Developer Q&A #1 – Your questions answered by the team!
Hey Coaches,
As announced this Summer, today we are answering some of the community’s questions about the game, our team and what’s coming in the future! 😎
Big thanks to everyone who took the time to share their questions with us! ❤️ Let’s get started!
Will you be adding new rewards to the Hall of Fame such as more Abilities?
Yes! Unlocking "Head Start" Abilities was just the beginning, so you can expect new types of Abilities in the future with more Frames to complete! We are also considering ways of upgrading the Abilities you've already unlocked... Stay tuned!
Can we expect more seasonal events like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc.?
Of course, we're always working on Limited-Time Events and exciting unique rewards! We're also thinking of ways to bring back rewards from past events!
Can there also be an Art Contest for Gadgets where you'll create something made by the community?
That sounds like an awesome idea, so we will most likely do it!
Any thoughts about adding a Prestige option when reaching Champion, or other rewards?
That is an interesting suggestion and one of many we've seen from the community in 2023, which is always a great source of inspiration! At the moment we are still exploring several ideas to decide how the game should evolve beyond 100,000 Trophies.
Will you ever give perks to specific Shapes like boosts or special abilities that slow down others?
We may always consider new kinds of perks just like when we added Abilities with the Hall of Fame in August, but at the moment we are happy with Shapes being purely cosmetic unlocks. Don't hesitate to share your suggestions!
Will we ever be able to customize Shapes with hats, glasses, etc?
We definitely wish to include more options so that you can add your personal touch to your Champs, or any other aspect of the game (such as Mojis added in August).
While we can’t confirm today what kind of customization you can expect, know that we always look at your many suggestions and we understand how important this is for many of you!
So... What happens if you touch a Champ's head?
No... Wait! Don't!!
Will you ever make races more interactive? (Mini-games, quick-time events, changing Gadgets mid-race, etc.)
YES, we have plans for that! Throughout 2023 we’ve focused on making sure all existing aspects of Pocket Champs were top notch to provide you with many months of fun.
With all the improvements we made to our progression systems (Trophy Road, Tournament, Hall of Fame and soon Coach Missions), we’re now ready to explore lots of ideas to give you new ways of playing Pocket Champs in 2024.
Will we eventually be able to upgrade Gadgets beyond Level 13 or use the extra Gadget Cards we get?
We're always trying to maintain a fair balance with the selection of Gadgets and the various bonuses they provide, so while there is no plan we can confirm right now, we are indeed considering various options about what to do with Level 13 Gadgets!
Is there any hidden Easter Egg somewhere that we may discover?
Uh… 😨 Well, now there is!! How long will it take you to find it? 😏
What are your plans for future updates and multiplayer features, and when can we expect the Social Update to arrive?
Originally announced as part of our 2023 Roadmap, the Social Update evolved into a more ambitious project than what we had envisioned so we are now working on it step by step for a full release in 2024.
Rest assured we're already building the foundations for it: this October we will release technical updates to fix long-standing issues and add Daily/Seasonal Missions to the game!
Later this year, expect lots of "Quality of Life" improvements based on your feedback! As for what kind of multiplayer features we'll add... You can expect a sneak peek at our progress as we get closer to the end of 2023.
Look forward to our Developer Diaries!
Will it eventually be possible to synchronize accounts on multiple devices, between iOS and Android?
Our goal is to ensure that you can keep playing Pocket Champs across all your various devices. Adding such an important feature will require significant development time to ensure it works smoothly, so you can expect more news about it in 2024.
Can you add "Battery saver" settings to the game?
Yes, we are currently looking into an optional frame rate limiter to reduce heat and battery drain for devices where it is a problem. We will also be optimizing several areas of the game to ensure a smoother gameplay experience.
Can we get a practice mode to test Gadgets and get more information such as best race times?
With many more Gadgets in the game now compared to a year ago, we understand how useful such features can be so we'll think about it!
What inspired you to create Pocket Champs and what did the first draft look like?
Combining our nostalgia for video game classics, love for fast-paced mobile gaming and general excitement for sports gave us the first spark of what would become Pocket Champs!
Since the very beginning, we had in mind that players would be Coaches watching their Champ race to victory - but it took some time to figure out how Champs would level up, how Gadgets would behave and what the world would look like!
What unique design challenge did you face when creating Pocket Champs?
We’ve always wanted Pocket Champs to be a super accessible experience while making sure it could remain fun and engaging for many years.
To that end, we went through lots of tuning, tweaking and experimenting to decide whether races should have interactive elements like manual boosts or if they should be fully idle like they currently are.
And it's not over - we're still doing our best to find the perfect balance between strategic choices and idle gameplay!
What is the art team's favorite Shape?
It's impossible to pick one! (But it's definitely the Shiba Shape! Or is it the White Wolf? Did we already reveal the Burger Shape?! Nevermind, it's impossible to pick one!)
What has been your favorite thing while developing the game so far? How about the funniest?
Our favorite aspect of creating Pocket Champs is seeing this community grow and share fond memories of playing the game with their friends and family (Thank you!).
As for the funniest? You can check out some of our most amazing bloopers seen while creating the game on our Tiktok page @pocketchamps
Here's a teaser:
(Absolutely nothing strange here.)
Can I join the team and work on the game?
For all opportunities to join Madbox, you can check out madbox.io!
So… Where do Champs live? How can they shapeshift? Actually, what even are they?
You might have heard rumors that Champs exist in their own dimension where they found objects from our world and try their best to look like them…
Of course not everyone believes that theory (it seems the only thing everyone agrees with is that Champs are very, veeeery cute! 😋).
So if you haven't already figured it all out with all the hints we're leaving in Shape descriptions, pay close attention to what's next - we're finally revealing all secrets about Champs and their world!
First things first, you must be aware that all Champs come from-
Uh oh, what’s that?
Oh no, we’ve used up all the space allowed for this first Questions & Answers session!
We hope you enjoyed this article and that you look forward to our upcoming content!
See you in a future Q&A session!
- The Pocket Champs Team
Published on October 4, 2023.
