Skip this paragraph if you have been following and know what our game is about already. Next Winter is a survival game where you and your team gather food and resources to construct a base that will routinely come under attack during winter. Time is limited and winter is harshly scarce of resources, so making effective use of the spring, summer and autumn will be key to survival. There are many resources and items that can be gathered from the wilderness to aid you in battle and economy.
In my experience team games are usually played as a group of individuals. In general, casual gamers rarely communicate or execute tactical plays that require true cooperation. I think there are a few reasons why people tend to just play as individuals so here are a few ways we are going to facilitate teamwork in our game.
Its annoying in games, and even the real world, when you are putting in all the work and your team mates are reaping the rewards. So players will be rewarded with karma (basically cash) for completing tasks that help towards the survival effort. Things like collecting resources, fighting off attackers and building defences. The karma can then be traded for shiny weapons, armor and other upgrades.
We are going to use supply and demand to steer players into completing tasks the team needs collectively. For example if your base has plenty of stone but is low on wood you will be rewarded more, pound for pound, if you manage to bring home a batch of wood than a batch of stone.
Karma Economy
Its annoying in games, and even the real world, when you are putting in all the work and your team mates are reaping the rewards. So players will be rewarded with karma (basically cash) for completing tasks that help towards the survival effort. Things like collecting resources, fighting off attackers and building defences. The karma can then be traded for shiny weapons, armor and other upgrades.
We are going to use supply and demand to steer players into completing tasks the team needs collectively. For example if your base has plenty of stone but is low on wood you will be rewarded more, pound for pound, if you manage to bring home a batch of wood than a batch of stone.
Player to Player Notifications
Sometimes you just want to jump on a game and play. Not everyone wants to have to talk to strangers. To make communication easier we are going to include a task notification system into the game. There will be a set of automatic notifications players can choose to broadcast to team mates to quickly communicate important things.
For example you might find a dungeon in the wilderness that you are struggling to explore alone. Simply send a 'Require military help' and your team mates will see this pop up with an estimated distance. When a receiving player accepts the task they will be guided to the dungeon. Same thing for if you find resources, need help building a structure and any other important tasks.