STATISTICS
As usual, [Jonquille] gets the ball rolling with a few statistics (she likes that, apparently!):
Bonus information: the first character to reach level 100 on the Oshimo server is called Towbal, an Osamodas. The exclusive title of "Golden Toucher" has been conferred on him; well done!
Now let's talk about some figures which don't involve in-game play. For several days now, DOFUS Touch has benefitted from being highlighted by Apple in their "Best New Games" category. The application also stayed in the top 2 best free games on the App Store for its first few days. And even if this is no longer the case, the figures are still promising; we continue to welcome over 13,000 players per day.
DOFUS Touch is – at the time of writing this – rated 4/5 on both the App Store and Google Play! We'll let you imagine how excellent a result that is for a game of such scale on tablet platforms. The bottom line is that we're ecstatic! Of course, with how well things are going, we're not going to stop now…
WHAT ARE THE GAME TEAMS WORKING ON NOW?
All the same, a few problems have persisted, and our teams are doing their best to resolve them. Right now, the biggest thorn in the developers' side is crashes on Android. Because they're so awesome, they've already identified that the problem is linked to a malfunction with the sound. Tests are being carried out, and we hope to roll out a patch before the end of summer. Less important bugs are also being constantly ironed out, as you'll notice from the weekly updates. Incidentally, don't forget to take a look at the log to stay informed!
Other developers are working in parallel on the game's ergonomics. This is the case – for example – for [Kubicle], who is reworking the breeding interface. Here he is to explain the issues of this redesign:
"The breeding interface is currently very difficult to use. We'd put it to one side for the moment, since the servers were new; but judging by players' progress, it was getting important to modify it. It's a complex feature that requires many decisions regarding user behavior and information to display: what information to display, how to display it, and where to display it? How should we let players carry out this or that action, and how could we make the interface fluid and enjoyable?
With the help of [Jonquille] and [Spartadra], we made the right decisions; the interface is now a pleasure to use! The gestures to move Dragoturkeys are simpler, and their mini-specs are more detailed… You'll find out more about this in due course, but here's a preview I think you'll like."
A redesign of the login page is also on the agenda. If you hadn't realized it, this page is the first one new players see! Right now, it's good, but we have to admit that it could be better. That's why it's essential that we work on this interface.
With the help of [Furylaxx], we're getting down to it: everything from color and clarity, to news displayed directly from the website! So yes, it's now impossible for you to miss events to win the latest trendy Set; everything will be on your screen when you log in. Isn’t life wonderful?
We won't leave you dissatisfied, so here's what it'll look like:
The developers' lair
Where is all this developed? As you might have discovered during the DOFUS Touch team's presentation, the game is developed in Japan and [Jonquille] has provided us with a few photos!
DEBRIEFING OF THE JULY 23RD MEETING
On July 23rd, ten or so players were invited to Ankama's premises to celebrate the launch of DOFUS Touch in France. It gave them the opportunity to present their ideas and ask questions at a very informative opinion-gathering session, attended by [Okajin] and myself. We wanted to use this missive to reply publicly to some of their feedback! By the way, if you also have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them; we're here to reply.
"The beginners' channel is a real hotchpotch, and I'm not sure it really helps beginners."
This channel was indeed really active in the days after the game went online! Some more experienced players hijacked it and instead used it to trade, for example. We therefore lowered the channel's maximum level limit to 20. New arrivals in the game can now make the most of the channel and ask their questions more clearly.
"The beginning of the game is quite a lot to handle; there's too much information and text to absorb. Wouldn't mini-videos be of interest?"
That's something which is technically much more complex to create than you might imagine. Moreover, we don't think that videos would change the amount of information to be absorbed. Nonetheless, we do appreciate the idea; rest assured that we think constantly about the way in which new players are welcomed. Joris – the character who follows you around in DOFUS Touch – is a good example!
"Communicating in fights is difficult, even with the instant messaging system."
We recognize that it's a useful system, but one that's not yet perfectly optimized. We're planning on changing all that, but we can't give you a precise date for now… It's hard, we know; sorry :-S
"What's the situation with the group search system?"
It's a feature that we want to put in place in DOFUS Touch, but maybe not in the same way as in the PC version of DOFUS. The topic's still under consideration, and it would be a major project to undertake.
"Could it be possible to use Goultines for players to trade directly with each other?"
Actually, this is strictly forbidden by Apple and Google. However, we think this is made up for sufficiently by the ability to use Goultines at Markets and in merchant mode.
Once again, it was a great pleasure to meet players from all backgrounds, and we can't wait to do it again. [Jonquille] will surely be present next time (well, if she behaves herself)!
COMMUNITY CHECK-IN
Many of you took part in the #JeTouchDOFUS ("I touch DOFUS") contest on Twitter, and we received some very funny and unusual photos! It's only then that you realize you REALLY can play DOFUS Touch wherever and whenever you like! Take a look for yourself:
A big, big thank you to all of you; it's quite likely we'll do another contest like this one! You can, of course, still share your photos even if there's no contest right now: just use the hashtag #JeTouchDOFUS.
There you have it, that's all for this third missive! Please let us know what you think and ask any questions in the comments section.
See you soon in DOFUS Touch!