Slitherine

Hi guys,

We’re very close to the release of the updated version of Drive on Moscow. The new version has a number of new features and is developed in Unity and will be available for both PC and iPad on the 27th October. We will not be replacing the version available currently from Shenandoah. Instead we will release the new iPad version in the Slitherine account. This means you will be able to stay on the old version or choose to upgrade to the new version. The reason we decided to do this is because of your feedback when we released the updated version Battle of the Bulge on iOS. The original games were developed natively for iOS which made them run at 60fps but made it almost impossible to port and maintain them after Shenandoah went in to administration and we acquired the games. We made the decision then to move to Unity and the game runs at a good 30 fps, which is more than enough for this type of game but if you are used to 60 fps you can see the difference. Being in Unity allows us to maintain the code and update it but also to add additional platforms, which mean the team can generate new revenues streams allowing them to keep working on the games. It also allows us to add in new features such as the PBEM++ multiplayer system and the tournament system which was just trialed in the beta.

So here is what is going to happen
• On the 20th October we will withdraw the old Shenandoah version from sale. If you bought it you’ll still have access to it and be able to re-download as often as you want but nobody will be able to buy it from this date.
• On the 27th October the new version will release in the Slitherine account for iPad and on PC. This version will be the only one which is updated.

You will have the option to stick with the old version or buy the new version. The new version is currently only iPad but if there is enough demand we will add support for iPhone. We have to take the old version off sale as we can’t support it and we don’t know how long it will continue to run. iOS updates sometimes break games and we don’t want customers to buy it and us not be able to resolve their issues. If you have the old version and want the new version you will have to purchase it again. We didn’t want to do it this way but due to the overwhelming feedback when we tried to replace the old version for free, we decided we had to do it like this. Players with the old version will not be able to play multiplayer against players with the new version.

A good summary of the issues can be found here if you are interested in reading why we decided to go this way and it is all based on your feedback:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 43&t=67481

If you have any questions let us know.

Good decision, Iain, well done. I am very relieved that I can keep my original DoM on the iPhone. Thank you for listening and good luck with your new release.

IainMcNeil wrote:Hi guys,


You will have the option to stick with the old version or buy the new version. The new version is currently only iPad but if there is enough demand we will add support for iPhone. We have to take the old version off sale as we can’t support it and we don’t know how long it will continue to run. iOS updates sometimes break games and we don’t want customers to buy it and us not be able to resolve their issues. If you have the old version and want the new version you will have to purchase it again. We didn’t want to do it this way but due to the overwhelming feedback when we tried to replace the old version for free, we decided we had to do it like this. Players with the old version will not be able to play multiplayer against players with the new version.

A good summary of the issues can be found here if you are interested in reading why we decided to go this way and it is all based on your feedback:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtop ... 43&t=67481

If you have any questions let us know.

Are there gameplay changes?

Game rules are the same.
The AI is different and multiplayer is using PBEM instead of Game Center.

There isn't currently any reason to buy the new version if you already have the old one and it works. The issue may be in the future if Apple updates the iOS and it no longer support the old version. We cant fix it and can only update the new Unity version. This is why for Bulge we replaced the app as we felt it better for everyone going forwards but you guys clearly told us you don't want that and we're listening!

Thanks.

Still unclear as to why this is not a free update for previous IOS owners. Please explain why Slitherine/Matrix patrons are punished for buying the previous version?

Oxybeles wrote:Still unclear as to why this is not a free update for previous IOS owners. Please explain why Slitherine/Matrix patrons are punished for buying the previous version?

I just found this thread, but I will give you two reasons:

1. Slitherine is releasing this game under their App Store account. There is no mechanism to provide owners of the original Shenandoah version a free version unless they make the game free of charge, but that means anyone could download the game - even folks that didn't own the original. Also, there's no mechanism to send that many iTunes codes to owners.

2. It costs money to redevelop the game, and then go through testing. Slitherine have switched the underlying game engine from native iOS to Unity. That's not a trivial undertaking. So, while I agree with you that I'd love a free upgrade, you have to realize that Slitherine is a business. They have a staff to pay, games to develop, test, market and publish, bills to pay, and so on.

As folks like Pip and Iain can attest, I've done my best as a customer to be a giant whining PIA about games based on the Battle Academy engine that aren't going to be ported to Unity or migrated to 64-bit iOS; same for certain Shenandoah games. So, we can consider ourselves lucky that Slitherine have chose to invest in upgrading certain "old" iOS titles. At least those will survive the migration to iOS 11. I'm willing to pay again to keep the games I want. Mind you, I'm not thrilled about it, but I understand the bad position Sitherine has been put in. If you want to yell at someone, yell at Apple for unnecessarily dropping 32-bit support!

"Still unclear as to why this is not a free update for previous IOS owners. Please explain why Slitherine/Matrix patrons are punished for buying the previous version?"

"I just found this thread, but I will give you two reasons:

1. Slitherine is releasing this game under their App Store account. There is no mechanism to provide owners of the original Shenandoah version a free version unless they make the game free of charge, but that means anyone could download the game - even folks that didn't own the original. Also, there's no mechanism to send that many iTunes codes to owners.

2. It costs money to redevelop the game, and then go through testing. Slitherine have switched the underlying game engine from native iOS to Unity. That's not a trivial undertaking. So, while I agree with you that I'd love a free upgrade, you have to realize that Slitherine is a business. They have a staff to pay, games to develop, test, market and publish, bills to pay, and so on.

As folks like Pip and Iain can attest, I've done my best as a customer to be a giant whining PIA about games based on the Battle Academy engine that aren't going to be ported to Unity or migrated to 64-bit iOS; same for certain Shenandoah games. So, we can consider ourselves lucky that Slitherine have chose to invest in upgrading certain "old" iOS titles. At least those will survive the migration to iOS 11. I'm willing to pay again to keep the games I want. Mind you, I'm not thrilled about it, but I understand the bad position Sitherine has been put in. If you want to yell at someone, yell at Apple for unnecessarily dropping 32-bit support"

Yet Slitherine did offer the switch for the battle of the bulge didn't they? - IOS 11 is coming then it will be dead as a dodo.

If I can offer a different perspective as a long-time software exec, when you acquire another company and inherit their products, the customer expectation is that you will support their products as if you were they.

I wasn't happy with the way Slitherine surprised us with a poorly executed rewrite of a great game, BotB, and I still find the game almost unplayable today, due to the very clumsy multiplayer interface, the poor execution of what was a graphically beautiful game, and the still-unresolved, very basic bugs. The game for me was ruined, and I could not revert to the older iOS version.

I'm happy that Slitherine chose a different approach for DoM, so at least I have a choice, but not with their idea that I should buy the game again; and I reject the notion that upgrades to operating environments automatically create opportunities to charge customers again for the software they've already paid for. If Slitherine doesn't want an obligation to keep games current, why in earth did they buy Shenandoah in the first place? And why did they buy a company entirely rooted in iOS / GameCenter products if they had no intention of supporting those products?