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Helping in making a video game

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questccg
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Look at it in this way...

If you haven't PLAYED in 24 hours... You should have some kind of BONUS prize like Pokemon Online which grants you new GIFTS each and EVERY DAY you play. Why? Because it means players will LOG INTO your game even IF they don't have enough time to PLAY it each and every day.

This is very important to RETAIN players. Maybe have some kind of intermediary in-game credits, like "Gold" (for example) and purchasable in-game credits, like "Crystals" (another example)... Every time you log in (with a minimum of 24 hours) you can get SOME "Gold" ... Every DAY you get more "Gold" like on DAY #1 you get 5 Gold, on DAY #2 you get 10 Gold, on DAY #3 you get 25 Gold and on Day #4 you get 50 Gold... Finally on DAY #5 maybe your each a 2 Crystals which allow you to unlock more units and advancements.

Of course you can have "cosmetic" advancements (meaning it's still a tank but is Red & White - for Poland) OR "Yellow & Blue - Go Ukraine!

Etc, etc, etc.

The only way to get "Crystals" is either to BUY them or wait for "5" consecutive days where you get barely "nothing" but creates a SORT OF "Grind". Or at least people LOGGING IN "each and every day" to earn bonuses (in "gold" or "crystals")...

Tell the BIG BOSS... He should think of this type of REWARD. It is VERY IMPORTANT ... Because it will lead to MORE PLAYERS playing the game or at least logging in for "rewards".

For the first MONTH of "Pokemon ONLINE", I would log-in DAILY just for the REWARDS... Now I don't bother because I will never be able to get the cards that I WANT unless I BUY PHYSICAL products. That's right: Pokemon ONLINE requires you to have CODES which UNLOCK products that can be used to play online too...

But in order to be able to TRADE cards ONLINE, you need to BUY THE PHYSICAL Deckboxes and other Pokemon Merchandise at a STORE. And some products have a code and you can input it to get those SAME cards ONLINE... And ONLY those can be traded...

Nothing you get FREE in Pokemon ONLINE can be TRADED.

IMAGINE THAT. Sincerely.

Note #1: And that's the MAIN reason that I've STOPPED Playing Pokemon ONLINE ... Is because no matter what cards I GET "Good" or "mediocre", there is no way I can TRADE some of those cards in EXCHANGE for the CARDS that I WANT... I have to ACTUALLY BUY PHYSICAL DECKBOXES... And I'd really rather not do that... Because I can buy SINGLES and build the decks I want MY WAY.

But I will NEVER be able to use any of those cards ONLINE. Sad but TRUE.

X3M
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creeping

I feel we are adding to much already. Either way, we fleshed things out decently.

We got several resources:
- Credits, earned in battle.
- Skill points, earned in battle.
- Hero points, earned in battle.
- Rank of the player (threshold type), earned by winning battles.
- Promotion points, linked to the Rank of the player
- Time

None of them.... can be bought. You need to play.

The only thing that is free and offline is the time.

- Credits, used for research and upgrades
- Skill points, used for a little boost on upgrades
- Hero points, used for a little boost on upgrades for just 1 unit
- Rank of the player, used for determining the level of saved designs, the level of possible body modifications, the level of possible weapon modifications and the level of heroes in the HQ and finally the level of promotion points.
- Promotion points, used for.... this list is even longer. Let's just say, the main reason is redistribution of technology knowledge by the hero.
- Time.... well, each day you have your set of changes you would like to make. This includes spending points as well.

There are 2 resources that players will accumulate by battle and winning battles as well. But they can only be spend when reaching rank 20.
These are:
- Dark matter
- Dark energy

After that, the player suddenly can start producing things during a match. Not just prior.
This RTS is going sideways in time... no not backwards, it is sideways ;)

questccg
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My opinion...

You should ADD a 24 Hour, 5 Day bonus system... To keep players login into the game... Since it is mobile, they can do that from anywhere.

Pokemon ONLINE has it, Puzzle Quest: Magic the Gathering has it, etc. It seems like the STANDARD thing to add. Some kind of DAILY REWARD for just LOGIN INTO the game from their mobile phone.

