[Elmdor]

Slide 31 was what I felt was relevant for game design theory, and the most troubling...(Only because of the idea of a forced 200 hour grind)

Slide 31:

>Design for maximum player fun hour per product/feature development hour.

>Example: Custom Missions = 40-80 dev hours per 1 gameplay hour.

>Example: Rep Grinding = 100-200 dev hour per 200-400 gameplay hours.

[Taeryn]

Grinding by any other name is still grinding. It's all about implementation. You just have to figure out clever ways of making people want to do the tasks that will gain them the rep or xp they are after.

[netburnr]

Yep, people don't mind the grind if its fun.

Like power fluxxing, or transports that actually mean something. Add a bit of story to it, ta-da.

[Dex]

The concept pics are great. I just hope the stations are BIG, BIG, BIG!

[Ambrosius]

They are, are, are. And the roids are, too!

Note: most Jumpgate Evolution shots you see are not concept art but actual in-game sreen shots. And they do not come close to doing justice to the scale compared to seeing it live.

[Jump]

Yes everything in game is on a massive scale. Forget all the pics and vids. On a computer screen it's a whole different ballgame.

[GrimGriz]

pfft. Massive scale = increased travel time

[GrimGriz]

Originally Posted by netburnr

Yep, people don't mind the grind if its fun.

Sheep don't mind the grind if its fun. Luckily humanity is little more than cattle. I'd prefer a game where elitist snobs are catered to, but I guess I'll have to stick with RL for that

[Dex]

Originally Posted by GrimGriz

pfft. Massive scale = increased travel time

Actually not necessarily. If there are obstacles between your location and destination, it could be more interesting, but not necessarily take more time...

Originally Posted by GrimGriz

Sheep don't mind the grind if its fun. Luckily humanity is little more than cattle. I'd prefer a game where elitist snobs are catered to, but I guess I'll have to stick with RL for that

Ehm people, a grind isn't a grind if it's fun. The whole meaning of the saying(or whatever such a thing is called)is that it's not fun, but you have to do it to advance in some area...


NOTE: Holy crap they're annoying those smileyes in the 'reply to thread dialogue'.. rolling, bouncing, dancin, blinking.. it reminds me of the 'good' ol' days of the web...

[Ambrosius]

Originally Posted by GrimGriz

pfft. Massive scale = increased travel time

Not from the little I saw of Jumpgate Evolution. It was not that sectors were bigger, just the stuff in them was. It made you FEEL like you were flying slow because of the scale, though.


NOTE: no smileys were hurt or injured in any way in the writing of this post.

[Nhilist]

Originally Posted by Jump

Well this kind of runs counter to everyones fears now doesn't it?



Jumpgate Evolution: Summary

It’s possible to make an MMO with a small team (8-15 people) for less money ($2-$4 million).

• Do it with less!

Why try and make the next “World of Warcraft?”

• Lots of companies are already trying this.

• Do you have their money and experience?

• Even with it, can you really meet or beat them?

Focus on a core game to an underserved market.

• Is it really that fun to do what everyone else does anyway?

Focus on the strengths of the game.

• If you can’t make it great, don’t make it at all.

Less is more

• Remember 3 great features > 30 mediocre features!

You get a lot more chances!

• If it costs $4 million, you get 10 tries for each $40 million project.

It’ll be easier to find a publisher.

This speaks volumes about the vision of ND than the words on the paper, it's about time a game studio tried to break out of the mindset of:

1. toss money and at a concept

2. toss developers at a concept

3. ?

4. profit and the next world of warcraft

That ideology has stifled the smaller studios, and has all but killed the mmo genre in general. It's not only good to see any development group breaking the mold and going for it, it's icing on the cake when it's the game that I've been looking for for so long, in a genre that mmo's have been needing for a long time.

Well done and well stated.