The Current Path of FFR

[Dynam0]

First off, I'm not sure how this thread will be received. Mainly because people wouldn't give a damn in general, but also because I could be wrong about FFR's overall "action plan" or what this site strives for in the coming years. I am simply curious about what other peoples' opinions are about where this game is going, and what we can do to influence it. I know a mod can answer this question in a line or two and lock the topic without a hitch but I'm interested at what the general forum population thinks.

I personally think that if the game will continue on the way it is, it will eventually evolve into the flash equivalent of StepMania rather than a flash imitation of the game. Obviously there will be variations with the aesthetics and customization of certain things but the overall principles will be identical as well as performance. In addition to being the functional equivalent of StepMania I think it will also be the marketable equivalent of StepMania. There are a few things however that give FFR the upper hand, such as replay data and a comprehensive set of statistics that StepMania has yet to implement (SMO somewhat achieved leader boards but in no where the same detail and scope as FFR). As you all know, StepMania is freeware and makes zero money. If FFR seeks to emulate this with no real marketability other than detailed statistics, it won't gain popularity and will remain the small community that it is.

The above issue isn't really the meat and potatoes of my thought, the point to take from it is that this game isn't very attractive when you compare it to an open-source game that provides the same, if not a better, playing experience. That's not to say that FFR lacks the potential, I think it just needs restructuring if it intends to grow faster than it is now. I find the game increasingly unappealing to newer players and that it focuses much more on veteran players. When most people think of how to better accommodate a beginner player they immediately think, "Simple! Just step more beginner files, duh!" But I don't think this is enough. The game has grown to have well over 1000 public songs, immediately accessible to the beginner with no progression or "play to win" aspect to it at all. I'm not saying there aren't people who like to gauge their progress by repeatedly mashing through the same difficult files over and over until they achieve some semblance of control in what their doing, but the current system is HUGELY flawed towards newer players in my opinion and simply doesn't cater to mainstream for commercial purposes. (Again I strongly would like to emphasize that this entire blurb is dependent on the fact that FFR would like to progress on the path of growth and understand that there's no harm done in simply keeping it the way it is)

If this game were structured like say guitar hero where you have a systematic increase in difficulty that demands development of techniques like reading/speed/jacking/trilling etc. as you progress through a "series of levels" or even something as corny as a story, this game would be a lot more appealing to newer players. New players would play through these challenges and unlock more difficult songs upon attaining certain criteria (similar to skill token unlocks). Sorry but if I'm a new player and I understand the basic premise of the game (arrowsmash *cough*), I'm obviously going to find the most difficult files and play them with no recognition or conception of how they can actually be played well. After all, this is EXACTLY what I did when I first played StepMania. The reason why I stuck with the game is plain: I have an insane attention span and, unlike the average person, I had no problem playing a game with no set goals other than my own which was to achieve better scores, despite the fact that there were no rewards or unlockables. Even the old "pat-on-the-back" rewards that Nintendo is so popular for don't exist in these games, furthermore making them less appealing to the average person. An unlock system or progression would encourage improvement in order to play the 'wtf hard' songs which is an attractive reward for new players.

The in-game files have developed too many parodies and inside jokes that newcomers wouldn't understand, and would have no patience in understanding them. Show them a basic introduction to the game that progresses them down a path (I would discourage a linear path like guitar hero and would encourage a branching set of avenues) so that eventually they reach the point where they unlock all the insane and quite silly files. This gives them something to look forward to, instead of completely immersing them in a world full of terminology they don't understand and inside jokes they would simply stare blankly at.

Please, I encourage people to discuss this and if it's been discussed recently before (I honestly just made a new topic without digging) then direct me to that conversation.




EDIT:

tl;dr version - I'm concerned with how FFR is stretching further away from beginner players by suddenly immersing them in arrowsmash with no 'play-to-win' aspects. It's horribly unattractive to the average joe imo and continuing to get worse, again only an opinion though.