PaperDragon
Jun 06, 2016
Well that won't happen as you know, but yes the next time I try a card game I'll use a fantasy setting 
Just the idea, but why don't you make plot for your next card game about card battles like Yu-Gi-Oh style. And you don't nececerely have to give up fantasy setting, you could go something along the lines "in ancient times monsters lived in this world but fearing their powers human mages trapped them in cards, for long times it was peaceful but then mages who now call themself summoners find a way to use power hidden in cards and wars started again with summoners at front lines" it would probably be first battle card game story in fantasy setting if you did that.
Love this idea! I love the whole idea of summoning creatures to fight for/alongside you and I definitely think that if you make the card game mechanics more a part of the story, it would be better received. Though I already thought the card game was really fun, it did seem a little strange. Also, maybe take a look at Magic: The Gathering card game because I really like the way it works, too.
jack1974
Jun 06, 2016
Well in practice in Undead Lily you summon creatures to fight alongside you, just not in the card format but more a RPG (each creature should have skills, etc). Anyway I'll make some design/tests this Summer about that game
Fiogan
Jun 12, 2016
I love this game. I'm not quite done yet, although I've been playing for hours - which is amazing; it's a huge game. So I'll post again with a review when I've finished properly.
I am really sorry to hear it hasn't done as well as the other WW games. I love it because of its differences, although apparently they've negatively impacted its success. That's a shame...I appreciate the more realistic style art, the card game aspect, the sci-fi genre. Besides, it's a very lengthy and complex VN in its own.
The art style reminds me a little bit of MoaCube's "Solstice", so maybe somewhere out there, a market exists for varying art styles. I hope so.
I do see that my opinion is not the common one, but this may well be my favourite game from WW so far and I've played nearly all of them. So I just wanted to share my love for the game. I'm partway through playing with one of the siblings - then I plan to go right through with the other. Vive la Stronghold. (:
jack1974
Jun 12, 2016
Thanks
I have to say that while it didn't do as well as other games, I was perhaps too quickly to judge the results. Lots of things changed since I released my last game (SOTW) back in 2014. There's a flood of games and even talking with other top-indies, they ALL had much lower results than in the past. So, I'm more disappointed because I thought this game was really good, than it did do badly. It did OK, but I had much higher expectations, so that's why in the early days I seemed disappointed. Now thinking about it, I'm moderately happy about the results (I still wouldn't reuse the same art though, since that one was too much criticized).
The good news is that the same writer is working on Love Bites and if all goes well, she'll also help me write PS2 which seems is a game that many people are eagerly awaiting
Fiogan
Jun 12, 2016
The good news is that the same writer is working on Love Bites and if all goes well, she'll also help me write PS2
That's fantastic. I love the complexity and personality of the writing - both because of the plot plus all the subplots, and because of the distinctive characters. I'm looking forward to Love Bites and PS2 also.
I wonder if part of PS:CD's slowness catching on might have been the way it was advertised, as well? "Card Game (with huge VN)" instead of "Huge VN (with strategic card games!)". There are a few VN's out there which have card games, or similar mechanics, that seem to be doing all right and they're not the massively complex 200,000-word marvel that is PS:CD.
Anyway, I will go back to happily playing now. Thanks for another marvellous title. (:
jack1974
Jul 15, 2016
Just quoting an user who made a comment in my blog since probably few people read it:
Second, from what i read in the forums & even in your previous news posts, i seem to get the impression you are putting way too much weight on the art being the main reason the game did not sell. I would like to say that while i own almost all Winter Wolves games/VNs on Steam, what made me not buy Colonial Defense was the fact it was advertised as a Card game.
I remember the first time i took a look at its store page, my initial reaction was “Oh, so this is like a “Planet Stronghold Tactics” but with a card game…”
Also At the time of its release, that was also the general consensus that i got from both VN Steam groups & fuwanovel forums, everyone told me that the game was too focused on being a card game.
While now i know thats not true, that was the reason that made me & 2 other friends i know of to not buy the game. While people saying the art was weird did exist in all of those groups/forums, the predominant argument for shying people away from the game was the card game focus (or at least it seemed so).
So that was interesting to me. I really think that if I make future card games, I'll keep the VN part to a minimum. It really seems that RPG gameplay works better when combined with VN
Franka
Jul 15, 2016
I suppose it's easy to confuse people when you mix different gameplay genres. However, it's also one of the few ways to possibly hit an untapped niche. Too bad that's not what happened.
I'd be fine with a different art style. I'd also be fine with less VN, just a token story and more card play.
