0 A.D. Players: I'd like to hear about your perspectives!

[Jeru]

This October, I will be co-delivering a talk about human aspects in FOSS game development, with a developer from Spring RTS.

The talk will focus on what players, developers and other community members want or need from their 0 A.D.-related activities, on conflicts that might arise between these groups and within them, and how those conflicts are (or aren't) resolved.

I'd like to collect some players' perspectives on 0 A.D. for the purposes of this talk.

Hence, I'd be glad if you could answer the following questions:

1. How did you come across 0 A.D.?
2. What motivates you to play 0 A.D.?
3. Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?
4. Is there any more information you'd like to add?
5. What is your age, gender, and location?

Many thanks in advance!

Aviv/Jeru

[Lion.Kanzen]

1. From google in 2004/2005

2. The many starter features , and the open source, that make the game very moddable 

3. Improved the game to add more features that aren't considered by the team. Like add arcade mode. Because is a lot of working to the team...( can be nice whole project try to be better than AOE  series.

4. Mercenary camps, advanced diplomacy ( EE2.and RoN) , a system of reforms, and a system of revolution( some factions can rebels from original faction and becomes in another) feature from expansion AOE 3 Warchiefs.

5-,30 Male Honduras.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Lion.Kanzen

[av93]

1. From this page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games

2. I really don't play so often now (don't have a graphic card right now), but mainly the open source and gratis spirit, the dynamic evolution within every alpha, the AoE nostalgia, etc. EDIT: Now it works (¿?). No idea why.

3. Everything it's fine! I'm also in a volunteering educational project, so I know that work without being paid it's fatigues, but you do it cause you like. But it's important to feel that you effort it's valued, so big thank you. The only negative thing would be a personal one, regarding the personal necessity of a more cohesive gameplay, but as always, it's a WIP game, so no big deal.

4. Hoping to see Beta someday. And more mods designed with pyrogenesis engine.

5. Male, 23, Spain

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by av93

[Tiber7]

1. From my brother who founded it on google in 2013.

2. I love RTS games and this one is already and will be one of the best. It's open source (it's free!!!) and I can contribute to it.

3. The game should be improved with other play modes. Examples: arcade mode, regicide mode (like in AoE2&3), king of the hill mode(AoE2).

4. I rejoin Lion.Kanzen on that : mercenary camps, advanced diplomacy, etc. It would be cool to have a map or 2 where the resources like stone or iron are mostly guarded by mercenary camps or brigands fortresses like in AoM (I don't remember the name of the map).

5. Read my description

Edited August 7, 2016 by Tiber7

[sphyrth]

1. I was just looking for FOSS games.
2. As everybody else mentioned, it's FOSS. But in addition to that, the Wildfire Games team does not give up keeping this game relevant and updated despite the sluggish development speed. Slow and steady wins the race! I'd rather have something like this than what happened to Feudal Wars. Also (although it's natural with history-based games), this game made studying history very enjoyable. Finally, 0 A.D. is the only, and I mean ONLY, RTS game that keeps my hopes up about AAA-quality FOSS RTS, so I really hope that the team keeps it alive. Not even the Spring Games can have this kind of effect on me.
3. Video Tutorials. There are video tutorials on how to playthe game, but they're now outdated even if they are still relevant. There are WRITTEN tutorials on how to make and install mods, contribute to the development, etc., but I'm one of those who learn better on video (stanlista's video tutorial on how to import meshes and their textures to Blender for example).
4. I'm going to bring this up. I consider Empires Apart as your direct competitor. I appreciate both games bring an AoE-style game to the modern era, but I will only accept one as the true successor. Besides that, this is a contest on FOSS vs. Proprietary development models, and I want to say that Open-Sourcing 0 A.D. was the best decision ever made.
5. 27 - Male - Philippines

Edit: There was Lion's comment concerning OpenAge. It's also Open Source and that it's more of an attempt of remastering AoE than being a successor, so that's more of an in-house debate. I want to see this Proprietary vs. Open Source competition slugging it out.

Edited August 8, 2016 by sphyrth

[Lion.Kanzen]

@sphyrth Openage is other serious competitor because is open source. And based their  engine in AoK.

[thamlett]

1. From Sourceforge back in the day
2. The dedication of the development team
3. No, not really... I mean I'm just getting back to it, so I have no complaints xD
4. You guys rock. Seriously.

[Zeta1127]

1. In looking for mods related to Age of Empires II, I found Rome at War and 0 A.D. around Alpha VIII.
2. The more historically accurate nature of 0 A.D. in comparison to even the Age of Empires franchise that inspired it.
3. I have made some minor suggestions in the past, usually typos that I have pointed out in the Suggestions thread, that have unfortunately been overlooked.
4. Unfortunately, with outdated hardware I don't really play 0 A.D. on a regular basis, built in graphics and/or an outdated graphics card tends to do that.
5. 26, male, United States

Edited August 7, 2016 by Zeta1127

[GunChleoc]

1. I regularly search for FLOSS games - I probably saw a review for 0 AD somewhere, or it was in a Wikipedia list.

2. My motivation is to translate. So, I don't play much except for playtesting.

3. All my questions and bugs have been addressed in a timely fashion, so no complaints.

4. I am a software localizer for a language that has around 50 - 60k speakers. So, going Open Source and volunteer translations are our only chance to get a number of games out there. When I first came across 0 AD, it wasn't translatable yet, but there were plans to make it translatable in the future. Since the graphics are excellent and I liked the gameplay and the project is active, I kept an eye on it.

