Why Not Digitial Distribution?

[Endoperez]

sector24 said:
On a marginally related note, if someone were to compile User Interface improvements would there be any chance of seeing them get considered?

It's Illwinter's choice what they implement, but the chance of them implementing what you want is bigger if they know what you want. If there was a good list, with all the points in the first post and everything written well AND CATEGORIZED by importance, it would be very useful for Johan. Without categorizing, it's just a wishlist thread, which can offer hints but doesn't help in getting the important stuff before "important". Telling the difference between those two is quite hard, though. As an example, the score graphs persisting is trivial for some (who disable scoregraphs), and very important for others (who "score" themselves against other nations).

[S.R. Krol]

Tim Brooks said:
And one day we may do this, but right now we just don't see it as an option for a game as popular and as niche as Dominions 3.

Jazzepi, while the Shrapnel cleaning lady hasn't chimed in yet to tell you this same point, everyone else has. How about accepting it and moving on?

[Jazzepi]

S.R. Krol said:

Jazzepi, while the Shrapnel cleaning lady hasn't chimed in yet to tell you this same point, everyone else has. How about accepting it and moving on?

I guess you're not struck by the same bewilderment as I am that you're posting in a thread telling someone else to move on. I think this is a case of following your own advice.

Jazzepi

[Zeldor]

Tim Brooks:

You can download manual in pdf.

[Velusion]

Tim and Shrapnel,

Thanks for the post... I appreciate sharing your reasoning here concerning digital distribution. I do think your argument sounds reasonable. I'm not sure I'm totally swayed (mostly about the piracy thing) but you make a lot of sense and have obviously thought it out.

Also thanks for not locking this thread and allowing the discussion!

To Illwinter,
My apologies if my post sounded rather harsh - I just really like the game and just think it would be greatly served by AI and (especially) UI improvements.

[Tim Brooks]

I'm back. Sorry it has taken me so long to return...

Well, that means I'll have to comment on your opinion of dominions 3. You say, a niche game. I say : why should it be one ? But comments on this thread (including your answers) makes me believe that dominions 3 wants to remain a niche game, played by a few, known by a few.

Why should it be a niche game? It shouldn't be! I agree totally. But wanting it not to be doesn't make it so. We could make it more user friendly, give less options, improve the graphics over gameplay... and on and on. It would be a smash hit probably, but it wouldn't be Dominions. It would be a totally different game.

Sometimes I think people believe that this game isn't well known. Would you believe we have had millions of downloads of the demo? But it remains a game that is niche, based on sales. You can't change that by wishing it so. You can't change that by any means other than changing the game. There is a reason the major publishers don't have a Dominions clone. It isn't a major market. Now that doesn't mean it hasn't sold well. It has for a niche game. Can it sell better? I believe that it can. Shrapnel is pretty darn good at what we do. But don't beleive for a minute that we think we are perfect. We are always working to be better. But you have to do it smartly if you want to remain in business.

However, what I can say is what I think could make the game better. And that's what I did.

And we want you to. The developers want you to. Please don't stop. And continue to question the way we do business. We really do read these posts and we consider what is said here.

either ship it with "default" mail service and it comes at reduced price but longer waiting time, or use another one and get it delivered faster (of course the price is higher)

We used to do this. But it wasn't cost effective. UPS, Fedex, etc. charge you monthly fees for their services. They just weren't used enough to keep paying those fees.

Thanks for that answer, that was very satisfactory and thoughtful answer. It's good to see that you've considered the issues carefully and it looks now as if you've taken very sensible decisions.

Thank you, llamabeast!

If I may suggest adding another couple of links to the website: a link called "reviews" pointing at the "What they're saying" page on Shrapnel would be an excellent idea (since those reviews are so glowing). Also I'd suggest giving detailed guides and lots of pictures for a couple of races (the guides are pretty much ready in the community and I'm sure people would be happy to let you use them) with little thumbnails for all the other races, showing the amazing range of fascinating things available in the game.

We can do this. We need the community to help. The AARs are a great ides and we are in the process of a site redesign that will encompass alot of this. In the meantime, I will have Annette set up a thread to post anything that you (the community) think will help us tell the Dominions 3 story better.

We live like 10 miles from one another, can I buy you a beer sometime?

Would love to, sector24! I'll buy the second round. PM me, when you can.

Tim, thank you for responding to the points presented in a meaningful, accurate way.

Your welcome. Thanks for 'listening'.

Also thanks for not locking this thread and allowing the discussion!

We wouldn't dream of doing this, Velusion. We do listen and consider your ideas. And when someone brings something up like this, it sometimes reminds us to revisit things. We are always looking for ways to be better at what we do and this whole internet and gaming is a constantly changing animal that requires constant attention. Your ideas are always welcome at Shrapnel Games.

[Saxon]

Scott,

You seemed to be asking if anyone had not bought the game because it was not digital download. I may be the closest you will get.

Living in Kenya, our mail service can be unreliable. As such, I had the game shipped to my parents in Canada and then picked it up when I visited on vacation. If I was not sure about the game, I would not have bothered. However, I had played the first two, checked out the demo and figured it was worth the money.

Obviously, I am a weird and tiny bit of the market, but some folks really don�t like, or can�t use, the mail. Tim�s points look pretty good and address the rest of the market.

Another point you asked about, is $55 impulse buy money for anyone? Well, yes, it is. Look at the credit card problems lots of folks have, people do some odd things with their cash. Many people see that amount in the impulse range. The other group to look at is the professionals. Without trying to sound like a rich prat, I can say that $55 is not a big deal for me anymore. If I want to take my wife to dinner, I will drop at least that much and not blink. A trip out for the weekend will burn at least that much gas, but I don�t factor it in my decision making. A night at a bar, I shudder to think how much that would cost these days if I got drunk. $55 used to be a lot for me, but all those years in university paid off.

In other words, you might want to stretch your ideas on the impulse buy idea. Computer games are entertainment, which is pretty much about satisfying impulses and emotions.

[Baalz]

It'd be pretty cool to set up a MP game specifically that everyone signed up to post AARs to. Perpetuality had a smattering of this, and a couple players regularly post short in character reports but it'd be cool to have everyone commit to doing it the whole way through then maybe do a little editing, splicing, and narration to put it all together into a overall story. I see this often enough, it shouldn't be too hard to fill up a game like this.

[thejeff]

Yeah, resurrect the old Dom II Yarnspinners (I think that was the name) games!

I couldn't write for them, but I loved reading them.

[djo]

Yarnspinner II was a blast, but wow, it's hard to keep up the writing! Alas, most of the prolific authors from those games did not move on to Dominions 3.

You've seen that some people do post/email in character (Pasha's games are prone to it, and I see you are in the next one). Every so often, someone tries to get a role-playing-heavy game going, but so far it hasn't taken off in Dom 3.

I wonder if Baalz meant to post his comment in another thread?