Unhealthy interest in sales figures

[Abelian]

TB + challenging gameplay + narrative-focused + low fantasy setting + vintage graphics =

 

[Gragt]

On a more constructive note, I wonder if the game has a potential to become popular in the mainstream.

No. TB + too difficult + too much text + no monsters + dated graphics = very limited appeal.

Torment flopped when it was released. Despite some strong and positive critical reaction, many complained about the unusual setting and mechanics and the abundance of text. It took a few years but the public finally recognised it for what it is. I don't know how AoD will do at launch but if it's good its popularity can only grow with time.

 

[tuluse]

Torment flopped when it was released. Despite some strong and positive critical reaction, many complained about the unusual setting and mechanics and the abundance of text. It took a few years but the public finally recognised it for what it is. I don't know how AoD will do at launch but if it's good its popularity can only grow with time.

This is a bit of a myth. PST didn't really flop, it was a profitable venture for Interplay and sold around double what Fallout sold for example.

It just wasn't BG successful.

 

[Ninjerk]

Torment flopped when it was released. Despite some strong and positive critical reaction, many complained about the unusual setting and mechanics and the abundance of text. It took a few years but the public finally recognised it for what it is. I don't know how AoD will do at launch but if it's good its popularity can only grow with time.

This is a bit of a myth. PST didn't really flop, it was a profitable venture for Interplay and sold around double what Fallout sold for example.

It just wasn't BG successful.

Therefore, a terrible failure

 

[AbounI]

On a more constructive note, I wonder if the game has a potential to become popular in the mainstream.

No. TB + too difficult + too much text + no monsters + dated graphics = very limited appeal.

But in counterparts, you manage to make it as you want it to be, that is to say "No level up system + no romances + no cinematics (+ no cinematic romances ) but a mighty game with heavy CC.
What's here is for the rest of the world

 

[Vault Dweller]

There are monsters though.

Not enough. Many people (mainly the casuals) want to start a game, make a character, and go kill some cool monsters, because in most cases that's what RPGs are all about. After seeing how the game was received on many different forums, I understand what Feargus meant when he was talking about the importance of the setting being familiar, so that people don't waste time trying to understand it, the importance of instant recognition, that spending a long time to make your party is a thing of the past now, etc.

 

[Haba]

Well, yeah. The times where one spent 1h reading the manual BEFORE starting the game are long, long gone.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Well, yeah. The times where one spent 1h reading the manual BEFORE starting the game are long, long gone.

I spent an hour with Ultima 7's manual just go get beyond the copy protection.

 

[Haba]

And on Amiga I had plenty of time to read the manual since loading the damn game up took so long

 

[ghostdog]

And in ZX Spectrum , I had enough time to read War and Peace while I was waiting for the cassette to load :D

Spoiler

So, Vault Dweller , since by now you have an idea what AoD's sales will be, are there any plans for a sequel ? Or is it "I made my game the way I wanted, I didn't compromise and the people who like the same things as me, liked it. So fuck you all, I'll concentrate on my day job I'll apply for a job at Obsidian.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'd rather continue making games. As mentioned previously, I want to make a colony ship RPG (generation ship, orphans of the sky, non-stop, etc) and a party-based dungeon crawler set in the AoD world.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I hope sales will be enough to keep you running in the game.

 

[Dickie]

Oh yeah, showing the combat to popamole audiences worked so well the last time...

In fact, there’s a good chance that Vince is angry with you, specifically

Is this true?

 

[felipepepe]

In fact, there’s a good chance that Vince is angry with you, specifically

Is this true?

Did you purchase AoD?

 

[Biznatch Haderach]

On a more constructive note, I wonder if the game has a potential to become popular in the mainstream.

No. TB + too difficult + too much text + no monsters + dated graphics = very limited appeal.

Didn't ADOM get quite a bundle on KickStarter? Surely your game has a lot more appeal than that, even if it doesn't have as wide of a following. Yet.

 

[Sceptic]

party-based dungeon crawler set in the AoD world.

 

[Kane]

There are monsters though.

Not enough. Many people (mainly the casuals) want to start a game, make a character, and go kill some cool monsters, because in most cases that's what RPGs are all about. After seeing how the game was received on many different forums, I understand what Feargus meant when he was talking about the importance of the setting being familiar, so that people don't waste time trying to understand it, the importance of instant recognition, that spending a long time to make your party is a thing of the past now, etc.

It's not a thing of a past. It's a thing of flawed assumptions.

You assume you can tap into the vast consoletard market by making an oldschool game. That's wrong. When you make an oldschool game, your market are the oldschool gamers. That means approx. the same sales numbers like in the old days.

You see, it is not that people that like to play old school RPGs have vanished but that the market has been blown up by consoletards and biowhores and that game developers and publishers assume their game is only successful if they have ridiculous sales figures.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I've never expected to tap into the casual/console market. My expectations have always been modest and conservative. The quote above was in response to "I wonder if the game has a potential to become popular in the mainstream".

In general though, even when it comes to "old-school" TB games, your mileage varies greatly. For example, Conquistadors didn't sell enough to justify a sequel, which is a shame, whereas Dead State sold significantly more than AoD in less time, even though the engine, systems, and visuals are the same/similar. Another 'Early Access' indie RPG (TB) sold 10,000+ copies in the first month on Early Access (not talking about Wasteland 2, obviously, as that's an entirely different category).

 

[Infinitron]

Another 'Early Access' indie RPG (TB) sold 10,000+ copies in the first month on Early Access

Which one? Is it a secret?

 

[Vault Dweller]

He told me in a private conversation. If you have access to my PM, take a look, otherwise it's not my info to share.

 

[Infinitron]

Well, if you talked to him here on the Codex, I guess I have a pretty good idea which one it is. Not many options, really.

 

[Helton]

Obviously its American Hare.

 

[t]

Sounds grim. Well then, one can only hope that you guys will ship a steam code to TotalBiscuit sometime prior to the final release and keep one's fingers crossed.

 

[Vault Dweller]

We asked him back in Nov, he said that he doesn't really cover RPGs. Besides, our game isn't exactly a video LP material.

 

[t]

We asked him back in Nov, he said that he doesn't really cover RPGs. Besides, our game isn't exactly a video LP material.

You might be confusing him with someone else, he doesn't do let's plays but a sort of short reviews. And I distinctly remember him mentioning he likes CYOA, reactivity and mutually exclusive paths in games.

Aaand he seemed kind of excited for the game back in the day. Here he discussed it with his retard friend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsFpluxaFyE#t=2h24m54s