Ok, I've been having a think about this and I'm struggling with the implimentation method. I would point out that I'm no expert on Mobile Gaming, but I do know a bit about what can be done with databases and web servers. I'm drawing on my experiences here in the UK. I hope they are usefull to you, but you've never said which country you are actually from KorbanDream.

It strikes me that the goals of the project are as follows, correct me if I'm wrong KorbanDream, 'cause if I am then what I sugest is probably totally on the wrong track.

1) Provide a remote roleplaying environment that can be accessed anywhere.

2) Include a human element in the responses to players so that they can do more than you can in a MUD.

3) Make it affordable to the players.

4) Not lose money hand over fist.

5) Maximise player base without killing the GM.

It strikes me from what has been said that using the SMS implimentation method meets objectives 1 and 2 really well. Where we hit problems is with the other three objectives.

3) Make it affordable to the players.

SMS's aren't cheap.

However a lot of the contract mobiles in the UK now come with a free number of SMS messages (Texts, as they are commonly known here). I get 50 a month on my mobile package, which should be plenty for me to play the game in because I don't go mad with messages and usually have about 25 or so left over every month. If I was using a lot more than that I could move to another package that would give me even more.

It strikes me that someone who is interested in playing your game is probably already using SMS a lot anyway so probably has plenty to spare.

This of course all goes out the window if they are texting to a premium rate number which isn't covered by the free texts.

4) Not lose money hand over fist.

From the sounds of it setting up the SMS server is going to be reasonably costly. This means that you will need to make the money back reasonably quickly if you actually want to be able to keep doing this. It also sounds like your current payment plan is reasonably complicated, this means it's probably time intensive and becuase of objective 5 the last thing you want is more work.

You also have to remember the costs involved in your time. From the sounds of it, this game will eat most of your life and if you aren't getting much in the way of profits then you can't get anyone to cover if you are ill. Also remember that if you are on benefits in the UK you will lose them by doing this because you will be classified as self-employed.

5) Maximise player base without killing the GM.

This is the big problem that I can see. Because everything is having to be handled manually by you, running this game as going to be incredibly time intensive, the more players you have the harder you are going to have to work.

It really looks to me that at the moment the SMS technology is too immature (mostly on the server end) for doing it this way to be practical. I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have done a fair amount of digging on the subject. Without being able to automate at least the movement between areas (which is actually much more efficiently done by a computer than a human) you are going to max out with a regular player base of around 100.

Even if you only expect to get a tiny percentage of UK roleplayers you are probably looking at a potential market of several thousand. Most of which you are going to have to turn away.

If you can automate the standard menu replies through your SMS server and just have it flag the OTHER... response it will drastically cut down on your workload.

I need to run off for a meeting now I'm afraid, so I'll post the way that I would do it after I get back.

mindwanders wrote: you've never said which country you are actually from KorbanDream.

mindwanders wrote: It strikes me that the goals of the project are as follows, correct me if I'm wrong KorbanDream, 'cause if I am then what I sugest is probably totally on the wrong track.

1) Provide a remote roleplaying environment that can be accessed anywhere.

2) Include a human element in the responses to players so that they can do more than you can in a MUD.

3) Make it affordable to the players.

4) Not lose money hand over fist.

5) Maximise player base without killing the GM.

mindwanders wrote: This of course all goes out the window if they are texting to a premium rate number which isn't covered by the free texts.

mindwanders wrote: Also remember that if you are on benefits in the UK you will lose them by doing this because you will be classified as self-employed.

mindwanders wrote: It really looks to me that at the moment the SMS technology is too immature (mostly on the server end) for doing it this way to be practical. I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have done a fair amount of digging on the subject. Without being able to automate at least the movement between areas (which is actually much more efficiently done by a computer than a human) you are going to max out with a regular player base of around 100.

I will NEVER allow the Universe to run on a "Premium Number"...!

OK, Here's how I would do it. I should point out that I discussed it with a friend and he was dead against what I'm sugesting, and thought that your plan with a bit of programming but ditching the multiplayer aspect was pretty much the way to go. So take what I'm saying with a pinch of salt.

The basic plan would be to ditch the whole idea of SMS messaging all together. I think it's a cool idea, but I don't think it's the technology for the job.

