Thoughts About Steam?

[GandalfThyBlue]

This game could possibly gain a lot more attention if you worked something out with Valve. I feel putting this game on steam would be a huge step into gaining more players for the game. It will also allow the veterans and oldies (like me) to start munching on n00bs and drinking their tears.

If this decision is eventually made, I feel there will have to be an updated tutorial, or more clarity. I can say for myself, (maybe not others) that when I first started this game, around 2 years ago, it took me a very long time to figure out that I have to pick up items and study them.

Anyway, I'm not perfect, and I'm not sure how it would work out, but what are your thoughts on this?

(John Curvey Carver Senpai, notice me!)
http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/FAQ.php
+1Steam

[Lusewing]

The game is still far from done, just check out the road map, MM have said that, once they feel ready, they will advatise Salem like crazy. Plus, this is a free to play game - im not sure how Steam would handle something like that.

The thing with Salem is that it takes a lot of time investment, thus if you cant hook people after the first day they are unlikely to come back. All the little bugs, frustrations and murkyness of the current game build would cause people to unfairly judge it and likely not come back. Just give it time to find its self before it starts showing off its features.

[JohnCarver]

Lusewing pretty much nailed it.

[GandalfThyBlue]

The game is still far from done, just check out the road map, MM have siad that once they feel ready they will advatise Salem like crazy. Plus, this is a free to play game - im not sure how Steam would handle something like that.

The thing with Salem is that it takes a lot of time investment, thus if you cant hook people after the first day they are unlikely to come back. All the little bugs, frustrations and murkyness of the current game game build would cause people to unfairly judge it. Just give it time to find its self before it starts showing off its features.

Steam accepts free-to-play games all the time.

I also agree that these bugs and such need to be fixed, and this steam idea may be a thing in the future. The reason this game is so difficult is because beginners have no idea what to do. When I started this game, it took me at least an hour to just figure out all the controls and such. It took me even more time to figure out that I had to pick stuff up, and then actually study these things!

I think the beginning should be very... soft-core but once the game has a grasp of you, it starts getting progressively more difficult in a sense.

The biggest issue IMO is that new players get frustrated because they don't know what to do as they progress down the skill tree and such. Clarity would help so much.

P.S. The main thing point is, is this a plan for the future, John? It doesn't have to be anytime soon, but eventually?

[DarkNacht]

Just as long as it never requires that pile of **** to play.

[loftar]

I'd just like to add to this discussion the fact that Steam was always on the horizon as long as we were with Paradox, so there are systems in place, at least, for handling logins via different "portals". As such, it would probably be possible for Steam users to log right in and start playing without having to create an account or anything, instead using the identity of the Steam client.

[KruskDaMangled]

Kinks like the client crashing more often than a drunken chimp driving a car under certain circumstances might need to be ironed out, however.

[Orcling]

Kinks like the client crashing more often than a drunken chimp driving a car under certain circumstances might need to be ironed out, however.

java

[trungdle]

May not be Java. Loftar make it clear that it is not Java to blame. It is something else.
Still, I kinda like AND dislike Steam. I like their services, I don't like their power over me.

[Feone]

Kinks like the client crashing more often than a drunken chimp driving a car under certain circumstances might need to be ironed out, however.

java

Yea, because a program crashing has nothing to do with the program itself.