[FEEDBACK] Need some help on how to improve on my game “Tribal Warriors.”

Help and Feedback Game Design Support
#1

First off, I’m typing this on my phone so I apologize for any errors I make while writing this.

Game Link: Tribal Warriors [BETA!] - Roblox

So, I recently ran a decent sized sponsor (25k ROBUX) on my combat / sword fight game, Tribal Warriors. Basically it’s just a round-based sword fighting game where there’s different arenas and each arena has its own unique map that changes the way you fight. Players can use coins they gain to buy ingame items such as clothing , hats , weapons, trails, and faces. There are currently a few buyable game passes and devproducts such as: access to practice sword fight in lobby, ingame temporary power ups, and buyable coins.

Unfortunately, the game did not perform as well as I had hoped. After two days , the game had like 20k visits and had a pretty low like/dislike ratio at around 50%. I’m not really sure where all the dislikes were coming from, as the feedback of the game was pretty positive (judging from my other post for feedback as well as players saying they enjoyed the game). I’m thinking that they were from kids who ragequit because they lost a round, so I attempted lowering the amount of players per server to 16 (previously 30) so that players had a higher chance of winning. The like/dislike ratio still lowered, but not nearly as much as before. Players also did not stay in the game for that long, the average playtime was around 3-10 minutes.

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The game also did not make a profit at all, I only made about 4,000 ROBUX after spending 25,000 on sponsors. (10k went to PC, 10k went to mobile, 5k went to tablet.)

My scripter will be adding some new features such as a leaderboard, buyable ingame items, some new game passes, and a level up system, and I’m hoping this will increase player engagement and monetization the next time I sponsor the game.

Obviously the poor performance of the game is pretty disheartening and unmotivating , but I don’t want all the hard work put into it to go to waste. So I would like some feedback on the game and some suggestions for improvement, along with answers to some questions:

  • What are some suggestions to improve player engagement and monetization?

  • How could I improve the like / dislike ratio before sending out another wave of sponsors?

  • Do you think adding the updates I mentioned above would help with player engagement and monetization?

  • Would it be smart to invest in a better fighting system and weapons? (Currently the weapons are just remodeled versions of the linked swords.)

  • Are combat / sword fight games successful when running sponsors?

  • Would it be smart to sponsor more towards PC than Mobile? (I would assume combat games are harder on mobile, so this possibly could have led to the dislikes.)

Any other suggestions or other forms of feedback would be extremely helpful. Thanks for reading! :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#2

Are you ready for a roast? Here ya go (not trying to be mean though)

Loading times are unbelievably unbearable.

UI is very clunky looking in the beginning filling up 20% of my screen. Audio broke my eardrums. Delay is very apparent. Lighting looks bland. UI elements don’t fit the asthetic. Gamepasses shove straight down my screen. Coins label is off-centered.

Winning is very anti-climatic. Gameplay is very boring imo, no real “winning” feel that I get playing usual combat games like Black Magic 2. Combat needs more work rather then pray and clay.

Performance is an issue in this game, tone down npc countage/humanoids, thats your primary issue.
Music can be on low volumes and high volumes. Gamepasses/p2w is a huge issue in my opinion.

Gameplay is nothing unique of that of a flat ground with a small element in the middle. Nothing dangerous to avoid while playing, no high grounds at times etc.

Esentially, there is nothing to strive to want in this game other than cosmetics and so on which is fine but, doesn’t really fit? Gameplay is static with clicking and running. Maps are varied flat lands. Performance is a pain to load in. Gameplay is very clunky. (Aka, the fact of monetization is made very clear and thats a no go in most people’s eyes, reminds me of those obby games that have side to side gamepasses cluttered everywhere.) TOH does this well in hiding it in a small menu :+1:

Your issue isn’t advertisments and so on, its the gameplay that is provided and systems put in place. Good luck and keep deving though because I believe this can be done very well if done correctly :+1:

I’d rather have higher playcount as well and a bigger/more varied landscape map. I feel as though it would boost “scared levels” and fun.

7 Likes
#3

Unfortunately it seems like your game has been either:

  1. Dislike Botted
  2. Players aren’t interested as much anymore
  3. Option I didn’t think of yet

First option explanation:
With the return of like botted games hitting the platform, it would serve no surprise if some people decided to do the opposite. The chances of this happening to your game are very slim, however they aren’t zero.

