~ Suggestions & Improvement ~

[WLosy]

Well in the end the decision is one for the developers to make so were just rambling here but just for the sake of the argument to adress a few of your doubts.

 

1. 6000$ may be a lot when you think about your daily expenses but thats peanuts when you run a business or employ ppl

2. Im fairly certain you could do it a lot cheaper in my coutry (Poland), depending on what you want the whole thing would cost 2000$-3000$(and thats a coutious estimate) total

3. I assume that there are already programmers on the team that could work on it

4. If youve got some friends that are IT students they might be willing to do the job for even less since they gain expirience they beef up their cv and posibly get extra credit or use the stuff they create for their thesis or some other study related project

5.If you get greenlight on steam were not talking about few hundred new buyers but several thousand at least

 

Well as i said it costs me nothing to say this and its really not my place, but i would like to see someone that created a great product to achieve commercial success, because that means more and better stuff for me in the future;D

[Legate of Mineta]

WLosy;

 

As you note, it is certainly feasible, but the time needed to do it is not inconsequential. Even if we were to engage an outside team, that effort would still require engagement, supervision and some form of integration. It's not that it is impossible, but rather than we have other priorities at this moment.

 

Still, not a bad thought at all!

[WLosy]

WLosy;

 

As you note, it is certainly feasible, but the time needed to do it is not inconsequential. Even if we were to engage an outside team, that effort would still require engagement, supervision and some form of integration. It's not that it is impossible, but rather than we have other priorities at this moment.

 

Still, not a bad thought at all!

Sure and i understand that currently your working on Y2. But after you finish that(or maybe before) it might be a good idea to research your next course of action, maybe prepare a poll, research other options because im not the only one that thinks that academagia suffers greatly from the way it is presented and other less ambitious games are actually more renown just because someone put a bit more work into its presention(http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?72093-Long-Live-the-Queen)

[Legate of Mineta]

WLosy;

 

Heh! We love LLtQ, but you're right: UI is key.

[Schwarzbart]

So now we know what the Academagia Kickstarter will be. But still nothing about the Kickstarter you work right now on?

And no marketing beside a mediocre - good game is the key to get large sale numbers as the big publisher show day in day out.

[Legate of Mineta]

Schwarzbart;

 

Not quite, no. Soon.

[Schwarzbart]

Ahh so a similar soon like DLC 16 and Year 2?

You probably didn't see my edit of the first post so here again ^^

And no marketing beside a mediocre or maybe good game is the key to get large sale numbers as the big publisher show day in day out

[Legate of Mineta]

Haha, hopefully not that kind of Soon.

[Dreamweaver]

Not sure if this has been suggested before, but I'd like a quicksave/quickload system bound to a key like F9. I rarely make a great variety of saves (though that option is appreciated) so most of my saves are actually the name "" being overwritten repeatedly because I couldn't be bothered to give the save a title.

 

It gives a feeling of semi-iron man, in that I can undo mistakes in the here and now, but if I were to regret something a while back it's too late.

[WLosy]

Ahh so a similar soon like DLC 16 and Year 2?

You probably didn't see my edit of the first post so here again ^^

And no marketing beside a mediocre or maybe good game is the key to get large sale numbers as the big publisher show day in day out

you could try sending it to TotalBiscuit thats cheap advertising that can bring a lot of new players since his audience is into intresting indie games(although with the current UI it might be wise to weigh the options)

[Legate of Mineta]

Dreamweaver;

 

It's possible, and although we worked on a comprehensive solution for Y1, it was derailed by the Vista save issue. I think you'll see that back in Y2, though.

 

WLosy;

 

TotalBiscuit is great, and I think Y2 will be right up his alley.

[Albert]

Eagerly awaiting the next update and Year 2!

[Arpho]

I'm sure someone in this huge thread said this already, but I'd like more options of skills to use in adventures or events. I hate it when I come across an adventure where the skill level required is really high and all I have to choose from is one or two of the more obscure skills. It's nice that all skills have their uses, but I often wish there were more options. Also, more consistency. Some of the skills are either quite alike or can be used for the same thing and I'd love it if I could then use either of them. For example, a fight could theoretically be won using either Duel or Incantation (as well as some less battle-related options). It's frustrating to be able to defeat powerful mages with my awesome Incantation skills in one adventure only to fail the next one because I must use Duel instead. Of course, if there's a specific reason one skill is more suitable then that's another matter entirely.

 

As for the adventures themselves, I love ones that are long but are still completed in one day. I also love getting to know the characters and the world. I hate needing super high skill levels to be able to complete a series of adventures. (The students' personal adventures are extremely frustrating, since you have to do a gazillion separate adventures with frighteningly high requirements toward the end. What makes these adventures even more frustrating is that I desperately want to see how they end, because they're really exciting and fun.) So, that's my feedback on adventures.

[Legate of Mineta]

Arpho;

 

I think you'll enjoy how Adventures are completed in Y2.

 

Thanks for the feedback though, on the short and long!

