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[LordSlowpoke]

neoooo

let's make a game that glamorized glamorizing stuff like that

_{the one}

[hemmingjay]

Yeah, I just kind of rolled with that. Also, if they had read my press release they would have seen that we are going to include moral issues and don't take a moral stance for or against the trade of weapons. The game primarily deals with the selling of weapons from one military to another, which is semi-legal.

I woudl be GREATLY appreciative of anyone who is willing to leave a comment on that article. The comment trolls weren't too viscious and most of their complaints were valid although they also write a bunch of BS into the dark without doing any review of the website or Steam store but speculate based on a single picture or sometimes even just the name of the article. I LOVE the internet.

[Neonivek]

Yeah a few more comments is probably needed.

I mean I know where the people commenting are coming from, if I didn't know you hemmingjay (well... if one can say I know you), I'd probably have the exact same concerns.

[EuchreJack]

Well, I'd characterize the Rock Paper Shotgun entry as a blurb rather than an article.  If they get enough interest, they might do a full-blown review.

More seriously, if the same writer does decide to review your game, they will at least comment on those moral choices.

Didn't you say earlier that you HOPED for someone to criticize you for glamorizing the arms business, for that gravy publicity?

At any rate, I posted something.  I don't think the writer is being a preachy liberal type, despite my initial suspicions, but rather wishes for novelty in gaming as social commentary and expanding one's understanding of the world at large.  While I think those goals in gaming are not what I play videos games for, obviously there exists a fascination among those who see games as art.

Since I loath art (sadly, I wasn't born with an artistic sense..."It's pretty" is about the best I can do), I play games to play.  Too much reality spoils the fun.  But I could appreciate Papers Please and the idea that it was trying to get across.  Not that I played it for long, or ever paid a dime for it, but I appreciated the short experience.

[hemmingjay]

I appreciate the support guys! Especially liked your comment EuchreJack!

[Majestic7]

I think hiding moral choices within ordinary choices would be interesting. So that you wouldn't get any special MORAL CHOICE ALERT events or the like. Rather, there'd be news ticker reporting how Islamist guerillas shot schoolgirls with new weaponry they acquired from somewhere after you sold them the guns etc. Then maybe once the game is over, you'd get some sort of summary on how your actions changed the world? "Supplying weapons to Kongolese rebels protracted the civil war by years blah blah", that kind of stuff.

I think it would make the results of your actions concretic without going all wishy-washy or pretending that there are no consequences to selling weapons.

[The13thRonin]

Not all games need moral choices. Especially the crappy black or white moral choices most games these days give you. If the game stops you every five minutes to beat you over the head with how bad you are for playing it then it's not a game anymore, its a lecture.

[Fikes]

Hello friends.

For a while now I have been working directly on Arms Dealer with Hemmingjay as the game's producer. I have done a lot of play testing, some of our marketing, some of our in game texts and various other tasks. After seeing some of the responses to the RPS blurb and on the Steam discussion I decided we really needed a gameplay video.

So I made one.

It is a little awkward and... spontaneous? But overall it gives people a good, quick introduction to the game. You can see it here.

http://youtu.be/0WkxntHgi6c

[EuchreJack]

Nice trailer.  I'm going to have lots of fun just reading about all the cool stuff.  Then selling it for cash.

I think hiding moral choices within ordinary choices would be interesting. So that you wouldn't get any special MORAL CHOICE ALERT events or the like. Rather, there'd be news ticker reporting how Islamist guerillas shot schoolgirls with new weaponry they acquired from somewhere after you sold them the guns etc. Then maybe once the game is over, you'd get some sort of summary on how your actions changed the world? "Supplying weapons to Kongolese rebels protracted the civil war by years blah blah", that kind of stuff.

I think it would make the results of your actions concretic without going all wishy-washy or pretending that there are no consequences to selling weapons.

I think that is a great idea.  Let the player figure it out.  I also suspect that is closer to what the RPS blurb was hoping for, as it is the same method used by Paper Please (you actually had to think in order to get the moral points in that game [or have other people point it out to you, I'm no Einstein-Jesus], which is why I actually liked it).

[bluwolfie]

I wish I had the money for this right now 

[The13thRonin]

Yeah, I just kind of rolled with that. Also, if they had read my press release they would have seen that we are going to include moral issues and don't take a moral stance for or against the trade of weapons. The game primarily deals with the selling of weapons from one military to another, which is semi-legal.

I woudl be GREATLY appreciative of anyone who is willing to leave a comment on that article. The comment trolls weren't too viscious and most of their complaints were valid although they also write a bunch of BS into the dark without doing any review of the website or Steam store but speculate based on a single picture or sometimes even just the name of the article. I LOVE the internet.

The snark in me wants to propose a Photoshopped promotional picture of a baby holding an AK47.

You could even caption it "Victory, world armed!" .

[dorf]

hemmingjay:
May I ask how does one go about strucking partnership/sponsorship deals with companies like Alienware & Nvidia? Do you simply call them up and tell them about your game and plans?

It seems to me you're a new gamedev kid on the block, without any prior games and an industry outsider (AFAIK). Were they not hesitant to partner up with you?
If you were located outside the U.S., do you think you could have gotten the same deals?

I ask because I have no business experience, but I'm interested in knowing more. I like the route you've taken and the fact that you seem to have it under control.

[Anvilfolk]

Yeah, as far as I know hemmingjay's been inside or related to the gamdev industry for a while now

Fikes: I didn't get to watch a lot of the video, but you seem very well adapted to doing youtube videos

[Shakerag]

Fuck yeah, ‼beta testing‼

[Neonivek]

Not all games need moral choices. Especially the crappy black or white moral choices most games these days give you. If the game stops you every five minutes to beat you over the head with how bad you are for playing it then it's not a game anymore, its a lecture.

It is actually what I REALLY REALLY dislike about The sims 4's choices.

In previous games there were moral choices, but the game didn't play karma, SURE stealing from the campaign fund (if you are the president) can get you fired or arrested, but it is also the best way in the entire game to make money (without exploits). As well sometimes the goody two shoes choices pay off I spades as well. The game would punish and reward you for your choices regardless of the morality behind them.

Sims 4? The "good" choice is always the best choice period. Screwing a client over for a huge opportunity doesn't pay off. In the Fable games past the first game's expansion the "good" choice was always the best choice in the end, there was no moral ambiguity because you were always balancing "instant gratification" versus "Greater rewards down the line".

Moral choices in a game like this isn't bad... so long as the game doesn't treat them like moral choices. The entire point of the game is to get you in the mindset of a arms dealer and the sort of grey morality that is there. The game shouldn't pick sides when it comes to black and white morality.