Well there is only a couple of days left before the LAUNCH of our Crowd Sale on "The Game Crafter" (TGC).
If you'd like to download our rulebook and have a read, the download is of course FREE. We have explicitly set it so that it may be viewed anonymously and downloaded at no cost.
Our TGC sale will start on Monday 18 July and proceed until Monday 15 August. Yes it is a long duration, we are hoping to do some more "guerrilla marketing" during the campaign and see if we can generate more interest.
We also have a ad placement courtesy of Father Geek which we hope might generate a little bit of traffic also.
Here is the LINK:
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/crowdsale/tradewars-homeworld:-early-access
or the DIRECT LINK:
http://www.tradewarshomeworld.com
Obviously this Crowd Sale is the "ushering" of a *New Phase* for our game... We still have more work to get out the news about the game and the possibilities with it. We will soon try to "continue" to market our game and see if we can get even more people interested.
Three (3) years of development have finally come to a close - and the next chapter begins! :)
Cheers all.
Comments
Rulebook feedback
Here are various typos, grammatical errors and rules questions that leap out at me:
Page 3
"the key to their survival lied in the colonization..." - "lied" here should be "lay".
"As a colonies’ wealth grew" should be something like "As these colonies’ wealth grew"
Page 6
"Each scenario has a specific objective in determining the winner of each specific scenario" is poor writing with obvious redundancy. Make it something like "Each scenario has a specific objective to determine the winner".
Page 7
You specify that the Quadra Lasers cannot attack a Homeworld, but you do not specify this for the Ionic Blaster: you need to clarify whether it targets the Homeworld in absence of starships.
Page 8
A player cannot replenish their hand at the beginning of the game as they have no hand of cards to replenish. Use a word like "fills" instead.
"discard any number cards to make room in their hand" should presumably be "discard any number of cards to make room in their hand"
"found in big on the back" is poor writing, make it something like "found as the large transparent number on the back of the card".
Page 9
"It takes 51% to pass the diplomatic agreement" is an odd choice of words given that there can never be a vote of 51% regardless of the number of players. It suggests a granularity in the voting that doesn't exist. You also don't make it clear whether a player can still vote after losing their Homeworld. Make it something like "More than half of the active players must agree for the agreement to be binding".
Additionally, you should probably clarify that there is (presumably?) no Chancellor role in the solo game, to prevent players from abusing the role to invent rules that they then vote for.
Page 10
How exactly does the Smuggler role work if the cards are double-sided? I can't point to "random" cards in your hand when I can see what they're worth. You, meanwhile, would be easily able to see which cards were which if you shuffled them in your hands to make it "random". Hopefully a player would be honest about this but as it stands this mechanism is open to easy abuse.
Under "Buying Cards" you say "you may use the cards in your hand to buy Upgrade Cards" but you don't specify that the cards you use should be discarded; this is further complicated by the statement "You may also choose to keep cards in your hand or discard them". I would change that to something like "You may also choose to keep the newly purchased cards in your hand or discard them"
Page 12
"likeliness" is an odd choice of word, I would use the more common "likelihood".
Regarding the "unlocking" of starships, you probably need to clarify whether a ship remains unlocked after a player's qS level falls back below the unlocking value (as it stands, this is not clear and could be interpretted to mean that the player would lose a starship if their qS level fell).
Page 13
"To defend a Homeworld, a player must configure one or more starships" suggests at this point in the rules that a player may choose to configure starships outside the normal sequence to absorb damage when his Homeworld would otherwise be destroyed. This is just redundant explanation of the principle of combat and I would cut it.
Page 16
"To begin combat, a player launches one or more starships". This suggests there is some mechanism (that is not explained) called "launching". I would make it something more obvious like "a player nominates one or more starships".
Also the whole "Other Cards" section seems redundant to me; all of this information has already been explained, other than perhaps the exact use of the Deck Screen card.
Page 17
"using their Starship’s (maybe multiple) Firepower" suggests that a single starship can have multiple Firepower cards. I would make it something like "using the Firepower of the attacking Starship(s)"
Remove the word "with" from "You must be careful because with a bad initiative roll can result in a dangerous outcome"
As a general note, you sometimes use title case when referring to "Starships" but sometimes you simply use the lower case "starships". It's a minor point but consistency is important in making a good first impression.
Thanks for the revision...
All I can say is a "Thank you" for taking the time to read the rulebook.
I have made the changes in my MS Word document - now I need to do screen captures to convert the Word document into PNG images! :P
This is the simplest (and quickest) way of making the changes...
I will complete them tonight... Got to take a break.
Cheers!
Future Expansion
Obviously this is the "streamlined" version which is more *compatible* with more novice gamers. I've taken several pieces from the "core" game in order to reduce the complexities of the game. However if this version may seem simpler, I trust that was the intent in "simplifying" the game.
But rest assured, we will be "re-introducing" the more advanced features of the original game... Things such as the "Days of Glory" Scenario, tradeships, missions, trade bonuses, etc. These additions make the game "more complex" and add more decision making to the "core" game.