[Unawares]

I just finished my first playthrough, and had one suggestion I wanted to share. (I haven't looked through the 144 pages of this thread, so this may just repeat what others have suggested.)

 

The implementation of food (and possibly other consumables) just didn't make any sense to me in the game. The idea that a third of my day could be taken up by eating a caramel chew or whatever is just... well silly. I collected a variety of food items and there was never a time when it made sense to waste a schedule spot to use one (at least the ones I had). (I never experienced a duel though, I'm not sure if they actually become helpful in that context.)

 

So I'd like to suggest adjusting them to be instant use instead! That would make them a much, much more useful part of the game.

 

Thanks!

[Schwarzbart]

As fare I understand it year 2 will allow instant spells and items. Probably limited to one per time slot but still a lot better then it is now. Ohh and we will have 4 timeslots instead of 3in year 2

[Albert]

I had heard about the instant use items and possibly spells. But the 4th timeslot seems like a nice addition.

[Legate of Mineta]

Unawares;

 

Yes, that's a much requested (and needed!) feature, and is in Y2.

[Albert]

Allowing a free instant cast spell/day outside of adventures and events seems like a good idea to add more magic into this magic school and adventure simulator.

 

Spell casting was incredibly rare outside of Adventures and events, it was mostly about rigging the Exams.

Also being able to eat a caramelchew or cookie or pastry or whatever delicate meals you aquires or cook yourself seems interesting.

 

Also combining cooking skills and magic to create/enchant something for the family dinner or a feast when the family is having guests could be interesting, perhaps you could learn a a recipe or a few in such an adventure.

 

There are those rare skills like Greengrocery that could be nice if you help the family with the grocery shopping. Cooking skills to helpout with the cooking and Recipes skill to add to the familys recipes or improve them(perhaps).

Enchanting/cooking to enhance fragrances further. Sharing food with the family is one of the most ancient human familybonding rituals.

 

I'm certain there will be chances for you to display the magic skills you have developed, but I really hope there will be chances to display other skills.

 

Social skills, economic skills, cooking, legal skills maybe.

 

Social skills would include treating your family well, but in most cases the family is likely very forgiving except for the Blacksheep maybe. How you handle friends of the family or guests might be something that would be even more noticable to the family, the impression you make on them will affect social relations for the family and possibly parrent approval.

 

Economic skills; Help in negotiations with a merchant, or help out with bank issues regarding loans, or help out with the familys bookkeeping and/or taxes. Arithmatics skills could probably be useful and appreciated here but I think that actual economy skills should produce superior results.

Cooking was covered above;

Legal, perhaps there is some kind of incident with the guards or a rival family is trying to set you up. Even if the family could handle it themselves or get help from lawyer to take care of it, you could help sort things out faster and without the need to pay anyone, if you got the skills/experience to point out that there are no legal issues or possibly turn the tables entierly.

 

Then we got the sneeky espionage/infiltration and other special ways that could help you get ahead (moral or not).

 

Someone who's good with Caligraphy and forms could write invitations for a family party. Carpentry could be used to repair some kind of heirloom furniture. Smithing could be used to repair some old family heirloom or jewelry.

 

The Organisation/planning skill could be used to allow you to do an extra thing in an Adventure or event if you sucessfully plan everything.

 

Botanical skill to help a potted plant or a garden plant.

 

I'm really looking forward to meeting the family, whatever that includes. They wern't part of year 1.

 

It's probably hard to put everything in there but the more the better Our students arn't just growing as mages, they are growing up as people and getting ready for the "real world"

[Legate of Mineta]

albert;

 

I don't believe you can instant cast outside of Adventures, although I may be wrong. I do know you can instant eat/use items, though.

 

There are plenty of chances to show off your magic now though...

[Albert]

Ok, I'm looking forward to year 2.

 

What if I create an item that's got a spell incribed for fast activation? Would that work?

 

It would take time to craft it, and while it can be used several time it would still be limited to that ability/spell.

It would cost materials, crafting time and requier skills. Or maybe that's something for later years.

[Legate of Mineta]

albert;

 

Yes, it would.

[Albert]

One thing I would most certainly create is some kind of defensive items and possibly utility.

 

I understand attack items are popular and useful but at the same time they get limited and after the first series of attacks the element of surprise is gone, or even before that if the enemy was aware of your prefered attack item. They would put up defences that are specialised in defending against that type of attack. Limiting the long term usefulness of attack items, when dealing with a skilled magical assailant or multiples of them.

 

Least that's my reasoning.

[Legate of Mineta]

albert;

 

Defense gets a big boost in Y2, as you learn more techniques, as you'll see. This includes both spells and items.

[Metis]

Does that mean we'll be able to send a Wrath of the Comet's Tail into Kurt Henning's face when he decides to be cute with Bitter Stalks without needing to spend a timeslot on it?

 

...What? The best defence is a good offence - no spell will hurt me of it's intended caster is taking a nap in the infirmary.