How to get a player to return a second time?

[Callan S.]

Indeed I have! Coded in the very simple combat system (hey, that works for games like urban dead and more - I'll think about making it more complex latter) and have uploaded it just now!

What it does is takes you to the player vs player brawl part first, and only grabs an opponent from skill 50 or below. Once your skill gets to 50 it lets you go to the base camp where you can PVE or brawl some more.

When your skill is below 50 it gives you a massive bonus to win (ambush bonus) so that 9 times out of 10 you'll win, thus giving a soft introduction to play. That addresses what I thought might have been a problem - people get beaten at the start, then instantly leave.

Latter I'm going to tie it into the PVE part in that to get past each 100 points of brawl skill, you need to spend X power factor, which you get from completing PVE paragraphs of the storyline.

Anyway, I'll see how it goes. Thanks for the replies, everyone

[Callan S.]

I was thinking that alot of games have you build a kingdom and own it or such - I was thinking of this idea: The player can join a military organisation of my game world, and kick lots of ass and raise in rank, until they are in command of a platoon or a brigade (how big do you think it should be?). This advancement would be relatively quick.

The thing is, not long after starting some of this missions become morally dubious - and if you fail to take up the mission, your ranking takes a hit.

Latter on I'll code in the ability for players to start their own towns or cities which they are the owner of, but it's a less glamourous start and takes longer. But there is no morally ambiguous issues (well, there might be some, but they will be considerably smaller in scope).

So basically you can go for power and fame right now, or take longer yet be in charge of yourself and be your own man, not commanded by another.

And ultimately these would create missions for each other - the kingdoms trying to clear up the mess and block out the military who caused it, and the military reacting to the 'hostile intent'.

Even if it doesn't make sense, I think I'll code in the army sign up thing and people can hose down dozens of monsters at once with gatling lasers, rather than wacking one monster at a time - then they get promoted and control their own platoon or brigade, eventually. Given how many other browser games are about being in charge of some organisation, it'll probably be attractive.

edit: Oh, and I'm trying to sit a google adsense and project wonderful ad box next to each other, but they instead go one after the other? Any simple ways around that...I guess I should learn CSS and will start to soon, but if there's a simple way...

[PaxBritannia]

This is really similar to running a business in that you are trying to get repeat customers.

In that aspect, it is easy. Make them want to.

ita Stet.