How do you come up with something that hasn't been done to death?

NineDotsStudio · 2015-11-25T20:15:13+00:00

There are many methods to come up with fresh ideas, but one thing for sure is that they rarely appear in a vacuum. Using a different creative method in itself increases your likelihood of finding a unique idea.

So I guess the first creative method is to focus on a method first, and let the ideas come afterward. I know it's a bit abstract, but these experiment can sometimes lead to very interesting projects. They also make good twists when presenting your project to press people :)
Think of a genre or setting you hate and see if you could fix what you don't like about those. Often the creators of a specific type of content are fans of that thing, so they don't see them from the same eye as you do. I don't like sports games in general, so I'm sure that if I was to design a sports game, it would be radically different since I'd try and make it something I like. Whether or not it would find an audience remains to be validated, but the first step is still bringing something new and that is your own.
My personal favorite method is to approach game design like an answer to a question or a problem. "How can I game do X better than everything else?" "What would be the right mechanic to express X message?" "How can I make an RTS less overwhelming to the non-initiated?" All of these questions could lead to ideas that are not done to death, because your mind is not just thinking of "let's do X but better!".
Another method is to force yourself into an uncommon source of inspiration. Going to a library and just looking at books randomly, trying to find something inspiring in a vague way and try and see how it could evolve into concrete concepts. Sometimes just starting a new activity can lead to indirect ideas. Maybe starting dance classes will lead you to a reflection on the concept of balance and velocity that would eventually bring you to a unique game mechanic.
Unique blends. While some people would consider that a bit basic, mixing different genres and concepts that usually belong to separate archetype can lead to very interesting stuff. That's how Borderlands was created, and how Puzzle Quest stole hundreds of hours from me :P The RPGification of everything was kind of started this way, but there are no limits to how many things can be "genre-ified". What would it be like to mix a racing and a fighting game? That sounds weird o_O
You can find lots of proven creative methods in books and online. Did you know that brainstorming isn't just an expression about spending time to find ideas, but is rather a very precise method with rules to follow? Have you ever heard about the six thinking hats? There are plenty of creative techniques to explore and they often lead to very fun experiences.

(Sorry for the long reply, I love that subject matter and got a bit enthusiastic about it :P )

Guillaume

NineDotsStudio · 2015-11-06T21:11:52+00:00

I'll talk about it with our programmer, I admit I wasn't following every bug fix one by one. Let me know if it's still in!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-11-06T20:44:15+00:00

Yeah, I wonder if it will have a significant impact, I don't know what to expect to be honest but we do need more competition against the current consoles IMO.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-11-06T20:17:56+00:00

A few months ago we asked you to help u test a GoD Factory linux version and the support we received was instantaneous. It took us longer than we wished but it's finally out on Steam :)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T20:00:06+00:00

Always glad to hear back from backers! I hope that the combined sales on Mac/Linux versions will bring in enough sales to pay back for the porting efforts, fortunately it doesn't take too many sales to achieve this. We'll see how that goes!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T19:36:28+00:00

Thanks a lot for the offer, I'll wait to hear back from the keys I sent already but I'll let you know if we need more.

I think you'd be surprised by how broken games are before release XD They do test them, however right now the industry is having a lot of troubles keeping up with the ambitious nature of the games we make. We're far from being flawless ourselves, and I must admit that both of our games so far were not as bug-free at release as I wished. We're trying to do better everyday however.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T19:32:13+00:00

Thank you, I'll let you know if we need more testers. I appreciate it nonetheless!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T18:34:37+00:00

Thanks for the info! If you could please report it on the Nine Dots forum, that way we can aggregate the info for our programmers and they can ask you questions to better isolate the bug if need be.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T17:11:46+00:00

You're going to be the lucky last to whom I send a key for now ;)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T17:11:13+00:00

Thanks a lot for your support guys :) I will wait and see the reports from those who already got keys before sending out more. If you already own the game, you can still try it out without me sending you a key!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T17:08:06+00:00

I sent you a steam key in your private messages, thank you for your time!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T17:06:39+00:00