We hope to make these features available soon - but only if the popularity of the "core" game warrants it.
We will also be seeking partnership in Publication, to try to bring our game to FLGSs around the USA and Canada - perhaps even Australia...
All done
A couple of hours slaving over the modifications and doing plenty of "Copy & Paste" is finally finished! The updated rulebook may now be downloaded (Version 0.24). That's right we have had 24 revisions of the rulebook!!!
I hope we haven't missed any additional details. Several people have proofed this document and well it's a tough *gig*! I say that because there are 18 pages of text that you need to read through and well, that's not an easy task.
Hopefully we are all ready for the CROWD SALE starting on Monday 18 July!
Cheers.
Sent out some updates
We should be receiving some "social media love" with the reviewers that have taken the time to take a deeper look at our game. We also got our ad up on "Father Geek's" review page (which links to the TGC sale).
AND THE SALE IS LIVE!!!
That's right, as of 2:00 PM today, the sale has been live!
Probably done for the day ... but
I just wanted to add that all our "comps" and "personal pre-orders" have been purchase and account for all of today's sales. This includes various people from designers who want to take a look for expansion ideas to reviewers that were nice enough to give us a "free" review... Some manifested an interest in the game in that they'd like to own copies of the game - so I added them to the list of "comps".
I also sent out 12 e-mails to US gamers - they can get the game at a reasonable price and relatively low shipping costs. I still have yet to tap into 35 Canadian gamers, of which I have e-mails to. My problem is that $23.55 USD + $16.50 USD shipping - is probably going to prevent them from purchasing...
All the logistics of shipping are just BAD. If you buy 2 Game Sets for two (2) players, the cost of shipping should NOT be double. Maybe like $8.00. For the 30 copies it only cost $60.00. So $2.00 each copy... See why I am "comp"-ing and "pre-ordering"??? At $2.00 shipping for a game box, THAT IS REASONABLE!
We'll see how the remainder of the week goes. I am going to try to contact more people in the US - see if I can convince them to buy the game... "Guerrilla Marketing" as they say! :P
Cheers... lol
Comments welcomed
Right about now, I am "fishing" for comments concerning the rulebook (and the game - obviously). I know some of you have taken the time to download and maybe review our rulebook ... and well I would of course like to hear feedback from you.
Please feel free to SHARE you thoughts on our game... I realize that the "core" of the game is rather "simple". But "simple" games are hard to design, especially those that appeal to adults and children alike. With our "Father Geek Approved" status, that shows that the game is harder to play by children under the age of 13 - but still has value in helping younger children better learn strategy.
I'll repeat it here - our game was designed to be EXPANDABLE. As such we have a planned expansion that will re-introduce "Tradeships" and Missions to add more depth into the level of strategy. Why? How? Well by establishing trade-routes with different Exterra Colonies, the player may perform a Mission to earn extra quickSilver (qS) and at the same time benefit from Trade Bonuses.
These Trade Bonuses affect the Treasurer role which allows you to Bank cards for qS. As such bonuses will augment the odds of trading of various resources according to the planet the player is dealing with.
Again feel free to comment and provide us with valuable feedback!
Best of Success To You
Just purchased a copy. Wishing you success on your sale!!! :)
Awesome...
Your patronage is very welcome... As I have mentioned some other Designers also wanted to get the game to think about future "Expansions" and new "Scenarios" because of the *expandable* nature of the game...
The solo scenario for one (1) player has been playtested over 100 times! :)
Thanks again!
Got my copy
Got my copy coming...congratulations on your hard work being realized!
That's great Chris!
Obviously I know the numbers are "smaller" on TGC than KS... But that's the thing.
If I had gone into a KS campaign, I would not be able to approach Publishers because of saturation.
This allows the game to be MADE and released, giving possible Publishing Partners the option to buy a "ready-made" game with some sort of "credibility". I'm not saying all Publishers will be interested, but I know for a fact that TGC self-published titles have found homes in Publishers.
So this leaves a KS as a possible Partnership - as opposed to doing it alone.
Again thank you for your support! I'm just happy that we have a game to SELL! :)
Another way of HELPING us out!
I very much would like to thank all the designers who pre-ordered in addition to the ones who have purchased a copy of the game!
BUT that being said, IF you don't want to buy a copy of the game ... that's OK.
YOU CAN STILL HELP US OUT!
How? By sharing this LINK (http://www.tradewarshomeworld.com) with ANYONE you know that has teens or tweens, friends or family. Maybe a cousin or for a brother's son, etc... We ALL know of people who would be interested in playing our game...
SO PLEASE SHARE THE LINK WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU KNOW!!!
Thank you for all your help and contribution(s).
More people have ...
Downloaded our rulebook... And yes I gave in: I paid for another Facebook BOOST... This time only $25.00 to get between 500 - 1,500 people. Seems like enough. I've already got like 6 likes! :)
I'm hoping to speak directly to some other "gamers" and see if they have avenues for the purchase of the game.
