Have my own website! In your opinion, what's the best way to open?

[tmn_creator]

Hey all! I'm here because I need help! I had a soft opening in the beginning of the year, and realized I had a lot of stuff to fix. So between then and now, and with my regular day job, I chipped away at my game. I worked on it for a very long time, and it's finally time to let the public in on it now that I had money for artwork. 

My creativity is limited, except when it comes to functionality. There really isn't a background, story, or environment in my game. It's pretty straight forward and "click and go" type, where you *can* play all day, but ideally, you come back when you can, do your tasks, and then be on your way. It was focused towards the working adult, if that helps clear things up.

Anyway, it's not accessible yet, but as of right now, I have four major game play features, three point earning games (which are custom made), and all the pets and items needed to play.

I completely removed the forum because I feel like there are enough social medias and we can connect in other ways. I also gave up on trying to add a forum to the website because the coding was too difficult to work around, to be honest. I rather just not have a forum! I know that may be a turn off to some, but is there a middle ground to satisfy the forum-wanters?

What are some things you look at when you are first sign into a new game?

What are things that drive you away?

How do you feel about paying for some of the pets?

The game is completely FREE. It's free to play, free to advance, and free to collect everything. The only paid thing are the special colored pets. That is to fund the game and also, a portion goes to animal welfare, so people can feel good and responsible where their money is going.

I've been working on this game alone for almost the entire time, the artist I hired has been amazing to work with (I went through over a dozen artists trying to find him), and it's time I reach out for some help from experienced players and fellow game owners.

One other thing: what kind of drama comes from these games? Other than people not getting along, has anyone had to go into a legal battle over their site?

Thanks all for reading! 

If you're interested in becoming beta tester, please let me know. I need the experience!

 

[Azrael]

Hi there! Congratulations on your game!

I'm a long time player of many different sims before ever co-owning a game, which was bought already established. I plan to begin development of a game of my own soon, but that's another story.

My thoughts on the forum is that I personally prefer them, rather than connecting through other sites! I suppose it's because I grew up chattering with friends on a game's forum that I grew attached to the idea. However, I do see the problem with them, the need for moderation. So I suppose it comes down to preference! I'm not sure what would be a middle-ground for those that do like forums, besides perhaps a chatroom or a Discord widget.

So, Some things I look for when I first try out a new game is the pets. The designs and the complexity to the genetics, mostly. The genetics can be a huge hit or miss for me. Too basic and I get bored, too complicated and I get overwhelmed and don't even try. (Basically if genetics are a long line of alphabet soup, I'm out.) The designs is another field of issues: It's impossible to make pets that everyone will like. Unless it is a site that is based around one animal (Lioden/Wolvden) you'll need something unique, or so classic that everyone will click with the concept. (I suppose this really comes down to the artist(s) so I'll move on!)

Some things that drive me away is very visible bugs. No game is completely bug free, however if something leaks through to the layout and/or obstructs basic game play for a long duration, it's a problem. I understand working on something and plan to patch it quick, but if you leave it to fester then I don't usually want to donate. This all comes down to work ethics however, so it's a very situational opinion. I was a Wolvden beta tester so that made me see first hand the importance of having a handful of testers and a strong communication with what's being worked on and what's been fixed.

Paying for pets isn't a big deal for me, (My site has a few donation currency breeds) but I can see how most might not like it. There may be few who can't donate, or raising the breed might become difficult with limited studding resources. 

I personally haven't gotten into any legal conflicts, thankfully. It's important to keep your Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service to be plainly constructed but very thorough with all that it covers.

Cliques are a big deal in games, which will probably be eliminated without the forum around, but they certainly can make socializing unappealing for people starting out. (Personal experience)

More drama can come from choices of administration. Example, you decide to introduce an NPC, however a player points out there is a bit of appropriation going on that wasn't intentional. So it's important to consider things broadly and respectfully. (Back when Lioden released the Rumble marking, there was an uproar about trypophobia and even epileptic seizures, so even small things like a marking need to be considered.)

That's all I have for now. If you have any questions feel free to ask, and if you need any assistance with testing I can help with that too.

 

[tmn_creator]

Hey, @Azrael, and thanks for your insightful reply! I will definitely keep you updated on the launch!

The pets on this game are based off real animals, so there are dogs, cats, and some wild animals, too! It's a game that is just *starting* and I have many more features I'd like to add, but they are much bigger and would need teams of more experienced people, but anyway. There is a touch of fantasy aspect where you can have a silly colored cat. 

My game is more about taking your time, playing at your own pace, and just collecting stuff. There's not a lot of P v P competitiveness other than the games that earn points have charts. I do want to expand in that area, as well as many others. It's a lot to take on myself, so I did what I could in the years I spent on it.

I have a lot of exploring to do on this website, but I will definitely keep the community updated! I think they will enjoy it, or at the very least, see it's potential. Thanks, again, Azrael!