Forums » Suggestions
No, it's not written in C. I'm ambivalent towards avatars. Maybe. I'm not sure what you mean by "old technology" but it certainly doesn't have a lot of features.
The problem is that none of us is the webmaster for the site. Waylon or John or I update it when we can. The results are obvious. I have to spend some time on it soon anyhow. Please post some forum suggestions, perhaps in another thread; I could probably throw in BBcode without too much trouble, for example (I was planning to do it anyway). And the "reply" link on each post is supposed to quote, but I haven't had time to do that. I will. Anything unintuitive that's easy to fix I'd like to know about.
Website game data is doable. I don't know how much we want to provide in XML format just yet. There used to be ranking, but it is now meaningless. We will be adding dueling stats and guild info.
We all agree on the economy. What's implemented now is something goofy with infinite supply that I don't like very much. It's actually really easy for us to add demand/supply/station manufacturing/limited quantities/trading-actually-has-an-impact; the economy's initial state is internally generated that way anyhow. The problem is balancing it and predicting its behavior in order to keep it balanced. Look how long it took Jumpgate to balance their economy, for instance.
What we have now is extremely easy to predict, but is also extremely boring. My personal feeling on this is that we should do the dynamic economy anyway, since it's better to start balancing it sooner than later. This isn't mutually agreed upon amongst the development team. If we had it, though, it would make the upcoming supply war scenario (you'll see) make more sense.
About the interface: yes, we know. We decided to implement everything we were going to implement, expanding the terrible interface as necessary, -then- design the interface around the features we knew we had. It sure is ugly, and it sure does look stupid, but we never planned to keep it that way.
The problem is that none of us is the webmaster for the site. Waylon or John or I update it when we can. The results are obvious. I have to spend some time on it soon anyhow. Please post some forum suggestions, perhaps in another thread; I could probably throw in BBcode without too much trouble, for example (I was planning to do it anyway). And the "reply" link on each post is supposed to quote, but I haven't had time to do that. I will. Anything unintuitive that's easy to fix I'd like to know about.
Website game data is doable. I don't know how much we want to provide in XML format just yet. There used to be ranking, but it is now meaningless. We will be adding dueling stats and guild info.
We all agree on the economy. What's implemented now is something goofy with infinite supply that I don't like very much. It's actually really easy for us to add demand/supply/station manufacturing/limited quantities/trading-actually-has-an-impact; the economy's initial state is internally generated that way anyhow. The problem is balancing it and predicting its behavior in order to keep it balanced. Look how long it took Jumpgate to balance their economy, for instance.
What we have now is extremely easy to predict, but is also extremely boring. My personal feeling on this is that we should do the dynamic economy anyway, since it's better to start balancing it sooner than later. This isn't mutually agreed upon amongst the development team. If we had it, though, it would make the upcoming supply war scenario (you'll see) make more sense.
About the interface: yes, we know. We decided to implement everything we were going to implement, expanding the terrible interface as necessary, -then- design the interface around the features we knew we had. It sure is ugly, and it sure does look stupid, but we never planned to keep it that way.
"I'm not sure what you mean by "old technology""
Basically, it's set up old-school BBS-style. All it has is "reply", basically. No signatures, no avatars, no formatting (unless I missed it - I may have, please correct me if I'm wrong) - no profile, no private messaging... stuff like that.
Basically, there's a couple choices, when it comes to "building a community" - base it around your own website, or encourage third-party websites to be "bases".
Problem with #1 is that you have to do the initial setup, and maintain it. You have to moderate, update, and etc.
Problem with #2 is that you are now dependent on the whim/interest of your members to maintain that community, and to be around long enough to be a stable "base". That doesn't happen very often, and it's often more trouble than it's worth - but it IS a viable model.
My personal choie, considering this is an indie game, with very "hands-on" devs, is to keep it "in-house" - that way, you're constantly in-touch with the community, and everyone is "in on it". Know what I mean? Both the website and forum have to have the capabilities to handle that - and the lack of features/possibilites with a "minimalist" forum will eventually be telling - in my opinion.
"Please post some forum suggestions, perhaps in another thread; I could probably throw in BBcode without too much trouble, for example."
Will do.
