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M_bowwarrior
03-31-2008, 08:32 AM
Thoughts on commercial ADOM variant (http://www.adom.de/blog/2008/03/31/thoughts-on-commercial-adom-variant/)
March 31st, 2008

I would like to get some input: Recently I was addressed by someone who works in the game business for some major companies and was pondering commercial venues for games like ADOM. We discussed various options and among the things he proposed were things like ?high value packaged? ADOM versions (e.g. with cloth maps and layouted and expanded manual) for a yet-to-determine amount of money.

Since that discussion I have been wondering if such an idea would be of any interest to the ADOM community. Or if there are other things that might be valuable enough for you to be willing to pay for them.

To prevent misunderstandings: Such ideas and discussions have no influence on the further development of ADOM or JADE (ok, particularly interesting ideas might speed up further development, although I doubt it) and there are no plans of whatever kind for commercial-only versions, etc.

This guy simply approached me and got me wondering if a games category like roguelike games have any commercial potential. So no flames please, I?m just curious. And no rumor mill starting with this either - it?s not worth it

______________________________________
Any comment ?
some valuable things for which you are ready to pay ?

Dougy
03-31-2008, 09:33 AM
I guess something new would have to appear in ADOM that is significant and not released yet. If there was going to be a commercial ADOM it probably should be JADE.

yisk
03-31-2008, 12:21 PM
I think that JADE should be free of charge forever. BUT it is possible to sell a personal keys. The key allows player to register a special account here. Only special account holders will can save and load their games while connected to the web (server keeps all svg files) and record scores to the official top list.

Macros
03-31-2008, 03:28 PM
If it won't have any negative influence on further Adom and Jade developement, and if TB will have some benefits from this, then why not...

Kato
03-31-2008, 04:08 PM
Well...honestly, it's been free for this long. Why change it? Also...I really don't feel that there is a market for roguelikes. They have all been free for how long now and if Adom suddenly went the way of money, there would be even fewer people playing than there is now. I'm sorry, but I just don't see Rougelikes or even Adom as something that would be terribly profitable.

On a side note...some of the few items might be nifty to have. Maybe you can extend a shop for various things. Like coffee mugs with random minstrel sayings on them ;) Or shirts with the same. Nice, cloth colored maps of key areas...or a mousepad with a map of the world on it. Those are the kind of things that you might be able to sell I would think.

That's my opinion at least.

moppit
03-31-2008, 05:56 PM
Free is good.. I am poor.. although I have gotten so much amusement out of adom, I feel I would like to support you monetarily in some way... (And I apologize, I haven't clicked the donate button yet.. Tough winter, excuses, excuses... But since you have been back blogging jade and taking time out of real life for us.. I think it is a matter of time..) But.. As for a commercial aspect of adom my 2 cents are as follow

1st cent : As far as getting something Im paying for, I am not a big fan of things.. Do not think I would pay for a box and a manual.. But I think I would pay a subscription fee of like $3 a month or $10 a quarter or something to be have an "official" site that would track all users high scores on a master list, and could log legit YAVP's.. (And show your postcard collection ;) )

2nd cent : The other thing I think would be neat, is if adom shipped w/linux distro.. It sure beats solitaire and I think once certain people click on it and go through the char creation process they will be hooked too.. It is easy to download and install enough, but how many more people would play if it was one of the random clicks in the games menu... Fun!


P.S. (3rd Half Cent) : Defying all reality... If and when I defeat adom, I would love to have a handsigned t-shirt that on the front said "Moppit" And the back had my Victory Post.. Heh... That would be neat... Or make that a cloak.. Yes, I think it would need to be a cloak.

reich
03-31-2008, 08:38 PM
the old website used to announce an ADoM Deluxe which would be avaible for a fee and feature additional options, not crucial for gameplay. Those bonus features would be cheats (god mode, starting game at level 50), enhanced character customisation: choosing starsign, eye color etc. and other cool options.

The idea was probably discontinued. It's a shame, because that idea for ADoM-related fundraising seemed appealing to me.

Zeno
04-01-2008, 02:26 PM
I think there is no commercial market for Roguelikes. I've played an old commercial roguelike, Mission Thunderbolt, and it is a very good game IMO (even better considering its time), but it was not a commercial success.

For people who are willing to support ADOM development, there is already a Donate button.

Maybe some ADOM merchandise could be sold, like T-shirts, mugs, mousepads, Mad Minstrel CDs, amulets, daggers, scurgari, strange messages, figurines of wondrous power, sis, etc? I would not buy these myself (I prefer donations), but maybe some would. I am not sure, but I think there is an easy way to sell stuff such as T-shirts on Internet, and probably there are some people in the community who would design them.

reich
04-01-2008, 03:10 PM
(...) mousepads, Mad Minstrel CDs, amulets, daggers, scurgari, strange messages, figurines of wondrous power, sis (...)

LOOL!!!:D:D:D
I want a Tywatt Pare action figure!!

