Came here as promised 😄 Pixelkiln already gave you a much deeper technical file analysis than I could, so I won't repeat that. His points about consistent canvas sizing, padding and especially the thumbnail are definitely worth looking at.

From my perspective as someone actually building a UI-heavy game, I think the biggest question is consistency as the pack grows.

The four characters work as a starter set, but if you're planning 32 teams, I would establish a very strict template now: same canvas size, same character scale, same ground line, same amount of empty space around every character, and ideally the same visual treatment. Then a developer should be able to swap Portugal for Brazil or any future team without touching their UI layout at all.

I also agree strongly with the thumbnail point. You're selling an avatar pack, but the avatars aren't currently the strongest thing people see when browsing. I'd make 3–4 characters large and immediately readable in the cover. Let the product explain itself before somebody even reads the title.

One more thing from my own recent experience: because you disclose that these are AI-assisted and hand-cleaned, I would make the hand-cleaning and consistency part of the value proposition rather than trying to hide the AI origin. I've received criticism about AI artwork in my own project too, and I've learned that consistency, usability and transparency matter a lot.

Overall I wouldn't rush into producing all 32 teams yet. Fix the technical issues Pixelkiln found, establish one strict production template, improve the store presentation, then make maybe 2–4 more teams using that exact pipeline. If those work without manual adjustment in a real UI, then scale it.

You asked for harsh feedback, so there it is 😄 But I think the concept itself absolutely has a use case.

Haha, deal! 😄 And thank you — I really appreciate that.

I'm actually glad you posted it. I remember our conversation about the 2D UI/avatar assets, so I'll definitely look for your post in the Get Feedback section and give you my genuine opinion.

And don't worry, I'll be honest 😂 If I see something I'd change, I'll tell you exactly what and why.

As for #1... I'm coming for it. I just need to stop coding long enough to actually play my own game first. 😂

Thank you, seriously! That means a lot.

That’s exactly the direction I’m trying to take Gilded Dominion. I don’t want it to feel like you’re just optimizing numbers alone forever — I want those numbers to eventually create rivalries, alliances, negotiations, reputation and real relationships between players.

Lately I’ve basically chosen to work endlessly just because I want so badly to see this project become a real living world. I know overworking isn’t a good thing 😅, but I’ve become so invested in Gilded Dominion that I just can’t bring myself to slow down yet.

Especially now that there are already a few players who have genuinely become important to me and to the development of the game. Seeing them play, experiment and come back with ideas gives me even more motivation.

One of them has actually overtaken me in the rankings already 😂 I’ve been so busy writing code that I haven’t had time to play my own game!

But don’t worry… I have plans for him. 😅 Once I finish this last update, I’m taking a little break from development and coming for my rank back. 😂

Really appreciate you following the development and watching Gilded Dominion grow with us.

Yesterday I released a major social update for Gilded Dominion.

Gilded Dominion is a persistent browser-based economic RPG set in an alternate version of Reconstruction-era America. The long-term vision has always been bigger than simply earning money and climbing through social ranks. I want players to build identities, relationships, rivalries and eventually communities inside the same living economy.

This update is an important step toward that goal.

What’s new

Player Profiles have become the center of the social experience. Players can now:

• Publish posts directly from their profiles
• View posts on other Public Profiles
• Add and manage friends from the profile page
• Like or unlike posts through clear controls
• Join compact comment discussions
• Open a private conversation directly through the MESSAGE button

The messaging system has also been reorganized into one unified inbox. Conversations with other players, Samuel Reed and the Development Team now appear together and are ordered by their latest activity.

I also corrected several navigation and interface problems. The main header, Discord access and navigation now remain stable while moving through profiles and other social pages.

Why this update matters

Gilded Dominion is designed around multiple characters, businesses, property, production and a player-driven economy. But systems alone do not create a persistent world—the players do.

Profiles, friendships, posts and private conversations create the foundation for future alliances, business negotiations, political discussions, rivalries and community events.

The game is still in ALPHA, and many planned systems are not implemented yet. I am building it carefully, testing each major update with real players and using their feedback to decide what needs improvement next.

The update is now live and passed 1,215 automated tests with zero failures.

Play the Alpha: https://gildeddominion.com

Join our Discord and help shape development: https://discord.gg/BZ3Vu5K9GE

I’m dealing with the same challenge right now with Gilded Dominion, my browser-based economy and strategy game.

