Maniaplanet Forum

Hey,

I would like to list you some problems that I've analysed of Shootmania since january 2013.
You can add some ''problems'' too!
I haven't got any real ''solution'' for these issues here. Sometimes, I've got a few suggestions as in the first subject ''Lack of players'' but that's all. I want to achieve that people pay more attention to these issues and might think up a solution.

1. Lack of players - No real ''inducement''
In fact ''Lack of player topics'' has been discussed very often so far but I simply wanna go more in depth.
I re-post this post because it wasn't noticed in the corresponding topic. Addtionally, it is quite a new idea that might explain why there is a ''lack of players'':

Soprah wrote:Definitely a good post
Although I don't fully agree with your point that this game is/will be ''dead''

Iaminflames wrote:So far allot of good players like 4K or Colwn have stopped playing because they don't see the reason.

Iaminflames wrote:if there is a big tournament they will play in it but that's it.

I entirely agree... The point is, that there isn't any inducement to play this game except of practicing for tournamets. It may be harsh expressed, but that's true. Of course there are some real great oppurtunities such as creating maps/titels but this whole creativity part of this game shouldn't be the most inducement to play this game.
An inducement would be any kind of achievements as ''Best shooter of the day (the most shots of the day'' or just something like that. I believe too, that Shootmania best characteristic is his simpleness and skill-requiring gameplay and that is absolutely okay. By virtue of this simpleness, it just gets boring after playing this game for a while... And this may be the reason why people quit Shootmania.

Truely I love this creativity part of Shootmania, but this is the most significant reason why I am playing Shootmania.
( Love the map-editor )

On the other hand, Nadeo really put effort into this game, e.g. publishing great new updates with new blocs/possibilities, but there should be something else too

This game should cause an additional inducement for players, that people will play this game in future too.


All the best,
Soprah

2. No really attention to new (old?) modes/titles
Although I have never developed a title/mode for Shootmania, it is a matter of fact that the most titles/modes aren't played. Indeed, it depends of the developer to make this mode popular by advertising etc. But the most modes end in empty servers or even aren't on any server. Honestly, some modes aren't such good to be popular.. but there are so many modes that are even unknown by the most players. I know that there are different projects/topics to list all modes/titles to achieve that they draw more attention...
But to clarify it: Most of the released modes/titles aren't much played ( except of a few ones e.g. ''Obstacle'').
These developers really put effort into their modes/titles and they clearly deserve more attention!

Here are a few small problems:

- Objects only in new titles
Would love to insert blocks to the official modes as Siege or Elite
- ManiaChannels not enough advertising ingame
I haven't got the possibility to find any ManiaChannel that I am interested in


Feel free to add new ''problems'' with a short explanation as I did!

Not hopeless,
Soprah

I really wish they wouldn't separate their games into official titles like "storm" "cryo" or w/e. We have to pay extra for what is basically a new tileset.

I think Nadeo should rethink their economic model as well as how they should promote this game. Their current strategy is currently just not working. And it's a damned shame since this game has so much potential.

One way I could see Nadeo remedying this is to finish up adding support to the workshop and open up the possibility of making tilesets different from what is currently offered in storm. New textures for those dull grey platforms and generally more freedom for map creators to express their creativity. Because at the moment all maps have the same feel to them more or less. And like I said earlier, official tilesets should also be released for free. Instead of thinking of more titles they can put into the market, they should focus on what they have and make it worth the money that people paid to play it. Make others WANT to buy it. Keep updating and promoting the game and eventually more people will join.

I just hope nadeo is listening.

Soprah, good start
If you want to promote modes, please create nice maps and advertise them in the forum part available for this

EXtraDonut, you also have good points.
Please consider that the game has just started, so please be patient and really wait until more titles get released, before judging.

Do you know TrackMania? You should know that Nadeo has done a series of combined games there (TrackMania Original, then TrackMania Sunrise, etc.) for several years already, and always quite a few players did not like this or this environment, where other players preferred them. This is just human.
Therefore the step to propose individual titles was rather a logical one.
At the end it doesn't matter much if you have purchased everyhting

Please also take into account that the prices are now relative.
If you had to buy a game which contains more environments, you would have to wait even longer for a release, and also have to pay more.
Now you can try (at least with the Open Betas, and later F2P versions) before your purchase.

About the tilesets, do you know that you can create mods or download them, to applay them to your own maps?
The possibilities are already there! It's only a matter of time until the servers use more and more mods as well.
There is also the possibility to add custom objects, but this has just started, so to say.
We can expect much more in future

TMarc wrote:Soprah, good start
If you want to promote modes, please create nice maps and advertise them in the forum part available for this

EXtraDonut, you also have good points.
Please consider that the game has just started, so please be patient and really wait until more titles get released, before judging.

Do you know TrackMania? You should know that Nadeo has done a series of combined games there (TrackMania Original, then TrackMania Sunrise, etc.) for several years already, and always quite a few players did not like this or this environment, where other players preferred them. This is just human.
Therefore the step to propose individual titles was rather a logical one.
At the end it doesn't matter much if you have purchased everyhting

Please also take into account that the prices are now relative.
If you had to buy a game which contains more environments, you would have to wait even longer for a release, and also have to pay more.
Now you can try (at least with the Open Betas, and later F2P versions) before your purchase.

About the tilesets, do you know that you can create mods or download them, to applay them to your own maps?
The possibilities are already there! It's only a matter of time until the servers use more and more mods as well.
There is also the possibility to add custom objects, but this has just started, so to say.
We can expect much more in future

Ah thanks for the reply. And yeah I do have the patience, what I didn't have was trust. I've played too many games where the devs ignored what I and many others believed to be logical or at the very least interesting ideas. As long as nadeo continues to provide great content and live up to their promises I'll be happy.

But I have to wonder though, if we can heavily mod the maps already why must we have seperate titles? Other than a new environment and some new game modes what else do we get?

The major difference between the titles are the landscape (different types of mountains) and the blocks.
There you can only mod the textures at the moment.

Custom objects cannot be used the same way, although there is already a grid snapping and you can drive on some of them. But the interconnections are not yed available.

I recommend you take a look in the custom objects respectively NadeoImporter thread

TMarc wrote:The major difference between the titles are the landscape (different types of mountains) and the blocks.
There you can only mod the textures at the moment.

Custom objects cannot be used the same way, although there is already a grid snapping and you can drive on some of them. But the interconnections are not yed available.

I recommend you take a look in the custom objects respectively NadeoImporter thread

I just think the current "block" set we currently have is dull and boring. More variety from the get go would be nice. Bang for our buck. Lots of people agree that the game looks bland, and as a result lose interest this game. What this game offers is great, but for the larger market there really isn't much appeal. That is my biggest issue with the game, and why I hope you guys can fix it and find a way to attract a larger crowd. That's pretty much all I have to say, thanks for your replies. Just don't want this community to die, because it's already showing signs of dying. I know it's too early to say this, but it really is growing smaller every day here in the NA scene.

Sad to hear.
I guess its because no one is building own maps, or not using mods.
Perhaps also the lack og good US servers?
Perhaps you can also only see the effect of the initial rush & hype about ShootMania decreasing, until it reaches a more normal level. This is usual for any new publication.
If the game proves to be really good in future, player counts will certainly stabilize or increase slowly again.
But this is also something we have to do in common. Keep the developers busy with bugfixing and new features (in that order )