Is this to be a free or commercial game?
Hmm...
Now that I think of it, it may not a simple yes or no answer.
I think it would be a good thing to do what Wizards of the Coast did with Magic: The Gathering.
While they did have more fancy boxed stuff, if you played MTG, do you remember when you first picked your color and got your very first deck?
It was completely free and allowed you to get a taste of the color's specific strategy.
The rest of the cards you probably got either through stuff like booster drafts, getting a specific card online or digging through a pile of old cards, which were dirt-cheap.
With a game, it could be even better, since people would be able to unlock new stuff through playing.
And by that I really do mean playing - I'm not a huge fan of grinding (I always try to find ways around it) and I consider timers and "energy" systems downright anti-gaming.
What's better - in MTG some of the older cards are harder to get, because they're out of print, but with a game the player can get every card ever created.
That's how it was done back in the day - hidden characters and secret weapons were a commonplace.
When I didn't have a memory card yet, I played Tekken all the time to unlock those hidden extras.
But nowadays people are charged for stuff like costumes, which is a real shame - they used to be and should be unlockables in the first place!
I understand that the extra stuff cost extra time and effort from the developers.
On one had, games like Minecraft used to release continuous free updates, which expanded the games drastically.
On the other hand, developers used to release expansions, which were a big thing and costed almost as much as the base game.
But I think there could be a middle ground here.
Something that would allow the players to support the developers and their continuous efforts, while also making this optional and allowing people to freely enjoy the newly-created content.
That's why I think, for an ever-growing game, this model would be the most fitting.
What do you think?
Did you now that the Unity Personal Edition has all the features of the Pro version? It might be better to use that if you are already proficient with Pro. It'll be quicker than learning a new engine. Also you can still buy the Pro version outright instead of subscribing. In fact it can be much cheaper to go through a third party reseller and buy it outright.
The thing is, I'm not really proficient with Unity or Unreal for that matter (yet).
I've read their recent announcement and they're going to discontinue their regular model with Unity, starting early this year.
Their newer versions will be subscription-based only and, worst still, those who bought their current version will no longer receive updates!
That's one reason I began learning Unreal.
The other one comes down to pricing.
With Unity, you'll end up having to pay for the engine even if the game is no longer selling. Also, it's a license per seat - bad news for those who want to work in any kind of team.
With Unreal, it's 3% on what the game is making. If the game is not selling, then there's no risk for the developer. On the other hand, if the game is selling like crazy, personally I think they deserve that 3%, since they undeniably contributed to that success.
Do you have a better idea?
Will there be contracts? It may be an uncomfortable subject, but if your health is really that bad you owe it to everyone involved in the project to make sure they are legally protected should the worst happen.
I'm not sure what do you consider sufficiently "legally protected", but if you want a piece of my mind on the topic, then hear this:
Leaving my family with debt to anyone or with legal trouble is not a thing I'd want to happen.So paying up when (or especially when) the worst happens, is not going to happen.
I hope that I made myself clear.
That's why I didn't go with stuff like angel investors, loans, credit card dept, burrowing anything or even with a Kickstarter campaign.
Plus, it's a surefire way to sift through people that just want to take advantage of me and find people who really enjoy what they do and put their heart and soul into it.
A Souls game made of souls - quite fitting indeed, don't you think?
That is the best kind of game and what we all need.
However, I do understand where the concern comes from and you guys really have to help me on that one.
I never had to deal with legal work - hope there will be someone ready to guide me through this.
Because it's some serious (and often scary) stuff you've brought up, I want it to be done with the uttermost care.
Why does, what was meant to be my hobby, has to be part of someone else's sorrow?
I cannot do this to my old folks.
I'd say, if you cannot do charity work, then don't do it.
If you can't do something because you like it, don't do it.
If you can't just do it for the name in the credits, just like I did it for project AM2R, then don't do it.
It's simple as that.
I shouldn't even be alive by now, but it looks like the world is going to get this awesome new game instead.
Isn't that a thing to celebrate?
That being said, some form of contract will definitely be needed in the later stages of growth.
In any case, I definitely trust that we'll come to some sort of an agreement that will be reasonable to all of us.
I don't want anyone to feel hurt or left out.
I just want to make this great game a reality.
Will you help me?
How much of the project is already done? You kind of imply that you've been working on it for a while but never definitively state how much work is already done.
Where do I even begin...
Yes, I've been doing this for quite a while - that doesn't mean I have much to show for it.
There were a lot of dead ends and often I had to start from scratch for a multitude of reasons.
Only recently I gained enough experience to reasonably pull this off.
The story as it currently is only took shape some 3 years ago.
About a year ago I finished my informal design document.
Currently, I am writing a book in parallel, as it's easier to make than a game and that way I could preserve the story in some form.
As of writing right now, I completed the prologue and two chapters, which all total to about 40 sub-chapters.
Also, the basic knowledge compendium is already published online for all to see.
Plus I've got plenty of concept art to show, if you like.
Now I'm learning new tools (like Unreal and Blender) and trying to assemble a team.
Of course, it's not my full-time job and I'm doing all of this at my own pace, when I feel like it.
I've got plenty of recovery ahead of me, you know.
How much influence will any collaborator have on the project? People are more willing to work on stuff if they can become more invested in the project.
The knowledge compendium and the design doc should provide the basis, but aside from that, I left much room for inspiration.
I've designed the setting with growth, improvement and creativity in mind.
There will always be room for another boss, level, covenant, character or piece of gear.
It's only a matter of when it's going to be done.
I hope this answers most of your questions.
Take care,
-Michael
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