To date this project has not generated a huge amount of interest, and I suspect that it is because the Stargate TCG is not as well knows as something like Magic The Gathering, and therefore it does not have such a huge fan base. It is however a great game and it is very easy to pick up. The easiest way to learn it is to download the game client from Sony and play the tutorial.
As can be seen from the
comments below it would appear that the Stargate TCG community is just not ready for a free game client yet.
EliteAnubisGuard - Thu Apr 03, 2008
Interesting notion. I think it'd be really handy. Especially when the game goes down which given SOE/CI's concern for the game seems to be the direction they're heading.
But until then I have concerns for you. I just don't wanna see you're ass getting sued.
DustMan - Thu Apr 03, 2008
I agree with EAG; you are treading on dangerous ground here.
It's one thing to play with programming a version of the game, and even getting your friends on board to play it toegther. It's a whole 'nother thing to promote and release a product designed to replace Sony's program. MTG can afford to allow these projects because they have such a large player base that leeching a few off doesn't really hurt WotC. Stargate TCG, though, is struggling, and can't afford to allow a competing product to steal customers.
I would suggest that, for now, you don't release anything online. Continue working on it, though, and if SOE's servers ever get shut down, wait a bit and then release it. The legal threat is decreased much more if Sony isn't actively losing money from your project. There is still a risk, though, so be careful.
(Also, copying Sony's layout actually makes it worse. At least make it visually different than Sony's rather than aping what came before).
The “Sony will sue your pants off for this” argument is not really news to me, in the TCG scene we have seen many MTG projects receiving cease and desist letters, and once my efforts produce a playable game I expect nothing less from Sony Online Entertainment. The fact that the Stargate TCG is struggling is also not surprising to me (despite the fact that it is a great game). I did a very quick “I am feeling lucky” search and
sentiments like these help explain the situation:
DrNate: ...Hm. Looks pretty Star Trek CCG-ish. Still, if I had a job, I might try it out (Teal'c starter!) but random product is not my friend...
suedenim: What are the prices of the virtual cards? If they're at a significant discount from the "real" ones, I might give it a spin....
Mr. Sanity: Sadly, it's 100% MSRP. That's what keeps me from buying in. I did that for a couple years with Magic Online, but there could at least justify it with the *huge* user base. A number of other non-mainstream CCG/CMG games at least had the decency to have a lower price as a lower barrier to entry for folks.
<rant>
For these Worlds Apart/Decipher/Sony games, their new MSRP pricing has pushed me out of the buying pool. It's kind of a chicken & egg problem from what I can see. They ask a premium price, but don't have the opponent userbase to justify it. I mean, why plunk down $50 to play the same 6-10 people day after day? When I play a CCG, my goal is to face novel decks & challenges, not to face Bob's Favorite Deck 1.02 for the third time in a night.
</rant>
Finally for “aping what came before” I am guilty as charged. My mission here is to get a playable user interface completed as soon as possible so I can start on the real interesting stuff namely rules enforcement.
If you have a radically cool idea for the user interface please let me know, in the mean time I will not be deterred and will cary on with development ;-)