Telepods -

Chicadee

It’s not long now until we can buy the Telepods and I was wondering how many ABN members are planning on buying any? I very much like the idea of them and their contribution to the gameplay. The fact that they are a form of Power Up is of course a massive problem for me as I have always only played the standard levels without PUPs. (I did give the PUPs a go when I was playing facebook Star Wars. PUPs are allowed there but nevertheless I still always tried to get 3 stars without using them. Difficulty and time forced me to use them in the end. This time, it’s Rovio’s clever marketing and a very tempting form of play (i.e. we will now be able to choose when/where to use a character), that’s making me want to buy some Telepods. Prior to purchasing any, I do have a couple of questions and was hoping someone can answer them for me:

1. How many times per level can we use a Telepod?

2. Will there be unlimited times we can use our Telepods? (In other words will Rovio place a limit on the number of times and after that’s used up, will we have to pay for “telepod usage/spots”?)

3. Has ABN (@AMslimfordy) seriously considered creating a separate Leaderboard for Star Wars II which allows Telepods/PUPs usage? (I ask this since PUPs are allowed on the facebook Star Wars Leaderboard.)

Thank you.

Lisko

I don't like the idea that the SW2 leaderboard would allow PU's, 'cause it would make it unfair for those who can't use them. And then again there isn't separate leaderboards for other games which have pu's (for example Rio) so I'm not sure what would be the point to have a separate leaderboard for one game.

So far I've only read some headlines about telepods, but haven't been too interested, 'cause you can't use them with PC, so I'm not aware of how they really work :D

iamMighty

1&2) I think in an early game-play footage of ABSW2 using Telepods actually deducted a number down in a counter near the pause button and the number of times you can use your Telepod is till the original number of birds are present.

AMslimfordy

1) I don't have an answer for this yet, sorry. Let me do some digging.

2) A TELEPOD is just a QR code. It has no understanding of "times used".

3) BL and I have talked at length about this. To create a completely separate leaderboard has many many issues, so we don't think we will go this route. But unfortunately, I can't say anything further about our Leaderboards for SW2 at this time.

Chicadee

@Lisko I too mainly play on a PC so I still want a SW2 Leaderboard that has no PUPs. I was querying the possibility of having 2 Leaderboards – one with and one without PUPs. ABN already has this with Surf and Turf. The Original AB Leaderboard level does not allow PUPs but the facebook Surf and Turf does allow them. A separate Leaderboard for Telepod and or PUPs usage could be titled e.g. Telepod/PUP SW2 Leaderboard, to help separate them.

@iamMighty I saw that counter near the pause button too and was thinking the same. It makes sense that we can only use a Telepod the same number of times/birds there are per level but I wondered if you could only use it once and not substitute all birds with the Telepod. (This is what Slim is researching for us.) Depending on each Telepod’s power, some pretty amazing scores could be attained compared to no PUPs.

@AMslimfordy Thanks for replying. Re question/answer no. 2, I didn’t mean did the Telepod itself have limited usage/numbers but meant overall in the games. As in you only get so many PUPs and have to keep buying/earning more. I’m thinking that maybe the games will only allow a certain number of places/goes for Telepods and once you’ve used them up you will have to wait to earn more (e.g. so many per number of minutes or pay money for them. If you will have to pay to use them as well as the initial purchase of them, then it may stop a lot of people buying them. I could be right off track with this – I hope so.

Re question/answer no. 3. I have always understood and supported ABN’s decision to not allow PUPs on the already established Leaderboards. I still remember the day Rovio updated ABO with PUPs. I had spent months and months attaining my scores and was absolutely shattered. However, these are new games with different characters/powers and therefore new gameplay. Facebook AB games have PUPs and can be paid for on PCs so I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before the PUPs can be put on all PC games. The PC players have always been handicapped re total scores because not all levels are available to them – still! I suppose this is just one of the many issues that you and BL have discussed.

