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[hemmingjay]

My first solo project is upon us and is modest in scope. It is a Arms Dealer/Biz Sim for PC/Mac, IOS and Android with PC/Mac launch first and mobile following 60 days later. The game is being made by three industry veterans who are interested in exploring the elements of classic games that are still viable.

As a Biz Sim the game is mainly played from a series of menus on a world map. Much of the game is static with the exception of cargo shipments via ship, plane and truck and random news updates popping up. The game has three chapters, each with a different focus. In the first phase of the game the player is a street level dealer. This game will play similar to the classic Drug Wars games/clones. The player will buy low in one city and travel to another to sell. Random opportunities will pop up such as bribing/robbing gun stores,  encouraging a shootout between police and criminals or rival gangs and then cleaning up the aftermath to reclaim and sell the guns. The latter obviously a risky proposition. There are other currently secret elements to the gameplay to add depth, but I don't want to spoil all surprises. The goal of this phase is to raise $15 million dollars so you can buy an Import/Export company and go international. This takes us to phase 2.

Phase 2 is the global game. You are now an international gun runner, a la Lord of War with Nick Cage. You buy guns, tanks and planes from corrupt generals and the black market and sell them to countries in need. This time you have an intelligence firm that you can hire to spy or instigate a conflict between nations. When there is a conflict the demand for number and style of arms rises. Just don't get caught. You can also bribe generals to sell you greater quantities and a better selection of weapons and vehicles. Obviously you can no longer just drive your cargo to another city. Delivering tons of illegal goods requires strategy and finesse, especially with Interpol on the lookout for you and other criminal organizations. They randomly search shipments and if they find one containing arms they will investigate the origin country and potentially find you there. You can click on any of those shipments on the map and if the captain has room in his cargo hold he can be bribed to pick up your cargo and deliver it for you. You can also pay for false cargo to further disguise your illegal goods and decrease the chance of discovery if searched. Once better established you can purchase your own vehicles for transport that will give you options to have larger holds or more stealthy delivery or perhaps faster travel speed. Everything has it's trade offs. The goal of this phase is to raise $15 Billion to purchase a new clean identity and purchase a famous but failing weapons manufacturer.

This phase of the game is a more direct biz sim. The goal is to manufacture, market and sell your weapons. You can develop new contracts for bids and hope your weapon performs high enough to secure the lucrative contracts. You can charm and bribe the decision makers to affect their decision but not outright change the outcome. You can research new technologies to improve your past designs or aid in new innovative models. There is no end game to this mode, beyond becoming the predominant manufacturer on the planet. The game play continues after that as long as you like. Country after country, contract after contract you can continue to expand operations with distribution/marketing offices in new territories and covert operations to affect decisions to buy or perhaps to incite profitable revolutions inside unstable countries.


Features:
*A library of 150 Weapons and Vehicles with art and basic information

*Random generation of news stories of two types: Entertainment and game affecting/affected
realistic results - Triple randomization ranges ensure that you will never have the same situation, never the same risk, never the same outcome. Every game will play somewhat unpredictably. Just like   in real life, there is a range of outcomes and degrees of success or failure. The hidden triple randomization also ensures that the game can not be effectively meta-gamed. The decisions will          always have to be made with an element of faith since some of the results are hidden from a player. Your decisions may fail and you will be blind to that fact until it's too late, or it may not even matter due to good luck elsewhere.

*Steam workshop functionality - Add your own content, some mod capability

* Choice between 2 art styles(hopefully - need more funding first)

* Realistic shipping lanes, air travel paths, convoys

* High Score board and achievements/trophies
Phase 2 will be the prototype for the game and will be released in 60-90 days. I will use it to raise the money to finish the rest of the game either through Kickstarter or through Early Access/pre-orders. This is a niche game and not for everyone. I am not offended if it's not for you. This is a game for people who like games like Drug Wars, Plague Inc, GameDevStory, etc. It's a calm strategy game that has high re-playability and appears simple at the outset but develops depth as you learn the ins and outs as well as the interconnecting factors.

I have a talented programmer who is making excellent progress. I have a professional artist but we are undecided about the art style of the game and I could really use your help! I can't decide between a realistic Satellite Image style map and realistic graphics(like Plague Inc) or a classic retro style like Balance of Power. Finally, I could do something to compromise like the Axis and Allies or Risk map, but this is the most difficult to develop a cohesive art style for.

Please see the examples and weigh in. Thanks so much for your help guys and gals!
REALISTIC

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RETRO

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COMPROMISE

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[Anvilfolk]

I most definitely don't think the retro art style is something to go for. It works for games that harken very strongly to some of us early gamers, but that's probably a very tiny market you'd be catering for. It doesn't really fit with the theme, and has potential to make the UI more awkward than it should.

The realistic look definitely makes the game more serious. It looks functional and cool, but given the theme of the game, perhaps doing a super serious portrayal of weapon trafficking might not be exactly what you want.

The compromise probably works best. It gives it a more boardgamey look, which is never bad in my book. These designs tend to be concise and direct, transmitting exactly the information that's needed. Their visuals are functional, but most of it is designed to helps focus on gameplay as opposed to theme.

I honestly don't know how much of an issue portraying weapon trafficking is going to be, but I'd weigh that carefully and choose between the compromise and realistic styles!

--- edit ---

I'm not too into this genre, but perhaps one thing to keep in mind is that having very clear "phases" in games that are meant to be replayable is sometimes annoying. For example, if I'm playing the same game for the 3rd time, that initial phase where I'm a local dealer becomes a chore to get into the meatier international trade.

