Turn limits sounds like a really good idea, and the various game modes sound like fun. Great too see the thoughtful use of ELO. Potentially, your making a small mistake bothering with the provisional ratings, mostly because they are confusing to new players. There is a more understandable and steady progression of rating without them. I understand they are incredibly useful in something like chess, where the starting rate is 1000, and you have young kids that have been tutored and computer trained coming in at 2000 strength, but for an IOS game its just not needed. I dont have them in the elo-cased Hero Academy League, and Great Big War Game's elo system doesnt use provisionals either. Sure, I'll beta test for you.
Awesome about the beta testing, thanks so much! We're still a few months away from that, but I'll let you know as soon as we're there. I'll keep your thoughts on the provisional rating in mind when we're testing. Just to let you know, my current plan is to hide the rating from the user until they have their actual rating and then explain it to them once it's established.
More Updates on Diesel Tactics! We've been hard at work laying the foundation for Diesel Tactics core gameplay as well as creating the menu system for the game including the all important army creation screens! Unfortunately, this means that we haven't had a whole lot of stuff to show off to everyone, since screenshots of code aren't all that exciting. We have had quite a few updates on our website tgocogames.com including my blog ramblings on varied topics like board gaming and Kickstarter campaigns, so keep up to date with us there! We do have some concept art images for our menu screens to show you guys in the Diesel Tactics concept art image gallery as well as a bunch of new images in the main gallery for you to check out! We'll have some gameplay images and videos coming up in the very near future and the updates should be coming fast and furious at that point, so stay tuned! Here's a couple WIP images from our menus!
Looks interesting, will go on my watchlist. When you reach betatesting phase, can you announce it here? Might be interested as well, if my time allows for it.
Even the graphics is not that good,I'm still interested in this game It reminds me of Bioschock steam punk like
More Updates on Diesel Tactics! Hey everyone, It's been a while since we've updated our info on the forums, but that's largely been due to the fact that we're hard at work trying to get a working game up and running! We've got most of the pieces of the puzzle made and we're in the process of putting them together. Things are going pretty smoothly now, but the dev world is always pretty unpredictable unfortunately, so we're not entirely sure when we'll be ready to have some gameplay videos for you guys. It shouldn't be too much longer though, and I'll let everyone know as soon as we have something playable! Until then, here are some more images from Diesel Tactics with their working names attached which we'd love to hear your feedback on! WIP Army Building Screen Motorcycle and Sidecar Model (working name: Reitwagen Kommando) Sniper Unit (working name: Scharfschützen) Jetpack Unit (working name: Himmel Stürmer - Sky Stormers) Heavy Machine Gunner (working name: Rapid Projectile Dispatching Sqaud)
Looks nice, good work! Question: Will you keep the German names? Or will you use English terms in the finished game? If the former, and if you need help with it, just holler. Native German here. The "sky stormers" would be "Himmelsstürmer" in German. And the "Reitwagen" sounds funny and wacky, but wrong. Sidecars are "Beiwagen". If you want a pun, call them "Streitwagen-Kommando" - "chariot commando". There actually was a Reitwagen, but that is something else: the very first motorcycle ever, without sidecar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler_Reitwagen Would make a great unit on its own, though it is more (real-life) Steampunk than Dieselpunk.
German names Thanks for the info and the offer, Sheinfell! I am planning to keep the German names, so it would be great to get a native speakers opinions on them. I actually got the name Reitwagen from that exact source, but I love Streitwagen-Kommando so I've already officially changed the units name to that in the design doc! I've fixed the Himmelsstürmer name as well, so thanks for that! Why is it one word like that? Is that a German language convention? If you're interested in going over some of the other names, here's the full list of current units we're putting in that army: The format is 'Unit Type' = 'German name' ('what I think it means') Artillery = Brecher Kanone (crusher cannon) Death Squad (this is just what we've been calling them in English and I wasn't going for a direct translation) = Rattenfänger Soldaten (Ratcatcher Soldiers) Heavy Weapon Squad = Raketenpanzerbüchse (rocket tank rifle) OR Raketenpanzerbüchse Soldat Infantry (these are automatons/robots) = Soldat Automat (soldier automatic) Jetpack Squad = Himmelsstürmer (Sky Stormers) Sniper Squad = Scharfschützen Bike Squad = Streitwagen-Kommando (chariot commando) <- current official name now, thanks! Spider Tank = Panzer Spinnentier (Armoured Arachnid) Any thoughts or advice on those would be greatly appreciated, so thanks a ton in advance! Oh, and while I am using German names and themes, the game is not set in our reality so anything based in real history isn't necessary or even good to have since it would allude to our own world.
