Sloppy programming and design

[Woobenwaine]

There's a variety of situations on iOS devices where the decks and cards show over action buttons... I have screen captures I'd like to upload

[stevozip]

Hi.  You might be new to the forums, so if you are, welcome.  There's a variety of threads already on this topic.  The developers, I'm sure, are well aware and likely working on getting them fixed, along with the other bugs they have to do the same with.  Enjoy the game.

[Ethics Gradient]

Things got a little funny when the game offically became phone compatible; scaling to support smaller/larger screens didn't entirely go as planned... If you have a specific issue, most UI problems can be overcome one way or another.

 

Display ordering problems where cards overlap in odd ways has been a reported issue since the last patch. Pathfinder has always has a handful of quirks, it's just that the most recent update inadvertently added a couple that weren't expected.

[RedPred]

Anyway the quality of released code is really poor. Everything they release is bugged. And we are accumulating issues on issues. And we still miss half content (multiplayer included). So we are waiting for an other hundred of issues more or less... Revision and test honestly aren't Obsidian stronger point.

[mccrispy]

I've yet to encounter a situation where the z-order problems introduced with patch 1.1.3 actually affected gameplay. Even if a button is completely hidden by overlaid objects, the button still functions in every circumstance that I've encountered. There are other, much more serious bugs.

 

Don't get me wrong, this shouldn't happen and it shows either a lack of testing, or a release process that prioritises releasing to a schedule over quality of code (i.e. they knew about the bugs, but released it anyway). What we need is a moratorium on new features and UI "improvements" and a focus on ironing out the bugs that affect gameplay. Currently, there's no way that AP4 will be a success if they release it in a timescale of "weeks away" per the Dev Blog, because they simply won't have fixed the bugs in the current App.

[RedPred]

I like your point of view mate. Just I m getting really worried about the completion of the content, because a lot of players move to other apps in meantime and I don't think they will ever return. And we are in point of equilibrium where older leaves and new ones join but with a really low average playtime for game potential.

 

With next AD also Quest mode will expand incredibly going to 70 lvl(?)... There are players that can imagine the end point and can hold position for years for sure... but the most searches for new stuff after a while, it's inevitable. And half content and a sea of issues accelerate the process.

 

If they release AD4 in October since June, when AD5? ..and AD6? ..and multiplayer? All this stuff will get all 2017 plus the time for debug... Years of development for a tablet app of a card game is insane. They have already the graphic! And the combat engine, the interfaces, the structural entities are already built. They just have to add cards, locations and scenarios rules. Only adaptation of templates with specific parameters at this point (that is why they talked of accelerating the process for the last ADs months ago..).

Assassin Creed took less time..

 

I don't know but I'm already looking around since weeks..

[mccrispy]

I like your point of view mate. Just I m getting really worried about the completion of the content, because a lot of players move to other apps in meantime and I don't think they will ever return. And we are in point of equilibrium where older leaves and new ones join but with a really low average playtime for game potential.

This is all just supposition and hyperbole, right? You have no evidence other than unverifiable, anecdotal "evidence", I assume.

 

With next AD also Quest mode will expand incredibly going to 70 lvl(?)... There are players that can imagine the end point and can hold position for years for sure... but the most searches for new stuff after a while, it's inevitable. And half content and a sea of issues accelerate the process.

I'm not sure that I follow what you are trying to say here, sorry.

 

If they release AD4 in October since June, when AD5? ..and AD6? ..and multiplayer? All this stuff will get all 2017 plus the time for debug... Years of development for a tablet app of a card game is insane. They have already the graphic! And the combat engine, the interfaces, the structural entities are already built. They just have to add cards, locations and scenarios rules. Only adaptation of templates with specific parameters at this point (that is why they talked of accelerating the process for the last ADs months ago..).

Assassin Creed took less time.

Sure, they "have it all built" but the engine is obviously full of bugs. There's no point adding new content - even if it doesn't introduce any new templates - because the existing engine doesn't work reliably with the current content. New content would most likely make the bug count explode! If you can't reliably predict the outcome of an event in the game with current established content, you can't guess what will happen with new stuff even if it is "just based on templates". The existing engine has to be much closer to bug-free than it is now before they can introduce new content while managing risk.

 

I don't know but I'm already looking around since weeks..

Big deal, you're looking for a new toy to play with while this one gets fixed, I'm betting (and I'm sure OBS are betting) that you'll be back. Edited September 19, 2016 by mccrispy

[RedPred]

Just an estimation of macro-behavior if you have an incomplete and defective product in a world that release daily new complete and stable in any market. This is a little sub-market of an oceanic market. People can easily find substitutions. No hyperbole but if you can find this game as a commercial success ... I ll change my opinion... 

 

Quest add Tiers with power/abilities over decades of levels... so 40 + 10 * 3 ADx... easy induction.

 

ADx introduce extensions to the software, don't alter the structural mechanic implementations that are the most complex and cost significant elements in this type of product... try to develop this app and you will perfectly understand what my assertion mean.

 

Didn't you read the player threads where they say they are leaving? Also fan and long experienced players from the physical game means something in my opinion when you have an incomplete and bugged product..

[mccrispy]

ADx introduce extensions to the software, don't alter the structural mechanic implementations that are the most complex and cost significant elements in this type of product... try to develop this app and you will perfectly understand what my assertion mean.

Well, that depends on whether they have (1) built all the structure necessary for all future AP and therefore won't need to make any changes in the structure - I'm not convinced that will prove to be the case; and (2) they have built a sufficiently robust and error-free system so that introducing new wildcards, scenario powers and other AP-related elements won't destabilise the game experience and wind things back to the situation that we had at 1.0.3.x - again I have no confidence in this.

 

Didn't you read the player threads where they say they are leaving? Also fan and long experienced players from the physical game means something in my opinion when you have an incomplete and bugged product..

And without hard evidence, which is only available to OBS, I disregard such comments as posturing and hyperbole. One must also keep in mind that those of us who inhabit this forum are not representative of the general player population (if we were, there would be a lot more members posting)