INeedPoolNoodles

In regards to Zynga's general design strategy, energy for certain actions that regenerates over time or can be bought with in-app purchases, do you feel like this is limiting the appeal of the games? It certainly adds what I guess you could call replay value, but I feel that it makes all of Zynga's games that I've encountered feel exploitative. Are there any other techniques to add replay value without having to open the app, do 30 seconds of tapping, and repeat 30 minutes later?

Thanks for the reply. I just think its a shame that unless you are willing to put months of attention into plants vs zombies, FarmVille, etc. the way to progress is through in-app purchase. I realize that ad revenue is hugely overestimated as a way to keep a game afloat, but I wish there was some other way. Even the console games have gotten in on the whole "buy your way up" thing. Map packs, DLC, all that shit that is exorbitantly priced and once widely adopted, becomes the only option to get all you can out of the game.

I like the sound of these mid-core games. I've always been intimidated by LoL, but bored out of my mind by the various "tap paradise" shit. My friend and I had a conversation last night about the way that these mindless tap games have become what Pokemon cards used to be. Shallow gameplay, only without the huge entry price of Pokemon. You can now start playing for free, but to progress at any reasonable pace you basically have to pay.

Magic, on the other hand, was a very complicated game, with a well done checks and balances system. Never played, but I remember looking in on many games in the local gameshop (something which has sadly gone the way of the dodo.) When an argument came up about some nearly forgotten rule they may as well have been debating particle physics to my ears, but I could readily tell that it was a well thought out, highly competitive game.

I'd definitely like to see more of that.