Browser game "Kiberset '" — the successes and failures of the project
the Game "Kiberset '" is a browser — based turn-based game with a reconstruction of the economy and fabric of society. Its distinguishing feature is that players can improve the game world is inventing and creating a variety of products. This game is unlike analogies do not require constant presence in the game, but it does not need painfully long wait for the update. You just play when you have time to manage the agent.
So, we've come a long way from raw ideas, alpha testing and now you can play the beta. Below I will discuss the development of this game.
play here.
the Successes and failures of the project
One of the failures of the project is that of the programmers I was alone — the rest just disappeared :). Though the forum support is not I, but one of the enthusiasts. But given the fact that I have some time to programming is not so scared.
On the other hand, during the alpha test and after the publication on habré — the game has attracted more than 300 people, but only 5-10 a month to play constantly. What is also not so bad for a fairly crude design. Thus, with these 10 pioneers we have developed the logic of the game, have slightly improved the interface and fixed a lot of bugs (and more of them left ;) ). For me was also a good experience in real time to edit bugs and improve the logic at the request of the players, especially since this is my first project on ASP.NET.
But now I'm ready to order a larger number of players. I'll praise the game, although I do realize that the taste and color of friends there. So do that, and give constructive criticism.
the Development of logic games
About the logic of the game has just two paragraphs to write, so I suggest to first read game manual. I will talk about the strengths of the game, distinctive features that have no analogues.
Players can enter new products and their manufacturing technology
Normal games have closed, in advance, calculated logic. Of all the strategies there is a tech tree, and somehow pre-programmed course of development of the player character. The player also depends only on whether he can play above average or not. The interest for such games often depends on how well ambulancewoman logic of character development.
In the game "Kiberset '" I think made a revolutionary step forward — line process develops the player himself. Then you quickly approve its innovation with the moderator (currently me, but hopefully someday there will be a separate trusted players with special rights). Then "the world changes" — what used to be difficult to do, it becomes easier or the emergence of new products increases the demand for others. Thus, everything is in the hands of the player — the internal logic of the development of improving players.
Players can perform their actions asynchronously, but they have nevertheless equal opportunities
As you know, games are turn-based and real-time. Those that are turn based in multiplayer mode, have one significant problem — the need to synchronize the steps of all players. For example, in Virtonomics — that's why you need to wait a whole day so that the server counted the game situation. Conversely, if you are not present in the game say a week (went to the Caribbean) in the game you can easily obankrotitsya.
It seems to me that here in the game "Kiberset '" we took a step forward. The player plays when he has free time. Time still flows in steps 10 real minutes (not days!) is 6 game hours. And asynchronisity we achieve the so-called "bonus moves". First, the player at the start. as many bonus turns as he missed time since the start of the game divided by 2 (and that's quite a lot). Secondly, the philosophy of the game is that if the player did not specify what action to execute in the scheduler, it is believed that he just passes the turn. But if he missed 4 moves in a row, he is given a bonus move, which he can use when you return to the game.
Thus, the ability of the players almost aligned — though of course most diligent will be able to achieve more.
Players can introduce additional agents to open a company
Also in multiplayer games has its own characteristics associated with the clones. For example, in Virtonomics clones are prohibited just forcibly (administration catches). And what's the problem of the clones? The problem is that in games with unbalanced logic — allows additional clone to get in the game additional benefits.
In the game "Kiberset '" was not a task to apply this kind of logic is not a game ban. Therefore, in the "cyber network" on the contrary the clones to encourage that, and made a special interface allowing a single account with the main agent to manage an unlimited number of additional agents. Each agent need to manage and spend time on it. In conditions when you don't have to wait painfully long the update is not so advantageous to introduce additional agents and manage them, spending time is not on the primary agent, and secondary.
Only due to the fact that the quality of the product by an agent depends on its abilities, it makes sense to specialize the agent to a specific job, and the rest of the products to buy on the market. But sometimes market interaction can not satisfy and want to control the interaction of agents, and not to interact with the real, but often with a non-regular players. Here then may appear the interest in the introduction of additional agents, but have between them a "break".
Some more to improve the situation enabling the discovery of companies and the employment contract. According to the employment contract of any agent can be hired to perform any work from the company. The company will provide raw materials, and will work 12 hours a day to produce to the company any goods. But for a contract of a certain duration, the firm will immediately pay the cost set of various products. Perhaps players who do not want to trade the markets makes sense to work for a foreign company (in the end, in reality, 80% do).
Natural market
I myself often wondered of economic strategy, but they all have a significant drawback — they have an artificial demand in the market. Yes, all economic models are somehow trying to portray consumer behavior. But it is a very artificial demand — type at a lower price will buy more, and better quality will buy more. When the interest arises to play in such games where more interesting, the pattern of demand. But pureology it becomes close to random, but otherwise too basic. Both through timing annoying.
So here in the game "Kiberset '" we are trying to introduce innovation. In the game there are no artificial demand — the goods sell it only to other players. Therefore, primitive gameplay — get more profitable product and turn on the artificial market, it's not working.
Yes, we had to organize the natural market is not easy. Especially without money, by barter. On natural market the needs of agents manage supply and demand. Different specialization of the agents here is key. But to calculate which product to produce and to change to another, too. So the game is the production statistics are calculated and elaborate indexes. It all has to start natural market.
Agents can be controlled bots
This feature was conceived from the beginning. And here it is almost implemented. The player just needs to send the script written in MySQL (or just to write words (or the block diagram, or pseudocode) what kind of logic he wants to accomplish and I'll help to translate it into code). However, to even things out with the players that play without bots — each turn the bot will need to pay 1 point of intelligence (which the agent earns in the game).
And again, this is not possible in other games. Together with other features the game becomes quite unique, but of course will only develop with the active players.
Of course You can think differently, so below oprosik. Thank you for your attention and I will be glad reviews and suggestions to improve the game here or the forum.
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