I guess what I’m basically saying is: Is it worth buying any Telepods if I can’t record any scores attained using them?

iBird

@Chicadee I think, You don't know that Rovio will not release ABSW2 for PC.

AMslimfordy

Oh I see what you mean. We can't really say much until the app launches and we see what we are really in for.

Lisko

@iBird - ABSW2 isn't coming for PC at all? How do you know that? Funny 'cause they have released those waiting updates for PC too, well others than that Endor -update :P If I understood your message wrong, please tell :)

iBird

Yes @Lisko, ABSW2 is not coming to PC.
I sent an email to Rovio about this, a month ago. They said that It will not be launching on PC.

Edit: Sorry, I asked them on Facebook.

mvnla2

@iBird -- It will never come to PC, or just not on the original launch date?

Lisko

Somehow I would think that maybe it isn't coming at the same day, but at some point. What I think is weird about your statement, 'cause I've been mailing with Rovio from time to time and they are not allowed to tell the release dates from the customer service so, that pretty much takes the bottom from what you're saying :)

AMslimfordy

AMslimfordy

@Chickadee I've done a little more research by looking at some of the teaser videos and such.

1. How many times per level can we use a Telepod?
You can keep using TELEPODs as much as you want on any given level, it seems. So if you have a level with all Jango Fett, you can one-by-one swap them out for all Darth Vader.

2. Will there be unlimited times we can use our Telepods?
From what I've seen, a TELEPOD has "infinite" value.

3. Has ABN (@AMslimfordy) seriously considered creating a separate Leaderboard for Star Wars II which allows Telepods/PUPs usage?
Again, we'll have to see how it goes. I can't say anything more than that right now.

Lisko

@AMslimfordy - Ok, thanks! That's what I thought, but maybe I just didn't say it clear enough. For me it sounded like @iBird was saying that it's not coming at all :)

iBird

Lisko

@iBird - Okay, well I really hope it will be available at some point :)

iBird

@Lisko - Lets hope so :)

mvnla2

Is there a detailed list of which characters can be played in ABSW II without telepods, and which require telepods?

Jos

List with Telepods: http://www.hasbro.com/starwars-2/images/angrybirds-2013/char_powers.pdf

Chicadee

Thanks @AMslimfordy - all has been answered now due to the early release of the game. As I mentioned in my comment on the Leaderboard page not everyone's going to be happy re allowing PUPs/Telepods but you can't please everyone. Allowing them has made me quite happy and willing to purchase Telepods.
Thank you.

mvnla2

@Jos -- I was looking for a list of characters that can only be played with telepods. The link you provided seems to be a list of all available telepods, whether or not you can play that character without buying a telepod.

BPC

I will not be buying any Telepod figures, or in-game characters. Like Powerups, I object to the idea of purchasing one's way to a higher score. Those who are willing to spend more have the advantage. I'll pass, thank you anyway Rovio.

Annifrid

I'm not gonna buy any Telepod ... not sure at all if they're available over here ... and I fully agree with @BPC.
Making those scores allowed in the leaderboards leads me to the decision to never enter any ABSWII scores, and to decorate my next avatar with the NO PU sign. It's a pity, as I can only go for three stars now. The app itself is awesome but ABN ruined it for me this way :(

AMslimfordy

Trust me, we discussed the leaderboards here for several days. Let me break down the most important facts.

1) Swap Scores are NOT logged separately in the app. Therefore (with the exception of the lightning bolt on the score tally screen) there is no evidence whatsoever of whether a score was obtained with or without Swaps.
2) Swaps are obtainable, in bulk, without the requirement of cash payment. Users earn sufficient bird credits and direct swaps in-game to compete.
3) Swaps are existing from the very start of the app. Unlike in ABo and other games where we have a long-established maximuk score threshold for most levels, w have no such data for a brand new app. Policing such a leaderboard would be impossible.