The rest of what you explained ... All sounds logical. I don't know WHY(?) you need "Dark Matter" AND "Dark Energy", I would choose one and go with that.

But it sounds like you guys are going in the right direction.

Cheers!

X3M
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questccg wrote: I don't know

questccg wrote:
I don't know WHY(?) you need "Dark Matter" AND "Dark Energy", I would choose one and go with that.
Cheers!

Not sure what his plan is either.
I await. "It will be alright" is the most common responds.

larienna
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Quote:This is very important

Quote:
This is very important to RETAIN players.

Unless you are creating an online multiplayer game, I don't like enslaving the player to my game. I personally think he should be free to play anytime he wants.

questccg
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No Hope for Advancement and Player Retention

larienna wrote:
Unless you are creating an online multiplayer game...

Yes that is exactly what they are creating: an MMORTS kinda like Starcraft. So motivating players to check the game every 24 hours is something reasonable especially if you are REWARDED with a BONUS.

larienna wrote:
I don't like enslaving the player to my game. I personally think he should be free to play anytime he wants.

That's the OLD way of thinking. The NEW way is: "How can I ensure I will hook players into playing my game each and every DAY!"

And to do that... You need a REWARD system which kicks in every 24 hours (or so)... I didn't INVENT this stuff... It's well documented if you Google the web and see how MOBILE GAMES need to compete with all kinds of competition... You NEED a REWARD system to encourage players to AT LEAST "Login" to your game each and every day.

They're not SLAVES... Just VESTED players who want bonuses instead of just GRINDING every day. Currently that's what @X3M's game looks like: HUGE GRIND. You see this because they REWARD players who WIN and PLAY the game. Much like Hearthstone.

But one bit of news... That's exactly WHY(!) I HATE "Heathstone"... Too much of a GRIND. You've got to ensure that PLAYING DOESN'T FEEL like "GRINDING".

That's why something like "3" Crystals on DAY #5 allows you to boost something like research & advancement (Technologies) rather than waiting for a SEVERAL days for research to COMPLETE. And yeah, they could implement it "You have the credits, you can instantly research it." But MOST MMOs don't do that. Instead they have a PERIOD like 2 days to research the next Tech... Meaning you have to WAIT. But maybe "2" Crystals (out of 3) you can use to HALVE the research time (like 1 day instead)... For example.

It's all PSYCHOLOGY and PLAYER RETENTION. If you design it TOO SIMPLE... It may be FUN to play... But people will get BORED of the game too quickly. Obviously I WOULD BE PLAYING Pokemon ONLINE had I been able to TRADE some of the cards that I get GRINDING. But it only allows you to TRADE with products you buy IN STORES... So fnck that!

But for a month, Pokemon ONLINE had me logging in for a DAILY REWARD and GRINDING... until I realized I will never be able to TRADE for the cards that I need/WANT. Pointless... So I quit.

That's what happens when a player realizes there is NO HOPE for advancement in a MOBILE GAME...

questccg
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And just to be CLEAR...

Pokemon ONLINE allows you to have DAILY REWARDS with in-game currency (CREDITS) and therefore encourages players to LOGIN each and every day to earn some more. Those credits can be used to BUY Deckboxes and such ...

BUT... And it is a BIG BUT...

EVERYTHING YOU GRIND FOR FREE... YOU CANNOT TRADE ANY OF IT!

Free cards are LOCKED and you cannot TRADE for the cards you NEED. That is pure BS. Okay so here's the DEAL:

IF you WANT TO TRADE... You NEED TO PHYSICALLY GO TO A STORE and BUY A DECKBOX.

Then you can ADD (given the code) ALL THOSE CARDS into the ONLINE GAME... And ONLY THOSE CARDS (from the PURCHASED DECKBOX) CAN BE TRADED.

So you actually have to PAY MONEY for PHYSICAL PRODUCTS for Pokemon ONLINE!

(Just wanted to be clear about the deal with Pokemon...)

questccg
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What's the problem with Pokemon ONLINE???

