Thoughts on games that require an internet connection

[Deleted member 1251503]

So I have a pretty neat idea for a VN, but it requires an internet connection. Don't worry, not talking about DRM. I head Glamour got some bad rep due to its required internet connection, but I want a more general answer. What are your thoughts about VNs that require an internet connection to play?

 

[Kaiww]

For me personally i dislike games that requires a permanent online connection. I am not that much at home and do not always have a internet conection. I also do not like the idea of always being online, always being connected.
But in the end that does not mean i would not play a game with a online reqiument. I just do not like the need for it.

 

[RedPillBlues]

No, never. A constant internet connection gets an immediate skip.

 

[Deleted member 1251503]

For me personally i dislike games that requires a permanent online connection. I am not that much at home and do not always have a internet conection. I also do not like the idea of always being online, always being connected.
But in the end that does not mean i would not play a game with a online reqiument. I just do not like the need for it.

Hmm, so you would prefer if you had an option to play online or offline?

 

[Deleted member 1251503]

No, never. A constant internet connection gets an immediate skip.

If you don't mind me asking, why do you immediately skip them?

 

[RedPillBlues]

If you don't mind me asking, why do immediately turn online games down?

Because I don't like the idea of someone having control, no matter how small, of my game when its a porn game.
I want to be able to play my game how I want to without someone else restrictions. This includes cheating, not having to make an account, and the option to play it if I lose internet.

 

[Deleted member 1251503]

Because I don't like the idea of someone having control, no matter how small, of my game when its a porn game.
I want to be able to play my game how I want to without someone else restrictions. This includes cheating, not having to make an account, and the option to play it if I lose internet.

Gotcha, thanks for the input.

 

[polywog]

Games that phone home always get negative feedback, and headaches for the developer.
I personally don't mind people watching me play adult games, but some folks are shy about that sort of thing.

 

[Kaiww]

Hmm, so you would prefer if you had an option to play online or offline?

Pretty much, like i said not everybody can or likes to be online 24/7

 

[Winterfire]

It depends, I cannot think of many reasons why you would need a permanent connection.

Is it a MMORPG? Is it a game with a scoreboard? if that is the case, you do not need permanent connection.
Does it have Co-Op? Again, it does not need permanent connection.

 

[Deleted member 1251503]

It depends, I cannot think of many reasons why you would need a permanent connection.

Is it a MMORPG? Is it a game with a scoreboard? if that is the case, you do not need permanent connection.
Does it have Co-Op? Again, it does not need permanent connection.

I wasn't talking about a permanent connection necessarily. I had an idea about a stat tracker, so at the end of each episode it would show what percentage of players went certain paths. Small things that could bring players together that don't intrude on players privacy. Nothing like DRM, micro-transactions, login account, ads, etc.

 

[Winterfire]

Yeah that does not need a permanent connection, put a popup saying "Do you want to send your stats to xxx?", if they press yes, attempt a connection, send the stuff and close.

 

[polywog]

I wasn't talking about a permanent connection necessarily. I had an idea about a stat tracker, so at the end of each episode it would show what percentage of players went certain paths. Small things that could bring players together that don't intrude on players privacy. Nothing like DRM, micro-transactions, login account, ads, etc.

I just talked about this in another thread last week. At the end of the game, the player is given a code number. They go to your website and enter the code to see if they won a prize. The code is based on player choices, and this gives you feedback about how players are playing the game (they sometimes fib in surveys)
LOP did this with the game endings at one point, maybe still. Go to the website to see your end scene.
Talk to your advertisers and sponsors about supplying the prizes. They'll throw you a few fleshlights a month, if you have enough visitors.
also the code can tell the players that they missed scenes in the game.
players don't mind going to a site, and putting up with ads, but not while they're playing

 

[mickydoo]

I wouldn't play a VN that required an internet connection unless it was extremely good, and if it was someone would make a modded version where you didn't have too.

 

[anne O'nymous]

I had an idea about a stat tracker, so at the end of each episode it would show what percentage of players went certain paths.

