[Callan S.]

Edit: Since the threads were combined - here is the game link : http://www.kongregate.com/games/Noontide/s-rank-slayers

Hullos,

I decided on 'S-rank Goblins' for a simple flash game project, simply so I didn't have to think about IP BS. I doubt Scott would not agree on the use of Sranc in a game, but because of all the money stuff and lawyers are kind of like morality molecule police in Earwa and ever present, it might prove problematic. Anyway, so it's Goblins of a certain rank - it being 'S'.

It's an 'idle game' - if you're not familiar there's quite a few out with many plays. You don't interact with them a lot, you sort of leave them running while you browse, occasionally coming back to manage stuff.

The screen shot in the attachment, though it might be hard to see (as you start off killing baby S-rank, so the graphic is shrunk. It grows as you get through the game), is actually from the wiki (slightly modified). It's a placeholder graphic - I don't have permission to use it publicly. That's partly why I'm here - to ask for a 128x128 sized art of an envisioning of what sranc might look like. I want to go with the black and white a lot of artists seem to use for PON work - but blood red is allowed amongst the black and white! I will end up drawing my own, otherwise - it will be mouse drawn art. You have been warned! 

I'm planning to have a number of links in the bottom left corner, stuff like 'inspired by the prince of nothing series' which will be clickable and open a browser to...I dunno. TPB? TPB is weird, the promo site is dead. Probably TPB. And maybe one to here, who knows? . So it's me writing up a game, so as to create something, make a few cents from kongregate hosting and to promote the books in a different avenue.

I'd also like art for the background behind the gobo - gnarled black and white trees, perhaps. Wouldn't mind varied soil art too. For can you anymore sin against dirt? Probably 160 tall, however wide you want for the background. 32x32 for the dirt tiles.

Will have a credits page the lists contributing artists names (or handles, whatev) and a clickable link to their stuff.

Thanks for any contributions that can be made!

[Wilshire]

I have spent many an hour on Kongregate. If you make an idle game, I will idle the shit out of it. Not much to offer in the way of anything practical, so good luck.

[Wilshire]

Dunno is TPB would be a better choice than bakker.com or whatever it is. It might be a static site, but it at least links to books. I think people may quickly feel overwhelmed by TBP and not inquire further (the link to s-rank [hilarious btw. a good choice] may not be obvious).

Maybe the wiki? People like wiki's.

I'd love to say that here is a good place too, but its apparent that no one cares about forums lol. If it were me, I'd throw one here, but I'm so very bias.

Any idea when you'd like to release it?

[Callan S.]

Maybe a couple of weeks from now. The main code is written, I'm just tweaking the advancement system and then I have to *sigh* write some tutorial text, which is always a pain. Then add the save system (easy) and test it (not so easy).

Edit: Does anyone know the artist who did the sranc picture in the wiki? I was hoping she/he would turn up and go 'hae, sure, you can use if I gets some credit!'

[Wilshire]

I thought that was originally posted here somewhere but I may be mistaken.

One of Somna's earlier ones actually:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=743.msg9314#msg9314
and color:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=743.msg9322#msg9322
and head:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=743.msg9365#msg9365

[Somnambulist]

Yeah, those were mine.  Let me re-read through this topic and I'll get back to you.  Just need to make sure I'm in possession of all the facts.   

[Somnambulist]

I don't mind you using the attached image in regards to the game you're making.  I modified it a little from the original sketch.  Let me know.

[Callan S.]

Sweet! What can I give a link to as a credit?

That's a nice piece - the outer edges are nice and dark - I was adding a sort of black aura effect before to distinguish the creature from the white background, but that's not needed now.

I've added it to the game and have attached two screen shots. The first is the size the creature starts at (child form). At 1000 strength it is full size and the second attached screen shot shows that.

[Somnambulist]

Cool      I suppose you can use http://spiralhorizon.deviantart.com/

[Callan S.]

Would love if that modified sranc was in your art folder at deviant art, then I could link directly to it - the old sranc art wont show if you don't have a deviant art account. Otherwise I've put that link in.

Currently I have the links and their text slightly opaque, so as to not grab the eye, but also not let the eye ignore them utterly. I'm wondering if I should turn them down slightly more. Also whether the wording seems okay.

[Wilshire]

Link it to the wiki? There is no filter on that one.

[Somnambulist]

Would love if that modified sranc was in your art folder at deviant art, then I could link directly to it - the old sranc art wont show if you don't have a deviant art account. Otherwise I've put that link in.

http://spiralhorizon.deviantart.com/art/S-rank-gray-494386500

done

[Callan S.]

Enthused by feedback I'm actually a long way along now - enough I've been bold enough to start setting it up on kongregate (it is not yet live, though)

Okay, behind the scenes stuff - I decided to aim for roughly a roughly 14 hour game. That's quite a few hours, though some idle games can (with prestige systems) can go for far longer. I'm kind of exploring the genre and getting a feel for whether it can be viable in some sort of income for the author thing, if such a thing can be imagined (generally it's about 1 cent per ten plays - so it's pretty weak sauce. That's why I'm trying a larger game time span. Maybe I should look into micro transaction stuff - and break a few kitten necks at the same time, because why just do one?).

It does make playtesting a bit of a pain in the ass though, like I found with my previous idle game. So bugs will be hiding in it.

That's my caveats - gunna sleep on it and see if I'll suck in my guts and click the publish button tomorrow.

[Wilshire]

From my experience, 14 hours seems like far to few to get people to use microtransactions. It would have to be much longer. People will happily spend a few days ramping up the timescales. Its not until after that that people start considering purchasing time reducing items and the like. I've seen people spend hundreds, if not thousands, on what amounts to idle games, but thats when you're talking about weeks of time saved rather than hours or even days.

Once its out let me know. I'll see if I can't earn you a penny or two.

[Callan S.]

The 14 hours is just so a bunch of individual sessions occur, as I guess it - and each session adds to the number of plays.

The whole area of psychology manipulation via game design is very Kellhus like.

Choice quote from that article “The players will come for the cute characters, and stay for the cruel mathematics.”

One might even say 'Kallous' mathematics! Nyuk, nyuk!