It's one HUGE GRIND and the BOOSTER PACKS you BUY FREE are RANDOM. It's RANDOM which cards you get. So unless you are REAL LUCKY and DO A TON OF RESEARCH ... The odds are you'll not get the Stage 1 for that Stage 2 which is really cool OR you'll not get the Stage 2 for the Stage 1 you already have.

And... One COOL thing about Pokemon ONLINE is that they allow you to BROWSE the ENTIRE CATALOG when building a DECK. So you KNOW which cards you DON'T HAVE or might NEED!

But then it's a HUGE GRIND (PLAY to win or just play more) and the packs you buy are RANDOM. So you may never GET the cards you WANT.

THE SOLUTION: "TRADING".

But as I explained, you need to buy PHYSICAL products in order to be able to TRADE anything. So I would be wasting my money if I was not building custom Decks with Pokemon SINGLES (Aftermarket).

THE PROBLEM: "YOU NEED TO BUY PHYSICAL PRODUCTS FROM A STORE TO TRADE".

And then each Battle Deck you BUY is FIXED too (same cards)... So you need to know what cards you will want to TRADE and it's difficult because you need to find the right person wanting to trade for some crap you HAVE and the cards that you NEED.

POINTLESS.

Note #1: Have a look at ONE (1) example:

https://hobbiesville.com/products/pre-order-pokemon-battle-decks-corvikn...

Quote:
1 code card to play this deck online

Note #2: Googling I found this:

Quote:
Pokemon Trading Card Game products are unique in that each card pack comes with a redeemable code for a pack of the same set in one of their online game services.

So if you aren't buying SINGLES but are cracking open PACKS... Well you can spend your monies however you like. But I'd rather go to the SINGLES aftermarket and just BUY the cards that I need. Not RANDOM cards in boosters.

X3M
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questccg wrote:larienna

questccg wrote:
larienna wrote:
Unless you are creating an online multiplayer game...

Yes that is exactly what they are creating: an MMORTS kinda like Starcraft.


No, it plays just like a normal RTS.
And players only advance by playing.

Starcraft is also just a RTS. And there you even only can rank up if you play.

X3M
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Time to scrap

Normal units becomming heroes is scrapped.
It looked like overkill on overpowering.

No veterancy either.

Only credits... and
And skill points are now commander points.

Commander points will be based on what survived afterwards.

And can be spend on a design.

The design can always be changed, since the player buys the units 5 minutes prior to the match.

New modifyers don't have commander points yet.
Those that have, will return only half of the commander points spend.

questccg
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X3M wrote:No, it plays just

X3M wrote:
No, it plays just like a normal RTS. And players only advance by playing.

Starcraft is also just a RTS. And there you even only can rank up if you play.

It's a masively-multiplayer online game featuring classes, character customization with skills and abilities, raids for players to tackle together, and player vs. player content if you don't feel like working together. StarCraft Universe will be free to play if you own StarCraft II.

So in a way you are correct and in a way I am correct.

questccg
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Quitting a game when you are losing

X3M wrote:
...And skill points are now commander points.

Commander points will be based on what survived afterwards.

And can be spent on a design.

The design can always be changed, since the player buys the units 5 minutes prior to the match.

That all sounds reasonable... But it seems like a BIG GRIND. You need a minimum of a LADDER System and/or World Ranking such that you therefore need a "SCORE". I would dare to say: "Scoring will be determined by what survives a battle..."

But that Commander Points be the same for each game Played and resolved. What I mean is that you cannot QUIT a game and earn Commander Points. You must either WIN or LOSE NOT abandon.

So if both players play and the game is completed (declared a WINNER and LOSER) well then BOTH Player's should earn +10 Commander Points. If a player QUITS, the other player earns +10 Commander Points and the Quitter gets NOTHING.

Don't make it a HUGE GRIND. Because in the VERSION that YOU explained... Surviving Units give points... The LOSER will get NOTHING (since his army of units will be conquered) and the WINNER may also only get a FEW points here-and-there. That's FINE for SCORING (LADDER/RANKINGS) ... But not for Commander Points IMHO.

BOTH Players get +10 Commander Points (if nobody quits) and each concluded GAME earns you that same amount.

