What do you want in a Conquer Club Mobile App

[runewake2]

So, I've been paying attention to the use of my own app and the reviews of ballslaps iOS app.

Basically I am wondering what you want in a mobile application.

I'm looking for any suggestions, some examples:
- Odds Calculator
- In App Gameplay
- Chat Logs
- Notification of waiting games etc

these are obviously just a few suggestions, what I want to know, is what would make the Conquer Club apps we have even better. What do you want, what do you need and what do you dislike?

Obviously these are just suggestions and some of them will likely not be possible with the current reaches of the Conqueror Club API, however, suggestions would be great!

[DoomYoshi]

I would like Windowed usage. I want to be able to put the start button where I want on the screen, choose where the map is etc.

In App Gameplay is a big thing, but so is foruming.

[runewake2]

So forum access is something you want.

And being able to get a more mobile friendly layout? The initial suggestion confused me a bit.

For forum access, would you like the ability to browse the forums or also the ability to post and interact (basically a link to the forum)?

[x-raider]

I would like to join this discussion. But I think I'll have to try it out first. And I don't have a smart phone.

Is this also for tablets? (I don't have a tablet either)

[runewake2]

The current features of the Windows Phone or iOS apps should not matter. I'm looking for what people want and find important so that I, as a developer, can better spend my time on features people will use.

The feature may already exist, but there may be another way it could work or how it might function that might be better.

I can't speak on the iOS version as I don't own any Apple products, however, the current Conqueror for Windows Phone is exclusive to windows smart phones. However, a Tablet version is in development.

What would you expect in a mobile application?

[greenoaks]

i have tablets but dont currently use them for this site. i do use a 10 inch laptop.

however, and i'm not sure if this is what you're asking for .........

i would like for the Game Menu, Interaction Menu & Personal Menu to be collapsable. that it shrinks to a really thin bar and expands if you click it.

the above idea would be good for both regular and mobile/tablet use as it would give more screen space.

[runewake2]

Sure, I'm interested in any none website based interaction with conquer club. Preferably mobile or tablet based, if it's website based stuff, I personally am not so interested in that and don't have the knowledge to make things happen in that scope. My focus is more on what a mobile application could and is used for than ways to modify the website.

However, those menu's I can add to my app fairly easily and something I had overlooked. This is kind of the direction I wanted this discussion to go actually, things that people want and then myself and other app developers can use this to figure out ways to add those features.

[x-raider]

Ok. Well I've been thinking about this for a while... a CC associated app so you can play on a tablet just like if you were playing a real-time board game...

[kuma32478]

Push notification

[runewake2]

may I ask what you mean by Push Notifications kuma?

Push notifications require a server to push an update to an app, currently Conqueror for Windows phone does toast notifications which are little notifications at the top of the phone. Is this what you mean or do you need any other features that require specific pushes or were you referring to notifications themselves.

I'll push the Conquer Club Conqueror app forward for Windows 8 just after I get it out for Windows Phone. You'll be able to test it in your local Microsoft Stores soon. However, how would you make it play more like a board game x-raider?

[x-raider]

A real-time board game. As in 2 people playing on one tablet using the CC engine. This might not be anything like what you want to work on, but... What do you think?

[runewake2]

I might be able to make that possible, but the complexities are enormous. That would practically be a whole new app. Still, that's not a bad idea. All the dice rolls and gameplay could be handled by the app and only using the conquer club maps for country data etc. However, I haven't looked into this at all, so the possibility of something like that is a lot of empty statements.

I will look into it though.

[chapcrap]

may I ask what you mean by Push Notifications kuma?

Push notifications require a server to push an update to an app, currently Conqueror for Windows phone does toast notifications which are little notifications at the top of the phone. Is this what you mean or do you need any other features that require specific pushes or were you referring to notifications themselves.

I'll push the Conquer Club Conqueror app forward for Windows 8 just after I get it out for Windows Phone. You'll be able to test it in your local Microsoft Stores soon. However, how would you make it play more like a board game x-raider?

Push Notifications is what notifications from the app are called on the iPhone. For instance, you may get a push notification when it's your turn, when you receive a PM, when there is new game chat, etc.

[greenoaks]

I might be able to make that possible, but the complexities are enormous. That would practically be a whole new app. Still, that's not a bad idea. All the dice rolls and gameplay could be handled by the app and only using the conquer club maps for country data etc. However, I haven't looked into this at all, so the possibility of something like that is a lot of empty statements.