Yes, writing combined German words together is a German languange convention. While in English you write them separate. I actually had to look up the exact official rules using English for too long already. Just learned there are several rules, depending on the type of word you combine. If I got it right, it should be Streitwagenkommando, without the dash. But that is a detail most people won't think twice about. Having the names as separate words somehow reminds me of old Japanese games, and I've seen stuff like that in several manga, too. So, if you want to invoke that association, keep them like they are. And check with others, if they get the same idea, or if it is just me. "Ratcatchers" makes me think of tunnelrats/sappers. "Rattenfänger von Hameln" is a German fairytale/legend, about a ratcatcher abducting a town's children when he does not get paid. With a twisted humour, someone could give that name to a hitmen/abduction team; say "21st extraction and termination corps, die Rattenfänger". Or maybe to a squad that does psychological warfare. Will look at the rest tomorrow. Do you have pictures of the units already?
Thanks for all the feedback. I love the rat catcher story from German folklore! My main concern with putting all the names into one word properly, would be that I feel like English speaking players would have a hard time reading them all. A perfect example is the Streitwagenkommando you already mentioned. Without the dash it looks long and scary and our brains sort of stop trying to read it a couple syllables in. With the dash (Streitwagen-kommando) we can easily break it down even though it is a foreign language. As long as it's not too weird for German speakers, I think I'll just leave it like that. I am loving the term "Extraction and termination corps" and can pretty much guarantee that it will end up in the unit write up in the game. Here's a picture of the model for that unit: All the units have concept art and 3D models made, and you can check them all out at the image gallery here: http://www.tgocogames.com/diesel-tactics-image-gallery/ Thanks again for all the feedback!
Thanks, we really appreciate all the positive feedback on the unit design that we've been getting. Let's us know we're probably getting something right!
What you can also do in German is to put a word in doublequotes, to indicate that it is a name. So, for example for the artillery I'd do: Artillery (crusher cannon) = Feldkanone "Brecher" . A "Feldkanone" (=field cannon) is a cannon small and mobile enough to accompany infantry. Are the "Heavy Weapon Squad" the bazooka guys? Learning so much new stuff here Didn't know "Panzerbüchse" and "Raketenpanzerbüchse" are real words. Did you get the latter one from here http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerschreck ? "Panzerschreck" sounds really good to me. And, with the protective shield on it, the weapon looks more interesting than a standard bazooka. If you have time to change the models, I would call the guys "Panzerschrecks" and give them the matching weapon. Another - colloquial - name for an anti-tank RPG is "Panzerfaust". The "Panzerbüchse" could make a separate unit, like an oversized sniper for tanks. At least that is the impression I get when I look at the pictures, e.g.: http://de.academic.ru/dic.nsf/dewiki/1074827 http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/98/3a53b9154b9df2c9ee28c5e609e69f97.jpg http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-189-1250-11,_Russland-S%C3%BCd,_Soldat_mit_Panzerb%C3%BCchse.jpg The last two look especially big and heavy. Automaton Infantry: Cannot come up with a good name for those. "Mechanischer Soldat 12" maybe. The number is like a version number, indicating that there were 11 models before it. Spider Tank: Several ideas for that one: Spinnenpanzer, Kampfpanzer "Spinnentier" , Jagdpanzer "Wolfsspinne" , Jagdspinne (which is a real spider name). Need to think a bit more about it, but I like the last two best.
