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Who else is excited for Virtual Villagers 6?
by Hydra14
02/28/24 08:22 PM
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#137119 - 05/02/08 07:30 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Complexity]
Carla Administrator Offline
Executive Producer

Registered: 10/05/04
Posts: 784
Loc: Italy
I made a small modification on the the definition of limited features because this one too is a try before you buy model, but with limited features, instead of limited time.
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#137136 - 05/02/08 08:06 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: *Erica*]
lucas Offline
Guru

Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 856
Loc: AZ
I like the first one but if I could pick two it would be the second one
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#137144 - 05/02/08 08:18 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Carla]
Complexity Offline
Expert

Registered: 04/19/08
Posts: 145
Understood, Carla. But the limited features, no matter how small or few, remains an irritant when trying out a game. It also prevents the person from getting completely hooked on it because they cannot truly enjoy the full game, not even for an hour.

Moreover, I think limiting features in the VV series of games would prove very frustrating for newly registered users because the tribe they had with the limitations will be the same tribe they'll have after being registered. If any of the limited features affects the behavior, skills, activities, collections, breeding, anything, the tribe would begin in a crippled fashion as compared to someone who starts a tribe after registering it (such as when people create a 2nd or 3rd or more tribe).

So if you were to use feature limitations, it would need to be such that it cannot hamper or cripple the tribe from the very start. And that is pretty much all of the game!

There is one way in which I could see a feature restricted trial. It is to actually have TWO versions of the game. One is a 1 hour, full featured game for those who feel they will likely register it if they like it. And a second, "Lite" version that is free with permanent missing features. This would be good for the kids that just cannot pay for a registration. However, because it is named a "Lite" version, it is clearly understood from the very start that (1) you can UPGRADE to the full version (aka register) and (2) you'll either need to start a whole new tribe or carry over your original tribe from the Lite version, knowing fully that the tribe began in a limited/crippled manner.

By crippled I mean that, depending on the missing features, goals such as having a tribe with 100% village elders from their first 50 villagers (a goal I'm currently working on). If the number of villagers were limited, I might not have enough to spread the work around to gain tech points AND fish and build. If I cannot do ANY of the full version activities, the tribe will suffer no matter how you look at it.

Even with the consideration of perhaps only allowing them level 1 of the skills won't work because I, personally, do not always get level 1 for all of the skills before I get a level 2 for one of the skills. So I could have a level 0 and level 2 simultaneously. Restricting me to only level 1 would hamper this which would have (to me) a negative affect on my tribe. So my tribe would be crippled from the very start.

If the game didn't have the bonding between the player and villagers AND if the game didn't have the villagers develop, both physically, skill level and breeding abilities, then the limitations wouldn't matter. However, isn't this the main backboard of the game? How can you not cripple that if you restrict any features?

If you were to make very small restrictions to avoid this problem, you might as well give the game away for free. It wouldn't be enough to make people want to register.

So that's my thoughts on the idea. If you could be more specific of which features could be considered for restrictions, that may help me see a different viewpoint. But from where I'm looking right now, feature restrictions will only anger players once they realize that their very first village was crippled from the very start.

Or so I think, anyway. \:\)

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#137148 - 05/02/08 08:25 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Carla]
colourmehappy Offline
Master

Registered: 03/18/07
Posts: 602
Loc: Portugal
i like the try before you buy method. It gives an insight as to what the game's about.
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#137837 - 05/03/08 07:10 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: colourmehappy]
VVFanatic Offline
Guru

Registered: 02/28/08
Posts: 1195
Loc: Texas
Try before U buy
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#139101 - 05/05/08 04:26 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Carla]
Tobycat Offline
Adviser

Registered: 04/25/07
Posts: 59
Loc: Illinois
I usually like the 'Try before you buy' unless it's a game that I know I am going to love, like VV3.
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#139116 - 05/05/08 05:14 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Tobycat]
Jenmarenc Offline
Adviser

Registered: 01/17/07
Posts: 53
Loc: Northeastern WI
I like the try before you by also. The limited versions don't give you a full taste of what you are getting into. I know that there is another site that offers 'lite' versions and no matter how many times I play it in the 60-minutes of free play I get a small example of what it offers but oftentimes it's just not enough because it doesn't really tap into the full potential of the game or its gaming experience and then I think, hmmmm, is this really worth the $20 I'm spending? So that then results in me not buying the game because its not worth it to me.

However, having said that I do not have that problem with any of the games from this site because of the fact that all of your games are wonderful *shameless brown-nosing never hurts*;)

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#139982 - 05/07/08 05:28 AM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Jenmarenc]
Tyler Offline
Newbie

Registered: 05/02/08
Posts: 6
ad-supported is cool \:\)

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#140086 - 05/07/08 06:07 PM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: Tyler]
KiwiFi Offline
Newbie

Registered: 04/29/08
Posts: 6
Loc: New Zealand
I definitely think the try-before-you buy method is the best - not many people are willing to shell out $20 for something that may not be worth it (not to get off topic, but Dream Chronicles is a good example of the opposite to this - 30 min trial, 50 minute game!)
And I think ad-supported games wouldn't work for most LDW games, as they run in real time and I'm guessing I'm not the only one who would be ticked off by leaving a game running overnight only to find out that an ad interrupted 20 minutes in :s

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#142005 - 05/11/08 11:05 AM Re: How would you prefer to buy games? [Re: KiwiFi]
Sahira Offline
Expert

Registered: 04/05/08
Posts: 102
Loc: Western Australia
I like try before you bye! \:D
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