Firgof Umbra
Member
Updated the Features list to show off all the features of Star Ruler. 
Star Ruler
- Thread starter Firgof Umbra
- Start date
Firgof Umbra
Member
The game is coming along well; we've just about got the full part of the new research system in and two new tracks from our composer; our ship textures recently got a big upgrade (unfortunately not shown in the first teaser we're showing) to their specular maps so they look better than ever. New ship models are on the way and promise to add more spice to the visual flavor of the game.
And, despite numerous problems and delays, we're in final preparations to release our Gameplay teaser very, very soon. There were some issues with quality loss and stuttery performance from our capture software so this first teaser won't be in HD and won't show off parts of the game such as interaction (our cursor gets flipped and disjointed from the where it's supposed to be on the actual screen for some reason -- we're working on finding a solution D but we're working hard to get the next one to be HD.
And, despite numerous problems and delays, we're in final preparations to release our Gameplay teaser very, very soon. There were some issues with quality loss and stuttery performance from our capture software so this first teaser won't be in HD and won't show off parts of the game such as interaction (our cursor gets flipped and disjointed from the where it's supposed to be on the actual screen for some reason -- we're working on finding a solution D
but we're working hard to get the next one to be HD.Pokémaniac
Awesome Bro
So sorry for taking so long!
I’m going to be honest. I don’t have much to say in regards to the actual game. I’m just going to plough through that and onto what I think I can be useful for.
Graphically, this game is astounding. I have no grounding in 3D, so most things will flabbergast me, but I honestly have nothing negative to say in this regard. It all looks nice, and the video was fluid. Good job.
Game play wise, I believe we discussed this the day before the pairings were put up. I find that when making a game of a certain genre, your core features probably should be based around covering these flaws. The main flaw with RTSes is the often ridiculous playtimes of a single match. You said that the player gets to choose the game size, which is a good compromise. What I think seems awkward here is controlling these large fleets, especially in 3D. It’s easy to get disorientated in 3D where you play as one character, but in 1000 vs. 1000(or thousands?) you could easily get completely lost, especially when a good majority of the screen seems to be the black of space. But I suppose a good mini-map could alleviate the problem.
Also, I think that this game will encourage a gap between competitive and non-competitive players that makes it hard to get into it. This game seems so customizable that all you need is the perfect race to smash every one in the face. Also, the idea of needing a language to control the AI seems very overwhelming to the player. Overall, this seems very much to me like the sort of game that makes the player feel more like the creator in a way, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you’re going to want to have reasonable defaults and good single player for people that want to feel more like the player.
Overall, though, I think the game play is very promising and my chat with you definitely shows that you have a good grounding in design theory. I don’t know if this will necessarily be my type of game, but there is definitely a market. Which brings me to my next point…
I am afraid to say, the reason that this thread to a game which clearly has truckloads of effort put towards it hasn’t been getting attention, is because it is atrociously laid out. But don’t worry, there are solutions.
I think the first problem with this thread is the size of the images. They are unruly! I had to refresh the page to get the images to completely load. Not to mention, some of them have the edges hanging off-screen.
Now, the solution is simple- splice these pictures up, and have them link to the full version. I wouldn’t suggest shrinking them, but rather cropping them so that all that’s left is the focus of each screenshot. Then have it link to the full picture, so the viewer can see it in context if they please.
The next problem is that you have giant walls of text. It’s hard to read. It’s hard to absorb, and chances are it won’t be read at all. Note that I wouldn’t at all say your problem is too much information- once again, it’s how you’ve laid it out.
I think that having a screenshots section has become a bit out-dated – people skip to the screenshots any way. They often don’t read the thread. That’s why it’s always nice for them when there’s information under the screenshot. Do you see where I’m going with this?
If you stick one of your groups of bullet points under a screenshot, people are much more likely to read it. It breaks up the wall of text and lets the viewer stomach the information without even realising it. It also adds more value to the pictures. I’d also suggest you avoid spoiler tags – they do absolutely nothing other than hide your wonderful pictures(which will be even more wonderful once they’re smaller). They don’t even stop the images loading. They just break the thread into sections, which you really don’t need.
Although, having said that, spoilers can be used to store extra information. Always assume the viewer doesn’t care about your product. Use the non-spoilered bits of your thread to hook them, and then use the spoilers to feed their new-born hunger for information. Basically, make the thread for every viewer.
Well, I’m sorry I didn’t say nearly as much as you did about my game despite the fact you’ve provided more information. You have a skill for talking about game design, is all I can say. I’m very eager to see how this works out for you!
