GrogHeads Forum

Digital Gaming => Mobile Gaming => Topic started by: JasonPratt on December 28, 2014, 02:01:08 PM

Title: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 28, 2014, 02:01:08 PM
I'm pretty sure this is meant to function as an upgrade for my aging Kindle, even though it works perfectly well and its battery lasts for weeks due to how the old Kindles operated.

It's... {checking} a Verizon Ellipsis 7, though its opening screen shows the "Droid" trademark that I thought only "Droids" per se could use. I'm pretty sure I've read enough to know that the LG android is currently the best. I have no idea where this falls in the great scheme of things. Any ideas?

It's too large to replace my iphone -- I had been asking about the newest one of those, actually -- though maybe on the small side of average for a pad. It definitely needs a case of some kind for protection. Any thoughts on that?

If it simply replaces my Kindle with any other functionality beyond that, then I guess I'm ahead (aside from operational life before recharge). But what groggy games would I put on it?

Aside from Templar Assault. That's obvious.  :smitten:

Fortunately my taste in board, card, and strategy games is much wider than my Bro's (who had fun with Open Panzer (2) on his wife's iPad for several days before deleting it in order to keep from focusing on it too much. Also, he didn't really want to play the campaigns, just single missions, but the campaigns were necessary to unlock single missions; and the AI doesn't prosecute its own attacks very well unless scripted during a campaign and maybe not even then. He'll probably get Commander:TGW next, but not anytime soon so as to minimize the annoyance of Ishy.)

Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: Mr. Bigglesworth on December 28, 2014, 04:54:06 PM
Try dos box/ win95 emulator. You can't do that on an eBook reader.
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 28, 2014, 05:05:06 PM
Small General games from VR.  They're fantastic little wargames with a surprising amount of depth.

Look and see what Hunted Cow might have for 'Droids too

If you like Dominion, go look up Androminion. 
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: spelk on December 28, 2014, 06:19:31 PM
Nuutinen's Conflict series. Populous Romanus. Lots of Tiller titles.

Small General (more like Advanced Tactics lite) and Small General Eastern Front (more like Decisive Campaigns Lite) are from Vic at VR Designs - although now sold under Slitherines banner.

Anything from DK Simulations.

Ascension and Hearthstone have just landed on Android, both pretty good card games.

Elder Sign Omens, Talisman, Galaxy Trucker?
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: Shelldrake on December 29, 2014, 08:39:51 AM
Plague Inc. is my recommendation. Great strategy - sort of a reverse version of the Pandemic boardgame.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miniclip.plagueinc&hl=en (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miniclip.plagueinc&hl=en)
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: Bison on December 30, 2014, 01:44:13 PM
Shredder Chess for Android.
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 05:09:31 PM
Quote from: Mr. Bigglesworth on December 28, 2014, 04:54:06 PM
Try dos box/ win95 emulator. You can't do that on an eBook reader.

Wait.

Wait.

You're saying I can play '93 Space Hulk on my Droid. That's what you're saying. DO NOT PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS ON THIS!!


Re: Brant and Androminion, yes I totally forgot that was a thing that existed. Not sure where/how to find it now, though, in any safe way (since basically it's illegal to distribute now, right?)


Spelk, indeed lots of Tiller titles which I have hitherto ignored in my life (despite buying a fair number) but which I may now remedy. :)

I have Ascension for my iPhone4S, haven't played it yet. Hearthstone, mmm, yes.

Elder Sign Omens for iPhone already, but good rec. I have Talisman for my PC, haven't played it yet, but no reason not to look into it for the droid. Wait, is Galaxy Trucker the boardgame where you build a ship out of junk and try to fly it somewhere without getting pasted? i.e. not the game ported to pads and PC recently last year with a similar hook but more of a tower defense playstyle which I thought was Galaxy Trucker (or whatever) but wasn't? Because I may be confused about that.


Shelldrake, I'd rather have the Pandemic boardgame rather than one of the many, many anti-Pandemic games of being a contagion (some of which are also named Pandemic or variations thereof). I know that seems weird but it's a personal taste of mine not to play as a pandemic. Nazis are fine, orcs are fine, germs no. I fully realize this is an irrational distinction.
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: Bison on December 30, 2014, 05:24:31 PM
Don't be a wuss buy and play the game of kings!
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 05:37:02 PM
^^ Global infection is the game of kings??

Oh, you mean shredder chess. :) I'll certainly look into it, just forgot to say so.
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 06:53:52 PM
Also considering looking up:

XCOM:EW (if it exists, not real fond of going back to EU) -- assuming there is evidence it works with this device, as it has had a bad history as a droid port.

Open X-com if not.

Blood Bowl.

Magnifico (the Slitherine adaptation of the board game)

Qvadriga

(I like Great Battles: Medieval on my PC, for what it is -- which is essentially a hepped-up version of the battle engine from the old Legion/SpartaGoT/ChariotsofWar games -- but it seems a bit dubious for Android.)