Worst case: I talk to some people. Best case: I make a sale! :)
I have just sent out the 1st Update
Buyers of "Tradewars - Homeworld" have received their FIRST UPDATE: "We have reached the 33% goal of 100 Game Sets sold." At 100 Game Sets, the discount is a whooping 33% so about $20.00 per Game Set...
That's quite a remarkable discount from the regular price of $29.99 per Game Set.
Keeping you folks posted!
Best of luck!
Hey Kris, Best of luck on the campaign!
I've set TGC to remind me (funds are low at the moment, but who knows what a couple of weeks will bring).
The game looks great, though the price definitely holds it back. If it gets down to the $20 per set, it will for sure be more palatable!
Regarding your boosted FB post, I saw that, but almost scrolled right past it. Facebook posts that are being boosted should be noticeable and engaging. I hate to say, that one is not. If you consider boosting a post again, be sure to include a great image and well written text to go with it, along with a link.
Social Media 101 :)
Next IN-PERSON Demo on...
Tuesday night from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM!!! I will be visiting a FLGS and demoing "Tradewars - Homeworld". I will of course hope to interest players because there are two (2) other events going on at that time.
But they tell me a "Group" of "Designers" usually shows up on that night.
I don't really care if they are "Designers", Magic "Players" or Pokemon "Players"... Whatever - I just want to DEMO the game because I already know people will like it.
How do I know this? Because everyone who has played the game - say it's a FUN game to play. First time games might be a little longer - but that's ok it gives the players a chance to better learn the game.
Can't wait until this Tuesday night!!!
(Oh and why Tuesday Night? Because I visited the FLGS TODAY and they told me Tuesday is a better night...)
Some more rulebook downloading
Well it seems more people are interested because I got a "batch" of people who have downloaded the rulebook (version 0.24). That's the cool thing about TGC, they keep track of how many downloads are made of the freely available PDF.
It doesn't say who or store their IP - just a counter which increments! :)
But still people downloading the rulebook to have a better understanding about the game - is a wise decision. It's for the educated buyers that I intentionally put the rulebook in PDF format and freely accessible.
The rules should be available freely and always!
Cheers.
I Will Never Grow Up Gaming
Thanks for you encouragement... What I really need is getting the word out!
Anything under $25.00 is a great deal. The KS price will be $35.00 and will feature the "Days of Glory" Scenario (additional scenario) and a real nice foldable "Game Mat". So anything under that amount is a worthwhile buy.
Umm... about Social Media, my cousin works for Facebook. You don't need an image and secondly she told me to keep post SHORT and TO THE POINT. Otherwise people will not read them (messages). It's not like BGDF where you can have a TL;DR post and people will respond. FB is all short attention - quick updates.
You got to do what you got to do!
I am toying with the fact of offering my game to a FLGS at a price of $20.00 CAD. This would be a BULK ORDER of 20 copies of the game. So $400.00 CAD investment in our game...
Now that may SOUND great... But in fact I am losing money on the deal.
$23.55 USD (current price) is about $30.00 CAD + SHIPPING. Maybe another $40.00 USD.
So I would effectively be losing about $10.00 CAD per game. But that's something advertising could kill for - but it's a worthwhile deal...
I don't mind taking a small loss - if this means that my game will be in the hands of MORE gamers!!!
Update: I forgot I make $5.00 USD per game = $100.00 USD profit. That's about $130 CAD and therefore my LOSS is only $70.00 CAD... Not too bad... Hope I can make a deal (about $3.50 CAD per Game Set)!!!
About Social Media
Umm... about Social Media, my cousin works for Facebook. You don't need an image and secondly she told me to keep post SHORT and TO THE POINT. Otherwise people will not read them (messages). It's not like BGDF where you can have a TL;DR post and people will respond. FB is all short attention - quick updates.
About social media; No matter what your cousin may have said, people respond to imagery and flash more than a single line or two. That line or two needs to be there as well, and yes it should be short, and to the point, absolutely. Well crafted and poignant are other good terms to use. Something that people will be more likely respond to.
If it doesn't catch peoples attention, they scroll right on past it, especially in an age where people have 100's (or thousands) of people and dozens (or hundreds) of groups/pages posting dozens of updates a day each.
Your mileage may vary and there is, of course, no obligation to take my advice. Just trying to help a fellow designer get the most out of their dollars and exposure.
Editing Assistance
~ Steve,
As the Developer, I'm always appreciative of another set of eyes, and with TWHW, it is no exception. We'll, no doubt, give the text another full read through in the days ahead, but didn't want to miss the opportunity to extend my thanks to you.
Cheers,
Joe
Corrections already made
@Joe: I added/made Steve's corrections to the rulebook already. There should be no more errors in the rulebook - especially after our last Skype session which went over all of the inconsistencies in the rulebook.
Thank you Joe, for taking the time to make yourself available to review the rulebook.
Cheers.