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Autonauts

Make and teach robots to automate the world! · By Denki

Autonauts Funding Thoughts Sticky

A topic by Denki created Sep 30, 2017 Views: 3,900 Replies: 40
Viewing posts 1 to 22
Developer

The place to post your thoughts on funding Autonaut development.

Now this may not be something entirely up your guys alley but what if you were to stream playing your game and any others you saw fit? Donations could go to wherever you needed them to and as well you can explain how your game works, get people that may not know about it to play it, and at the same time you may find bugs in the game or come up with ideas while streaming or not. Again streaming isn't for everyone but it could be something.

Developer

We should make more time to stream Autonauts more often (and we definitely need a new video on YouTube). Not spending enough time sharing the game with the world is part of the downside of spending too much time enjoying making Autonauts :)

(+1)

I'm no expert in this field, but maybe more people should find out about this game so that you can get more potential backers. I don't think enough people that would be willing to pay know about this game yet.

Developer

Yep, it's highly likely that not enough people know about Autonauts. We know we've spent most of our time making it, so pursuing something like crowdfunding should encourage us to be more active in promoting it.

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I think this game has great potential.  I would like to recommend that you submit it to Good Shepherd.  They have the skills and resources to bring it to market.  I am an investor in Gambitious/Good Shepherd and have seen what they can do.  I feel they might just be the answer you are looking for.  I and other investors would be happy to invest in Autonauts through Good Shepherd.

Good luck,

RAAndre

 http://www.goodshepherd.games/

Developer

We weren't aware of Good Shepherd, so thanks for the heads-up.

You are most welcome.  Please let me know how you make out.  I look forward to your success!

(+1)

dude this game is great the updates are so fast and I love how every update theres a new character but investing in advertising seems right but its your game

(+1)

Personally, I'd be willing to spend $14.99 on this game in it's current state, I have no idea what you guys have planned, but I like how it is shaping up. You should absolutely look for a funding source and close off the free version, or even use what you have now as the free version as a sort of "Proof of Concept" (probably not the right words I want) to potential backers for a Crowdfunding campaign. Autonauts strikes the same itch(Pun intended) that Factorio does for me. Regardless of what you decide, I'll happily back it, as long as the weekly updates continue, even if it isn't a physical game update, just letting us know what is going on behind the scenes.

Developer(+4)

Good day to you, fellow Autonauts. We put together an outline for our crowdfunding proposal and thought, "You know what? We should share this with the existing community before we do anything else with it." So here it is.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VJEeZJ1ZfAgzTtecUx0bhSLnLGep9qXJKlNR-E80...

Comments are enabled in the presentation so you can leave in context any thoughts you might have.

In case it isn't obvious, this would usually be done in a webpage rather than a Google Presentation and those boxes with crosses in them are placeholders for images (and that one with a 'PLAY' triangle in it is for a short promotional video; we have a rough test that we might share very soon).

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It's a great presentation and GREAT ideas ahead. I'll want to pay 20$ for the game on steam. Also if i donate right now and it's released on steam later is it like possible to get it on steam? by the way. i wish the best for the game. it's already awesome and it's going to a GREAT direction. Weekly updates and just you replying in the community makes everything better :). Thanks for making such a great game

EDIT: Oh and it would be absolutely awesome if you could add "Pepe" to one of the folk names. even though it's not a desert Lol :)

(+1)

This is perfect. I would honestly be willing to do the highest tier personally. Based on what ive seen the last few months that ive been following the project I feel safe making a larger investment into the game. 

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This seems like an almost obvious next step for this game's development. I absolutely support this move, and will back at a pretty high level. I've had more entertainment from this game by a long shot than from some AAA titles. :-)

dude you're so right. this game entertains me for days. and weekly updates so there's always something new makes it even greater! :)

(+1)

Great presentation.  I could get behind this at the £30 level.  I really like the vision that's laid out, somewhat like SimCity or Dwarf Fortress (minus combat) as far as the in-game goal of achieving multi-dimensional happiness for the folk, together with a fully capable programming system for realizing it through the bots.

Hey! I love your game, I think you guys should put it on game jolt, I've downloaded 30+ games off of there, i think guys should check it out, up to you guys.

