Steam Trading Cards

[AdamD]

Hello gang!

With Soldat set to hit Steam soon, we would like to decide on a series of trading cards!

If you're unfamiliar with Steam trading cards, please read this: http://steamcommunity.com/tradingcards

What we need are:
- 14-15 ideas for cards
- Ideas for profile background images
- Idea for a badge; an icon for users to display on their profile

We are open to any volunteers to make art assets also!

[L[0ne]R]

FYI,

Free apps may only have trading cards if the app has in-app purchases. Users will get a card drop for every $9 USD equivalent spent in the app.

(https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/tradingcards)
So there would have to be some sort of ingame DLC or microtransactions for it to have cards / badges / etc. :/
Something else to keep in mind: We only have one chance at this, so we have to make sure it's done perfect the first time.

So the takeaway from all this is "Feel free to post ideas and brainstorm, but don't rush to do it and don't expect it'll be implemented any time soon".





Anyway, I might as well leave some ideas for the future, while we're at it.

-----------

Badges:

Steam allows 5 badges + 1 foil badge. Ideally, badges should be one "better" than the other, to encourage people to get higher level badges instead of going for a specific one. One idea is to have a picture of a plain-looking soldier that gets new accessories with each badge level.

Level 1: Cannon Fodder (picture of a plain-looking soldier with Major's colors but without the helmet or gun)
Level 2: Major (picture of default Major, including the helmet)
Level 3: ? (Major with an AK-47, knife and grenades)
Level 4: ? (Major with an AK-47, knife, grenades, smoking cigar)
Level 5: Flag Carrier (Major with an AK-47, knife, grenades, smoking cigar, and carrying a yellow flag)
Foil: Rambo

-----------

Backgrounds:

I suggest using pictures of iconic maps (ctf_ash for example). Since Soldat's art style is up in the air right now (and probably will be for a while), those pictures should not be screenshots, but rather painted replicas like Terraria's steam backgrounds.

There is a limit of 5 backgrounds, so we could do

- 1 DM / TDM / RM map (Ratcave?)
- 1 CTF map (ctf_Ash?)
- 1 INF map (inf_Abel?)
- 1 HTF map (the one with the tiny fortresses)
- 1 custom gamemode map (dodgeball?)

-----------

Emotes:

Also limited to 5. IMO emotes should be something simple but iconic to Soldat, but at the same time something that a non-Soldat player might want to use. Some ideas:

- Medkit
- Grenade kit
- Blue / Red / Yellow Flag
- Chainsaw

-----------

Cards:

The reason I'm listing cards last is because we can simply use most of the ideas from above^
In addition to those, we can (and IMO should) also include cards of gamemodes - DM, CTF, INF, RM,  and most popular community mods like Trenchwars, Climb, Dodgeball, etc. Community content is a huge part of Soldat and must definitely be mentioned at least somewhere. There can be anywhere between 5 to 15 cards, so we could do 3 categories of 5 cards:

- 5 cards of maps
- 5 cards of gamemodes
- 5 cards of objects

[AdamD]

The backgrounds idea is something we were thinking up too. Would be cool to have like, sketched versions of each of the maps (maybe just export a wireframe view of certain CTF maps and do some photoshop line magic)

good ideas!

[Nanouk]

Free apps may only have trading cards if the app has in-app purchases. Users will get a card drop for every $9 USD equivalent spent in the app.

So if I understand this correctly, in its current state the game is not entitled to participate in the Trading Cards system? Well whatever, I like the idea so I'm writing down my thoughts really quick. I'm liking Loner's suggestions already.

------------

Badges:

I'm really behind Loner with this one. I imagine a batch of an upgrading Soldier to be both cool and motivating; actually better than most badges I know. Plus, all the graphics are already in the game. Could also add some dog tags / golden chains somewhere between Level 3-5.

-----------

Backgrounds:

Map layouts seem to be the best choice here. However, I wouldn't be that strict with the gamemodes. Just pick popular maps that feature iconic and pleasant shapes. Because honestly, not even old players would like to set Abel or Dusk as their bg. Imo good picks include:

- Ash (vir's rework)
- Death (mtk's rework)
- Airpirates
- Steel
- Snakebite
- Division (vir's rework)

Painted replicas would be sick but I also see how much work this can be. Another thing to consider could be one general Soldat wallpaper as a rare or uncommon background (maybe just the retro one from Soldat homepage with small readjustments / additions?)