Bridge Constructor Medieval

Haegemonia Legions of Steel

Strategy & Tactics WW2 (boringly generic name for what some have called Hearts of Iron Droid)

Conquest of Elysium 3

Combat Mission Touch (WHY DID I NOT REMEMBER THIS EXISTED!? -- because it's trash? It's trash, isn't it? Bro used to love playing CMx1:BN with me... he would get into this so fast.)

Imperium Galactica 2 (though they seem to have broken it recently with an advertisement button that screws with game functionality)

Did Ultimate General: Gettysburg ever get released for the Droid? I love that game on the PC, might buy it again

Did Balder's Gate Enhanced ever go to Android?
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 07:23:07 PM
Also looking at Rebuild (zombie Xcom?)

XCOM:EW does exist, but seems pretty gambly about whether it will work.

Blood Bowl seems dicey as well (and $20 to unlock less than legendary version). I mean dicey in a bad way.  :buck2:

BG1, 2, and Icewind1 enhanced all exist, seem a little less likely to crash after paying for it.
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: bayonetbrant on December 30, 2014, 07:47:12 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 05:09:31 PM
Re: Brant and Androminion, yes I totally forgot that was a thing that existed. Not sure where/how to find it now, though, in any safe way (since basically it's illegal to distribute now, right?)

https://code.google.com/p/androminion/

Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 30, 2014, 08:32:31 PM
^^ Thanks.

I dunno. I figured maybe I should start by actually checking around on reviews for the droid itself -- and it had sucky reviews last year when it was released!

I have a suspicion I would be happier with a Surface Pro 3, even though it costs like 10x as much (since then literally all my Steam, GG and GoG library is available). Or why stop there, since I'd still have to add a mouse and keyboard (maybe); why not compare with a Falcon TLX and get a sweet heavy duty backpack? Wait, at what point does portability start drifting into problems? And maybe I ought to be asking myself what I even want from it, if anything?

I already have a kick-ass tower that will last me many more years here at the house.

I already have an iPhone4S (with an Otter case) which could probably stand to be upgraded and I'm pretty sure for whatever Dad paid for this tablet (since he didn't buy a contract, thank God) I could get a 6 without Siri which I don't want or need anyway.

I already have a perfectly functional Kindle even though the power switch has started to lose its spring -- but that just means I have to be careful about manually activating and deactivating it. It even, being an older model, has an honest to God keyboard and so doesn't pick up fingerprints in any way, shape, form, or fashion. It has lifetime free 3G satellite, too. Sure, it doesn't have a browser (it does but experimentally and horrid), but if I desperately needed that I have the iPhone.

I already have a decent iPhone game library, too.

So... what's the point of having a droid? If it's simply a portable gaming machine combined with a Kindle, I would be better off going for Win8 Surface (with accoutrements) with a vastly larger gaming library already cost-factored in that I know will (more) reliably work.

But do I even want that? What would I do with it? I'd rather be reading a book when I travel (assuming I'm not driving) short distances (which is 99.99999 percent of my travel, since I don't get to have vacations); or if I'm in a gaming mood the iPhone already has interesting games. Arguably the 6 might even be a superior Kindle platform than my Kindle (unlikely but possible -- the old Kindles sip battery power and look great and mine has a bookcase and booklight already.)

Literally the only advantage to a Surface (or a TLX?) I can think of, is that then I could play more games with Bro and the nieces while visiting either way (since we're trying to train them not to get used to going up to a guy's room, where The Presence is, and my PS3 is a bit clunky to move around.)

But my opportunities for doing that are, at best, like once a month. For a few hours, tops. And Bro and Ishy don't really want them playing a lot of computer games anyway. And Ishy doesn't want Bro playing a lot of computer games either anyway.


Logically, I think the wisest move is to thank Dad for the thought and just ask to return it.  :-[ Maybe spend the difference upgrading my iPhone. So I can play Space Wolf.  ;D
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on December 31, 2014, 04:20:13 PM
Holy bleep, returning it cost us $70!

:tickedoff:
Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: Staggerwing on December 31, 2014, 04:32:18 PM
Did you get it as part of a 2-year telecom contract?

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/support/return-policy?intcmp=SearchBanner:return%20policy:Top


QuoteYou may return or exchange wireless devices and accessories purchased from Verizon Wireless within 14 days of purchase. A restocking fee of $35 ($70 for netbooks and tablets) applies to any return or exchange of a wireless device (excluding Hawaii).

That certainly blow chunks. Maybe you can mail it over to Toonces and let him return it for you.


Title: Re: Great. So now I have an android pad... {staring at it dubiously}
Post by: JasonPratt on January 06, 2015, 02:36:24 PM
I didn't think Dad signed a contract on it, but apparently he did. He gets excited shopping sometimes. :)

(I'd say that comes from getting older, but he's been doing it since before I was born...)