lore. (Everything you need for hero quests is readily available, part of the game is learning them, whether it's from sacrifices/blessings or other tribes).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I literally couldn't put it down for days absolutely awesome ★★★★★ [United Kingdom]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The most complex game I've ever played completely fantastic I'd recommend it to anybody especially because the voice-over support is so good</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Episch ★★★★★ [Austria]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gibt nichts vergleichbares. Clan-Simulation mit Rollenspiel. Viel Text, aber wenn man sich einliest ein episches Abenteuer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Best app on the store ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seriously, you're doing yourself wrong if you don't play this one through. Difficult, unique, quirky, and all around fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite Game ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is my favorite iOS game. Deeply engaging and continually challenging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Flawless ★★★★★ [United States]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This can be brutally difficult, frustrating, and confusing. It is also a nearly flawless rpg masterpiece with real far-reaching consequences for actions. For the first week I didn't even know that you could restart days, and I STILL thought it was a great game. Buy it.</span><br />
<br />
Another fact about the App Store: unless you really dig, you won’t see anything relating to an earlier version. And there are twelve earlier versions, each hiding previous reviews. Some of you have taken the time to review more than one version. Again, this really helps us. Thank you!<br />
<br />
And one more sad fact: we have no way to reply to any review, positive or negative. If you want to make a suggestion, report a bug, or ask a question, please <a href="http://a-sharp.com/support/">visit our Support page</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
(See also some <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/07/your-reviews.html">historical reviews</a>.)David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-32734503764900824112014-06-24T16:07:00.001-07:002014-06-24T16:07:24.407-07:00Scene Contest (and 14 other scenes) now available!Some time ago, we held a <a href="http://www.pockettactics.com/features/eurmal-approves-write-a-scene-for-king-of-dragon-pass/">contest</a> for players to create new scenes. The winning scene (and another popular one), along with 13 other new scenes, are now in the 2.3 update in the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&uo=4&at=10laGk">iOS App Store</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgmrhp-jOfD1cNaTDo69ZXH6veCJOU2hATTWs7XNjov_b2CxqSB00GY2_l1LQffxClW5ppQSFAuFnCQW2QGy0PrJ7WqFw_mKQ4oXbSY7grxzCyz6F4WER6o2ngI7dT7-XxrSZy5dJsbEw/s1600/scene221-excerpt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgmrhp-jOfD1cNaTDo69ZXH6veCJOU2hATTWs7XNjov_b2CxqSB00GY2_l1LQffxClW5ppQSFAuFnCQW2QGy0PrJ7WqFw_mKQ4oXbSY7grxzCyz6F4WER6o2ngI7dT7-XxrSZy5dJsbEw/s1600/scene221-excerpt.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
One issue we faced was that we wanted to make sure players who have already played the game get to see the new scenes. This is potentially a problem, given there are now 575 scenes in the game, so in any playthrough, you have <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-many-scenes.html">less than 50% chance of getting any particular one</a>. It didn’t seem fair to tell people there was new content, and then not show it to them.<br />
<br />
So we added special code that checks to see if it’s the first time you’ve run version 2.3, and tries to give you several of the new scenes. “Tries to” because one of them does have preconditions. And others only show up in a long game.<br />
<br />
The first time check is so that you don’t get a predictable game, where the contest favorites show up every time.<br />
<br />
Besides new scenes, playing on iPad mini made us realize that text that works well on the larger iPads might be a bit small. So there’s an option to enlarge text in many places (not all because some of the layouts are pretty carefully tuned).<br />
<br />
Playing the game again brought up situations where it would have been nice to get advice, so we added a bit more. (We always encourage checking with your advisors, as they may comment about recent events that are not otherwise obvious.)<br />
<br />
And we fixed various minor bugs and typos.<br />
<br />
