First, thanks for taking the time to reply. For a developer, this might seem a bit offensive "I put XX hours into this thing and you're asking WHY to play at all!?"
Resistor, yes I have only played the Elite version. So I've contributed my share of $$
Cory,
If I may provide some food for thought. I was the Technical Editor (content writer as well) for a book called "Game On"--essentially, the book dealt with the psychology of gaming and what makes people pay, play, and continue to play (and further how businesses can utilize that understanding to achieve objectives within their contexts). It asked "why the heck do people play Farmville? Or World of Warcraft (etc) and what's the formula to repeating this success?"--the author of this book created his own company and is the creator of the official Game of Thrones app and also now Star Trek. They are wildly successful (reached #1 on Facebook at some point, from scratch, with his first app).
My specialty, apart from technical editing, is that of understanding and applying the psychology of motivation--which boils down to getting people hooked, and maintaining interest. This applies to not just games, but general business practices. (since it's a human aspect, not just for gamers)
First--I would beyond highly recommend getting this book and reading it. It's very easy reading, and ridiculously interesting (it really is). As you are a developer, I think it would change how you see your game entirely.
On the game itself: I wasn't sure if the game was missing some key elements, or that I was missing some key elements. Thanks for clarifying. "sandbox" essentially is 'freedom' and purpose is self-generated.
So what you have is a very well framed game--the mechanics and general systems are developed (the technical elements are pretty well covered) but the psychological elements are not.
First to consider, is that gamers need purpose. Humans need purpose in their lives--and gamers, a subset of the population, also need purpose within the context of what they're doing (games). Egoically, people need a certain level of gratification for the time they've invested.
Many games represent this with leveling systems--Age of Pirates has a leveling system. It's a good start. It provides people with an intermittent reward to indicate egoic achievement (you feel satisfied when you 'level'). It's a measurable, comparative objective in which people can position themselves above, or below other people playing. The stratification that levels provide allows for player 'distinction', and that distinction is fundamental to the psychology of 'individuation' and 'separation' (important aspects of developing ones sense of self).
Leveling systems is a subset of a general 'reward system'---(rewards don't have to be leveling, but most commonly are). And a well engineered game can make that system incredibly attractive--or completely not.
And so, I find myself with your game and I ask myself why to keep playing? I'm seeing that, essentially, while the structure of the game (and mechanics) is fairly sound--the egoic component is in need of some work. (you guys are developers, not psychologists, so this is to be expected).
You said "for fun..and to explore the game." Typically, in a game )--I'm an explorer. I love exploring.
I can say that I love exploring because it's fun! right? Sort of. Unfortunately now that I understand how the brain works, it sounds a bit lamer. I explore (and you explore, and so does everyone else) because of a dopamine reaction within the brain. It's a hormone in the brain that is released upon the anticipation of a possible reward.
Why this is relevant is because it's the same hormone that creates addiction in cases such as gambling. If there is a potential for success or reward---our imaginations can completely disregard the practicality or logic of it (such as the notion of numeric streaks or luck)--because dopamine disengages a lot of the logical receptors of our brains. Intermittent reinforcement is the key to addiction (for good or bad).
As you or I explore, we explore because of dopamine. It's the potential of something new--learning something key, finding treasure, or unique encounters. That's why we explore. It's all about reward potential.
So, in your game---how have you addressed that psychological desire? What have you enabled to create the conditions that would generate a dopamine reaction during exploration? You have several.
First--you have First Mates. This is very good--this is the only reason I actually went exploring beyond what was necessary for me. In one instance, I had to chase a first mate (even better, alluring).
Second: you have some pirate ships to chase down.
Third: the Kraken
Fourth: New towns can offer some possible trade routes.
So! In the end, is this enough? Not even close. This needs to be addressed. If you want people to explore and create further longevity for the game, there needs to be forms of intermittent reinforcement for those exploring. That intermittent reinforcement will create a dopamine reaction. Rare rewards are the MOST rewarding!
Some quick examples: unique ship upgrades only found at certain cities. Or unique ship upgrades (or opportunities) that exist only at certain remote islands. The pursuit of those objectives is egoically satisfying and allows for more time engagement.
I don't want to re-write the book on this though
So I'll stop here, addressing the topic of 'exploration'.
In the end, all reward systems in the game need to meet the psychological requirements of the person playing in order to have success. In Age of Pirates, this is an aspect that needs quite a bit of work
--and that's why I ask this question to begin with. "Why do I keep playing?"---and as developers, addressing this is absolutely essential to your success.
If you REALLY want to dive into making this game a massive success--I'm available for consulting.
-Ethan
ekidhardt@gmail.com