I feel that crowdfunding is one of the best options you could have for this game, it's  a shame I couldn't afford it though... `~`

Developer

Even if you can't afford it, telling everyone about it will be a HUGE help! Especially youtubers :)

The audience of the youtubers mostly decide whether or not they play.

Take mattshea (his genres of gaming are kinda sporadic though) and blitz (partially limited by income) for example

If you got someone famous (like pewdiepie or jacksepticeye, highly unlikely if they ask for sponsership and i'm betting that this happens to them often) Autonauts would experience more of a sugar rush in popularity (fast rise fast fall) but their play styles will either make or break the game.

Someone like Ssundee (a little more open-minded to games that don't include minecraft as opposed to captainsparklez; however he has taken a break from youtube) could work for a gradual incline in popularity however as I said before, if their viewers get bored of it, they'll stop too.

On the other hand if you partner-up with a well-known gaming company they would have better resources for promotion but I'm not sure whether that would go against your ethics and autonauts  a game where players need deeper immersion than just an ad. You will also need players who can grasp where the game can go rather than what it is.

Some drawbacks include it lacking the near-infinite possibilities in games like Minecraft and backstory+ incentives the Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb  (achievements, variety, ect) . While yes they have had more years and  money for development (and the support of youtubers) people won't play Autonauts if they don't feel anything for it. You need to make them experience a sense of wonder and curiosity of what they could do in or with the game, some more substance during or after we finish automation (what if bots could educate the folks? What if they started an uprising, maybe like the dangers of artificial intelligence and thats why they've travelled to this planet rather than just helping random civilisations, that never starve and probably haven't moved since they'be been "created", along their way which would help justify why they need to start from scratch and the need research technologies. just a sense of realism). 

Thats for the latest version anyway and yes you're probably a small team but think about it, what if you could automate script-writing?

there should be an upgrading system for storage and to unlock the storage upgrade you could use the research station

Developer

Actually that's pretty much exactly what we want to do :) Initially you'll start with very few building options and you'll unlock everything with research. 

Thanks!

there should be faster vehicles or warp pads to make moving around easier especially  for people with multiple islands

there should be weed repelant to stop weeds from growing in the cereal crops

Developer

Fertiliser will stop them coming back

Will we need to continuously replace the fertiliser in future updates? 

Developer

Fertiliser will have a different use in the next version. It will be used to boost the yield of a crop rather than stop weeds. So yes, there will be constant use of fertiliser if you want boosting.

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Hey maybe you can something like coinhive I know it's meant for web pages but maybe you can modify it someway to adapt it to work with autonauts EDIT you can make it so that before getting Autonauts files the user is recuired to solve some number of hashes so you get money from those hashes. And I know I explained that weirdly but think about it

(1 edit)

Will the game cost money? I am still willing to play if if it costs around $10

Developer

We're still not sure how the funding will work yet. We're working on that answer at the moment

it would be great if the game is free. I would pay if I could but I am just a 15 year old boy and I can't get a job until I get a degree

Or you can make the game free with DLCs that we have to pay to get. Or you can add in game shops and merchandise 

Just wondering, have you considered who your target audience will be?

Or the average age of the players right now?

What a lovely find – I've been looking for something "like" this for ages. I'm pleased that it isn't bogged down with a "story" or  "achievement objectives"  or hindered with "beat the clock/monster" ... although I can see how some players [like Pebble] need incentives to play. I just like sandbox play. IF anything, part of the puzzle/challenge is figuring out how it works – one only needs to know that if something's not working it's NOT a bug but one's method needs adjusting. I'd be happy to contribute documentation/graphics/testing-feedback/dollars/promotion - if you're still forging ahead with development. 

Developer

Thanks! In the next version we'll have two modes. Campaign, which is mission based and successful missions unlock new buildings, and Free mode where everything is unlocked from the start. So everyone is happy! :) Thanks for the support

when will be that update?

Developer

We're not sure yet but we're working hard to answer that. Hopefully we'll know soon.

and when will you answer that?

I notice no one above suggested Patreon. Maybe get a bunch of people to pledge $1/mo or similar for early access to updates during development?

for steam,  start  cheap, and once more content comes out, raise the price

Releasing on steam. Nice