5 years old and still crappy discounts

[RabbitCatRobot]

guess I'll take it off my wish list, beta tested enough games. and never for such a pathetic discount.

[-$ilver-]

Originally posted by SaD-82:

I don't think that a free or sale approach would benefit Qud in the long term. Saying that it would, would mean that this would be true for all games out there. But then we're looking at the financial gain (and loss) by doing this. Those devs are working for years on their games - those are works of love. Putting quality into them (not eyecandy polish but quality). That's something that deserves payment in itself.
No need for sales - the good reviews are speaking for themselves and will lure enough people into buying things. Because they know that they want this game - and thus the likelihood for even more positive reviews is rising. Which is helping the game again. And the cycle continues.

This is incorrect. If every game cost more than what people are willing to pay, many people would not have as many games, probably into the hundreds, that they have now in their Library. A lot of people are simply not willing to spend that much or even just the price of a $10 game. Many Triple A titles that are normally $40 to $60, at least go down to $7 or $8, if not down to $5 on Summer and Winter sales. And the money and resources for those AAA game were a lot more than this one.

You argue that the dev would lose money if they made a better sale. But if 99% of Steam users are not willing to buy it at full price or a sale that is only 10% cheaper. So that means they lose all 99% of those customers, regardless. Even if just 1/4 more are willing to buy it at a decent discount, than the devs made well above than before. Imagine if dozens or even hundreds of copies were bought in a day. Maybe even a thousand in a day. For a whole week or weeks. And all it took was for them to lower the price to $5. A half off sale.

Either they can do a decent sale and get decent buyers or they can keep it as is and just trickle in buyers.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

afaik their sales are just fine.

[♠Snorl4xxer♠]

Originally posted by Local Jerk:

First off DF is much more complicated than CoQ, even if you know the keybinds to both. Secondly, DF still uses the dumb ASCII interface and this matters, a lot. Third, and this applies mostly to Adventure Mode, there is nothing to do. Just procedurally generated quests and locations that all blend into each other. I know DF stans are going to insist that there's loads to do in Adventure mode, but there really isn't. The only things to busy yourself with are the minutiae of surviving from day to day, whilst CoQ is smart enough to streamline and simplify those aspects so you can get on with the adventure.

Actually the ASCII thing is another reason I bring up DF in reference to this. For most people Caves of Qud will not have much graphical appeal, and may even seem visually busy or confusing due to it's minimalist ASCII-esque aesthetic.

Speaking of, if the ASCII bothers you with DF you could always use one of the many packs that change the game to look prettier/clearer. I personally really like "Rally Ho!", it makes DF kinda look like an old FF title.

[Local Jerk]

Originally posted by ♠Snorl4xxer♠:

Originally posted by Local Jerk:

First off DF is much more complicated than CoQ, even if you know the keybinds to both. Secondly, DF still uses the dumb ASCII interface and this matters, a lot. Third, and this applies mostly to Adventure Mode, there is nothing to do. Just procedurally generated quests and locations that all blend into each other. I know DF stans are going to insist that there's loads to do in Adventure mode, but there really isn't. The only things to busy yourself with are the minutiae of surviving from day to day, whilst CoQ is smart enough to streamline and simplify those aspects so you can get on with the adventure.

Actually the ASCII thing is another reason I bring up DF in reference to this. For most people Caves of Qud will not have much graphical appeal, and may even seem visually busy or confusing due to it's minimalist ASCII-esque aesthetic.

Speaking of, if the ASCII bothers you with DF you could always use one of the many packs that change the game to look prettier/clearer. I personally really like "Rally Ho!", it makes DF kinda look like an old FF title.

1. CoQ's graphics are leagues above DF's
2. Most of the packs aren't much to look at
3. Even with that, DF is just way tooo visually cluttered for a 2D top-down game with minimalist graphics.

[SaD-82]

Originally posted by Local Jerk:

That's why actually good games make sure to have purposefully designed quests

No. I don't know where you get this impression, but it's utter bollocks.
Ever heard of the term "sandbox games"?
People with imagination don't need any quests. That's the illness of nowadays in which games are this much streamlined that people aren't able to play for themselves anymore. Instead they need to be pushed in direction A to do thing B - better yet with big, flashing question pointers atop of NPC's and places, so that they can't miss anything. And then they are proud of themselves that they finished those quests... quests that a monkey could do because there is this much handholding and railroading that the game is virtually playing itself.
This is what people call nowadays a "good game". And they cheer even more if there are boss fights in which they only have to push Q or E to dodge an attack until they instawin.

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

This is incorrect. If every game cost more than what people are willing to pay, many people would not have as many games, probably into the hundreds, that they have now in their Library.

Games they didn't play once.
If you're one of those with hundreds of games in your libraray: How many of those did you play? And for how long?
By stating this you're proving me right.
If people are informing themselves (or were being told) about what a game has to offer, then they will buy this game if they are intrigued by this. And not just buying - they will play it. Because they want to play it.
By playing a game that they want to play, they feel good. Which then in turn will translate into good reviews. Which then in turn will soak more people into the game who are reading about it.
What happens with sale games? People buy it and never play it. Or just for some short hours. Especially people who only buy it because it's on sale. People who aren't into roguelikes. People who aren't intrigued by a specific game. People who then write negative reviews because they don't like this genre. Or people who are spoiled by those generic triple A titles that are basically clones of each other.
A regular price will ensure that people who are into those kind of games will buy them. And this is good for a game in the long run.
And the devs deserve every penny/cent.

