I agree. These are very good suggestions btw, Ill soon update all the suggestions you people came up with on the spreadsheet so we can see them all side by side and choose the better one. NEW QUESTION: I'm going over all of the feedback and I have another question - is it clear enough that you get the star rating based on the amount of shots you use to solve a level?
Than the question is why Toshi in the game name and not Dance physics. Anyway, what about Toshi Life?
Good question, it's is not a must to have her in the name. The name's purpose is to attract the attention of the people who might like this game. Toshi Life is nice, Ill add that to the list, thanks!
UPDATE: The preadsheet has been fed with all the new data available, separated into 4 sheets: 1) R2-Rejections (major and minor) 2) R2-Survey results (icon, number of levels, general difficulty) 3) R2-bugs 4) R2-Name suggestions (ALL of them) Here is the link again, looking forward to the rest of the reports: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoPeTepU_M0ZdEp4emd6Zkd4bGs3eEVwLW5XdnhFSVE&authkey=CPqNqawE&hl=en#gid=0
ill put a picture up right now to show what I mean Ok so the one on the left says 6 shots with 3 stars highlighted. So it would count down 6 shots once you hit zero It would go to the picture on the right. A star would be lost and now you have 2 shots for 2 stars. Then after those 2 shots goes to one star and doesnt have a count down
1) What would be a good price for such a game? $2-3 would be a good price. Probably 2. 2) Do you think somehow including the word physics in the games name might help improve the initial appeal of the game to complete strangers who wander around the appstore looking for a game to buy? For those that love physics based games, you either need to have physics in the name, or have a catchy enough name and icon to get them to at least look at the game, so I think physics in the name might help. 3) what do you think about the game's difficulty in general and about the difficulty curve (too steep? not steep enough?) I think the difficulty is good, but some levels are really hard to figure out. 4) very small question - as to the wooden blocks that break after one hit - are you sure that it's not the result of a ricochet from an earlier shot? Yes, I'm sure. There have been many times when I would shoot my first rock and the rock would hit the block, destroy it, and bounce off into the abyss. 5) I'm going over all of the feedback and I have another question - is it clear enough that you get the star rating based on the amount of shots you use to solve a level? Yes, it's very obvious. Once you put in the rating system, it all began to make sense.
1)$1.99 for a full version; $0.99 for a basic version with DLC (3 packs included and the other 2 for purchase, another $0.99) 2)"Physics" can be a subtitle. Such as "Save Toshi - Addictive Physic Game" 3)Levels in 2nd build are really more difficult than the 1st one. And all the levels are arranged in packs by different costumes of Toshi's. Is it possible to arrange levels by difficulty? 4)The wooden blocks are set to be destroyed by 2 hits. There's ricochet at all. 5)Yes. If the number shots to get which star can be informed before the level starts, it will be better. Alex
Thanks Alex! 1) Thanks! 2) Ill add that name option to the list on the spreadsheet 3) Level are arranged by difficulty, the costumes are just a way to add some visual variety after each 20 levels. We did play with the difficulty curve making it not completely linear, but basically speaking it's arranged from easy to hard. Did you feel that the difficulty curve was totally random? 4) I was referring to a bug that was mentioned on the thread, where sometimes the blocks would break after only 1 hit (which of course shouldn't happen). 5) interesting, Ill add that to the spreadsheet as well. Later we will try to put all the names to a vote
1) What would be a good price for such a game? i also think along the lines of maybe give the basic version for free (the first 20 stages), and charge $1.99 for the extra 80 stages. 2) Do you think somehow including the word physics in the games name might help improve the initial appeal of the game to complete strangers who wander around the app store looking for a game to buy? after reading the remark about the word "dance" that people might think its a dancing game, i feel that its important to remove the word (dance) from the name, although im not entirely sure that the word physics needs to be in the name (although it wont hurt). "stage fright" could be a different approach to the name. 3) what do you think about the game's difficulty in general and about the difficulty curve (too steep? not steep enough?) i feel the first 40 stages are somewhat on the same hardness level, after that it start to climb quite good for my taste. 4) very small question - as to the wooden blocks that break after one hit - are you sure that it's not the result of a ricochet from an earlier shot? not sure if its a bug or a ricochet, i also had that happen (i think mostly when you hit the border between two blocks) 5) I'm going over all of the feedback and I have another question - is it clear enough that you get the star rating based on the amount of shots you use to solve a level? totally clear. although it wont hurt adding a line about it in the first level tutorial.
