[Hephos]

ScapeFX now includes MCCP for saving bandwidth.

More info about the new version at:


Coming soon: FREE Ad-driven ScapeFX License Option

[Homer]

Great stuff - Thanks, Hephos!

[Hephos]

We have changed our licensing options for ScapeFX and now have a free ad version.


Also coming soon: PortalSFX (FREE client in one link)

[KaVir]

What would you be advertising? As your product is aimed at mud owners rather than players, I'm assuming you'd be advertising something else - would you be advertising other muds? How big would the advertising banners be?

[Hephos]

Anyone that buys the ad packages may advertise with the ScapeFX client.

These goes into the PortalSFX as well.

All clients running without the commercial license will have the banners. The banners show for approx 10 seconds (animate in and out) and doesn't limit gameplay. They rotate, so you will get banners as long as you play with the client.

I'm not exactly sure yet how much/often these should display though. But the main thing is that they shouldn't hinder the player from using the client.

[KaVir]

Most veteran mudders already have a favourite client, so IMO ScapeFX is mostly of interest for attracting newbies. I don't mean to sound negative here, but there's no way I'd recommend your client to first-time players if the first thing they see when they connect to my game is a 10-second animated advert for a rival mud.

[Hephos]

You can always get rid of the ads if you are picky about it by purchasing the license. Basically the free version with ads is for people to be able to use the client when they cannot afford the license. They can build their custom client and if it turns out to be great, they can pay the license if they want to. And any serious mud that want an own custom client should have no problem purchasing the license. The fee is low compared to ordinary similar software licenses.

Most mud clients have ads more or less in them from scratch with icons or 'existing' setups for muds. Take zmud for example. The first thing you see is a button to connect to another mud when you start it. Most muds also have big voting buttons on their front pages sending the players to sites like this that are litterally pulsating with rival muds.
Some large muds even post ads for other muds/games on their own website.

With scapefx your players won't even be able to connect to another mud from within the client. (Like almost any other client would allow them). When you start the client it will only connect to your mud. The banners will take the players to their websites, just like these sites do.

[KaVir]

True, but most clients are marketed at players, while yours is specifically marketed at mud owners. I don't recommend zmud/cmud to my players either, but I know that a few of them use it - however from my understanding of your client, players can't even use it to connect to my mud unless I explicitly add it.

First-time players are unlikely to go to a muds website and start clicking all the vote links, at least not until they've decided they like the mud. My concern with the ad version is that new players will be shown large 10-second animated adverts for rival muds before they can even connect to my game for the first time.

Attracting new players is hard work. Your easy-to-use flashy client could definitely help attract new players, but if the first thing they see is an advert for another game I could well end up losing more players than I gained. In fact it strikes me that buying advertising space could actually be a more effective way of attracting new players than licencing the client.

[Hephos]

Yes, if you wish to use an own scapefx client, no one can use it unless you add it. The PortalSFX client (basic scapefx without customization) is up for anyone to use.


The banner doesn't hinder the client, so the connection is opened right away. The login or main text window should not be obscured.

You can both license the client and buy advertising to attract players

Also, I'd like to mention that ScapeFX is not only for attracting NEW players. Our mud use the Firebolt client (which is based on ScapeFX with plugins) to add features they could not get otherwise. 99% of our players use our client. Very few use other clients since they would lose a lot of the features the game has to offer through the custom client.

[Newworlds]

I still think this concept is a good idea. Perhaps the issues will be fleshed out in the future.

[Hephos]

For mudadmins that do not wish to install or customize an own client for their game using FREE PortalSFX for "click to play" might be an option:

Godwars 2:

[Hephos]

ScapeFX now include a new spicy feature to show tooltips for items (and similar).