I will look into it though.

that sounds like you'd be breaching CC's legal right as they own the right to use the maps you'd be using on a totally separate game.

[x-raider]

mhm.
Do you think that means the only person that could do it would be our dear webmaster/s?

"How should we go about this?"
that's the question that stopped me suggesting this to anyone for, like a month now.

[runewake2]

Here's the thing though, if CC webmasters have to do it, I don't think they will. It removes their profit as this effectively is special version of a private game. Really, it is just a private game with perhaps a modified UI for tablets.

Also, thanks ChapCrap, I am unfamiliar with iOS. I don't much like Apple.

[tj755]

I'd like it to clean and do dishes.

[kuma32478]

Push Notifications is what notifications from the app are called on the iPhone. For instance, you may get a push notification when it's your turn, when you receive a PM, when there is new game chat, etc.

Exactly

[runewake2]

Well, since I don't have access to your PM's here's a solution to that.

- Create a folder in your email for Conquer Club
- Create a filter that adds all messages about PM's, Game Notifications etc to send them to that folder
- Done

For Game Turn Notifications, I know the Windows Phone app does that and will continue to. You'd have to convince Ballslap to add it in the iOS version if it isn't part of it already. I'll work on the Game Chat, but that won't be ready for the upcoming release.

The app can already do the dishes as long as it is placed inside a towel and scrubbed vigorously (the dishes) for 15 minutes. This is a special, universal gesture recognized on all major smart phones. [I am not responsible for any damage caused to your phone by using this gesture. Towel and scrubbing not included.]

[runewake2]

Conqueror for Windows Phone is getting an update soon and Conqueror on 8 is also in the finishing stages. I would like to take a moment to pole you, the community, quickly on a few things. I include them here instead of in the Conqueror for WP or Conqueror for Windows 8 post because I think this is something that applies to all Conquer Club apps.

First. Ad removal by in-app purchase. I am wondering if this would interest anyone and if so, how much would you be willing to pay to remove all ads from the app.

Second. Notifications, I am looking for some more specific details on what people want with these. What do you want notifications of and how often would you like to receive them. (Instantly is not an option!) Assume that notifications are displayed only when the app is not running in the foreground and run periodically at a set interval. What should that interval be? 30 minutes? an hour? every day? Would you want a feature added to control the number of times a notification could display daily or only display notifications for specific games? I'd love to make them as helpful as possible, but can be difficult without knowing what you guys want to do with these applications.

Finally. In app information. What do you want the app to display? Something so compressive that it displays the rank and win percentage of every player you are playing against? Or to simply show the names of all your opponents? Either are possible, but both will look and feel different.

Most importantly, these features all take time. Lots more time than the money I make from developing the app itself. I would like to avoid the whole poking in the dark for features people really appreciate to a minimum. It could mean I discover something useful, but more likely I will spend two months developing a feature that no one wants to use. For that reason, input is important and lets me make the app better faster.

[squishyg]

Personally, I think push notification is a must if you want to stand out from ballslap's perfectly good Conquer Club app. It's a pretty standard feature on iOS apps.

Good luck in your endeavor!

[agentcom]

Blackberry compatibility

[runewake2]

I'll look into that, I have no knowledge of the blackberry ecosystem, but it couldn't hurt to check it out. I'll post an update here when I find something out about that.

For those of you that are interested: Windows Phone has been updated with the new app including more robust notifications and an updated live tile.

[macbone]

I'd love better touch screen technology. It's kinda painful taking turns through Safari or Google on my iPod.

Assault Odds would also be nice.

I don't think the addons are compatible with existing mobile platforms, are they? Otherwise, it'd be super awesome to be able to access BOB snapshots and even take 'em.

[runewake2]

You can't use the mods on mobile devices. This is due to many difference factors. First, mobile browsers are limited, significantly, by the platform they run on. They also are not as versatile and until the recent addition of chrome to iOS, neither Windows Phone nor iOS offered anything but the stock browser. Finally, mobile browsers are similar, but not the same as their counterparts for desktop. Thus, they may not support customizing even if their bigger brother does. The only platform I see this being possible on is Android at the moment, but even that seems like a stretch.

I'll look into snapshots, I must admit I am a bit confused as to what they are as I don't use them.

As a note: it is possible to do anything that the extensions for desktop browsers can do as all the same data is available. However, every tool requires being recreated itself and things like reorganizing web pages is not as easy as it might be with a desktop browser.