There's faster way to kill yourself.

You'll pass one week making a scene, just to found that less than 10% of the players have seen it ; half of them being compulsive players that look what's behind every single choice, but do it in a single play which prevent them to really appreciate your writing.
Then you'll see that 80% of your players never do "this", while 60% of them always do "that". So you'll give them less "this" and more "that". This will completely change your story, which will lead to sleepless nights and headache because you don't really know what's going on now that you don't follow the story you prepared.
Finally, you'll see that you have 50% less players, because you now pass too much time wondering what the players want and less to ensure the quality of your game...

Make the game you want, and don't care about what the players do. You write it for your pleasure before doing it for our pleasure.

 

[recreation]

There's faster way to kill yourself.

You'll pass one week making a scene, just to found that less than 10% of the players have seen it ; half of them being compulsive players that look what's behind every single choice, but do it in a single play which prevent them to really appreciate your writing.
Then you'll see that 80% of your players never do "this", while 60% of them always do "that". So you'll give them less "this" and more "that". This will completely change your story, which will lead to sleepless nights and headache because you don't really know what's going on now that you don't follow the story you prepared.
Finally, you'll see that you have 50% less players, because you now pass too much time wondering what the players want and less to ensure the quality of your game...

Make the game you want, and don't care about what the players do. You write it for your pleasure before doing it for our pleasure.

AND people start to complain about missing choices. Even if they always choose the same thing, they want to have the choice^^

 

[Deleted member 1251503]

There's faster way to kill yourself.

You'll pass one week making a scene, just to found that less than 10% of the players have seen it ; half of them being compulsive players that look what's behind every single choice, but do it in a single play which prevent them to really appreciate your writing.
Then you'll see that 80% of your players never do "this", while 60% of them always do "that". So you'll give them less "this" and more "that". This will completely change your story, which will lead to sleepless nights and headache because you don't really know what's going on now that you don't follow the story you prepared.
Finally, you'll see that you have 50% less players, because you now pass too much time wondering what the players want and less to ensure the quality of your game...

Make the game you want, and don't care about what the players do. You write it for your pleasure before doing it for our pleasure.

Very well said. At first, the stat tracker idea wasn't really for me per-say, but more for the players. If you have ever played a Telltale game, they do this very well. But now that I think about it, you are right. I would probably end up using it to determine the game's future without even knowing it which isn't exactly what I want.

 

[79flavors]

I think the simple answer might be that if the internet connection adds value for the player... some players will at least give it the benefit of the doubt. I think you'd have more luck with something silly or fun, rather than functional.

Some will still avoid it, just to be ornery. Larger publishers have totally destroyed some player's faith in what their internet connection might be used for... and sadly, you have to live with the consequences. The rest just don't understand how their data is used.

As long as you give players the choice of whether to participate or not, you might get away with it. Especially if there's an obvious advantage to taking part.
If however, you move something to your web interface that could just as easily have been displayed in game... not so much.

Daily, weekly and/or monthly leader boards could be seen as offering an added dimension to your game... depending on your game's mechanics. If you end up using any sort of geo-location type stuff... let the client do it and just send a country code to your server... Nothing freaks some people out like seeing their own IP address sent as data.
Forget anything involving time or speed... Someone will just hack things and you'll ended up with to top-50 leader board being 0.086 seconds or some other such rubbish.
Also keep in mind you might end up getting hacked. So don't collect any information you wouldn't be comfortable explaining to your userbase that someone grabbed everyone's data.

Finally, whatever you do... keep in mind that your game needs to continue to work, even if you pull the plug on your web interface. There's nothing like paying $40/mth** for webhosting and earning $35/mth from Patreon to really make you question why you added the online component. Especially 2 years down the line...

** I pulled that $40/mth for webhosting out of the air. I know it's not a real number, I was just using it to illustrate a point. No need to tell me it's unrealistic or list your favorite webhosting company that do hosting really cheap.