King of Dragon Pass

Category
Games

Description of App

Create your own epic saga of conflict, mythology, and community! This acclaimed game of magical storytelling blends interactive stories and resource management. It’s set in Glorantha (the world of the games HeroQuest, RuneQuest, and soon 13th Age). It’s immensely replayable, thanks to over 575 interactive scenes and two objectives. Short episodes and automatic saving mean you can play even when you only have a minute or two. The built-in saga writes down the story for you. And advisors with distinctive personalities help you track your cows. The gorgeous hand-painted artwork won Best Visual Arts at the second Independent Games Festival. • It's like they took the best parts of Civilization games and combined them with the best part of Choose Your Own Adventure style game books. … What I like most about King of Dragon Pass is the seemingly infinite possibilities that the game has. … I can't get enough of King of Dragon Pass. [Touch Arcade] • A wholly unique adventure that has no equal on the iPhone. [Pocket Gamer] • An interactive story with a level of complexity and brilliance that's rarely seen in video games. [Gamezebo] Players say: • I am really happy to have found this game. It scratches so many itches: simulator, rpg, adventure book...Great work! I find myself playing it on both my iPad and iPhone. Very addictive! • I got this game at 6pm tonight. It's now 4am, and I've hardly scratched the surface of the depth of this game. • I now have a fun, engaging, thought provoking RPG on my iPhone, an RPG that fits in my purse and that I can play any time I want, not having to have my computer or Xbox 360 near me to do so. • If Bioware remade Civilization they'd be lucky to end up half as good as King of Dragon Pass. • It's impossible to describe the emotional tug you feel when an old and trusted advisor, who you've watched grow from a young upstart, dies of old age. Or when an exploration team disappears into the wilds, never to be heard from again. Or when a cursed clansman, shunned by his peers, sacrifices himself to stop a raid. This game will never leave my iPhone. That's the only accolade possible.

Version

2.3.1

Free or Paid

Paid

Apple Watch Support

Not Known

Device(s) App Was Tested On

iPhone

iOS Version

8.0.2

Accessibility Comments

The developer, A-Sharp, has been fantastic in regards to accessibility. I saw a largely unplayable game on September 8TH when it originally came to the App Store, but with some help, the developer was able to make it a very playable game, as it is now.

VoiceOver Performance

VoiceOver reads all page elements.

Button Labeling

All buttons are clearly labeled.

Usability

The app is fully accessible with VoiceOver and is easy to navigate and use.

Other Comments

If anyone has any concerns about accessibility, the interface or anything else, contact the developer @kingdragonpass on Twitter. Another way is by emailing support@a-sharp.com. Otherwise, enjoy the game!

App Store Link

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/king-of-dragon-pass/id335545504?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo…

Developer's Website

http://www.a-sharp.com/kodp

Related Podcast

http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/king-dragon-pass-epic-saga-conflict-my…

Recommendations

22 people have recommended this app

Most recently recommended by Jen 2 years ago

Options

Comments

By daz on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

i can't seem to find a way to do this. the game is totally adictive i've just burnt my battery out on this lol. but does anybody know how when you go into the clan organization how to manage the ring members so you can place a new member in an old seat?

Hi, If a seat is empty on the ring, if you find someone not on the ring; it should say they are not a ring member. Flicking up VoiceOver should say Ring member, and then you can press the reorganize button. At the top of the screen, those buttons are your current ring. If it has less than seven, you'll want to fill those spots. Under those buttons are the other people that are not on your ring that you can choose to be on it, if you so wish. By default, the filter is leadership, so I think that's where it'll find people with good leadership skills, but if you flick up and down there's different items you can choose depending on what skills you need to make the ring just right. The manual in the lore screen is helpful with this.

thanks very much. another problem i'm having is assigning land to my farmers for cows and crops. i've tried reducing the crop land so the pastures increase but that doesn't seem to help. i have also attempted to increase the hunters to the same ends. i thought to make more of this by attempting exploration but either am not doing it right or it's not helping like i thought. any ideas on that? it truely is a great game isn't it. you could be playing this for days! is there an actual end to it?