Still the best game you ever made! (Subjectively speaking, obviously.)
jack1974
Jul 15, 2016
Yes was worth a try. After all even Loren was an experiment, mixing VN with RPG. So sometimes experimenting works
pahldus
Jul 15, 2016
And while I am partial to the Loren VN/RPG style, I do appreciate that you are willing to take some risks. It is all too common these days for people to just put out more of the same crap and thus innovation has really stagnated of late in the video game industry.
jack1974
Jul 16, 2016
Well in indie games there have been a lot of interesting innovations in recent years. In AAA... yes not much
I'll try again to mix but next time for sure I'll do something smaller, because is better when you do something new!
jack1974
Jul 18, 2016
Heh, fun thing: PSCD on mobile is outselling C14 Dating by 4 times! And I thought that mobile would do very badly because the card game plays slowly, and in general mobile=otome games.
Every day you learn something new. Or maybe you just realize how a bit random everything is! Of course they're super small amounts but everything helps and was a nice surprise
Rebly82
Jul 18, 2016
Recently, I've begun to play my bought copy of PSCD, and I quite like it so far. A nice job done overall.
Franka
Jul 19, 2016
Heh, fun thing: PSCD on mobile is outselling C14 Dating by 4 times! And I thought that mobile would do very badly because the card game plays slowly, and in general mobile=otome games.
I'm not that surprised. There are a lot of card games to be found exclusively on mobile, it's not a strange platform to find those on. Also the much bemoaned art style is probably easier on the eye on a smaller screen.
I'm more surprised that people will meet the price tag, because most of those card games are free to play or play for a pittance.
jack1974
Jul 19, 2016
I'm more surprised that people will meet the price tag, because most of those card games are free to play or play for a pittance.
Well I always use fixed prices in my mobile games. Initially people whined, then they realized that overall are CHEAPER than many others from the competition. I don't know the names (Voltage I think?) since I don't really focus on mobile, but I remember an user once emailing me to thank me, saying that for game XYZ had to pay $5 each guy route, so in the end paid over $25, while my game with same amount was $10 all upfront
Regarding card games for sure I'd be making MUCH more if I could do something F2P like Hearthstone, but... no way. Too complex to mantain (server/client architecture, anti-cheat, bla bla, would need a full team of people).
Milana Walters
Jul 30, 2016
I already commented on Lemmasoft, but since i have really loved the game, its no harm to do it twice
The story is very heavy and its wonderful, i have played all night yesterday and still not close to finishing it
All the characters are very interesting, and i cant wait to romance them all...separately ofc hehe)
The art is very different from what you see in usual VNs, but i still really like it, anime style art can really get tiresome. But i agree, the male face seems a bit weird but hes still a cutie
and the angry and laughing expressions seem strange, to put it mildly) But to say it all, the artist still have done a very good job,and with more practice they can get better.
I hope there is more to this game, sequels or DLCs.
Milana Walters
Jul 30, 2016
i already commented on Lemmasoft and Steam, but since i really love the game, no harm doing it one more time
The game is heavily story-based and its wonderfull! I love the story,the characters and cant wait to romance them all...separately ofc:D
The art is very different from what you see in usual VNs, but i still really like it, sometimes you need a breather from anime style lol.The male face is a bit weird though, but hes still a cutie and his face looks better in CGs( thats to say i would have loved there to be more CGs in this game). And the laughing and angry expressions are strange, but i got used to them
Saying it all, i still think the artist have done a very good job, and after more practice they can do even better.
I hope theres more coming to this game, i wouldnt mind playing a sequel with the same diverse romance options
jack1974
Jul 30, 2016
Sorry all new users posts need to be manually approved by me
The same writer should work on the LONG WAITED Planet Stronghold sequel (the RPG) so while the art will be like the first game, at least the writer will be the same as this game
Milana Walters
Jul 30, 2016
Sorry all new users posts need to be manually approved by me
The same writer should work on the LONG WAITED Planet Stronghold sequel (the RPG) so while the art will be like the first game, at least the writer will be the same as this game
Ooh, i was a bt confused so i submitted my comment twice:D And it seems i cant delete one...
Hmm the first game doesnt really interest me, since it seems it has only 1 s/s option for both genders? And its RPG, i like VNs myself
But i wonder if the sequel will feature characters from colonial defense? or at least mention them? And what about romance options?
Milana Walters
Jul 30, 2016
I will probably add a VN Mode to this game as well. About your other question: http://www.winterwolves.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=2760
oh that would be great, i'm a casual player, dont like to put too much of an effort in the game
the second game seems to have 2 s/s options, i prefer equal choices, but its still better than 1 hehe, and the art is beautiful. I wonder if those games are heavy in story too, then i might gave in and buy them too)
and about colonial defense characters? i really would like at least a mention of them, i really loved them.
