Although this is NOT a Video game forum, I simply wanted to share some of my discuss what has been going on for those wondering where "Tradewars - Homeworld" is?!
"Tradewars - Homeworld" is being reviewed by a Publisher, it has almost been 1 year (in review). We really want to make a deal with a publisher however we realize that all efforts need to come to a conclusion and feel that 1 year to wait for a response is NOT unreasonable.
I had a project for a DS Video game (Legendary Souls) and it has shifted to becoming an Android cellular game. It's very simple, yet surprisingly strategic game. I have been working on screen mock-ups of the game... This has been consuming most of my time.
It also has me searching for documentation for development toolkits (currently exploring AndEngine). For the most part this engine/toolkit seems to have everything I need.
"Monster Keep" is on HOLD. I really would like to get "Tradewars - Homeworld" in the PUBLISHED (or on the way to this) category... And then I can move on to discuss what will happen with "Monster Keep".
Comments
Why Android???
You might be wondering what has caused a SHIFT from DS to Android project... There are a few reasons for this:
1. DS/DSi has been replaced by 3DS. The toolkit we were using was for DS Homebrew and that whole scene is DEAD because of the arrival of the 3DS.
2. Market share. We feel the 70% of the market covered by Android Smartphones is A: larger than the non-existant DS/DSi homebrew market, B: better support with active forums in the design and implementation of the AndEngine.
Instead of getting maybe NO people playing the FREE to play game. Yes the game will be 100% completely playable for FREE. Obviously the game has in-game credit which can be purchased (See next post for more information).
The game has two (2) different types of Abilities:
A. Passive: Take effect upon usage
B. Active: Uses mana (in-game credit)
Mana is pretty interesting since it can affect the outcome of a dual. The game is a Player vs. Player strategic game.
So players using mana have an advantage. BUT everyone starts out with 100 credits.
Mana pricing table
So I have re-worked the Mana pricing table to include more competitive pricing. Here is the results of that exercise:
1-$5.00 = 100 Mana points (so $0.05 per mana used).
This is offered as the most expensive per mana used price. But in turn, it is the least expensive option monetarily (total price).
2-$10.00 = 250 Mana points (so $0.04 per mana used).
An in-between option which is slightly cheaper if you want to invest a little bit more into the game.
3-$15.00 = 500 Mana points (so $0.03 per mana used).
One of the cheapest options available to frequent mana users.
4-$18.00 = 900 Mana points (so $0.02 per mana used).
The BEST/Cheapest per mana used price. This is used for serious gamers that want to be very competitive in game play.
FREE to download and FREE to play - ALWAYS
I wanted to re-state that the game will be FUNDAMENTALY FREE to download and FREE to play. With 100 Mana points to start with, players are introduced into the EXTENDED and MORE strategic form of the game. Why?
Well in its basic form, the game allows players to dual with each other. But since the game is very strategic in nature, using SPELLS (that require Mana) can alter the game in favor of one player.
How is this FAIR? This is a very good question. See by using spells, you augment the ODDS of winning. You could for example use a spell like "Perfect Aim" which causes +3 points of damage for 2 Mana points. Or you could use "Fire Shield" which absorbs 4 points of damage for 5 Mana points. Things like this, the spells will sound similar to other games and be familiar to most gamers.
BUT getting back to FAIRNESS: players are granted bonuses for WINNING duals. It depends on the level of difficulty that was chosen. So there will be 3 levels: easy, normal and difficult. Winning an easy dual gives the winner ONLY 5 Victory points. Normal 10 Victory points and Difficult 15 Victory points.
However even if you LOSE, you still get to keep the points you scored in the game. Obviously you will NOT earn any additional Victory points. So winning OFTEN will allow you to progress FASTER in the game.
And so what this means is ALL players will advance in the game, some faster than others (sometimes because of strategy, sometimes because of the use of Mana, etc.) and some might advance slower.
Important: the game has bonus cards you can unlock. Those cards sometime require a player to NOT use any spells. For example, "Basic Triple" means 3 consecutive victories using NO mana. So there are also NO mana bonuses also... But there are also mana bonuses like "Mana Giant" which requires a player to spend 2,000 mana points! Take THAT!...
And so I think this is a FAIR system which rewards players who PLAY the game. There are 22 unlockable cards (Same for everyone) and 47 level cards. As you gain a level, you are RANDOMLY awarded an NEW card. The higher you gain experience and level, the more cards you have and then you can build the BEST deck to dual with.