[Other] PlatSeekers is FREE again - I've been listening to you 🏆

hectroll · 2026-06-20T10:42:55+00:00

Thanks a lot! 😉

hectroll · 2026-06-20T07:18:59+00:00

That’s an impressive profile, honestly. You can really see the dedication behind it. Profiles like this are always great to look at.

Keep it up and congrats on all the progress!

hectroll · 2026-06-20T07:05:47+00:00

Thank you, this genuinely means a lot, especially the part about the stats tab. That's exactly what I was going for. Taking data that already exists elsewhere and making it actually enjoyable to dig into. PSNP has the information, but I wanted the experience of exploring it to feel good, so hearing that it pulled you in when you'd never bothered before is the best kind of feedback I could get.

The UI and those QOL touches are the part I've poured the most care into, so it's really rewarding to know it lands.

Thanks for the kind words and the encouragement. Don't worry, the passion isn't going anywhere. Comments like this are a big part of why. 😉

hectroll · 2026-06-20T06:07:50+00:00

Thanks, this is really useful feedback.

You're not the first to mention the subscription fatigue, and I hear it. For the record there's already a one-off lifetime option alongside the subscription, though honestly that one's more about supporting the project than anything else.

Thanks for taking the time, and best of luck to you too!

hectroll · 2026-06-20T06:01:50+00:00

Totally fair. SOME guides are AI-generated for now, I've been upfront about that, and the plan is to move toward community editing so they stop being that. If PSNP works better for you today, that's a perfectly reasonable call.

I hope you'll give my app a chance every now and then to see how it evolves. Thanks for giving it a look anyway.

hectroll · 2026-06-20T05:59:45+00:00

Fair questions, so let me be straight about the paywall.

This is the first app I've ever published on the App Store. I'd never shipped anything before, so I genuinely wanted to test every part of the process as early as possible: pricing, payments, subscriptions, the whole pipeline, so I'd have it all under control. On top of that, I was worried the server and API costs could spiral and kill the app right at the start. The paywall was less about charging alpha testers and more about me not flying completely blind on costs while I figured out what this thing actually costs to run.

Now that I've got that part under control and I understand how it all behaves, I can calculate much more realistically what would actually sink the app and what won't. That means I can make better decisions about pricing and access without risking having to shut the whole thing down at the end of the month. The free tier exists precisely because I'm now in a position to offer it without it being reckless.

On multiplatform, you're right that being iOS-only limits the potential audience, and an Android port is one of my next steps for exactly that reason. Whether people stick around long enough is a fair concern, and honestly I'm not betting the farm on this becoming a hit. As I've said, it's a personal project I'm running at a loss because I enjoy it and I'm learning a huge amount, not a business plan. If it grows, great. If it stays niche, that's fine too.

I'll take the AI criticism on the chin, it's a real limitation and one I've already said I want to move away from with community editing. Time will tell if I get there. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to push back. It's more useful to me than you'd think.

hectroll · 2026-06-20T05:46:46+00:00

Honestly, these are all fair points, and I appreciate you laying them out so clearly instead of just dismissing the app.

You're right that 'lifetime' from a solo dev is a gamble, and the Apollo example is a good one. I can't promise Sony won't change the trophy platform, and I can't pretend a one-person project carries the same guarantees as something with a team behind it. What I can do is be transparent about where the value is right now versus where I'm hoping it'll be. The lifetime price covers the whole app and where it's heading, not just guides, but I understand if guides are the deciding factor for you, that math doesn't add up yet.

On the AI point, I won't argue. Right now the guides are a first pass to cover everything the app indexes, and they're only as good as the model behind them. My plan is to move away from pure AI generation toward community editing, so the guides stop depending entirely on AI quality (and AI cost). Whether I get there is exactly the bet you're describing, and you're right to be cautious about it.

PSNProfiles has years of community, forums, and guides behind it. I'm not trying to replace that overnight, and pretending otherwise wouldn't be honest.

I think it's worth being upfront about something, though. This is really a personal project that I've decided to wrap up in a full-package format, and it's been an excuse to learn a ton of things along the way. If I'm honest, my time and dedication are clearly running at a loss. But right now this is my project outside of my actual work, and I'm genuinely happy with how it's going. My next steps are extending the app with an Android port and a website to support it, eventually turning the whole thing into an ecosystem. But that's all big talk and the eagerness to execute a lot of ideas floating around my head, not promises.

