04-05-2011, 02:23 PM
[quote name='Gadianton' timestamp='1302011787' post='274423']
You need 3 things.
1. Fresh Meat
i was talking to my brother about this issue last summer. he plays a first person shooter game. he and i both feel that for a game to grow you do need a steady flow of new people into a game. as soon as you loose that steady flow of newbies the game begins to die. ok no shockers here. here is the interesting point. the reason why you need new people is what my brother calls the concept of "Fresh Meat". even relatively new people who have been playing a few weeks need some "Fresh Meat"... newbies to kill. Just like in the ocean, there is always some one smaller then you and some one bigger then you in the food chain. The BIG thing that subspace needs is this "fresh Meat" in the food chain. well what do you do if you cant get the new people? its simple you have to artificially create them. What we need is 20-30 bots playing the game at all time. These relatively low intelligent bots programmed to fight in different styles from mining, gunning, and running suicide missions into the nearest ship. This basic building block in the food chain gives REAL newbies some thing to shoot at and to be able to kill. As it is right now, a newbie joins and gets 1 kill and 50 losses fighting pro players.
The ocean would die if the bottom of the food chain died, and the same thing has been happening to subspace for years. the bottom of the food chain has been broken for a long time.
2. The client, websites, and game help files are out of date and old. For example we could create some tube videos for newbies showing them some basic parts of the game. i know its easy for me to download and install however compared to the new games that are out subspace takes a lot of work for a new person to figure out whats going on.
3. Real Meat
After you build this basic food chain, simplify the install and setup, we all need to do a huge push to advertise to get REAL people into the game. lets say for example in the month of June we set a goal to put a banner on every website we can, hand out 1,000 flyers, hold LAN parties at peoples houses. we need a huge push as a community to introduce new people to the game.
Ok those are my 3 ideas. Let the ripping and complaining and criticizing begin. o and by the way when you get ready to post how building a bot is impossible. its not. i have one built. my bot recognizes its energy level, its current location on the map, direction he is facing, what toys he has. he can use any toy he has and can fire weapons. he can also tell what direction an enemy ship is.
[/quote]
I love the idea of bot ships. I really do. I don't think its without a lot of logistical and ethical issues, but I agree that AI bots for newbie practice is a concept that should be pursued if possible. I worry about putting the bots in the public arena, as vets could work out exploits that might come back to bite us in the butt. I worry about having a newbie arena, as this can defeat the purpose of getting more population in, in the first place. I am not across this whole scenario but I'd love to see a newbie section of pub arena. There IS room around the outside. In fact, the main arena is pretty darn big for our current pop, so why not shave a bit more off, add a parallel newb section, with AI bots, with newbs invited but not mandatory (maybe mandatory until first kill, I dunno), and restrict vet access. Yes, more issues again, a trolling vet may fabricate an identity to get in there and maul. Well, its just a concept.
I agree re the client. We are plugging an old game here, that kids these days are wont to sneer at. But its a brilliant game and deserves its place. You're suggesting looking into types of tutorials. I don't see why this can't be done. The actual download to be in a zone transition is actually a tiny bit murky and needs clear explanation. Then, once in, yes, how to play. Well, that's in many ways up to people like me. As a staff member, I am meant to help advise new players on the basics. Of course, any vet can do this too. Be careful with obliterating the new names. Offer some advice to them. If it turns out to be some vet in disguise .... bah ahh well, next one. You're thinking tutorial videos etc. Yes maybe, haven't thought much on that.
Real meat. Advertise the damn thing, excuse my french. Banner advertising is a great idea. As stated above, although small fry, Mittens' banner is greatly appreciated in my opinion. Tell your forum buddies, tell your facebook buddies. When I said "make" and "abduct" of course I'm using hyperbole. I mean, simply, annoy them a bit. On Facebook, whenever someone says "wanna get the new [insert stupid new game here] but not sure if its worth the time/money", I respond to them saying "Subspace: free, quick, best ever" or something ribbing like that. You never know, it might work. Always add the getcontinuum link wherever you do this, frame an image if possible too. Every time anyone's in an internet gaming cafe, ask at the desk if they have Subpace Continuum. Act surprised when they ask what that is. Then tell them. Use its selling points: First ever MMOG, oldest one and still running today. Give them the link. Probably should develop a poster so that if a cafe ever says "cool we'll add it" you can give them a poster to stick on their desk or wall. I know, I;m at the point of prattling, but there's something in this, I'm sure of it. Like you said, fliers, well for the cafe's anyway.
And re your comment about AI bots being possible. I know this first hand. I was in Devastation zone once where they were testing an AI bot and it was massacreing me. I'm worried about giving them too much power. We've all seen the Terminator, yes?
