Some ideas of how we can get people into OTC?

from Offworld Forums

Here are some of my ideas. I would like to hear everyone else as well.

1. Steam sale - $40 is a lot for many people, especially this being a per-release. The only reason I bought the game when I did is because my wife surprised me with a Steam card. Thats not to say I dont love it at all, because I do. However, I was going to have to wait a while until I bought this game.

 

2. Clan Support - I think clans are a great way to keep up a multiplayer environment. For example, my clan, The Art of Warfare (TAW) is a large crutch for Hawken's ability to maintain a competitive circuit, and that's because clans provide an environment where people are surrounded by the games they love, with people who love them as well. I think embracing clans as part of the multiplayer system, a la StarCraft 2, LoL, DoTA, etc., will enhance the gameplay for those wanting to get deeper into the game.

 

3. Ladder/Matchmaking - Though I'm sure this has been discussed, ladder is a great way to keep people into a game, as they want to keep progressing among their peers.

 

4. This may be a more personal one, but giving the races/factions their own identity. One of the things that I love about StarCraft, is that your race defines your playstyle, and maybe, even your own personality. For me, I loved feeling represented by protoss. There was a certain pride I felt whenever my race would win competitions and such. Maybe having something like that in OTC could help grow the community in a way that takes pride in being robotic or scientific or what not, thus making us want to explore our factions even more which would help lead to the establishments of different builds/metas/strats/etc.

 

Anyway, these are things that I have noticed which might help the game. I am by no means a game developer of anykind, simply a lover of video games. To be honest, I want this game to be my new StarCraft. I am growing tired of the boring RTS style of roll a dice, pick a build, or whatever. This game is a breath of fresh air to the RTS genre, and even online gaming as a whole. I hope you all at Mohawk games continue to do amazing and thank you for sharing OTC with us.

 

P.S. If anyone is looking for a clan to join, I am currently working on getting a OTC division spun up in TAW. For more info on TAW, feel free to message me, or visit our website at www.taw.net

38,288 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from Offworld Forums Top

I believe it was said somewhere that the 40$ price point was picked exactly to discourage sales because it is EA right now and not a finished product. I agree that matchmaking would enhance publicity quite a bit. 

Reply #2 from Offworld Forums Top

The price point is by far and away the biggest turn-off.  If the high price point was deliberate to limit purchases then that has to be about the daftest thing I've read this week (and I've read an awful lot of daft things this week).

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Offworld Forums Top

Hi node10,

Some daftness, scroll down to "Why charge so much?". They're not intentionally discouraging sales, but growing a playerbase that is genuinely interested in the game. Though the method does discourage sales, fortunately it also has the intended effect.

Best Regards,

Reply #4 from Offworld Forums Top

Thank you for the feedback!

If we were to explore clan games, what functionality would you think would be important?

Thanks!

-Scott-

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Lower the price

Reply #6 from Offworld Forums Top

I would like to see in-game lobbies for clans (like in StarCraft 2.) Also maybe have a clan wars type mode, like in the campaign, where different clans could sign up for weekly matches in which you fight over different areas on Mars. The clan with the most areas controlled wins the weekly match and maybe get some in game items. You could also use the winners to be in some kind of bi-monthly seasonal, in which the winners after, lets say, 8 weeks of games, come together and do a best of 7 game. The clan that wins these could then go into a annual game. This would create a in-game competitive circuit, which would help standardize the meta as well as make the game more competitive, thus making it easier for you folks at Mohawk to sell units.

 

I included a imgur link of a mock up of how the circuit might work

 

http://imgur.com/hU0ibhF

Reply #7 from Offworld Forums Top

[aside]

OP mentioned Hawken.  Shame that died.  The alpha days were full of vim and promise.

[/aside]

Reply #8 from Offworld Forums Top

I think the reason this game is priced so high is: This game is only ever going to appeal to a certain market segment. That segment is small but discerning and starved for quality games (yet actively seeks them out and appreciates them). I'd stereotype this segment as:  Civ players, tropico players, simcity players, xcom players, Alt RTS, Alt turn based, Indy/strat, Indy/sim, Indy/rouge blah blah. My point being is that this game is not definable or marketable as a MOBA, RTS or single player turn based.

Which means they need to extract a higher price per player from a narrow market segment.

I think this game is really good and for me when I saw it in steam it was a dream game. But when I told two of my good friends on steam to purchase it. I play alot of DOTA 2 and LOL with them. They were interested, and they trust my recommendation. But they were not willing to pay the high price when confronted with the game. It was to obscure and to high a price.They were on the edge of purchasing.

I rekon if it was $25 they woulda given it a bash.

Reply #9 from Offworld Forums Top

I think the mohawk policy is working, the community is being made of mostly dedicated fans due to the pricing policy.

Reply #10 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting SanderBuruma, reply 9

I think the mohawk policy is working, the community is being made of mostly dedicated fans due to the pricing policy.
End of SanderBuruma's quote

If that's their plan, it's working. I have a passing interest in the game, but not enough to pay $40 for it. It would be an impulse buy at half that price. I can wait.

Reply #11 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting node10, reply 2

The price point is by far and away the biggest turn-off.  If the high price point was deliberate to limit purchases then that has to be about the daftest thing I've read this week (and I've read an awful lot of daft things this week).
End of node10's quote

There is a good reason you don't want everyone playing early access -- negative first impressions by casual players.    Generally speaking, we prefer most people to wait until the game's released to buy it. Only those really REALLY interested in helping mode the game should join early access.

Reply #12 from Offworld Forums Top

As far as the price... I think the best bet would be to have a 4-pack price discount. You'd still maintain the price point as is, but for those of us who would like to bring a few friends with us, it might be nice to pay $100 something for a 4-pack. 

Reply #13 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

for a game like this, you kind of want people who will stick around. the best chance of that happening is if the game is 100% complete before going on sale

 

also the game probably needs some really fun team-based mode

i haven't played more than 2 hours, but i'm not sure the game will be deep enough or popular enough to survive off some 1v1 or free-for-all mode