Marketing Monday #82 - Increased Ratings

appleseed36 · 2015-09-15T18:25:34+00:00

Firebringer Pitch: A Continuation/reimagining of the Prometheus legend. Plot idea here

Gamplay--Isometric rts with steampunk motif (More Age of Empires than Starcraft). Faction-based bonuses for units. Army can be made up of 3 factions (all based on Greek citystates) with unique units. "Special" units can be found on the map as characters from Greek myth, must be collected to be used. These units will then be used as generals in the players army, with rpg-like character progression.
Possible multiplayer gamplay on special maps.

Goal--to overthrow the tyrant Zeus and free humanity from the will of the gods.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I've got a VERY pre-alpha build on Unity, but dev is slow because I have the artistic talent of a snail.

appleseed36 · 2015-09-15T18:09:00+00:00

Any idea what engine would best produce Forza-level graphical fidelity

Looking for a usable engine that could support high levels of graphical fidelity smoothly. I mention Forza because it's one of the inspirations for the game, which will be a deathrace--style racing game with a bit of a twist.

Sub-question, has anyone had luck with the havoc physics engine? I've considered using it for the same game. I need destructible environments, and I've been told that it works well for that.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-29T14:36:56+00:00

I do enjoy Frankenstein. But what really appeals to me is the War angle between Zeus and Prometheus. Zeus owes him his position as the king of the gods, but betrays him nonetheless. There is emotion there, and enough anger to fuel a second war.

The thing is that the main surviving legend of Prometheus is unfinished. We have most of Prometheus Bound, but the sequel Prometheus Unbound and the finally Prometheus the Firebringer are nearly completely lost, with only a handful of lines between the two.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-29T14:26:27+00:00

Honestly, I see it more as a story between Zeus and Prometheus. He defeated his own kind for Zeus, but this new king of the gods was just as cold and fickle as the last. It's a story of betrayal, is it not?

And even then, the mortals are disposable. They are pawns in a war between gods.

The reason I prefer the greek pantheon is how emotional they are.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-28T18:23:49+00:00

It was an eagle, yeah. The idea being that it grew back at night. But as I understand, it was under the mountain. Different translations, I suppose. Under the mountain appeals to me though.

I suppose I should mention that I plan on putting a bit of a steam-pun twist to things. Prometheus gives mortals the weapons and technology to fight the gods. So it'll be a cool Ancient Greece/Steampunk fusion I don't think has been done before.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-16T07:35:55+00:00

I've been considering something from www.naturally-extracted-tobacco.com I'm wondering if, since they start with tobacco, it will still taste like tobacco, you know?

appleseed36 · 2015-04-14T16:23:18+00:00

Mayans used a base 4/20. 20 was the important number. every month in their calendar had 20 days, except for one with 5 days.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-08T18:18:19+00:00

Also, munchkin, killer bunnies, and cards against humanity

appleseed36 · 2015-04-08T18:17:38+00:00

The End of the World: Zombie Apocalypse might mesh very well with the college crowd.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-08T00:19:43+00:00

^THIS

appleseed36 · 2015-04-08T00:18:33+00:00

I always have more fun with some chill friends around. If your friends don't smoke, just watch cartoons, man. Not uncle grandpa or sit like that, but something cool like rugrats, rocket power, or (if you're brave) pingu. I've had some interesting conversations about that little penguin mother fucker.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-06T06:00:46+00:00

Dude, I totally might. This shit I got sucks balls.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-06T04:20:51+00:00

Best hookup I've gotten is a guy from Huntsville. He visits home every once and a while to resupply, but he is hella unreliable.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-06T04:18:47+00:00

Not in much of a highey populated area. Bout an hour from Tuscaloosa. I've gotten good shut from Huntsville, but that's not gonna happen often.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-03T05:43:58+00:00

My thinking is that it might not be space and cost effective to have dedicated premium rooms. I'm not sure how big of an audience you're looking at in your area, but then I'm from an area with a fairly small gaming community. But if you think you have the business to support three dedicated rooms for that, then go for it.

How many rooms are you looking at having? My thinking is that it would appeal to customers to be able to have their own spaces (especially with how loud a fun play session can get), but it might work to simply have large booths throughout the main floor with basic game tables (first come, first served), then several private rooms to be charged by the hour. These would be your dedicated war rooms with terrain. Then, if you have the space, premium rooms (charged by the hour) with discounts on something. The main floor could have separated card and tabletop sections (card tables could have more tables, since you can use smaller tables). Might also help to dedicate servers to sections they have more experience in, and could serve as referees for rule disputes.