andresmh89

Just a priori telepod experience to all junior and senior birds in this community: Although hasbro (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/en_US/angry-birds-telepods.cfm) says the galaxy ace plus (GT- s7500L) is compatible with the device, I'm not sure if you can use the telepods because the galaxy ace plus doesn't have a front camera.
Thanks in advance :)

Annifrid

@amslimfordy OK, I get it now. I didn't know the scores were not separate, I thought it was just like in ABSW I.
So if there's no way to tell whether a score is 'clean' or obtained using the swaps or Telepods, then it's better to have leaderboards allowing all kinds of scores. After all, everyone can use the possibility to swap birds and piggies.

rl7greg

AMslimfordy

@rl7greg Sorry but we don't support thievery here.

cosmo2503

I ordered and still waiting two large sets of Telepods. I combined Star destroyer set and Exclusive 12 telepods package set and planned to order two sets tah contain Yoda and Jar Jar (not in same package). I believe that in near future I will collect all 32.
I wonder what you do with double figures that you have.

TheBirdStunna

So all characters are available in telepos form? Where can you purchase these at? @cosmo2503 Was thinking I would just buy Han solo princess Leila and others that are marked with T in the character description list... I've started playing via my kindel now due to windows 8 version irritates me... Now I can buy bird coins and use telepods lol :p

nilsah

I'm getting rather pissed off on this Telepod stuff. I have been in countless toy stores here in Norway, and no store has even heard of these. I even tried to contact Hasbro directly, first in 4 mails over several weeks that all went unanswered, then I tried the Hasbro support number, but the woman I talked to, had barely even heard of the telepod series for AB Star Wars 2. She had, however heard of Telepods for the new AB Go game that was due to stores in Norway soon.

In frustration, I ordered the Jedi vs Sith set online, ending up paying approx 50USD if I include shipping, but getting all of the figures will just be too costly that way. I am at a loss here, thoroughly frustrated by Hasbro for apparently not releasing the ABSW2 Telepods in Norway at all. And given the irritating fact that "telepod scores" are allowed at the leaderboard for ABSW2, I feel that I will be lagging behind on the boards after a while if I can't get my hands on the rest of the telepods..

Les Toreadors

@nilsah - Ah yes I understand your frustration very well.

I would say it is a problem with your local toy stores and Hasbro and not Rovio.

The situation used to be far worse in Asia as any sort of Angry Bird retail merchandise used to be pretty much non-existent, unless you wanted to travel all the way to the airport to pay $50 for a small (but authentic) Angry Birds pillow. Other retail stores only had counterfeits and not the original plushes and were also overpriced. Ridiculous.

I ended up imported a batch of Red Angry Birds from the UK for a relatively reasonable price and gave them out to people.

Again the frustration is not really Rovio's problem but rather local toy stores not doing the AB fandom any justice by favoring cheap Chinese counterfeits and not original Rovio products.

The situation may be better these days but I still prefer ordering all my festive gifts and angry birds merchandise online. I frequently pay double as the shipping is as expensive as the item but I can be smart about it and buy in bulk or use overseas friends' addresses in the USA.

The shipping is however, tolerable when purchasing in bulk.

nilsah

Yes, I agree the frustration shouldn't be directed towards Rovio, but rather towards Hasbro and the toy stores. In Norway we don't have much problem with counterfeit merchandises, so that really isn't a problem here. But we do have a limit of 200NOK value on importing merchandise. If importing anything more expensive than that, we have to pay VAT and customs charges, often ending up paying over double the original value.

So importing bulk isn't really an option for me, I'm afraid. And we don't really have many small independent toy stores, only a couple of big toy store chains, and none of them seem to have taken in the ABSW2 Telepods.

mvnla2

Try sending e-mail to Rovio support or tweeting Angry Birds or Peter Vesterbacka. No telepods in Norway would bother them, I'm sure.

cosmo2503

I wouldn't like to be missunderstood but if one really love something then price wouldn't matter.
I paid over 400 dollars on my telepods and over 150 is for s&h costs. @nilsah if you order from ebay sellers they could declare that parcel is gift and send your merchandise without invoice, so you wouldn't pay any taxes and duties.

nilsah

@mvnla2 Thanks for the tips, I'll make Rovio aware of the situation here in Norway.

