Goko Launches Without Fanfare

robthomasson

In case you have not seen it - Goko started up again on Friday, this time without any of the fanfare. And as I poke at my screen it is still up and providing functioning Dominion play.

If you go to www.goko.com on your iPad you may get a message about needing to use a PC to participate in the Open Beta. If you cancel that and press on "Play Now" for Dominion you get a prompt to install the relevant web app on your iPad. Which then gives access to the same Dominion service as available over a browser from a PC - but with (in my case at least) noticeable delays compared to PC browser access. I haven't tried multiplayer but single player games have worked fine - both with preset Kingdom decks in the Adventure mode and randomly generated decks in Single Player mode. I have not played enough games to know what range of cards will occur in Single Player mode or how much is available free of charge. In Adventure mode you can see the charges coming.

The latest entry under the Press link at www.goko.com is still the one dated 12 Aug 2012 and all about the initial launch. So this launch is really the antithesis of that one, but it has already lasted significantly longer. They are not telling us directly but it does looks to be an open beta as there is a Report A Bug button on the main screen. The iPad web app also has a Redeem option that invites you to place a card on the screen - in the style of Monsterology http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/13402/ios-overview-monsterology - so more "stuff to come" yet ...

robthomasson

A friend just told me that he was playing against the AI on his iPad and switched out to another app. When he returned to the Goko Dominion web app it loaded again and his game in progress had been lost. So games have to be played without leaving the app - just as games on the PC have to be played without closing the browser as there is no save game capability. But I post this for info because we're used to switching in and out of apps (albeit native iOS apps) without losing progress.

TheDukester

"Launches" gives Goko a bit too much credit, I think. There's still some massive problems, as this entertaining BGG thread illustrates:

http://goo.gl/yP9Lc

In hindsight, it's clear that there must have been some "ready by GenCon" language in at least one of Goko's contracts. There's no way that site was ready to go on Aug. 16. Hell, it's barely ready now ...

Scameron

Maybe they were just waiting for Owen to go on vacation. :)

Owen

This was worth ducking out of holiday mode for - thanks for the heads-up, gents.