"Website game data is doable. I don't know how much we want to provide in XML format just yet. There used to be ranking, but it is now meaningless. We will be adding dueling stats and guild info."
Good deal. With MMO-type games, it really is a case of "the more info, the better" - up to a point. When you can see, track, and _show off_ your stats, and all that to friends, you not only feel your in-game efforts are "worth something", but you have a real, tangible display of what you've accomplished.
"We all agree on the economy. What's implemented now is something goofy with infinite supply that I don't like very much. It's actually really easy for us to add demand/supply/station manufacturing/limited quantities/trading-actually-has-an-impact; the economy's initial state is internally generated that way anyhow. The problem is balancing it and predicting its behavior in order to keep it balanced. Look how long it took Jumpgate to balance their economy, for instance."
Very true. It's a hard question, but I thought it was worth bringing up, simply because it IS so close to release, and it IS a big part of a game - sort of like the forums. Complexity/features added = more customers attracted = more customers involved = more content to use to KEEP people attracted. Jumpgate's economy was flawed _from the beginning_, because they didn't pay it the attention it needed to begin with. Exactly like this economy is, it was one dimensional. Minor change was what demand was never an issue - just supply. Supply at one station meant that you had to find anywhere that DIDNT have a supply, and you'd make a profit. Well, that was artificially manipulated, resulting in the economy blowout they had. You're the reverse - supply is infinite, and demand is driving it - but, since 1. There's nothing the items are used for, and 2. There's nothing, really, driving that demand, it's only a time sink. Just something i wanted to emphatically point out - if you want to attract customers from the MMO market, practically all MMO's these days have a very, very elaborate economy (with exceptions, I know).
"...we should do the dynamic economy anyway, since it's better to start balancing it sooner than later."
I agree, and very strongly :D The thing you're missing, in my opinion, is _immersion_ - where you feel your character is _doing something_. Killing pirate bots is all well and good - but why the heck are there 10 trillion pirate bots, human pirates in space ships, pirates everywhere? I know that you can't have _complete_ immersibility, but every little bit helps.
"it would make the upcoming supply war scenario (you'll see) make more sense."
Economic warfare = good.
"About the interface: yes, we know. We decided to implement everything we were going to implement, expanding the terrible interface as necessary, -then- design the interface around the features we knew we had. It sure is ugly, and it sure does look stupid, but we never planned to keep it that way."
Yeah, I figured. Remember, though, that the interface is THE very first thing people see, when they start the game up. The second thing is the modeling for the bus... So, personally, I'd be all over those, before release, regardless of what else you fix. That's only my opinion, but I've seen at least 20 mention the interface as a _large_ turnoff.
So, anyway, yeah. My 1.95$.
Basically, it's set up old-school BBS-style. All it has is "reply", basically. No signatures, no avatars, no formatting (unless I missed it - I may have, please correct me if I'm wrong) - no profile, no private messaging... stuff like that.
Basically, there's a couple choices, when it comes to "building a community" - base it around your own website, or encourage third-party websites to be "bases".
Problem with #1 is that you have to do the initial setup, and maintain it. You have to moderate, update, and etc.
Problem with #2 is that you are now dependent on the whim/interest of your members to maintain that community, and to be around long enough to be a stable "base". That doesn't happen very often, and it's often more trouble than it's worth - but it IS a viable model.
My personal choie, considering this is an indie game, with very "hands-on" devs, is to keep it "in-house" - that way, you're constantly in-touch with the community, and everyone is "in on it". Know what I mean? Both the website and forum have to have the capabilities to handle that - and the lack of features/possibilites with a "minimalist" forum will eventually be telling - in my opinion.
"Please post some forum suggestions, perhaps in another thread; I could probably throw in BBcode without too much trouble, for example."
Will do.
"Website game data is doable. I don't know how much we want to provide in XML format just yet. There used to be ranking, but it is now meaningless. We will be adding dueling stats and guild info."
Good deal. With MMO-type games, it really is a case of "the more info, the better" - up to a point. When you can see, track, and _show off_ your stats, and all that to friends, you not only feel your in-game efforts are "worth something", but you have a real, tangible display of what you've accomplished.