So we hope it has enough to be worth checking out for even experienced players.<br />
<br />
P.S. Since updates hide old reviews, we hope you will find time to give the game a rating or review in the App Store. This really helps. Thanks!David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-35091204167286092362014-05-06T17:08:00.001-07:002014-05-06T17:15:20.538-07:00Call for Testers<div class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenfeIGws4HQgtkC2SbHYUOfEcrCoRag0HWVITLjkWXNtORKErZ5wykRxXURIwvJp6t8XsqlKjTVI8feK9-RDC2CNC1HxYtuOh4GItVP-IgaoUeoKVbe9qRPj3Mq4pC_8DGMCee2bNia2P/s1600/Icon74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenfeIGws4HQgtkC2SbHYUOfEcrCoRag0HWVITLjkWXNtORKErZ5wykRxXURIwvJp6t8XsqlKjTVI8feK9-RDC2CNC1HxYtuOh4GItVP-IgaoUeoKVbe9qRPj3Mq4pC_8DGMCee2bNia2P/s1600/Icon74.jpg" /></a>Version 2.3 is now feature-complete, and we’ve given it a reasonable amount of QA ourselves. But there is a bunch of new content (16 new scenes), and people will play it differently. So we’d like to have a few more outside (beta) testers.</div>
<br />
You need to be running iOS 5.1 or later, and be willing to play the game and report things that bug you.<br />
<br />
If you’re interested, send an e-mail to bugz |at| a-sharp.com. Please include the type of device you have and its device identifier (UDID).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Apple gives us only a limited number of test devices in a calendar year, so we are only looking for a small number of beta testers at the moment.</div>
<blockquote>
<h4>
How to Find Your UDID</h4>
You need to <a href="http://whatsmyudid.com/">use iTunes on a computer</a>. If you are using a version of iOS earlier than 7, you may be able to use an app. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
In brief, connect your device to iTunes, click on the Serial Number so that it shows UDID, then right-click and choose Copy.</blockquote>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-64574546881827740002014-04-15T15:56:00.000-07:002014-04-15T17:38:41.808-07:00King of Dragon Pass for Android UpdateWhen I woke up this morning, I noticed that there was starting to be talk about a port of King of Dragon Pass. Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to post in depth for another 11 hours or so, I posted a quick note. Unfortunately, this ended up not clarifying things, but instead propagated some misinformation.<br />
<br />
It’s impossible to call things back on the Internet, but in an attempt to correct what I wrote incorrectly:<br />
<br />
Yes, we have authorized <a href="http://www.herocraft.com/">HeroCraft</a> to port King of Dragon Pass to a number of platforms. And while information on their web site mentioned PS Vita and Windows Phone, they have not really announced anything. I should have waited for them.<br />
<br />
They do have an Android version of King of Dragon Pass. I have run an early build on a Kindle Fire HD 7 inch. And I now know that they plan to launch first on Android, and then consider other platforms.<br />
<br />
But other than that, there is not much I can say. The game will be published by HeroCraft so pricing and availability is up to them. I’m sure they will let everyone know.<br />
<br />
I can speak on a few questions:<br />
<br />
<b>What version will the Android port be?</b><br />
Given that A Sharp has not finished the 2.3 update, I would expect it to be based on 2.2.x. (I’d have to track down exactly which version I sent them.)<br />
<br />
<b>Will 2.3 come to Android?</b><br />
That would be great. It will be up to HeroCraft.<br />
<br />
<b>Didn’t you say Android was impossible?</b><br />
Originally <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2010/12/big-game.html">yes</a>, it was. The Android Market eventually changed.<br />
<br />
<b>Will it run on…?</b><br />
I have only seen it running on a Kindle Fire HD 7 inch. I know that HeroCraft is well aware that there are many other Android devices. We’ll have to wait for their release to know for sure.<br />