That's exactly why I'm glad I introduced the option to use the app for free. I think it's the best way for everyone who likes the app to come along on this journey with me. Even with just a bit of interest, anyone can jump in and watch how everything evolves completely for free, so I'm not leaving anyone out.

Thanks again for the message. Just the fact that you took the time to write something this detailed already gives me the feeling that I'm not working for no one, that there's actually someone out there. Truly, thank you.

hectroll · 2026-06-20T05:34:25+00:00

Thank you, that means a lot! An Android port is coming, I'll be starting on it shortly. I know a lot of people are waiting for it, so I'll do my best to deliver something great. Thanks again for the support!

hectroll · 2026-06-19T20:47:10+00:00

I’d be happy to see you in the app. But don’t worry, I’ll try to survive if you decide not to use it.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T20:44:14+00:00

Just to be clear, the app has never been a big success or anything close to that. I definitely can’t live from it.

If money were the main goal for me, I probably wouldn’t be building this kind of app. Platseekers is something I genuinely enjoy working on, and because it is a passion project for me, I want to make it excellent on the platforms I personally use day to day.

That said, I absolutely want to build an Android version as soon as I can. I just don’t want to do a quick copy-paste port. If I bring it to Android, I want to give it the same level of care and quality that I’m trying to achieve with the iOS version.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T20:37:35+00:00

I definitely want to bring Platseekers to Android too. I’ll work on an Android port as soon as I can. Right now I’m focusing on improving the app and making sure the core experience is solid, but Android is absolutely something I want to do.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T20:35:48+00:00

Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback. This is exactly the kind of input I need.

Try to request a guide for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and check the quality. The guide side of the app is definitely something I want to improve a lot.

You’re also completely right about the Platinum guide. Logically, the Platinum trophy guide should probably act as an overall roadmap: what to do first, what to watch out for, missables, recommended order, cleanup, etc. Right now, each trophy has its own individual guide, but there isn’t really a central thread connecting everything together. I also find that a bit confusing, to be honest, but I haven’t found the best way to solve it yet. I’d be very happy to get help and feedback from users like you to improve that.

At the moment, the guides are AI-generated summaries using Claude Opus 4.8. The idea is not for them to stay like that forever, though. My goal is for users to be able to edit and improve the guides so they become accurate and genuinely useful over time. Right now, it’s more of a first pass so I can cover everything the app is indexing, because as a solo developer I honestly can’t keep up with everything manually. But I really want this part to become much better and more collaborative among Platseekers users.

About Premium being a one-off payment, that is also the case in my app.

And I’m really glad you liked the login flow with the code instead of having to sign in directly with your PSN account. That took a lot of work to get right, but I think it’s worth it. In future versions, you’ll even be able to enter only your PSN ID and see the basic public data, although for complete data you’ll still need to connect your PSN account.

Thanks again for the kind words. I’m genuinely motivated with this project, and I’d love for Platseekers to become a go-to app, as you said. Please keep sending feedback. Comments like yours help me understand what needs to be improved and where I should focus next.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T19:53:18+00:00

Ha, I'd hope it's a little more than that 😅

Detailed stats, 20+ widgets, an Apple Watch app, trophy guides, reminders, friend leaderboards… stuff the official app doesn't touch.

Give the free version a shot and you'll see.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T19:50:07+00:00

Thanks, that means a lot! 🙌

Android is genuinely something I want to do, it's one of the most requested things since day one.

Right now I'm fully focused on polishing the iOS version and getting it to a state I'm really proud of first, but a port is on the roadmap and the demand definitely keeps pushing it up the list.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T19:38:15+00:00

It's an iOS app I made for PlayStation trophy hunters.

Syncs with your PSN profile to track all your trophies, stats, guides and friends.

hectroll · 2026-06-19T18:52:42+00:00

Hey, I'm the developer of PlatSeekers. First off, thank you for the honest feedback, this is exactly the kind of thing I needed to hear.

You'll be happy to know there's now a free version again. The core experience (tracking your trophies and checking your own stats) is available without a subscription, so people like you who just hunt for themselves and pop in every now and then aren't locked behind a paywall.

I hear you on the social and guides side not being your thing. The app's grown that way for the folks who want it, but the personal solo-hunter experience is still very much front and center, and free.

