Hardcore game name

[Cyberneticist]

DC is also my favorite, followed closely by DO (if the latter had a more motivating skill system with more meaningful choices and options, it would take the crown).

I love the pressure DC puts on the player. In Diablo, you joke about Big D torching Tristam and slaughtering the citizens while you struggle to kill the Butcher ... in DC this really happens.

Have a good look at the skill/class system for the new game. It is one of the main sources of motivation in an ARPG.

[Bluddy]

Originally Posted by Cyberneticist

Have a good look at the skill/class system for the new game. It is one of the main sources of motivation in an ARPG.

I agree and I think this is still the weakest part of the Soldak formula, but presumably this hardcore game will have to change it heavily.

This is getting really off-topic, but I heartily recommend watching Tom Chick's recent playthrough of Zombasite expansion here. The whole thing is enjoyable, but at 27:50 and 30:15 you'll see some of what I see as valid criticism. This video (for Orc Schism) and the previous one for Zombasite are very much worth watching. He notes that the open approach to skills just doesn't make sense -- you can't balance the skills this way. He also opened my eyes to some of the really cool things in Zombasite.

BTW Shadow, speaking of board games, it'd be interesting to consider having victory points - which board games have transitioned to - rather than win conditions. For example, sometimes wiping out everybody is a real pain, or doing all the quests is too much work. But if different approaches yield different amounts of victory points (obviously requiring some balancing), you can kind of find your way to a fun victory the way you want to. It also makes the 'other clan' AI more realistic, since it's not actively trying to wipe you out -- just to dominate and get its own victory point win. It would also make sense at that point to have competitive multiplayer, since players could race to a victory point win without having to literally fight each other.

For this game, you may want to weight victory points differently per world (e.g. quests are worth only 1/4 of their normal victory points), or to have some new things generate victory points. I'm not sure this particular suggestion fits this game, but I do wish Civ moved in the victory point direction (so you don't have to wipe out everyone as a victory condition), and I think it would really have helped Zombasite.

Victory points could also help with the quest system. Normally, quests have a percentage chance of getting worse over time. You could make it so that the more victory points you have, the better the chance of a *good* outcome happening, or at least nothing bad happening (a message that a negative event was avoided would be great). This would also occur for other clans as they build up victory points (in the games that have other clans). It represents your 'fighting back' against the Nemesis/dungeon and succeeding. So you're not just putting out fires -- you're also making things a little better, which is an element I currently miss in Soldak games.

EDIT: Consider also the impact victory points could have had on Drox Operative. Rather than struggling to achieve one particular objective, you'd be a true mercenary and accomplish different things, getting victory points as you go, until you reach the required amount. Having this one currency just makes sense and you can see why board games have moved in this direction. Accomplishing a mix of this or that or the other thing is much more fun than either this or the other thing. It's also really fun if you can suddenly pull ahead with hidden victory points against competing humans (as you do in Catan and other board games), making the prospect of semi-competitive allies really doable.

[hella]

Hey, first post on the forum. I'm a huge fan of Din's Curse (but unfortunately haven't really been able to get as into later games) so I'm probably what could be considered the target market for calling the new game Din's Curse 2.

I bought Din's Curse back in 2010 and enjoyed it a lot -- it's my top favorite Soldak game! So personally, I'd really prefer the title Din's Curse 2 be reserved for a true sequel.

The next game seems to have about as much in common with DC as Zombasite does. I think I'd feel misled if I bought it expecting another DC.

I was really hoping for a new Din's Curse someday -- the recent games' diplomacy, clan management, and now mutations and permadeath have left me kind of... lukewarm. I mean I've had fun, but the straightforward, multiplayer ARPG gameplay of DC is a lot more appealing to me. (And nobody I personally played DC with ever even tried hardcore. Granted, that's four people, but still -- I don't think it's what that crowd really wants.)

I suppose it feels like the niche has narrowed to the point where I'm not in it, anymore -- I'm not part of the Venn diagram overlap of people who enjoy ARPGs and strategy, or the percentage of ARPG players who play hardcore. Which is fine! But I think other Din's Curse fans could possibly be similar.

I'll probably end up at least trying it (I mean, I bought Zombasite, too!) but I don't think it'd be a great move to appeal to people who just want more Din's Curse because the new game is so different. It's almost a New Coke situation, you know? I think it'd run the risk of unnecessarily disappointing people.

And I hate to say it but I already feel kinda bummed -- I've wanted Din's Curse 2 for years, but the new game just doesn't really seem like my kinda thing. I still want to get it just to support Soldak, but... calling it Din's Curse 2 just feels sorta bad

I'd prefer a title that doesn't mention Din -- Something Legacy. Well, anything but Din's Curse 2, haha. Din's Legacy is okay, I suppose!

(But please, please, please make Din's Curse 2 someday!)

[jeeplaw]

I'll be honest, I don't really care..just pick a name and let's all move onto Drox Operative 2 please!!

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by hella

The next game seems to have about as much in common with DC as Zombasite does. I think I'd feel misled if I bought it expecting another DC.

(But please, please, please make Din's Curse 2 someday!)

This was something I was/am worried about, which is why I'm probably not going to call it Din's Curse 2. That does leave it open for a more true sequel later.

[torikamal]

Just vamping on some ideas:

Rogue Blood
Blood Legacy
Rogue Generation
Afterlife
Blood Kin
Rouge Line
Din's Kin

[Shadow]

I'm leaning towards Din's Legacy at the moment.

[DarthNihilus]

i think mentioning an old game's name in a completely different game is the same as to name a child after it's father or mother, like some pplz do.
But ok, i'm not the majority here

of course there is such studio as spiderweb but that's an exception LOL

[bailey4500]

I think Din's Curse 2 is the way to go. Lets face it Zombasite was a terrible name, and probably cost you sales.

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by bailey4500

Lets face it Zombasite was a terrible name, and probably cost you sales.

That's very possible. Names are hard.