[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 months ago

This was really awesome to read. Thank you, you made my day! More updates are coming this summer to make it even better. And hopefully smart watch + band integration soon as well. We're currently a bit delayed on that front as Google is redesigning how health app integrations work with Health Connect

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago

Doesn't need to be, and designed around the idea that it is closed when you're exercising. Can be entirely closed, and still tracks the steps.

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 16 points 2 months ago

Sure thing! If you need anything or want to ask something specific, message me to contact@walkscape.app !

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 29 points 2 months ago

Not yet, but it's on our roadmap. Google is right now doing a major rework on this (Health Connect), which delays our efforts on that for a moment as we need to wait for them to release it fully.

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The game still doesn't have a very good way for finding certain places. I recommend to check https://map.walkscape.app and https://wiki.walkscape.app in the mean time if you're struggling to find something

We are going to improve this in one of the upcoming updates

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 32 points 2 months ago

This was already fixed like month ago! It was mostly happening on Pixel devices only.

Give a try to the new version, it shouldn't use much battery at all now.

668
submitted 2 months ago by schamppu@lemmy.zip to c/games@lemmy.world

Hello! ❤️

I'm the developer of WalkScape! My game is an online RPG that is inspired by RuneScape, where all of the in-game progression happens by walking in real life.

I myself have struggled to exercise enough, and I'm diagnosed with ADHD. This project started off as something I was working for myself to help me exercise more. The game has been in Closed Beta since January 18th, and the player feedback so far has been awesome!

There are three key things that make the game very unique for a mobile game, in addition to just being a nice and cozy game that incentivizes you to walk:

  • No GPS. Unlike games like Pokemon Go, WalkScape uses pedometer instead of GPS. This means you can walk where ever you like, including at your home or gym on a treadmill. And doesn't compromise your privacy.

  • No MTX or ads. I'm against all kind of predatory trends in gaming, especially predatory monetisation. WalkScape is completely community funded with Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee with no external investments.

  • Not hungry for your attention. WalkScape doesn't even need to be opened in the background for you to gain progress in it. The game is designed in a way where you only need to open it after your exercise, and if you forget to the game it doesn't punish you. It saves your "missed steps" for later.

If you're interested to give it a try, you can check out https://walkscape.app to find how to join the upcoming beta wave, see some stats about the game (people have already walked more than 1.5 billion steps!), and our roadmap.

I'll answer any questions you might have. Happy walking and stay hydrated ❤️

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Probably. I'm not too keen on paying the 30% Google Play tax anyhow, as that cost would fall to be paid by the players with increased subscription cost. I want to keep the subscription as affordable as possible. I'll try my best to find ways around it, probably easy enough on Google Play but might prove to be more difficult on AppStore.

Edit: and even as of now, the game requires no Google Services. I'm doing my best to keep it that way.

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 26 points 5 months ago

Free to play so you can first try it out before making a purchase decision. Then you can either play it single player with single purchase, or if you want to play it online it's affordable subscription. This is the least predatory way of doing monetization that in my mind works great both for the players and makes sure we can support the game for long.

And thank you!

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It's an online game, with option for single player coming later. We run anti-cheat and cloud save your progress when you open it up, plus validate that you're running on the most recent version of the game so you can't be exploiting old game balance etc. found in previous versions.

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 12 points 5 months ago

Offline mode of the game will be offered as one time payment, whereas the online mode costs an affordable subscription. Both will include F2P where you can try out the game for free to see if it's worth your money before making the decision.

If you're thinking of supporting, Buy me a Coffee offers one time purchase to get access immediately.

The reason we have subscription planned for the online mode is that we don't do ads or MTX. But running an online game comes with a hefty price tag, which we couldn't support with single purchases only. Affordable subscription at least to me personally is much better option than ads/MTX.

[-] schamppu@lemmy.zip 13 points 5 months ago

We're developing an anti-cheat, and have quite good plan how to deal with it. Obviously every MMO always has cheaters, but the great thing about WalkScape is that there's just one input to the game (your steps) which makes monitoring a lot easier.

We're already tracking the steps server side and getting some data to implement a version of the anti-cheat during closed beta, and then testing it out in our separate server with people who want to try cheating in order to perfect it before we go open beta. It's something we're committed to improve, and I'll do the best coding wizardry that I can.

My bottom line is that we probably can never catch every cheater, but as long as we can catch those who would ruin the economy or competition, it's not going to ruin the game for others. And I'll of course aim higher than that, but trying to stay realistic as this is an indie game and I don't have the resources to hire 20 people to work on anti-cheat.

591
submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by schamppu@lemmy.zip to c/games@lemmy.world

Hello!

First off, I've struggled to exercise, and I also have ADHD. Gamifying exercise works really well for my dopamine-craving brain, but I'm also easily distracted, so the current mobile fitness games on the market didn't really work for me. That's how I came up with this idea.

Here are some info about the game and how it's different from Pokemon Go for example:

  • no distractions. I love games that value my time. WalkScape is designed so that it encourages you not to open it while you're walking, but afterwards. And even if you open it while walking, changing things in the game is super quick.
  • no GPS. So you can walk where ever you want. The game tracks your steps even without an internet connection, but you need a connection when you open the game.
  • no ads, no MTX. I hate predatory monetisation practises, and they encourage unhealthy spending habits. This game is about both mental and physical health.

In the game, you explore and work in different skills such as woodcutting, foraging, fishing and crafting by walking in real life. The game uses your phone's pedometer to track your progress. It's also online, so you can work with your friends towards common goals without needing to be physically in the same location.

The game has dozens of locations, hundreds of items, NPCs, shops and more is coming as I work towards the full release of the game. There's a lot of different unique and cute activities in the game you can set your character to do in addition to the typical woodcutting and mining, like volunteering in soup kitchen or helping locals repairing their boats. All fueled by walking IRL.

If you feel like you'd like to try it out, you can either apply to the closed beta (we're inviting more people right now) or if you like to support the development, you get instant to access through Patreon or Buy me a Coffee to start playing. The game is completely community funded.

Whether you decide to support or apply to the closed beta, you'll need to sign up at WalkScape Portal to the game and then apply or connect your Patreon on the account page.

You can also check our this video to hear me and the artist explain more about the game: Youtube introduction video

Or you can visit the website.

We also have my devblogs released every two weeks available at https://portal.walkscape.app/development

It's been a wild journey for me growing this thing from my personal hobby project, and awesome to see the game helping so many people to exercise more. I'll answer any questions you might have in the comments!

Stay hydrated, and keep walking ❤️

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schamppu

joined 5 months ago