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iOS/tvOS Gaming November 2015 | Out of your pocket, into your living room

Heel

Member
I think we can safely just call it iOS as we always have, and expect that people can parse that it includes the entire ecosystem. That's my take, anyway.
 
I think we can safely just call it iOS as we always have, and expect that people can parse that it includes the entire ecosystem. That's my take, anyway.

But we can't call it Apple gaming and expect people to know it means the entire ecosystem.
 
I think we can safely just call it iOS as we always have, and expect that people can parse that it includes the entire ecosystem. That's my take, anyway.
Agreed, I don't know if the handful of people interested in AppleTV gaming are enough to warrant a new title. (sorry infiniteloop)
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
Agreed, I don't know if the handful of people interested in AppleTV gaming are enough to warrant a new title. (sorry infiniteloop)

so basically the same thing people were saying about iOS gaming 6 years ago........

It's odd that people get pissy when others complain about mobile gaming, when they then turn around and complain about TV gaming.

Bottom line is it's gaming out of the same app ecosystem, but the two ARE different enough. Call it iOS only and someone who might not care about iOS gaming wouldn't think to look in.

Though I would almost make it AppleTV instead of tvos. outside of people playing around with xcode.. I'm not even sure tvos is shown anywhere significant. Just a thought.

And on that subject

Apparently HexSweep was released for Apple TV today. I know nothing about it but the YouTube trailer looks good. $5 for universal app.

https://youtu.be/UntfaHntaG8

edit- I just noticed... The app info actually has "this app is optimized for iPad Pro" and STILL nothing about Apple TV... wtf!?!

screen480x480.jpeg


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so basically the same thing people were saying about iOS gaming 6 years ago........

It's odd that people get pissy when others complain about mobile gaming, when they then turn around and complain about TV gaming.

Bottom line is it's gaming out of the same app ecosystem, but the two ARE different enough. Call it iOS only and someone who might not care about iOS gaming wouldn't think to look in.
Please reread my post, I didn't say that we should exclude tvOS gamers from these threads, just that the title should stay "iOS" because the tvOS isn't significant enough to change the whole title for it. If we want to be totally inclusive though the full title should be "iOS/tvOS/watchOS/OSX", but I have a feeling even you wouldn't want that title.
 
Have to reiterate that you guys should check out In Between. I'm still on the tutorial levels, and even some of those are tricky
 

dock

Member
I'm interested in this too. Currently have the NY Times app and the Crosswords app by Stand Alone (the Classic version). Still pretty salty about Stand Alone re-releasing a new app that is more modern in the design language while leaving the old $10 version in the dust.
I just tried Stand Alone Crosswords and wasn't very impressed by the interface. :(
I'm still hunting for a nice app.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
Omg, the first page of these threads are finally readable on my iPad for the first time ever!!!!! I use the mobile site and after like 3-4 years finally checked to see if YouTube embedding was a site option somewhere. smh at myself.
 
Omg, the first page of these threads are finally readable on my iPad for the first time ever!!!!! I use the mobile site and after like 3-4 years finally checked to see if YouTube embedding was a site option somewhere. smh at myself.

Holy shit! Thanks. After all these years I didn't know about this either. Now I can read music threads on my iPad!
 

awp69

Member
For those who have Apple TV, Impulse GP, an already excellent racer, just added split screen multi-player for tvOS.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Not really relevant for anyone....but I feel like GOD and I need to brag a bit.

Just beaten Elder Sign: Omens Itaqua (rated at insane difficulty) on my first try in over a year (I did played A TON other ancient ones to train in the last 10 days).
I knew the adventure quite well (it's awesome) so I was really prepared...but it was a real struggle anyway, especially in the final cave where I arrived with just one character (luckily the one I preserved the whole adventure for last encounter).

What a freaking masterpiece.
 

Chopper

Member
I just finished The Room 3. It is a fucking masterpiece. You should all be playing it. The OT is a deadzone. For shame.
 

awp69

Member
Wow. Rex Rocket is all the way down to $.99. Yes, the UI is a little unwieldy but it's mostly serviceable and there's a good Metroidvania game underneath. And if you have a Mfi controller, the recent update to support it makes it a definite recommendation.
 

awp69

Member
Kind of disappointed in Atypical Games responses to the poor controls that are reflected both in the reviews and forums about Battle Supremacy: Evolution.

They tweeted to me "if" they find a better option they will update it. And I've read other responses saying they couldn't use the first game's controls because they wanted a "flow" with the three vehicle types and they weren't sure how to make them better.

That "if" is pretty noncommittal. They seem to think the controls are the best they can do. I'd still much rather have the original controls even if they didn't "flow" naturally. Flow between bad controls leaves bad controls.
 
OMG, yes!!!!

NEO Scavenger is coming to mobile!!!