You can easily build into the game a DAILY REWARD of like +2, +3, +5, +10 Commander Points and something ELSE(???) on Day #5...


The tricky part is QUITTING. You could have a SIMPLE rule:

A> If you QUIT, you get no Commander Points and no additional Score Points for Rankings.

But the what happens to the opponent??? If they earn +10 Commander Points... Great! That's perfectly acceptable. The REAL problem is SCORING. Like IF you play a full game and the player QUITS instead of LOSING, he doesn't get any Commander Points (and his opponent does) but SCORING, how should that be affected???

If QUIT = No Scoring... Then players can be JERKS and QUIT near the END of a battle just to DENY their opponent a VICTORY. If QUITTING means no SCORING.

What I propose is that you need to have ANOTHER kind of IN-GAME Metric: who is leading the Battle. Such that if the TRAILING player QUITS, they get +0 Scoring and the LEADING player scores as per the units left over (more because if you quit EARLY, more points for the opponent).

If the LEADING player quits, he scores ZERO (0) Score Point and so does his opponent. But the trailing Player earn +10 Commander Points (and the quitter gets nothing).

Something along those lines.

Just something for you to think about... And see how it needs to be properly implemented.

Sincerely.

X3M
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questccg wrote:X3M wrote:No,

questccg wrote:
X3M wrote:
No, it plays just like a normal RTS. And players only advance by playing.

Starcraft is also just a RTS. And there you even only can rank up if you play.

> It's a masively-multiplayer online game featuring classes, character customization with skills and abilities, raids for players to tackle together, and player vs. player content if you don't feel like working together. StarCraft Universe will be free to play if you own StarCraft II.

So in a way you are correct and in a way I am correct.


WTF? Oh, well, they are going MMO now then.
But we still keep the classic style first.
1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 will take place. Not a 500 FFA. Which is what a MMO often means.

Regarding skill points etc.
You can't buy them.
You can only earn them in the game.

Further info, is not shared. And frankly, I don't mind anymore. Since my main job is getting those units done.
My buddy is the one, deciding how players can grind. And I leave it at that. He is the main man. I will do my part. It changed too often already anyway.

In other news. I can't do summation in Excel. And had a 1000 long column that was summed together. This meant, I was completely working vertical.
As some of you might know, I always worked horizontal on my board games.
I found a way to turn the summation into a proper formula. And thus, a very small calculation has been born. This is my feat for today.

Tomorrow, I will make the whole calculation horizontal. And then I can simply drag down the formula.
Now I can make changes without having to switch tabs. This is a good sign.

questccg
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Sounds good... Keep up the good work!

X3M wrote:
WTF? Oh, well, they are going MMO now then...

Yes indeed they are... And I thought you guys too!

X3M wrote:
But we still keep the classic style first. 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 will take place. Not a 500 FFA. Which is what a MMO often means.

No you are mistaken about the TERM MMO. It means the MASSIVE "Player Base" nothing to do with the game style. Look at "Hearthstone"... It's an MMORPG card game. And still you only COMBAT ONE (1) opponent at a time.

What makes it MMO means how many players MAY play versus each other (not necessarily at the SAME TIME) and that there is a Ranking/Ladder to climb. "Hearthstone" has a Ranking and was also developed by Blizzard too... So they know a lot about MMO development from other games like "World of Warcraft" too... Which is more OPEN in grouping and alliances/teams.

Still "Hearthstone" is ALSO considered an MMO too.

X3M wrote:
Regarding skill points etc. You can't buy them. You can only earn them in the game.

Sounds like regular GRIND to me.

X3M wrote:
My buddy is the one, deciding how players can grind. And I leave it at that. He is the main man...

No worries, if you don't want a REWARD system so be it. I would not invest countless hours of coding in something that will compete with all the other mobile games out-there UNLESS I knew how to get players playing the game OFTEN.

But again, that's the Head Honcho's problem not yours.

Like I said Pokemon ONLINE had me hooked for a good MONTH... Until I realized that I could NOT Trade anything that I GRINDED for. Then I said: "F- That!" And quit playing altogether...

