Hello there people,

It was around 3 years ago i first discovered iSketch and i really loved it. I have only just got back into it.

I think iSketch is a really great game and very addictive. I have come up with an idea to make the game better. I think iSketch would benefit from a EXP System. It would encourage players to play more in order to earn more EXP Points and Level up.

It is simple. Same iSketch game, same rules but with a new EXP/Level system.

This is how it would work: All registered players would start at Level 1. The more games they play and points they earn playing the game would gain them Experience Points. The more Experience Points players earn it would result in them getting promoted to a new level. The more a player Levels up, the more drawing items he would receive.

I think iSketch would really benefit from this because it would keep players playing the game. I know iSketch is a really great and fun game to play at the moment but i think the game could really use this system.

What do you think of it people?

Feedback will be appreciated.

That would make the game more interesting. I rarely play anymore, because I'm not a good enough artist to go the the really interesting rooms, and the basic rooms either get boring, or aggravating because of obnoxious misbehaving kids. Adding another element surely wouldn't hurt the game, and give players a goal.

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Exactly! This system would give players something to work towards. If enough people played the game then we could have all the Lower Leveled players in the same room. Ex. Levels 1-3. We could also have rooms for top level players to get the competition going!

Hey palace and welcome to the forum :)

I quite like your overall idea of having a player level system and thereby allowing a means of gradually earning access to particular features of the game. I agree it would bring a new stance to the game, and could be used for teaching newer players by using fun elements such as these "Experience Points" that you mention.

I'm not quite sure about limiting access to drawing tools. As there are a lot of regular players on iSketch they might be unhappy about losing some of their drawing tools and having to work to earn them again. iSketch promotes creativity, and if a few select tools are removed, I feel that the player cannot show their creativity as much.

I have a couple of ideas to perhaps enhance your initial thoughts.

1. As well as earning "Experience Points", there could be a series of achievements that can be earned, such as winning your first game, playing 100 games in total, or scoring 100+ points in a game.
2. Typical "unlockable" features should be more basic cosmetic features such as enabling the fireworks display, enabling background colour/image changes or just stretch to allowing new drawing tools in the Studio rather than in public rooms.
3. Using the "unlockable" features to teach and guide new players about features they don't always see, such as adding profile information.

I think your initial idea is definitely innovative, good luck with its development :)

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After reading what you have written about creativity I think the the idea about the tools wouldn't be such a good one.

This idea can and will be developed and it will change several times I think. I reckon we will need to ask more iSketch players about this and if enough people want this to happen I think it could be possible.

Thanks for the feedback. Hope you can help me further with his idea

The tools one would bother me a little too. There are some GREAT artists, new and old - I don't' see that limiting tools would encourage creativity, myself. But somewhere in there, there is merit to the suggestion, I feel. Perhaps it just needs a bit of playing iwth and some other ideas thrown in. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, I don't think limiting tools would help to be honest now. If you all want to see this happen we can make this happen. This idea is developing!

Love the enthusiasm, palace

If you really want this to go into thought try emailing isketch at info@isketch.net The creator of iSketch reads all of the emails sent through!

Before I email the iSketch creator, I think we need to all come up with a set of new features we would all like to see and then I will email him and see what he thinks of them. Is that fair enough?

That sounds like a reasonable plan, having ideas and suggestions from the word go. Doesn't this mean that the poll is rather too soon though? Should the poll not be once there is more information that can be considered before making a decision? Sorry...just my initial thoughts.

I've had a few further thoughts about what features could be unlocked. The numbers aren't specific of course, but they do show what I think is a fairly logical order.

Earning Experience Points:
1 point per game played.
2 points for a win.
3 points for a win with 100+ points.

Unlockables:
5 points = Gain ability to add an image to the public profile.
10 points = Gain ability to use pink emotions in public rooms.
15 points = Gain ability to change background colour/image.
20 points = Gain ability to access the Studio.
25 points = Gain ability to use Private Messaging system.
35 points = Gain ability to select width of pencil in the Studio.
50 points = Gain ability to use the buddy list.
100 points = Gain ability to vote.
150 points = Add undo/redo tool to the Studio.
180 points = Add circle tool to the Studio.
200 points = Add square tool to the Studio.
250 points = Add zoom tool to the Studio.
300 points = Add paintbrush tool to the Studio.
400 points = Add spray paint tool to the Studio.
500 points = Add smudge tool to the Studio.
650 points = Add symmetry tool to the Studio.
800 points = Gain ability to select advanced colour palette.
900 points = Gain ability to select precision cursor in the Studio.
1000 points = Gain ability to send/receive images in the Studio.
1200 points = Gain ability to show fireworks at the end of a game.
1500 points = Gain ability to create a user-created room.

You have the basic features for lower point amounts and more cosmetic features for higher point amounts. At each milestone, (especially for voting) an explanation of the unlocked feature would help new players understand more about the feature they have unlocked. Studio tools such as pencil, clear screen, eraser, line and fill, I think are basic tools and should be available as soon as the studio is available.

