Comments on: App review: Catan http://www.beatweek.com/iphone/ipodiphoneitunes/2440-app-review-catan-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/ music - consumer tech - entertainment Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:11:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Max http://www.beatweek.com/iphone/ipodiphoneitunes/2440-app-review-catan-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-2546 Max Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:50:14 +0000 http://www.iprong.com/?p=2440#comment-2546 Thanks for the review. Agreed on the 'screen dump' of information in the tutorials. I thought the interface was clunky and required far too many screen taps. The game should have an option to 'continue' until the player is required to interact. Despite being an experienced Catan player I found the first few games I was guessing what various things did rather than it being intuitive.<br><br>AI for the different players lacked a certain strategic depth. The AI should be adapted to permit a placement of a first settlement with an intent to immediately expand. Also several times I've noticed the AIs complete their turn without exhausting every effort to discard to below 7 cards. This seems to be indicative of a low skill level especially if the AI is trying to expand. The 'buy development card' option also seems to be the default 'high skill' option. <br><br>The game would also be more interesting if the AI's were permitted to collude to a certain extent if the disparity between the paired-or-triplet AI average score was significantly below the lead players score. <br><br>It would also benefit from a 'ruthless' setting on the AIs where they determine your weakest resource and work to prevent you getting it. Thanks for the review. Agreed on the 'screen dump' of information in the tutorials. I thought the interface was clunky and required far too many screen taps. The game should have an option to 'continue' until the player is required to interact. Despite being an experienced Catan player I found the first few games I was guessing what various things did rather than it being intuitive.

AI for the different players lacked a certain strategic depth. The AI should be adapted to permit a placement of a first settlement with an intent to immediately expand. Also several times I've noticed the AIs complete their turn without exhausting every effort to discard to below 7 cards. This seems to be indicative of a low skill level especially if the AI is trying to expand. The 'buy development card' option also seems to be the default 'high skill' option.

The game would also be more interesting if the AI's were permitted to collude to a certain extent if the disparity between the paired-or-triplet AI average score was significantly below the lead players score.

It would also benefit from a 'ruthless' setting on the AIs where they determine your weakest resource and work to prevent you getting it.

]]> By: Max http://www.beatweek.com/iphone/ipodiphoneitunes/2440-app-review-catan-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/comment-page-1/#comment-2503 Max Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:50:14 +0000 http://www.iprong.com/?p=2440#comment-2503 Thanks for the review. Agreed on the 'screen dump' of information in the tutorials. I thought the interface was clunky and required far too many screen taps. The game should have an option to 'continue' until the player is required to interact. Despite being an experienced Catan player I found the first few games I was guessing what various things did rather than it being intuitive.<br><br>AI for the different players lacked a certain strategic depth. The AI should be adapted to permit a placement of a first settlement with an intent to immediately expand. Also several times I've noticed the AIs complete their turn without exhausting every effort to discard to below 7 cards. This seems to be indicative of a low skill level especially if the AI is trying to expand. The 'buy development card' option also seems to be the default 'high skill' option. <br><br>The game would also be more interesting if the AI's were permitted to collude to a certain extent if the disparity between the paired-or-triplet AI average score was significantly below the lead players score. <br><br>It would also benefit from a 'ruthless' setting on the AIs where they determine your weakest resource and work to prevent you getting it. Thanks for the review. Agreed on the 'screen dump' of information in the tutorials. I thought the interface was clunky and required far too many screen taps. The game should have an option to 'continue' until the player is required to interact. Despite being an experienced Catan player I found the first few games I was guessing what various things did rather than it being intuitive.

AI for the different players lacked a certain strategic depth. The AI should be adapted to permit a placement of a first settlement with an intent to immediately expand. Also several times I've noticed the AIs complete their turn without exhausting every effort to discard to below 7 cards. This seems to be indicative of a low skill level especially if the AI is trying to expand. The 'buy development card' option also seems to be the default 'high skill' option.

The game would also be more interesting if the AI's were permitted to collude to a certain extent if the disparity between the paired-or-triplet AI average score was significantly below the lead players score.

It would also benefit from a 'ruthless' setting on the AIs where they determine your weakest resource and work to prevent you getting it.

]]>