X3M wrote:
In other news. I can't do summation in Excel. And had a 1000 long column that was summed together. This meant, I was completely working vertical...

I had a SIMILAR issue and had to break it down into THREE (3) different tables in the SAME tab (sheet). SO like a TON of columns and then the tables in ROWS. But I get the issue... I had that too!

In any event, glad you found a solution. I too ran out of columns in the spreadsheet about G.I. Joe CCG for the randomization/distribution issues of how to design the Booster Packs or more how to ensure the packs are RANDOM according to a prescribed format.

TOO MANY COLUMNS for a 6 PLATE system. Had to repeat in ROWS and had to fudge around things since it wasn't really working out (as I had planned). But whatever, CLOSE enough.

Cheers.

X3M
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Efficient time spending

Since I have no say in the matter atm in regards to other points, grinding and what else there is.
I am going to leave it at that.
There is no need suggesting things. Since itnis all creeptalk at this point.

I am going to focus 100% on the table.

I also made a GDD. Which I still need to organise.
They already have one, but I get no access to it.
The big guy has his reasons.

X3M
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Laggy internet here,lol

Laggy internet here,lol

questccg
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Nothing more to add

X3M wrote:
Since I have no say in the matter atm in regards to other points, grinding and what else there is. I am going to leave it at that.

You should be included just like any Team Member in what is being decided and designed. I mean unless they are just using you and don't really want you to be a part of their Team... IDK. All members of the Team should be able to voice their opinion on any matter even matters not involved with their own task. If the goal is to make a better game, what would YOU prefer:

1. One person handling each their own affairs and working in a vaccuum.

2. All people work together and share their thought while having owners for various topics (leads) and the ultimate stake in what is being made.

X3M wrote:
I also made a GDD. Which I still need to organize. They already have one, but I get no access to it. The big guy has his reasons.

Again are you part of the Team or what?! If they have material related to the making of the game... They should share that with you. What are you? Chopped liver??? Second rate citizen?? This is a very strange collaboration indeed...

Anyhow ... it's your project. I just don't want them to treat you unfairly. That's all. Can't comment on other aspects of the game. Can't get access to the official Game Design Document. Cant's this, can't that. I would never agree to collaborate under those kinds of Draconian Terms. But YMMV and you may be more willing to work under their terms...

Best of luck(!?) with this project.

X3M
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You got a point

I also wasn't interviewed. Yet it should be clear now that it is me who is designing the unit statistics.

I think I will tell them that I got a list ready, once ready.
Then a simple no response until they react properly.
So far, I have only 1 guy that has contact with me. The big guy.

He did say to me, he is keeping the groups separated. So far, there are 6.
- His team (GDD 1)
- Him (GDD 1 and 2)
- Me (GDD 2)
- Someone that I arranged to make the models
- Youtubers in high regard
- The "lesser" Youtubers

His rewards are information about the game to the Youtubers that make material.
The info has to be put in the material.
This means that those who don't make much material, will end up in a never ending nothing.

X3M
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Part of Profit

That is his idea.
So, RL money.

HE and I are going to discus, how big the part will be.
And our goal is that I can get at least the amount I get from work every year.

questccg
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Usually that's not how it goes

X3M wrote:
That is his idea. So, RL money.

HE and I are going to discuss, how big the part will be. And our goal is that I can get at least the amount I get from work every year.

Why? Because his Team #1 might be accumulating DEBT. Which means there may be very little PROFIT. And what is PROFIT??? It's INCOME - EXPENSES = PROFIT. There is a lot that can be done fiscally (on the EXPENSES side) and results is ZERO (0) PROFIT.

Also note that MOST MOBILE GAMES are FREE to PLAY (download & install).

Usually it's IN-GAME CURRENCY which YIELDS INCOME. But you said that in this project, players cannot BUY any in-game currency. So that's one income source which is being ignored.

Secondly you can have ADS... But that has proved to be very ineffective to result in any kind of monies (or significant amount).

Lastly there is the COST of the APP/GAME. If not FREE, I doubt there will be many sales. Prices go like $0.99 USD which is the next most frequent pricing. But MOST MOBILE GAMES are FREE nowadays.

