Why FakeMultiplayer?
The Problem
For many multiplayer games, the biggest roadblock to success is retaining players.
These games generally require two or more players to be connected at the same time to begin the game, but the first player leaves before the next can join.
This pattern repeats ad infinitum, never accumulating enough players to start the game at all.
The Eventual Resolution
Luckily, by sheer chance enough players will eventually (probably) connect at the same time to be able to enjoy the game together.
At this point, their session duration skyrockets, which in turn allows for more opportunities for other players to join.
This positive feedback loop is what every multiplayer game strives for - it is a crucial aspect for the health and growth of a game.
Accelerating Growth
Some multiplayer games are already well aware of the importance of player retention during periods of low activity.
To achieve this within the constraints of multiplayer, NPCs are provided to play against players until more real players appear.
While this is an effective strategy, engineering a robust NPC is often difficult, and a lackluster solution is seen as
lame and could even be a detriment to the player experience.
Our Proposal
FakeMultiplayer provides the tools to design an NPC format which effectively engages players for a long period of time.
Many of these tools are free, while others are paid due to costs associated with their use or maintenance.
This is a non-exhaustive list of FakeMultiplayer's offerings:
- Real player usernames
- Up-to-date player nicknames (read about the difference between nicknames and usernames here)
- Tailored modes for Player x NPC chat interactions
- Curated NPC x NPC dialogue clips
- Timing suggestions for NPC speech
By leveraging these tools, developers can more effectively retain players and see much faster growth for their game.