04-05-2011, 04:41 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 The client, websites, and game help files are out of date and old.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 actually think some of those are good ideas.
1. The Bot idea
I suggested somewhere (either in forum or in pub spec) that a single bot in the main zone when NOONE or ONE person was playing would be good. Too often when ive come into Chaos, everyones in spec and probably away, so the person that came in to have a look has no option to play for a bit to kill some time, so then just leaves. Ppl dont seem to unspec unless theres 1-2 minimum out there in the 'field' <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unknw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':good:' /> ..... so provide a bot for that time, and then have it go to spec once there are at least 2 ppl playing. Kills ON the bot shouldnt count for stats though ..... but perhaps it would be fun to have kills BY the bot count <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':pardon:' /> <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unknw:' />
However, a tutorial arena populated by bots for new ppl to practice on sounds great. You can have bots of varying difficulty (based on their bty level and which upgrades they have) for new people to get some real practice on. The bots can have FIXED bty while the new ppl are able to powerup.
I know if its accessible by vets, it may affect the experience. So perhaps one way to be able to do this (if its possible) is for everytime a new person enters Chaos (bot can check their ?USAGE) they automatically get sent to a private unlisted arena which is created for them (ex: ?go [username]). Once the person has killed off all the bots in the arena, or if the bots are able to respawn then maybe achieves a certain RATIO (so we know theyre actually able to kill the bots at least .... the downside being they may only be killing the easier bots repeatedly), then they can have the option to go to the public arena right away, or on their next entry.
Infact, this could even work as an OFFLINE TUTORIAL ZONE for everyone ..... including ppl who have played with crazy non-VIE settings and need a refresher <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unknw:' /> <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drinks.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
If it wasnt for the fact that ppl come into the Chaos zone JUST to go on to League, WZ, 4v4 Practice, etc. i think it might be kind of interesting to make EVERYONE have to go through something like an alpha ARENA at the beginning of each reset <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Perhaps with other players being invulnerable, so only bots can be killed. Once a certain ratio, or stat is achieved they can then go on to the main zones <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
2. Client, website, game help
YouTube sounds like a good idea if anyone actually wants to do it <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Perhaps the tutorial will also help ppl to figure out the game too.
3. Advertising
This really is essential. On the forum, or the SS website, have available banners (different styles and sizes) and other links that ppl can easily copy and paste on other websites. Make it EASIER to advertise. Im sure quite a few ppl know how to make banner links etc .... but not EVERYONE. Make it easier for those people.
Perhaps also even have a button on the launch screen somewhere that will allow ppl to "INVITE FRIENDS" which could open an email with the banner link already there for them to send on to friends. <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/good.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
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 actually think some of those are good ideas.
1. The Bot idea
I suggested somewhere (either in forum or in pub spec) that a single bot in the main zone when NOONE or ONE person was playing would be good. Too often when ive come into Chaos, everyones in spec and probably away, so the person that came in to have a look has no option to play for a bit to kill some time, so then just leaves. Ppl dont seem to unspec unless theres 1-2 minimum out there in the 'field' <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unknw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':good:' /> ..... so provide a bot for that time, and then have it go to spec once there are at least 2 ppl playing. Kills ON the bot shouldnt count for stats though ..... but perhaps it would be fun to have kills BY the bot count <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':pardon:' /> <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unknw:' />
However, a tutorial arena populated by bots for new ppl to practice on sounds great. You can have bots of varying difficulty (based on their bty level and which upgrades they have) for new people to get some real practice on. The bots can have FIXED bty while the new ppl are able to powerup.
I know if its accessible by vets, it may affect the experience. So perhaps one way to be able to do this (if its possible) is for everytime a new person enters Chaos (bot can check their ?USAGE) they automatically get sent to a private unlisted arena which is created for them (ex: ?go [username]). Once the person has killed off all the bots in the arena, or if the bots are able to respawn then maybe achieves a certain RATIO (so we know theyre actually able to kill the bots at least .... the downside being they may only be killing the easier bots repeatedly), then they can have the option to go to the public arena right away, or on their next entry.
Infact, this could even work as an OFFLINE TUTORIAL ZONE for everyone ..... including ppl who have played with crazy non-VIE settings and need a refresher <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unknw:' /> <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drinks.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> If it wasnt for the fact that ppl come into the Chaos zone JUST to go on to League, WZ, 4v4 Practice, etc. i think it might be kind of interesting to make EVERYONE have to go through something like an alpha ARENA at the beginning of each reset <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> Perhaps with other players being invulnerable, so only bots can be killed. Once a certain ratio, or stat is achieved they can then go on to the main zones <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> 2. Client, website, game help
YouTube sounds like a good idea if anyone actually wants to do it <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> Perhaps the tutorial will also help ppl to figure out the game too.3. Advertising
This really is essential. On the forum, or the SS website, have available banners (different styles and sizes) and other links that ppl can easily copy and paste on other websites. Make it EASIER to advertise. Im sure quite a few ppl know how to make banner links etc .... but not EVERYONE. Make it easier for those people.
Perhaps also even have a button on the launch screen somewhere that will allow ppl to "INVITE FRIENDS" which could open an email with the banner link already there for them to send on to friends. <img src='http://www.subspace.co/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/good.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />