[Dimensions]

'Dimensions opens the door to the forum and quietly closes it behind her.'
"Uhm. Eh. Hey you guys. I'm Dimensions and I'm looking forward to AoD."

I've been lurking around here for a few months and guessed I might as well register now to get some questions answered and otherwise add my voice (well, my keyboard really) to the forum.
I almost never start new threads in any fora I visit, but I would feel bad interrupting any of the other threads here with my questions.
It's good that this is such a concentrated forum, since everwhere else, I will post a comment or question and then the thread will disappear into oblivion as an onslaught of spam threads drowns the poor thing.
I have read the unofficial FAQ, but not everything is clear.
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I was wondering how everyone who wants the game is going to get a hold of it.
I've read that the game is going to cost around 50 $ (which is a great price I think) excluding shipping, but will you ship the game everywhere?

I'm somewhat old-fashioned when it comes to these things and I usually prefer going to the store to buy a box. I know that with such a small company distribution of the game will be different than for those big corporate machines.
I know the easiest thing would probably be to get the downloaded version that's even cheaper, but I just love having a game box with a nice manual to read. Too few people feel the same way as me these days so I fear Steam and the like will take over the gaming market completely.
Is there a list of countries you will ship to or will you ship to basically anyone that asks?
Will you ship to Scandinavia?
I'm just curious, since I'm so used to buying games at stores (or at digital stores in my own country). And I downloaded Fallout from GOG, but other than that digital distribution is not my cup of tea.
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I'm really looking forward to the game (yes, I know I wrote it already), and I would gladly pay twice the price to support you guys. I bought The Witcher three times (I'm crazy, I know), and you truly deserve to be supported as well, if you really provide us with that good old role-playing experience (and AoD looks to be in the same line as BlackIsle games while The Witcher was an action RPG though a very good one IMO).
Believe it or not, but I actually found out about the game from the Bethesda forum for Fallout 3. It was actually a really nice place to lurk around before Fallout 3 came out and all the kids (well, around my age I guess  )  started to pour in.
I do hope it will come out soon since the market is so starved for this type of games, but take your time to do it right.
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I'm also curious as to whether you will support the game with patches and the like after it's finished. Maybe you will be one of the companies that actually publish a finished game that won't need patches, but there might still be some problems.
Are you going to continue working on this game, or is there another game waiting for you?

I hope you can answer these questions.
Anyway, time for me to start jumping into threads I guess.

[Hector]

I think I can answer these questions:

Will it be shipped everywhere?  Everywhere with a postal service.  Some places will be more expensive to ship to than others, hence why the price tag excludes shipping, but it'll be shipped everywhere.
Will the game be patched if necessary?  I'd be very surprised if it isn't, though hopefully it won't be necessary.  They do have another game lined up, so they probably won't be adding any more content, but I doubt it'll stop them from fixing bugs from time to time.

I think that answers everything.

[Vince]

I was wondering how everyone who wants the game is going to get a hold of it.
I've read that the game is going to cost around 50 $ (which is a great price I think) excluding shipping, but will you ship the game everywhere?

Yes, we will. It's a personal guarantee.

I know the easiest thing would probably be to get the downloaded version that's even cheaper, but I just love having a game box with a nice manual to read. Too few people feel the same way as me these days...

Well, we do. I treasure all my boxes, manuals, maps, concept art books, and such. So, the box and the manual will be first class, "no expenses spared" gaming memorabilia.

Is there a list of countries you will ship to or will you ship to basically anyone that asks?
Will you ship to Scandinavia?

Everywhere including Scandinavia. We are indie developers, which means that your interest is greatly appreciated and not taken for granted.

I'm also curious as to whether you will support the game with patches and the like after it's finished.

Absolutely.

Are you going to continue working on this game, or is there another game waiting for you?

Depends on many things.
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php?topic=78.0

[Gauntt]

I think it would be a mistake not to add new content after shipping.

An indie title such as AoD needs a long sales life to make decent money. Sales that last for a year or two rather then the majority of the sales in the first month like a big budget title. Adding content packs raises the profile of the game and should generate new sales every time a new pack comes out. Valve and Stardock use this model very effectively. For example the Galactic Civilisations 2 patches which continued for years.

Content packs also prevent piracy. AoD will be available by a torrent when it is released, unfortunate but its going to happen. It's difficult for pirates to keep up with all the content packs as they are much less likely to be available for download. So if someone likes the game, keeps reading about the great new features been added then they might buy a copy.

That of course will only work if you need a CD Key (or other method) to download the content packs.

Anyway it doesn't need to be anything massive. Maybe an extra quest and a new weapon. A combat tweak. This is going to be more difficult for a game like AoD then a sandbox game like Gal Civ 2 though, but not impossible.

I don't think releasing the game should be the end of development.

[Vince]

I think it would be a mistake not to add new content after shipping.

Adding content packs raises the profile of the game and should generate new sales every time a new pack comes out. Valve and Stardock use this model very effectively. For example the Galactic Civilisations 2 patches which continued for years.

GalCiv is a strategy game. Add more units, races, technologies, and you have a reason to replay. What can we add? More weapons/armor? A dungeon to loot? Giant spiders?

All we can do is patch it up, improve the balance, add some minor, overlooked things, and then move on.

[erbgor]

I think it would be a mistake not to add new content after shipping.

Adding content packs raises the profile of the game and should generate new sales every time a new pack comes out. Valve and Stardock use this model very effectively. For example the Galactic Civilisations 2 patches which continued for years.

GalCiv is a strategy game. Add more units, races, technologies, and you have a reason to replay. What can we add? More weapons/armor? A dungeon to loot? Giant spiders?

All we can do is patch it up, improve the balance, add some minor, overlooked things, and then move on.

Maybe a new tournament in the arena, whatever, I'm sure you could find something. I think Gauntt could be right in that content patches, even small ones, generate a lot of additional coverage.

[Dimensions]

Thanks to Vince and of course Hector as well for your answers.

It's good to be certain that the game will be shipped everywhere. Living in a country where pretty much everyone owns a computer I did expect you to ship here, but since downloads will probably be your primary method of distribution I wouldn't blame you if you only shipped to a limited selection of countries.
But then I guess it is as you say, as an indie company you need all the customers you can get.

It's great to hear that you won't hold back when it comes to the boxed edition. I think it's sad that so many games are published without as much as a proper manual these days.
I love reading extensive manuals, look at maps etc.

I was only thinking of patches to fix balance, bugs and the like, not gameplay additions.
It would be nice with a kind of expansion as well of course, but it isn't needed in my opinion.
The important thing is to make sure the game is polished with as few bugs as possible for a PC game.

If AoD is good I will certainly be interested in any other games you might come up with. 

[Bluebottle]

What can we add? More weapons/armor? A dungeon to loot? Giant spiders?

Depending obviously on the time taken for such a thing, something along the lines of the Bethesda DLC (though obviously of higer quality and free) could possibly fit. ie within the world as it already exists, adding a small self contained quest arc. I'm a believer in the Valve philosphy of post game support, though obviously that's easier to say, from my position, and easier to do for a large company with significant assets in the bank.

However, and I think this is a point commonly overlooked in DLC, the content has to be something that genuinely fits, and isn't simply there to add content arbitrarily. If there was some small mini story arc that you decided against including simply because of time requirements, that would obviously be a candidate. Otherwise, I don't think its worth it. Diluting the quality of the game, as a whole, by releasing content solely designed to drum up sales doesn't seem to fit in much with the general philosophy of this place.

[Gauntt]

All we can do is patch it up, improve the balance, add some minor, overlooked things, and then move on.

Ideas about things to add will probably be more obvious once we have played the game and the community can start suggesting a few things.

Maybe a new faction or a quest that takes you to a new location. It could be a short stand alone quest arc that doesn't have anything to do with the AoD storyline directly but is in the same world. You have put so much work into the world and lore that you have a good system for continued development.

For example you sell enough copies of AoD and work on a new game commences. Full time 3 years development to release. What if you were to release a new adventure pack for AoD every 12 months? Keep people interested and talking about your games while developing the new one. Could drag in new customers?

You could send the player back in time to experience the situation that let up to the city of Zamedi been destroyed or just after. I admit there are plenty of challenges with an idea like that. Especially when choice and consequences are involved.

An RPG's replay value is never going to be as high as something like Galciv or be as easy to expand. Not impossible though.

[pkt-zer0]

I don't see extra addons afterwards as a good idea for AoD, either. I'm under the impression that the game's design philosophy is more similar to that of Fallout 1 rather than 2. It's not a bunch "fun" locations loosely piled on each other, but a tightly designed, cohesive whole.

As such, working additional content into the entirety of the game seems like far much more trouble than it's worth. Let's say, just add a single new faction. How would that impact the power balance? Interactions with other factions? Your choices at various points of the game? Long-term consequences depending on said factions' status and power? How would its history factor into the game's lore? I could go on.

And anyway, people still talk about Fallout 1, despite the complete lack of expansion packs.



Also, giant clockwork spiders would be cool. I really liked the buggers in Rise of Legends.

[Cloaked Figure]

No bonus content please.

If ITS wants to continue making games/yields enough money from AoD to make another game, then time should be spent working on the new game, not making content that will not bring profits for the company. The only DLC should be patches and other necessities.

[Dicksmoker]

Giant spiders?

You mean AoD doesn't have that already?

:declineofITS:

[Kraszu]

No bonus content please.

If ITS wants to continue making games/yields enough money from AoD to make another game, then time should be spent working on the new game, not making content that will not bring profits for the company. The only DLC should be patches and other necessities.

Yes, and new game will draw attention to Irontower, and by that to AoD anyway.

[Gauntt]

Found a good article on Valve's policy of after release support and how that increases the life span of a product. It doesn't relate directly to AoD but its a good read.

I understand that this doesn't apply directly to AoD as its much easier to add content to an FPS or strategy game then it is to a hardcore RPG. Not to mention a dedicated team with a massive online distribution system.  But it does raise some interesting ideas.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/05/art-of-post-release-content-how-valve-became-your-candyman.ars

The strategy works. Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 are still discussed on the gaming blogs, and they enjoy a strong online following that waits breathlessly for the next update. When the sales start to dip again, Lord knows there will be another sale or content pack to keep interest up... not to mention sales.

[jbp26]

add on content doesn't really make sense for AoD. my impression of its design is that its pretty tight in terms of story and balance, which naturally makes expansion more difficult. what makes the most sense for more content is AoD 2.