Sradac
04-01-2008, 09:33 PM
a big blue t =)

theotherhiveking
04-01-2008, 09:35 PM
I want a +9999 enchanted blow of flower power!!

reich
04-01-2008, 10:33 PM
enchanted blow of flower power!!

:rolleyes:hmmm:D

Plausible
04-02-2008, 11:48 PM
Some posts suggest a system where the main game is free but extra game features would have to be paid for. I really dislike this. It fractures the player base into an elite and tag-alongs who always miss out on something. It would be sad to see that happen.

Fortunately Thomas's post suggests he's not thinking along these lines.

I prefer either a 100% free game or a 100% paid-for game.

In fact I hope that ADOM and JADE can keep standing as an example of something that doesn't have to go the ole' commercial route to be great. Maybe that's easy talking for a cost-free consumer. I guess it depends on Thomas's sociopolitical and other views! :)

To be clear: nothing against a 'game+fancy gear set' for sale. I'd like some merchandise myself, especially a keychain, like this animated tree and frost giant jarl:

http://www.dollaritemdirect.com/ProductImages/JY10.jpg

... they could have simple hand-drawn leaves, eyes, ... on them to make them special, if Thomas is any good at drawing! ;-)

But all of this would be external to the game itself.

Epythic
04-05-2008, 12:22 PM
(...) sis (...)

Give me one SI, after an hour you can get it back :)

BlU_sKrEEm
04-07-2008, 01:54 AM
I'd buy a comercial version of ADOM, especialy if it had extras like additional artifacts or maybe even races. Then again I'd prblably by an official ADOM magnetic action set, or other ADOM merch.

Zeno
04-07-2008, 09:14 AM
I am against a commercial version of ADOM which would be significantly different. I'd accept things which are not important for gameplay, like displaying "this copy is registered to ...", eye color selection, star sign selection (OK this one is important for gameplay, but one could scum for good sign anyway), etc. Selecting initial alignment is bad IMO.

Travis Prue
04-07-2008, 11:46 AM
I want a +9999 enchanted blow of flower power!!

It's over NINE THOUSAAAAAAAND!

>_>

Manu
04-09-2008, 02:36 AM
I'd buy it, if just because when I think about how much work Thomas has put into the game I can't morally bring myself not to do so. I would buy it for more selfish reasons however if it had some new things.

What about... an expansion pack? A new overworld and towns (or just one new town with some new quest-givers), some new monsters, some new dungeon layouts and an extra magic spell or two and then I'm sure loads of people would buy it. Add in some support for graphical tiles and I'm buying ten.

Zeno
04-10-2008, 10:41 AM
I'd buy it, if just because when I think about how much work Thomas has put into the game I can't morally bring myself not to do so. I would buy it for more selfish reasons however if it had some new things.

I don't understand your morality here. You can already donate, and that's the way to show respect and gratitude to Thomas for his effort. Why do you think that buying is more moral than donating?

Manu
04-10-2008, 04:04 PM
I don't understand your morality here. You can already donate, and that's the way to show respect and gratitude to Thomas for his effort. Why do you think that buying is more moral than donating?

I truly hadn't noticed that button before. Now I'm morally obliged to donate. Thanks, Zeno.

Ter13
04-11-2008, 02:18 PM
If people are willing to pay for broken, buggy, unbalanced, poorly made games like Wurm Online, people will pay for ADOM.

I would. If TB made a version of ADOM that ran off python, or Lua as a scripting language, and made much of the game mutable, and the ability to create custom campaigns, I'd be all over it.

Of course, that's just me. Cloth maps? That's a big throwback to the days of Ultima and TES series. I'd also love a classic-looking novel called "the Adventurer's Guide to the Drakalor Chain", or something like that. It'd be neat if it included a full bestiary where the monsters were just drawings of the font in a realistic background, or something.

I'd really enjoy something "extra", but not necessarily limiting the gameplay of the intended game itself.

Chaine
04-13-2008, 02:21 PM
If you could set your character appearances, backgrounds, attribues and perhaps make a custom class of some sort - along with a more or less limited exploration mode/easy mode I'd be happy. I'd pay for it, but not much ofcourse.

Doalag
04-13-2008, 04:06 PM
It's not as simple than "game enjoyment = game buying". The first point is that the vast majority of players aren't interested in CPRG. Among those minority there's probably only a very very small minority that will even bother look at a rogue game like ADOM and will never know its qualities. Finally if it's only a demo many people won't push further and if it's free most people will never pay it even after to have play it a few times.

Myself for a pet extension, at this point I would pay something, otherwise, not sure. :(

Kalmakka
04-13-2008, 04:14 PM
I don't think a commercial version would have much to it. I'd love some merchandise though, but I think that is best distributed separately from the game.

Doalag
04-13-2008, 04:50 PM
Mmm for a collector edition with few stuff like the map (this is an original idea to catch before it vanishes) plus few options to get some new starting pets a bit better than current starting pets, some new sort of pets and some pet necklace or life saving, then ok I'll break my purse asap. :D