Building a Playerbase
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 7:59 pm
Hello, Mit,
Just a bit of constructive criticism because I love this game and I want it to grow. I discussed this ingame with a couple of players(new and old) so not all ideas are mine. I just hope to throw them out there so that there's a chance that things can be changed, or at the very least, reconsidered.
I haven't been able to play as much as I would like due to real life obligations. I log in when I can, and even though I can't play the game at the same level as I could years ago, I want this game to grow. We've had quite a few old players return to the game recently, and that's great. It's always good to have old faces/names around. That being said, there needs to be a focus on retaining the newer players in order for this game to ever grow.
I think the main problem is people don't know what to do when they log in. A lot of people are used to the hand holding that has become the norm in video games. Yes there's the Atractor guide, but it takes you to the web browser and you have to figure out how to open it before you can use it(this is also bad because it takes the player out of the game and interrupts any immersion). Maybe it makes more sense to put a "How to play" button on the title screen if the guide is meant to be the easiest way for new players to figure things out. You've seen how few new players actually listen to other players in the chat. Players helping new players can not be a substitute for a guide.
What I think would be most beneficial to new player is a short tutorial that teaches the basics and gives the player an idea of what their goal is and how to accomplish it. There needs to be a reward for completing it that is good enough to encourage the player to stick with the game. Maybe the 10s from imports could swapped out with 10s from the tutorial.
Another option would be have some sort of toggle-able on screen guide for newer players that pops up the first few times they play until they've chosen a skill and made some money. It would most likely work best as an OSD with different options to click through to read the info in the online guide.
At the very least, I hope to see a "How to play" button available somewhere easily seen in the game that opens to the atractor guide.
Mit, you're doing a great job with the game, and I hope it grows into everything you want it to. I hope my post has been helpful. Good luck with development
Just a bit of constructive criticism because I love this game and I want it to grow. I discussed this ingame with a couple of players(new and old) so not all ideas are mine. I just hope to throw them out there so that there's a chance that things can be changed, or at the very least, reconsidered.
I haven't been able to play as much as I would like due to real life obligations. I log in when I can, and even though I can't play the game at the same level as I could years ago, I want this game to grow. We've had quite a few old players return to the game recently, and that's great. It's always good to have old faces/names around. That being said, there needs to be a focus on retaining the newer players in order for this game to ever grow.
I think the main problem is people don't know what to do when they log in. A lot of people are used to the hand holding that has become the norm in video games. Yes there's the Atractor guide, but it takes you to the web browser and you have to figure out how to open it before you can use it(this is also bad because it takes the player out of the game and interrupts any immersion). Maybe it makes more sense to put a "How to play" button on the title screen if the guide is meant to be the easiest way for new players to figure things out. You've seen how few new players actually listen to other players in the chat. Players helping new players can not be a substitute for a guide.
What I think would be most beneficial to new player is a short tutorial that teaches the basics and gives the player an idea of what their goal is and how to accomplish it. There needs to be a reward for completing it that is good enough to encourage the player to stick with the game. Maybe the 10s from imports could swapped out with 10s from the tutorial.
Another option would be have some sort of toggle-able on screen guide for newer players that pops up the first few times they play until they've chosen a skill and made some money. It would most likely work best as an OSD with different options to click through to read the info in the online guide.
At the very least, I hope to see a "How to play" button available somewhere easily seen in the game that opens to the atractor guide.
Mit, you're doing a great job with the game, and I hope it grows into everything you want it to. I hope my post has been helpful. Good luck with development