My solution would be to run this via HTML, PHP and MySQL. The reasons for this are the following:

1) Most of the people who have the gatgeteer attitude you are looking for are using WAP phones anyway.

2) This solution becomes totally device portable, so people don't have to play the game on thier phone.

3) The solution becomes international and is not dependant on a UK only market.

3) The technology is well developed and all the problems you will hit will already have been solved by a lot of people.

4) It's easier to get a programmer with the skills you need or to learn the skills yourself.

5) you can use something simple like Paypal to handle payments.

6) It does not cost the customer "per action" because it's the amount of time they spend online that matters.

7) an HTML interface, even if it's just a menu with links rather than texting codewords, is much easier to use.

Using this system you could arrange things so that it's optimised for low bandwidth and small screens which would make the game ideal for playing through a palm top PC or mobile phone.

All the room descriptions and the various menu options, as well as the players character sheet can be stored within a database that is accessed via MySQL and PhP would present a much better solution than the idea of the message rules, you could even have php automatically generate all the available menus by checking the character sheet for you. You could have things so that the only message you ever have to read are the "other" responses.

As far as Billing goes I would devide what the player can do into Minor and Major actions. Depending on the amount the player decides to pay, they accumulate 3-10 Major actions a day, and can perform as many minor actions as they want.

I've seen this method work for a lot of online strategy games, you save up your actions and use them 1-2 times a day rather than needing to do something in a specific time slot. If they send an "other" comand then they would have to wait until you replied to it before they could use the rest of thier actions.

The major actions would be things like: move to a new location, buy something, attack somethin, eat. Basically, things that are most important to the game. You would know what they are better than me.

The minor actions would be the things that only affect thier character. Stuff like equiping items, checking thier character sheet, looking at thier ships stats.

I think that about covers it, does this sound lika a viable possibility?

mindwanders wrote: ...and thought that your plan with a bit of programming but ditching the multiplayer aspect was pretty much the way to go...

mindwanders wrote: The basic plan would be to ditch the whole idea of SMS messaging all together. I think it's a cool idea, but I don't think it's the technology for the job.

mindwanders wrote: My solution would be to run this via HTML, PHP and MySQL...
I think that about covers it, does this sound lika a viable possibility?

What does he mean by the multiplayer aspect - Option: Other...?

The problem here is that I have twenty-four, (total of 151), other games that are perfect for the sms format and that I've been reserving the Universe as a kind of flagship game. If I took the sms out of the Universe, I'd have nothing to showcase the rest with...?

Hmm. I'd have to say both yes and no to be honest. The game's mechanics have been pretty much geared to the low-info exchange for some time now so I'm not sure how quickly I could re-adapt it back to table-top equivilent data exchange without loosing half the mods which, in order to explain some of them became integral to the game to the point where one of the mods is actually a computer on your craft...?

Saying that though, I was talking to my partner last night about running it over a different platform and her answer was to either dump it on a server or have it run over a play-by-email, (PbeM)... So maybe, I'd say it's at least a possibility...

Morning All!

mindwanders wrote: If SMS is the right fit, use it. Over the course of writing this stuff I've come to realise that you could do it with an SMS system if you were willing to pay for the right hardware for the job and get a programmer to design you a few time saving features.

mindwanders wrote: PbeM is something that doesn't make much money from what I hear. But then it really depends on whether you are in it for the money or because you want players to play your game.

BTW: Don't suppose you'd happen to know where / How much / etc, I could find such a person or a system...?

Oh, or you could do what I am doing and learn how to code yourself. It saves the hassle of chasing unproductive volunteers :-)

mindwanders wrote: It really looks to me that at the moment the SMS technology is too immature (mostly on the server end) for doing it this way to be practical. I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have done a fair amount of digging on the subject. Without being able to automate at least the movement between areas (which is actually much more efficiently done by a computer than a human) you are going to max out with a regular player base of around 100.

Hi all...

Incidently:

mindwanders wrote: It really looks to me that at the moment the SMS technology is too immature (mostly on the server end) for doing it this way to be practical. I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have done a fair amount of digging on the subject. Without being able to automate at least the movement between areas (which is actually much more efficiently done by a computer than a human) you are going to max out with a regular player base of around 100.