In App Purchases When to do, when to don't

I’m curious as is it possible to include something like “paid expansion” to a published Hosted Games. Are there any specific procedures to do that? Any guidelines or advice?

You mean like ZEX? Just keep writing, is the short version.

I wouldn’t be averse to writing IAP content for MetaHuman. The game came out a while back now, so I’m looking at it with fondness, rather than recalling with horror the amount of work involved… And, for sure, I think there’s space to put in new content that could blend in fairly seamlessly (new Enhancements, new team members to recruit…).

That said, I’m conscious that I’m falling behind schedule with the game I’m currently writing for CoG, so that should probably be my priority…

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As an author whose work is in episode format and involves cases. I’d think it would be ripping off my fan base if I charged for cases. Unless it added significantly to the word count.

I’d be more inclined to charge for a what if scenario that significantly altered the game. Using UnNatural as an example “what if… The MC wasn’t an Azure and they actually get turned by the unnatural that kills their family.”

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What If situations could do well as DLC for games, like being a new teacher in Psy High with powers rather than a student, or secretly being a Werewolf from the start in Congresswolf, or actually playing as your twin in Hero Unmasked and seeing things from the other perspective.

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It seems to me that such drastic changes would warrant entirely new stories rather than IAPs. :stuck_out_tongue:

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I’ve thought about the same ideas, and how could they be implemented to be fun. For example a DLC story as a “filler” while you are waiting for a sequel. However, I currently see this done in two ways.

  1. Entirely new game, but of course, that would cost money on each platform published on.
  2. Coding it to be playable after the main game (I don’t think additional patches cost money, correct me if I’m wrong).

I like the second option more, but I’ve never actually finished the “filler” story I started. Mainly because I can’t stop expanding the world with new ideas, also it would take time away from main WIPs. So my filler story also became a WIP put on the shelf :slight_smile:

I don’t get it either but it is what it is.

Quick question:
Would it be possible to have a sub_scene be purchasable?

As in
Hey, here’s this huge as bonus thing, that you can buy as IAP, you can reach it from the stats screen but only if you bought it.
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*label navigation_menu
*choice
     *if (stat_page != 0) #View Main Stats.
        *set stat_page 0
        *goto main
     *if ((stat_page != 1) and (thing_purchased)) #View the thing you bought
       *set stat_page 1
       *goto iapthing
(...)
*label iapthing
*gosub_scene iapthing
*set stat_page 0
*goto main
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Do you mean have an additional option in a menu on the stat screen?

Also i know the code you posted was an example but it’d probably crash as the moment you entered the stat screen for the first time stat_page would be 0 which fails both checks for the option so they wouldn’t be a choice to pick.

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The (…) in the code is meant to represent other options in the navigation. I should have clarified.

And i meant have a sub_scene get unlocked.

Like scenelists look like this in the final version

*scenelist (or what the command was)
   startup
   1_sceneone
   2_scenetwo
   3_scenethree
   $4_scenefour
 Etc

The $ indicating that a scene is part of the full gsme that needs purchase.

I wondered if the following would be possible

*scenelist
 1one
 2two
 3three
 $4four
 $5five
 $6six
 $7seven
 $epilogue
 sub_thing1
 sub_thing2
 $iap_thing
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I can’t see why it wouldn’t be possible the code CoG added to UnNatural has checks for purchased to continue so a check for the option should be similar?

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The purchased variable isn’t much the problem.
I’m talking about the sub_scene. Would that work?

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I don’t think a sub scene would work as I’m sure leaving the stat screen and coming back to it via code didn’t work properly as it did something to cause errors iirc

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I mean if making a sub_scene an IAP would work.
Also leaving the statsscreen for a subscene works fine in test runs. They prolly fixed that.

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I think I fall in with most concerning being wary about IAPs that function as DLC necessary to finish the plot line (I say DLC here to exclude other cases like episodes or games in a series).

Another related thing that concerns me is that IAPs/DLC can often encourage the releasing of unfinished or unpolished products. Customers end up buying the product only to need the DLC to make the experience complete.

This all being said, I would not mind IAPs aimed at adding storyline missions or characters. In fact, I would enjoy additional content for standalone games where said content can add to the world and boost replayability. I’m a little more conflicted concerning DLC for games in a series, especially if things in the DLC will have impacts later in the game or echoes in sequels. This is because I often have several set playthroughs built to carry over into sequels. As such, DLC of that nature would require replays of playthroughs I’ve already saved due to the nature of the save system.

Some games I’ve played have DLC that is more like a branch as opposed to the trunk of the story, have tie ins built in that let the player opt into them. I think maybe at the title menu, an option to play through DLC using a player save could possibly circumvent that complaint, if the DLC was in the periphery of the main storyline. However, I’ve read in of the ZESH forums that DLC cannot be released when it tacks things on past the ending already in place (possibly to prevent issues touched on about the releasing of an incomplete game).

This kind of content aside, I’m more than fine with bells and whistles like author commentary, art, music, and guide systems.

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From what little I understand, a gosub file could conceivably pop open a download link to an external page (like a purchase link) in a new_window because it’s basically an HTML callout. But that would be a setup, custom written by the publisher - making it a publisher question.

I asked the same question myself and that’s the understanding I got from someone.