Awesome stuff! Okay, the artillery is now called Feldkanone "Brecher", because that sounds much more awesome. The heavy weapon squad are the bazooka guys, and unfortunately the models are pretty much unchangeable at this point. However, I don't think you actually need the shield on the bazooka to be called a "Panzerschreck", and that is a pretty cool name. I actually have that on my list of possible names, but my issue with it is that it's kind of a commonly known term even for English speakers, so it might evoke too much of a feeling of our real world history. As for "Mechanischer Soldat 12" I think it's an awesome name! What about calling them something like Mechanischer Soldat "Sheinfell Klasse" or something? If not the klasse thing, how do Germans do model numbers? Could it be something like Mechanischer Soldat Mark 12? As for your Spider Tank names, I think they're all great, but I actually like the first two better. Probably Kampfpanzer "Spinnentier" is my favourite, but maybe I'll put it to a twitter vote or something. Thanks again for all the help man, and you're name will definitely be in the credits if not in one of the unit names!
You're welcome! Glad you like the names I came up with. That was lots of fun, looking up all the stuff and coming up with names. And yes, I understand the problem with realworld history, many Germans are even more sensitive to that, when it comes to the little man with the funny moustache... Bazooka guys: I just thought with the shield it looks more badass and threatening. But if the models are already fixed, no worries "Mark 12" in German, hhmm.. Not sure there is a 1:1 equivalence in German. "Klasse" is more like type, as in battleship type "corvette". Maybe "No. 12", "No." being shorthand for number. Or "Mechanischer Soldat Modell 12" , that could work too. And if you seriously consider naming a unit for me, Sheinfell doesn't fit. That was the name of a gypsy Elf I played in a MUD some years back. I have a better name for you, especially if you still have a commander unit to name somewhere: Oberst Sturmhardt Eisenkeil - Colonel Stormtough Ironwedge. Came up with it for a Steampunk-style tough-as-nails dwarven soldier who eats iron filings for breakfast (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea ). Fits here too, I'd think; especially on a short and stocky guy, with big moustache and sideburns, British colonial army style, and a monocle. That's how I think of him, at least. Serious, it was really fun to help you out, I didn't even think about appearing in the credits or anything.
The reason I don't want allusions to real world history is not just for the sensitive topic issue, but also to make sure that players don't get too confused with the fact that this game is technically not set in our history/world. That being said, I don't really think the term panzerschreck will really ruin the verisimilitude! I think you're suggestion of something like 'Modell 12' works really well and I have that down as the current unit name. The name(s) Oberst Sturmhardt Eisenkeil & Colonel Stormtough Ironwedge are awesome, and I think it would be awesome to include one. Maybe I could introduce this character into the back story somehow. Honestly, I'm not even sure exactly how we're going to introduce the concept of the world at all, besides how the game looks and plays as well as little write ups on each unit. We're also hoping to have a British themed army out at some point and maybe I should save that name for them. In any case, I'll be keeping an eye out for anywhere that I might be able to sneak it in.
British themed army sounds interesting, lots of "there's a good chap" and "5 o clock tea" around, I hope? Introducing the world/concept: Afraid I cannot help much here, aside from general advise. While I am quite good coming up with small flavour details, I plain suck with telling larger stories.
Well, the big issue with revealing the world is that in a mobile tactical game there really isn't a place for it. People don't really want to sit through a storyboarded explanation of the world, they just want to play. It really does just come down to a 'show, don't tell' issue of having the flavour text and style of the units and backgrounds tell the story.
Beg to differ, your honor, beg to differ! Depends on your target audience, and what players you actually attract. Example that supports your notion and works exactly like this ("show more than tell") : Battle of Wesnoth And for contrast, a game with a huge backstory, a good amount of which is told in cutscenes, and even more in walls of text included in a "library": Ravenmark - Scourge of Estellion Both approaches work, and extremely well at that. They are just so different, I find it impossible to say what will work best for you. If you want to add a lengthy introduction, just add a "skip" button. Seriously, that is so simple many devs overlook it and force you to sit through 5-10 minutes of intro. Can only speak for myself, but when I start a new game, half of the time I skip the intro and jump right into the fray. Later, when I have more time, and my initial "I want to see how it plays" appetite is satisfied, I sit down and watch the intro, often repeatedly. What I almost never see in games is a "cutscene library", where I can just go and replay all I saw so far. Might be worth considering.
What we're thinking of doing is setting up a cutscene story for the background that is simply accessible from the main menu. Basically, we never even force you to skip it, we just give you the option to check it out. I don't know if we'll have the time or resources to do this right away, but it's definitely something I'd love to have eventually. We also want to put up some background info and story on the website in the future, to kind of build a lore around the game world.
