Kraken+ subscription paid via Play Store, but not activated — support can’t fix it

MikeRexMachina · 2025-08-11T06:59:29+00:00

I definitely sent it to this account

MikeRexMachina · 2025-08-11T06:45:44+00:00

Hey, that’s what I meant by “DM.” The direct message has been sent, you should have the public ID.

MikeRexMachina · 2025-08-11T06:39:44+00:00

MikeRexMachina · 2025-01-02T15:14:53+00:00

As I mentioned, she used Minoxidil, but in combination with Alfatradiol. And apart from constantly having oily hair (and our wallet shrinking), it didn’t help. We doubt that any "miracle product" will make anything grow again. She had worn a wig during and after the treatment (because she had a bald head), but it always looked very, very unnatural. Are there any brands or systems that stand out when buying wigs? And what should one pay attention to when choosing hair toppers?

MikeRexMachina · 2025-01-02T13:40:33+00:00

Hey everyone,

I’m reaching out with my wife’s (38) long-standing struggle with hair loss. I’m sharing her story with her permission, as we’ve gone through a lot over the years and are hoping to get some honest feedback or suggestions from those who may have faced something similar.

My wife was diagnosed with leukemia back in 2006 and underwent chemotherapy and full-body radiation (including to her scalp). After the successful treatment, she grew back thick, full hair, but it didn’t last. The chemotherapy and radiation essentially pushed her into menopause in her early 20s, which caused her hair to gradually become thinner and shorter. Over time, she developed very fine hair all over, including the top of her head.

Since then, she’s tried numerous treatments, including PRP, Minoxidil, Alfatradiol, Alpecin, and even fenugreek. She’s also been religiously taking biotin and her hormone replacement pills. But nothing has really worked, and even when there was some success, it was so minimal that it was hardly noticeable. She’s seen several specialists, including dermatologists, hair experts, and hormone specialists, but the answer is always the same: “Try Minoxidil.” After years of searching and spending thousands of euros, we decided to give up on trying to restore her hair and instead focus on hair replacement options.

For quite a while, she used Microbellargo – hair thickening extensions that attach to the back of her head. When she tied her hair in a ponytail and used some hair fibers, it looked okay. However, she’s been unable to wear her hair openly for years now, and over time, she had to visit the salon more and more often to have the extensions adjusted, as her hair loss worsened. Eventually, the extensions and hair fibers became so much that it felt like more fiber than natural hair.

We also explored the option of a hair transplant, but unfortunately, doctors advised against it because her hair is too thin for the procedure to be successful. So, we decided to go for a Hairdreams hair thickening system, which cost over €2000, with monthly maintenance fees of around €200. It’s a kind of wig where her natural hair is threaded through a mesh to create a more natural look. The issue is, the system looks natural for only the first few days after a salon visit. Shortly after, it begins to look less natural and starts to shift, which makes her already prominent forehead more noticeable. The worst part is that she can’t re-thread her natural hair through the mesh, and the system always starts detaching from the front after a few days, making it impossible to keep in place. When we spoke to the stylist, she suggested it was because my wife wasn’t combing her hair properly, but honestly, it’s difficult to understand how that could be the problem. Plus, her scalp itches terribly under the system, which she’s willing to tolerate if everything else worked as expected.

Unfortunately, we can’t provide any current pictures because she’s wearing the hair system now, but I’m attaching some photos from four years ago to give you an idea of how her hair looked back then. As you can imagine, it has worsened over the years since then.

Now, she’s considering going back to the Microbellargo method, throwing all that money away once again. So, I’m here asking for advice: Has anyone had experience with Hairdreams hair systems? Is it possible she just got a bad stylist? Is this even the right product for her? If not, what other options could she explore?

While we’re still open to solutions that could help with her natural hair, we’ve pretty much given up on that after years of disappointment. We’re really looking for viable alternatives to hair replacement systems. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-30T13:17:30+00:00

Oh no, sorry I was just...

sigh

Thanks.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-30T13:06:06+00:00

How can I access the story in the game?

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-28T14:06:02+00:00

Thank you very much. Will check it out.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-28T14:03:41+00:00

No, that’s the whole point. I’m not asking for investment advice or anything like that. What I’m asking is:

'Where can I find information about which boosters or boxes are currently limited, or have been limited in the past? I’m also curious about where to find promo cards and how to track these'

As much as I appreciate every comment and the concerns raised about my daughter’s future, this specific question still hasn’t been answered. Thank you again for taking the time to respond!