Good stuff, thanks Yair! Really great reports so far! Were still waiting for 11 more reports, and we sure need more information than we have now (especially info about problematic levels, which is extremely helpful), so keep them coming as fast as possible Also, not a lot of you actually said anything about the first level pack. this one is crucial to the success of the game since most people will decide what they think of the game (too hard/easy, great/boring, etc...) based on these first levels (like you guys did in the first build). I would love to hear some highly detailed reports on the first 20 (especially the ones you thought were not as good as the rest, and the reason why).
I'm behind, but after playing intermittently for the last few days, I really couldn't get anywhere. I really think the game needs a hint system now. I was able to complete the first 20 levels again but could only complete a few in level pack 2. Most of them, I'm sorry to say, are just too difficult for me it seems. That said, I will try to answer the questions as best I can. 1) Levels - Hint system please! Perhaps you can show a what the next result is supposed to be or just mark the next spot that needs to be shot at. I became frustrated in most of the levels in very short order as I couldn't figure them out and had no recourse to get anywhere without any hint system. Also, please add a way to move to the next puzzle or the previous one without having to return to the main menu. I think 100 levels is the right amount. Any less might be pushing it, but 100 seems right and this was the number I mentioned a few times in my posts after the first build. 2) Main Objections - I guess that these have already been covered above. 3) Bugs life - No problems here. 3) Rating system - I also like the counting back method as proposed on the previous page. 4) more name suggestions - Frankly I think the name is fine as it is. I really dislike the idea of adding a bunch of words like "schoolgirl" or "happy dance physics" or whatever. A title like that is too busy and obvious a plea for attention for my taste. Besides, I thought Toshi was a pop star, not a schoolgirl? I think that adding physics puzzles or something to the title just to get more search hits would be alright, if it were "Save Toshi: Physics Puzzles" or something on that order. I like "Save Toshi" just fine though. It's succinct and different enough without being noisy.
I'd say it's unnecessary. You might just put something in the tutorial like, "different blocks will have different properties. Try them and see!" &ct...
Maybe somebody will be confused. But I think most of the people will look at the description before buy. I won't buy game just only name.
Good work medianotzu! First I wanna thank you for being honest about the difficulty and not trying to prove anything. Second I would love a more detailed report of which levels you found to be extremely hard on the 2nd pack. I was expecting this sort of report before we even started this beta because our main problem in previous games was the difficulty level. Some people really loved Rasta-Monkey and Eco-Punk, but others thought they were way too hard and frustrating, and when Rasta-Monkey got to the top 10 paid games a year and a half ago, it didn't live there for too long because the mass of appstore gamers found it to be extremely hard and gave us a low rating (quite a few said they wanted to smash their phone against the wall!!!). Most people on this beta-team represent the hard-core audience, the crowd that actually get a kick out of a hard and challenging game, and would not leave a puzzle unsolved. Some of you finished the game a LOT faster than I ever would, and I'm one the designers I'm glad this kind of hard-core audience feel pretty much at home with the game, and feel that the challenges are hard but interesting. I wouldn't wanna change that and make a game they find to be easy and boring, but I wouldn't also want to miss the people who might need some more time to understand the concepts behind the levels, and who might feel highly frustrated with the game so soon like medianotzu did (especially since you liked the first build so much!). That's why I now really the help of all of you, to think up the best and simplest hint/help system we can create that would help people who find the game difficult, to figure out things more easily without being too spoon-fed, and keep playing it to the end. medianotzu suggested to mark the next spot that needs to be shot at, which reminds me a bit of the hint system in the excellent iPhone game 'Slice-it' (which some of you tested) and also add a skip button. What do the rest of you think? this is absolutely crucial that we find a solution so you're all needed on this one! I agree, I do too. But the question is: would a name that imply a dancing/rhythm game genre, be such a turn-off for people who don't like that genre that you wouldn't even bother to read the description?
True, but none of us have time to read the descriptions of every game that comes out. You have to be attracted to either the icon or the name in order to even check it out. I'm sure that you have passed over many games without even giving them a second thought. Although, the icon of this game is fantastic, so it will get people's attention.
