Looking for feedback to add more of a 'point' to our game Thread

We have started developing a text-based game designed around the organised crime world (performing crimes, pimping, drug dealing, gambling at the casinos, flying around the globe etc) and so far so good.

Players have the ability to purchase items (with cash earned from crimes etc) to upgrade atk/def which is used to fight other players in an attempt to steal their cash. A number of different stats combine to give an overall 'score' that we use on the Leaderboard page, automatically updated through SQL.

For reference sake website is: Textgangsters.com

The 'How to Play' page lists all the different things you can do.

What we're stuck on at the moment is creating more of a reason to play.

So we're seeking some feedback from others on what enhancements we might be able to code in that will give players of the game a stronger sense of purpose for levelling up and continuing to play.

Any feedback is welcome (provided it's not abusive/negative) as any suggestions may spark more ideas.

Thanks in advance all!

Hey, I gave the game a try and here is my feedback in no particular order (and please take it with a grain of salt):

At first, I started playing and it reminded me of that browser based game where you click on links and what not to do missions. It was called Crim or so and it was VERY active 8-10 years ago with world wide competitions. I used to play that game for hours. Your game looked like it had the same potential. However I found a few things that were annoying:

1- The welcome/home page looks a bit unattractive. That "Play Now" button looks like it was from the 1990s era. I think a simpler button would do or perhaps a more "professional" one.

2- When I joined the game, I found that I can see everyone's game session and what they are doing. Which means A LOT of spam. My suggestion would be keep everyone's stuff to them. For example Noobie2 doesn't need to know that Elite1337 has just robbed his 11111100000th homeless dude or vice versa.

3- There a few things that stood out that illogical, for example I beat a homeless guy and received $295 as "change". When I was captured (just after my first crime) I went to jail and the police took away $465 when I only had the previous mentioned cash. So what happened to the rest of the fine?

4- There is no clear use of anything. For example, on what bases do you determine I get caught on something or not? I used cfeit (which I don't know what that is) and I got caught with a "you did this crime too many times) and it was the second time I use this command (first time was 5 minutes before it).

5- Perhaps color your text to indicate percentage of success or level of threat on each mission/action taken? Blue, green, yellow, orange and red (for example).

These are general things that may contribute to your player's experience including their goals. I'd say first create a universe in which the players play in. I didn't see much of a universe in my play session. Just that you go ahead and do the crimes, but there is no sense of place. I am not saying that you need to create an RPG worth of universe or such... but give a sense of a story to the game. Like you are a low life walking the streets and you have grown up with one of the local gangs but decided to hike it alone. Your stupid choice left you with no money, what shall you do?
That is just a pure example. But here you set the player's stage, why he is doing the crime and possibly hinting at a goal (get back at the gang or form your own gang).
Have a tutorial for players for example; a mission to introduce the world with what is going on and what happened to you and what not. Through it you explain the mechanics and how the game is played rather than have them just read a text.
You could also add in some side missions (or events if you will). Those that want to do them fine, those that don't that is fine too. But they can give a sense of purpose to the game.

Another example of a story or a setting is make the player an undercover cop, that way there is this moral dilemma of having to make a crime to prove your seriousness and that you shouldn't really be doing this (for example).
It can be a classical rise to power and bring gang X down. A revenge story? Or like Crim did it (or at least what I remember) be the best crime lord in town (and it gives you AI targets + player targets) so you have this mafia don level 208 with X, Y and Z cool stuff but you can't bring him down at level 1 so you have play and earn stuff to bring him down. But it doesn't reveal it early. It starts with giving you a level 1 target then a level 2 then a level 5 then a level 11 and so on.

Hope this helps in anyway and good luck. It looks like an interesting game.

Thanks for some really in-depth feedback. It's already sparking ideas with me and I'll get the rest of the team to have a read as well.

Very appreciated!

Glad posting here has so far (and very early on) provided some great ideas. We will continue development.

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UPDATE

As per some suggestions, we've now implemented an XP system.

This allows new users to have an easier time getting started, and the crimes are set into different tiers (access to you gain by advancing XP).

The higher the tier, the more difficult the crime is (but the better player you have to be to do them anyway).

You can view them under Crimes on the How to Play page.

The experience would be very different already to what you have tested earlier.

Thanks again; and we continue to develop!

Edited by: cupetg