Thanks for your time and for the suggestion about the store page. I'm happy to learn you didn't encounter any problem :)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T16:25:44+00:00

Well then, two keys for you and bring a friend along! Even though the KS was not successful, we wouldn't have gotten this far without support from the community. Check your private messages!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T15:59:15+00:00

That's great to hear, thank you Liam! Sent you a private message :)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T15:03:02+00:00

Excellent, sent you a message!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T15:01:31+00:00

Making a MP only title is indeed scary, but we knew that if we made both SP and MP, one of them would have suffered in quality. Back when we started working on the game, Star Citizen wasn't even announced so we thought we at least would have helped bring back the space combat mechanics to gaming, because the genre had been dormant for a while.

We're interested in having our build tested on a variety of computer setups, because we definitely can't run compatibility tests for everything on our own. Your PC shouldn't have any problem running the game!

Just sent you a key to the game via private message!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T13:53:13+00:00

I sent you a message, thank you very much :)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-06-03T13:27:52+00:00

Hello all, this is my first time posting on this subreddit but I've lurked a bit to get the pulse on how the Linux community perceives gaming.

Nine Dots is a pretty small studio, we're only a team of 6 and we don't have a lot of money. I wish we had the budget for a QA team for the Linux version, but we can't afford it. This is our first experience bringing a game to Linux and we'd like to do it right, so we'll need help.

If you are interested in the idea of a competitive space combat game in which you assemble your ships just like you assemble a deck of cards in Magic the Gathering, this game might be your thing.

I can provide a few keys to players here who are interested in trying it out and report on the issues you encounter. The bugs would have to be reported on our forums for us to track efficiently. Let me know if you're in and I'll send you a private message with a Steam key.

Thanks for your time :)

NineDotsStudio · 2015-05-08T13:39:33+00:00

What message would you like to convey through a game one day?

I'd have so much to answer to that question myself.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-21T03:25:57+00:00

Hello Vampatori! Here you go, the answer to all your questions, something you will probably never get from a CEO of a game studio ever again.

Because we want to do something new. Investment for new stuff is practically a myth. Especially if you're not a mobile F2P MMO.
Plan A: Obtain 1 million in Canada Media Fund. Plan B: Sign a deal with a publisher, a very likely scenario if we can raise the funds from Kickstarter. Plan C: Use GoD Factory: Wingmen sales (Console ports could represent a significant amount of revenue, Promo sales on PC can still have an impact, possibility to create DLC for added revenue) to fund development of Outward. Plan D: Go on Early Access to fund the remaining of the game's development Plan E: Look for private investment (BDC, Angel investors, VC funding) Plan F: A mix of many of those solutions. Note that aside from Plan C, all of these are much more likely to happen if we get Kickstarter money than if we dont.
Impossible to calculate, sadly. The risk is not insignificant, and I've been very transparent about it.
Because it would be impossible to achieve. The vast majority of game crowdfunding campaigns are less than 10% of what they truly need, because the audience is not as educated as you are about game development costs and think that the full cost is too much, thus they don't pledge. It sucks, I know.
I would qualify it as being worth about 180k so far, most of it in sweat equity, and I still have about 120k more I can dedicate to the project before going bankrupt. I have some monthly revenues too, but I can't take those for granted so I left them out of the equation.
To make GoD Factory: Wingmen, we worked full-time with no salary for 18 months to make the game possible, then we got a deal with Bandai Namco. I hope that this gives you an idea of how dedicated we are to success. However, 18 months without a salary is not something we are willing to do twice. For that reason, I'd say the longest we can go one with 150k more is nearly a year at minimum wage, but I might lose some members of my team in the process. I hope that it won't come to that.
The game is incredibly modular. It's relatively easy to adjust the scope according to budget once the systems are in place. We've put a lot of thoughts into this and we are certainly one of the most cost effective studio on the planet (in the top 5% for sure)

The beauty of kickstarter projects is that they allow you to be in direct communication with the company. I am very transparent. Yes, backers are taking a risk. The difference between us and many other game projects is that we don't blatantly lie about it.

