The game celebrates its first birthday on the iOS App Store this week, on 7 September. We thought it was time it grew up…
The game does support the Retina Display on both iPhone and iPad, though most artwork looks just fine at standard resolution so that’s what we used. And we didn’t want to add another 500 MB of art (an estimate how big the 436 event illustrations would be with 4 times as many pixels, for both iPad and iPhone screens).
So the iPad illustrations are the same resolution used in the original game (upscaling inevitably introduces distortion, even if it’s barely perceptible). This left enough room for a reasonably sized column of text. You can see both the art and the accompanying story at the same time, and in most interactive scenes, you don’t need to scroll. And there’s enough space that we can show the info that was hidden behind the graphic on iPhone, and add a Saga button. Again, this really seems like the perfect platform for this game. I can’t imagine playing it on my 30 inch display.
Since the iPad UI is different, we also had to make a new version of the tutorial (most notably because there’s a single Sacred Time screen on iPad), and the manual.
We know a lot of people have been waiting a long time for this version. And we didn’t want them to have to pay a second time. So we made the game a Universal build — it adapts to the device you’re playing on. And we made it an update, rather than a new title, so that it would be free to existing players.
The downside is that you need to download the assets for the device you don’t own. So to make sure there was something for iPhone owners, we added a new illustrated encounter. We also followed up on a suggestion to show deity icons in the lists of blessings, which help identify them. And there were the inevitable bug fixes.
Enjoy the update!
(And, since all reviews and ratings reset with a new version, consider going to the App Store and rating the game.)
(And, since all reviews and ratings reset with a new version, consider going to the App Store and rating the game.)
You folks are awesome. Can't wait to try it on the big(ger) screen!
ReplyDeleteThis is great. Looking forwards to many hours of wasted productivity.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and thank you!
ReplyDeleteGot my PC and iPad versions, both look fantastic! Congratulations for your great game! I must admit I didn´t know KoDP but now there´s a deserved revival, and I´m very happy for it.
ReplyDeleteI´d like to enjoy more games like (or similar to) this one!! :-D
So, King of Dragon Pass seems to have grown up completely, and is getting ready for college ; )
ReplyDeleteWhat's next for you, David?
The iPad version is bugged on the "korol" mission? I couldn't pick any of the advisors highlighted solutions. And it wouldn't let me choose myown. Stuck right there.
ReplyDeleteApart from that, I like the new improved iPad screen size. Thanks very much for that.
Sounds like you are playing the tutorial, where you are indeed constrained to picking what the tutorial asks you to?
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DeleteIf I am that stupid, I humbly apologise. I've tried starting new games but the green popups are always there. Will they ever go? I cannot see an option to turn them off. I'm used to the PC version, and don't need them in my face all the time. I got through the "korol" mission by selecting options that neither myself or the advisors recommended. The popups weren't telling to press any option in particular. So I'm still a bit mystified.
DeleteMaybe I should read the manual some more. Thanks anyway David. It's very nice to have this on iPad without the 2x and scrolling. Cheers.....
Finish the tutorial year, then start a new game.
DeleteAlso, the tutorial mentions a difference or two (like saving).
ahhh..
DeleteA "new game" and a "tutorial" button on the main splash screen might alleviate this confusion in others? But I presume you will have thought about that already. Being an old hand, getting funnelled through a tutorial is not much fun. but if there's some important new information you need to pass on... Fair enough.
thanks for the reply, David.
*bows out gracefully*
I absolutely love having the game on iPad, it´s one of these games perfect for the device. Truly Interactive game and and chose your own story book in one App.
ReplyDeleteI might have some layout sugestions. Or is the look set in stone for the time being?
Be glad to hear them, we have made changes based on suggestions so far.
DeleteCool!
DeleteMy suggestion seems to lie within the Heroquest and Lore parts of the game.
I put it in a short PDF so i could put reference pictures to my text. Beware of terrible spelling by a German writing in English without using a Spellchecker. ;-)
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24555418/kodp_layoutsugestion.pdf
Maybe you could still use the full size image after tapping on the new, smaller, one.
DeleteYou have identified the areas I am least happy with.
DeleteUnfortunately, columns of text would be a lot of work, and I really don’t want to reduce the art
I figured there was a reason. I don´t know how to code at all, just know my ways around inDesign a bit were it´s really simple to just push things around how i feel like it.
DeleteDuring the intro it dos not disturb me at all. But that might be because i have a black iPad. But i think black background dos fit the ingame screens even if Historybooks and Heroquests deal with the past somewhat like the intro.
The second suggestion could still work, if you cut the Headline maybe the art fits unreduced. Centred and with just one big textbox underneath you would have space to work with the backgrounds edges and loose the need to Squeez the text as narrow in between as possible. - I guess the Heroquest decisions might fit in nicely aswell.
About the art vs the text. When you look at a lore book it´s the image and a short summary at first. It´s like a Book cover. But when you tap to open it the full text the text becomes more important.
The Picture with the short summery underneath it could be something like a memorial insignia (if thats the right word in english) - and when you click on expand the full text overlays like the iPhone version.
http://www.gravuren-nucke.de/media/images/popup/19102.jpg
I am just brainstorming. This dos not solve the Heroquest look anyway. Maybe i´ll be back with something new tomorrow. :D
I do appreciate the suggestions, and it usually does take a bit of iteration to come up with really good designs.
DeleteOne way of looking at this is that Lore and heroquests would work a lot better with a portrait layout. However, the rest of the game worked better in landscape. (But no, I am not going to add rotation support.)
What a weekend: the update (looks very nice on an IPad) and the GOG offer! Now I can finally put my original game CD into rest. Thank you very very much!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we destroyed their value as collector’s items? (The game is still listed on Amazon.com for $160.)
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