28 July 2012:
The second game to fascinate me so much since Tiny Tower.
By the way, Tiny Tower has released an update recently. Go download it if you haven't! This time, you can save VIPs in the lobby so you don't have to waste it!
This game is called Wizard Academy. It's produced by Basalt Games, and it's the only game produced by them (at least in the App Store). I'm not sure if it's available on other platforms, but it's surely on iOS.
This game attracts me because it is similar to an activity that I am doing five days a week: going to school! Wait! This is nothing like the boring school you go to!
Instead of being a student in the game, you get to be the principal of Wizard Academy. It's something like a university, since your students go to work once they leave the school.
As the principal, you are in charge of building rooms in the school and recruiting teachers. Your job is to try to let as many students get their dream job as possible. They can only get their dream job if their success rate is 100%.
How do you help them? You could send them on quests, which are something like field trips, or simply build classrooms and labs for them to study.
The students there have 12 subjects such as Arithmancy and Care for Animals. They study these subjects throughout their three years so long as you have the corresponding teacher and a classroom suitable for them.
You are to recruit teachers, which unlock as your level increases. At first, you will only have one or two. But when you reach a high enough level, you can get all 12 teachers. Each specialises in one of twelve subjects, but they do teach three others too. However the teachers get C or D themselves for their non-specialised subjects, so it's better to get specialised teachers.
Classrooms are simple. Year 1s study in Year 1 Classroom, same for year 2 and 3s. All you have to do is ensure that there are enough classrooms, which was why I said you need classrooms suitable for students.
Another interesting thing is the labs. You can build labs, which allow students to self-study and improve themselves. About half of all labs available can be bought with money, the rest require gems as payment.
Moving on to money then ... Each student you take in earns you 400 dollars a month. When you level up, you gain 10000 dollars and 2 gems. Gems are the alternative currency, which in other games is much harder to gain. In Wizard Academy, you can gain it simply by spam-watching trailers and earning. (Hint hint.) You can convert gems into money for 1000 dollars / gem, but not the other way. Also, some buildings that you have earn you XP, which helps you level up.
Speaking of month, the game is so-called time-based. It's not real-time though, if not you'd have to play for three years just for one batch of students! I don't actually keep track of the in-game time, but I suppose 1 month passes in about 5 - 10 minutes? That isn't too long actually, cos you do need to plan what to do every month.
This makes you think quick and strategise and have a plan. Else, you month would be wasted. In actual fact, the academic year for Wizard Academy is slightly different. The final year exam is in the first week of March, and students leave the school the next week. So it's actually two years and three months of studying. I suppose this problem would even out when there are more batches and things are more sorted out.
I simply like this game since it's so relatable. But here are some things I don't like about it too.
The game has no basic tutorial when you start. There's only an assistant that says he'll help you, but disappears. I waited one week, thinking there'll be a tutorial. Then at week 2 he hinted that I should check the help section.
The help section is easy to understand, but I would prefer if they could at least simulate a game for us first and then send us off to build our academy.
On the quests, we sometimes meet monsters. If you choose to fight, the students and monster simply move about and captions indicate 'students attack' or 'monster attack'. There's actually no game-play here, it's more of random luck seeing which side wins. I have tried putting weak students and strong students; there is no change.
Also, I am constantly out of money. Maybe it's because of the way I play, but I really am so poor sometimes, left with only $250 or less. There was once it was really $0. I had to convert gems.
That's about it. The game's pros outweigh the cons, so at the end of the day this really is a nice game, I believe. It's free now, but maybe if it really becomes very popular they might charge.
~
My first and second batch of students just graduated. I felt rather sad because I had not taught them well, and only 1 out of 6 got their dream job. Some even had to be part-timers. Their dream jobs were noble ones, such as sorcerer or grand wizard.
Although it's a virtual world, I do feel a little emotional since I've spent time 'nuturing' these students. I suppose it's how teachers in real life feel as well, yeah.
For my third batch of students, I deliberately took in the lowest tier kind, the uninterested and weak. Let's see how it goes.
Then I realised I wasted 3000 dollars searching for students. The assistant would send in students when you have none.
Now I have nine students. There is no way I can support so many with so little money every time. I can only see what I can do. Hopefully these students have lower aspirations so that I can easily fulfil them and they won't fail their exams.
I saw a repeat student in my fourth batch. She changed her dream job to something of a lower tier. It felt quite realistic and saddening.
This is a nice game. Go play it soon yeah!
TTFN.