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Android/NEO+Scavenger/news.asp?c=68240

It's one of my favorite indies, and it's criminally overlooked. I really really hope it finds a new audience on iOS/Android

I wrote some impressions for it a few years back
The raiders left you with nothing, nothing but the ragged clothes on your back and a glass shard. It had been foolish to rest in such an exposed location but the desperate search for shelter from the freezing rain had trumped your nagging exhaustion. And now your mistake had cost you dearly. Another night, another restless sleep in the rain. Hypothermia is a given now. Have to find shelter, real shelter, and supplies...or else death would be coming for you sooner rather than later.

Movement. A lone bandit in the distance. You hurriedly cover your tracks and hide. From your vantage point, you can see the rusted crowbar, the patchwork hide clothing, the backpack. Supplies, warm attire, weapons. The opportunity is too good to pass up.


---

That's just one moment from a typical NEO Scavenger playthrough. It's a bleak gritty post apocalyptic roguelike with a focus on realistic survival and it's one of the most intense and immersive experiences I've played in a while.

NEO Scavenger is a turn-based roguelike, set across a hex-based map, action menus, and text vignettes. That may not seem all that exciting, but it's the underlying gameplay mechanics that make the game stand out. Set in a world ravaged by supernatural occurrences and warfare, you awaken in an abandoned cryotube facility. Choose your traits and skills wisely, as different specializations open up new choices and options. (i.e. an Atheletic person can easily outrun enemies, but a person proficient in Hiding could more easily find cover and sneak away). Once you leave the facility, an expansive map is open to explore. How long you'll survive is another matter.

Sleep in the rain without a sleeping bag? Prepare to come down with severe hypothermia overnight or maybe you'll just freeze to death. Run away from bandits over treacherous terrain? Maybe you'll trip and break a rib. Forgo sleep and stay on the move? You'll pass out from exhaustion. Get cut in a fight? You'd better have painkillers and bandages to prevent the wound from getting infected. Forget to hide your tracks before sleeping? The raiders will have found you by morning. The wealth of options and variables to consider are astounding. Life is short and cheap, death is always lurking on the horizon.

The combat is ruthless and brutal, akin to the quick violent encounters seen in The Road or No Country, and while the encounters are experienced through menus and text, you always have a wide array of tactics at your disposal, ranging from simply fleeing to trying to break line of sight and hide to forcing enemies to surrender or just surrendering yourself. Raiders and bandits are numerous and merciless, but the otherworldly creatures and mutants that roam the map are even more dangerous.
 
I've heard nothing but good things about NEO scavenger on PC but I was put off by the dated graphics. You've got my interest piqued MB.
 
I've heard nothing but good things about NEO scavenger on PC but I was put off by the dated graphics. You've got my interest piqued MB.
Yeah, it's one of those kinds of games. The gameplay more than makes up for the subdued aesthetic. In combat, you have so many options, and survival is complex. Wounds can get infected, you can get sick, etc.
 
Lara Croft GO is on sale for $1.99. Lowest price yet.

How does it stack up to Hitman GO?
Different but better IMO. Not as challenging as Hitman, but an improvement in every other aspect. It doesn't feel like a collection of puzzles but an adventure through ancient trap-filled temples. Classic Tomb Raider distilled, in the same way that Hitman GO captured that feel of the main games
 
Galaxy on Fire: Manicore Rising (the Apple TV exclusive) is kinda disappointing. I'm not a huge fan of their new control scheme. The voice acting is distractingly awful.

It looks very nice, though. I'll give it another shot, but I kinda wish I'd skipped it.

On the other hand, Asphalt 8 is incredible and really fun.
 

ShowDog

Member
Omg, the first page of these threads are finally readable on my iPad for the first time ever!!!!! I use the mobile site and after like 3-4 years finally checked to see if YouTube embedding was a site option somewhere. smh at myself.

Oh thank god I was about to start bitching about how these threads are never readable on iOS devices but more_badass obviously puts a lot of work into them so I didn't want to do that. I always Google search to find the newest monthly thread and the first page is always unreadable and it's usually a struggle just to get to the next page button.
 
