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Forming Shattered Haven Store Copy

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Deekay:
I'm no expert when it comes to marketing, but will offer my 2 cents anyways :P

When it comes to words that get people interested, I think 'zombie' is a big one these days.
I know the grays aren't your typical zombie, but In terms of a description I think it would work well.
Something like 'zombie action puzzler' :P
The word survival also seems to grab attention due to the meteoric rise of games like Day Z, and while
SH isn't technically a survival game, in any world where the undead are taking over, survival is going to
be implied I guess. You are technically survivors.
I agree that the term roguelike or roguelikeish is misleading, maybe you could get away with 'roguelike inspired'
or something, but i'm not sure.

When it comes to the features list, I think the 'grays aren't your typical zombies' section could be worked into
the description of the game rather than a feature.
Also maybe put something in there about the fact that you can replay the levels for higher scores and gold
completion through certain objectives, people love a bit of competition and challenge :P
I agree with Mick when it comes to the rewording of the 'follow the story of Darrell and Mary' section.

In terms of something like a steam page, I think a good bold tagline at the top, then a section about how
the grays are more than your typical zombie and a little about the world/how the game plays, then a list
of features would be great.

I will put on my thinking cap and see if I can come up with anything more substantial :P

tigersfan:

--- Quote from: DKGamer on February 28, 2013, 11:16:19 am ---
When it comes to words that get people interested, I think 'zombie' is a big one these days.
I know the grays aren't your typical zombie, but In terms of a description I think it would work well.
Something like 'zombie action puzzler'

<snip>

I agree that the term roguelike or roguelikeish is misleading, maybe you could get away with 'roguelike inspired'
or something, but i'm not sure.


--- End quote ---

Maybe it's because I'm old, but, when I see "rougelike" the first think I think is that this means there is some sort of procedural generation. There is none of that in this game (I know, weird for an Arcen game) so I don't think we should come within sight of the word "rogue".

Additionally, the more I think about it, the more I worry about the use of the word "zombies". Certainly, the greys certainly zombie like enough to warrant the term, but I think zombies have perhaps jumped the shark now (I know there are some folks who think that). So, I'm worried about putting those folks off by stressing that word too much. I think that it's important to stress the uniqueness of them, rather than trying too hard to paint them as "zombielike".

keith.lamothe:

--- Quote from: tigersfan on February 28, 2013, 11:44:13 am ---Maybe it's because I'm old, but, when I see "rougelike" the first think I think is that this means there is some sort of procedural generation. There is none of that in this game (I know, weird for an Arcen game) so I don't think we should come within sight of the word "rogue".
--- End quote ---
The main requirements I'm aware of are: "turn based" and "dying is permanent" (more recent offerings, specifically commercial ones, tend to relax the latter one).  But procedural generation is also pretty much required too, yea.

From what I know of Shattered Haven, I don't think the word "roguelike" could be included anywhere in the copy (in a non-negated form) in honor :)

Pattoe:
I'm going to have to agree with most here. As an alpha tester I see very little difference between these GRAYS and normal zombies as is. I understand your passion for your work and lore and yes they are different as far as lore goes, but from a mechanical standpoint... not really. but nevertheless, writing so much about these doesn't make much sense, for example, you've got 5 paragraphs about the enemies and only one paragraph about "more than just the GRAYS". Surely what is basically "everything else" should have more of a focus.

Also, parts of your description are a little confusing.

"The worst problem is, anytime someone dies -- of any cause -- they turn into a gray.  Living in large groups is troublesome, because any suicide means you suddenly have a Gray in your midst.  Living with anyone who is sick or otherwise at risk is similarly risky.  Nine years after That Day, and Grays are still being created every time someone dies.  There seems to be no end in sight."

Surely suicide is the safest way for someone to die, as (although jokingly) it is stated in game that your poisonous pill has iron in it which stops you turning after your suicide.


You also need to be careful not to fall into a trapping of Zombie games and Zombie like games and that's to think it's all about the zombies. It really isn't, shows like The Walking Dead are not popular due to the zombies, the zombies are merely a plot device which creates tension and acts as a catalyst for the rest of the story to feed off of. Shattered Haven is not too different in that regard. I find other aspects of the story and game play really interesting such as the maze like puzzle levels, the story around why the world is tearing itself apart (Which, unfortunately is not explained very much at least as far as I've experienced).

It's the same reason I find the AVWW games incredibly fascinating, there is a fractured, broken world thrown into disarray and I want to know why it's happening, what caused it, what people are doing because of it, what changes it's caused in people's lives and survival.

Also do not forget that the game features 2 sets of survivors which are bound in a mutual interest, there are strong ties between the two couples, between the male and female of the couple and then the couples themselves.

From a marketing standpoint, cooperative play can be a big thing, even if it's only local cooperative, even bigger if it's online. (Maybe sell a discounted 2-pack deal. (I kind of see real life couples playing and assuming the roles of the couples in the game.)

Also, Arcen games are BRILLIANT at creating many different difficulty levels and modifiers and options for their games to create an experience which meets the desires of any consumer, whether it be casual or hardcore.

Music and sound is not mentioned at all, the music and sound assets for this game are stunningly wonderful which provides a rich and deep atmosphere, they have me feeling sad, feeling scared, my heart racing sometimes (Definitely not something I usually experience in a 2d top down game like this.)

shattered haven also has a retro appeal, it's delightfully old school in more than just it's aesthetic, it seems to be built upon and designed around old-school game development principles.


That's just off the top of my head, could be useful for some guidance on how to rework and reword it into something a bit better.

Deekay:
I certainly didn't mean for you to downplay the difference between zombies and grays, I was just thinking of it
as a 'buzzword'. People really seem to respond to zombies in games and they might not get that this is that sort of game
at a glance without the word zombies. But like I said, I'm no expert :P I just see a lot of games released on steam and xbox live indie section
with the word 'zombie' or 'Z' in the title and figured there must be a reason :P
I agree that putting forward the point that grays are more than just zombies is important, I was just thinking the word might spark an interest in people :P

But I guess if the zombie epidemic (pardon the phrase) is dying down, then maybe it would be best to make it clear that these aren't 'zombies'.

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