We’ve tried YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Discord and reaching out to creators. Getting views isn’t necessarily the hardest part — turning those views into actual players is.

I have to give itch.io credit though. So far, it has been one of the few places that has actually brought us real traffic and testers, which is incredibly valuable for a game still in Alpha.

I’m following this discussion too. Hopefully we can all learn a few things from each other!

I’m honestly glad you started this topic because we’re dealing with almost exactly the same problem.

I’m currently building Gilded Dominion, a persistent browser-based economy and strategy game, and one of the hardest parts hasn’t been building the game — it’s figuring out how to actually get it in front of the right people.

We’ve experimented with YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Discord communities, reaching out to content creators, and a few other places. You can get views surprisingly easily. Getting someone to actually stop, try the game, and stick around is a completely different story.

One thing I really want to give itch.io credit for, though: it has genuinely sent us players.

For a small indie project still in Alpha, that has been extremely encouraging. People here actually browse for unusual indie games, click through, test things, and sometimes give really useful feedback. That’s much more valuable to us right now than thousands of random social-media impressions.

And honestly, that’s partly why I’m replying here. I think small developers like us should support each other instead of everyone trying to solve the exact same marketing problem alone.

I’ll definitely be following this thread and trying some of the suggestions people post here. I’m especially curious whether other developers have found a good way to turn that first bit of traffic into an actual small community of returning players.

And if anyone happens to come across Gilded Dominion here on itch.io, feedback is always welcome. It’s still Alpha, so criticism is genuinely useful to us.

Good luck with your game. You’re definitely not the only developer fighting this battle. :)

DONE !! 

Major First-Day Progression Update Is Now Live

Today we released one of the most important Gilded Dominion ALPHA updates so far.

Early player feedback showed us that the game became too slow and passive after the first few minutes. We listened and rebuilt the opening progression.

What changed?

• Laborer → Citizen now takes approximately 3–5 minutes.
• Citizen → Skilled Worker can be completed in a few active hours.
• Civic registration now takes 1 minute.
• General Studies levels 1–10 now take 2 hours in total.
• The first house can be constructed in 25 minutes after its requirements and materials are ready.
• Gardening now ranges from approximately 30 minutes to 12 hours.
• Samuel Reed now provides clearer instructions and additional objectives when an account first reaches Citizen and Skilled Worker.
• A new Journey panel shows the current objective, destination and next reward.

Progression beyond Skilled Worker is temporarily paused while we develop the next social ranks, professions, businesses and political systems. Existing higher-ranked characters keep their status.

Existing-player reward

Eligible players who joined before this update receive:

• 2 GOLD
• 20 Household Provisions

Open Messages, find the Development Team letter and claim the reward.

All previous sessions were closed during deployment, so returning players must sign in again.

Thank you to everyone who tested the game and gave honest feedback. This update exists because you helped us understand where the experience needed to improve.

Play now: https://gildeddominion.com Join Discord: https://discord.gg/BZ3Vu5K9GE

Hey! I tried CATCULATED DEBT and ran into a small issue. I clicked Skip Tutorial, but right after that this tutorial popup appeared and I couldn’t get rid of it.

I tried clicking the tiles and different parts of the screen, but I couldn’t continue playing. So it looks like skipping the tutorial may be triggering this bug.

Just wanted to let you know! 🙂

Hey! I tried to test your game. The link in your post took me to the itch.io homepage, so I found the game through your profile instead.

When I tried to download it, itch.io showed me a quarantine/security warning. I stopped there because I generally don’t download files when a platform gives me a warning like this.

If your goal is to get more people to playtest and give you feedback, I’d really recommend making the game playable directly in the browser on itch.io if possible. I think many testers will be much more comfortable clicking Play and trying it immediately instead of downloading and installing a file.

Just wanted to let you know because this could be stopping people from testing your game. Good luck with the project! 🙂

Hey! I gave Thronestead a try. I really like the ambition behind building a browser-based nation MMO — there are a lot of systems here and I can imagine how much work went into putting everything together.

I’m working on a browser game myself, so I know how difficult projects like this can become once all the systems start connecting 😄

Keep going with it and good luck with the development! I’ll be interested to see how it evolves.

Hey! I checked out your project and I just wanted to say that I really like what you're building. It looks like a very nice project and I can see a lot of potential in it. Keep going, and I genuinely wish you the best of luck with the development! 🙂

Thank you, this is exactly the kind of first-impression feedback I need.

