I just know about this legal issue on publishing game o___O
my last time experience (IP-based) citizen restriction is on NDS game, some JP site and youtube.
so, is this something to protect under-age, copyright or what??

Nov 15 starts with a bang! (Actually, more of a crash.) My personal apologies to anyone who experienced the crash on startup this morning. A new version has been released, which fixes the problem.

My thanks for helping beta test!  http://islandforge.com/

Thanks so much for checking it out! I think I noticed you in the world, but you darted away before I could even say Hi. The game is a classic fantasy RPG. Walk around, explore islands, follow stories, fight monsters, etc. Underlying all this, you can create your own islands and stories for others to explore!

I will try to make the goals of the game more apparent to new players.

I'm kind-of a security fanatic, so thank you for relaying Chrome's warning. Unfortunately, it is misleading. Every site on the Web that uses only HTTP (not HTTPS) can be altered in transit. Islandforge.com is an HTTPS secure site, but some (non-security sensitive) components are not HTTPS, which Chrome is complaining about. If I just used plain old unsecure HTTP, Chrome wouldn't complain (and you'd be less secure)... that's about the state of security on the Web.

That said, I will take steps to make the site not complain about such things.

Thank you for describing your experiences. That's what beta is all about.

I've released a major gameplay update ( Island Forge Beta 2 ) incorporating many improvements, largely based on community input - thanks for all who have provided feedback - it is much appreciated.

Early game buildup is now quicker (streamlined crafting and leveling), interfaces are more intuitive, weaponry, creatures, and combat have been rebalanced. The island builder tool has several improvements, as well.

I'm still flying solo here, so community support is greatly appreciated.

http://islandforge.com

Thanks for checking it out. There is a JAR file for download, as well as Windows exe and Java Web Start. There is no browser/applet version at this time. I'm also building a MacOS app bundle, but haven't yet tested it. Soon I'll also be making the game client fully self-updating (so I can dispose of Java Web Start).

I downloaded the client, but it doesn't seem have content. How big exactly the game content in worst (bigger) number?

Hi, just played around a bit.
Some points I noticed:

You might want to make a small tutorial / guide at the beginning.

Can be as simple as "How to move, how to equipt, how to get a quest and venture to it" kind of splash-screens.
Maybe with some "old wise guy" introducing the player to the game.
---
The GUI is quite small (Very small Buttons), and very unusually structured. I would clean that up.
Also the chat should not be in such a small space. Try to make it like 8 lines high.
Make a big "start game" or "enter world" button. Tha small sword was a bit hard to find.


Well.., Dont try to invent a "new and better" Gui than the standard MMOs, they had much more time to figure out and develop a working formula.

I would say: better just copy their GUI structure... and rather concentrate on making a unique gameplay / content.
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Good luck with your game.

Ok about the GUI:

what you mainly want to present are

-actions (spells)
-Items (inventory)
-chat
-the map
-character info
-quickoptions

Try to keep all actions/items/options slot (the selectible components) in a consistant style.
WOW did that by making everything same-sized squares, on wich the player can shift round items/actions.

most of the time only actions/chat/quickoptions/ and map are needed,
the inventory can be turned on and off.

I would (during development) use a placeholder artwork for the GUI on purpose.
Just use grey slots with very simplyfies black/white icons. So you can quickly adapt your GUI when you feeld like changing it.
People should see that it is NOT the final style yet. So they can keep imagining how it would look like and give suggestions.

Make the GUI components big enough though, without making every element in a totally different design.
And blend out all elements wich are not used repetatively. (just put them on a panel, that can be turned on and off, so you dont
cramp too much on the screen at once.)
-> the icons arranged in a circle for example are very hard to guess what they are actually, and use quite a lot of space for
beeing so small.
If you want a "selector" just make 3 Buttons, wich clap out the selection then.

The circles with the marker, I think they are for switching though stuff, did not really get that part of the gui.

I like the update/Loader though wich makes it more pleasant to install than comparable indy MMOs

That's what I want to know, how big it download will.

That's! thanks I want to know because I use limited broadband.

I've updated the Island Forge site, with the goal of more clearly describing the game. Any comments on the site would be welcome. In particular, do you feel you get the point of the game right away, and does it make you want to play?

Also, there's a new Atlas feature on the site, showing some of the player-created islands (with ratings and visitation count). Thanks for having a look!

I do understand your position on that point, but the lawyer who drafted the ToS was very adamant that this was important for us. I can try to elaborate (but I am not a lawyer). Since we're a small operation (me) and just starting out, we do not have the resources to ensure that we are not in violation of any law in any country of the world. In the United States, there are specific laws about age (13-17 is allowed if the account holder is an adult).

Thank you for your input. I'm willing to be open about these legal matters, especially because it's an important (and very cryptic) part of the game industry. Even potential indie developers (such as myself) should learn as much as they can.

You read ToS?!?!

Can you either open this game up for everybody, or stop posting in this thread? The majority is not allowed to play your game, so why bother us with status updates...