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Why isn't there an iOS 5.1.1 iPad 2+ version?

I understand the memory problems involved in making an iPad 1 version of Baldur's Gate, but there doesn't seem to be any actual explanation for why it isn't compatible with iOS 5 and below for iPad generations 2 through 4. Especially considering that there's a compatibilty caption on the left hand side of the app store, so if the reason is to stop iPad 1 owners from purchasing the game it's a pretty weak excuse.

Maybe this has been addressed already, but all I've managed to find is why there's no iPad 1 version. Just looking for some clarification because currently it doesn't add up.

Comments

  • DefconOneDefconOne Member Posts: 7
    edited December 2012
    I'd love to know the answer to this one myself. I'm dying to buy this and play it on my iPad 2, but I'm not willing to lose my untethered jailbreak to do it (which I'd have to do if I upgraded to iOS 6.0.1).
  • FuzzyPuffinFuzzyPuffin Member Posts: 289
    edited December 2012
    The only way to exclude the iPad 1 is to require a camera, but I think Apple will reject apps that require it but don't actually use it. There's no way for developers to restrict based on processor speed.
  • IllydthIllydth Member, Developer Posts: 1,641
    edited December 2012
    Or, more to the point, memory size, which is the problem with the iPad 1 running BG:EE.

    I also suspect, based upon some comments and attempts at hacking around the iOS 6 requirements just after release, that there IS actual iOS 6 code in the application. It may be cosmetic, but I can tell you that, at least according to reports, forcing your iOS version to look like it's v6 does not allow the app to load.

    And on a broader note, while I've no objection to jailbreaking a device at all (I hate Apple's draconian control over their devices) why exactly do you feel that an iOS Software Production Company would willingly and agreeably support jailbreaking a device?

    From a developer's standpoint, supporting ONLY non jailbroken devices is a great way to ensure quality control on your application. Some of the crap you can install on jailbroken devices could be serious problems for app developers looking to support a standard platform...and if anything DID go wrong with the app, you can't troubleshoot or otherwise support that app on a jailbroken device...too many variables, not enough control.

    I could be wrong, but I don't think "I want to keep my device jailbroken, make the app for me!" is going to get much support from a professional development company.
    D3V11_
  • BytebrainBytebrain Member Posts: 602
    Another thing to take into consideration is the issue of piracy.
    I know a lot of jail breakers don't download illegal pirated apps, Hell, I had my iPad jail broken until Baldur's Gate forced me to upgrade to iOS 6.

    But there's a shitload of people jail breaking for the sole purpose of pirating games and if a developer chose to force customers to upgrade for that reason, I completely understand.

    I don't know whether that's been one of Beamdog's considerations though. Maybe something in iOS 6 just made the game more stable or something. Who knows?

    After a couple of weeks playing around with Cydia apps to enhance the visuals and functionality of my iPad after jailbreaking, I realized that I really didn't need most of the functionality and certainly not the visual tweaks, some made my iPad unstable, so it wasn't a hard decision for me to forgo my jailbreak and upgrade.
    mlneveseD3V11_
  • CaptainMadnessCaptainMadness Member Posts: 6
    Yes but why have a hard exclusion at all? There are plenty of apps on the store that say something along the lines of

    "Requirements:
    Compatible with iPad 2
    IPad (3rd Generation)
    iPad (4th Generation)"

    Sure, some people may still inadvertently buy it, but coupled with a forum post similar to the one they already have you can at least ensure that everyone who can read will know what's what. Although it does seem like there are more and more apps being updated to be iOS 6 only, especially ones that really have no reason to be, so fuck you Apple.
  • BytebrainBytebrain Member Posts: 602

    Yes but why have a hard exclusion at all? There are plenty of apps on the store that say something along the lines of

    "Requirements:
    Compatible with iPad 2
    IPad (3rd Generation)
    iPad (4th Generation)"

    Sure, some people may still inadvertently buy it, but coupled with a forum post similar to the one they already have you can at least ensure that everyone who can read will know what's what. Although it does seem like there are more and more apps being updated to be iOS 6 only, especially ones that really have no reason to be, so fuck you Apple.