The email verification flow definitely needs to be clearer, and redirecting back to Sign Up after verification is something I’ll fix.

I’m also already working on the onboarding problem. The goal is to guide a new player through the first character and first job without overwhelming them.

I really like the animation idea too. I don’t want to remove all waiting because time is an important part of the economy, but I absolutely need to make that waiting feel more like part of a game and less like staring at a timer.

Thanks — feedback from the first 5 minutes is especially valuable right now.

Gilded Dominion — Major Backend Optimization

Yesterday I deployed a major performance optimization for Gilded Dominion’s ALPHA.

The update reduces unnecessary PostgreSQL data transfers and improves background polling. Previously, frequently refreshed pages could repeatedly read more historical data than necessary, especially as player accounts grew.

The new system includes:

• Estimated PostgreSQL data reduction of 93–96% for smaller accounts
• Up to 99.97–99.98% reduction for accounts with larger histories
• Polling stops when the browser tab is hidden
• Page-specific polling stops after leaving that section
• Duplicate and overlapping requests are prevented
• Messages no longer download full conversations while closed
• Marketplace history now uses pagination
• Expired sessions share one token refresh

The update passed 85 targeted tests and 50 native PostgreSQL tests before deployment. ALPHA testing confirmed that login, Events, Messages, Social Status, Employment, Education, Real Estate, Gardening, Livestock and Marketplace still work correctly.

No player balances, inventories or historical records were manually changed, and no database migration was needed.

The optimization is now live. Local benchmarks show a major improvement, but I’m still monitoring real Supabase usage before confirming the final production savings.

Gilded Dominion is a persistent browser-based economy and society simulator set in a fictional America beginning in 1866.

Play the ALPHA: https://gildeddominion.com

Feedback about performance, navigation, onboarding and the first hour is welcome!

Hey everyone! I’d love your feedback on a possible visual change for Gilded Dominion.

After receiving feedback about the game’s AI-generated artwork, I’m experimenting with a suggestion: replacing the character portraits with real historical photographs.

The attached screenshots show how this could look on the Character Profile and Social Status pages. This is still an experiment, and I’d like to hear your thoughts before taking it further.

Which do you prefer: the current illustrated portraits or these historical photographs?

Do the old photographs make the game feel more authentic and immersive, or do the illustrations fit the overall style better?

Honest opinions are welcome—even “I prefer the current version” helps, especially if you tell me why. Thanks for helping shape the game!

Hey everyone! I’d love your feedback on a possible visual change for Gilded Dominion.

After receiving feedback about the game’s AI-generated artwork, I’m experimenting with a suggestion: replacing the character portraits with real historical photographs.

The attached screenshots show how this could look on the Character Profile and Social Status pages. This is still an experiment, and I’d like to hear your thoughts before taking it further.

Which do you prefer: the current illustrated portraits or these historical photographs?

Do the old photographs make the game feel more authentic and immersive, or do the illustrations fit the overall style better?

Honest opinions are welcome—even “I prefer the current version” helps, especially if you tell me why. Thanks for helping shape the game!

I wanted to return the favor since you took the time to give me such detailed feedback on my game. 😄

I actually think the vibrant colors are one of the strengths of the pack. At first glance the potions are very easy to distinguish from each other, which is exactly what I'd want from inventory items. I wouldn't tone them down globally just because they might look bright on their own — against a dark inventory background that contrast could actually work in your favor.

My bigger concern would be the 32x32 size. Some of the smaller decorative details that look great at full size may disappear or blend together when scaled that far down. At 64x64 I think the painted detail has much more room to survive.

One thing I'd definitely test is whether each potion still has a recognizable silhouette when you temporarily ignore the color. If two items are distinguishable mainly because one is red and another is blue, they may become harder to identify quickly once you have dozens of them in the same inventory. Your 7-tier idea gives you a great opportunity to make the silhouettes themselves communicate progression too.

So personally, I wouldn't make them less vibrant yet. I'd first test a full inventory grid at 64x64 and 32x32 on the actual dark UI and see which details survive.

And now I understand why your feedback about visual hierarchy on Gilded Dominion was so specific 😂 You're dealing with exactly that problem yourself.

Thank you — this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping to get from this post.