Hi, Exploration isn't intended to help with land, it's more like going beyond your known area to find new treasures and such. The options you have for land are reallocating the land you currently have or conquering a neighbor for more, though that isn't advised. Cropland and pastures are mutually exclusive. You'll want to try and increase both, though increasing pastures takes away from wild lands, which both your hunters and other things might not appreciate. THe advisors should be helpful for this. Generally, land isn't a problem, I tend to have too much and use the excess for pastures. Hope this helps somewhat. Are you having a more specific problem? Best, Zack.

Okay, the ring is a problem. Unless all seven spots are filled, you should be able to get someone in. I assume VoiceOver isn't letting you swipe up to change them from "Not on the ring?" Starvation is harder to deal with. Trade for food, or call in favors, or even slaughter a few animals if you must. I'd use that as a last resort. I can't help with addiction, as I''m right there with you.

ok with 1 finger i double tap and then move up or down all that does is to move the icon around the screen and nothing more. can someone talk me through the steps of this?

You don't need to double tap at all, let alone double tap and hold. All you need to do is make sure the ring member you want has VO focus by flicking left and right, then swipe up and down with a finger to put them on or take them off the ring. Double tapping will pull up a statement from them about how they feel, what they think they could contribute to the ring, etc. It's not important to read these statements, though they do make nice flavor.

oooo i think i got it! well sort of anyway. shame my game ended lol! again the problem with starvation hit. i haven't quite mastered the thing of trading yet or how to go about creating a tribe or questing as of yet. has anybody had any luck with this? also is exploration really worth it?

Yes, I managed to win both short and long games, so I'm reasonably familiar with most of the mechanics, including heroquesting and trade. Exploration is definitely worth it, both in your tula and outside, as you can find treasures and events you wouldn't otherwise see. For dealing with your food issues, trade is one solution, as is calling on favors or allies on the relations screen, which you'll need to become pretty familiar with to have any success long term.

I have found on other apps if the roter is set to vertical flicking up and down will not change your choices it will just go up or down a line. HTH

By Zack on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

The game is on sale for $5.99 until November 4, to celebrate the 12th birthday of the original PC version. Anyone who was hesitant over the high price should seriously consider this offer, as the game is certainly worth it. I can't recommend it highly enough. Also, not that many blind people are likely to care much about this, but the developers are working on an iPad version of the game, as many sighted players have requested.

By Piotr Machacz on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

Well, here's me with a problem of my own. I'm not sure how to do one of these. I tried doing "Making of the storm tribe", but no matter what selections I make (well, not like I can change anything other than the clan I want to call up on, the perform button is dimmed. The advisers weren't much help either. So, anyone wanna shed some light on what I may be doing wrong?

By Zack on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

Heroquests are a bit complicated. You can't actually perform them until you know enough about them to stand a chance in the realm of the gods, which you learn by sacrificing for mysteries, asking other clans, or events. Sacrifice is the most reliable way. Once you learn the details of a quest you can attempt it, though some quests have "secrets" which you can learn as well. Storm Tribe is one of these. You learn these the same way you do the details, and knowing them increases your chances quite a bit. After you've done all that, you have to read about the myth in the Lore screen. THere's a details button which you click to pull up the longer version. YOur goal when you perform the quest is to emulate the god's actions, though there are always surprises. Hope this helps.

By daz on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

so is this game completable? or does it go on and on. if it is then how long does it take a person to complete it?

Yes, the game can be completed and won. The answer to how long it takes depends a lot on whether you're playing the short or long version. If you continued on with the tutorial, its short. The short game ends after you form a tribe, become king of that tribe, and manage to rule for ten years successfully with a reasonably well-off clan. THe long version is much more involved, requiring you to become king of Dragon Pass by completing a number of intertwined stories. Ballpark I'd say the long version can take thirty to forty hours, though it really depends on how you play. You can lose the game much faster, of course. THis is on normal mode, the other difficulties change things around a lot.

By Michael Feir on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

 

Review of King of Dragon Pass

Game available from the iPHONE app store for $9.95 regular price

Produced by A-Sharp Software

 

www.a-sharp.com/kodp

Fully playable without sighted assistance.