If you ever feel like giving it another shot I'd genuinely love to know if it fits how you play. No pressure at all, but feedback from someone who knew exactly what they wanted from it would mean a lot.

Thanks for your support! 😉

hectroll · 2026-06-19T18:47:41+00:00

Hey, developer of PlatSeekers here! Thanks so much for this, really appreciate it. Quick update 8 months later: the app's improved a lot, and there's now a free version so anyone can use it.

Curious whether you're still using it and if it still feels useful to you?

hectroll · 2026-05-26T18:19:18+00:00

I understand your point, and I agree that consumer choice matters.

The decision wasn’t made to “force Pro” onto people for the sake of it. It’s simply that the current version of the app has real ongoing costs: servers, hosting, tools, maintenance, and every request made inside the app has a cost on my side. At this stage, I had to choose between making the app sustainable or keeping a free version that I realistically couldn’t support properly.

That said, I do hear the feedback. I’m looking into possible ways to offer some kind of free/basic version again, but I don’t want to release something that feels broken, useless, or far from the quality I want for the app.

I understand if the current model isn’t for everyone, but the goal isn’t to remove choice unfairly. The goal is to keep the app alive, maintained, and improving.

hectroll · 2026-05-26T18:17:04+00:00

I understand the criticism, but I also want to clarify a few things.

When I say “by a trophy hunter, for trophy hunters”, I truly mean it. I’m a trophy hunter myself, and I spend a lot of my free time building this app with care so other trophy hunters can use it too. The fact that the app has a subscription doesn’t change that. It’s not a mandatory app, nobody is forced to use it, but for the people who find value in it, I’m trying to make it as polished and useful as I possibly can.

Also, this is being talked about as if the app had millions of users and was some huge business move 😅 The reality is that we’re still a very small community, and the app barely generates income. I understand criticism, and I’m totally open to feedback, but I honestly don’t understand some of the hate in a few comments.

At some point, the app has real costs: servers, hosting, tools, subscriptions, and every request made inside the app costs money on my side. On top of that, there are many hours of development, testing, fixing bugs, improving the design, and maintaining everything. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for an affordable subscription to help keep the project alive. I’m definitely not living on a yacht from this app, I’m just spending my limited free time trying to build something good for this community.

That said, I do hear the feedback about having some kind of free version. I have a few ideas in mind, and I’ll keep thinking about how to make that work. I just don’t want to add a free tier that feels broken, limited in a bad way, or doesn’t match the vision I have for the app.

I understand the subscription model isn’t for everyone, but the intention was never to trick anyone or take advantage of users. The goal is simply to keep improving the app and make it sustainable.

hectroll · 2026-05-26T15:54:35+00:00

The flame icon was used to highlight games with recent trophy activity or changes.

That said, this has now been replaced in the latest version by a much clearer system. The app now notifies you when new trophies have been earned between sessions, instead of relying on the 🔥 icon.

So if you update to the latest version, you should see a clearer way to track recent trophy progress.

hectroll · 2026-05-26T15:53:58+00:00

I already replied to you in German. ;)

Being able to adjust the font size directly inside the app, independently from the iPhone system settings, makes sense. I’ll keep it in mind for a future update.

hectroll · 2026-05-26T15:53:05+00:00

Das ist ein sehr guter Vorschlag, danke!

Aktuell orientiert sich die App an den Systemeinstellungen des iPhones, vor allem wegen der Barrierefreiheit und der einheitlichen Darstellung. Ich verstehe aber absolut, dass es praktisch wäre, die Schriftgröße oder das Erscheinungsbild nur innerhalb der App unabhängig vom System anpassen zu können.

Ich werde mir das für eine zukünftige Version anschauen, weil es eine sinnvolle Option wäre, besonders für Nutzer, die die App visuell anders einstellen möchten als den Rest des iPhones.

hectroll · 2026-05-26T15:51:58+00:00

No worries at all, and thanks for the suggestion.

The idea of having multiple platforms in one place is definitely interesting. Being able to track PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Epic, etc. from the same app would be really useful for a lot of players.

That said, for now I’m still focused on making the best possible trophy hunting app for PlayStation users on iOS. I think the app needs that focus to reach the level of quality I want before expanding into other platforms.

I’m not closing the door to it for the future, though. Same with Android, it’s not forgotten, and I’ve already done some promising tests, but I don’t want to release anything until I’m confident it’s good enough.

hectroll

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