Again these are just my contributions to your idea palace :)

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Eeps...1500 points before being able to create a UCR? Hells Bells...a lot of nasty players would be in the public rooms for a very long time!!! In addition, a fair few very good players would take a while to get themselves there as well...that would be very sad. UCR's are a safe haven for some people...we would be devastated to not be able to make a room.

I can't personally see that the incremental 'unlockables' part would be of much benefit to the overall game and may even detract some players from it. Scary.

and the voting system should be left out of the points because it is based on a certain criteria that is currently fair, were regulars can vote but newbies and/or violators can't.

This is exactly the sort of thing I was thinking about. Thanks for the contributions and another thing I was going to ask you is would you be willing to send this off to the iSketch creator in the near future. If you would that would be great!

I think we should leave it for a while because I am not sure on just how many people actually want this system to be used.

Remember to vote on the poll guys. Either yes or no! Simples.

I agree on this one. We need to keep iSketch clean aswell as being fun to play.

Hmm.. yes, maybe I was a bit harsh about the UCRs It made me think twice about it though, but we're only sharing ideas on a fan forum, it hasn't been taken to the big boss of iSketch, not yet anyway

One thing I do very much support is the short explanation for each item in the list. New players would benefit from a short description and also use the "unlockable" drawing tools in the studio for practising and honing their drawing skills even if they rarely use them in public rooms. Teaching leads to more use of drawing tools leading to better quality drawings and higher creativity, which iSketch promotes :)

With regards to the voting system, yes the current criteria make it so that the vote is earned fairly. Essentially all one has to do to earn the vote is play a certain number of games (and I think play for a certain amount of time but could be wrong) and the new system could, in theory, support a similar method of earning the vote.

Using the points system above, on average a new player would have to play about 80-90 games (assuming they win about 10-15 games out of 100) to reach 100 points. Each game in an Easy room very roughly takes about 6-8 minutes, so the minimum time to earn 100 points based on these figures is about 8 hours. Maybe the number of points for the vote should be increased because if the vote was given at 1000 points it would take a minimum of 80 hours to earn. Even if the average session length is about 6 hours, it would take about 2 weeks to earn the vote and that's if the player is online and playing games constantly for 6 hours every day.

Heh, I know I'm going into a lot of depth here (you may have noticed I tend to faff with things like this ) but I really do support this idea :)

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Yeah I think this idea will keep players playing iSketch and this idea will make iSketch a game where the players keep coming back for more.

I have come up with some new ideas that I was wondering whether you guys agreed or disagreed on them:

1. NEW TITLE SCREEN: Instead of the current one that appears when you first click on the iSketch game. The current title screen really makes iSketch look like a kids game. I would like to see that gone and a brand new one used instead.

2. CLASSIC ISKETCH ROOMS: This would be a set of rooms for people that prefer the old iSketch set up (The one we play currently). Of course not everyone will like the new system to iSketch so we have to think about them as well.

AND if you didn't already know, this system would probably have to have players registering. I don't know how it could keep track of players stats that don't register. So for classic iSketch rooms, No Registration would be required.

Tell me what you think?

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While I like that people have ideas and can imagine other ways of doing things, it's always nice to think they are also aware of others' opinions etc (you seem to be open to this). Also be aware, however, that not everyone wants massive changes to an already great game. There are/could be pitfalls, also, to how the points system would work within registrations and how it would be handled if the registered players themselves didn't behave/play within the rules. I can see problems with that.

It will be the same iSketch game we all know but with a level system and a new interface. Not massive change, just upgrading the game to a more addictive and more rewarding game.

To be honest, iSketch is not a great game at the moment. I have always liked to play iSketch but I have always thought why they have not introduced a system like this. iSketch has the potential to be a worldwide hit but at the moment there is a reason why that it is not as popular as it should be.

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How can it be the 'same game' if it is changed? The level system changes how people play, from an emotional and mental capacity...how they become 'hungry' for points, and potentially lose the 'gamesmanship' that most (nope, not all, I know!) enjoy playing with.

The part about iSketch not being a great game at the moment - that may be your opinion, and you are entitled to it. I disagree...I LOVE the game, always have. I still think it's a great game - perhaps if there were less rude people, porn artists, cheats and trolls, it would be even greater - and more attractive to people 'world wide'.

That is true what you have said about mentality. But it will be the same game (rules etc.) but with points.

The thing is that if you play iSketch for a few hours. You have experienced everything. With the new system you will progress and get rewarded. There isn't anything really rewarding in the current version.

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I say no-go. Final answer from me... this wont happen anyways and the idea is really bugging me...and i think isk is worldwide?

Why does one need 'rewarding' for playing a drawing game...it's there/here for fun - I enjoy it as it is, pretty much. If it changed drastically, of course, it wouldn't be the same game to enjoy...so possibly many might/would leave. It's iSketch...not iMustGainPointsToGetAhead - sorry if that sounds harsh, but not everything in this world has to be for 'gaining something to get somewhere'. Pure, relaxing, chilling-out fun is sometimes a whole heap more rewarding to some people.

Suit yourselves. I'm done, if anyone wants to continue this idea then go ahead but I wont be continuing this. People like iSketch as it is. Old saying 'If it isn't broke don't fix it'.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I wont be perusing this idea any further.

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