Four Suggestions for Adam and Alex

[Huperniketes]

Dear Adam and Alex,

I like playing, when it's my turn to play. However, there are several elements which are extremely annoying and for which O quickly loses its appeal.

1. Turn time limit.

It's seriously annoying to get into the mindset of playing and then have it end while waiting for opponents to play their turn. Coders and artists know what it's like to be in the flow and have it constantly interrupted. What's the point of playing an otherwise fun game if you have to wait more than a month to get to your 20th turn?

Suggestion: Real-time gameplay, and/or a 30 minute turn limit. And the timed limit doesn't require forfeiture of the game, you just lose your turn.

2. Let me see the unit stats/moves while waiting for my comatose opponent to regain consciousness. If I can't move my pieces now, I should at least be allowed to plot some strategies while I wait my turn. The same data that I'm shown upon clicking on a unit while it's my turn should be available to me while I'm waiting and reviewing the game board.

Suggestion: Enable hints while reviewing the game board.

3. Recolor Red Scallywag's Sniper so it looks, y'know, red. I thought it was my opponent's!

Suggestion: Make sure it's obvious which team each unit belongs to.

4. Don't be leashed to the idea of The Casual Gamer. It's an important concept and one which aligns well with the lifestyles of iOS users. But we aren't only casual gamers, and we don't just play casually. It depends on our moods and circumstances.

Think of gameplay like the sales funnel that we're taught in web analytics or sales seminars. Sure, you want to entice new players to download, play a few games, play leagues, purchase virtual goods, etc., and it's great to keep the casual gamer in mind as you design the game in line with the funnel. But when you cater too much to the idea of the casual gamer persona (or at least the persona you've created for your analysis), you're actually alienating those of us who want to play more than one or two turns a day.

How high is your bounce rate? When you see prospects abandon the funnel you've got to figure out where and why. I've been playing a week now and I'm still trying to get my first five tournament plays finished! I can't see anyone but serious outwitters sticking with this "casual" game that long.

Suggestion: Don't alienate both serious and casual gamers (paying customers) by catering to the mythical Ideal Casual Gamer (non-paying persona). Creating alternate paths to gaming fun and profitability.

Thanks for the game and your time!