Why we didn't make a new expansion for Pocket Legends in 2013

[Extreme]

Samhayne for President!

[Elitephonix]

I believe that pvp is what keeps people into games, farming and new caps are all good, but make a pvp loot system. Or a reward system. Read efm thread on what you guys should consider adding. http://www.spacetimestudios.com/show...-idea-liek-eva

[Stevenmc]

If there is indeed no new cap for pocket legends in the near future, then open up the old caps so to speak. New caps give the players a chance to get their elite rings.. ect. If I were somehow able to get 3PC rings on all of my toons, or maybe the egg from blacksmoke, no matter how hard it was or how long it would take I would go for it. Make some super hard quests. Kill the elite dragon 1,000 times for the egg, or maybe kill that hardest boss from any of the old caps 5,000 times to get that capping vanity. If there isn't a new cap, bring some of the things that go with a new cap into what we have now! Make anyone be able to get good gear, through time and effort, not just the people who have been around the longest. I'm saying this as as a founder too, not many people have been around as long as I have, as the other founders have too. This may help with pvp too, a 3PC int mage can take a 3 piece bear, it gives the advantages needed to stay alive long enough. Make every player have the chance to have true pro gear and it would take away the people saying they are bored. If it does take a long time to make completely new levels, re use old ones. Make an elite gold fever, same map, same boss, just only for 76's, and buff the crap out of him. Make him harder than slayer. And when killed 5,000 times, you get the COP.

[Elitephonix]

^^^

[Ijooo]

Thanks sam.

But i was hoping for you to implement elite rings for newbies this year.

[Sheugokin]

I really appreciate the fact that you actually still care. This thread will give me renewed strength to continue to play Pocket Legends.Thanks Sam!

I also agree with the notion to assign staff members in StS to specific games to improve/ create new things.


Thanks Sam, was a good read!

[Multibird]

If there is indeed no new cap for pocket legends in the near future, then open up the old caps so to speak. New caps give the players a chance to get their elite rings.. ect. If I were somehow able to get 3PC rings on all of my toons, or maybe the egg from blacksmoke, no matter how hard it was or how long it would take I would go for it. Make some super hard quests. Kill the elite dragon 1,000 times for the egg, or maybe kill that hardest boss from any of the old caps 5,000 times to get that capping vanity. If there isn't a new cap, bring some of the things that go with a new cap into what we have now! Make anyone be able to get good gear, through time and effort, not just the people who have been around the longest. I'm saying this as as a founder too, not many people have been around as long as I have, as the other founders have too. This may help with pvp too, a 3PC int mage can take a 3 piece bear, it gives the advantages needed to stay alive long enough. Make every player have the chance to have true pro gear and it would take away the people saying they are bored. If it does take a long time to make completely new levels, re use old ones. Make an elite gold fever, same map, same boss, just only for 76's, and buff the crap out of him. Make him harder than slayer. And when killed 5,000 times, you get the COP.

love your idea

[Schnitzel]

Hi Sam,

I know that hiring more people = need to pay them
there are a lot of creative artists on the forums, some probably eager to submit some art for new content, and many probably willing to do that for free.

on another note,
I remember when you posted a thread about what we, the community, wanted to see over the winter fest time, and some of the suggestions people made, you guys either put that into the DOTD or for purchase in the plat store. And if anyone re-looked into that thread, they would find how many people were happy because of the stuff (though not new, but recolored), if was nice to get some "new" items,

Even if we aren't getting a new cap anytime soon, I'm guessing a lot of people (minus me) want a new cap.
Could you guys (and gals) at STS make another thread about what we want to see in DOTD or plat store? then decide whether you guys can add that into the game or not?
The "win-win" for everyone: The community gets some content in the game, and STS gets to make money.


this is just my thoughts. (if you guys found that stuff to offend you, I didn't intend to do that.)

[Argyros]

Thanks for posting this Sam. Many people in game have had questions similar to the ones you sent over in your post. I officially have a a thread I can direct these people to. Thanks again!

[:-(]

I appreciate the view from a different perspective thanks!

[AvidLegend]

Dear Samhayne,
This post is going to be an accumulation of my ideas for Pocket Legends future and responses to your very much appreciated thread post.

About Spacetime:
Spacetime is a small company. We're apx 35 people (that's all told, everyone: Customer Support, HR, QA, Design, Art, Tech, Operations, Production). We're not fat cat executives sitting in ivory towers. Far from it. We're middle class dudes and gals trying to follow our zen and make games we love. If you want to learn more about Spacetime's history check out this video done by local TV station KLRU about Spacetime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vePaOAey2AA



For perspective, that video was done just a bit before Arcane Legends launched, so the "coming soon" game referenced at the end is AL.