@cosmo2503 I am well aware that many people try to cheat the system with asking the eBay sellers to declare it as gifts etc, but I feel that is illegal. Also, finance is tight at the moment, so I am hoping not having to "waste" over 150 USD in shipping.

Les Toreadors

@cosmo2503 - that's true to an extent :)

I spent a lot on importing angry birds pillows way before they were ever available on retail, because the plush red bird was the reason why I became a fan of Rovio games in the first place.

Ironically, I own no pigs to date. Pork = not halal. LOL!

Lisko

Does anyone know how the telepods affect the score? I was just wondering that now when ABSW2 is available for PC (without telepods) is there any chance to compete in the leaderboards?

cosmo2503

@lisko it does affect scores, I am just plain, average player, and even being such humble I managed to improve most of my non-telepods scores. However I enter just one here (B2-2), waiting to collect all characters and try different solutions to enter my final scores.

Lisko

@cosmo2503 - Okay, that's what I thought :/ I just downloaded the demo version and checked the leaderboards and can't get even close to the averages haven't tried swaps yet though.

Gah, I have to wait for hubby to come home before I can buy the full version 'cause I haven't got a credit card :P

Xanadude

When going to a department store to look for the telepods, are you looking in the electronics department or in the toy section. The local stores have them in toys.

Right now, I am short 4 of the pods, and have only 7 duplicates.

@amslimfordy will you allow the trading of telepods on this site?
Not offended if you don't, but contact me at... just kidding.

cosmo2503

@xanadude lucky man. I have 22 characters so far and 2 duplicates. I am thinking about ordering that Dart Vader carry case with Chwebacca exclusive. Have you tried using Chwebacca and which level is the best to open that character (I purchased 10 for character swap in Watto's store).

BPC

The more I hear about Telepods, the more I dislike them. Having to buy duplicates to get the entire set is ridiculous. Please God, let them not invade other AB games!

BPC

@cosmo2503, everyone has their limit of what they would be willing to spend on a game, no matter how much they love that game. What would be your limit for a complete set of SWII Telepods? Remember, price doesn't matter....

SnTrooper

@Lisko I don't think there is any difference between Telepods and Swaps as far as points go. So actually, PC user will have an advantage on mobile users because they will not have to pay any real money (other than the extra $4 the game itself costs) to get all the unlimited use swaps.

Lisko

@SnTrooper - Yep, that's true. I still haven't tried swaps so can't say how they work. I haven't checked how the telepods work, 'cause I'm playing only on PC but if there isn't any difference between swaps and telepods then everything's allright :D Just got a bit worried 'cause I wasn't sure is there any chance on the leaderboards :D

BPC

WHAT? Did I just read that the PC version of SWII doesn't require payment for permanent characters? That can't be right.... can it????

Lisko

There is no real money payment for the swap characters, in the PC version you have to buy them with the bird coins which are awarded by playing the levels and by completing achievements. So far I've 3 -starred Naboo invasion and partly Escape to Tatooine and I've got 10300 coins. It seems that if you want to buy all those permanent characters you have to play same levels again and again, 'cause there's no chance to earn enough coins otherwise.

Edit: If I counted right there's over 30 characters and they cost 1000-3500 coins if you want the permanent ones.

derek054

i want a permanent

what's wrong with qr code, i like it.

http://www.businessrefinery.com/word-barcode/qr_code.html

DarkjesterXX

I have collected all A.B.S.W. 2 Telepods. But I came across this site: http://starwars.hasbro.com/en-us/product/angry-birds-star-wars-telepods-rebels-vs-villains-multi-pack:21F867FC-5056-9047-F595-700DD2A342B2#wtb_header & had to pre-order

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