You need 3 things.
1. Fresh Meat
i was talking to my brother about this issue last summer. he plays a first person shooter game. he and i both feel that for a game to grow you do need a steady flow of new people into a game. as soon as you loose that steady flow of newbies the game begins to die. ok no shockers here. here is the interesting point. the reason why you need new people is what my brother calls the concept of "Fresh Meat". even relatively new people who have been playing a few weeks need some "Fresh Meat"... newbies to kill. Just like in the ocean, there is always some one smaller then you and some one bigger then you in the food chain. The BIG thing that subspace needs is this "fresh Meat" in the food chain. well what do you do if you cant get the new people? its simple you have to artificially create them. What we need is 20-30 bots playing the game at all time. These relatively low intelligent bots programmed to fight in different styles from mining, gunning, and running suicide missions into the nearest ship. This basic building block in the food chain gives REAL newbies some thing to shoot at and to be able to kill. As it is right now, a newbie joins and gets 1 kill and 50 losses fighting pro players.
The ocean would die if the bottom of the food chain died, and the same thing has been happening to subspace for years. the bottom of the food chain has been broken for a long time.
2. The client, websites, and game help files are out of date and old. For example we could create some tube videos for newbies showing them some basic parts of the game. i know its easy for me to download and install however compared to the new games that are out subspace takes a lot of work for a new person to figure out whats going on.
3. Real Meat
After you build this basic food chain, simplify the install and setup, we all need to do a huge push to advertise to get REAL people into the game. lets say for example in the month of June we set a goal to put a banner on every website we can, hand out 1,000 flyers, hold LAN parties at peoples houses. we need a huge push as a community to introduce new people to the game.
Ok those are my 3 ideas. Let the ripping and complaining and criticizing begin. o and by the way when you get ready to post how building a bot is impossible. its not. i have one built. my bot recognizes its energy level, its current location on the map, direction he is facing, what toys he has. he can use any toy he has and can fire weapons. he can also tell what direction an enemy ship is.
[/quote]
I love the idea of bot ships. I really do. I don't think its without a lot of logistical and ethical issues, but I agree that AI bots for newbie practice is a concept that should be pursued if possible. I worry about putting the bots in the public arena, as vets could work out exploits that might come back to bite us in the butt. I worry about having a newbie arena, as this can defeat the purpose of getting more population in, in the first place. I am not across this whole scenario but I'd love to see a newbie section of pub arena. There IS room around the outside. In fact, the main arena is pretty darn big for our current pop, so why not shave a bit more off, add a parallel newb section, with AI bots, with newbs invited but not mandatory (maybe mandatory until first kill, I dunno), and restrict vet access. Yes, more issues again, a trolling vet may fabricate an identity to get in there and maul. Well, its just a concept.
I agree re the client. We are plugging an old game here, that kids these days are wont to sneer at. But its a brilliant game and deserves its place. You're suggesting looking into types of tutorials. I don't see why this can't be done. The actual download to be in a zone transition is actually a tiny bit murky and needs clear explanation. Then, once in, yes, how to play. Well, that's in many ways up to people like me. As a staff member, I am meant to help advise new players on the basics. Of course, any vet can do this too. Be careful with obliterating the new names. Offer some advice to them. If it turns out to be some vet in disguise .... bah ahh well, next one. You're thinking tutorial videos etc. Yes maybe, haven't thought much on that.
Real meat. Advertise the damn thing, excuse my french. Banner advertising is a great idea. As stated above, although small fry, Mittens' banner is greatly appreciated in my opinion. Tell your forum buddies, tell your facebook buddies. When I said "make" and "abduct" of course I'm using hyperbole. I mean, simply, annoy them a bit. On Facebook, whenever someone says "wanna get the new [insert stupid new game here] but not sure if its worth the time/money", I respond to them saying "Subspace: free, quick, best ever" or something ribbing like that. You never know, it might work. Always add the getcontinuum link wherever you do this, frame an image if possible too. Every time anyone's in an internet gaming cafe, ask at the desk if they have Subpace Continuum. Act surprised when they ask what that is. Then tell them. Use its selling points: First ever MMOG, oldest one and still running today. Give them the link. Probably should develop a poster so that if a cafe ever says "cool we'll add it" you can give them a poster to stick on their desk or wall. I know, I;m at the point of prattling, but there's something in this, I'm sure of it. Like you said, fliers, well for the cafe's anyway.
And re your comment about AI bots being possible. I know this first hand. I was in Devastation zone once where they were testing an AI bot and it was massacreing me. I'm worried about giving them too much power. We've all seen the Terminator, yes?
One of the three most dangerous people in Subspace.