Forums » Suggestions
Revisiting the arena, plus booster packs
In addition to creating booster packs suggested by Savet here, create some kind of arena (or arena) that F2P accounts can earn crystal by merely participating in.
This will:
A) attract more players ("Try the new VO Arena for free and blast other real players to bits!")
B) help retain more players ("Just one more battle...")
C) give the impression that VO is not dead
D) draw in badly needed income for development of the actual game you want, also maybe a killer company christmas party for once
While I'd like to think that changes are in the works to turn the tide in bring in more players, I've seen enough development progress to suggest that at best we have small incremental changes to the game to look forward to that will largely keep it "as is". Recently in the toxicity discussion, Incarnate voiced concern at suggested changes that would cause the game to appear dead to new users. It struck me that many people already feel the game is dead. And while stemming the bleeding is good (and welcome), it's more important to make changes that draw in more players.
"No shit sherlock."
I really don't mean to suggest that Incarnate isn't trying to bring in new players, or, at least has that goal buried under the mountain of shit he constantly has to deal with. I just wanted to point out that maybe its time to shift and *hyper* focus on that which is VO's strongsuit: twitch PvP combat. Focus on getting more people addicted to the best part of VO, get those accounts active and retained, get them chattting, get them raving about it online, offer them ways to give you money that are more in line with how they do it in other apps.
THEN use that momentum to power your grand vision for the game...rather than trying to use your grand vision for the game to power the momentum. Honestly, you have what you need already to draw people in -- you have your pvp combat. I aware there is a lot I'm unaware of, but just my 2c from my perspective.
Build us an arena and they will will come.
This will:
A) attract more players ("Try the new VO Arena for free and blast other real players to bits!")
B) help retain more players ("Just one more battle...")
C) give the impression that VO is not dead
D) draw in badly needed income for development of the actual game you want, also maybe a killer company christmas party for once
While I'd like to think that changes are in the works to turn the tide in bring in more players, I've seen enough development progress to suggest that at best we have small incremental changes to the game to look forward to that will largely keep it "as is". Recently in the toxicity discussion, Incarnate voiced concern at suggested changes that would cause the game to appear dead to new users. It struck me that many people already feel the game is dead. And while stemming the bleeding is good (and welcome), it's more important to make changes that draw in more players.
"No shit sherlock."
I really don't mean to suggest that Incarnate isn't trying to bring in new players, or, at least has that goal buried under the mountain of shit he constantly has to deal with. I just wanted to point out that maybe its time to shift and *hyper* focus on that which is VO's strongsuit: twitch PvP combat. Focus on getting more people addicted to the best part of VO, get those accounts active and retained, get them chattting, get them raving about it online, offer them ways to give you money that are more in line with how they do it in other apps.
THEN use that momentum to power your grand vision for the game...rather than trying to use your grand vision for the game to power the momentum. Honestly, you have what you need already to draw people in -- you have your pvp combat. I aware there is a lot I'm unaware of, but just my 2c from my perspective.
Build us an arena and they will will come.
Sounds like a great overall idea. I've always thought we should have an arena of some kind. Would be great for practice. I don't know about earning crystals though. Why earn crystal? Anyway I'd really love to have a devs opinion on this to see what could be possible. @inc @ ray :P
+1
+1
+1
Crystal earning incentivizes newbs to come play even if they know they aren't as good as others. Incentivizes the taste of combat.
I'll be honest I've never used crystal and don't really know how it works, but I was under the impression you need to use it to get new ships and such. If they were rewarded with crystal for participating in this arena rather than penalized it would drive them to play more.
I'll be honest I've never used crystal and don't really know how it works, but I was under the impression you need to use it to get new ships and such. If they were rewarded with crystal for participating in this arena rather than penalized it would drive them to play more.
+1
+1 more pewpew
+1
+1
Newbie: hi I'm new, I wants to sees all the cool stuff!
Any veteran ever: beat the shit out of people in the arena *-*
Newbie: hi I'm new, I wants to sees all the cool stuff!
Any veteran ever: beat the shit out of people in the arena *-*
I could very well be wrong, but as far as I remember incarnate has never actually weighed in on this arena idea. I would be very interested to know if something like this is a part of the massive shiny new redone VO that he has planned.
Yes, I have my own plans for various features that probably have similar-ish goals, without really being related at all to your "arena". But.. for different reasons, and with different scope.
I really have no time to discuss this on the forums, at present. I know.. that isn't what people want, you want to hear what's I'm thinking or whatever, but god.. I just don't have the time..
Also, it's fundamentally tough for me to respond to this thread, greenwall. I'm not trying to be un-supportive. Your idea comes from a good place, and it's a reasonable idea. But you just start with so many assumptions around your idea, which are inaccurate, that it makes "weighing in" really challenging for me.
Where should I start? That you don't understand our F2P retention issues? The flawed assumptions of organic growth? That you're a PC veteran trying to making something appeal to phone users?
The arena concept is fine, on its own. There's a lot of people who love spacequake, and there's a lot of great stuff that could be done with this kind of notion, especially if one rolls in e-sports and spectators and so on.
But that really has nothing to do with F2P retention (especially given F2P, right now, is entirely mobile). Let alone conversion. What you're talking about has more in common with something like Warframe, than it would with most mobile games. But Warframe isn't on mobile, because it's a twitch FPS. Chances are, you don't want to "retain" your people by pushing them to do the thing they're the worst at, and would find the most immediately frustrating.
Anyway.. ugh, I'm running late for like 50 things now, and I have to go. Umm, A-for-effort? Cool notion, but it isn't going to do what you think it will do.
I do fundamentally agree with +1 more pewpew.
I'm not trying to dump on your idea itself, I'm just forced to make the uncomfortable point that the.. "business case" you're trying to make isn't grounded in data-driven reality.
I really have no time to discuss this on the forums, at present. I know.. that isn't what people want, you want to hear what's I'm thinking or whatever, but god.. I just don't have the time..
Also, it's fundamentally tough for me to respond to this thread, greenwall. I'm not trying to be un-supportive. Your idea comes from a good place, and it's a reasonable idea. But you just start with so many assumptions around your idea, which are inaccurate, that it makes "weighing in" really challenging for me.
Where should I start? That you don't understand our F2P retention issues? The flawed assumptions of organic growth? That you're a PC veteran trying to making something appeal to phone users?
The arena concept is fine, on its own. There's a lot of people who love spacequake, and there's a lot of great stuff that could be done with this kind of notion, especially if one rolls in e-sports and spectators and so on.
But that really has nothing to do with F2P retention (especially given F2P, right now, is entirely mobile). Let alone conversion. What you're talking about has more in common with something like Warframe, than it would with most mobile games. But Warframe isn't on mobile, because it's a twitch FPS. Chances are, you don't want to "retain" your people by pushing them to do the thing they're the worst at, and would find the most immediately frustrating.
Anyway.. ugh, I'm running late for like 50 things now, and I have to go. Umm, A-for-effort? Cool notion, but it isn't going to do what you think it will do.
I do fundamentally agree with +1 more pewpew.
I'm not trying to dump on your idea itself, I'm just forced to make the uncomfortable point that the.. "business case" you're trying to make isn't grounded in data-driven reality.
Thanks for weighing in on this. I'll be very curious to see how you go about fostering more fights.