So, we spoke to Valve and we're finally getting the go-ahead for steam. We should be doing a steam release within this month. As such, there are some key things we need to get done before then. 1) Every player interested in helping out should download the Empires SVN. You can read about that here: http://www.forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=12053 2) We need promotional screenshots, videos, whatever, to be flooded everywhere. Do what you can. 3) We will also have a task list, which you can find here: http://www.forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?p=346969 I'll be updating both this thread and the tasklist fairly option, so I'll post a bump when I can.
Congratulations, Empiresmod. Special thanks to Trickster and his associates for continually pushing for a higher publicity...can't wait!
Screens, forum advertisements, videos on youtube, telling your friends who don't play empires, all of these things will help us get more publicity, more players and help empires become a more active mod.
If you do this now with the mod as it is now, I don't think in the long run there will be much of a change in the amount of players. For example, take a look at old Steam-supported mod Dystopia. Dystopia was a very popular mod that, to be honest, has a huge amount of polish in gameplay, graphics, sounds; you name it and Dystopia has it. Currently however, there is seldom more than one full server of the game. To be honest here, Empires now is essentially the same game is was in the first couple of releases. Yes, gameplay has gotten much better. But almost nothing else has really improved at all. We have more maps, but we always play the same few. Our models are old and outdated. We have no aircraft. We still have the iffy Scout class. The Commander still feels underpowered. And don't forget the bad GUI. I fear that for most of the gamers who tried the old Empires, liked or disliked it, and left, this new Empires will seem too similar to the old and players will soon leave.
I have the same feeling. It would feel much mroe fresh if certain things would be fixed and if all the shitty maps would be removed too(or replaced with more decent ones, see slaughtered for example). I too have the feeling that this may be too early and can scare away new players.
people say this all the time, of not going on to steam works because of blah blah blah. I see new faces every week or so, I think steam works will get new faces every day. Dystopia was awesome but it is really tedious, all the rounds are the same, same maps, same objectives (go into the internet, hack something, get out, and use a sword on people). The reason Empires still has filled servers (that are 64 player servers) is because in it you don't win by getting objectives, you win by conditions, so that means unique rounds on same maps, with a bunch of maps that we have, which = Re-playability which = happy players that get bored slower..
I think that as long as we have decent noob support, with a tutorial, manual, loading screen tips, etc, then the mod will do fine. We can keep putting it off with "Should add this first", "should add that first", but if we waited until the game was complete to take to steam, it would die. Neotokyo for example, did a phenomenal first relesase. A wide variety of maps and weapons, not many bugs, and a lot of support. But it died off because they had little to update it with. Everything was already done. Updates keep people interested, and god knows we have so much that we can still do with Empires.
This mod has been on a decline since badlands was removed. Bring back badlands and the mod will be an instant success, probably more people than tf2 will play it.