RMN V4.5 (AND BEYOND) FEATURE IDEA LIST

Posts

nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
Not sure if this qualifies as bug for the current version or a feature for the next, but can we stop being automatically notified of articles in which we have posted. If I want to follow a forum topic I subscribe and unsubscribe once I've moved on, but for articles if you post in the comments you get an auto-subscribe that you can't opt out of, can that be removed, please?
I think this is a good idea, but I can't be too sure so...

What do you think of having an 'Estimated Game Length' attached to each game? It'll be additional information required during the making of the Game Page (like genre, tags, etc.) It could be drop-down list containing all reasonable RM game durations (15m, 30m, 1h, 2h, etc.). It could then also be used for sorting.

I do realise that a problem arises with those games whose developer has left. Maybe you could set an 'Unrated' value there?
author=karins_soulkeeper
I think this is a good idea, but I can't be too sure so...

What do you think of having an 'Estimated Game Length' attached to each game? It'll be additional information required during the making of the Game Page (like genre, tags, etc.) It could be drop-down list containing all reasonable RM game durations (15m, 30m, 1h, 2h, etc.). It could then also be used for sorting.

I do realise that a problem arises with those games whose developer has left. Maybe you could set an 'Unrated' value there?

Would people actually use it though? I know I wouldn't. XD

Then again, more options isn't necessarily a bad thing, I guess.

(The reason I wouldn't use it is because it's very subjective. What may take someone 2 hours to get through could easily take someone else well over double that. It depends highly on play style, what you know about it before going in and how good you are at that kind of game.
I couldn't guess how long it would take someone to play one of my games because I know where everything is so I'd find things a lot easier than someone else. And that someone else might get stuck in some part or puzzle, or they might just ignore all the fluff and just skip past optional content (or items - fuck you guys that skip treasures and then complain about games being too hard). Then again, someone might grind up for the sake of breezing through bosses or get lost or talk to every single person at least once and find every treasure added.
Thus, it's really hard to guess how long a game will last the typical player because there is no such thing as a typical player.

A good example of this was a game that has since been removed from the site, where the creator said play time would be about 30 minutes. I and another reviewer completed the game in about 10 and the person complained that we hadn't played properly because, you know, faster than advertised.

It's hard to judge properly, really.)
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
author=Liberty
A good example of this was a game that has since been removed from the site, where the creator said play time would be about 30 minutes. I and another reviewer completed the game in about 10 and the person complained that we hadn't played properly because, you know, faster than advertised.


Wait a sec... Konstandin?
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
author=Marrend
author=Liberty
A good example of this was a game that has since been removed from the site, where the creator said play time would be about 30 minutes. I and another reviewer completed the game in about 10 and the person complained that we hadn't played properly because, you know, faster than advertised.
Wait a sec... Konstandin?


I didn't think we mentioned that name in public. Like looking into a mirror and saying Bloody Mary thrice.
I would like to know approx how long a game is when I decide to download. I don't think that one incident should taint the idea.
LouisCyphre
can't make a bad game if you don't finish any games
4523
I think I'd just give subjective categories.

  • Short: Roughly an hour or two.
  • Moderate: An afternoon.
  • Long: Multiple afternoons.
  • Variable: Sandbox or procedural games.

Just off the top of my head. Someone will surely give a better idea.
Having a game length tag would be an excellent idea. I like to know if I think I'll actually put the amount of time required into a game when I download it. Even if you can't know the exact amount of time it'll take to complete, a game designer generally has some idea of the length they're shooting for. (or they SHOULD, at least)
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
Perhaps if like Liberty some devs don't know then, as I imagine a final run through a game is standard before release after bug testing, the time it took the dev could be mentioned and a player can add a reasonable percentage for themselves to account for the familiarity the dev has with their game.

I think Liberty makes a good point in that there are many different types of players with different styles, and those styles themselves change with the type of game being played. Personally I'm one of those that checks every pot, barrel, bookshelf and on occasion wall to look for items and secret passages, hence I may take a little longer that the average player if the game rewards exploration. If it doesn't then I'm fairly good with logical deductions and clue filtering so I can be faster than the player if the game has a focus on puzzles and deduction skills.

It really is all very subjective, and unless a dev is aiming for a particular length I think that supplying the time it took them to make their last playthrough at least gives you a starting point on which to base your own personal calculations.

Maybe a broader category then?

Less than an hour.
Less than five hours.
Less than ten hours.
Less than twenty hours.
Holy fuckballs, this is a long game!!!
Final Tear 3-worthy. (Or "You could have watched all the Tolkien and Marvel movies back to back by now!)

(yes, three exclamation points. For emphasis)
author=Liberty
Maybe a broader category then?

Less than an hour.
Less than five hours.
Less than ten hours.
Less than twenty hours.
Holy fuckballs, this is a long game!!!
Final Tear 3-worthy. (Or "You could have watched all the Tolkien and Marvel movies back to back by now!)

(yes, three exclamation points. For emphasis)
I would absolutely use this scale and apply it properly.

Even if I didn't care about telling people how long my game is because it's a nice scale.
I'd love to have this feature. I appreciate any dev giving an astimate playtime, and this would rock.
It's just an estimate, made to the best judgement of the game's developer. I put estimated game lengths in my readme's, but I doubt that anyone reads readme's now so...

I just wanted to have some way of knowing how long a certain game is expected to last before downloading it. I mean, not every time do I want to play a 20-hour epic. Sometimes, we could all just use a 15-min break.
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
author=karins_soulkeeper
It's just an estimate, made to the best judgement of the game's developer. I put estimated game lengths in my readme's, but I doubt that anyone reads readme's now so...


But...I do.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
author=karins_soulkeeper
I put estimated game lengths in my readme's, but I doubt that anyone reads readme's now so...


An approximation of game-time is NOT something I would put in a manual that nobody reads anyway. On the game-box game-page, maybe, but not in the manual.
I was thinking... How about adding a sort of Discussion feature to peoples' profiles? Sort of like the Status feature, what with anyone being able to reply, but instead have them left by other people - talking and the like, allowing for a sort-of 'open PM' kinda thing.

I guess a bit like a chat feature but set-up like the status feed, where it's not real time and more personal in nature (though everyone can join in). And it wouldn't show up on the Community page, but instead be below a person's profile.

Just an idea.

LouisCyphre
can't make a bad game if you don't finish any games
4523
That'd go something like:

"Fuck this guy, he only gave my game 2 stars."
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
Can it be optional? I get the occasional 'why did you rate my game so low, you are a bad person and should <insert curse/expletive here>' I'd like not to have that on my profile if I could avoid it.
Maybe have it so you could set it on/off or allow you to block certain people from commenting (like those on your ignore?) A toggle on/off would work.

And of course there'd be rules to cover harassment and the like. XD
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
Yeah that'd work. I've never felt harassed, it's generally just less experienced makers who can't understand why I don't adore their project as much as they do. Generally either a quick, 'I'm sorry you felt that way' or in the case of the less polite ones a delete without response sorts it. I've only ever had one do a follow up that wasn't a calm response and that person isn't around any more, voluntary I think, so all in all this community is pretty good in that arena. Mostly I like the fact if someone disagrees with points in a review or comment they have the conversation in the open on the gamepage. Makes for a much better debate.

...and I've gone seriously off topic again.