Friendly Fire vs Clash of Clans for Android

Friendly Fire is a multiplayer android game similar to Clash of Clans.
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After getting completely addicted the free android app Clash of Clans, I was in search of similar android games following the same multiplayer gameplay. Friendly Fire was one of the best apps for android, so I had to download it and give it a spin. The two game follow the same gameplay logic (build a base, protect your base, attack other bases), but with many differences. The most apparent differences comparing Friendly Fire to Clash of Clans are:

  1. In Friendly Fire, your base region is located based on your location (specify an address and let GPS take care of the rest). In Clash of Clans, everyone has the same base.
  2. In Friendly Fire, buildings must be placed a certain distance from an existing road. In Clash of Clans, the map is split into small squares.
  3. In Friendly Fire, there are spawn points and attack units must follow the road. In Clash of Clans, attack units can aimlessly wander towards their target.
  4. Both Friendly Fire and Clash of Clans has "Gems" for special upgrades. The entire game is playable without purchasing more "Gems". In Friendly Fire, you cannot randomly acquire more "Gems" for free. In Clash of Clans, clearing trees, bushes, and rocks will reward you with more "Gems".

When I first installed Friendly Fire, I was excited just based on GPS location. The roads displayed did make it feel more real. But comparing overall aspects of both games, I like Clash of Clans much more. Ultimately, Clash of Clan's game interface is easier to learn, there are more active players, and gameplay feels more balanced. Here are my thoughts comparing the two games:

  • Clash of Clan's buildings can be easily identified. When I look at Friendly Fire's buildings, they all look similarly bubbly. I am playing off an Android (Moto X), so this may not be an issue on tablets.
  • After playing both games for a couple of months, I feel there are many more active players on Clash of Clans. Right when my Shield runs out on Clash of Clans, I am attacked. When my shield runs out in Friendly Fire, I can go weeks before I am attacked again.
  • I might just be incorrectly building my bases in Friendly Fire, but regardless of my defense setup, I can rarely win a defense of my base. The game's balance of attack and defense is not balanced. To give Friendly Fire some credit, their units are more advanced compared to Clash of Clans. Some units in Friendly Fire are good against light armor, some are good against heavy armor. In Clash of Clans, it's mainly melee attack, range attack, or splash attack.
  • My first major turn-off to the game was my first attack. The game forces you to start the attack from a variety of spawn points with cool down periods. So people stack their defenses around the spawn points. All in all, attacking is quite un-fulfilling. The attack experience is much better on Clash of Clans.

I am about ready to delete Friendly Fire from my Android phone, but I did give it a good run. There were other problems in Friendly Fire like the inability to move a base (since really did move cities) and the long load times, but that did not matter much in the long run.

If you've played Clash of Clans, I'd recommend skipping Friendly Fire.

If you've never played either, Friendly Fire is worth a try.

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