Kamikazi

This. They've burnt their bridge with me. Spent the $25 and feel ripped off. That is not how you want your target audience to feel. I even gave up on the forums quite a while ago. Then I saw in the app store that I had an update. Loaded it in the morning and checked the forums at work. Guess what no new content plus additional bugs and folk's gold and chests disappeared. Well, super. You know what they say. Fool me once. . . If it comes out again I might go the FTP route. Not going the paid route again when the same money gets much more value from a humble bundle purchase.

lol, wut? Seriously, I've had my account on BGG for over a decade. Have a shelf of RPG books. Played and spent money on online card games like Clash of the Dragons. I have a good friend with the physical version (but it is in German so we don't play). Single player video games that take more than 5 minutes at a time are probably my biggest hobby. And this game isn't for me? No that isn't it. The problem isn't the game, the mechanics, the platform, or anything else mechanical. The problem is their codebase, how sloppy it must be, and how having it that sloppy slows down content release. Setting aside the UI stuff and artwork the gameplay is very straight forward. Before you begin programming something like this you need to map out all the trigger points and objects very robustly. And since in this game when there is a conflict the active player decides which goes first you don't even need to program much conflict resolution. I have yet to see a single card that does anything fancier than modifying a die roll, moving cards from one pile to another, or preventing other card from being played. The two cards that modifies a result after the die is rolled is the fanciest thing in the game. All those functions should be mapped out and tight. Frankly at the time they left beta stage and opened to the public the code should have been at the stage where an adventure path could have been released every month, treasure cards mid month, and new quest combinations with preset locations/cards/adventures on weeks 2 & 4 (like a tournament game of bridge where the hands are already dealt and the same for everyone). This is mickey mouse stuff. If they want me to stick around they should have a weekly challenge a la Sentinels of the Multiverse. Bought the season pass? Good now you can play this preset adventure with all the variables set. That way you could see what Mersi would be like if you didn't choose Acrobat. THAT IS THE POWER OF THE PLATFORM. What we actually have is just a streamlined version of the card game. They could in fact ditch the treasure cards if they rolled out weekly challenges for the buyers, and that would be enough of a hook. Then the forums would be buzzing with discussion on how to beat a particular challenge instead of asking if I'll have to replace my iPad before the season pass runs out. When I have to ask why management is making bad decisions or accepts poor code I have to then ask myself why I should stick around.

They should have had a tight framework once they left the closed beta. If the coding mechanics were tight, adding new cards should have been as simple as selecting a few boxes in a database field. Kinda the way RPG Maker works. Sure some cards might do something extra, but the vast, vast majority of cards follow a single framework with the numbers increasing by one each time (now 1D8 + 1 instead of 1D8 or recharge on 10 instead of 8 ), working with a different trait (Add Poison trait, not Magic), or swapping a bury to discard to recharge. All this should have been sorted out before release. Edit: turned 8 ) to

The problem for me at this point is Pathfinder is an afterthought. I was excited with it at first, but I've moved on. The reality is the release schedule is far too slow. FTP folks have no reason to spend money if they play the quest mode they can easily keep pace with the content as it is released. As a paying player I then have to ask myself the big question. At the start of the next adventure deck am I willing to pay $25 for a game that I basically enjoy one weekend every other month? And more importantly, what does that $25 get me elsewhere? Will I even remember I have the app come December? Look, everyone here wants it to succeed, but even that wanes as more time passes. Most of us have been with other virtual games that we've seen fall. I was a huge fan of Clash of the Dragons, wishes don't make a game successful. And that game finally got it together near the end with set rotations and co-op battles. However it was too late, there comes a tipping point. Hopefully Obsidian can figure it out and the Steam release will go gangbusters. However if they don't tighten their release schedule they'll have the same problem on Steam. At this point I strongly doubt I'm up for round 2 in 2017, I've moved on and even more stuff will be out by then that I can play more than once every two months.

While I think showing the cards that are going to be available in the chests is a good step in the right direction, and I don't think we are going to get any indications from Obsidian about any plans. I do have serious concerns about the long term viability of this game Frankly I have pretty much given up on the game for now, only stopping by the forum since the game I switched to patches on Thursdays (ironically in the same Humble Bundle as this one). At this point I think the best move is the put the game down until December when they have released the full set, OR they release it for the phone AND deal with the lack of offline gold gain (at least on the iPhone). Then it would be a good game to play while waiting at the DMV for example. I am still not enamored at being treated like a thief and not gaining gold unless on my home WiFi, after paying $25. At least remove the online requirement for the iOS versions. An iPhone version would be neat, but the lack of value in playing while the kids are running around the playground is a bit over the top. Before they release a Steam/iPhone version I would strongly suggest they tighten up their release schedule and deal with offline gold gains. A month and a half between a weekend of content isn't cutting it for me when I can only play inside my house (when I have all sorts of other entertainment to choose from). Add to that the chest uncertainty and the grindy-ness of quest mode and I start to feel there is just a hair too much uncertainty. I still like the game, but I don't feel that it is worth another $25 investment when the next adventure path rolls around without some tightening up of schedules. Thoughts?

