New Frustrating Tic Tac Toe

Frustrating Tic Tac Toe just got an update!
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The game is now even more awesome:

• Game Center (Achievements and Leaderboards)
• Retina Graphics (rebuilt from scratch)
• Improved / streamlined Settings Page

I also added something really cool and clever (that no one will notice):
Cloud storage via Game Center!

I figure other players (besides me) use multiple iOS devices...
iPhone and iPad for example. Apple's iCloud is cool but not available yet for in-app data. It would allow save data, like unlocked tokens, to sync between devices!

BUT... iCloud is an iOS 5.0 feature, and iPod Touch 2nd Gen only goes up to 4.2. I have one of those, and want to continue supporting that device. So I came up with a cool way to sync data anyway, using Game Center (which only requires 4.2)!

Basically, figure if you unlock an achievement, that data is stored on "the cloud". I can check which achievements you have, on any device. So if you have the "Beat Random AI" achievement for example, I check for that, and unlock snack tokens (the reward for beating that AI) on all your devices!

One last thing I should add:
There are 13 achievements...

...only 11 of them are unlockable right now, the last two are Top Secret and will be unlockable in the future. I can't wait to reveal what that's all about, but not yet!

Duke's Ego Rewards

"Intel" usually gets on my nerves.
By intel I mean, secrets hidden throughout a game.

What's good about intel:

• Adds replay value (finding things hidden in levels)
• Can add story / context
• Helps justify a $60 price tag

But unfortunately:

• Can slow / kill game pacing (esp. in high action shooter games)
• Can be boring / uninteresting
• Can pull away from / ruin a game's atmosphere

Duke Nukem Forever has I think the best "intel" I've ever seen in a game.
It comes in the form of ego cap rewards hidden in each level.

I've seen games with interactive environments before. Duke has that. Duke can check himself out in the mirror, play pool, punch the punching bag and so on...

Each of these actions is tallied as a secret to find in a level.
One level might have a cigar you can smoke, a pinball machine you can play...

The cool thing is, once you do an action once? That "secret" is found. In effect, if you didn't find the cigar in one level, you can smoke a cigar in a later level and still "find" that secret. Or if you've been finding a lot of secrets, you may actually start a level later in the game, having found all of that level's secrets already! So you can just blow through the level, not snooping in every corner for secrets.

Secrets reward you with a small boost in max health. It's unusual for a game to reward you for finding secrets, I like that! Some ego rewards are of course more complicated than others. Playing pinball takes some effort: from both the player and the developer, who took the time to create a working pinball machine in game. More complicated ego rewards give a larger boost to your max health.

This whole set up for secrets allows for varied game play too:
One ego reward might really be unique, hard to find, and hidden in a specific level: for example, binoculars that let you check out babes on a pier. Another might be skill based: pinball, pool table. Another might be a puzzle: finding all weights for the weight bench and then lifting it.

I really enjoyed Duke Nukem Forever.
This feature in particular, I thought was very well done!

Tome of Identify

I don't think there are any games I've played more than Diablo 2.
(Diablo 2 is even fun when you're a Mormon, because you go kill the devil!)

BUT there's this one inventory item that boggles my mind. The only thing that boggles my mind more than this inventory item, is that I know a person who ACTUALLY carries this item in their inventory when they play!

The item I'm speaking of is: Tome of Identify

In Diablo 2, you find "unidentified" items.
I played so much Diablo 2 in high school, that I wrote "unidentified" all over one of my math assignments, rather than "undefined".

"Unidentified" items have hidden, magical properties that can be revealed by:

• Scroll of Identify
• Deckard Cain

The scroll of identify is small, and takes up one inventory slot. Deckard Cain, you save really early in the game, and he identifies your crap for free.

Where does the Tome of Identify come in?
It takes up two inventory slots, and allows you to carry 20 scrolls of identify.

So let's talk strategy:
I'm impatient, pick up everything, bring it to town, and then sort it out. NOT carrying a Tome of Identify allows me to carry more crap, Deckard Cain is always easy to find in town, he identifies everything for free, and THEN I sell or equip my stuff.

If you're more patient, I guess you might actually think about what you pick up, deciding that some things are not worth bringing back to town and selling... but if that involves identifying things with "magical properties", that boost sale price? And you're going to town to sell valuable things anyway, wouldn't you just talk to Deckard Cain and get your things identified for free?

Which makes me think, Tome of Identify must really be designed for players looking to identify and equip items before they even get to town. I could see starting players having their eyes open for certain types of items, like their first ring or amulet... but how many things do you honestly need to identify, before you get back to town? Would "two" seem fair? Then why not carry two scrolls of identify? If you use one, you'll gain space in your inventory that the Tome of Identify would otherwise take up!

There is only one time I think Tome of Identify could honestly be useful and it's Act 5: you're late in the game, probably filthy rich, and soo lazy you can't be bothered to walk over to Deckard Cain when you visit town. In Act 5, he happens to be slightly more out of the way, when considering a path between town portals and the one shopkeeper who heals you. EVEN SO, if you're that lazy, the extra two inventory slots you'd gain NOT carrying a Tome of Identify might come in handy, saving you some trips to town!

I have a ton of respect for Blizzard (Diablo 2's developers) for including this item... really for no reason. I think it's intuitive, I could see starting players wanting a way to carry lots of scrolls, but eventually you've got to realize, there is NO reason to carry this around, certainly not after rescuing Deckard Cain right in the beginning of the game. Amiright?