First off it is good to finally get a better picture of what you and your staff are dealing with. 35 people isnt a lot of people on staff to manage your many games. In our mind spacetime games has much more than 35 developers on staff and are just busy with other games. This gives a better idea of how spread thin you are. However, this still only proves that either your company is making bad choices if its not able to fully staff all of its games. Your revolutionary game providing a flawlessly worldwide synced MMO platform with in game purchase must have made you a lot of money during its booming years and the money wasn't spent properly. Have you thought of making your studio public, selling stocks of spacetime games. I looked and was unable to find any fiscal reports on your company to really gauge the accuracy of my accusations, but your response to this specific response will interest me. Do you have a financial sustainability representative in your company? Might need to hire one. I actually know someone with those exact qualifications looking for a job as well btw message me for contact information if interested.

Back to winter of 2012. At the same time that we were trying to re-energize Pocket Legends, we launched Arcane Legends. Arcane is the spiritual successor to Pocket Legends. When we considered trying to re-vamp Pocket (new graphics engine, fix balance issues, etc.) you just realize that it's easier to build a whole new game rather than change up an existing game. That's basically what we did (along with everything we learned from Star Legends and Dark Legends).

Okay this is the sensitive issue. Many of your dedicated fans view this as your biggest mistake. You had three successful games that were created on platforms that couldn't produce the type of game Arcane Legends would become. Many players do enjoy Arcane Legends, but what if you would have simply focused on your already existing, and successful games and brought them to the new game engines offered by the newer mobile operating systems? You would still have all the dedicated players you have playing Pocket Legends daily still, all the players that abandoned Pocket Legends to play the new Arcane Legends would still be dedicated to Pocket Legends, and all the players that tried to stay loyal to Spacetime Games but have left over the past undeveloped year would still be here. You would have one-three super games instead of 5+ mediocre games praying for the success of one to keep the other online. You have discussed how you believe that bringing Pocket Legends up to the new platform would take so much work you mine as well make a new game, but you don't realize that you have created a reputation of little customer loyalty at this point. Even Arcane Legends players have the feeling that one of your new games will be a success and you will eventually abandon them as well. This isn't the kind of reputation a successful game developing company should have, but ultimately all choices are up to you the developement team not us the players. We won't always get what we want and we know that. But imagine this...

My solution: (Not 100% sure if this will work)
I went to school for and currently hold a degree in computer systems engineering and have dabbled in graphics design and game design during my studies. Your platform might limit you and prevent this from being a possibility but if you can I believe you will be very lucrative if you can successfully pull it off.

Yes, revamping all of Pocket Legends will be a huge endeavor. However, if you continue to spread your 35 members over more and more new games you will not survive as a company. Your thought process is correct that the release of a new game comes with a lot of hype and a lot of new players that pay the bills. However, you are shooting yourself in the foot if you already cant support all your games and you continue to focus on making more.

Solution: Completely upgrade Pocket Legends. This will be a very difficult and lengthy process but overall will pay off and here is why. If you upgrade the graphics, and bring back support you can release Pocket Legends on the app store again as lets say Pocket Legends 2.0 (name doesn't matter just saying). The hype from the release will give you the new player demand you desire, your already loyal players will of course be brought over, and your fans that abandoned Pocket Legends for Arcane Legends may very well come back and create the new money bags game you desire. With my game design background (though limited and not done professionally) this is possible. You can bring all maps, expansions, items, characters, achievements, quests, etc over to the new platform and reuse a ton of your old coding to make it easier on yourself. The point wouldn't be to make a new game but upgrade your old one. You can't deviate from the currently style of game play Pocket Legends offers because you will lose your dedicated members. By this I specifically mean making it Platinum Dependant like Arcane Legends. Basically a graphic overhaul and possibly an expansion soon after. Considering Pocket Legends is only at 76 cap right now as well there is still plenty of room for future expansions to make this effort worth it over the long run. Examples of this method working for another company would be Jagex's major success after releasing their first platform of runescape classic and upgrading to runescape and then again revamping to runescape combat evolve and now yet again they are releasing runescape 3. This is an example of a company staying dedicated to their player community and focussing on their single game keeping it competitive with other games by continually updating its graphics options. Learn from their success and your own successes and failures and please come back to glory.

I personally over my 3 years of playing this game have spent $1000 and a ridiculous amount of time leveling, questing, helping the community both in game and on the forums, and my greatest fear is that eventually this game will be dropped all together. And considering you felt it was necessary to post this thread many other players within this community feel exactly the same way. That should be your sign right there.

Please let me know what you think. Also do you take volunteer game developers? I have several hours I can dedicate a week.

