"Nations at Risk" was a browser and text-based nation-simulation and war strategy MMO that was active for approximately three years.
This marked my inaugural solo venture as an indie game developer. It was an immensely gratifying experience! In total, we simulated over 15,000 nations, and many players derived enjoyment from the game. We also nurtured our own tight-knit community, hosted a radio show, and engaged in lively chats on Discord. During its zenith, we boasted around 300 concurrent players, with the largest alliance boasting 45 members.
Yet, I must admit to making several missteps during the project's development.
The game's genre remained uncertain and evolved over time. Many features were created, deleted, and significantly altered while the game was live. Additionally, the game's design and appearance underwent continuous changes.
In hindsight, it's clear that I launched the game prematurely, resulting in a series of missteps. Eventually, I recognized that "Nations at Risk," despite improving over time, lacked a sustainable future, leading me to discontinue its hosting.
Concurrently, drawing upon the experience and knowledge gained during "Nations at Risk's" development, I decided to embark on a new game project.
After taking "Nations at Risk" offline, it occurred to me that I could revive it for testing some of the new features intended for the upcoming game. Consequently, I brought it back online for a period.
However, due to alterations in the timeline for the new game's development, I ultimately opted to permanently retire "Nations at Risk" in order to conserve resources.
That sums up the "Nations at Risk" journey! While it was a pleasure working on the project, the time has come for upgrades and the creation of a vastly improved game.
Spartan, Game Developer