Calling all Suggestions

[testtubegames]

I'll see what I can do. I do like the idea of running a fairly open-development process on the new version. My plan with it at the moment is to build it in Unity. That'll allow me to make downloadable, stand-alone versions of the sim for Mac, PC, Linux, get it on mobile devices, and have a web version, too. The web version would be free, with some restrictions (tbd) compared to the other versions.

That way, I could release the initial versions when it is in the alpha stage, kinda like how minecraft did. So early adopters would get the game and all future updates, and be able to give me a fair amount of feedback in the dev process.

~TES~ has priority at the moment, but a quick alpha of the gravity sim is high on my list after that. Having it for xmas is a lofty goal, but I'll see what I can do.

[Stargate38]

You've always had the web version free. If you do make a downloadable version, please make it free too. Otherwise, I might stop using it.

[testtubegames]

You've always had the web version free. If you do make a downloadable version, please make it free too. Otherwise, I might stop using it.

Early days in the planning process there, of course. But here's my thinking...

I've got two competing goals: I like having free games. The whole point of this exercise is that fun science stuff can get into as many hands as possible. But, on the other hand, I need to eat. If I can't, I gotta go dig ditches somewhere instead of making this stuff.

So with the Gravity Sim, my thinking goes like this. I'll have two main versions. The web version, and the downloadable version. The first one is, as always, free. And in the update, it will get a whole bunch more features that we've been talking about and be vastly improved. Huzzah! The downloadable version will be paid (we're talking cheap, mind you... 5 bucks or something), and available on PC, Mac, Android, iOS, etc. It'll have some extra features compared to the web version to justify its existence - though I haven't quite nailed that down. [Some 'extras' are just an inherent part of doing a downloadable version... like faster processing time and full-screen mode. And more power for certain graphics stuff -- maybe they'll be a wider playing field to zoom in and out of]

Thoughts?

[robly18]

Sadly, as much as I'd like to buy it, I'm unable to get a credit card so I would be unable to buy it. Unless you got it on steam or something. I got ways to pay through that. I doubt a simulator would even be accepted though.

Anyway, if I ever did get a way, I'd definitely pay. I'd pay for the game, a T-Shirt, I'd even pay for your signature!

Sadly, I have no means to pay.
Besides, despite me liking the idea of you making a living making game, you don't have much of an audience. The demographic that likes these games is not very diverse and most of them don't even realize they like these games.
However, I do recommend publishing all of your games like ~TES~ to kongregate to increase the audience. Link them to the website and forums.
Sadly, in most people's eyes, requesting money for a game only a few people even know of is considered petty and would potentially turn a few people off your game. On the other hand, people would still have the free version, and this is kind of how minecraft started: free game, perks for donation.
So I guess I'd say do what you said. Allow people to donate, and give them perks for such. T-Shirts, downloadable versions of the game...

[exfret]

Couldn't you get money through sponsors? I mean, don't place ads on your actual website, that would destroy how beautiful you created it its aesthetics. You could place the ads throughout a game, or maybe on the forums (they already look kind of ugly anyways). Also, how many people regularly visit testtubegames.com? Is it just us or a few more people, or is it even more? If it's just us, it seems like you could just ask us to donate to you else you stop octupying and evolutioning and quantaming and all, then you wouldn't have to advertise your need for money to the world, because random visitors won't have the motivation to donate to you anyways. If a lot of people visit this site regularly who aren't on these forums, you might still want to make a paid version for them to possibly buy.

[testtubegames]

Thank you guys for your responses!

First off, just to be entirely clear, I'm a big fan of giving away free game keys to playtesters and the like. Let's face it, after all, you all offer me great feedback and suggestions for free -- and give me great motivation. So when I'm talking about making a premium version, it's not just to sell it to the five or so of you who are regularly posting.

Right now, the gravity simulator has quite a few people using it. Hundreds of people a day, in fact. Dwarfs everything else I've got on my site. And this is, mind you, something that I've *never* mentioned elsewhere. No ads, never been posted to Kongregate, I haven't pushed it very hard. People just seem to stumble across it and like playing around with it.

So that is why I've decided it makes sense to do a new version. The desire for a good gravity sim like this is out there. If I make it better, I'm hoping it'll appeal to even more players. Most people will just use and enjoy the free web version, just like now. So I won't be taking that piece of it away -- it'll still be an awesome web activity. I'll just add on the downloadable versions for people who might be interested in doing it a bit more -- and a mobile version for people who want to fling planets on touch screens.

By the by, this suggestions thread is getting immense - which is great! Tons of suggestions in here to help guide me in the new version!

[exfret]

Okay. I'm still wondering about the ads/sponsors thing. Oh, and here are a few suggestions to what should be in the full version (you have already said some of these):
-full screen
-All my suggestions
-Moving stars (YES, it makes a difference, and I'm not asking for them to be accelerate-able)
-life
-General relativity and black holes
-Ability to upload your setups to a gallery like Agent Higgs?
-Custom gravity force laws
-Ability to simulate rotation, tidal forces, etc. and to spin objects as well
-Bunch of options for bunch of other stuff
-Explanations and/guides
-1000 free awesome points

I also have an idea: what if you incorporate centrifugal game into gravity simulator? You could place flying space trash into people's creations, then have them go around in a rocket trying to shoot it while planets are flying around everywhere!!!

[testtubegames]

Okay. I'm still wondering about the ads/sponsors thing...

The thing with sponsors is I'm not too sure how well they'd work for this type of simulation. They tend to sponsor more typical, mainstream, mass-appeal games. (Explaining the reason I'm polishing and pretty-fying TES so much more than past games... I wanna get a sponsor!) The gravity simulator falls outside the standard realm there. Doesn't mean it's impossible, just maybe a bit tougher.

Ads could be a possibility. I've shied away from them in the past -- cause I'm the type of person who hates watching commercials. But maybe I could do that well. Or some other creative way of monetizing it. (Buy a poster with your pretty orbits on it?) My first instinct right now is the free/premium model, but that's not to say there aren't other ways I could take it.

[Stargate38]

Do NOT put the custom gravity in the premium version only! Please put it in the free version too!

[exfret]

Do NOT put the custom gravity in the premium version only! Please put it in the free version too!

Maybe some version of custom laws, but I think you should at least limit it given how much of an incentive it would give people to buy the full version.