Love AI War and/or Tidalis? We could really use your help...

[TechSY730]

Agreed. Defender mode is short enough that playing with strangers that you don't intend on picking up another session with is feasible.
However, this idea should really go into the bug tracker, if it isn't already.
In here it is likely to be forgotten amongst the many pages this thread has.

[iron-hands]

Obviously with 27 pages to go through I haven't read a lot of suggestions and I hope this wasn't already suggested, but it could do a lot.  Over the past 4-5 months there have been HUGE developments in gaming as a result of the iPhone and current iOS.  While it may be impossible or impractical to make a complete port of this game onto a new platform, it could still be used in the same way many other company's are utilizing the almost viral marketing strategy targeting hundreds of thousands of users.  In the current app stores, it's almost entirely indy company's dominating the scene, easily competing with EA, Capcom, and the like. 

A small standalone game, making use of the music, sounds, and graphics that have been already created, using the AI behavior scripts, and combat number crunching, could be quite successful on its own, even though the main purpose of the smaller app is simply to generate a larger interest in the main product.  This is something that many larger studios are doing, as well as movie makers.  Tron, Predators, Avatar have all had a fair amount of success.  Dead Space has an iOS game, again utilizing a lot of existing media to introduce their IP into a newer market with the goal of generating hype as well as additional revenue.

Of course, a game on the portable scale would need some simplification... Maybe simply one system with players competing for resources, or simply "tower defense", building a base of operations defending waves of AI.

Apologies if someone has already suggested this, but I'm loving the game so far, and I'd really like to help in any way possible.

[keith.lamothe]

Well, AI War sells fine (and is still going strong, over a year and a half after release, except for those summer doldrum months where almost everything sold poorly), so that's not really the one in need of iPhone/etc exposure.  Also, as you more or less indicated, it would have to be made into a totally different game to be a decent fit with the platform.  Not that we can't do that, but it would be a whole new project that would take a fair bit of time.  And whether the resulting game would actually appeal to either our current community or any segment of the iPhone/etc customer base would be up in the air, since it'd be a new game.

Tidalis is a much better fit for those platforms (the iPad at least) since it could reasonably run on the hardware and doesn't appear to be finding any significant market on the PC or the Mac.  We've already done a free web player version to see if that kind of direction is a good one.  I haven't actually heard how well that web version is doing (in terms of number of people playing, etc), but I imagine if it was doing much I'd have heard about it

There's also a number of issues with development for those specific platforms that increase the monetary, time, and frustration costs of pursuing them.  Since our revenues from October '10 through February '11 have been pretty healthy, we're not feeling the need to jump into that particular circus

[x4000]

But we definitely keep our eye on it.

[Anamnesis]

Just picked up AI war and its expansions today and I already love this game. I don't know how I missed this game when it was released but I'm glad i have it now

[x4000]

Thanks so much for your support!

[Teal_Blue]

Of course, a game on the portable scale would need some simplification... Maybe simply one system with players competing for resources, or simply "tower defense", building a base of operations defending waves of AI.

Having a simplified version of the game, even just a button or 'mode' that changes what is on screen and how the game plays for the above mentioned 'resource competition type of mode' or 'tower defense type of mode' would be awesome in my opinion.

If you did something like this as DLC, or even as a paid expansion with other 'modes' that you feel fit, perhaps several (2, 3, 4, 5?) then i would buy it. I love your game, the only drawback for me personally is that the games take a 'looooong' time. For me, short and sweet is very, very nice. 

This is not meant to tell you what to do, only that if you had a 'mode' expansion pack for $9.99, then i would buy it, and probably love AI War more than i do now. 

If you ask the other players, they may say the same, or they may disagree with me completely, but at least you would know if it had a chance of flying. That is of course not counting whatever 'effort' it is to actually do the expansion, which from your point of view may either be worth it, or not.

Thank you for listening,

-Teal


 

[Teal_Blue]

Actually, just a thought after thinking about this awhile, but maybe it would be better, if we wanted a 'Tower Defense' or a 'Resource Builder/Explore' game (without monsters per se, maybe natural disasters or events instead?) might be better as a 'new' game instead of trying to morph an existing game into something else?

Just a thought,

-Teal

[Wingflier]

I've been trying to spread the word about this game to all my friends.  The problem is that it's such a deep and intricate game that I would almost say it requires a deep and intricate person to fully appreciate (good luck finding those!).  In all seriousness, AI War definitely has a niche appeal, but the people who do enjoy it love it.  I hope you guys continue getting support for AI War and all your other games (Tidalis is amazing) for a long time to come.