Would you play an ERE computer game? (GREENLIT)

[Ian]

Status update as promised:
Scripts: 97%
Equipment: 98%
Characters: 100%
Maps: 92%
Enemies: 82%
Music: 90%
Fully Tested: 81%

Probably a week or two more of development, then I'll need to start looking to more practical concerns of distribution and the like.

[JeffD]

Is there a way we could test play this? Looks like a good game!

[Ian]

Thanks! I'll definitely be looking for testers from this site, though I haven't decided quite on the method. For pre-alpha I just emailed people the file, but I'll need to get more formal for later versions.

[Ian]

Current progress on the game:
Scripts: 98%
Equipment: 98%
Characters: 100%
Maps: 94%
Enemies: 91%
Music: 90%
Fully Tested: 87%

Satisfying week, as I finished a number of major elements: the marriage and mortgage systems, the final dungeon and boss, and the ending scenes. What remains are the post-game areas. I've tried to balance the main game to give a decent challenge for casual players, but there's optional stuff for people who want more difficulty. Winning the game represents becoming financially stable, whereas the post-game content is more FI. That means it's time for...

RELEASE DECISIONS

There is balancing and bug-fixing to do, but the majority of the creative work will be done soon. That means it’s time to think about releasing this. I have some clear ideas, but I’m open to suggestions, comments, or criticism.

My thought was to do a Kickstarter to finish off the game, covering costs for art and other finishing touches I can't do myself. The costs aren't high, but a successful Kickstarter campaign is a good way to attract interest to a project (or gauge the lack of it, if that’s the case).

I was thinking the game itself might be $5, but the higher reward levels would include opportunities to beta test or be included in the game. However, I don’t want to go back on anything I’ve said here: if you’ve already posted in the thread, you can receive a copy of the fully-playable beta free of charge.

Here are the issues I'll be considering next. I'll figure them out on my own given time, but if anyone wants to volunteer their expertise, I'd be grateful.
1) Running a successful Kickstarter
2) Cheap hosting options
3) Good methods of selling things online (the only one I know is Plimus)

Now back to work.*

*By "work" I mean "play."

[DutchGirl]

Have fun . I have absolutely no expertise in any of these areas, so all I can say is: good luck!

[takapunch]

Here are the issues I'll be considering next. I'll figure them out on my own given time, but if anyone wants to volunteer their expertise, I'd be grateful.
1) Running a successful Kickstarter
2) Cheap hosting options
3) Good methods of selling things online (the only one I know is Plimus)

Now back to work.*

*By "work" I mean "play."

I have a couple friends who've successfully kickstarted games, so I asked them for some quick tips. I'll let you know when I hear back.

[Ian]

Thanks to both of you.

My current plan is to try to launch the Kickstarter midway through next month. That should be enough time to finish the main creative work, figure out most hurdles, and put together a campaign. At least that's my hope.

[takapunch]

Thanks to both of you.

My current plan is to try to launch the Kickstarter midway through next month. That should be enough time to finish the main creative work, figure out most hurdles, and put together a campaign. At least that's my hope.

Here's the advice. Friend 1 (kickstarted a large indie strategy game set to ship late this year):

I dunno, definitely have game footage in the video, keep the goal relatively low...
"Indie RPG" isn't exactly new ground on Kickstarter so he'll really need to impress, somehow. Unless he happens to be an extremely charismatic on-screen guy (and sorry to say, most programmers/devs are not), best to keep it mostly to game footage, if he can. If his voice isn't great, he should get someone else to do it. Presentation and confidence is key.

Friend 2 (kickstarted a social board game):

1) be ready to spend a LOT of time working on this. A successful Kickstarter is a full time job.
2) Take your time. Don't rush launching the campaign, craft it really well, and build hype well before launch. You'll want to build a strong mailing list, maybe even get some pledge commitments beforehand for people who would be really excited.
3) Be prepared to spend a lot longer than you expect finishing the project. Give yourself an extra couple months to fulfill all the rewards, especially physical rewards (and even then you will probably be a bit late).
4) Be really careful about the budget. Shipping costs are fucking expensive.
5) Ideally you will be sending out a lot of updates. Do that. It's important."

If you need any other help (ideas for the kickstarter/voice work for the video/what to present or write) let me know. I'm always down to lend a hand with creative work and love writing and voice acting!

[Ian]

I'm waiting for a quote on an art-related thing, but I think I'm close to knowing how much money this will take. Anyone in this thread, sound off if you would be willing to pledge and/or whether you want to be part of the free alpha. Here are the pledge tiers I was considering:

$5: You get a digital copy of the game before it's publicly released, and a copy of the game when it appears on any other channels (like Steam).