Reviewed by Michael Feir

Rating: 9/10

*Introduction:

The Apple iPHONE has certainly taken the blind community to an unparalleled level of affordable accessibility. Its built-in Voiceover screen-reader has managed to turn a flat-screen device into one of the most useful gadgets I've ever owned. Years ago, I had bought King of Dragon Pass for the PC only to discover that it was completely unplayable without sighted assistance. The text was printed in a way my screen readers couldn't detect. There was also a map to explore which required a mouse and sighted help to manage. Worse yet, in a painful paradox, the game required continuous reading as it was mostly text-based. Any sighted people I found who would try the game with me would very quickly lose patience having to read everything out loud. Now, thanks to the ingenuity and inclusiveness of the iPHONE, I am able to fully enjoy this unique game experience.

Let's be clear. This is a game made for a sighted audience first. There's artwork on the screen and the map to be explored. Things are set up to be easy for sighted players to scroll around when they need to. However, for those who have the patience to explore the screen, every element of the game has been made accessible thanks to the Voiceover screen-reader and the efforts of programmers at A-Sharp Software. The developers continue to update the game and have proved very responsive to peoples' reports of issues they faced while playing using Voiceover. There have been several updates since its release and they have included improvements for Voiceover users as well as other additions to the game like new scenes. At this point, the game is fully playable for blind people who have patience and recognize that due to its visual nature, there are some quirks to be wrestled with from time to time. If you can live with that, then get ready for a brilliant game where a flexible but cohesive narrative takes centre stage. Blind players may not be able to appreciate the artwork, but for a very refreshing change, we aren't left out of the picture.

*The Interface:

As I say, there are some quirks. One of these which I think is ultimately favourable is that the game must be played in landscape mode with the home button on the left or right. Presumably, this makes things like scrolling around the map somewhat easier. Familiarizing yourself with the screen layout is essential for this game. For instance, when the menu is toggled on, it goes across the top of the screen. I used to have all sorts of trouble getting to it reliably until I figured this out. Hitting the "menu" button toggles the menu on or off. It makes a slightly different sound when it's on. KODP uses ordinary controls familiar to Voiceover users. You can flick left and right to go between options and double-tap to select them. You can also scroll around the map with a three-finger flick in the direction desired. The map is much larger than a single iPHONE screen so you'll need to do this eventually. One issue is that dialogues in the game tend to stack on top of each other at times. A good example of this happens when you explore. One dialogue active at that time is the map screen. Once you hit the "explore" button, music plays and you can then position your exploration cross on the map. Once that's done touch near the bottom of the screen where you should come to the exploration dialogue. There, you can choose who leads the exploration party and how many weapon thanes and footmen to send. You also set the exploration pace between slow, normal and fast. Once you have that taken care of, you can then go to the "explore" button. The problem is that there are two of these. The first one is from the initial map dialogue. The one you want is past the "menu" button. Hit that and your expedition will be sent off. You'll here the exploration music as well as horses.

Another issue can occur at various times. One of these is when sacrificing. After you have sacrificed to one of the various gods or goddesses in the Orlanthi pantheon, you might then find yourself on what seems to be an empty screen. Patience is needed here as you should keep running your finger slowly over the screen until it starts reading you the result of your sacrifice or you encounter the "proceed" button. If you find the button first, just flick left and you'll hear the result of your sacrifice. Flick right again and you'll be on the "proceed" button.

Other than these minor issues, things are quite straight-forward. The background music and sound can be toggled on and off from the "controls" option screen which is accessed from the menu or before a game starts. Especially while familiarizing yourself with the game, it would be prudent to turn off the background music to make certain that everything is heard. I certainly found this helpful. There's no way to regulate the volume of the background music separate from overall volume. However, Voiceover does automatically lower the music volume while it is speaking. Reading event text works quite well. Most of the time, there's no need to scroll. Once you've flicked onto event text, all of it is read out to you. Continuing to flick right goes across the choices available.

When using the advice, it works much like the menu button in that it toggles the adviser selection screen on and off overtop of whatever dialogue is already present. Advice is always contextual to the screen or current situation the player is presented with. Flicking right goes across the adviser buttons whose names will be read out. Once activated with a double-tap, their advice will be read out. If you need to find it on the screen, you'll have to learn where it is on the screen or find it by flicking through elements. When you're done with getting advice, find the "adviser close" button. Activating this removes the adviser selection and any displayed advice from the screen.

*Game Play:

After choosing the duration and difficulty of your game, you must set up your clan. You can call it what you like and then begin to make various choices which effect how the game unfolds. Your saga starts here. Don't expect to just jump into this game and do terrifically right off the bat. Reading the manual is a very helpful thing to do in this case. Also, during the first year you play, a tutorial box is present which provides guidance for what to do on the various screens. After going through it, you'll at least have a basic grasp of the options and different game screens that you'll use throughout your clan's history. Once you have completed the tutorial, you will no longer have to contend with the tutorial box. It will never appear again unless you reset your game centre achievements even if you start a new game.

Essentially, the game is one of decision making on behalf of your clan as its history unfolds. There are many factors which influence the results of your decisions. These include random chance as well as such things as the skills of your clan leaders. You are always able to receive advice from members of your clan ring. This is very helpful particularly as you are first digging into the game. It may be helpful to keep notes on things you learn. A lot of information is available to you in the game but details such as the personalities of clan leaders you encounter can be useful to refer to. Not everything is kept track of in the saga screen of your clan. Also, during hero quests, you can't refer to the relevant mythology. Be certain to check out the "lore" screen. There, you'll find a vast amount of information about the myths, culture, history, and much more. The game manual can also be accessed from that screen via the button near the bottom right. The manual is also available in pdf form from the "tips" section of the game's web site. This pdf is unrestricted and may easily be converted into text by Kurzweil1000, Adobe Reader, or other software. Remembering details can make a very big difference in how things turn out for your clan.

Combat in the game is quite straight-forward in terms of the decisions you can make. However, there's a whole lot going on under the hood. A clan's personality might effect how prepared their forces are. How much magic you or the enemy devotes to the battle can make a substantial difference. At times, individual leaders involved in the battle will be placed in key situations where their choice can strongly effect the outcome. Battles occur throughout the game but this aspect doesn't dominate play unless you wish it to. If anything, the game encourages careful consideration about what is worth fighting for and why one goes to war. You cannot simply conquer your way to victory in King of Dragon Pass.

Much of the farming which takes place is handled automatically. However, there are points where decisions such as how much land to set aside for which purpose, how many hunters to have, and how much magic to invest in crops can make or break a clan. Thankfully, it's very hard to make decisions in the course of a single year which would completely wreck one's chances of winning. The game is won or lost in increments over time rather than in some sudden large-scale disaster or stroke of good fortune. Your clan ring is always there to advise you of problems and will have useful things to say about most decisions. However, during hero quests or combat, you understandably cannot seek their advice.

Your people, particularly your clan leaders, are capable of a degree of growth and change over their lives. In my Tandora clan, I now have a lady who is renowned for her bargaining skill. Over time, completing hero quests, fighting battles, and other experiences may produce exceptional individuals in your clan. These should be used with care and protected as much as possible.

Don't treat each year as a separate entity. Decisions you make in earlier years may have effects which carry on through the game. From how you choose to deal with the large pantheon of gods to which clans you are feuding with, it's all interconnected. In effect, you're building a house of cards with each decision you make. While the game is fairly forgiving, it is quite possible and inevitable that a game not won will eventually be lost. Things don't just keep going forever.

*Sound and Music:

The background music for King of Dragon Pass is quite well done. It suits the epic but fun feel of the game and enhances the various moods experienced by your clan. Sadly, as I previously mentioned, it can interfere with one's ability to hear Voiceover. You can download the soundtrack from the game web site and enjoy it separately. One way or another, the music ought to be experienced. Much like in a movie, it adds a lot to the feel of the game world.

Sound effects are experienced while dealing with various dialogues. They often include music as when you send off a caravan or exploration party. They are used to add life to things such as battles, feasting, or other events triggered by your choices. The sound vignettes are brief so they don't interfere with one's ability to hear Voiceover. Beginners can fully enjoy the game's sound without any added frustration. Much like the music, the brief sound scenes add just enough detail to the game world to tantalize the imagination. Due to their brevity, the sound vignettes don't become annoying after repeated exposure.

