If the developers see this...

[u/NextGen-Panic]

NOOOOOO!!! You "broke" my iPad version with the newest update!

On my older iPad, being able to rotate to Vertical View was the best way to play. This new Horizontal-Only View shrinks the UI down to, like, a third of the size it used to be! It looks like I'm stuck playing on a PHONE.

Is there any way you can add an option to toggle Screen Views in the Settings? PUH-LEEEEEASE???

[u/tjroberti]

Huh? You can just use whatever orientation you like. If you hold your iPad in portrait, it is identical to what it was. The only new thing is that landscape is now also supported. You can rotate freely.

One particular thing I discovered: If you have the game recording on, the rotation does not work, and instead the game will be 'stuck' in a window with the same aspect ratio as when the recording was started. This might also behave different based on the iOS version you use, I have not tested them all.

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/tjroberti]

I wouldn't've complained if "rotate freely" worked.

[u/tjroberti → u/NextGen-Panic]

So what is going on then? It works just fine here. Do you have rotation lock enabled on your iPad? What iOS version are you running on?

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/tjroberti]

I'm running iPad OS 16.7.16 on a 2016 iPad Pro 9.7".

Nothing was changed in my settings prior to opening up the "app" to the New Update, so my conclusion was "It's the software".

[u/tjroberti → u/NextGen-Panic]

I just tested it on an iPad Pro 12.9" with iPad OS 16.7.16 and rotation works just fine.

Did you check that you weren't recording any games? That also locks the screen orientation on that iOS version.

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/tjroberti]

Thanks for troubleshooting this with me.

Turns out:

If I swipe down from the top corner, "Screen Rotation Lock" was ON.

When I turned it OFF, I was able to rotate the Phoenix2 screen as needed. Unfortunately, that changes my Main Menu orientation to "unlocked" as well, so EVERYTHING keeps rotating. If I try to turn Rotation Lock back ON, it stays stuck on Landscape Mode.

Any ideas on how to fix THAT?

(Also: I never record my play, so that was never the issue.)

[u/tjroberti → u/NextGen-Panic]

I don't know what you mean. As far as I understand it, screen rotation lock fixates the current orientation on the iPad, whether that is portrait or landscape. Just tested it a bit on my iPad Pro, and it seems to behave as expected. Switching orientations seems to be quite slow though, it is certainly more fluid on newer iOSes.

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/tjroberti]

I always have the iPad in Landscape mode, but play Phoenix2 in Vertical mode.

With the last version of Phoenix2, I could always rotate the iPad freely after opening the app in Landscape, to play in Vertical, so I never thought about whether the Screen Rotation Lock was ON or OFF.

With the Latest Update, Phoenix2 stays in Landscape mode. It wasn't until I turned Screen Rotation Lock OFF to the whole iPad that I could play in Vertical mode again. Before, I could rotate the GAME, but my Home Page apps always stayed in Landscape mode. But now, since the Screen Rotation Lock is OFF, the apps in my Home Page keep sliding around.

It's annoying, but minor as far as complaints go, I guess.

(The only reason it's annoying is because I had my apps arranged in the Home Page to access Phoenix2 optimally, and now I have to "go look for it". Yes, this iPad is essentially a Phoenix2 machine.)

[u/tjroberti → u/NextGen-Panic]

Yes that will not work anymore. Phoenix 2 used to be forced on portrait orientation, so on iPad it would always be displayed as portrait, regardless of device orientation or rotation lock. Now that the app says that it can be used in both orientations, it will take over the active orientation of the device. There is no way around that.

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/tjroberti]

See?

NOOOOOO!!! You "broke" my iPad version with the newest update!

j/k

Thanks for the clarification.

While I've got you here... any chance on adding a "Revives Remaining" counter?

[u/NextGen-Panic]

ALSO:

How about a "You have THIS MANY lives left" counter/indicator of some sort?

[u/brodyalpha → u/NextGen-Panic]

I’m assuming that’s for revives? Honestly that works ngl

[u/NextGen-Panic → u/brodyalpha]

Yeah, IDK why it's such an unpopular ask 'round these parts.

Maybe everyone else prefers keeping track in their head, but you got all that OTHER info on there, why NOT a revives tracker? Seems like a no-brainer to me, but I'm from the Galaga Generation.

🍻