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Thayne -> RE: Curiousity killed the cat! (6/17/2005 2:01:34 PM)
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If I may . . .
As somebody who has some experience in marketing, I would suggest not paying much attention to the results of such a poll. People will habitually report a willingness to spend that far exceeds what they are willing to spend.
Also, the concept of "improvements" generates problems because, as we see over and over again in the forums, what one person considers an "improvement" another considers just another example of how WitP is more fantasy than fact. So, can you come up with "improvements" that people will generally like.
In order to satisfy the largest number of customers with the greatest number of diverse views and opinions, I would suggest a "game options" screen that allows users themselves to adjust the settings.
For example:
Zero bonus: +0 to +10 (reduces at the rate of 1 per month)
Japanese Pilot Replacement Pool (pilots per month)
IJN: +0 to +50
IJA: +0 to +100
Atoll Troop Capacity: 2000 to unlimited
Atoll Airplane Capacity: 100 to unlimited
China Defense Advantage: +0 to (some reasonable upper limit) -- or some similar method of restricting Japan's capability to conquer China).
Logistics:
- Restricted Port Rearming: On/Off
- 4-Engine Bomber Supply Drain: On/Off
- Base Rearmament Restrictions (note: this section lists all 10 port sizes and has a setting for the size of the gun that can be stationed there).
This option would allow people with different views, whomever can find a player who shares those views, to play under the rules and restrictions they like. This should increase the capability to market the game to a more diverse audience.
With these options, players can belittle each other over the various design changes, rather than blame Matrix Games for the decisions they make (though they would still likely find other things to complain about, such as, "Why does Option X exist but not Option Y?")
There would, of course, be "default values" for those who do not want to waste their time debating such issues and simply want to play the game out of the box.
Now, if I could put in a plug for my most favored improvement:
A more realistic map with less distortion.
Where a map that actually represents a sphere is out of the question, I would argue for an increased map scale (1 hex = 30 miles).
Plus, as the map gets further from the equator, the hex scale changes. A central band of hexes uses the 1 hex = 30 mile method. Further from the equator it becomes 1 hex = 29 miles, then 28 miles, and so on. Such a method would significantly reduce map-edge distortions without the complex math necessary to actually represent a sphere.
This would introduce one distortion: "Why is it that a unit can control a 30-mile hex at the equator but only a 15-mile hex at the top and bottom of the map?" Which would affect combat mostly in Manchuria and Russia (in the Aleutians and Kurile Islands, the fact that one is on an island will put a natural barrier on this) -- which would have its influence on only a limited part of the war.
Such a change would not actually change the complexity of the game, therefore would not increase the amount of time it took to play the game. However, it would (I think) make the game much more interesting -- enough that I would be willing to offer dollars.
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