While not effective to blind readers of this review, it should be noted that King of Dragon Pass features original hand-drawn artwork. Not having seen it, or anything else for that matter, I can't give any detail or first-hand opinion about it. However, from what I've read in other reviews, people who are lumination dependent seem to think highly of it. Artwork is displayed during scenes and is likely also present on the various game screens. Mugs, shirts and original art from the game can be purchased if desired. Details are on the game web site. Therefore, if you're playing along and a sighted person asks "What's that?" they may very well have glimpsed some of this artwork past your fingers. You'll then have to decide whether to show and explain, or simply turn on your screen curtain with howls of derisive laughter.

*Conclusion:

This game is by far the most meaningful and detailed I have ever been able to play independently. I don't believe any other accessible game even comes close to what King of Dragon Pass offers the patient thoughtful player. The re playability level is astounding. There are over 500 scenes which may or may not occur in a given time. The results of your choices are impacted by many variables which may differ should you encounter a familiar scene. Even in cases where you do all the "right" things such as the hero quests, results might differ due to the preparedness and suitability of the person chosen to undertake the quest. Different treasures may or may not be found. You become a co-author of an epic novel which never reads the same twice but always maintains its cohesion.

You don't have to be a mathematician or social scientist. The text is very well-written and you'll find yourself drawn into the story. After a while, you'll feel that you've gotten to know leading figures in your clan over the years of game time. The leadership and management decisions feel very natural and intuitive. Keeping a good overview is important to eventual victory. However, you never lose sight of how much individual community members matter. They just keep popping up. The game has a whole lot to teach about the value of community cohesion, leadership, and other things besides. Should I ever be successful in winning even the short game on easy difficulty, I'll be left with fond memories and a true sense of accomplishment. I'll also be driven to start a fresh game knowing there are still possibilities I have yet to encounter. Thankfully, it is possible to record and share one's accomplishment via the iPHONE Game Centre, Twitter, Facebook, or via emailing your game saga to yourself and then to others. The iPHONE is the perfect device to play such a game on. Despite its complexity and length, it lends itself to casual play. You can pull it out of your pocket, make a few decisions, and then simply put it away again until a few moments of free time present themselves. That is, if you can resist finding out whether your weaponthanes manage to drive off the ice demons. Like drops of water in a bucket, all these short cessions will add up and you'll be amazed how far your clan has come along.

I have always believed that games are more than mere frivolous wastes of time. Games are like journeys for the mind. We learn best while at play and games can teach us a great deal in an environment where wrong decisions don't equal real disaster. Considering this game's fantasy setting, mythology, gods, creatures and people, King of Dragon Pass can teach us an awful lot of deep truth. At its core, King of Dragon Pass lets us play with leadership and power. It does so while showing us the consequences of our decisions in a very engaging way. If ever there was a game which defied its critics to call it devoid of any meaning and value, King of Dragon Pass is such a one. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it proves to be a watershed game for blind owners of IOS devices. It has the potential to be played both at a casual and a serious level. This could prove to be the closest the blind gaming community has come to a phenomenon like Pac-Man was for the sighted world. What's more, we're playing on an equal footing and can let our accomplishments be known. Thanks to the inclusiveness of Apple and the considerate folks at A-Sharp Software, this game truly bridges the blind/sighted gaming divide. It's worth every cent of its $9.95 regular price.

By Sandra on Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 10:27

Thank you for your detailed review of the game. I wholeheartedly agree with what you say , it’s a very rich game and it is mostly accessible. I would like to add that in IOS 5 you can set VoiceOver volume independently of the general volume setting, so if you set VoiceOver volume to 100 percent it’s possible to play with the music on without it getting in the way. I think though, that some of the information in the game is not yet accessible with VoiceOver, but this doesn’t prevent you from winning the game. For example, when you make a decision, you get feedback on how it affected the mood of your clan. It might say mood plus 2. I was lucky enough once or twice to touch the right spot on the screen after making a decision to see this information, but it seems it disappears after a few seconds so I wasn’t able to read it most of the time. I guess this is also how the hints during hero quests work, after tapping the hint button, I wasn’t able to find any hint. If you know a way to access this information, then it would be great if you could mention it here.