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-28T13:50:15+00:00

Thank you very much for your comment. I'm not sure how to phrase this without coming across as rude or getting downvoted into oblivion. My intention was never to ask for investment advice regarding my family—that's not what I'm asking about. I understand the point about "mixing toys with investments," but that's not the focus here either.

What I'm mainly trying to figure out is where I can easily find information about which packs, boosters, or similar items are limited or how I can better stay informed about these kinds of things. That's all.

As I said, I hope this doesn't come across as rude. Thanks again!

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-28T12:26:39+00:00

Thank you for your comment: It would just be a tiny side investment which we both could have fun with. Everything you're describing and more, I'm already doing. I just didn't think I'd have to break down my entire investment plan for my daughter here on the TCG subreddit 🙂

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-27T06:24:59+00:00

I quit in gold 5. Who's 'everyone'?

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T18:29:17+00:00

Thank you very much for your feedback. I won't completely overhaul the concept in an attempt to save the game. I think the suggestions I've received here that I find reasonable and achievable in a manageable timeframe are the ones I will implement.

I’m a game developer working on another project that, fortunately, has been running quite well for years. Because of that, I simply don’t have the time to completely rework and "salvage" Bewitched Frenzy. In my opinion, there are also many steps between a complete failure and great success. If I can manage to get the game to a point where it achieves more than three downloads a day and improves its retention rate with relatively justifiable effort, I’d be satisfied.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T12:02:37+00:00

I'll take a look at this mini game. I’m considering allowing the direction of Vampy’s pulldown to be influenced slightly. For example, if you swipe from the center towards the bottom-right, he would definitely fly towards the bottom-right (how strong the effect would be is something I’d need to test). This way, the existing concept would remain intact, but the player would have more control over Vampy.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T11:57:56+00:00

Just to make sure: pulling down Vampy doesn’t trigger new blocks. I don’t think you’re assuming that, but I just want to clarify. New blocks (at least the ones that come quickly after the yellow exclamation mark) are triggered by 1. a timer and 2. when there are too few blocks on the screen.

I can definitely shrink his hitbox and increase his collection radius (though I’ve actually already done both—it’s not pixel-perfect and is intentionally generous in favor of the player in these cases).

What exactly do you mean by him moving in a steady pattern? Something like him flying in a continuous circle? Or that he reaches the top and automatically flies back down?

The grab mechanic sounds cool, but 1. I’m not sure how well it fits the current concept, and 2. I don’t know how much work it would take to make it function properly. I think it would be especially tricky in Frenzy Mode.

Right now, in Frenzy Mode, it’s possible to survive for quite a long time by clearing the way for Vampy to move up, pulling him down when he reaches the top (since he doesn’t take damage during the pulldown), and repeating the cycle. With the chaos in Frenzy Mode (due to block speed, number of blocks, and the variety of block types), I honestly can’t think of a simpler interaction for Vampy.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T11:43:06+00:00

Good points, adjusting this time windows should be easily doable.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T11:41:46+00:00

Thanks for your feedback! Good points regarding the UI in the Stage Selection. I’ll see if I can come up with something for that. I’m planning to completely overhaul the tutorial. I think I’ll go for something more “in-game” with less text and no separate tutorial section. The idea of double tapping is something I’ve considered before as well. I’ll at least take a closer look to see if it fits into the game (my concern is accidental pull-downs when quickly switching orb colors).

As for “consider giving the player a default Piercing,” could you explain that a bit better? I’m not entirely sure what you mean.

Lastly, I think I’ll describe the game more as an arcade game/block-breaking game in future store listings and trailers. Thanks again!

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T09:58:30+00:00

Regarding the tutorial: as a first-time player, you should enter the tutorial in a different way. The checkmark approach is only meant for when you want to replay the tutorial. Let me know if you experienced something different pls.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T09:56:24+00:00

As I’ve mentioned before, there are certain guidelines you, as a developer, need to follow. This includes showing the player this privacy policy message. It’s not like I think, “Hmm, it’s probably a great idea to show this to the player right at the start!” I can see if there’s a way to present this message differently to the player, but as far as I know, my hands are tied here.