    I'm sorry, but you're just flat out wrong.
    I'm not a developer, so I can't give you specifics, but there's a host of new functionality in the code of iOS 6.
    That's something a lot of developers embrace, of course.

    And it's just plain stupid to chastise Apple for upgrading their iOS!
    Would you prefer we still had iOS 1.0 on our devices?
  • IllydthIllydth Member, Developer Posts: 1,641
    edited December 2012
    " but coupled with a forum post similar to the one they already have you can at least ensure that everyone who can read will know what's what"

    Heh, have you delt with the common populace recently? The statement above is QUITE the stretch. Even giving the "common person" quite a bit of leeway, just because they CAN read doesn't mean they WILL read. I'm pretty sure neither Apple nor Beamdog/Overhaul wants to deal with "OMG it doesn't RUN? GIMMIE MY MONEY BACK!"

    I WANT to hate Apple, I really do. I WANT to throw flaming red darts at iTunes and the AppStore and the whole stupid method because it's so fracking closed and controlled and strangled as to make my Open Source Software self cringe every time I even HEAR the name Apple.

    Yet, looking at it with a critical eye, the iPad 1 is not a viable platform for current development. Yes it still works, yes it's still a good piece of hardware and still functional. It's now 4 generations behind. I don't expect my old iPhone 3 to run the latest and greatest software either...let alone the ORIGINAL iPhone.

    Hardware moves forward and development moves forward with it (or more to the point the reverse happens, with development pushing hardware speeds). The original iPad is quickly going the way of the dinosaur...it's unfortunate for a device that "spendy" to have that happen to it, but that's the rule when dealing with hardware.

    I wonder how much of this feeling comes from the fact that the mobile market is the first time "the masses" have gotten involved in the hardware roller coaster that computer gamers have always come to expect and accept as the rule.

    It occurs to me that it's not till the mobile market came along that "computer gaming" has ever really appealed to this much of the mainstream population. And while those of us who've been playing computer games and upgrading our $2K gaming computers every 3 years have gotten VERY used to shelling out HUGE bucks for our hobby, that's not something the average citizen understands about their habit...and it's only now that the "gamer mainstream" is hitting their first "end of life" cycle of hardware.

    Those who have been gaming on their phones all this time have had their gaming habit subsidized by the Verizon's and AT&T's of the world due to half paid for phone upgrades. Now, all of a sudden, the first non-subsidized mobile computing platform has been effectively "End of Lifed" by a major company and all of a sudden people are starting to come to understand what this means.

    *shrug* Sorry for the philosophical bit there.

    --Illydth
    mlneveseD3V11_
  • CaptainMadnessCaptainMadness Member Posts: 6
    Also I get that a lot of people can get rid of their jailbreak without too much worry, but I've personally found LockInfo and to a lesser extent FolderEnhancer to be integral to my iPad use, especially as a student. Honestly if it comes down to a choice between BG:EE and LockInfo, LockInfo wins. Especially when I've got GOG Baldur's Gate with TUTU sitting there on my PC. And I get the potential instability argument, but no-one in their right mind would complain about issues on their non-standard iPad that aren't common bugs (although truly a lot of folk on teh internets are far from sane I suppose). I Just really wanted to support this developer, more for the possibilty of a BG2 release, but have subsequently been presented with products I either don't want to or am unable to purchase and at this point it doesn't look like they're ever going to get my money. I suppose time will tell.
  • CaptainMadnessCaptainMadness Member Posts: 6
    @bytebrain, if they can make 3GS/iPhone 4 retina compatible apps and iPhone/iPad universal apps then I'm positive they can make iOS 5/iOS 6 compatible apps. Maybe I'm wrong. Also I'm not against them upgradingtheir OS, iOS 5 is great, but I am against some degree of forced upgrading, especially considering that it forces iPad 1 users out of the market and apps like 1Password have now upgraded to be iOS only. That must be some damned excellent new functionality that it suddenly requires.
  • IllydthIllydth Member, Developer Posts: 1,641
    Obviously that's your right as a consumer to purchase only what you want to purchase. Most people seem to be overlooking the 3 (4?) new characters their content/story and the new area/mutli-player for their $20. I'm not arguing whether or not that additional content is worth the purchase of a whole new game, just that this isn't EXACTLY GoG BG+TUTU.