By Sandra on Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 10:27

Revisiting places on the map was a problem for me until I figured out how to use the item chooser that is new in IOS 5. For example, I knew it was useful to go to Mount Kero Fin during the game, only I didn’t know how to find it reliably. To find spots on the map, open the explore screen that presents you with all options for an exploration. Tap the map and scroll it to page two. Then trippletap with two fingers to activate the item chooser. Doubletap the edit box and start typing your placename, for example Kero if you want to go to Kero Fin. Hit the search button. The item chooser should find the right spot for you. Look for its name, then doubletap it to close the item chooser and go back to the map. Now the VoiceOver cursor is set on the right spot. You need to doubletap again to set the exploration cross to where the VoiceOver cursor is. Now you can send your explorers on their way by hitting the explore button. Good luck.

By Tiffany J. Kim on Monday, March 5, 2012 - 10:27

The game just got an update this weekend. I haven't played with it too long but I did notice some improvements in the update with regards to VoiceOver. It appears that we can now read how our actions in scenarios affect clan mood or commodities e.g. goods +15. However, I did notice that the text does seem to disappear after some time. I don't know the timing on this. Secondly, the bug where sacrificing to the Gods or recruiting weaponthanes would result in silence from VoiceOver and needing to find the Proceed button to resume gameplay is fixed. I haven't tapped the hint button during a hero quest in the update so can't say if that issue was fixed where advice was hard to access. This is a great game. It's about the only thing I enjoy playing after a long day at work. To celebrate the update and support a developer who has continued to make improvements for VO users, I've decided to gift it to three people. If you have an IPhone and are a bit hesitant due to the game's price, feel free to contact me. I would love to share the joys and perils of Glorantha, and more specifically, King of Dragon Pass with you!

By AnonyMouse on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 - 10:27

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

What's New in Version 2.1

• Universal build fully supports iPad as well as iPhone!
 • New interactive scene
 • Lists of blessings include the deity’s rune
 • Deities discovered through play will appear in blessings lists
 • More advice
 • Bug fixes
 • Minor corrections to manual
 
What's New in Version 2.1.1

In addition to the 2.1 changes (the game is now Universal, has a new scene, and more):
• Fixed cosmetic bug during tribe formation on iPad
• Fixed VoiceOver bugs
• Fixed bugs, advice, or text in a few scenes

 

Thanks for the tip about the item chooser. I forgot about that capability.

Disappearing text is an issue for me. Sometimes, VoiceOver reads it and sometimes not.

I have asked the developers to add small tidbits of info like the gender of the clan ring candidates, clan attitudes on the Relations screen, and a way to tell if a blessing has already been sacrificed for. The game has taken hours and hours and while I have succeeded in forming a tribe, I have not yet won a game. I think I could win. I am fairly good at managing my clan on normal difficulty. But I think to optimize play, we are missing out on some important info readily available to the sighted.

Otherwise, this game is amazing, and I anxiously await the next update.

By Zack on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - 10:27

Hi everyone, I thought you should know that with the latest version of iOS released recently, issues with stuttering music and sound effects in this game, along with other apps, have been fixed. I highly recommend playing with the soundtrack on, it's an excellent one, and adds to the atmosphere.

i've been playing this so avidly that the other day, my wife threatened to take my power cord and chop it into a hundred little pieces. I solved the problem by sending 26 weaponthanes and 200 footmen after her. Things have been peaceful since then, and warrior morale, not to mention my own, has increased.

Hi, Agreeing to every demand the clans make isn't always a great strategy. Some of them are rather unreasonable, and you'll find it hard to convince others to play along if you blindly go ahead and give them everything they want. Relationships factor into it too. If you and another clan have a good one, it's possible to get them to go to the moot without having to make concessions other people might be offended by. Similarly, if you're talking to your feuding neighbor, it's entirely possible to have no choice but to abandon things because they won't come even if you give them everything they want. Be careful in whom you invite, and good luck.

This is true. I even downloaded the entire soundtrack and I have it saved to my computer; it's that good. And it's free! Incredible steal.