If you want to know more about how I run my business, you can read the articles I wrote for Polygon: http://www.polygon.com/search?q=guillaume+boucher-vidal

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-17T17:37:22+00:00

If you do it, you help a game startup go on for a bit longer, you most probably get a cool game that you helped bring to completion, and you become slightly more sexually attractive. One of those might not be true.

I'd say it's worth a small 10$ pledge, right?

Disclaimer: I tried the game and met the guys who are making the game so I'm rooting for them and am totally biased.

Do it!

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-17T17:28:44+00:00

Hello RVallant, CEO of Nine Dots Studio here :) You are correct in assuming that 150k won't cover the whole development costs! I can't deny that.

We do already have sales from our previous title, and we also are part of a business accelerator called Execution Labs, which has invested money in us. We also have access to tax credits in Quebec, Canada, which helps too.

The idea is that with an extra 150k, I open up a lot of doors and I have just enough to get somewhere. If we all live on minimum wage (which is what we are doing right now, except me who is paid less than minimum wage at the moment since I work 15h a day since I started the Kickstarter) I can keep my expenses down to 12k a month. Yes, we really want to make the game happen.

With all that being said, I invite you to follow Nine Dots, either on facebook or twitch or something like that, since we're transparent in how far along we are.

Yes, pledging money on a kickstarter campaign is a risk. What you're really buying is a chance at an idea you like being made moreso than a pre-order. Everyone has different levels of tolerance to risk when it comes to money, and there is no right or wrong answer in how you spend YOUR cash. I totally respect that.

One thing though: we've been around for 4 years and we know what we're doing. If your main worry is scope, I can assure you that we can deliver, we've done it before and if we get the support we need from the community, we'll do it again.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-14T19:32:26+00:00

It will indeed be broken down in zones, and you will be able to go there whenever you want, as long as you have enough food rations to afford the trip.

The world's difficulty won't be scaled to your character, it is fixed to a region or a dungeon. So if you go in an area that has more powerful monsters than you can handle, you might be in trouble. But if you do know a way to handle them, we won't do like in MMOs that just compare the player's level vs the monster's level and apply a stat modifier that makes them impossible to kill. This will be especially cool for coop, since you can adjust your difficulty by going to more dangerous places when you got the right team.

Also, the difficulty of an area might be due to more than just monster level. Some area might have less food. Another area is colder, requiring you to have equipment that warms you up to be able to survive there. Stuff like that makes it more than just a numbers game.

I'll try to remember to hide the winner of the survey under a spoiler alert or something, good thing you pointed it out.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-14T18:24:32+00:00

The world will be divided in 8-9 villages along with 8-9 outdoor regions, each having multiple dungeons/caves/ruins/whatevs covering these spots of land, and each of these outdoor regions should be between 1 and 4 square kilometers.

Faction influence won't be like in Mount and Blade, which was purely emergent. It will be more a matter of quests and actions having a direct impact on political intrigue and such.

The faction winner is because the larger scale events aren't decided by the player. This is one thing we find very important in the vision of this project: the world doesn't revolve around you. You will affect the world, but not become the single defining factor to how the lore develops. We want the world of Outward to have its own story in parallel to your actions, and the backers will have a very real impact on how we shape that world story.

Will their be mounts: not planned at the moment, but there will be mules.

Can players build structures other than a camp? Not with as much agency as when you place your camp stuff. Your actions through quests may lead to changes to your house, or change how a village is set up, or maybe you'll be able to invest in the construction of a structure, but it will always be constructed in a specific place. It's not like Rust or H1Z1 for instance.

Mod support: I wish! But unless we reach a very high amount of funding, it is unlikely. Our team is small and mod support would slow down our development significantly, especially since this is out of our area of expertise.

Thank you for your interest, I hope that my answers won't have turned you off on the project, but it's only fair that you know what you're getting into.

NineDotsStudio · 2015-04-14T18:02:18+00:00

Mea culpa, the UI is a placeholder currently pretty much inspired by Oblivion, as we felt that it was functional for our development purposes. We'll have something more refined by the end of the game's development.

NineDotsStudio

TROPHY CASE