[Jeru]

Thanks, everyone who's answered so far.

I have revised the questions a little bit.

Please keep the answers coming!

(If you have already answered and would like to revise the answers accordingly, that would be great!)

[Stan`]

How did you come across 0 A.D.?

Googling the web for free R.T.S. At that time it wouldn't even open on my computer. Also I wanted to contribute 3D art to the game.

What motivates you to play 0 A.D. ?

My motivation is to contribute to the game to offer as much fun to people who will play with my assets as I did making them and playing RTS games

Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?

Maybe more vision, I mean there are some tickets on trac that have been waiting for design decisions for Years. Maybe a little bit more activity on the art side though I know most artists are busy.

Is there any more information you'd like to add?

Not really.

What is your age, gender, and location?

22, male, France.

[Thorfinn the Shallow Minded]

1.

I was a general nerd surfing the net for articles on random ancient history and came across a website that had some articles.  I read more and learned that it was not so much as history article website as a game in development.  This was around the Pre-Alpha stage, and I did not see playability in the near future; not long later playability happened with Alpha 1 Argonaut.  I started following development not long afterwards.

2.

I like history and I like RTS games.  0 A.D. in my opinion does a fantastic job of making an engaging game without overly romanticising the past or botching up on facts.  I also love being able to be in a community in which I have seen my opinions take an active role in shaping the game.

3.

It's really great to me, and I don't have many complaints except that I would like more updates.  They don't have to be that official, but just casual explanations of recent developments would be brilliant.

4.

A witty and funny aphorism?  Nah.

5.

21 year old fellow from the States.

[Stan`]

@Thorfinn the Shallow Minded Is that casual enough http://trac.wildfiregames.com/wiki/Alpha21?version=49 ?

[GunChleoc]

I have sent you a PM with the personal info you requested.

[Karamel]

How did you come across 0 A.D.

I was building a listing of free/libre games and was lacking some good R.T.S. I don't remember well, even if I have heard about it long ago but couldn't remember the name. I think I've found it again from an article on the web (an no, not even as being the first package in the package manager)

What motivates you to play 0 A.D.?

Actually I don't really play it by now. I played it while I was discovering the game (alpha 15 or 16) then spend most time studying the mechanics. I sticked on it for multiple reasons. The game was very promising and pleasant to play, had a great atmosphere with graphics, sounds and musics (probably the best free 3D game I know in term of quality and the world best water rendering). I loved Age of Empires 2 and the fact it is historically correct, this game makes you learn things. And most of all, it's a free/libre game, you can share it, dig into it, play it on most systems, enhance it, well, be free and you know in three years the game will still run natively on next generations of OSes without DRMs.

Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?

Like for every free/libre game I play, I haven't found a local community to play/discuss it (even for Wesnoth which is far more popular). But as far as I have seen this community is rather large and well structured, with a lot of diversity in all domains (free games often lack an art department).

There is still something that have shocked me the first time but finally is maybe what have given the game it's durability is the strength of the official team (legacy of the original non-free game?). On other free projects there are contributions here and there and it can go anywhere. Here there is a team that says "No" in term of quality or general direction. It's disturbing at first, but there's still plenty of room for creativity and it probably have saved the game from a pile of crap state of TODO: enhance it (and it's motivating to do better things).

Is there any more information you'd like to add?

This is the only R.T.S I know in which you can breed an army of sheeps.

What is your age, gender, and location?

3 decades, fluctuating, France

[fnatikk50]

1. One of the Youtube suggested picked my interest, because I hadnt heared about 0 ad strategy before, in 2015 year
2. Currently not playing, waiting for alpha 21, I think the best answer is that it is modern aoe2, good enough graphics, units animations etc. 
3. Nah, everything is ok
4. look 3.
5. male, 20, Ukraine

[shieldwolf23]

How did you come across 0 A.D.

I was looking for RTS games (there aren't many after RON, AOE and Empire Earth) , and found 0 AD via Wikipedia (that was the first time, I think). I went and lurked at the website/ forums, and found out later about the Indiegogo drive. Lurked more, and then Niek invited me to stay. I'm not that active due to work and personal constraints (I'm now married and planning to have kids), but 0 AD is still prominently displayed in my "game center" at home.

What motivates you to play 0 A.D.?

I have played it on and off these past few years, although recently only around 1 to 2 hours in about 2 to 3 days a week. To be honest, Omri's music really is a soothing one, while the game itself is engaging. Historical RTS games are really my type, and having 0 AD as a modern incarnation is a blast.

Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?

The community itself is very mature, and supportive to ideas. I salute the core team in handling the site and the game development, and the volunteers whose labors are labors of love. I'm proud to be part of this community!

Is there any more information you'd like to add?

Info, none. But thanks for this opportunity, Jeru!

What is your age, gender, and location?

32, Male, Philippines (now in UAE).

Edited September 8, 2016 by shieldwolf23
Omri, not Omar (duh!)

[Phalanx]

1.  I was looking for games where I could play as the Seleucids

2.  I LOVE the time period.  I wan't a big fan of AoE 1 because it doesn't look amazing now, and the controls are stiff, but this game is amazing. I'm a nerd all around about this time period, and the level of nerd in the game is AMAZING.

3.  Ummm.... Really, a balancing dev team/advisory group.  I know that the beta is kinda far-ish down the road, and the devs are still trying to get the game to function, but I think now would be a good time to start getting a list of balancing options and changes, so when the beta does roll out, we have a list right off the bat.  And, personally, I'd love to be on the team.  Game balance analyzation is like a mini-hobby of mine.

4. Well.  I love this game, and I really want to help it come to fruition, and be one of those "hidden gems" of gaming.

5. 18 male Indiana, United States of America

[Aghilas]

How did you come across 0 A.D.?

I was looking for Age of Empires mods and when I see which african civs villagers weren't (and cannot be) blacks , I gave up of AOE and I found 0 A.D. at YouTube.

What motivates you to play 0 A.D.?

It's free and open-source, RTS games (not only ) in my country are expensive and 0 A.D. gave me a chance to play a funny (and educative) game and to help to the community who plays it too.

Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?

A campaign mode. When I can incarnate a hero/king of a civilization and build a empire! 

Is there any more information you'd like to add?

I don't have someone... 

What is your age, gender, and location?

18, Male, Brazil.

Edited September 14, 2016 by Aghilas

[Zophim]

1. How did you come across 0 A.D.?

Some friends of mine came across it first, many alpha releases ago (around 2012, I think), and then I got started playing it, quickly becoming one of 0 A.D.'s most enthusiastic fans.  I got interested in modding for the game over the summer of 2013.

2. What motivates you to play 0 A.D.?

I am motivated by the game's historical emphasis, ease of gameplay, moddability, resilience/freshness/realism, and overall coolness factor (and of course, because it's FREE!)  No joke: I actually learned _far_ more about history, geography, and the Bible through this game (and the research it inspired me to do) than I think I would have otherwise.  

I don't have a huge amount of time outside of work and life, but when I _am_ involved in 0 A.D., I usually spend more time researching for my Aristeia mod than I do actually playing the game.  I'll typically play a bit more just after an alpha release.  

3. Is there anything you want from any part of the 0 A.D. community and feel you're not getting? If so, why?

I would like for there to be more civs, more units, more special buildings, more gaia animals, more special techs, more victory conditions, more diplomacy/trade settings, a more reasonable/negotiable Petra Bot... 

I sometimes wish there was a bit more coordination of everyone's modding efforts into one unified chronological depiction of historical gameplay, but I realize that not everyone has the same vision for how the game should be presented.  I have a dream that one day I could go into 0 A.D. and select from a giant drop-down menu any time period, and then select from another drop-down menu with any major civ from that period, and start a scenario!  

Also, I would love for there to one day be a strategic campaign gameplay mode, based on history.  That would be incredible. 

Oh, and one more thing. Make the "how do you turn this on?" cheat unleash a winged fire-breathing dragon instead of a P-51 Mustang.

4. Is there any more information you'd like to add?

I love the fact that 0 A.D. is open source.  

5. What is your age, gender, and location?

26, male, United States

Edited October 1, 2016 by Zophim

[sphyrth]

Has the date been set about when this will take place?

[Jeru]

@sphyrth, October 20th, why do you ask?

[sphyrth]

20 hours ago, Jeru said:

@sphyrth, October 20th, why do you ask?

I know that the devs are trying to push the new alpha out asap and I really like how they approach it with the intent of making as stable as they can, but my impatience is getting to me. So I'm thinking of ways to keep my mind off to something else for a while.

That, and I'm hyped to hear some news about your event.

[imperium]

The game is very nice because it takes you back to a classic era feel ... but I would of small additions ... I wish there was another civ in the official game that the Germans ... this population, was on many aspects barbaric ... but we must not forget that he wrought three Roman legions, a possible hero of any faction could be
Arminius
also could have the colonial bonus ... In fact, it has founded today:
Sweden
Norway
Russia
Germany
Denmark
Finalndia
Poland
Then I would also aggiunture any of the units as a imperial Marian legionaries and centurions exactly as referenced in the scenario editor ... hope you got a good idea It is up to you to decide ...
ps.Non have a good computer and I have not taken a degree.

[feneur]

One or more Germanic civilizations are likely to be included in part two, as their role was greater in the 1 A.D. - 500 A.D. time period than the 500 B.C. - 1 B.C. time period.