Interface Idea

A few more interface thoughts, now that I've actually purchased and played the game some (very cool, can't wait for the next update):

1. First a general observation: This might not be something you would take too seriously, but parts of the UI have a "Windows" feel. I know, I'm playing the part of Mac snob here, but it's true that one reason many people like Apple's products is that they are designed in a particular way. For example, fonts tend to be very clean and "pretty", and buttons are never simple rectangles with labels. Generally gradients are used instead of textures (and textures, when used, are subtle and don't obviously repeat). I hate to say it, but since I've been using a Mac as my primary home computer, lots of Windows programs just lok ugly to me, and it is distracting. Even Mac shareware and freeware tend to look great (just look at the stuff from Plasq or RealMac Software, cheap but with an obvious attention to detail). It's not a big deal, but your average iPhone owner is in it for the experience, the "fit and finish", as much as anything else. Once you've got the more serious stuff out of the way, take a good hard look at making the UI more Apple-like, and I can almost guarantee it'll help with sales (those all important screen shots).

2. The play and pause buttons are a touch small, in my opinion. Personally, I'd get rid of them altogether. Make it so that double tapping pauses the game and brings up a menu. On that menu you could set play speed, restart the level, turn sounds or music on or off, and all without cluttering up the primary screen. Double tapping seems to be becoming a standard way to pause games, so it shouldn't cause any problems for users.

3. The gems, being the only 3d looking element in the UI, look like buttons. I tried pressing them several times before I figured out what they were (I know, it's in the help, but I was too eager to just play). As I mentioned above, making the buttons look more like buttons elsewhere in the iPhone UI, or at least making them look like something that should be pressed, would help. I know it's a bit of a sore spot, but Fieldrunners does this well with a unique but clear design.

Back to the gems though, what if you incorporated those into the stained glass idea? Make another window with those as part of the design, and they light up as they're earned?

4. The info at the top (Waves, Lives, Gold, Score) could use some retooling. For ome thing, it could take up a lot less space. Gold is easy, a gold circle with a number next to it would work. Lives could be a castle tower (like the castle in chess), or maybe a chalice (think holy grail), with a number. Score doesn't really need a label, in my opinion. I would put the gold and lives at the top, and the score under them but larger (or maybe move that one element into the upper left hand corner). As for the wave, I think a bar at the top of the UI pane, divided into the number of waves, with the current wave blinking or somehow illuminated would work well. You could continue the stained glass theme there by making it a strip of stained glass panes being illuminated one by one. Doing all of this would make things a bit tighter and nicer to look at (again, in my opinion), without getting in the way of game play, and without scattering UI elements all over the screen like other games do (Fieldrunners).

I think you've got a hell of a game here, and you really seem to be heading in a great direction with it. Any criticisms I make are only meant as my advice on that direction. If you like any of my ideas, or don't quite get what I'm suggesting, I could throw together a mockup and send it along or post it here to show you what I mean.

I'm liking this game enough, and the fact that you're so good about communicating with your audience, that I'll do what I can to help out.

Hey, the important part is you're learning from them, listening to feedback, and making improvements. The biggest reason I picked this up was that I could see how much care you were putting into it, and that it was only going to get better.

1. I wouldn't worry about "sparklies and shit" the point is that the buttons should look like buttons. I see what you mean in the early screenshots. I would go for a more realistic look though (as I'm sure you are already planning), beveled edges don't fool anyone, and look awfully "late 90s web site". A stone-like outline and a light gradient would probably do it, and it could still look clean (Apple's designs are very clean, despite the window dressing, so it is possible).

2. It's a matter of taste, I'd prefer fewer buttons, but two larger buttons in place of the three smaller ones is certainly an improvement. That might be a good option to give people, but I'd put it low on the list.

3. Ha, I just noticed above where you mentioned putting the gems into a stained glass arch. I honestly didn't see that until just now. I scribbled out a sketch of what I was thinking, and that seemed like a natural choice. As I said, I like the direction you're going in already.

4. As for the information, I just think it could be smaller, and look less like an old PC game (as it is now it makes me think of Heretic, though they're not that similar in actuality). This is a console game, after all, and most console games make use of icons and the like for exactly that reason. Also, and this is just who I am, I prefer symbols to text whenever possible.

As for the wave bar (the one that looks like chrome, though it isn't), it works as it is but it could be better. If you're going to keep it, I think a parchment scroll would be good, especially if the symbols were adjusted to match that theme.

As before, thanks for humoring me. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be great (love the progressive tower designs so far, by the way). Once the graphic design matches the game design, Besigement will be unstoppable!