-----------

Emotes:

I'm with Loner here, Soldat offers a nice table of emoticon-sized iconic and usable graphics. I'd stick to those most popular in the discord:

- Medkit
- Nade (single nade imo)
- Knife
- Saw
- Little flag carrier

-----------

Trading cards:

14-15 cards? Whew, never seen a game feature that many.. But I agree this is where community content and the game's diversity can shine. I'd go as far and limit the theme game modes only; I'm seeing this end up in neat little illustrations.

1. CTF
2. DM
3. HTF
4. Inf
5. Rambo
6. RS / CS / Trenchwar
7. CTF (competitive 3v3) / Soldat League Theme
8. Duel (DM 1on1)
9. Hide'n'Seek
10. Knife Only
11. Climb
12. Dodgeball
13. Knife Sports
14. Zombie Mod / Last Stand
15. Saw'n'Law / Snipe'n'Slice

[Irlandec]

Emotes:

Could be good if you can "Soldatize" the popular Twitch meme emotes(adding Soldat attribute to known emoticons), like soldatLUL etc.

[falcon.]

a INF map for background is more cool moonshine 

[CheeSeMan.]

Though I am sure it would be hard to decide which players to feature and would be one of a hell of a debate... I would think it would be cool if the cards were dedicated to some of the Soldat legends(insane players, great modders, great mappers etc...)

[Ygrek Starmagedon]

Badges like Loner assumed, backgrounds too, emotes same as Nanouk mentioned, cards - all weapons of Soldat, but the gamemodes are better option - include all of original one's besides pointmatch but also pls include [JTL] JumpTestLong (it's easy/medium climb+ctf without jets) pls , probably JumpTestDeath would do best, don't make knife sports and duel, rest are ok how Nanouk suggested.

[SDFilm]

Hi everyone!

Does the game even need to be free? When I'm browsing Steam I actively avoid free-to-play games because I assume that they're going to be filled with micro transactions and pay-to-win BS. I would have avoided War Thunder too if I didn't know better.
Consider the Veblen Effect; we need to show that people are getting a quality product. Even if it stays as a free-to-play game it'll be good to add in the description that Soldat has over a decade of community input as well as having no pay-to-win etc.

I'm not saying that 100% free-to-play can't work; indeed it could bring a flood of new players, but I hope that the average Steam user doesn't take one look at the free Soldat and assume exactly what I would assume with a free Steam game.

[Ygrek Starmagedon]

Well, MM wanted it to be free on Steam. Adding those info in description on store page is good idea imo. I also think that there are a lot of Steam users who look only for f2p games. Well something like pay-to-win would destroy the gameplay I think, so I assume there won't be any micro transactions that would change gameplay in other way than aesthetics.

[L[0ne]R]

Hi everyone!

Does the game even need to be free? When I'm browsing Steam I actively avoid free-to-play games because I assume that they're going to be filled with micro transactions and pay-to-win BS. I would have avoided War Thunder too if I didn't know better.
Consider the Veblen Effect; we need to show that people are getting a quality product. Even if it stays as a free-to-play game it'll be good to add in the description that Soldat has over a decade of community input as well as having no pay-to-win etc.

I'm not saying that 100% free-to-play can't work; indeed it could bring a flood of new players, but I hope that the average Steam user doesn't take one look at the free Soldat and assume exactly what I would assume with a free Steam game.

Good point, there is a bit of a stigma associated with "Free" games, though I'm not sure if it'll really be a problem on Steam. There are quite a few no-strings-attached free games that are genuinely good, which somewhat help improve the image of free games. Also Steam actually has two separate categories - "Free" and "Free-to-Play". Not sure what the difference is, but "Free-to-Play" seems to be where most of the microtransaction-based games are.

[SDFilm]

Well something like pay-to-win would destroy the gameplay I think

I'm just waiting for the vehicles DLC

[Ygrek Starmagedon]

Well something like pay-to-win would destroy the gameplay I think

I'm just waiting for the vehicles DLC

Hah! Servers with DLC's, that would be nice! I reserve jet! XD Maybe if water would be added we would have some boats, and some battlefield style attack on beach.