So Real-Life Money sounds good. But if him and his Team #1 are billing for all the hours they put it... There may not BE ANY PROFIT until they all get paid. You need to ask the BIG BOSS if his Team #1 is getting PAID to produce the game.

Your problem is that while PROFIT is good... The EXPENSES could be an issue. In Board Game Design ... You can ask for a PERCENTAGE off the RETAIL PRICE. So let's say 5% for the sake of argument. So if it sells for $50 USD, that means that 5% = $2.50 USD per game SOLD. That pretty much how it goes...

But if the MOBILE GAME is FREE... You would get NOTHING. So do be careful.

What YOU NEED to do is this:

Quote:
Ask him what is his revenue model and how Team #1 are getting paid.

If he refuses to tell you that ... Well then I don't know how honest he really is. Like I said PROFIT could be ZERO ($0 USD). I'm not saying he is a BAD dude or anything... I'm just saying things seem a little bit shifty. So I would be careful too.

He can't promise to give you $$$ equal to your JOB when it's ONLY PROFITS. What happens if there is NOT ENOUGH PROFIT??? Then what?! You need a clear and HONEST explanation about HOW they expect to make monies.

What happens if the game TANKS?! Then how is he supposed to pay you then???

AGAIN MOST games have an in-game currency and that's how THEY make monies. But in your present case, I have NO CLUE HOW they expect to make any money.

Don't be too aggressive ... But ask some honest and REAL QUESTIONS as to HOW they are expecting to make MONEY with this MOBILE GAME...

Cheers @Ramon.

questccg
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Also ...

There is another WAY of making money with Video Games: distributing the game through a PUBLISHER.

Publishers of AAA titles like: Ubisoft, EA, Bethesda Softworks, etc.

You can DEVELOP the game and then hand over the product to a PARTNER which will then introduce the MONETIZATION into the game. This kinda would be like the role of a Developer in Board & Card Game Design... They take the product and IMPROVE upon it to make it more appealing in terms of game and sales. Generally the PUBLISHER may PAY the Developers for making the game.

This is another way... But I don't actually know anyone who was able to do this.

Yes people have done it... And it is done ALL THE TIME. But I THINK you need some credibility in MAKING "Video Games" before they actually invest in a game or one that is to be launched in the near future.

This is all TRUE... But I'm not sure who makes the cut and who doesn't. Look at "Songs of Conquest" it was Developed by "Lavapotion" and PUBLISHED by "Coffee Stain Publishing"...

Anyways I'm saying it is possible. You just need to find someone who wants to REPRESENT the game and MARKET it and make it POPULAR in the "Video Game Scene".

Again this is another route. It's doable but like anything you need to find a PUBLISHER who is interested in the end-product.

Cheers!

questccg
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Look at Puzzle Quest: MtG

It was DEVELOPED by "Oktagon Games" and PUBLISHED by "D3".

Just Google: "who was puzzle quest magic the gathering published by"

And you'll see D3 and Oktagon. And it's ALSO a MOBILE GAME. I'm not 100% sure what games NEED a "PUBLISHER" because even this game is a mobile game. So I'm not certain how the relationship works.

Like I said, IDK who makes the cut and who doesn't.

Maybe Team #1 is getting paid by a PUBLISHER to make the game. I think that too is also a possibility. And then they add it to THEIR catalog of games that they market and publish.

I personally think this RTS concept would be something good to shop around and see if any bigger PUBLISHERS would be interested in the CONCEPT. IDK. I've never done this because I've never coded in the Video Game Scene. Only businesses like FORTUNE 500 and such... So I'm not aware about how the realization of a Video Game is done via a PUBLISHER.

Maybe ask that: "Are you guys planning to use a Publisher?"

Could be another one of those "HONEST" questions. Cheers.

X3M
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He has no interest in

He has no interest in publishers.

However, he is looking for investors.

questccg
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Hmm... Not sure about that!?

A PUBLISHER is an "investor" they PAY the BILL for the Development costs. Basically what happens is that when a Development Team has a Prototype or a very well developed CONCEPT, they look around for Publishers that may be interested in the game.