Second option explanation:
Perhaps your playerbase has gotten bored of the game, this is the most likely of the two as some games get very positive feedback, yet have very low like/dislike ratios. Maybe try adding something new like say daily challenges or community made items?
Thats all I got, I wish you luck on your game!

2 Likes
#4

Hi, thanks for the honest feedback.

I definitely agree with some of your complaints, like the uneven UI, uneven music volume, and the annoying game pass options on the right side of the screen.

How long were the loading times for you? The loading screen is generally pretty quick for me only lasting a few seconds, but it could be differences in our computers?

Any suggestions on how to make winning more satisfying? Maybe a cutscene for the winner or something?

Performance is definitely something i’ve worried about, and I have been contemplating removing or toning down some of the audience NPCs, but I feel like they make the game feel more alive.

I think you might have missed some of the maps that have more variety. Not all of them are pure flat ground, some have an obbies, moving obstacles, falling obstacles, water combat, etc.

Besides cosmetics, what could be added that a player would strive for? Better weapons? Quests? A level up system and leaderboard are soon being added to the game, do you think those will keep some players wanting to come back?

3 Likes
#5

Damn. I don’t know why someone would use dislike bots on a game that is so new. But I also can’t think of a reason why 50% of players hated the game so much that they thought to give the game a dislike. My theory was that kids were losing the rounds and rage quitting and then disliking, but I definitely could be wrong.

2 Likes
#6

That would make a lot of sense as I have seen multiple instances of people (Mostly children) getting extremely mad at a game and disliking it even if the game is not bad in the slightest, I guess you gotta hope mature people find the game and not dislike it out of rage. Best of luck to you!

1 Like
#7

I loved the game! It was fast gameplay and wonderfully made. One thing I have a problem with is the damage counter. People can reach extremely far and hit people from very far away with the spears. While, with the normal swords they have like no distance at all.

1 Like
#8

Loading times took around 15-20 seconds before getting into the game for me which was quite odd, never really had issues with loading on large games.

Winning could be more satisfying by making gameplay more difficult/enticing. Give them more enticing awards to actually win. Winning just gives you coins and thats it which seems bland. You don’t have to remove the npcs, just replace humanoids or disable states in them that you aren’t using such as climb state and swim state, they slow down the game.

Although I agree with you on that some maps do have variety, they’re mostly in my opinion, very tight in some regards (though in some maps thats actually good). Some feel bland which I don’t think is a good thing. Having generally good and fun maps to play in is what boosts up likes.

Better weapons would probably equal pay to win. What you can do instead is have a variety of different weapons with varying stats and so on to make it an even playing ground with variety. Quests and so on would also be a good idea, especially achievements.

Top leaderboards and so on would be a nice addition to keep engagement in players as well :+1:

(As somebody has said as well, spears were really unfair, same slash speed with longer range is unfair in my opinion. Custom combat like blocking will add alot of layers to the game.)

2 Likes
#9

I played the game yesterday and it was really fun! (Video: https://gyazo.com/695b62c80dd71d70be2bec3bf504fa15) One thing that I noticed is that the shop and inventory buttons don’t tween and don’t do anything when you click on them, but the spectating one does. Pretty weird. Some parts of the lobby look pretty bland (such as the ground). so try adding extra stuff. You can also add more features to your game. Sad to see many kids rage quitting, but you’ll have to deal with it!

#10

Oh , thanks for catching that! They do tween, I actually just removed a hat from the shop script folder to fix it and forgot to add it back in, which broke the script.

2 Likes
#11

People are using dislike bots as the excuse for bad game ratings. I highly doubt somebody would spend money just to ruin a random developer’s rating

1 Like
#12

This is probably the longest post I’ve ever made, so I understand why you wouldn’t want to read the whole thing, so here’s a TLDR:

TLDR - The swords and spears aren’t anything special, the game feels repetitive, and the UI is pretty clunky.