    If you want to support the developer, get a copy of the PC version of the game, play the new content. Otherwise, I'm guessing either a new jailbreak will come out at some point that IS iOS 6 or, if not, jailbreaking as we know it will go away and you'll be forced to upgrade. At either point, your money will be going to Beamdog for BG:EE...and you'll still be supporting the developer at that point.
  • CaptainMadnessCaptainMadness Member Posts: 6
    I guess my point was that I DID want to, but this has been quite a debacle, as nice as these guys are, and now I'm not sure that I want them going anywhere near BG2. I'm thinking I'm going to wait a year and see where they're at.
  • IllydthIllydth Member, Developer Posts: 1,641
    Heh, you're not the first to post that, so I'll give you my same comment.

    They can't break the GoG Version of BG2. It will always be there. No matter how badly they Eff Up BG:EE, BG + TUTU is still there. There's no harm in trying.

    Secondly, keep in mind the differences between BG1 and 2. BG 1 had to be ported to BG2's engine, BG 2 doesn't have that problem. Also, assuming BD gets the chance for BG2 keep in mind that the lessons learned here in BG1's release will carry forward to BG2...and if they've designed the code right so will much of the enhancements and modifications and interface changes they're making now.

    There's nothing to suggest BG2 won't be night and day different at it's release from BG1. *shrug* Or they could continue fucking it up just like Blizzard does EVERY TIME they release a new piece of software. I guess time will tell.

    That said, they CERTAINLY can't do any worse than the other gaming houses have done. There's just no room to get worse than World of Warcraft or Diablo III's release (or SWTOR Release or...)
  • FuzzyPuffinFuzzyPuffin Member Posts: 289

    Yes but why have a hard exclusion at all? There are plenty of apps on the store that say something along the lines of

    "Requirements:
    Compatible with iPad 2
    IPad (3rd Generation)
    iPad (4th Generation)"

    Sure, some people may still inadvertently buy it, but coupled with a forum post similar to the one they already have you can at least ensure that everyone who can read will know what's what.

    Apple wouldn't have approved it in that case. If the app crashes on the iPad 1, you have to exclude it.
  • davemodavemo Member Posts: 147
    edited December 2012
    The cost of jailbreaking...

    Why not complain about a lack of better jailbreaking options so that you can upgrade your OS?
  • DefconOneDefconOne Member Posts: 7
    Perhaps, Dave, but I think it's a reasonable question to ask of the devs here
  • NixNix Member Posts: 1
    Well I like my jailbreak and baldur's gate is not worth losing my JB for.

    It would be a silly move to exclude IOS 5.1.1 entirely, as that is just excluding a potential market for sales. This is how I see it: Include IOS 5.1.1= some people pirate but some people also buy legitely. Exclude IOS 5.1.1= no sales at all.

    According to a recent survey from apple 10% of iPads are JB, that is a significant market to lose on.
  • maxpayne69maxpayne69 Member Posts: 9
    This is a moot point, as an iOS 6 jailbreak is only a matter of time. The heart of the matter is they should do device restriction, but they chose software restriction, which I still think is unbelievable. Hopefully the new patch has 5.1.1 support though.
  • CodebakerCodebaker Member Posts: 23
    Its rather likely that the required version will be 6.1.
  • BytebrainBytebrain Member Posts: 602
    If you read the app store description it says that the upcoming patch provides iPad 1 support and iOS 5.1 and above requirement.
    davemoDee
  • DefconOneDefconOne Member Posts: 7
    Hope the patch beats the App Store lockdown.
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