What really caught my attention is your point about tangible visual progress. The entire idea behind Gilded Dominion is starting with almost nothing as a Laborer and slowly building wealth, property, businesses and social status until you reach Elite. I think you're right that I need to make the player actually see and feel that transformation, rather than mostly watching numbers increase.

I also really like the suggestion about stronger visual hierarchy and recognizable icons for the core systems. I'm currently rethinking part of the game's visual direction as well, so this is actually very good timing.

And your point about cognitive overload is especially useful for the first 10–15 minutes. I'm already working on a guided onboarding system, and I'll keep this in mind while refining it.

Really appreciate you taking the time to analyze it from a UI/UX perspective. Feedback like this is incredibly valuable during Alpha

Today’s Gilded Dominion Alpha update focuses on stability and player-reported bugs.

Thanks to detailed feedback from our Alpha testers, we identified and fixed several issues affecting Storage material purchases and Marketplace orders. These fixes apply globally to all current and future players.

What was fixed:

• Storage material purchases now work correctly when the player has enough Bucks to cover the actual cost.
• Marketplace BUY orders now reserve and charge the correct amount.
• Retrying a completed purchase no longer creates duplicate charges, items, or transactions.
• Reusing the same request with different purchase details is safely rejected.
• SELL orders now update reserved quantities and escrow correctly after partial and complete sales.
• Expired sessions now recover properly, including when multiple requests happen simultaneously.
• Invalid or incomplete purchase responses can no longer replace the correct interface state.

The update was tested directly on Alpha using dedicated QA accounts. We verified wallet deductions, inventory delivery, Marketplace execution, retries, escrow settlement, session recovery, and financial records. All temporary QA balances and inventories were restored after testing.

No player accounts or tester data were modified during these repairs.

Next, development will focus on improving the early-game experience, giving new players more meaningful actions during their first minutes, and continuing the visual-art improvements based on community feedback.

Gilded Dominion is still in Alpha, and every report helps us build a stronger game. If you encounter a problem, please share exactly what you were doing and, when possible, include a screenshot.

Play: https://gildeddominion.com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/BZ3Vu5K9GE

I tried it for a few minutes. The core objective is easy to understand quickly, which is a good start. I’d focus most on how responsive the controls feel under pressure and whether the difficulty ramps smoothly instead of suddenly. If there’s one moment where players start missing inputs or blaming the controls instead of themselves, that’s probably the point to tune first.

The collection loop is easy to understand and the field-guide idea gives the catches more meaning than just filling a counter. The place I’d watch is the waiting phase before the animal commits to bait — if that delay doesn’t create tension, it can start feeling passive. Giving the player something meaningful to read or prepare during that wait could help.

I tried the prototype for a few minutes. The core loop is easy to understand quickly, which is a strong start. The part I’d watch most closely is whether the upgrades create meaningful choices or if one path becomes obviously optimal too early. I’d also make sure the International Terminal tease gives the player a clear reason to want one more run.

Small update: since posting this, I’ve already made several onboarding and navigation improvements based on the first-player experience — including a clearer landing page, username login fixes, and a new My Profile/Home flow.

I’m still testing the same thing: during your first 10–15 minutes, what is the first moment where you’re unsure what to do next?

Even one sentence helps.

Wating for Feedback

Hi,

I’m the solo developer of Gilded Dominion, a persistent browser-based economic/life RPG set in an alternate 1866 America.

The game is currently in Public Alpha, and I’m testing one very specific thing:

After creating your character and playing for about 10–15 minutes, is it clear what you should be working toward next?

I’m not looking for compliments or reviews.

I’d really like answers to these three questions:

1. What did you think your first goal was?

2. Where did you hesitate or feel confused?

3. What would make you come back tomorrow?

Game page:

https://hironakamura.itch.io/gilded-dominion

If you try it, blunt feedback is completely welcome.

Thanks,

Dan

up

)))

Hi everyone,

I’m the solo developer of Gilded Dominion, a persistent browser-based economic and life-management RPG set in an alternate 1866 America.

You begin as a laborer and build your way upward through work, education, property, agriculture, production, business, and trade.

The Public Alpha is free and playable now.

Itch.io page:

https://hironakamura.itch.io/gilded-dominion

I’m currently looking for the first 20 real players who want to help shape the game while it is still early.

After your first 15–20 minutes, I’d especially like to know:

Is it clear what you should be working toward next?

If something feels confusing, slow, broken, or simply not fun, I want to hear it.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan