ACCHA'S PROFILE

I think the space background looks beautiful :P

It's really nice how you have the subtle dark blue/grayish stars in the background there, too.

Green-haired dude up there is charming, and your beard, of course, is magnificent.

TIL kentona is boss for good reason

Looks quite nice, alterego =)

Awwright, there it goes. G'luck, Ratty!

Agreeing with Liberty here. You guys have already gone over everything I suppose though >_o

I'd imagine that the reviews section might turn out like Amazon if you were to allow super short reviews. But worse, since there's not a "helpful" score to show which ones can be considered game development critique and not kneejerk player reactions.

Well, I'm assuming that reviews fulfill two purposes: to inform potential players of the game's ups and downs (helping them decide if they want to play the game), and to inform game developers of what worked and what didn't work. As such, short reviews that are vague and provide no direct examples of game content and how it contributed/detracted from the overall game experience are no better than feelings rants (ala OMG!! SO GOOD U NEED TO PLAY IT this game is sooo cute<333, except with less teen girl lingo). If there are short reviews that do fulfill those two purposes, then great. If not, well, we have the comment section.

As for "How to encourage people to post more reviews?" I'd say that the template suggestion is pretty nice as a guide for people who need help organizing their thoughts into words.

Video/audio reviews might also be nice for people who prefer to talk rather than type! Podcasts and podfics are going strong, so I'd suppose podreview wouldn't be bad, right? ... Right? This also ties in with the suggestion that LPs should include a right to cast a rating, if LPs are considered like live reviews. (Which I personally think do count, since they show developers how players really interact with and experience the game).

When it comes down to it, I think a game is worth making and playing if it presents new experiences that make people see games (and their features) in a new or different light. Innovative mechanics, entertaining twists, or even fresh perspectives on old stuff. Developing your specific game should also develop the nature of games as a whole. Or at least that's my over-romanticized and dramatized view of it.

@Ashes of Emerald, I'd think a game where your choices actually matter is more fun and engaging than one where nothing you do will change the game. As long as it's very clear (or seemingly clear) where each choice will lead the player it should make for an interesting experience... Not to say it should be something clear cut always-good or always-bad; just don't put vague bullshit choices that people don't understand.

Your game will have more drama and be more mentally intense this way, and yes it is true there will be people who don't get any of it. At. All. But for the people who DO get it, the game will stand apart as something (hopefully) greater. It comes down to this: do you want a basic experience for everyone, or do you want a mind-blowing experience for some but not all?

As for horror puzzle difficulty, from what I've observed puzzles are scariest when you quickly know HOW to solve it-- but the way to solve it involves a lot of danger, risk-taking, or squick. Have clear objectives, basically. If players are stuck scratching their heads and not knowing how to proceed they usually just end up getting frustrated instead of scared.