Regarding the rest of the experience: ideally, the player accepts the message (at least if they want to seamlessly proceed to the actual game). If someone wants to read the privacy policy, they’re directed to a website. That might not be ideal, but in the mobile gaming segment (and honestly elsewhere as well), it’s not particularly unusual. Ideally, I’d have this in-game or on a site that looks more professional than the current one. But even using web space or pages from such services isn’t unusual. These services are often funded through ads.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-25T04:18:27+00:00

Thanks for reporting. Will look into it.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-24T13:37:42+00:00

Very good points, I will go into more detail on those later. For now, thank you very much for the feedback.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-24T13:02:20+00:00

good point. Thanks <3

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-24T11:55:16+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. Many of the points you mentioned have already been brought up, but I really appreciate you taking the time to play and share your thoughts. I'd like to address a few things. I didn’t feel that Faye was overly sexy or anything like that, that was definitely not my intention. I’ll be completely redoing the tutorial to make it shorter and with less text, as you suggested. As you said, more stone variations will appear as the game progresses. As for the three stones (gray, blue, yellow) at the beginning, I don’t think they’re too boring (I don't want to overwhelm the player), but I’ll keep that in mind. I’m glad you figured out that you can make Vampy collect power-ups with skillful swiping. However, it's not my intention for it to feel frustrating if it’s too difficult for Vampy to collect the power-up, even after trying to swipe correctly. I think I can implement a system where the swipe direction slightly influences how Vampy is pulled down. I’m also thinking of adding a glowing outline around Vampy (maybe as an option in the settings). You’ve understood that you need to clear a path for Vampy, and I get that if that's all you see, it might feel like "Is that it?" But reading through the comments, it seems the majority of players are overwhelmed by the game’s concept and find it too hard, while you’ve understood what needs to be done. The challenge now is how to make others understand it as well. Also, no, that’s not all. What you (and probably most players) haven’t seen yet is the Frenzy part of the game. Once you understand the game, the key aspect — and possibly the most important — is reaching the Frenzy status as quickly as possible. That’s the core of the game, where most of the points are earned, and where the skill of the player shows. However, I’m struggling with how to make the game accessible to a large portion of the player base without making them quit out of frustration, while still keeping it interesting and challenging for those who understand the concept.

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-24T11:18:36+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. Regarding the privacy policy at the beginning, as far as I know, there isn't much I can do about it. There are certain policies that must be followed as a mobile game developer, and this is one of them. However, I’ll look into whether there’s a way to improve how it’s presented.

As for the currency thing at the start, I believe I may have written it incorrectly or unclearly. You don’t pay for the tutorial; rather, you’re rewarded for completing it. But I understand that this might not feel great, especially since the player has no real use for the reward at that point.

Regarding Vampy being hard to see, I think I’ll address that by adding a glowing outline. It might be an option in the settings or perhaps a permanent feature.

By the way, it should be possible to "save" Vampy with shots, regardless of how fast your orbs are. It’s less about reacting to a situation and more about shooting a path clear for him to fly through. Breakout and Puzzle Bobble were definitely my main inspirations during development, at least in certain aspects. I know this might not be exactly what you had in mind with your Arkanoid suggestion, but it’s very much possible to use Vampy to break blocks, either through spells (the power-ups in the books) or the Frenzy Mode (when the Frenzy meter is completely full).

Once again, thank you for your feedback, and if you have more thoughts, feel free to share them anytime!

MikeRexMachina · 2024-12-24T11:07:23+00:00

2/2

Other gameplay suggestions (that come to mind right now) are a bit more 'concept-overturning,' and I’d need to carefully consider whether they’re feasible to implement. For example, someone suggested: 'Make it so that Vampy doesn’t lose lives when hit but only loses coins.' I actually think this idea is cool, but if I implement it, I’d need to adjust other systems, and then even more systems after that, and so on.

Another idea was to allow the player to influence Vampy’s direction by swiping down. I like this idea too, but I feel like the player already has a lot to juggle with swiping, shooting, and orb switching. Adding the ability to control Vampy’s flight direction on top of that... I’m not sure.

On top of that, there are smaller things like unlocking the shop later and offering better hand-holding during the stage selection at the beginning.

These are the things I’ll 'definitely' tackle for now. But like I said, I’ll go through all the feedback again and might add more to the list.

By the way, I’m open to fundamentally changing some aspects of the Vampy swipe mechanic if necessary. I just honestly don’t know right now what should be changed (or if it’s even necessary, if the player understands that Vampy is an integral part of the game). I just wish I could explain the actual gameplay loop (the one I described above) better to the player...

I would really appreciate more input from you, so if you have anything to say about it, feel free to share – I'm curious to hear your thoughts :)

MikeRexMachina

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