By Tangela on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

What's New in Version 2.2 • 19 new interactive scenes • Upgraded music to CD-quality stereo (thanks to Stan LePard) • Support iPhone 5 screen size • Take clan proximity into account when raiding • Track notable deaths in saga • New treasures • More annual scuttlebutt • Tint tribal areas on the map • Various improvements to advice • Show relevant changes to advisor images during a scene • Battle situations don’t leave blank lines in the saga • Fixed a bug that allowed indefinite raiding during Sea season • More accurate determination of exploring certain areas • Fixed typos and bugs • Fixed a memory leak in VoiceOver play • Added anonymous tracking so we can understand how people play • Now requires iOS 5.1

By Tangela on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

Hi. I have a few questions. First, is there a way to see what god clan ring candidates worship in the clan reorganize screen? I know you get certain bonuses for having ring members who worship certain gods associated with the history of the clan, or having a trickster on the ring, etc. But I don't see that listed in the information in the clan ring candidates. Finally, from time to time you get information about other clans, such as clan x has a new chief who is known for y. Then later you get other clans asking for information about that particular clan. Is their a way to bring the information your advisors gave you about those clans and their chief up at will? It doesn't seem to be in the saga, and the advise seems only to deal with whether or not to answer the question. Thanks for any information, Tangela

By Zack on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

Hi, Okay, I can answer both these questions. :) 1. Assuming you have Voiceover hints enabled, if you swipe over a candidate and linger for a second, you'll hear their stats read out. This includes the gods they worship. 2. If you are given an event like the ones you mention, your advisors may or may not have bits of information about the chief in question. A lot of them will also comment on the question itself, of course. A good rule of thumb is to not answer unless you have at least two or three such bits from the advice, or they tell you that the answer itself won't impact relations much. The only other way to get the information from the popups is to write it down. Hope this helps, Zack.

By Tangela on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

Ah. Thank you kindly. I almost never use vo hints, but it helps a lot with this game.

By Tangela on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

Hi. I have one further question about the heroquest Elmal guards the stead. If you have not done this quest their may be slight spoilers. As far as I know, I have all the secrets of the myth, but for many of the chaos creatures, the details of defeating them are pretty vague. When in the quest, the trick to defeating them seems to be somewhat random, however I have done it. My question is mostly about what comes after. When Elmal's lost love comes to take him back to the lands of Yelm the emperor, I always say "Orlanth did not steal my pride, he awakened it." as it says in the myth and on the KODP wiki. However, I always then get a result like but as (quester) says this, he is filled with the wrong kind of pride" and is never seen again. Does anyone know what I'm missing in this quest? I've had a leader as queen of a tribe for some years now, but as yet have not been able to complete the quest. Any help is greatly appreciated.

You aren't missing anything, actually. The problem is that quests are often dependent on chance as well as memorization. You have chosen the right answer, but the quester has been found wanting by the gods. Some quests are more dangerous than others. Heroquesting is the most perilous thing a noble can do. All that being said, it is sometimes quite possible to pick answers which don't quite conform to the myth you have and still succeed. Some of them test different stats, and sometimes you'll find it easier to stray from the story if your quester isn't up to doing it the "correct," way. That being said, if you ever become truly lost in the realm of the gods, all you can hope to do is get out alive. Hope this helps, Zack.

By Tangela on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 10:27

It sort of does. Is there a way to train heros to better prepare them for quests? Or anything else to increase their standing with the gods?

Unfortunately, you won't be able to train your heroes in any meaningful way. You can help them by devoting magic to quest, having appropriate clan ring, and so on. Other hero quests help of course, but it's kind of a catch 22. Best, Zack.

By AnonyMouse on Thursday, September 5, 2013 - 10:27

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

What's New in Version 2.2.1

• Allow renegotiating tribute
• Show specific sacrifices in Magic screen
• Fixed bugs and typos in scenes
• Improved several animations relating to advisors (iPhone)
• Fixed minor UI bugs

By Tangela on Thursday, September 5, 2013 - 10:27

Hi, According to wikipedia. there are several books set in the world of Glorantha. Has anyone had any luck finding accessible EBook versions? Kindle and IBooks both seem to be coming up blank.

