ElagoTech - lessons that we got from the apps and games we developed

Elago Tech is an indie game developer team created in December 2011.The leader of the team is Andre Khrisna. Finance is Tri Juni Kusumastuti. Lead programmer is Billy Lukmaryo. Quality Assurances are Yehosua Krisma and Rohadi Wisnu Murtiono. We outsource the art job to Imagi Canvas. Our music composed by David J Franco (www.kidwithkeyboard.com).

Lessons we got when creating the team are:1. Create the best team possible, search for the best talent possible, and always involve GOD in your searching.2. Always be generous, positive, and keep the relationship even if you can’t be in one team with someone.

This is our first app for PC, Mac, and Linux.It’s visual gospel of Matthew.

Embark on a greatest journey as you read and play the game experience what happened in the Gospel of Matthew.

Download it for free here: http://elagotech.com/rejoice.php#.UF2SIrLiYRk

The lesson here is this is a great project with so many difficulties, but we move on and finally it’s live.When you face any difficulties in your way making a game, do not surrender.Encourage yourself that if you have start it then you must finish it.Way better if you can pray and tell GOD what your situation is. HE surely helps ;-)

Our first iOS title was Kougo-KJV (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kougo-kjv/id524371440?mt=8), a first bible app in Japanese and English language with furigana/ruby to make Kanji font easy to read. It has been downloaded times.

It’s free. Download it if you need to learn Japanese via Bible ;-)

For the first time, I think just few people will download this app.But I was wrong.There are so many people that need Japanese Bible app with furigana/ruby, because there are no bible apps on the AppStore have furigana/ruby before.Wow, this is awesome!The lesson is we must study our potential users, what they want, what they need, and what can we do to make their life easier and happier.

Our second app was Dual Bible (itunes.apple.com/us/app/dual-bible/id536434082?mt=8), a free cross language reference bible with 18 languages to choose. All of our apps doesn’t need internet connection to use.

What we learned from this app is people need Bible every day. There are no day without download. This app always get downloaded.So, if you make app that fulfill people need, even if you don’t do marketing, it will get downloaded. Imagine if you make usefull apps and do some marketing?Won’t it get so many downloads?

Go make useful apps, pal! ;-)

Tower Defense game in iOS will never be the same again since BattleBox.

You will get unique challenges in each level. And after you finished one level, we give you more challenges and harder enemies in Plus Game.

Feel that the story in late TD games are boring and not interesting?Throw away that feelings, we bring you engaging story with full retina display graphics in kinetic novel style.There are Maya, Alex, Dad, and Fio to accompany you fulfilling all challenges in every level.

And here comes Editor Mode. The only mode where you can create, edit, and play your own level.Make a custom level, export the code generated, and share it with your friends via Facebook so they can play your level.Download BattleBox for $2.99 now on the AppStore >>> http://itunes.apple.com/app/battlebox/id527855572?mt=8

When we planned this game, we have decided to develop 3 primary features of the game, 2 secondary features, and 3 tertiary features.But later in development, we dropped down 2 of our primary features and take 2 of our tertiary features as subsitutes.

Why we did this?Because we found out that 2 of our tertiary features are something that haven’t touched by any tower defense game in iOS.So this can be our advantages/unique selling point.

With full humble, if I may suggest you, plan your Primary Features, Secondary Features, and Tertiary Features.You don’t need to stick with that primary one, but adjust it to your situation and your research result about what market needs.One thing to remember for indie developrs, put your all attention to bring 3 unique features that bestly crafted rather than 100 average features.

Be focus! ;-)

Here’s some links about Storytelling:

Storytelling without Stories: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/177765/storytelling_without_stories_.php?print=1

Dialog Junkie: http://gamesauce.org/news/2011/02/14/dedicated-to-game-dialogue-by-richard-rabi/

A Holistic Approach to Game Dialogue: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132566/a_holistic_approach_to_game_.php

Stricly Speaking: Character Dialogue: http://www.writersbeat.com/showthread.php?t=19523

Try to read this book: “Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind”

Sometimes we need to know high concepts, so before develop a game, at least we know what we make.Don’t make a game that have no high concept at all, because you will waste your time.Game can be seen as a media to communicate your values, concept, rules, and morales.So, go making games that have good impact on gamers, both hardcore and casual.

Oops, if you hate some high concepts, I found that this article will help us:

The Four Lenses of Game Making: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39516/The_four_lenses_of_game_making.php

Success for you!