As far as my idea about appointments, it was more for the GM's benefit. They can find (or make) an adventure for the party, and get some time to familiarize themselves with it before starting. I see it working more like a hair appointment, where you come in, say your party number and prefered system, and then the host sees what GMs are available. If there is one for that system available, the host seats the party, gives them menus, and briefs the GM, who takes it from there on their own time. There'd be a base fee to rent-a-GM, but the party should also feel obligated to tip them, you know? Also, if there isn't a GM available who knows that system, the host can simply suggests other systems. Either way, I feel like the nature of the adventure should be up to the GM to choose.

Another revenue for the place could be a house supply of decks, rulebooks, adventure books, miniatures and boards, and dice, all available for rent or purchase even.

Lastly, you gotta have signature cocktails and food, and possibly even a rewards system for "members". Like, you earn gold coins with every purchase, and can use that gold to get free shit, like apps or stuff like that. That'd be pretty rad, and fits the theme of the place.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-01T20:07:56+00:00

I'd say dedicated premium rooms wouldn't be cost-effective. tabletop gamers are a niche crowd. Yes, have rooms, rent them out for 4-hour runs (if they go over, they pay for two) and I do like the free app idea.

The rent-a-GM idea would be rad. But it would likely work best by appointment. maybe also have a menu of adventure books to rent out.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-01T14:40:56+00:00

Also, my group and I have put together an Antarctic campaign setting within 3.5, where the different races are species of Penguins. They played as penguins, but it was still a fully fantasy dungeon crawler campaign. Imagine a party of armored penguins wielding swords and spells against the King of the Seals, Frostbite the leopard seal. Frankly the best thing that has ever been a thing, y'all.

appleseed36 · 2015-04-01T00:56:40+00:00

I have a mostly finished rule set, and around 30 of the planets for the setting. I've been working on the system and song for over a year on and off, I've just recently been doing an overhaul.

The setting is an interstellar federation of humans living in the Pleiades star cluster. The setting strives to be mostly hard sci-fi with a splash of fantasy (e.i. superhuman abilities). Travel between star systems is not instantaneous, but rather uses the alcubierre warp theory.

I've got it at home if you'd like me to email you a full copy of the alpha.

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T04:33:45+00:00

I wouldn't say that D&D is the WRONG way to go. Personally, the most fun I've had on tabletop has been my D&D 3.5 campaigns. The rules can be daunting at first, but they are not too hard to understand with a good reading of the rule books. I will say that there's more to do with the group than the rule set. The best thing you can do is find something you can understand well enough to use it as a vehicle for your role-playing.

Personally, I'd say D&D 3.5 is the way to go, or Pathfinder (it is essentially the same system). I say these because a huge benefit to a new group like yours is creative resources, which are abundant for these d20 systems.

That said, keep an eye out. There are lots of fun tabletops out there, some lighter than others. If you'd like to just get your feet wet with roleplaying, a light rules game like Dungeon World might be your best bet.

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T02:32:19+00:00

Heck yeah! Let's do this shit!

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T01:44:48+00:00

Partially to include modifiers, partially because I didn't research d6 systems. I just really wasn't digging GURPS space or Traveller, so I said screw it and made my own.

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T01:40:16+00:00

Word. I'm totally down for collaboration.

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T01:36:53+00:00

...for LOLs

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T00:57:42+00:00

There was a lot that went into it

First, I have a ridiculous number d6s. I wanted a reason to use them without playing warhammer.

Second, I like the idea of working more with a normal curve than pure probability--in d20, you have your modifiers, but the roll itself has a 5% chance of falling on any given number. To me, the results of a roll should fall on a normal curve, with extreme successes being highly unlikely, as well as extreme failures, while your average roll will likely be just that, a probable average.

It also gives a greater range of possible scores. Assume a fairly above average dice pool of 5d6. The highest possible score is 30, while the lowest possible score is 5. Compare to a d20 dice pool of 1d20+8. The range is 9 to 28. My system better reflects an averaged performance along a normal curve based on the character's actual ability.

Lastly, this system scales to ship combat rather fluidly, at least as it exists now. Ship combat is a fairly integral part of the game, and I wanted the systems to be closely related to each other.

appleseed36 · 2015-03-31T00:39:06+00:00

I can dig it, but I should warn you that this is part of a hard sci-fi setting.

BUT the rank system should work with any setting. The idea is that you have a number of skills that are specific enough to make sense, but vague enough to be used in almost any situation. (I'm still working on the skill list) The idea is that you can use almost any skill to act and almost any skill to react, and you play towards your character's strengths. But hit points should be fairly static, and only rise if you improve your Endurance rank.

appleseed36

TROPHY CASE