Castle Paradox

[Inferior Minion]

2008 marks the beginning of CP's 6th year online. Over the past 5 years, CP has seen its fair share of ups and downs and has gone through two versions. As Cube mentioned in his Christmas post, we feel it is time for a third.

Unlike the current change, this version will not simply be cosmetic in nature. Our current backend hasn't changed since I first hacked it together 5 years ago. With 5 years of experience and a much more intimate understanding of PHP, my codebase is begging for a rewrite. In the process, the whole system will be receiving an overhaul.

This is a large scale project which we feel will take the better part of '08 and will be released in stages as features are completed. We hope to be feature complete by September. We are hoping for monthly deliverables and encourage user input. At the end of the day, you will be the ones using the site, let us know what features you'd like to see.

Here's our current roadmap:

First and foremost, we plan on migrating to phpBB3

The site layout is getting its third rework. This time, we are moving entirely to CSS. This will allow for custom layouts on a per project basis.

The Game list will be transformed into more of a Project Management Suite. In this sense, we will be completely rewriting the calendar system, allowing for project specific timelines, including release dates and projections. Changes to the project pages will be shown in the timeline and the creator can provide comments (like your What's New documentation) each time the executable is updated. Projects can now contain more than one screenshot and can reference other projects. The idea being a game's OST would be another project, the album. Team collaboration has been built in and we are looking into member roles with role specific privileges. For instance, you may not want to give the musician permission to edit the screenshots or update the game description.

The feedback system will be updated to tie into the project timeline and will take release dates into account. Readers will be informed if the review was not written for the latest release. Reviewers will be able to update their reviews as the game is updated. Reviews will also be much more customizable with regards to its sections. For instance, a Puzzle Game would more than likely not require any feedback in the Battle section. The game creator will be able to tag sections deemed relevant and can propose custom sections. The reviewer can also propose their own sections when writing. Again, the screenshot count has been increased.

Furthermore, feedback will not only be limited to reviews and quick ratings. Project specific polls and surveys will be implemented to allow for further targeted feedback. Project statistics will also be expanded. On top of the standard download stats, CP will record all offsite links, giving users information on where and how users are finding their games. There will also be ways to interact with users who have downloaded the game while logged in.

We also plan on building a contest system. We haven't decided if this system will facilitate the contest voting/entry or simply group the games for quick access. In any case, contest details, entries, and outcomes will be managed and displayed.

Cube has also continued working on his pet project, which I will let him explain in full.

I'd like to reiterate that any comments, concerns, feedback, and feature requests are more than welcome.

Happy New Year!

~IM
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[Gizmog1]

I have to say, this sounds pretty promising. Being able to tell who downloads your games, and thus better understand your audience is a very valuable addition, not to mention maybe we'll finally figure out who keeps downloading some of these things.

It'd be kind of fun if you implemented lists. Certain music websites have this where people can define theirs top 20 favorite songs, artists or albums, or do things like the "Ten Craziest Dance Songs" or "Funniest Music Videos". Given the popularity of the Top 30 poll everytime it comes around, I think we might get a lot of use out of this.

[Cube]

My turn eh? IM talked about new and cool features, well I'm here to talk about games. After all, that's why we're all here right?

First things first. How many of you have noticed that bar under your name in the profiles? Just what IS CL anyway? I've explained a bit of this before, but not in so much detail.

First of all, that bar and the CL number belong to a system called CPS (Castle Point System). This system was created to give a little oomph to CP, to create a fun little mini game for the users, and to have a way to reward our users from contests. The basics have been built into Castle Paradox for some time now, but hasn't ever been fully implemented. This is something we're aiming to have fully released along with the phpBB3 upgrade.

It works like this. As you do more and more stuff on CP, be it from posting, writing reviews, or just whatever, you earn CPs (Castle Points). Kinda like in RPGs, this acts a lot like Experience Points. Get enough CP, and you gain a CL (Castle Level). What's unlike RPGs is that CP and CL also act like money. Part of CPS will contain a shop in which you buy trophies! These range from things like potions, weapons, armor and... Actual trophies. As you can guess, these trophies will effect your stats (You know, HP/MP/STR/VIT/INT/MND, Fire/Earth/Water/Wind resistance). What's interesting is that CL and the stats from trophies are directly connected... So while it sucks to lose a CL, the next time you level up you'll be that much more powerful. Spells and abilities are also tied to trophies. I should point out however, that the amount of trophies you can equip are limited, which is to be expected.

The coolest part about all this though, is how it's tied to contests. Contests are held all the time on CP, but there is rarely a reward. The solution? Make exclusive trophies for the winners of that contest to obtain! When contests are created, those holding it will just need to contact an administrator to have the appropriate trophies created, which the hosts of the contest will then be able to distribute to the winners once they're decided. These trophies will have unique abilities and stats, so you definitely wouldn't wanna miss out. Stuff like this will never show up in the shop!

And so, we got CLs, and CPs, and trophies and stats. What on earth do you DO with them? The logical conclusion is you do battle. But how? Well I'll tell you. CP's Online Graphical Client! GC for short.

What is it? It's a little something IM is programming up. It'll do a lot of cool nifty things. At this time, we're hoping to have it directly connected to the message board so you can use it for PMs, and have it connect to IRC for chat. It's also heavily related to IM's OHR++, which is a OHR client programmed in C++. Both are designed to run on Windows, Linux and Mac OSX (So those of you on Macs can finally play OHR games!). Because of it's relation with the OHR++, it can obviously play OHR games, but because the GC will be online, it'll have direct access to the game list so you can download games and play them instantly.

