Topic: What if I made a CV-style game for facebook?

[Inccubus]

Would you guys try it out?

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

How would it work?

[Claimh Solais]

I assume like any other CV-flash or Java based game. Which means pretty much like Classicvanias.

Unless you're making a text-based RPG based around CV. Then I'd just skip out on it.

[Kale]

Ah... CV -style game not CV game.

... so what if you did make a CV -style facebook game?

[Inccubus]

Along the same lines as how Rokko Chan is in relation to Megaman.
I have an old idea for a non-castlevania castlevania game from way back in the day that I can use for the story. It would have MSX style graphics with a custom color palette. Two playable characters.

[Profbeanburrito]

Well get to work and let's see it in action then we could decide. Too many times people here say " I have X idea for a game with awesome gameplay, abilities, characters, etc.  I'm going to do this and that, blah blah blah." and then that's the last I see of anything.

Give us some ideas, some concepts, some gameplay in action, then I'll decide if I want to play it or not.

[Chernabogue]

Become friend with Dracula! xD

[X]

I would like to give it a try but I have no intentions to make a facebook account anytime soon. This game should be accessible to everyone.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Everyone knows you're a nobody if you don't have Facebook.
...
...
...I'm joking!

All kidding aside, I think the reason he wants to use Facebook is because it's got an easy platform and high accessibility, as opposed to having to download and install a game.  It can certainly be more appealing to use a method in which the buzz about a game spreads like wildfire so quickly.

There is a stigma with FB games, being "They're not games" and "They just apply to point 'n click timewaster mentalities" and "they're usually just ways for people to cajole their friends into helping them with their games".  If a robust game were to be built, it would be pretty cool though.

I have Facebook.  If you made a Castlevania-style game, I'd play it to help test it out.  It'd better be good though.

[Inccubus]

Well get to work and let's see it in action then we could decide. Too many times people here say " I have X idea for a game with awesome gameplay, abilities, characters, etc.  I'm going to do this and that, blah blah blah." and then that's the last I see of anything.

Give us some ideas, some concepts, some gameplay in action, then I'll decide if I want to play it or not.

I think you are missing the point of my question. I'm asking this to gauge interest in a potential action oriented game for FB. I can't start working on a game if I don't see some interest in it's most fundamental concept. I'd be happy give some more info on some of my ideas, however, I need to know if anyone would even care to try out a FB action game in the first place. This is rather integral to my business plan for my fledgling game company.

I would like to give it a try but I have no intentions to make a facebook account anytime soon. This game should be accessible to everyone.

It would eventually. As a FB game it would be in HTML5 so placing it on a website or even porting it to PC would be effortless. All of my games will eventually be available on as many platforms as possible. But to start I'm concentrating on FB.

All kidding aside, I think the reason he wants to use Facebook is because it's got an easy platform and high accessibility, as opposed to having to download and install a game.  It can certainly be more appealing to use a method in which the buzz about a game spreads like wildfire so quickly.

There is a stigma with FB games, being "They're not games" and "They just apply to point 'n click timewaster mentalities" and "they're usually just ways for people to cajole their friends into helping them with their games".  If a robust game were to be built, it would be pretty cool though.

I have Facebook.  If you made a Castlevania-style game, I'd play it to help test it out.  It'd better be good though.

Thanks, Jorge. You pretty much nailed it. FB has incredible potential as a platform for classic-style gaming that is virtually untapped. The cost is low, the hype can be viral, and the earning potential is, frankly, obscene. My most conservative estimates for a game in the top 25 is in the hundreds of dollars per day.

That stigma about FB games being casual shovelware is exactly what I'd like to overcome. There is some truth to it as far as content, though. My research shows that on average most months 3 of the top 6 games on FB are Farmville and it's offshoots. However, they also have daily active users numbering in the millions. 8 million on average, to be specific. Can you imagine how much revenue that represents? It's staggering.

I will be sure to let you know if there is something for you to test, Jorge & everyone. It'll most likely not be for several months, though. I'm incredibly busy these days with my day job and preparing things for my company in my free time.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

If you're trying to reel in people and create a 'keep on playing' aspect, then you might have to sacrifice some of the "Castlevania-like" aspects.
It would most likely be a "I need help defeating the Melty Zombie.  Send me a Subweapon Heart, please!", which would prompt people in your Vampire Hunting Guild to just click somewhere to help you.
It's taking a monster-slaying approach and applying the Facebook "Come help me you guys" thing that keeps people hooked.

Here are some ways it 'could' work, though most end up sacrificing the more core aspect of gaming.  You need to find a happy medium where your game experience is still that of a monster slayer, and the social aspects are enhancements.

Something like this:

-your character is a hunter.  He/she can hunt a number of things but is probably proficient at one, like...
--Vampire Hunter (great over all - some weaponry, some magic)
--Werewolf Hunter (specializes in weaponry)
--Ghost Hunter (basically a magic user, as weapons are useless against ghosts)

-your character earns levels as they progress through rooms of enemies.
--as your character gets stronger, he has access to some inventory of stuff to help him/her along.

-If your character enters a room with enemies it is not prepared to fight, he or she can request for help
--your guild can either have a friend join up (maybe someone competent) or have that friend send an item.  If it were CV, you could send them a 'heart' or a magic subweapon
--subweapons are key here, as depending on what type of warrior you are, you may have access to only a certain set, sort of like how Trevor can use an Axe (physical) or a Cross Boomerang (A combination of physical and magical), while Sypha has an all-magical set (only her staff is half physical, half magical in this example).  Magic items such as a screen-clearing rosary can be bought at a shop somewhere or can be sent to you for incurring massive damage.  In this example, a Vampire Hunter is going to fight a ghost in the next room (you know which enemies will be attacking you in which rooms, so that the player can properly ask for help).

-You can try and fight the thing yourself, or 'leave' the game and wait for your powerup to arrive.  If the powerup arrives, the hero will deal the appropriate damage while you're logged out.  When you log into your game it'll check if you got the help you wanted and will perform the animation.

These are just some random thoughts about how it would work.

I'd love to get something like this going just using the Forum System in here.... but from what I've read, it's difficult to set up.

[Inccubus]

That actually sounds like it would be great for a socially oriented RPG.

For my action games I'm largely trying to avoid having to interrupt the game to wait for friends. My core philosophy in trying to create more "arcade-style" games for Facebook is to not ever make a situation where the player's ability to play a game is hindered by the social aspects of the game.

Actually, you gave me an idea. What about if relying on friends to play the main game, how about I allow players to invite their friends to their 'shop'. Assuming I make rather large and extensive stages to explore with a fair amount of items to find, I can allow the collected items to go into your personal shop where your friends can come and buy items they may need from you. This can be supplemented with a 'main' shop that is 'owned' by the game itself. Some of the more rare items are available at the 'main' shop, but can sometimes be found at your friends' shops for cheaper. How's that sound?

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

It sounds like you should get cracking.

[Inccubus]

I'm still a couple of months away from beginning any real work on any games. Setting everything up for the company itself is eating up my free time like Pac-man high on weed. Damn corporate responsibilities.

[Claimh Solais]

If you made an arcade style action game similar to Castlevania, I'd be all up to playing it my friend.

It's nice to see someone is trying to break away from the usual (FarmVille knockoffs and text-based RPGs).