Allow me to give my view on your game development direction.
[Background: Just started playing Supremacy 1914 last Oct and found that it's a fantastic game!]
You have 2 directions in your game Supremacy 1 (Tesla Wars) development:
1. Go on the direction of improving the ideas from Supremacy 1914 game, by making it more realistic by increasing its complexity.
Examples of ideas are as follows:
i. As someone suggested, introduce the element of decreasing morale of defending troops if it is being attacked from more than 1 direction. Flanking game play strategy.
ii. Introduce the concept of supply lines between the Capital to the provinces. If a province is isolated and surrounded by enemy province, there will be a morale penalty for the province and the the player is not able to do any new construction. Construction under queue could not be started for this isolated province. Siege game play strategy.
iii. Introduce "sea region" of control for the sea by naval units. As such, if a country has total control of a sea region, the effect an enemy province by the sea where the adjacent sea is an enemy region, has a province moral penalty like bordering an enemy land province. Naval blockage game strategy.
There are no shortage of ideas to make the Supremacy 1 towards a more historical realistic game. These ideas may be applied to Supremacy 1914 game too.
2. Complete breakaway from historical bounds of WW1, though Supremacy 1 (Tesla Wars) can be a game themed on WW1. This would be towards a fictional and fantasy game development direction where there are fictional unit types. I think you are going towards this direction from I read in your announcement.
Some thought on your business direction in the game development
I thought that you should be very clear on which game player market segment you are targeting to make your money from:
1. If you want to make a game for a more matured and older players that appreciate realistic and historical game play, those who enjoys political negotiations among players, international relations, alliance, friendships and what nots, then continue developing Supremacy 1914 and/or Supremacy 1 (Tesla Wars) towards this direction. I believe the income from this market segment is more steady and stable as these players have the money to spend on the game. Many are working adults or retirees, i suppose. Many like me, get satisfaction fro not only playing the game but from reading to find and learn more on every aspect of WW1. If possible, visiting museums and site of WW1 battlefields. As such, interest in the game is sustainable, not only on how good the game is but also on interest on the history of WW1. Players are likely to stay on playing the games for years to come and keep coming back for it to replay what if scenarios, i guess. In fact, i have encountered many players who keep playing Supremacy 1914 for years.
2. If you want to make a game for younger players and elementary or high school kids, then a fast pace, with high destructive power and good graphics are the direction to go. In order to have such game features, creative and imaginative ideas that are not bound by WW1 historical and reality are required so that the game's new game features are possible. The income from this younger player segment should be good too, i believe, Probably they are impulsive and willing to spend money on the game on impulse, upon been challenged and to satisfy their egoistic need to win. But I am not too sure it is sustainable business without constant heavy advertisement expenditure to recruit new players. These younger players may not have the loyalty like matured players. They probably have short attention span and easily bored.
There should be a clear game directions and not a mixture of both. Otherwise, the matured game player segment would be frustrated and the younger player segment would found it not interesting enough. It should be direction 1 or 2. Otherwise its neither here not there. A case of trying to please everyone but in the end all are not pleased.
What say you? Some response or views from other players and the game developers/owners would be interesting.