Perhaps that could be studied as a tutorial? Or at least, make sure that the initial phase somehow has a very large impact on the second phase. If you several phases them, it might also be worth considering a much more gradual transition, such as you simply acquiring enough money to buy your own transport, or your own factory? That way there aren't distinct phases to "get through" but simply the continuous reward of getting better and better things?

[Vector]

I was going to say that too.  I'm very much not the intended audience of the game, so ignore my opinion if you like, but everything Anvilfolk says on the matter is something I agree with.  Especially the clear phases thing.

[hemmingjay]

I'm not too into this genre, but perhaps one thing to keep in mind is that having very clear "phases" in games that are meant to be replayable is sometimes annoying. For example, if I'm playing the same game for the 3rd time, that initial phase where I'm a local dealer becomes a chore to get into the meatier international trade.

Perhaps that could be studied as a tutorial? Or at least, make sure that the initial phase somehow has a very large impact on the second phase. If you several phases them, it might also be worth considering a much more gradual transition, such as you simply acquiring enough money to buy your own transport, or your own factory? That way there aren't distinct phases to "get through" but simply the continuous reward of getting better and better things?

All excellent feedback. The phases will be selectable after you successfully beat the game, effectively allowing the player to choose from one of three similar game types. The phases show the clear distinction of the levels of death dealers in the world and offers a commentary on the idea that a thug becomes a crime lord who then becomes a legitimate business man without changing his product at all. It does this without the sort of cramming down a players throat that some games do, and in fact, the commentary is only there for those who look for it. Everyone else will just find a niche game to pass the time with.

As for the game not being anyone's preference, like I said, it's a niche game, fit for probably 3-5% of pc gamers, which is plenty! If 10% of them buy it I will consider it a massive success as would the backers. We had chosen a realistic art style but one of the investors was a big fan of these types of games in the 80s-90s and liked the simple black and white maps with colors signifying information clearly. He asked us to consider the change and we will. We asked in a few places and I decided to ask here. I know we have intelligent gamers who understand that we don't just buy games that cater to our preferences, but that we play games that seem interesting when we are bored and then we either like them or not.

We have designed this game with a specific amalgam of gamer characteristics in mind and while we are seeking input from others, we won't be swayed easily or heavily. Once a studio starts taking too much feedback and uses crowdsource designs the game becomes a patchwork and no longer has a distinct identity. There are quite a few Early Access games like that right now where everyone got excited for the game but after 18 months of taking feedback, the game is now boring and washed out. I would rather make a game that was very clearly of one design than to make it inoffensive to a large group. I would hope that some of you can respect that.

[stabbymcstabstab]

I love you Hemmingjay! I always wanted a game like this! (PTW)

[Pnx]

Going retro seems like a bad idea for this sort of game, it'd be very difficult to pull off well. Retro seems to be a style that works best for more minimalist interfaces, not ones like this that probably involve a lot of text and menus.

That said I'm not sure exactly what map style you'd want, I suppose it all depends on how you want to style the rest of the interface. If you could, I think making a map that looks like a paper map, then having an interface that consists of things like post-it notes and notebooks and papery things might be pretty cool.
Alternatively using more glossy buttons would work better with a realistic satellite map, you could even make it imitate things like a GPS interface, or touch screen devices for a more modern feel, it could look like you're planning your arms empire from your smart phone.

I think which to go for would depend entirely on what your team stylistically can do best.

[hemmingjay]

Stabby, you are one of the 3%! I will add you to the list of testers when I get to that point. PNX, you are right, the retro style is a poor choice in my opinion. We wanted to go with a high-tech UI that looks like you are using a computer a few years in the future with each menu being an app or webpage but the game doesn't quite fit it. A simple game would use retro, a very complex game would use high tech, I am stuck in the middle. The game has a lot of options but it's not as complex as one of those super-involved Geo Political Simulators like Shadow President and the like. It's going to probably be a mix of present day and fictional UI pieces and will come down to the artist.  Thanks for the input!

[hemmingjay]

Some of the art is coming in now. Logos for the game and studio.

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[scrdest]

Why not compromise in a different way? Have the phase 1 look retro, the idea being you use a crappy computer and use BBS to trade (or something), and slick and modern at phase 2?

[Aqizzar]

(I suppose this is that professional game idea of yours I was badmouthing a few months back.  Well color me surprised.)

I'm a fan of the Compromise style the most, but the Realistic style is easier on the eyes.  I guess the best would be the clarity of the Compromise with the color depth of Realistic.

As for the logo, the idea is obvious, but the Winchester repeaters seem a little silly for what's clearly a modern theme.  If anything, the logo is too understated, while the skull should lose the grayscale resolution to blend with the black-and-white of the rest.  And why does it say "scientificwebs" in the background?

[Vector]

Prolly a watermark!

[Skyrunner]

Interesting!

[MaximumZero]

PTW, and I prefer the modern map to anything else, but it could use more clearly defined borders and whatnot.

[Seriyu]

I definitely prefer the compromise, I feel like stylized stuff like that is almost always the way to go, but if you use realistic definitely define borders better like MaximumZero said.

The GUI for realistic also looks a little generic to me, but that mayyyy be personal preference.

[Skyrunner]

They're only examples from other games. The first game is Plague Inc, not whatever game hemmingjay's making xD