To date this project has not generated a huge amount of interest, and I suspect that it is because the Stargate TCG is not as well knows as something like Magic The Gathering, and therefore it does not have such a huge fan base. It is however a great game and it is very easy to pick up. The easiest way to learn it is to download the game client from Sony and play the tutorial.As can be seen from the comments below it would appear that the Stargate TCG community is just not ready for a free game client yet.
EliteAnubisGuard - Thu Apr 03, 2008
Interesting notion. I think it'd be really handy. Especially when the game goes down which given SOE/CI's concern for the game seems to be the direction they're heading.
But until then I have concerns for you. I just don't wanna see you're ass getting sued.
Interesting notion. I think it'd be really handy. Especially when the game goes down which given SOE/CI's concern for the game seems to be the direction they're heading.
But until then I have concerns for you. I just don't wanna see you're ass getting sued.
DustMan - Thu Apr 03, 2008
I agree with EAG; you are treading on dangerous ground here.
It's one thing to play with programming a version of the game, and even getting your friends on board to play it toegther. It's a whole 'nother thing to promote and release a product designed to replace Sony's program. MTG can afford to allow these projects because they have such a large player base that leeching a few off doesn't really hurt WotC. Stargate TCG, though, is struggling, and can't afford to allow a competing product to steal customers.
I would suggest that, for now, you don't release anything online. Continue working on it, though, and if SOE's servers ever get shut down, wait a bit and then release it. The legal threat is decreased much more if Sony isn't actively losing money from your project. There is still a risk, though, so be careful.
(Also, copying Sony's layout actually makes it worse. At least make it visually different than Sony's rather than aping what came before).
I agree with EAG; you are treading on dangerous ground here.
It's one thing to play with programming a version of the game, and even getting your friends on board to play it toegther. It's a whole 'nother thing to promote and release a product designed to replace Sony's program. MTG can afford to allow these projects because they have such a large player base that leeching a few off doesn't really hurt WotC. Stargate TCG, though, is struggling, and can't afford to allow a competing product to steal customers.
I would suggest that, for now, you don't release anything online. Continue working on it, though, and if SOE's servers ever get shut down, wait a bit and then release it. The legal threat is decreased much more if Sony isn't actively losing money from your project. There is still a risk, though, so be careful.
(Also, copying Sony's layout actually makes it worse. At least make it visually different than Sony's rather than aping what came before).
The “Sony will sue your pants off for this” argument is not really news to me, in the TCG scene we have seen many MTG projects receiving cease and desist letters, and once my efforts produce a playable game I expect nothing less from Sony Online Entertainment. The fact that the Stargate TCG is struggling is also not surprising to me (despite the fact that it is a great game). I did a very quick “I am feeling lucky” search and sentiments like these help explain the situation:
DrNate: ...Hm. Looks pretty Star Trek CCG-ish. Still, if I had a job, I might try it out (Teal'c starter!) but random product is not my friend...
suedenim: What are the prices of the virtual cards? If they're at a significant discount from the "real" ones, I might give it a spin....
Mr. Sanity: Sadly, it's 100% MSRP. That's what keeps me from buying in. I did that for a couple years with Magic Online, but there could at least justify it with the *huge* user base. A number of other non-mainstream CCG/CMG games at least had the decency to have a lower price as a lower barrier to entry for folks.
<rant>
For these Worlds Apart/Decipher/Sony games, their new MSRP pricing has pushed me out of the buying pool. It's kind of a chicken & egg problem from what I can see. They ask a premium price, but don't have the opponent userbase to justify it. I mean, why plunk down $50 to play the same 6-10 people day after day? When I play a CCG, my goal is to face novel decks & challenges, not to face Bob's Favorite Deck 1.02 for the third time in a night.
</rant>
suedenim: What are the prices of the virtual cards? If they're at a significant discount from the "real" ones, I might give it a spin....
Mr. Sanity: Sadly, it's 100% MSRP. That's what keeps me from buying in. I did that for a couple years with Magic Online, but there could at least justify it with the *huge* user base. A number of other non-mainstream CCG/CMG games at least had the decency to have a lower price as a lower barrier to entry for folks.
<rant>
For these Worlds Apart/Decipher/Sony games, their new MSRP pricing has pushed me out of the buying pool. It's kind of a chicken & egg problem from what I can see. They ask a premium price, but don't have the opponent userbase to justify it. I mean, why plunk down $50 to play the same 6-10 people day after day? When I play a CCG, my goal is to face novel decks & challenges, not to face Bob's Favorite Deck 1.02 for the third time in a night.
</rant>
Finally for “aping what came before” I am guilty as charged. My mission here is to get a playable user interface completed as soon as possible so I can start on the real interesting stuff namely rules enforcement.
If you have a radically cool idea for the user interface please let me know, in the mean time I will not be deterred and will cary on with development ;-)
8 comments:
Hey, EAG from Stargatetcg.com here. Don't get me wrong, I really wanna see your project take off! I buy the physical version in bulk so I can't afford to play the Online version - I've only got a couple of Starters and some boosters - so I'd really like to see this get far so I can play people for free!
I really do wanna see it happen. I just don't think it's an opportune time to release such a program to the masses. The Online version is struggling as it is and with bugger all support from SOE or CI, that Online fanbase is all that's keeping it alive.
Thank you for your comment EAG, I am in total agreement with you in that I also do not want the SOE/Ci Online version to go down, or perhaps the whole TCG just becoming a fond memory with no new sets being released.
A full working game from me implementing all card sets and enforces all rules is going to take quite some time still, so on the short term I am not going to steal any online players.
What I do however hope for is that this blog, and the development I am doing, will raise more interest in the Stargate Trading Card Game and attract many more players. Hopefully once there are more players we will get more "attention", I mean, when will Rise of the Ori ever come out???
In an ideal world by the time I get rules enforcement going there will be plenty of people playing the official game already and I will struggle trying to keep up new sets that Sony/Ci release.
In an alternate reality in which Sony gives up on the game hopefully my efforts here will keep it alive, we as the community can then create "dream cards" that I will implement to keep things fresh...
You said "To date this project has not generated a huge amount of interest, and I suspect that it is because the Stargate TCG is not as well knows as something like Magic The Gathering"
Starting out the interest in my project MTG Forge was like 2 downloads a day, if that. The key was to go on some forums and promote your program. Some forums don't like blatant advertising, so you can just briefly mention your program or have it part of your sig.
Online trading card games are a tough sell despite the success of Magic Online. The Marvel VS online trading card game now lets all users have access to all of the cards and supposedly no new updates are coming out for it.
Totally random but are you a fan of Halo, McKay?
Once I get my XBOX 360 going again, yesss! ;-)
You got MSN or anything?
You can contact me directly by sending an email to rdn.mckay@gmail,com.
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