$10: Digital copy of the game, plus an opportunity to play the beta. Your name will be in the credits and you'll have a chance to influence the game! (limited)

$25: Super Beta! All the rewards of the previous level, plus a personal touch added to the game: a new item, character, or quest - designed by you! (limited)

$100: Be a part of the game! You or your character get a house in Societyville, populated by family, or challenges, or bonus items to be found by the player.
(Only one, though I have room for two or three $100-level rewards based on the same concept.)

$1000: Personal financial advice and career counseling from the creator! I will seriously analyze your financial situation and then give you thorough personal advice. The advice will be "Don't spend $1000 on Kickstarter."

If you need any other help (ideas for the kickstarter/voice work for the video/what to present or write) let me know. I'm always down to lend a hand with creative work and love writing and voice acting!

Thanks for the advice. Some of that was new, but it's also nice to get confirmation from successful people about the things I was considering.

For the pitch, I'd planned to do all game footage on the assumption that no one cares about me personally. Premise of the game, the mechanics that make it unique, reward explanation, hopefully < 5 minutes. Yesterday I got decent recording software, so I'll put up a first draft eventually.

[jacob]

Once you have it up on kickstarter, make a graphical image that 125px wide (no wider!!) and say <250px tall and I'll put it on the top left corner of the blog for a few months. Hopefully that'll give you some exposure. If you want it...

Free of charge, obviously.

[Ian]

Do you have a mailing address, home, p.o. box or work I can send a check? If so inbox for $100. More details later.

Hmm, I'm not sure if Kickstarter accepts checks. If you're wanting to go outside Kickstarter because that works best for you, I do have a business address. I'll send a PM.

Once you have it up on kickstarter, make a graphical image that 125px wide (no wider!!) and say <250px tall and I'll put it on the top left corner of the blog for a few months. Hopefully that'll give you some exposure. If you want it...

Free of charge, obviously.

That would be very kind of you. I'll send you an image once the campaign gets closer.

[JamesR]

Indiegogo might be better, a big difference is you get paid with indiegogo even if you don't reach your "goal".

[Spartan_Warrior]

@Ian: I am ready to test the alpha/beta whenever you're ready to send it, but will also pledge $25 so I can put my own character/quest/item in there. I want to play the game first so I can come up with something good. I'll also put an ad and/or game review on my blog if you want.

I also second @JamesR's suggestion, or at least caution you to be ready to make up any shortfalls in your Kickstarter campaign yourself (or through a proxy) so you don't lose any contributions if you miss the goal.

@Takapunch: Based on your comment about voice acting combined with your avatar, I now assume you sound like Captain Falcon. And I totally want to hear Captain Falcon narrate the preview for this game. Make it happen, folks!

[takapunch]

@Takapunch: Based on your comment about voice acting combined with your avatar, I now assume you sound like Captain Falcon. And I totally want to hear Captain Falcon narrate the preview for this game. Make it happen, folks!

SHOW ME YA MOVES! YES!

[Ian]

re: Indiegogo: I did seriously consider them. They also accept PayPal, which matters to some people. However, I think my goal will be reasonably low and Kickstarter seems to attract the most attention when it comes to games, so it's probably the stronger option. I'm open to having my mind changed, but that's my thinking.

@Ian: I am ready to test the alpha/beta whenever you're ready to send it, but will also pledge $25 so I can put my own character/quest/item in there. I want to play the game first so I can come up with something good. I'll also put an ad and/or game review on my blog if you want.

Thanks for both!

@Takapunch: Based on your comment about voice acting combined with your avatar, I now assume you sound like Captain Falcon. And I totally want to hear Captain Falcon narrate the preview for this game. Make it happen, folks!

SHOW ME YA MOVES! YES!

I'll just play this as the audio track for the preview.

[DutchGirl]

I'm in for $25!

Cool that you are this far along now, Ian. I'm looking forward to testing this, although since I'm not a computer guy it'll be along the lines of "screen froze" or "I don't like the color of that guy's sweater".

[Ian]

Thanks - those kinds of reactions are helpful too.

Setting up Kickstarter is a tedious process, but I'm wading through. I also have a rough draft of my video, but I'd like to improve a few things before I show it here. Still planning on mid-month to launch the campaign.

[Ian]

Alright, everyone, it's alpha testing time. I need a handful of volunteers.

It would be more accurate to call this the first round of the beta, because almost everything in the game is in place. What I can't guarantee is that I didn't introduce any game-breaking bugs while I was adding and fixing other things. The balance may also be a little rough, because I was constantly tweaking as I played and I haven't run another full game to see how well those tweaks add together.

No expertise is needed at this stage, though familiarity with the genre would probably improve your experience. All you need is some free time you want to spend here (there's no real deadline) and a willingness to jot down your experiences as you play. Once I have a few volunteers, I'll PM everyone the link.

[DivisionByZero]

I'd be happy to volunteer - sounds like fun!

[theanimal]

I'll volunteer