Sincerely AvidLegend

[AvidLegend]

I believe that pvp is what keeps people into games, farming and new caps are all good, but make a pvp loot system. Or a reward system. Read efm thread on what you guys should consider adding. http://www.spacetimestudios.com/show...-idea-liek-eva

good idea btw

[Ubernewber]

I still think it is a good idea to make at least 1 expansion a year :/. Even though it doesn't bring in a huge crowd you still have a decent player base that should be attended to with loads of people in Townes, and pvping, and slaughtering some monsters and just chatting with other people. I'm not saying you guys are doing a bad job, it's the completely opposite, to accomplish what you guys have with only a 35 member staff and have your games voted for great things such as best mobile MMO of the year on several occasions on more then one game is outstanding. But it is a good idea to keep your player base asking what's next instead of is this game going to close down or be sold to another gaming company on its way out. Anyways thanks for the info sam I greatly appreciate it

[Imcarla]

This is the kind of answer people have been waiting for a while.
Thank you Sam.

[Jhawkeye]

If there is indeed no new cap for pocket legends in the near future, then open up the old caps so to speak. New caps give the players a chance to get their elite rings.. ect. If I were somehow able to get 3PC rings on all of my toons, or maybe the egg from blacksmoke, no matter how hard it was or how long it would take I would go for it. Make some super hard quests. Kill the elite dragon 1,000 times for the egg, or maybe kill that hardest boss from any of the old caps 5,000 times to get that capping vanity. If there isn't a new cap, bring some of the things that go with a new cap into what we have now! Make anyone be able to get good gear, through time and effort, not just the people who have been around the longest. I'm saying this as as a founder too, not many people have been around as long as I have, as the other founders have too. This may help with pvp too, a 3PC int mage can take a 3 piece bear, it gives the advantages needed to stay alive long enough. Make every player have the chance to have true pro gear and it would take away the people saying they are bored. If it does take a long time to make completely new levels, re use old ones. Make an elite gold fever, same map, same boss, just only for 76's, and buff the crap out of him. Make him harder than slayer. And when killed 5,000 times, you get the COP.

Great Idea +1
We should have the option when leveling up to take the 100k exp cap way or continue past cap (regular amount of xp)
But you shouldn't be able go on a lvl 76 character and try to get the lvl 55 cap I believe

[Everyone'sFavMage]

Honestly Sam, we appreciate just the fact that you responded. So thanks for that.
On another note, I understand putting man power into your biggest money maker. I think what most of the player base in pocket legends would like to see, is something new. Anything. We honestly don't need a new cap. We need something to spice it up. A new pvp map shouldn't be too hard to make. Really. It shouldn't. And it would satisfy so many players. At least bring it up to the group. Just the idea of putting a couple guys to work for 1-2 days. And make a new map/mode of pvp. Or add a couple quests. Something to keep us entertained while you put work into arcane. Otherwise, I fear people will start dropping off from pl, and eventually I fear the game I've loved for almost 4 years will have to shut its servers down for good.

[Oldcoot]

So many great ideas, I can see pl making stg more money if the effort is put into it

[fourleaf]

I don't think they should rerelease any old elite vanities, have no problem, however, adding new elite vanities within this cap.

[Crashy]

Honestly Sam, we appreciate just the fact that you responded. So thanks for that.
On another note, I understand putting man power into your biggest money maker. I think what most of the player base in pocket legends would like to see, is something new. Anything. We honestly don't need a new cap. We need something to spice it up. A new pvp map shouldn't be too hard to make. Really. It shouldn't. And it would satisfy so many players. At least bring it up to the group. Just the idea of putting a couple guys to work for 1-2 days. And make a new map/mode of pvp. Or add a couple quests. Something to keep us entertained while you put work into arcane. Otherwise, I fear people will start dropping off from pl, and eventually I fear the game I've loved for almost 4 years will have to shut its servers down for good.

^mmmhmmmm
And maybe a little quest for player to gt the 2/3 pc rings for pvp
But I mean just give us something like a balance or anything...Doesn't have to be a new cap...
Just something new thats gonna keep us entertained and occupied while sts works on AL.

[Argyros]

Honestly Sam, we appreciate just the fact that you responded. So thanks for that.
On another note, I understand putting man power into your biggest money maker. I think what most of the player base in pocket legends would like to see, is something new. Anything. We honestly don't need a new cap. We need something to spice it up. A new pvp map shouldn't be too hard to make. Really. It shouldn't. And it would satisfy so many players. At least bring it up to the group. Just the idea of putting a couple guys to work for 1-2 days. And make a new map/mode of pvp. Or add a couple quests. Something to keep us entertained while you put work into arcane. Otherwise, I fear people will start dropping off from pl, and eventually I fear the game I've loved for almost 4 years will have to shut its servers down for good.

Add about 4 different quests similar to ichor quests, and bam, players have something to work/spend money on.