[♠Snorl4xxer♠]

Originally posted by Local Jerk:

Originally posted by ♠Snorl4xxer♠:

Actually the ASCII thing is another reason I bring up DF in reference to this. For most people Caves of Qud will not have much graphical appeal, and may even seem visually busy or confusing due to it's minimalist ASCII-esque aesthetic.

Speaking of, if the ASCII bothers you with DF you could always use one of the many packs that change the game to look prettier/clearer. I personally really like "Rally Ho!", it makes DF kinda look like an old FF title.

1. CoQ's graphics are leagues above DF's
2. Most of the packs aren't much to look at
3. Even with that, DF is just way tooo visually cluttered for a 2D top-down game with minimalist graphics.

Steam name checks out. I literally addressed most of what you said already, but let's circle back around.
1. Not really *leagues* ahead, but yes they are better.
2. You can make DF look comparable or better than CoQ with several packs. Although there are a fair number that are just color or text changes to ASCII because there are some DF purists who scoff at non-ASCII packs.
3. So is CoQ, but we love these games because of the immense freedom and their world generation systems.

[McFuzz]

DF looks fine with tilesets and it's only visually cluttered if you don't know what you're looking at lol wtf is this thread

You don't play either of these games for the graphics

[♠Snorl4xxer♠]

Originally posted by Frank McFuzz:

DF looks fine with tilesets and it's only visually cluttered if you don't know what you're looking at lol wtf is this thread

You don't play either of these games for the graphics

Right?

[Hhondar]

Some games are so good they do not need to be discounted. Rare but true. That being said, if Caves of Qud ever did have a crazy sale I would just buy it for more of my friends as gifts.

When it gets full release I will give it as a Christmas gift at full price.

Caves of Qud is the best game in the genre.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

the *best* roguelike? hmmmm. that's a tricky one.

but it is a damn good game, and for me, not many come close to it.

[Yossarian]

When i read news about US economy problems, i expected a lot of things, but i definitely didn't expect a 100+ tread complaining about the price of a cheap product.

[Power Button]

I bought this game one-day after sale, I thought I'll be disappointed but I'm not. on the contrary I'm glad that I didn't buy it on sale.

[-$ilver-]

Originally posted by SaD-82:

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

This is incorrect. If every game cost more than what people are willing to pay, many people would not have as many games, probably into the hundreds, that they have now in their Library.

Games they didn't play once.
If you're one of those with hundreds of games in your libraray: How many of those did you play? And for how long?
By stating this you're proving me right.
If people are informing themselves (or were being told) about what a game has to offer, then they will buy this game if they are intrigued by this. And not just buying - they will play it. Because they want to play it.
By playing a game that they want to play, they feel good. Which then in turn will translate into good reviews. Which then in turn will soak more people into the game who are reading about it.
What happens with sale games? People buy it and never play it. Or just for some short hours. Especially people who only buy it because it's on sale. People who aren't into roguelikes. People who aren't intrigued by a specific game. People who then write negative reviews because they don't like this genre. Or people who are spoiled by those generic triple A titles that are basically clones of each other.
A regular price will ensure that people who are into those kind of games will buy them. And this is good for a game in the long run.
And the devs deserve every penny/cent.

Not sure how you came to the conclusion that the quote proved you right. It does not matter how often a game is played. If it is not bought at all, it can never be played. If it is bought, at least it has a chance to be played. Regardless a decent sale would simply allow more people to buy the game, either through financial means or simply understanding how much the game is worth and willing to pay for it.

It's simple numbers. If only 10 people bought it at full price, vs fifty at half off, the devs made more money with those fifty people plain and simple. And negative reviews come from games not worth their full price as well. At least thumbs ups can be given for an ok game at a decent sale price.

[SaD-82]

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

It does not matter how often a game is played.

Did you read my post? Or just the first two/three sentences before replying?
In my post I explained WHY it does matter if a game is played or if it's just bought because of sales.
Not keen on repeating myself, when I already told it.

It's good if there aren't sales in those kind of games as this ensures that people who are into this kind of genre will by this game.
Sales-wh0res aren't the target audience.

[-$ilver-]

Originally posted by SaD-82:

Originally posted by -$ilver-:

It does not matter how often a game is played.

Did you read my post? Or just the first two/three sentences before replying?
In my post I explained WHY it does matter if a game is played or if it's just bought because of sales.
Not keen on repeating myself, when I already told it.

It's good if there aren't sales in those kind of games as this ensures that people who are into this kind of genre will by this game.
Sales-wh0res aren't the target audience.

I quoted the whole thing, so yes I did read it. Most had nothing to do with more people buying the game, thus more people trying it out and word of mouth spreading and the devs making more money in the short and long term.