Yes, but Treasures are tracked separately from normal cards. I.e. there's a set amount of Treasures when locations are built (let's say 10%) - that means that all your quantities of Treasures compete only between themselves. This prevents your game from getting flooded with Treasures even if you have many un-salvaged cards. I don't believe this to be true. Unless a dev chimes in saying otherwise. I was doing Mersi Poison Pill runs and never saw a deathbane x-bow or Poog until I turned off treasure chests. Sometimes I saw two or three of the same treasure chest weapon.

Even if 4 games per level is true (which I don't think it is from my experience). You are talking about 60+ hours to get 1/3 of the characters to current max level. At an hour a day we are left with half a year to get a team up to date. For most people that is approaching burnout rates.

Let me be one to disagree vehemently. The amount of effort it takes for me to get a new character to unlock their role card is a big turn off. If someone else wants to grind and grind by all means let them, they can just delete their character and start over. Me? I'd like to have options. Eight games to gain a single level is a big turn off to me. Perhaps a slider that people can set to their preference?

For plenty of cards there is no reason to keep one copy.

That's my plan. It'll also show me if the chests are set on buy or open.

From the glitches that happened pre-1.03 and what I have seen happen in other games, I would suspect that drops are set when the chest is purchased. Back when I experienced the glitch of quest mode freezing when different toons leveled up (specifically the one where you choose a boon type to drop), I tried picking a different card type for my character in case that could fix the freeze. Every time I picked Weapon, got the same x-box, Ally, same ally, Blessing, same blessing. Then it would freeze, I had to force quit the app, and tried again until I figured out you had to highlight the next character who would get a reward. Played plenty of other games where drops were set at time of purchase. Ergo I would guess that opening them one a day won't make any impact. If loot drops are set, why wouldn't chest drops be?

I think Amiri shines in larger parties. Her move/move another ability is where a lot of her power comes in. If the blessing deck is getting tight she hops over the cover any location to make sure the villian cannot run. Even if she cannot temp close it herself, someone else can throw a greater aid and she has it covered. Stick her with Lem and she can carry him along with her as she travels. Someone picked up a piece of junk? Move her to their location and have them hand it off. She'll just bury it. Personally I have all the characters and Val I give the shields and one handed weapons. Amiri I give the two handed sticks.

Save it for when Deck 4 is released. Not all cards in the gallery are actually there now. Unless you are unhappy with your current vault. I'm at 20K as well and that is my plan, to wait for the next content release. My gaming isn't really hampered by not having Deck 6 Legendary cards.

Oh and give us XP for defeating the villian. It sucks to find him as the first card with no evade in hand, insta-close the location, then meet him again as the second explore in the second location. Congrats on your 0 XP for two of the locations! I'd even suggest to give out XP on a loss, that would encourage me to play six person parties and have fun, rather than insta-forfeit on certain setups or a seven card wipeout when rolling four 1s on 2D12, 2D6 + 4 on the first turn. I'd even enjoy attempting a Black Maga villian with Boa henchmen (impossible in 30 turns with most party comps on some locations) where you have to grind all 60 cards. The other thing that bugged me about Quest mode was how it handles treasure chests. I have trimmed down my vault to only have one copy of sub-optimal cards. If say Mersi has one and Sajan has another and I accidentally put them in the same party, guess who is getting a deck B basic item! Meanwhile I have two Deathbane X-bows in the same active party. Yet at the same time I have yet to find a second Devout despite having three in my vault. Go figure.

Personally I'd rather have it reasonable enough that I can have a Drunken Master and a Zen Archer. A Wild Warden and a Shapeshifter. Then I could mix and match to my hearts content. A place where I could experiment and see how I like the feel of different characters. Especially since I cannot re-run regular games with fresh new characters and get the gold payout. Fix that and I might experiment with different roles in the regular game. As it stands it is a monumental effort to get one copy of a character to level 40. I've got one set (Lini, Meri, and Seoni) there. And yes its a letdown picking up a Blessing of the Gods for my reward after five games. The only saving grace is that I can put in Lini with three schlubs and be at difficulty 4 with it's higher XP payouts as well as better items. My Lini sits with two Mass Cures, three of the 2D6 Aid spells, and Orbs of Fire to support everyone else no matter what location they are at. And she closes anything like a champ!

Appreciate the reply. Things like dice skins are other non-gameplay affecting incentives I would very much like to see. As for a feature on the treasure chests. I would like to collect them, but would also like to be able to toggle numbers of cards available to me in different scenarios. For example apparently I have Lead Blades. I would never use it, hate seeing it pop up on the screen, but the collector in me doesn't want to scrap my last copy.

