Tropico 6 and iPad

[Kehvil]

I have a bad feeling... I stumbled about the iPad version. And there will be a PC Version.
How much will the two Tropico differ? Are they working on one mobile Product and drop it to multiple plattforms or will Tropico 6 be a standalone full fledged Tropico?
I hate the mobile Gaming mechanics on Desktop Games so I get a bit nervous...

Any remarks on Differentation?

https://www.kalypsomedia.com/de/news/diktator-to-go-tropico-erscheint-noch-dieses-jahr-fuer-das-ipad

[Kunovega]

The new development team has done almost nothing but mobile games and social media (facebook) games

It's from the people who brought you Horse Saga

http://www.limbic-entertainment.de/index.php/games

https://www.facebook.com/HorseSaga/

https://www.facebook.com/HorseHavenWorldAdventures/

[jlking3rd]

Limbic is developing the PC, Mac and SteamOS + Linux version in Unreal Engine 4. I am not sure Unreal even runs on an iPad. The iPad version is a port of the game. The full blowen desktop version should be awesome and deffininetly not a moble game.

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by jlking3rd:

Limbic is developing the PC, Mac and SteamOS + Linux version in Unreal Engine 4. I am not sure Unreal even runs on an iPad. The iPad version is a port of the game. The full blowen desktop version should be awesome and deffininetly not a moble game.

UnrealEngine4 can export directly to iOS for ipad and to android and other mobile platforms

I don't know if previous versions could or not

https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-us/Platforms

The bigger issue is not the engine, it's the design philosophy in menu planning and layout that will change how things are laid into the game. If the developer thinks about their touchscreen and phone interface as primary they may not bother to create a true PC interface so that porting the game into mobile is easier

If they go PC centric, then they have to actually create a new interface for the mobiles before doing the export. If they dumb down the interface by default to work in both environments, then it's the PC version that suffers just so the export process in-engine is push-button with minimal adaptation

You see it a lot in recent games where the PC version has terrible control interface because the developer has intentions of simple port overs into console or mobile and they can't be bothered to customize the controls accross each. Modern game engines allow for super easy porting from one environment to another, but it's still on the developers to actually customize (or not) the interface to maximize the players interface with the game

Many either don't know any better or are simply too lazy so you end up with a PC built game combined with a dumbed down interface so the engine can quick port into whatever without any minimal interface retooling

It's bad enough when a game like Xcom does it to cater to the console crowd and the PC players end up with a console centric menu, it's far worse if a developer does a mobile or touch screen centric interface with on PC just to simplify their mobile porting

We won't know until we see it

And most developers won't even admit that they do this, some of them are too inexperienced to realize it's even a problem

[Kehvil]

Thx Kunovega, that is a clear and good statement, which I fear will be possible on Tropico 6.

User Experience for PC and Mobile/Touch Games shouldn't be mixed.
The saddest Past example is Jurassic World Park, which kind of sucks due to flattened UX and Menus. Just to access it easier for touch systems.

This is a development feature I hardly like. :(

[jlking3rd]

But we DO know what the interfaces look like and the iPad version is completely diffrent then the PC version. The PC version is being delveloped by Limbic and the iPad version is being developed by Ferral Interactive.

You can see a bit of the iPad interace here: http://www.feralinteractive.com/en/news/877/

And you can see the PC interface from the E3 2018 game play video here: https://www.msn.com/da-dk/video/viralevideoer/tropico-6-gameplay-demo-and-interview/vi-AAzeNmD

They are clearly very different. The PC interface is very simular to Tropico 5, and is NOT dumbed down to work on the iPad.

[Kunovega]

*shrug* I'll reserve judgement until I actually play it. I wasn't that impressed with tropoco 5's interface either, it was dumbed down for consoles/controller which isn't as bad as screwing it over for the sake of touch screens, but its still far worse than being PC centric

Tropico 5 is not a good example of a PC interface, it's a controller interface for consoles

[jlking3rd]

Originally posted by Kunovega:

*shrug* I'll reserve judgement until I actually play it. I wasn't that impressed with tropoco 5's interface either, it was dumbed down for consoles/controller which isn't as bad as screwing it over for the sake of touch screens, but its still far worse than being PC centric

Tropico 5 is not a good example of a PC interface, it's a controller interface for consoles

I guess I sound like a fanboi huh? I guess it is because I really want this to be better than T5. But I do understand your concerns about the interface. Cheers.

