What IOS games have you been playing? ARCHIVE

Wow, Wars of the Roses just stealth-released.

Universal, GameCenter, campaign mode, looks great ... I'm floored by how much I'm digging it.

And, yes, it's an amazingly dry Euro with a "theme" that would make even Reiner laugh out loud. But hell with it; it's actually a lot of fun.

Linkage: itunes.apple.com/us/app/wars-of-the-roses/id482910640?mt=8

Has anyone tried this space RPG Dangerous ? It looks interesting, but games like this tend to be hit or miss.

I picked up Doom 2 RPG today. It's a lot of fun!

We need a Magic Realm app.

Necronimicon for a dollar seems ok.

Elder Signs type AH rip off with the graphics of AH.

I've been playing iOS Monopoly (got it in EA's big sale) against 3 computer opponents and I'm really enjoying it. If I may digress from the thread's topic a bit...

I've gotten good enough that I can win a majority of the time (probably 60-80%) even on the hardest difficulty. (The game keeps track of your overall win/loss stats, and for each difficulty, but initially I sucked so it's hard to tell my true current percentage.) The AIs trade pretty intelligently, though I can usually convince them to trade me their sole property near the beginning of the game, when money is abundant, for perhaps too low a price...For example, I often try to grab the light blues and the railroads, which I can convince the AI to trade me for about $150 or $290 respectively.

I've been learning various tactics, which can be really effective in aggregate:
- When to build houses and how many, including when to try to grab up the remaining houses in the game. One major factor in this decision is your opponents' positions - for example should I build now when a 7 or 8 means the thimble lands on my property, or wait until my finances are more certain after I reach Go or get past an upcoming dangerous patch? Or say I have the same dilemma but the thimble AND iron are both approaching - I'm more likely to bet on building. Always wait till the last minute though, unless cash reserves are high.
- Knowing when during your turn to initiate a trade. I find it's generally better to wait until my turn ends so I can understand where I am financially and in board position, but if I am likely to land on a property I want, better to obtain it before landing on it.
- Knowing when to trade another player a property that gives him a monopoly vs. stubbornly clinging to a blocking property.
- Knowing that for a temporary loan, mortgaging then unmortgaging is usually more economical then removing and rebuilding houses. So, having junky but mortgageable properties in your possession can be useful. If they double as blocking properties as mentioned above, even better, as it sucks to have to mortgage a monopoly property.
- Understanding the relative value of the different groups, for example how insanely more valuable having all 4 railroads is compared to having only 2. And of course, most games monopolizing Orange is going to pay off more than say Green.
- Knowing the major Chance/Community Chest cards - not $10 in a beauty contest, but ones like advancing to the nearest railroad and paying double rent. If the game has progressed well, I don't have all 4 RRs, and this card hasn't turned up yet, I'll make it a high priority to obtain the RRs even if the cost is high. Mid-to-late game, $400 can be just the boost I need, and just the hit it takes to put an opponent into a weak position, maybe forcing them to mortgage or sell.

I actually want to play against those crafty carbon-based players now. I suspect they'll more stubbornly refuse to give me RRs, at least after a few games.

OK I understand most of this isn't news to any of you but it's just what I've been learning as I play, and I find it hilarious that this game is still considered to be pure luck. My 60%-80% should be 25%, right?

NeonPeon wrote: OK I understand most of this isn't news to any of you but it's just what I've been learning as I play, and I find it hilarious that this game is still considered to be pure luck. My 60%-80% should be 25%, right?

True, but to be fair, getting those properties from the AI early must be bumping your percentages quite a bit.

Bullwinkle wrote:

NeonPeon wrote: OK I understand most of this isn't news to any of you but it's just what I've been learning as I play, and I find it hilarious that this game is still considered to be pure luck. My 60%-80% should be 25%, right?

True, but to be fair, getting those properties from the AI early must be bumping your percentages quite a bit.

Yes I'll concede that point. They are making about 40%-50% profit on me however, so I wouldn't be surprised if some human players viewed it as coming out on top. But I think most experienced players would tell me to fuck off unless I offered a ridiculous amount. If I landed on Reading RR on my first turn, and someone else immediately wanted it, I don't think I'd take less than...$800.