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Once again: an Android version of King of Dragon Pass 2.x is in the works. There may or may not be a Windows Phone or PS Vita version. My apologies to HeroCraft for posting this morning.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-4944880711986849092014-04-09T17:52:00.000-07:002014-04-09T17:52:17.617-07:00How We UpdateAs you may know, we’re working on an update which will include the winner of the <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/10/scene-contest-winners.html">Scene Contest</a> and a number of other new scenes. We actually added so much that we had to revise the file format (it wasn’t really designed for expansion back in 1997, and we didn’t rework it for the iOS version).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nL6Ex2Rf_1hlCjTGWvTk8bM_x46A3_EYMAvaJGaeNNXyQaZZ2ZBShSViYx_NFGqUSk-ml73hei43oKoY-DGEP2UxEV6CZkc-NmD_-hiPbRUSUTZHxFtEdn32zZROAsja8n5uqM9AKDKv/s1600/new1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nL6Ex2Rf_1hlCjTGWvTk8bM_x46A3_EYMAvaJGaeNNXyQaZZ2ZBShSViYx_NFGqUSk-ml73hei43oKoY-DGEP2UxEV6CZkc-NmD_-hiPbRUSUTZHxFtEdn32zZROAsja8n5uqM9AKDKv/s1600/new1.png" height="32" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All screen shots are from actual App Store updates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJb6XR8HLBcEMWDSnIH5R6VJaOLV4HTqLGnXEi8GY6q8YIbVEVqVvgQ2Dy3Zlgx4jMfvhQQmWE21zZNu_fz7OujjxAR3cQRgslXoeAI-mvEpVAmxHMnz7lcN-CSjvG0bbF4HXjwTmQ1Xr/s1600/new5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJb6XR8HLBcEMWDSnIH5R6VJaOLV4HTqLGnXEi8GY6q8YIbVEVqVvgQ2Dy3Zlgx4jMfvhQQmWE21zZNu_fz7OujjxAR3cQRgslXoeAI-mvEpVAmxHMnz7lcN-CSjvG0bbF4HXjwTmQ1Xr/s1600/new5.png" height="26" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MIm6NjLEaDxEusHC-OD3BdGanCXhn5qqMktBmEOYx9lUEsxWPVwknKWunj3ABvRJwQDhRUawSVMusj387r-MD-2sAQ_HJd2vGFGHl6uhc9NvYe9De93_d7crl7usJgaklsV-P1Dtts5u/s1600/new4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MIm6NjLEaDxEusHC-OD3BdGanCXhn5qqMktBmEOYx9lUEsxWPVwknKWunj3ABvRJwQDhRUawSVMusj387r-MD-2sAQ_HJd2vGFGHl6uhc9NvYe9De93_d7crl7usJgaklsV-P1Dtts5u/s1600/new4.png" height="28" width="320" /></a>But we always make sure you can continue a game you’ve started. King of Dragon Pass is a long game, and it would be unreasonable to have players not upgrade because they’re in the middle of a game. So KoDP reads the previous format, but writes the new format. In fact, we’ve done this <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/02/planning-for-growth.html">before</a>, so it can read several old formats. We also sometimes have to go through gyrations to make sure new variables appear only at the end of our data files. (During development, we’re less strict about this, and testers occasionally have to discard games in progress.) Just to make sure, I just loaded a game which was actually saved in 2011, before the 2.0 release.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAlVqHeQvS_Ckd017kQIiYLE9R0v4SP6lHVe2nTmfyl0r5wsZWNuKyy0a2A68YMbWNiHgH-npjozzn_QLGE5eYwJlaAtfMejHwkujbdEkHGsvFMWNT6xX4fykbS487YOujR9fMwBcNo_4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-06+at+14.46.34.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAlVqHeQvS_Ckd017kQIiYLE9R0v4SP6lHVe2nTmfyl0r5wsZWNuKyy0a2A68YMbWNiHgH-npjozzn_QLGE5eYwJlaAtfMejHwkujbdEkHGsvFMWNT6xX4fykbS487YOujR9fMwBcNo_4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-06+at+14.46.34.png" height="27" width="320" /></a>We also do our best to test all the new content. There are 16 new full scenes, plus news and other followups. We run through every outcome of every choice, ideally in the context of a normal game. The last thing we want is an update that has serious bugs! All this play can uncover minor bugs in previous parts of the game, and we fix those too.<br />
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Finally, we want the update to be free to everyone who’s bought the game. That’s pretty much how the App Store works, but I suppose we could make new content an in-app purchase. While episodic content may sometimes work like this, King of Dragon Pass was not designed to be broken into chapters. There are other reasons for making the update free, but a big one is that don’t want to ruin the play experience.<br />
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Version 2.3 is not yet ready to go, but when it is, it will be quality software that’s compatible with ongoing games, and will be a free update.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-49164515372106804972014-03-09T11:30:00.004-07:002014-03-09T11:30:41.497-07:00“Slights make war, but favors make peace.” In one of the interactive scenes, a warrior from another clan tells us, “Slights make war, but favors make peace.”<br />
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This is a reasonable summary of how <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/12/friends-and-relations.html">relationships between clans</a> work. But things aren’t quite that simple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTntehr8rYKzhbyWog3OCs3jzUJJ0GInZh0_9MhTIoZ7wQAipTJGWTNhrorZzdEToPtr6SNBvhOqQ8-7g24o3UVKx7Z6ijPRQMQGaZf05HKXQGUf2ArBpAVkWbWhVKhSU962mONW2nnJf8/s1600/sceneR299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTntehr8rYKzhbyWog3OCs3jzUJJ0GInZh0_9MhTIoZ7wQAipTJGWTNhrorZzdEToPtr6SNBvhOqQ8-7g24o3UVKx7Z6ijPRQMQGaZf05HKXQGUf2ArBpAVkWbWhVKhSU962mONW2nnJf8/s1600/sceneR299.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>Certain acts are considered slights — stains on a clan’s honor. (Raids are annoying, but unless the context decrees otherwise, aren’t considered slights.) If you slight another clan too many times, it will declare a feud, which is essentially a statement that they consider themselves at war with your clan.<br />