When a Publisher agrees to the development of a game or concept, they are the ones who pay the salaries of the Development Team.

Since I am trying to help YOU and not him... There is another way of making monies from your Video Game. Let me explain:

#1: The game is offered FREE to Download and Play but only have ONE SAVE SLOT for the "Team Design" (Standard Version).

#2: For THREE SAVE SLOTS it would cost $1.99 USD for the upgrade. And would allow you to customize 3 "Team Designs" instead of just 1 (Pro Version).

#3: For FIVE SAVE SLOTS it would cost $4.99 USD for the upgrade. And would allow you to customize 5 "Team Designs" instead of 1 or 3 (Ultra Version).

This could allow for 3 "Versions" of the game: 1. FREE, 2. & 3. Monetized.

Save Slots are like SAVED UNIT FORMATIONS. You can DESIGN you UNITS BEFORE you Battle. And then when you get into a Battle you choose which SLOT you want to use for that Battle. This would make a FREE, PRO and ULTRA version of the game in the Play Store.

And once you play the FREE version... You soon quickly realize that the PRO version is offered cheaper (Save $1.00) and if you really LIKE the game, you may even go ULTRA for 5 SLOTS.

IDK @Ramon... Maybe this guy is jerking you around. I hope not. But the "revenue model is secret" does not sound like an HONEST answer. If HE can't explain how he is expected to make monies with this game to YOU... Well he may be DISHONEST. He may just be using you. IDK.

Again I could be wrong... But everything you're telling me ... Doesn't quite FEEL "right". Again I could be wrong too... I'm wrong a lot lately these days because even I too STRUGGLE with Monetizing my own Game Design ventures. Anyhow... Ask him to explain how HE expects to make any monies from the project. If he can't answer that... Then you know he's hidding something and doesn't want to include you.

Sincerely.

questccg
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Furthermore...

I know we like to think best of people... But there is YET ANOTHER way to make monies off of MOBILE GAMES. However this is if people are DISHONEST:

Quote:
Some Video Games require access to certain areas of your phone. Some apps have a way of DATA MINING the phones and accessing PRIVATE information just because you ENABLED access to an area or two on your SmartPhone...

That's something completely different and I would not download or use such an App because it's a DISHONEST practice. But the argument is that the person who wanted the App got it FREE, they play for FREE and furthermore they AGREED to the terms and conditions of using the App.

So if you are stupid enough to share your contact list or some other area of your phone... It's the users fault not the people who built the dishonest App...

In any case... This is a practice that I would steer clear and away from.

Cheers!

questccg
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One more comment

The SLOTS concept could be for ONE (1) App which requires a LICENSE KEY. Since the game is to be used while ONLINE (two players or more), it would be RELATIVELY EASY to SELL LICENSE KEYS.

The "Standard Version" is FREE to download and play, but only includes ONE SLOT.

The "Pro or Ultra Versions" are FREE to download but you pay a FEE to get a UNIQUE LICENSE KEY for the version you prefer.

Again could be $1.99 for Pro and $4.99 for Ultra... That can be figured out.

But since the game is ONLINE... Nobody will SHARE their LICENSE KEYS because they know if they do, they WON'T be able to LOGIN to PLAY (because someone else is using that KEY already). It's relatively EASY to secure.

Quote:
Just allow for ONE (1) instance of ANY KEY to be used online at any given moment. This will prevent people from sharing or distributing KEYs.

This LICENSE KEY model would allow you to SELL KEYS online but not through the App Store. App Store would have the SOFTWARE and FREE to download and play. The KEYS can be sold on a website which sends the KEY information to an e-mail.

Here's some GOOD "DATA MINING": Collecting the e-mails of all the PAYING customers/players. That's good! You'll have not only a FAN base of players, you'll know which ones have monies to pay for the game and the SAVE SLOTS.

Again just sharing information with YOU... Feel free to wrap your head around this information and figure out how you are going to DEAL with this BIG BOSS!

Cheers @Ramon.