I have a lot to say about the game, let’s start with the main selling point of the game:

Swords - It’s just a glorified version of the sword we all know. Make swords do way less damage. The main problem with the sword we all know and love is that the fights are extremely short since the sword does an insane amount of damage. You should also add different moves, such as a dash, maybe a way to block, etc. I know this isn’t the easiest thing to do, but it should be a priority to remake the main selling point of your game.

Spears - They are basically the same as swords, but with more range. (At least I think, otherwise, there is no reason to have spears.) What I said about the swords apply to the spears as well.

Lack of variety - I like how there are different maps and customization, but the game still feels repetitive, just like every other sword fighting game on Roblox. I suggest adding new modes such as bombs that fall out of the sky or zombies that start spawning. It would make the game feel less repetitive and more fun.

UI - The UI is pretty clunky. The loading screen doesn’t cover the other UI, which my OCD doesn’t allow. That is a pretty easy change. The UI also covers like half of my screen which isn’t good. I suggest adding a way to hide the UI or putting stuff like game passes and dev products on a separate menu.

Monetization - Unlike other games, your game lacks monetization. Add more game passes, such as an exclusive golden sword, or a trail or an effect, whatever you want. Your game needs more monetization, so next time you don’t lose Robux.

Conclusion - Well, this was a long post. Overall, your game is fun but it definitely needs some work. Keep making new updates, and your game might go somewhere.

3 Likes
#13

Might end up repeating what others have said.

  • Lobby looks fine to me, but maybe it was improved between the time you got feedback on it and the time I tried the game. It has good “flavor” and is nice to look at.

  • Yeah combat needs to have way more features or “finesse”. The last thing you want to do is use default anything (even reskinned) if you want your game to be taken seriously.

    • You’ll probably need to find and hire some modelers, animators, and possibly scripters if you want combat to look and feel good.
    • In general to start with I’d recommend making default movement faster, making the default jump height higher, and adding more verticality to maps. This will make maps more fun to play.
    • As an interim measure I’d look into the sword scripts and greatly reduce their damage so that fights last longer.

  • Loading times are fine for me, but it may help to just have the arenas load a distance above or below the lobby and just teleport players back down between rounds.

    • Also, why do players who are already in the lobby need to view the loading screen? They’re already there.

  • Chief Taka needs to talk less. I timed how long it takes from the time loading finishes to the point where we can actually fight and it can be up to 25-30 seconds. That’s way too long when your lifespan per match is measured in seconds.

  • Would go a long way for polish if Taka announced who killed who during a match using the same GUI that he uses when introducing each map.

  • Make sure players can’t move during the pre-match countdown, or just get rid of the pre-match timer and allow players to equip their swords and fight as soon as Taka is done flapping his lips.

  • GET RID OF THE PAY-TO-WIN GAMEPASSES. This shouldn’t even be a question. When you make a gamepass, it’s assumed that at least some people will use them. I can’t imagine the frustration that players must feel when their opponent is faster, stronger, or can jump higher than them because they didn’t pay up. Seriously, when you make a gamepass, ask yourself if you would find it fair if it was used against you. Seriously, again, do NOT allow players to pay for a flat advantage.

    • On a related note, make the lobby sword fight arena free. I can’t imagine too many people paying for that. Most similar practice arenas or modes in combat games are hardly used anyways. Having to pay for it all but guarantees no one will use it.

  • The wind effect on that one snow map is way too strong. You are literally unable to fight it unless you jump constantly.

  • Minor thing, but I’d recommend renaming the lobby team to just “lobby” and replace the “dead” part of it with a GUI notification somewhere along the bottom that says something like, “You are dead or have joined in the middle of a match. Please wait for the next match to start.”

#14

I played this game before and I disliked it (sorry). It’s not that I rage quit, it’s just the way the game works. Battles just last a minute and it’s just not fun.

What you could do:

Nerf the weapons so it’s harder to kill people.

I definitely agree with this. Something you could add is a podium at the end for the top 3 winners.

Another idea is to be able to buy new clothes with a currency. Maybe even add a leveling system?

To make the battles more fun, maybe you could add purchasable abilities that ou could use in battle.

That’s all, I’m looking forward to seeing your improved game!

1 Like
#15

This is already in the game, lol.

#16

Sorry, I didn’t play for long and it wasn’t very clear.