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The exact number is affected by certain treasures, but usually it takes three slights to push a clan over the edge into feud. Of course, you already have a history with the other clans that emigrated to Dragon Pass, so you might start on the cusp of a feud.<br />
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Exactly what offends another clan is not always obvious, so this isn’t shown in the user interface. But your ring often incorporates the number of slights into their advice. Sometimes you can erase a slight, but in general the offended clan will remember them forever.<br />
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Note that slighting a clan won’t always result in an immediate feud. Tensions have to simmer to a boil, and they may want to make sure that they’re strong enough to prosecute a feud.<br />
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Ending a feud will remove at least some of the slights, depending on just how you managed to resolve it.<br />
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As far as favors making peace, the connection is a little less direct. You can be owed any number of favors. No one feels so obligated that they offer a treaty. But a clan that owes you is more likely to go along with what you want — perhaps you subtly remind them that they owe you, or on their own they would rather back you than pay 30 cows. At the same time, a clan that you owe will be less likely to side with you. Who are you to ask for a political favor, when you are already in their debt? Tribal negotiations are just one area that works like this.<br />
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When an advisor says, “Her clan will be slighted if we aid her, and obligated to us if we return her to them,” hopefully the meaning is clear. And now you know what it means in game terms.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-78545523491995774372014-02-12T15:33:00.001-08:002014-02-12T15:33:23.751-08:00Scene Contest UpdateSome time ago, you <a href="http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/2013/10/scene-contest-winners.html">picked the winner</a> of our <a href="http://www.pockettactics.com/features/eurmal-approves-write-a-scene-for-king-of-dragon-pass/">scene contest</a>. We added consequences and advice to the entry, and commissioned Jan Pospíšil to paint the illustration. Here is his pencil sketch, and the scene as it will appear in the game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwBUHJ93AGkEZGCzy3bxtr-gHng1xglOefJhfCojw-1ZKuJJVshnDdDtPjQPWk5bHS7NCGCFDXdae1QA7PoKTuwFnuTDFc0CBETWb-dYsc0lycRreeO1jxKd69KN93e5eT4JalK-11Y_X/s1600/iOS+Simulator+Screen+shot+11+Feb+2014,+19.42.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwBUHJ93AGkEZGCzy3bxtr-gHng1xglOefJhfCojw-1ZKuJJVshnDdDtPjQPWk5bHS7NCGCFDXdae1QA7PoKTuwFnuTDFc0CBETWb-dYsc0lycRreeO1jxKd69KN93e5eT4JalK-11Y_X/s1600/iOS+Simulator+Screen+shot+11+Feb+2014,+19.42.35.png" height="157" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are still testing other new scenes — we’d like version 2.3 to be a significant update. This means it’s not ready yet. But all the scenes are written, so we hope to say more fairly soon.David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870073072491894963.post-73525690354338201672013-12-31T15:08:00.000-08:002013-12-31T15:08:23.100-08:00Friends-and-Relations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB916LTEFd3Kt2Zz52EWGm5uTu96-o58XDNCW3SLdGyDnyanaCsdwMxtiH76qPy4NQTTr2Xc9kuArMWd-KOBHBtx9dbmGoljslLk-DJqBSXAm-E9S5RlVaY0G1m-WuJBNy0ERy8arjqzlM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-31+at+17.53.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB916LTEFd3Kt2Zz52EWGm5uTu96-o58XDNCW3SLdGyDnyanaCsdwMxtiH76qPy4NQTTr2Xc9kuArMWd-KOBHBtx9dbmGoljslLk-DJqBSXAm-E9S5RlVaY0G1m-WuJBNy0ERy8arjqzlM/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-12-31+at+17.53.14.png" width="320" /></a>Your clan is not alone in colonizing Dragon Pass. There are a couple dozen other clans, and you have complex and dynamic relationships with each of them.<br />
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In addition, there are groups that are treated as clans for convenience, such as the Horse-Spawn, Humakti, or Trolls. The most important factor for groups is usually attitude.<br />