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by jlking3rd:

Originally posted by Kunovega:

*shrug* I'll reserve judgement until I actually play it. I wasn't that impressed with tropoco 5's interface either, it was dumbed down for consoles/controller which isn't as bad as screwing it over for the sake of touch screens, but its still far worse than being PC centric

Tropico 5 is not a good example of a PC interface, it's a controller interface for consoles

I guess I sound like a fanboi huh? I guess it is because I really want this to be better than T5. But I do understand your concerns about the interface. Cheers.

I would be absolutely thrilled if Tropico 6 turned out to exceed my expectations

Unfortunately I've been a fan of this series from the beginning, and I have not always agreed with Kalypso's choices, and their latest choice of development team is iffy at best. I have 100 to 200 hours in each of the previous 5 tropico games (most of it from before I even owned them on steam)

I'm willing to keep an open mind and hope for the best, but I refuse to fall for any of the hype

I will just wait patiently and see what comes

I could tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every prior Tropico game, but we have a whole new development team and my points would be wasted. They've either learned from the past or they are about to make all of their own new mistakes. All I can do is wait and see.

[jlking3rd]

"I could tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every prior Tropico game"

Do you agree that Tropico 3 had the best music? I swear I played the game sometimes just to list to the sound track.

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by jlking3rd:

"I could tell you the strengths and weaknesses of every prior Tropico game"

Do you agree that Tropico 3 had the best music? I swear I played the game sometimes just to list to the sound track.

It's kind of a toss up between 1 and 3 for me. Two was acceptable but not notable, 4 and 5 are just background noise.

I'm at a point now where I rarely even listen to the games default music, since 4 and 5 were so generic and repetitive I got into the habit of shutting it off and listening to pandora.

Interesting side note, if you seed a station on pandora with just the word "tropico" you get exactly the kind of music that fits this game, because it seeds off the band "Los Inquietos Del Tropico", so I mostly listen to my Pandora Station "Tropico Radio" when I play

Don't know if these links will work:
https://www.pandora.com/station/play/1696503934448440355

If the pandora station won't work for you, here's a sample of the kind of music it plays for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-an7xdnbqlQ

I think no matter how good any of them are, once you get up past 50 something hours you start to want a little variety

If I get tired of the tropico station I switch over to "Baliwood Radio"

https://www.pandora.com/station/play/2674990852771288099

If that doesn't work here's a sample from that station, the arabian-pseudo-modern groove strangely fits the mood I'm in while playing just as often as the tropico theme does:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkWTimirczA

Beats Antique is a particular favorite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJcU3NjovKg

I think I've listened to far more Beats Antique while playing tropico 5 than I did it's default music

I don't remember turning the music off as often with 1, 2 or 3

[Skybreaker]

Hi everybody,
please be aware that Tropico 6 and the Tropico iPad version have nothing to do with each other.
Tropico 6 will be developed by Limbic for PC + Consoles, Tropico for iPad will be developed by Feral Interactive.

-cheers

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by Unerde:

Hi everybody,
please be aware that Tropico 6 and the Tropico iPad version have nothing to do with each other.
Tropico 6 will be developed by Limbic for PC + Consoles, Tropico for iPad will be developed by Feral Interactive.

-cheers

Do you mean ported by Feral Interactive?

They don't typically build from the ground up, they usually take existing games and port, that's been what they do for decades

[Skybreaker]

Hi Kunovego,
porting sounds less of work than development nowadays.
For sure, they do not build Tropico from the groundup, nevertheless it is not just putting the game on iPad and its done, but also adjusting the game, complete overhaul of controls and UI and so much more.
-cheers

[Kehvil]

Originally posted by Unerde:

Hi Kunovego,
porting sounds less of work than development nowadays.
For sure, they do not build Tropico from the groundup, nevertheless it is not just putting the game on iPad and its done, but also adjusting the game, complete overhaul of controls and UI and so much more.
-cheers

And that is most often a flaw in development recently. To ease the workflow of the porting crew, design decisions are made, which will hurt Gameplay.
UX with mouse and Keyboard will differ from UX with touchpad. To reduce the impact, Menus will be flattened, interactions will be minimized and other minor stuff.
Hopefully you will not get the same ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥... test well, test early, test with A/B Users often