"We all agree on the economy. What's implemented now is something goofy with infinite supply that I don't like very much. It's actually really easy for us to add demand/supply/station manufacturing/limited quantities/trading-actually-has-an-impact; the economy's initial state is internally generated that way anyhow. The problem is balancing it and predicting its behavior in order to keep it balanced. Look how long it took Jumpgate to balance their economy, for instance."
Very true. It's a hard question, but I thought it was worth bringing up, simply because it IS so close to release, and it IS a big part of a game - sort of like the forums. Complexity/features added = more customers attracted = more customers involved = more content to use to KEEP people attracted. Jumpgate's economy was flawed _from the beginning_, because they didn't pay it the attention it needed to begin with. Exactly like this economy is, it was one dimensional. Minor change was what demand was never an issue - just supply. Supply at one station meant that you had to find anywhere that DIDNT have a supply, and you'd make a profit. Well, that was artificially manipulated, resulting in the economy blowout they had. You're the reverse - supply is infinite, and demand is driving it - but, since 1. There's nothing the items are used for, and 2. There's nothing, really, driving that demand, it's only a time sink. Just something i wanted to emphatically point out - if you want to attract customers from the MMO market, practically all MMO's these days have a very, very elaborate economy (with exceptions, I know).
"...we should do the dynamic economy anyway, since it's better to start balancing it sooner than later."
I agree, and very strongly :D The thing you're missing, in my opinion, is _immersion_ - where you feel your character is _doing something_. Killing pirate bots is all well and good - but why the heck are there 10 trillion pirate bots, human pirates in space ships, pirates everywhere? I know that you can't have _complete_ immersibility, but every little bit helps.
"it would make the upcoming supply war scenario (you'll see) make more sense."
Economic warfare = good.
"About the interface: yes, we know. We decided to implement everything we were going to implement, expanding the terrible interface as necessary, -then- design the interface around the features we knew we had. It sure is ugly, and it sure does look stupid, but we never planned to keep it that way."
Yeah, I figured. Remember, though, that the interface is THE very first thing people see, when they start the game up. The second thing is the modeling for the bus... So, personally, I'd be all over those, before release, regardless of what else you fix. That's only my opinion, but I've seen at least 20 mention the interface as a _large_ turnoff.
So, anyway, yeah. My 1.95$.
considder the possibility that the interface looks awesom when you start the game then you gonna really play the game and that is dissapointing because you seen the interface and it was awesom compaired to the gameplay, I think to first make gameplay great before making start/interface great....
double click on mission to get it is not possible as you got to know what the mission is first, they could make it more simple to put the info on right side of the mission when you click on it and below the accept button
trade profits is difficult as they change everytime, I seen an item to buy for 500c seling at other station for 1200c then next time it sold for 1000c so it is not really possible to place profits in, I would suggest to do same as missions place at right what stations sell the items or what station are on demand for the items....
double click on mission to get it is not possible as you got to know what the mission is first, they could make it more simple to put the info on right side of the mission when you click on it and below the accept button
trade profits is difficult as they change everytime, I seen an item to buy for 500c seling at other station for 1200c then next time it sold for 1000c so it is not really possible to place profits in, I would suggest to do same as missions place at right what stations sell the items or what station are on demand for the items....
As to forums, here's some for you n00bs:
http://www.vo-gate.com/forum/
http://www.roguelazer.com/phpbb2/index.php
http://www.vo-gate.com/forum/
http://www.roguelazer.com/phpbb2/index.php
Or, in regards to a forum for newcomers and ex EnB'lers:
http://www.mike-neubauer.com/forum/index.php
http://www.mike-neubauer.com/forum/index.php
i'd really try to keep the community on the forums here rather than trying to make splinter forums, I'm sure we can come up with some good ideas :-) I've never really liked forums based on the 'invision' engine either, mainly because it is so common, and also because I've ran 1 forum and also witnessed 3 other forums that got hacked and wiped clean by people using security loopholes in it 8no, I have no idea what the loopholes are) :-/
Not too fond of your forums, RL, but thanks for the thought.
I agree with webserver. Pretty graphics and whatnot attract lots of new players, Gameplay keeps them around. Personally, I would rather keep many players around then attract a lot of new ones that won't stay long.