SEIV GOLD Rebate

mac5732 · #1 December 11th, 2001, 10:21 PM

my wife told me she will get it for me for xmas, but it will be by check,(she doesn't like using CC's,

What all will be in the manual, any help there for us non modders to be able to start tinkering around with modding,?

just some ideas mac

tesco samoa · #2 December 13th, 2001, 03:27 PM

Mac their is a great article about modding at cgOnline

mac5732 · #3 December 13th, 2001, 09:34 PM

TS, tks for the info, I'll have a look, I would like to try some modding but as a newbie in that area I would like to have an idea what I'm doing or at least some guidelines.. tks again

just some ideas mac

dogscoff · #4 December 14th, 2001, 01:34 PM

Hey Mac it would be great to see you start modding. You're always contributing great ideas with the prefix "I'm not a modder, but...". I reckon you'd be a good modder=-)

I mean I'm not a modder, but I have been tinkering. I found a great place to try things out is the crazy outa control thread - you can add just a few elements without having to worry too much about balance or creating an entire mod. Just post "I got it", download the mod then copy / paste a few things the standard game and tweak the values. I think it's a brilliant place for mod noobs like us.

[ 14 December 2001: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

mac5732 · #5 December 14th, 2001, 06:28 PM

Tks Dogscoff, I've been a wargamer for many yrs (my age is showing) and even designed some board wargames over the years with friends, but never tried modding on computer games, just never had the time and have to share my computer with my two sons, but I would like to try, problem is I'm still not all that knowledgeable with computers in this area so it'll be slow until I know my way around. I've learned a lot just by reading the threads by the modders on this forum like SJ, Atrocities, Memphisto and the rest. But I am going to give it a shot, I hope if I ask some stupid questions in this area everyone will have patience with me. I'm tking some vac over holidays so hopefully I'll start tinkering around.

just some ideas mac

Markavian · #6 December 15th, 2001, 11:40 PM

Hey Tim,

I think soon you should start setting down what you think is going to be best Idea for getting people's rebates. We're all milling around talking to our selves at the moment, a little overpowing descision making might be nice.

Please?

LGM · #7 December 18th, 2001, 07:50 PM

You guys at Shrapnel should consider making SEIV Gold downloadable with a unique per system activation code based on system information. This would make SEIV much harder to pirate. Make the game good for two to seven days without an activation code so people can try out the full fledged Version (no need for a separate demo).

I would even suggest that you make activation codes work for only one year, so we have to buy it each year. The annual fee would serve both you and your customers. It would encourage you to keep developing the game and to fix bugs while giving you a continual cash flow each year to fund further development and bug fixes.

Before anyone complains about annual licensing, how many games other than SEIV are you still playing daily after one year? You certainly get your money's worth out of it do you not? (Actually, I play Stars almost every day, but it is the same kind of game as SEIV).

Another advantage to annual licensing is you can make the game continually upgradable instead of coming out with separate Versions. That way, people who buy it just before the next release comes out will not feel cheated (as some of the recent SEIV Standard purchases have expressed on this forum).

Making it downloadable would also make it easier to distribute: Smaller Distribution costs. Allow people to cut CDs to give to their friends still in 56/28.8K hell. Setup your website to enter a credit card and a response code based on system information and give them an activation code instantly (email one too if they want a second record of it).

Make the manual PDF format so anyone can print it with Acrobat Reader (which is free). Make the manual downloadable too. In other words, but all your money into development (OK, not all, but more. Some has to go in your pockets, we understand you have to eat sometimes). Why waste money on CDs and Printed Manuals. I bet many players do not load the CD everytime they play the game. The only reason to load it is to play the music which gets old after a few hundred hours.

If players want you to cut a CD for them, then charge them a minimal fee for making it and shipping it (it is a Demo until they call and register it or access your website). Likewise, let them buy manuals if they want one.

I for one would like to see more money going to on going development than for production runs.

You could even offer a perpetual license that never expires (until the machine does). Then when you decide to stop supporting the game (and relicensing it), make one Last patch that takes out the licensing requirement so that we can continue to enjoy it as shareware.

[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: LGM ]