Oh thank god I was about to start bitching about how these threads are never readable on iOS devices but more_badass obviously puts a lot of work into them so I didn't want to do that. I always Google search to find the newest monthly thread and the first page is always unreadable and it's usually a struggle just to get to the next page button.
Typically I disable images, GIFs, and Youtube embedding. I frequent a lot of threads that have a lot of images (this one, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Rain World, etc.) so it's a godsend for me

But yeah, if I had more Photoshop prowess, I could combine the screenshots and info into a single image. Would make the OT more mobile-friendly

Sorry about that. No worries about bitching, trust me I try to avoid the first page as much as everyone else :p
 
As someone who used Photoshop sparsely back in high school, I can only imagine the nightmare it would be for MB to fit his whole OTs into one jpeg. Worst still, when a new game came out suddenly he would have to completely redo the whole thing. I like your OTs MB but it would not be worth it in my mind to have you do that every month. :/
 
As someone who used Photoshop sparsely back in high school, I can only imagine the nightmare it would be for MB to fit his whole OTs into one jpeg. Worst still, when a new game came out suddenly he would have to completely redo the whole thing. I like your OTs MB but it would not be worth it in my mind to have you do that every month. :/
Well not one image for the whole OT, but one image per game that includes text and screenshots rather than separate screenshots + game title/price + text quote for each game. That's how Tunesmith used to format the OTs
 

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Typically I disable images, GIFs, and Youtube embedding. I frequent a lot of threads that have a lot of images (this one, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Rain World, etc.) so it's a godsend for me

But yeah, if I had more Photoshop prowess, I could combine the screenshots and info into a single image. Would make the OT more mobile-friendly

Sorry about that. No worries about bitching, trust me I try to avoid the first page as much as everyone else :p

Well not one image for the whole OT, but one image per game that includes text and screenshots rather than separate screenshots + game title/price + text quote for each game. That's how Tunesmith used to format the OTs

There used to be two screens per game actually, plus actual screenshots, so often there were 4 screens per game. In busy months it got heavy.

More images rather than bigger combo images are usually actually less intensive on loads in most cases due to multiple cores in nearly all modern devices. It mostly comes down to optimization and hosting. Imgur is mostly reliable regardless of where you are in the world, but the site murders PNG files so you generally don't have transparencies there. I used those to get the OTs to look ok in both Light/Dark mode GAF so I hosted on Minus (which slightly favors European/Asian visitors over American due to their servers).

In general, I structured to the old OTs to be view-able on iPhones and iPads with Youtube embedding enabled while still not looking like "oversized mobile websites" on a desktop PC.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Attention!

Star Wars Battlefront companion app is out in the AppStore...it contains a turn based game that can be played as stand alone...it's a mix between a deck builder game and a miniature game....I played just 2 games and it seems cool...and I can't say no to Star Wars.

I hope FFG notices...they are sitting on a gold mine.
Turn based game with Star Wars miniatures....

Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Companion di Electronic Arts
https://appsto.re/it/9SmO-.i

 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
what's a great iPhone tower defense game? i played (and enjoyed) the original Kingdom Rush but am not sure about the sequels
 

Nyx

Member
what's a great iPhone tower defense game? i played (and enjoyed) the original Kingdom Rush but am not sure about the sequels

The sequels are great!

Other noteworthy TD games are imo:

Sleep Attack TD
Cursed Treasure 2
Man-at-Arms TD
Castle Doombad (not entirely TD but I'm sure you'll like it)
 

Matt Frost

Member
Castle Doombad (not entirely TD but I'm sure you'll like it)

Castle Doombad was in my top 10 of 2015. It just has a Dungeon Keeper vibe going on that I couldnt resist. And is done by Mighty Grumpyface, one of the best studios around. And best of all (yes it can get better) there is a free version to try. Castle Doombad is awesome.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
thanks, i'll check out Doombad

finally upgraded from a 5S to 6S - was heistant because i didn't think i'd like such a large phone but it's actually pretty dope. XCOM feels better, and i finally feel comfortable buying Roller Coaster Tycoon.
 

Fox1304

Member
We've just published the 1.1 update of our first Apple TV Game, Tanoo Jump, so I guess here is the best place to talk about it.
It adds new ennemies, bonuses, leaderboard and controller support, some achievements and the FEVER mode !
Discovery being what it is on the Apple TV here it is ! Feel free to kick the pandas, the game is Free for the launch window of the Apple TV !

l41lLaJqX6htXBuKY.gif
3o85xwY0L5AON9EtVe.gif
 

awp69

Member
thanks, i'll check out Doombad

finally upgraded from a 5S to 6S - was heistant because i didn't think i'd like such a large phone but it's actually pretty dope. XCOM feels better, and i finally feel comfortable buying Roller Coaster Tycoon.

Other TDs you might consider are any of the Anomaly series (1, 2 and Korea are reverse TDs, Defenders is a traditional TD). Also Crystal Siege is really good, but that may be iPad only.
 

Benedict

Member
Lara Croft GO is on sale for $1.99. Lowest price yet.

How does it stack up to Hitman GO?

What I played so far it doesn't feel as good.
Something feels off, but can't quite place it.
Strategies and puzzles are stream-lined and it lacks challenge.
You never feel immersed in the game.
Hope it improves, but so far I'm unimpressed considering the hype and rave it recieved.
And I loved Hitman Go. Onve of the best iOS games I played.
 
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