Hi, The majority of current Glorantha books are roleplaying related, for the (very light-weight) HeroQuest game system. They are exceedingly detailed looks at a few specific places, such as the Orlanthi Kingdom in Dragon Pass, (which you have a hand in founding in KoDP.) These are available in accessible PDF from Moon Design Publications, www.moondesignpublications.com. In terms of out of print stuff,there's a book called King of Sartar which is a novel, of sorts. It's a collection of Gloranthan documents related to the period known as the Hero Wars, which concludes the Third Age of the world and is pretty much where canonical Glloranthan history stops. I have a copy of this in Word format directly from the authors, and don't feel comfortable redistributing it without permission. There are other books available, more for people interested in Gloranthan scholarship than anything else. Honestly, I recommend the HeroQuest setting books as a good starting place, particularly the one on Sartar and Dragon Pass. I hope this answers the question somewhat, even if it isn't quite the answer you wanted. :) Best, Zack.

By Tangela on Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 10:27

Thanks, that's a great resource. I'll look into getting some of those, particularly the ones recommended. In your opinion, are they worth the 12-14 dollar price? Thanks again for the resource!

By Zack on Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 10:27

Sartar, Kingdom of Heros in particular, the book on the Dragon Pass region, is worth its price without reservation. It has 400+ pages of info, myths, cult write-ups, etc. My only slight worry would be that you couldn't use all the info in it unless you were interested in the tabletop game HeroQuest, which is great but definitely its own thing. Just be aware that the book's a game supplement along with being a general interest Glorantha volume, so has some rules stuff inside along with background. Due to the nature of HQ, the rules are minimal, but they're definitely there. Otherwise, by all means, it's a wonderful book.

By Zack on Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 10:27

For those who might not have been aware, there was a contest held recently to add a new interactive scene to KoDP. The developer has spent some time picking the top four entries, and now the winning one can be selected by you. :) See http://pockettactics.com/2013/09/13/king-of-dragon-pass-scene-contest-time-to-vote-for-the-winner/ for details. They're all great entries, but which one is most deserving?

By AnonyMouse on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 - 10:27

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

What's New in Version 2.2.2

• Tutorial can be quit or restarted, and is tracked via iCloud
• Improved VoiceOver compatibility (and pronunciation)
• Heroquest sound effect
• Fixed minor bugs in scenes

By Jessica Brown on Thursday, June 5, 2014 - 10:27

Does this game work with iOS 7? It has not been updated since iOS 7 came out.

By Zack on Thursday, June 5, 2014 - 10:27

The game definitely works with iOS 7. It has been updated fairly recently, and will be again in a little while, with quite a bit of new content.

By AnonyMouse on Saturday, July 5, 2014 - 10:27

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

What's New in Version 2.3

• 15 new scenes (including contest winner)
• New illustrations
• Added option for larger text (for iPad mini)
• More advice
• Bug fixes
• Sharing victory (or loss) includes illustration
• Improved some VoiceOver pronunciation and behavior
• New look for dialogs
• Trimmed unused assets
• Still no nagging to buy or review. But we hope you’ll share your thoughts about the game.

King of Dragon Pass is still very playable and offers one of the most deep and replayable games on iOS all these years later. The developer has continued to address issues even as he has been working on Six Ages. This will be a kind of spiritual sequel to King of Dragon Pass. I can't wait to play that one. First though, the Tandora clan is in a very tricky spot where I'm hesitant to make my moves for fear of losing them. I have yet to win even a short game of this but have deeply enjoyed my time playing.

By DrummerGuy on Friday, May 5, 2017 - 10:27

Thank you for answering this question, Michael. I have downloaded the game and I am enjoying it as well as learning from it.
This is a pretty awesome game. I thought I would never play text games for I like games with voices and sound effects more than anything else.
However, I have felt very intrigued about this game after having listened to your podcast. By the way, receive my congratulations for such a great job.
If six ages will be as great or even better than king of dragon pass, I will eagerly jump in the wagon of those who can't wait to play the game as well.
Good luck, my friend.

By Karok on Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 10:27

hi all, i have just started playing this game but in the tutorial, i am stuck. it says i have to get advice as the mission progresses and their recommended actions are highlighted in blue but tapping advisor button and looking at everyone, is not moving me on in this tutorial? very odd.