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The map shows clan names in colors ranging from most friendly (allies are blue) to least (feuding clans are red). But no color really captures the complexity of how another clan considers yours.<br />
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<b>Allied</b>: Is there a mutual alliance?<br />
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<b>Attitude</b>: Does the clan think of you positively or negatively?<br />
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<b>Captives</b>: Do you have any of their clan members captive?<br />
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<b>Favors</b>: Do they owe you a favor? Or, do you owe them one? (Or many; the number goes up and down as obligations are taken on or repaid.) Favors cancel out, so you can’t both owe and be owed.<br />
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<b>Feud</b>: Are you in a state of feud? This is basically a declared war.<br />
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<b>Proximity</b>: Is the clan a neighbor, or a neighbor of a neighbor? (Rarely this may change.)<br />
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<b>Raids</b>: Clans track the number of raids won or lost (including how many consecutive wins or losses), as well as the number you have made without them counter-raiding.</div>
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<b>Slights</b>: Grave offenses are remembered for years, even by otherwise friendly clans.</div>
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<b>Trade</b>: Is there an ongoing trade route?<br />
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<b>Tribute</b>: How much we pay them, or what they pay us.<br />
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One important factor is not specific to any one clan.<br />
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<b>Kingship</b>: How well our clan is considered suitable for leading others. This is your reputation among the other clans as a whole.<br />
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<h3>
Your Clan</h3>
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Within the clan, the major factions are the carls and warriors.</div>
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<b>Farmer Morale</b>: How the farmers think they are being treated, especially relative to the warriors.</div>
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<b>Mood</b>: The overall attitude of the clan.</div>
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<b>Weaponthane Morale</b>: How the weaponthanes think they are being treated, especially relative to the carls.</div>
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<h3>
Tribes</h3>
Clans form into tribes. Within your own tribe, clans track how fairly they think you have treated them (especially if yours is the royal clan). Actions of the king may also stir up royal jealousy. There’s also an overall tribal mood tracked for your tribe.<br />
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<b>Attitude</b>: Does the tribe think of your tribe positively or negatively?<br />
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<h3>
Other Relationships</h3>
During play, other relationships might be tracked, such as who you sold a treasure to. This depends on the story.<br />
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Keeping Them All Straight</h3>
This is obviously a lot to track, and the game does it because the Orlanthi do it. Knowing who you can trust and who you need vengeance on is critical!<br />
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But as a player, you’re not expected to worry about every detail. The map or clan filters can give you a quick summary (so you can demand tribute from a clan you are not allied to). And the user interface makes sure you can’t call for a favor from a clan that doesn’t owe you one).<br />
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More importantly, your advisors will tell you, either in one of the management screens, or an interactive scene. Be sure to consult them!<br />
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And you can also refer to the clan saga, which records interactions with others.<br />
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It’s your relationship with the other clans that will ultimately determine whether you can forge a tribe, and then unify the tribes into a kingdom.</div>
David Dunhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11303126226993823687noreply@blogger.com4