You could just start a new scenario "save". Then instead of new characters just import the experienced ones. Run just that level, and collect the loot cards. Then import all the other characters into the new save and delete the old one. Viola two (or three (or four)) copies of the loot. Wand of enervation is the only item so far that I really like a separate copy each for Sioni and Ezren. Plenty of Medallions to go around, the Spear isn't that neat, and the Treasure Chest armors are typically better than the loot one. They do need to fix the payout on the Black Maga level. You can't get any allies from that mission at all.

Of course the devs can do what they like. I'd even throw in a third "random" character at a reasonable price and possibly Scenarios B-2. After that, pony up the cash, or grind away hard if the devs want to be nice to the folks who actually cannot afford the purchase price. I am sure that the season pass costs will be discounted at some point. One of the most annoying thing about another game I paid for, Sentinels of the Multiverse, was that the season pass was 1/2 off mid way through the first season. And they have a much slower release schedule than Obsidian. Convinced me to never pay them full price if I continue with the game. Give me a reason to buy in at full price! Treasure chests could fill this role! The treasure chests should be a mechanic to keep the game fresh and to maintain interest during the gaps between releases. Encouraging a flurry of activity for 3 days after release of a new adventure pack then nothing while we wait is not the healthiest it could be. Smooth out the treasure chests please, maintain interest in your product long term. I'd like you guys to stick around for a while, not just be a flash in the pan. It's a great product despite the bugs.

Hopefully I am advocating having roughly a similar payout for pay players, not more, just smoothed out. Of course on the Internet it is often hard to discern agendas. Roughly I'd like everything more expensive, but subscribers to have that difference made up with either a daily rewards system (that actually encourages long term adherence), or at the very least the ability to earn gold offline. We've already paid the maximum reasonable amount for the season, rely on us to not be cheaters at that point.

Well, it is the only scenario with the Academy, so the only place with a reasonable chance to get spells. However I wish you got allies from the scenario if you win beyond the first success. One of my wildcards was bury a card when you get an ally, blessing, spell, the other was difficulty of getting boons was 2 more. That was super fun. Not only did I not get the ally, I had to dump my hand either way.

Strange, I have had to fight him three times to beat him. Three times in fact. Once I failed the third check as I unloaded everything on the second for a huge dice pool Still won in the end though, had 12 more blessings in the deck.

Agreed. It's still a long haul to get my main party to the new cap, but fun when I switch some of the out for fresh toons.

No kidding. I am actually arguing for the exact opposite of what KGK is complaining about. I want the game to be less FTP, yet friendlier to those who paid $25. Literally the opposite of 'everything for nothing'. I kinda feel like a chump at this point for supporting the game when it is so FTP friendly. For devs that should be a serious problem moving forward. At this point were I to recommend this to a friend I would actually recommend not to pay $25, I would recommend questing with the free characters, unlocking as you gained gold, and ignoring the chests. Edit: Perhaps when folks come later to the game (say when adventure 6 is released) they might want to pay to catchup and bring out the credit card. However I did all of Deck 3 normal with all characters, hard and legendary with those I wanted by Sunday morning. Since I am in Europe it was released Saturday morning for me. However Quest mode is such a grind that I would still recommend not paying unless the economics changes.

Perhaps. However I fully expect that I will have excess gold left over after my season 1 ends. If I'm not interested in playing the CCG lottery (which I find frustrating personally) after I have a full enough set of "epic cards" (1 of each is plenty), why would I buy subscription #2? I'm not complaining, except from the stand-point that I want Obsidian to be successful. I mean if I don't care about the chests, since I've already bought 2*48 packs, 2*10 packs, and several "singles" and am sitting on gold right now, I'd have already been able to pay for everything I've gotten to this point. Basically the game is free if you enjoy it, you have to pay if you don't play as much seems backwards to me.

I had a stray thought yesterday from this conversation. I've already paid for the rest of the season. For the future, they will have a couple of options: 1) Add the new scenarios into the same app, keep the gold system; 2) Create a new separate app; 3) Scrap the project. In case of decision 1, why would I pay $25 for season 2? AFAIK the only difference between me and a FTP player is Poog (I can pass on the blessing, weapon, and definitely don't care about the bane) and my 3rd Potion of Inescapable Location that I can't even use yet. I can do without treasure chests and stock up gold to pay for season 2 in gold as it is released. Like I suggested earlier, keep Decks B-2 cheap but jack up the costs for everything else. This discussion is starting to make me feel like a chump for supporting the devs rather than going FTP. That is the last thing they (or any of us) want. A pay player NEEDS to feel they get value for their investment above what everyone else gets for free. Option 2 & 3 makes it more likely to go FTP if the current economic model stands.