Note #1: You can also be Draconian too: IF a License Key is used by two (2) or more people at the SAME time, that Key will be BANNED. And All the players (those who shared a KEY) will need to buy NEW Keys. That's another way of ensuring that players don't SHARE their Key with a friend or relative.

Note #2: No LICENSE KEY = "Standard Version" and only ONE SLOT. When playing, there would be no KEY validation (since it is standard). But when there IS a KEY (Pro or Ultra), that KEY MUST BE VALIDATED when playing versus an opponent. And at LOGIN too. So a couple VALIDATION points to make it harder to CHEAT with sharing of LICENSE KEYS.

X3M
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Please calm down

I had contact with the guy for some years now.
I know a bit of his...life.

He once sended a gift before all of, this, was happening.

He is kinda THE manager.
And I will ask him for his website and stuff.
So you can look for yourself.

For all we know. They publish themselves.

I appreciate that you are worried about me.
But don't worry.
Simply give reminders if you think I can look into something.
Making note of things to keep an eye on, like how you did in the PM.

But please, don't distrust the person.
I often get the impression that you are overthinking things. Which can lead to the wrong assumptions.
Relax, take a beer (or something refreshing).

And let's wait and see.

questccg
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If you trust the dude ... That's okay

You just didn't say so... There is another Revenue Model (we've talked Ads, Licensing and Freemium) and it is SUBSCRIPTIONS.

So basically you charge people PER MONTH or ANNUALLY at a "discount". Like $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (get 2 months FREE). That's another model. Again since it is a LOGIN/ONLINE game ... It's very easy to validate customers. Here you would ALSO need a KEY ... But this is assuming that you CANNOT Play for FREE and I think FREE playing was one of the goals (Grinding).

You're not producing any PHYSICAL product (so Production Model is a no-go) or CDs that's what a lot of PUBLISHERS would also pay for... the production and distribution of Game CDs (to stores around the globe). Nowadays that's kind of gone out the window since you can download from the Internet most games (or the Apple or Play Store for Mobile devices).

Again the SUBSCRIPTION model could be to maintain a LIVE account. Many people STOPPED playing "World of Warcraft" (WOW) ... But they continued to PAY for the subscription because they didn't want to lose their account and all the XP they put into the game with hundreds of hours of grinding and playing.

I personally wouldn't suggestion SUBSCRIPTION... But it is an alternative and while we talk about Revenue Models ... To be complete, this is another one of them.

Note #1: Variations on this could be a FREE-PERIOD... Like Sign-up and get 30 days FREE of playing "Game X"... After the grace period, well then the Players would have to decide if they pay a subscription or not. That's another middle-of-the-road example where it's free but then you need to pay (at some point).

Another OPTION is some kind of "God-Mode" for 7 days and then you revert to a standard player. Maybe like some kind of BOOSTED DEVELOPMENT Stage for the 7 days. This could be a RAPID BUILD strategy to get you started and then NORMAL mode is the usual GRIND... But maybe you can buy BOOSTS (that's like Freemium or in-game currency or OPTIONS). I've seen that in other MMOs.

X3M
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To my understanding

People can pay for:
- Different skins for the units.
- More songs for the game, you start with 5.
- More maps to play on.

It would be mostly, you play a free game.
Then you buy things to support.

***

On a side note... if the programmer doesn't get in contact with me. The game will be having a poopy balance. After all, some parts are in "boardgame language". Aka, my board game language.
And you all know how bad I sometimes explain my stuff.

questccg
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Ah that sounds cool!

But would it be possible to PLAY with YOUR FRIENDS??? Some people like to do this... Or with relatives and such. Is there a way to CHOOSE YOUR OPPONENT(s)?

Some $$$ for more maps is a good idea. Songs... Well you need a good musical composer for that. Skins are purely "aesthetics", right?

Ha ha... Yeah ... Sometimes some of your "boardgame language" could be quite challenging and need some explanation. No harm in that. We have open dialogs!

Can you UNLOCK stuff in the game (by grinding)??? Is there a Tech-Tree?? And how do they plan to progress in terms of Commander Points?

Just curious. But I like the mentality: "core" FREE, extras $$$.

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