Can those of us whose working copy of the game were ruined by this update get a refund? I would be happy to buy the game again, later, when it works.
This is a serious question - you've ruined a $10 game and won't make any commitment to when you might restore its basic features. The least you could do is offer to make good.
Refund?
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IainMcNeil
- Site Admin
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Re: Refund?
I'm not sure what to say here. Shenandoah went bankrupt and we took on the code to maintain and improve it. We recruited back parts of the team who had been made redundant. Yes we know there are some issues which we're working on and you can check the beta to see the improvements so far. We're going to continue to support and improve the game.
We have no way to refund money you paid to another company. It would have been much easier for us to release this as a new app to our account and charge people for it but we wanted to support the existing user base. I understand your frustration but we are working to fix the issues reported so you can continue to enjoy the game. Our aim was to support the existing users and not abandon them, which would have been much easier! GIve us a little time and you'll see the benefit. Thanks for your patience.
We have no way to refund money you paid to another company. It would have been much easier for us to release this as a new app to our account and charge people for it but we wanted to support the existing user base. I understand your frustration but we are working to fix the issues reported so you can continue to enjoy the game. Our aim was to support the existing users and not abandon them, which would have been much easier! GIve us a little time and you'll see the benefit. Thanks for your patience.
Re: Refund?
Thanks, Ian, but I'm trying to get some understanding of whether Slitherine has any intention of restoring the iOS game to the quality of experience it had before the update. In particular, I've asked specifically about the asynchronous multiplayer experience as it existed before vs. now. I don't care if it is specifically Game Center based or not, but I do care that I can play the game the same way that I did before (or at all, to be frank), and that it has the same multiplayer features, and I am not hearing any commitment to achieve that standard.
When you bought Shenandoah, you bought the game and its customers. That's us - we are the customers. You've basically ignored us in favor of a strategy of finding new customers. I can certainly understand the economics, but can't understand what prevented you from leaving the existing game alone until your new version was up to the same standard of capabilities. I'm not talking about the bugs - bugs happen - I'm talking about the intended experience. The message is that Slitherine felt the new iOS experience, by design, was 'good enough' to release to existing customers. That says a lot about commitment to those customers!
I've been told you can't restore the older version. I can't understand why, but never mind. I want to know if you intend to restore the game on iOS to its past standard or not. If not, I'd like a refund. I understand that I paid Shenandoah for the game, but you are now Shenandoah, and as Shenandoah you've broken the game I paid you $10 for, so you should return my money.
When you bought Shenandoah, you bought the game and its customers. That's us - we are the customers. You've basically ignored us in favor of a strategy of finding new customers. I can certainly understand the economics, but can't understand what prevented you from leaving the existing game alone until your new version was up to the same standard of capabilities. I'm not talking about the bugs - bugs happen - I'm talking about the intended experience. The message is that Slitherine felt the new iOS experience, by design, was 'good enough' to release to existing customers. That says a lot about commitment to those customers!
I've been told you can't restore the older version. I can't understand why, but never mind. I want to know if you intend to restore the game on iOS to its past standard or not. If not, I'd like a refund. I understand that I paid Shenandoah for the game, but you are now Shenandoah, and as Shenandoah you've broken the game I paid you $10 for, so you should return my money.
Re: Refund?
If it helps, Iain, this is what I asked in another thread.
To be clear, I mean:
- you can enter the game when it isn't your turn, and stay there after your turn
- if your opponent moves while you're in the game, you will see that move play out, and then it will be your turn
- if your opponent moves when you're not in the game, or when you are in another game, you will get a banner alert, and you can select that alert, and be immediately shifted into that game, and see the move play out
- the game icon on your device will have an alert symbol of some kind, which tells you that it is your turn, without having to check your email or launch the game to find out
- you can maintain a list of other players in the game, and launch games against them by simply picking one of them
- games so launched are 'direct' and private, rather than public, so there is no need for a password mechanism
To be clear, I mean:
- you can enter the game when it isn't your turn, and stay there after your turn
- if your opponent moves while you're in the game, you will see that move play out, and then it will be your turn
- if your opponent moves when you're not in the game, or when you are in another game, you will get a banner alert, and you can select that alert, and be immediately shifted into that game, and see the move play out
- the game icon on your device will have an alert symbol of some kind, which tells you that it is your turn, without having to check your email or launch the game to find out
- you can maintain a list of other players in the game, and launch games against them by simply picking one of them
- games so launched are 'direct' and private, rather than public, so there is no need for a password mechanism
Re: Refund?
Some of the features are planned to be implemented (as soon as we finish fixing the critical bugs). But the two systems will never be the same.
Also, we cannot use the GC solution as this is not a multi-platform system.
We cannot commit to a period of time as to when it will be ready, all of us are working on this and we'll try to make it available asap.
Also, we cannot use the GC solution as this is not a multi-platform system.
We cannot commit to a period of time as to when it will be ready, all of us are working on this and we'll try to make it available asap.
Re: Refund?
The word 'planned' has a meaning. Which of these features are 'planned', and which not? And, if you won't commit to a timeframe, can I please have a refund? Yes or no?
Re: Refund?
- if your opponent moves while you're in the game, you will see that move play out, and then it will be your turn
- if your opponent moves when you're not in the game, or when you are in another game, you will get a banner alert, and you can select that alert, and be immediately shifted into that game, and see the move play out
- the game icon on your device will have an alert symbol of some kind, which tells you that it is your turn, without having to check your email or launch the game to find out
These are planned.
I can't say anything about the refund. It's not my call.
- if your opponent moves when you're not in the game, or when you are in another game, you will get a banner alert, and you can select that alert, and be immediately shifted into that game, and see the move play out
- the game icon on your device will have an alert symbol of some kind, which tells you that it is your turn, without having to check your email or launch the game to find out
These are planned.
I can't say anything about the refund. It's not my call.
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IainMcNeil
- Site Admin
- Posts: 13558
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:19 am
Re: Refund?
Any refunds would have to be discussed with Apple. We have no control or influence over it.
All I can say for sure is that if we had not updated the game an update from apple in the near future would have broken it permanently and there would be no way to fix it. The old code no longer compiles as Apple has changed so many things that it had to be completely rewritten. They regularly add features and deprecate them without warning and developers have to change their code to run in the new OS, as Apple don't make it backwards compatible. The only way the game can be maintained is with what we have done. We only did this to support you in the long term. We get absolutely nothing from it and the easier option would have been to abandon the old version and release a new one and not support you.
Development is ongoing and exactly where it will get to when is impossible to say. The plan changes as we get feedback and we see what works and what doesn't.
All I can say for sure is that if we had not updated the game an update from apple in the near future would have broken it permanently and there would be no way to fix it. The old code no longer compiles as Apple has changed so many things that it had to be completely rewritten. They regularly add features and deprecate them without warning and developers have to change their code to run in the new OS, as Apple don't make it backwards compatible. The only way the game can be maintained is with what we have done. We only did this to support you in the long term. We get absolutely nothing from it and the easier option would have been to abandon the old version and release a new one and not support you.
Development is ongoing and exactly where it will get to when is impossible to say. The plan changes as we get feedback and we see what works and what doesn't.
Re: Refund?
When I bought this game, I bought it from Shenandoah. You're Shenandoah. Apple has nothing to do with it. I understand the issue with the long-term viability of the game if it isn't properly supported, but it is Shenandoah - you - who are failing to properly support it. Worse than that, you actually broke it. Even if you'd done nothing, I'd be better off now. So stop blaming Apple, or your beta testers, or the former management, for what is your failure. Take some responsibility, please!