Maybe I'll ban myself from initiating trades for 4 or 5 turns and see how I do.

You're crazy. Railroads are good in aggregate. But at that stage, they are only worth a $25 rental. Even if I land on it 10 times, it's only $250. The computer is making a reasonable guess that you won't get them all, or even say, 3/4 of them. Hence: $290 or so.

Do they have variable AI? Are they all on "HARD" or equivalent? I am more surprised by the light blue for $150 than anything else. That's not smart at all.

Housing shortages by building to three is a time honored strategy in MONOPOLY. If you ever come out this way (sunny Southern California) I'll set up a game with Ken Koury.

I may in fact be crazy. I do get all 4 RRs nearly every game though, only on rare occasion do I obtain only 3, and they help me win big time. I play on the hardest difficulty (3 of 3), but I suppose it's still not the smartest at trading.

Ascension is a good game. Just good but I think people are flipping over it because there is nothing else. I don't love like others seem to, although playing against F:ATies is cool.

But Barnes wrote about Cave games on NHS and their new game Bug Princess. Bullet Hell Nirvana! Holy fuck this game rocks. The changing colour designs are fuckin gorgeous, this is the Kandinski of iOS games. I'm playin non-stop and even left Saints Row the third on pause to finish a match and then started again right away.

Best shooter on iOS and not in the same way that Ascencion is the best DBG. This stands on it's own.

There's actually a lot of game in ESPGALUDA 2, which although the website might not like it, is very much about high scores. If you are just cruising through for the win, you'll get there easily in Normal, even if you're terrible--the touch control is really amazing. but if you are trying to get the highest possible score, it's much more complicated. It becomes a game of gold maximization, risk tolerance, and decision-making. The game gets a lot more "hell" when you let them fill the screen with bullets you can convert for points.

Somewhere on here was a real schmups maestro. I'll dig in the archives later to see if I can root him out.

I think I've played at least one Titan game on the iPad every day since I bought it. I might have missed it once, but I doubt it.

My wife and I enjoyed our second game of Wabash Cannonball last night. I think it would be better with more than two players, but we both agree that it is more fun to work on strategies ourselves before we see what the AI does to optimize things.

I downloaded Tigris and Euphrates and hope to play it with my wife soon. I want to wait so we can go through the tutorial together and be on the same level. I know if I learn without her, I'll likely play a handful of games against the AI and get a bit of an edge.

Thanks to Jeb and Barnes I'm playing TWO awesome bullet hell shooters now. Let's look at them.

ESPGALUDA 2 vs. Bug Princess

ESPGALUDA 2 is more pretty to look at and Bug Princess is more fun to play.

One is not better then the other really and I've finished both of them already (although for those who love this genre you know there is plenty of game left in there). Sure I think Bug Princess is the better game so far, mostly due to the strategy side of things because the game feels more difficult and where you shoot seems to matter more whereas the colour pallette in ESPGALUDA 2 in fantastic. It's much more a moving abstract art piece. But both are good at both things and I tend to play one four or five times and then switch.

Yes, they are expensive for iOS games but I believe in supporting these types of companies and considering how rare this kind of game done well is I think it's worth every penny, and really, we're so spoiled these days with 0.99$ games that people think it's weird I paid slightly less then 10$ for two awesome shooters. Maybe I just remember when Radiant Silvergun was 200$ on E-bay a little too well.

JonJacob wrote: Thanks to Jeb and Barnes I'm playing TWO awesome bullet hell shooters now. Let's look at them.

Yes, they are expensive for iOS games but I believe in supporting these types of companies and considering how rare this kind of game done well is I think it's worth every penny, and really, we're so spoiled these days with 0.99$ games that people think it's weird I paid slightly less then 10$ for two awesome shooters. Maybe I just remember when Radiant Silvergun was 200$ on E-bay a little too well.

Amen to this. There's a place for 99¢ games, but it is totally worth paying for quality like this. EA is selling things like ASSASSIN'S CREED RECOLLECTION for 99¢ as an extension of brand and to get your info in UPlay. Cave is trying to get paid for their hard work, and it's what? $10? $11 for the hi def version. Totally worth it, considering the hoops folks had to jump through to get games like this in the US in years past.