I put No. It needs some love, folks

In all seriousness, I actually don't like a pet raising game. That doesn't mean, however, that I won't like it ever. I just haven't found one that seems to be enjoyable. I also haven't played a lot of them.

Last game I played was Monster Galaxy on Facebook. It started off good. It uses the Zodiac to determine monsters weaknesses and strength. Certain zodiacs are better and worse against other zodiacs, which I thought was kind of creative. What turned me off was the complications in raising your monsters. This same complication is what turned me away from modern RPGs nowadays.

For example, do you know that feeling when you first started playing an RPG, when you go to the character screen, and presented to a screenful of abilities and their trees and categories, and each has a 200-word long description of what it does? First thing that goes through my head when I see that is "ah wtf". That's when I throw away the controller.

I enjoyed dota because each character only has 4 skills. I don't enjoy LoL (even though the same thing as dota) because of the customization. I enjoyed old-school RPGs because all you need to care about is your stats and items. I don't have to decide creating a Fire or Ice or Lightning mage. OR deciding between Uber-Fire-Magelord skill tree vs Fire-Elemental-Summoner-WizardKing skill tree.

Now, you combine that with pets. Imagine having 100 pets and each one of them has that many abilities and customization. I don't have time for that.

Now, you combine that with pets. Imagine having 100 pets and each one of them has that many abilities and customization. I don't have time for that.

This is actually one of my favorite things in RPGs nowadays, the ability to customize. Good to get an opposite point of view.

Basically, the audience depends heavilly on the features you are giving.

I see. . . very good ^=^

Thank you! This is definitely helping me get a better perspective at who will be my main audience and what I should or shouldn't do to broaden it, without detracting from the overall game.

V/R
Josh

My favorite of the ones you listed is Monster Rancher. I loved going adventuring with my monsters after training them for a few weeks. It really gave me more of the impression that they were pets and companions than just slaves released from their prisons to kill at my command (I'm looking at you, Pokemon). Of course, that franchise was never that huge in America, so maybe the Monster Rancher style isn't so well suited for Western audiences.

Man, this is making me want to play MR4 again...

My favorite of the ones you listed is Monster Rancher. I loved going adventuring with my monsters after training them for a few weeks. It really gave me more of the impression that they were pets and companions than just slaves released from their prisons to kill at my command (I'm looking at you, Pokemon). Of course, that franchise was never that huge in America, so maybe the Monster Rancher style isn't so well suited for Western audiences.

Man, this is making me want to play MR4 again...

Man, I've been trying to remember the name of monster rancher for a while! Whenever I try to remember what it was called, I keep thinking monster hunter. I wasn't in to the show or anything but it's one of those vague childhood memories that have stuck

Anyways, I like monster raising games and I think there are a lot of things you can do to make yours different in an appealing way. The only game like this that I have really gotten in to was Pokemon-it's such a timeless classic. I never really enjoyed battling real people because of the complexity of it all(although I seemed to always win somehow), but an online component to your game could definitely be fun as everyone probably wouldn't be super elite.

Monster Rancher was always fun, grabbing random CD's and being like. . ."I wonder what kind of monster I will get from this Journey CD?!"

Hmm. No one has commented on the Dragon Warrior Monsters for Game Boy Color, that is by far the most influential game for me. And Jade Cocoon!

Has anyone tried out Dino RPG? I played that for about ~2 years. It was a pretty fun game. I liked the monsters, combat was simple "Watch the fight.", they had a square with different elements on it and a kind of "lottery" would happen on level up. You would land on a random square, causing a level up in that element.

Example of Level Up

My biggest pet peeve (l0l) with the game was the fact that you were limited to 1 action per monster(s) and when you spent your action "healing" the max you could heal up to was 50%. Healing items were grossly overpriced, Extra Action Potions were even more expensive and the game really felt micro-transactiony biased. I could not be competitive on the game unless I spent my own cash on a regular basis. That definitely turned me off to the game -.-

V/R
Josh

For example, do you know that feeling when you first started playing an RPG, when you go to the character screen, and presented to a screenful of abilities and their trees and categories, and each has a 200-word long description of what it does? First thing that goes through my head when I see that is "ah wtf". That's when I throw away the controller.

Some people like very complex skill trees...

What? No love for Azure Dreams? While not strictly a monster raising game, it had mechanics which made it essential to upgrade your monsters. Every time you re-enter the dungeon, you start at level one, but your familiars keep their levels. Great game...

How about the Chao from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle?

Your target audience should be described rather by gender and preference to games. I'm 24 and proud of having a level 64 Nidoking, trashing each and every other pokemon (apart from those damn ghost types...).

Typically, if you include said battles, it will be more likelly males -- if it is purelly about breeding, women would be more inclined to play as well (sprinkling it with cute graphics would enhance the experience for them). In general, a female is inclined to play games that allow teamwork, caring, raising, and expression of all other behaviours hard-coded to their genes. Males on the other hand will enjoy the competition, the "path to glory" they can undertake with their companion -- we are descendants of territorial warriors! (sounds silly, said by a geek...)

Browser based will also attract a different type of audience, and the game will be played longer and more frequently (as with all browser games, they are more easilly accessed). Then again, you limit some features that browser based games can't have, or which diminish it's accesibility. For example, having battles that you can control in 3D in a browser requires a fairly powerfull machine, and typically a set of plugins, which could be unavailable in some places (workplace, school etc).

Basically, the audience depends heavilly on the features you are giving. From what I can gather now, it will be primary school kids - young adults, mostly male (unless there is an activity that is equivalent to combat somewhere hidden there), coming from the era of Pokemon (the newer kids might be influenced by the tidal wave of unjustified hate to Pokemon) or just inclined to like pet games.

Unbelievably sexist...

I was in love with Monster Rancher and Dragon Warrior Monsters. I also liked Pikmin although its not precisely the same. And I do remember the Sonic pets. Thanks person for reminding me of those. So fun. I played a lot of Pokemon too.