Login

u/RikerRiker

▲ 0 r/StrategyRpg

Storyline idea: mankind ruining earth & elementals fight back?

The game is in development and so I've been kicking around the idea of adding a light narrative story about Mother Earth (or Gaia) being the main villain. She is furious that mankind has defiled nature, so she's unleashed the 3 primary elements to fight back (fire, earth, ice/water). I think it could be an interesting take on the old classic story of man versus nature. I always wonder about Star Wars and how the Empire is seen as good or evil based on the point of view of the citizens.

Interesting? Thoughts? Does it fit the game idea?

P.S. If you hunt down my Steam page, I apologize for the placeholder art. But it's being replaced by a new artist.

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 5 days ago
▲ 0 r/StrategyGames

Do strategy gamers care more about art or game mechanics?

I'm a new solo Dev killing myself on my 1st game, but the art is all placeholder art (some I think my friend made with AI, but idk...). So I'm struggling to get people to look past that and simply understand the unique fun mechanics of a tactical turn-based game.

It's got a tactical hook of capturing objectives in a turn-based grid combat, plus a procedural board game style map for 4X-lite territory conquest. I love strategy games, but I'm in my bubble since I'm solo and I got laid off, so art budget is tight!!!

So does art need to be amazing for strategy games?

Is it futile to even share the steam page?

Appreciate the advice :)

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 5 days ago
▲ 105 r/SoloDevelopment+2 crossposts

FINALLLLY hired a professional artists to replace placeholder art (what do you think?)

Elemental Lands is my solo dev project for over a year now. It's a turn-based tactical card battler with roguelite upgrades. I have positive gameplay feedback on my combat with capturable objectives and the board game style campaign map, but can't get people past the placeholder art!!! (fyi - Steam page is still all old placeholder art).

My friend made the placeholder art. And I'm worried he may have used AI and lied to me. But, idk, I'm past that now and just happy with the new artist rough draft! Feels so much better to have a real artist to work with :)

Old or new (rough draft)?

p.s. Wishlist to support a new dev and new young artist (and kill AI slop art, lol!) This is my first game, so please just check it out https://store.steampowered.com/app/4593190/Elemental_Lands/

u/RikerRiker — 5 days ago
▲ 1 r/4Xgaming

Define other related genres to 4X

I like 4X, but what if I don't want a heavy management game with all the usual time-consuming or tedious decisions of all 4 areas (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate)? Is that 4x-lite? Or what genre would you say has 4x, but toned down on the scale of the complexity? If you have a suggestion, please also give a game example too.

For context, I really love Civ but hate how addicting it is for me personally, and I can't help myself from micro-managing every little part of my empire. Or how i am so compelled to do "just one more turn".

Thanks for the guidance!

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 9 days ago
▲ 10 r/IndieGameWishlist

Only 43 in my first week, but I'm still optimistic! (also 1k in traffic; so I hope that's a good sign??)

Launched my coming soon page a week ago and now sitting at 43 wishlists (Not amazing... but I'm proud of it). Gotta grind!

What are everyones thoughts on traffic conversion rates to wishlist adds? I'm around 4% and I've heard Chris Z say 5% is "good", and great numbers are like 7%-10%.

  • What do you see for your conversion rate? And What is game genre?
  • Since my conversion is only 4%, do I have a "Steam Page problem" (i.e. Bad graphics? "Ok" graphics? Trailer isn't selling the hook?)
u/RikerRiker — 14 days ago
▲ 2 r/low_poly

Top or Bottom

I'm a solo dev working on my 1st Steam store game, which is a tactical deckbuilder, Elemental Lands, and I've gotten myself stuck between two low-poly directions. thinking about completely redoing my game card art to match the new capsule art style. Both are low-poly, which I love. I just don't know which one to lean up towards. Or neither???

Steam page art is one style (top) and actual in-game card art is in a different low-poly style (bottom).

Which direction would you commit to if this were your game, and why? Or do I keep both for a bit of variety? honestly I'm going crazy, my wife is tired of hearing me talk about it, so I need a lot of people to give any opinion. Help me decide, PLEASE!

u/RikerRiker — 16 days ago
▲ 2 r/gamemarketing

To deckbuilder devs: social media alternatives?

Where are you getting the best Steam wishlist numbers for a "know it when you play it" game? Are you deck builder Dev or someone with a game that isn't eye catching; what do we do?

My deckbuilder isn't super graphic heavy, or action VFX or amazingly unique art (not in the budget), so before I release the demo, where do I put my marketing efforts/time? Howtomarketagame.com says don't do social media because it won't get attention for my type of game (new accounts and zero followers).

I think my best message/image is my Steam page (not trying to narket to Devs, so search "Elemental Lands" for context and page opinions), but how do I build my audience to get people there? Or maybe I'm delusional; you tell me?

So, what marketing is working for other deckbuilder devs? Advise, please!

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 16 days ago
▲ 4 r/SoloDevelopment

As a solo dev with limited time, where are you seeing the best traction for "know it when you play it" game? Meaning I have a deckbuilder that isn't super graphic heavy or amazingly unique art (sorry, not in the budget), so before I release the demo, where do I put my marketing efforts/time? Howtomarketagame.com says don't do social media, because it won't get much attention for my type of game (plus I have zero accounts and zero followers).

So what marketing is working for other deckbuilder devs? I think my best message/image is the Steam page, but how do I build my audience to get people there? What's working for you?

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 16 days ago
▲ 31 r/deckbuildingroguelike+3 crossposts

tldr; Add a "war machine" to my medieval deckbuilder? Worthwhile feature that ties the game together or unnecessary bloated complexity?

I need advice! Working on a medieval tactical deck-builder where repositioning and objective capture are core mechanics. BUT.. in any game battles can feel slow/boring after you've done a lot, so considering adding a new "war machine" (e.g. catapult or battering ram, etc..) system and unsure if it solves a real design problem or just adds layers/bloat...

My idea:

  • The war machine does huge damage so the battle becomes quicker and fun with a "new toy" feeling for players.
  • Tie the overworld to battles: Gather 2 resources, hidden in fog-of-war cells on the overworld, to build/deploy a war machine in a battle.
  • A unit must reposition onto the machine to operate it and you sacrifice a spell for the rest of the battle to "power it up". That spell's effect becomes automated and amplified each turn (e.g. "fire arrow" spell becomes high DPS auto-fireball)

What it's designed to solve:

This is where I'm stuck. Not even sure it's a problem to solve for...

  1. Overworld exploration currently feels decoupled from battle outcomes. Resources give fog-of-war discovery real meaning.
  2. Repositioning is a core gameplay mechanic and "hook" for the game, so assigning a unit to man a machine makes it a tactical decision .
  3. Objective capture creates a vacant battlefield slot (e.g. where you deploy the war machine). The war machine gives players a 2nd reason to reposition to capture the objective (Currently the objective capture gives a unit buff). "Awesome, I got the objective and now I can deploy my war machine!"

My concern:

  • Does tying a resource from the overworld to a battle decision feel earned (e.g. like "crafting" a weapon in other genre games; Minecraft, etc.) , or does it just overwhelm players with more to track (i.e. I hate it when a game has like 5 currencies!!), idk?
  • Does this create meaningful variety that helps speed up the battle (since the war machine would be super powerful.)?
  • The spell sacrifice feels like the highest-stakes moment in the whole mechanic — is that where the emotional core should live, or is it burying the lead?

For more context on current game setup, see the trailer and Steam page. But as this post subject line says: is this worth adding or just feature stacking or unnecessary complexity?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4593190/Elemental_Lands/

u/RikerRiker — 13 days ago
▲ 16 r/deckbuildingroguelike

The big name content creators just seem to lean on the big titles that you would find anyways just by going to the Steam hompage.... any big titles are easy to find.

But what about the hidden gems or super fun games that don't rely on big budgets to get the word out? How are you finding those?

reddit.com
u/RikerRiker — 21 days ago