I’m going to be honest. I don’t have much to say in regards to the actual game. I’m just going to plough through that and onto what I think I can be useful for.
Graphically, this game is astounding. I have no grounding in 3D, so most things will flabbergast me, but I honestly have nothing negative to say in this regard. It all looks nice, and the video was fluid. Good job.
Game play wise, I believe we discussed this the day before the pairings were put up. I find that when making a game of a certain genre, your core features probably should be based around covering these flaws. The main flaw with RTSes is the often ridiculous playtimes of a single match. You said that the player gets to choose the game size, which is a good compromise. What I think seems awkward here is controlling these large fleets, especially in 3D. It’s easy to get disorientated in 3D where you play as one character, but in 1000 vs. 1000(or thousands?) you could easily get completely lost, especially when a good majority of the screen seems to be the black of space. But I suppose a good mini-map could alleviate the problem.
Also, I think that this game will encourage a gap between competitive and non-competitive players that makes it hard to get into it. This game seems so customizable that all you need is the perfect race to smash every one in the face. Also, the idea of needing a language to control the AI seems very overwhelming to the player. Overall, this seems very much to me like the sort of game that makes the player feel more like the creator in a way, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you’re going to want to have reasonable defaults and good single player for people that want to feel more like the player.
Overall, though, I think the game play is very promising and my chat with you definitely shows that you have a good grounding in design theory. I don’t know if this will necessarily be my type of game, but there is definitely a market. Which brings me to my next point…
I am afraid to say, the reason that this thread to a game which clearly has truckloads of effort put towards it hasn’t been getting attention, is because it is atrociously laid out. But don’t worry, there are solutions.
I think the first problem with this thread is the size of the images. They are unruly! I had to refresh the page to get the images to completely load. Not to mention, some of them have the edges hanging off-screen.
Now, the solution is simple- splice these pictures up, and have them link to the full version. I wouldn’t suggest shrinking them, but rather cropping them so that all that’s left is the focus of each screenshot. Then have it link to the full picture, so the viewer can see it in context if they please.
The next problem is that you have giant walls of text. It’s hard to read. It’s hard to absorb, and chances are it won’t be read at all. Note that I wouldn’t at all say your problem is too much information- once again, it’s how you’ve laid it out.
I think that having a screenshots section has become a bit out-dated – people skip to the screenshots any way. They often don’t read the thread. That’s why it’s always nice for them when there’s information under the screenshot. Do you see where I’m going with this?
If you stick one of your groups of bullet points under a screenshot, people are much more likely to read it. It breaks up the wall of text and lets the viewer stomach the information without even realising it. It also adds more value to the pictures. I’d also suggest you avoid spoiler tags – they do absolutely nothing other than hide your wonderful pictures(which will be even more wonderful once they’re smaller). They don’t even stop the images loading. They just break the thread into sections, which you really don’t need.
Although, having said that, spoilers can be used to store extra information. Always assume the viewer doesn’t care about your product. Use the non-spoilered bits of your thread to hook them, and then use the spoilers to feed their new-born hunger for information. Basically, make the thread for every viewer.
Well, I’m sorry I didn’t say nearly as much as you did about my game despite the fact you’ve provided more information. You have a skill for talking about game design, is all I can say. I’m very eager to see how this works out for you!
Firgof Umbra
Member
Star Ruler is now available for Pre-Order through GamersGate.
Whenever you pre-order the game, you should receive a serial key; if you include that serial when you apply to the beta we will prefer you when we draw from our next wave. However, due to the volume of testers applying, it's not a guarantee.
EDIT: Got a report from someone who purchased from GamersGate that said they did not receive a key. If you did not receive a key, e-mail GamersGate or me (firgof@blind-mind.com) and we will get it worked out.
Whenever you pre-order the game, you should receive a serial key; if you include that serial when you apply to the beta we will prefer you when we draw from our next wave. However, due to the volume of testers applying, it's not a guarantee.
EDIT: Got a report from someone who purchased from GamersGate that said they did not receive a key. If you did not receive a key, e-mail GamersGate or me (firgof@blind-mind.com) and we will get it worked out.
Firgof Umbra
Member
For those interested, Artem Bank is putting up the Star Ruler soundtrack over at Bandcamp and will be streaming it all the way to the game's release (and adding tracks as they make it into the game). They're not all quite up yet (it's a work in progress) but they ought to be very soon. Feel free to drop by and give a listen.
Link to the Bandcamp
Link to the Bandcamp
Firgof Umbra
Member
The original post's format has been updated. Screenshots are soon to follow.
Firgof Umbra
Member
I've updated the original post significantly including purchase information and etc.