But the best part about the GC are the original games that'll run on it. We plan to release a bunch of little games for people to play through the GC with other people, such as a mini game that makes use of the CPS system mentioned earlier. Other games will include original card games, for example. Basically, whatever we want. The stats you earn on CP itself will effect many of the games we create. The GC is capable of 3D graphics as well, so you can expect some pretty nifty stuff later on. There is also a major RPG I'm designing for it, although even I have no idea when such a thing will be ready. Probably a long ways off right now. I can tell you one thing though... You'll want to buy a controller for your PC to play the games we'll make for this thing.

So that's the basics of CPS and the GC, the little project IM mentioned that I'm working on. I'd also like to finally add that Castle Points, Castle Levels, and user statistics will be used in various ways throughout the site and we encourage user suggestions on interesting applications of these stats.

I'd also like to bring to light a couple things about CP itself. With the eventual release of all of this, especially with the fact that the GC and the OHR++ are programmed in C++, we want to include more game engines on CP besides just the OHR. And not just engines, but games that are purely programmed as well. We also want to bring in more than just game designers; People who're just here to play games. I personally feel that having actual gamers who're not interested in the development process to be an important part of learning game design. Their opinions on things can help us more finely tune our designs for people who just want to play a good game. In essence, to have regular gamers on the site to deliver games to, you have a "fake market" to test ideas on, to get a broader view on how to design your games besides technical views. They get free games to play, we (admins and users alike) get more casual opinions.

So, with the things IM mentioned along with what I just posted, this is our vision. This is the direction we hope to take CP into the future. But a site is nothing without it's users, so we ask for constructive opinions and criticism on all of this as we develop it all. All we want is to create an environment that's fun, for both gamer and designer/developer alike.

[Pepsi Ranger]

I think steering away from OHR exclusivity is a smart move. I was just thinking the other day about how disheartening it can be to spend a year or longer on a game that only a handful of people will play. Opening this up to other communities (or rather, inviting players of other communities to participate in ours) can increase traffic, an thus, exposure to yearlong endeavors.

Turning this site into a candy market will help, too.

About suggestions:

I think this was requested long ago and never implemented, but worth mentioning again now that you're redoing the site. We need a comments section in both the game list and in reviews.

Right now we have a ratings system for games. And to be honest, I don't see how this helps. Numbers only go so far when there's nothing supporting them. Sites like Amazon and IMDB go a step beyond in that users can make brief comments about the content, either as a review or as an anticipatory remark, and still give the product a certain number of stars to rate its quality. This would be a helpful addition from a promotional point of view (and may actually prove effective once we get community involvement past the six usual vocal members). It would also enhance a designer's knowledge on what works and what doesn't.

For reviews, I'd still like a point-counterpoint option available. The Review Wars thread is a nice substitute, granted, but is really quite past its time. Games need their own discussion threads (even if they're limited to short comments). An option like this will give readers a chance to add to a reviewer's comments, an author to correct a reviewer's mistakes, and open up a forum for discussions on improvement. Again, this assumes that the community would use it (and as of right now it seems it wouldn't), but if other communities branch in, this would be a welcome addition.

Everything else looks great so far. Don't stop.
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Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

[Camdog]

All of this sounds totally awesome. Could you post some technical details about GC? Is it Java? Flash? Or is it some kind of standalone thing? Also, how far along is OHR++?

As far as other site plans go, what exactly prevents CP from being non-OHR exclusive right now? Theoretically I could upload anything to the game list now, right? Is it just a matter of the current audience? And what are your plans for bringing in gamers, anyway?

Sorry to inundate you with so many questions, but this thread got me excited. You guys rock!

[TMC]

Horray! I didn't release how long this site overhaul would take though; I got the impression it was already significantly underway. But switching to phpbb3 should mean that post searching is fixed, right?

[Cube]

[TMC]

[LongeBane]

Well opening this up and maintaining a larger community means you're going to have to upgrade the server. I mean it'd be nice to have faster than dialup server speeds.

[Ronin Catholic]

Remember you were talking about maybe adding an age appropriateness section to games? A way of saying what games would be suitable for what audiences?

I thought that was a good idea. I was going to offer to be the guy to go through all the back catalogue of games and review them solely on their age appropriateness. But then my computer froze up and by the time I got back it the thread was already a month inactive. And as we all know it's wrong to post on a thread that's been dead for more than two weeks.

Think about it; if there was any one guy that this would be suited for, wouldn't you think it was me?
_________________
"I didn't start the flame war;
I don't know what you thought here
'Twas that way when I got here"

"I didn't start the flame war;
I can't understand a word you're saying
nor the game you're playing~"

[The Wobbler]

[no_shot]

CP should do what LJ has done, and implement adult content flags for games...or has that been done already?
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Play Horrible Fantasy NOW!

[LongeBane]

A flag seems most viable. A rating system would take too much time to etch out the flaws and require a committee to maintain it, so it's all too much work for such a small scale community. Not to forget to mention all the drama that would ensue from authors disappointed by the rating their game got.

[Gizmog1]

Theoretically we could make it like the current 1-5 ratings are now. Everyone could have a vote in how offensive the game they just played was, and the script could average it into a happy round figure.

There could even be a smiley, so that people who don't read English will know what they're getting themselves into! Maybe we could have a really scary picture pop up, to keep any little kids from downloading it.