iOS support

[zyavrik]

Can anybody add iOS support? There is no good strategy games in the App Store at all!

[TheJJ]

How do you imagine controlling the game? There will be lots of small buttons, nearly impossible to press with that small touchscreen. We'd need a completely different UI, but it would be possible in theory.

Do iOS programs support C++ and Python? Does iOS support OpenGL?

But I must admit this will get about as much love from the developers as our windows port (protip: near to zero). If you can port openage though, go for it, if the code is ok it will land upstream.

[mic-e]

Related: #302

[mic-e]

I think you need to pay money to get permission to develop for iOS, or something?
People seem to have managed to get Cython to work, so the case it not hopeless.
Obviously iOS can do OpenGL, how else would 3D graphics work there?

[sreejithr]

I do agree that there's no decent strategy game for iOS at this point.

[mic-e]

Can you even play strategy games, without a mouse?

[Enephst]

Better yet, who can play without a keyboard?

[connorjclark]

Objective-C/++ is a superset of C/++, and so iOS does support cpp. I have never used Python in iOS, but it does seem to be possible (http://pythonhosted.org/pyobjc/). There does not seem to be any technical limitations, only interface ones.

If this route is ever to be explored, I would suggest using a crossplatform mobile solution, so that Android applications would be supported without too much additional work.

[eaterjolly]

One could "theoretically" exploit the multitouch. One finger to select, press-and-hold for right click, press-and-hold two fingers for shift-right-click, drag three-fingers for scroll, press-and-hold x fingers while tapping selected units for complex selection tricks.

Keyboard is so much more refined though..

[mePy2]

I’m glad I’m reading this question. I was thinking about creating a game AOE-like for iOS from months. I love AOE but I think that would be quite unplayable an exact copy of the game (a port) for an iPhone.
In my opinion we should first focus on “how can we recreate the same feelings and fun of the original AOE in a few-inches screen, with touch (and sensors) interaction?”
If you want I’m free to join you developing an AOE game for iOS.

I’m reading also the #302. I think all these are just not issues of course. But they are a clear sign that we should conquer new territories. Maybe for the watch we cannot make a port but as I already suggested #1005 we could make a companion app (– vibrates “red are attacking you, Sir!” or “new message from ally! (always miss them, I’m too concentrated while plying AOE)) or a watch face if they would be implemented.

Little Edit:
I didn’t really read through all the text in the #302. I did now...
However! I’m seriously speaking above. That could be something completely different from openage, or maybe not. The fact is, I know we could not make a “free (as in freedom)” anything for the App Store (but I’m not 100% sure about this).

[laszlotuss]

It would be good to the the game on the iPad, they are especially playable with Apple Pencil or using the new mouse support in iOS 13. I already lost a couple of hours to openTTD and it was really fun on the big iPad Pro using Apple Pencil.