Knowledge Base
HomeProductsCommunityReviewsSocial
Old Knowledge Base
Old Knowledge Base
  • Knowledge Base
    • Getting to know us
  • Where to Buy
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Heathen License Agreement
  • General
    • 🔎Table of Contents
    • 🤩Getting Started
      • Indie Check List
      • Sourcing Resources
        • 🧙‍♂️Community
        • 🧞‍♂️Managed Services
        • 📣Marketing
        • 🧪Testing
    • 🧞Tips and Tricks
      • Fundamentals
        • Development Phases
      • Unity
        • Package Manager Installs
          • Missing asset after update
        • Unity Release Version
      • Unreal
        • Unity to Unreal
        • Quick Start
    • 📐Design
      • ☝️Quick Start
      • 🥾Bootstraping
      • 🤑Monetization
        • What not to do
        • Models
          • Free
          • Free to Play
          • Pay to Play
          • Pay to Win
          • Play to Earn
        • Tools
          • 😡Artificial Scarcity
          • 🤑Bundles
          • 🤔Community Marketplace
          • 🤑Expansions
          • 😡Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
          • 😡Gatcha Mechanics
          • 🤔Microtransactions (MTX)
          • 😡NFT
            • 😡Blockchain
          • 🤔No Spend Cap
          • 😡Premium Currency
          • 🤔Season
          • 🤑Subscription
          • 😡Surprise Mechanics
      • 🎮Multiplayer
        • Networking Tools
        • Terminology
      • 🤹Multi-Scene Architecture
      • 🌐Project Architecture
      • 😊Player Motivation
    • 🏗️Development
      • ☝️Quick Start
      • ☎️Callbacks & Delegates
      • ❔Conditional Compilation
      • 🪳Debugging
      • 🚧DevOps
        • ☕Team Collaboration
        • 🛂Git Control & Unity
      • ⁉️Error Handling
        • System Dialog
        • Reporting
      • 🤯IntelliSense
      • 🪶Lambda Expressions
      • 🤹‍♀️Multi Platform Projects
      • 📑Namespace and Using
      • 🎮Unity's "New" Input System
      • 🔼Updating Visual Studio and C#
      • 💡Visual Scripting
    • ⚠️Publishers
    • 🧪Testing
      • 👋Introduction
      • ✏️Writing Formal Tests
    • 🧙‍♂️Community
      • ☝️Quick Start
    • 📣Marketing
      • ☝️Quick Start
      • 📌Tips and Tactics
      • 🤓Market Research
    • 📆Release
    • 🗺️Live
  • Steam
    • ☝️Quick Start
    • 🏆Achievements
    • 🌳Branches
    • 🗣️Community Hub
    • ⬆️Uploading to Steam
    • ☁️Cloud Save
    • 🆔CSteamID
    • 🔎Discovery Queue
    • 🕹️Downloadable Content
    • 🚫Early Access
    • 🖱️Input
    • 📦Inventory
      • 🔨Crafting System
      • 🛠️Item Definition Tools
      • 💸Microtransactions
      • 🎁Promo Items
    • 🚢Launch
    • 🥇Leaderboards
      • 🗣️Advanced Profiles
    • 🎮Multiplayer
      • ☝️Getting Started
      • 🧪Dev and Test
      • 🧑‍⚖️Authentication
      • 🛋️Lobby
      • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Matchmaking
      • 🧑‍🔧Rich Presence
      • 💬Room Systems
      • 💁Steam Game Server
        • 👷Builds
        • ⚙️Configuration
        • 📋Server Browser
        • 🐧Setup Linux
      • 🗣️Terminology
    • 🤹Multi-Platform Project
    • 🧪Playtest
    • 🛋️Remote Play
    • 👀Reviews
    • 🏃Running a Build
    • 💶Sales
    • ⭐Stats
    • 🔑Steam API Key
    • 📃steam_appid.txt
    • 🖥️Steam Deck
    • ⚙️Steamworks
    • 🤯Store Page
    • 🛠️Workshop
      • Creating an Item
      • In-Game Browser
      • Subscribed Items
    • 🧑‍🏫User Information
      • Unity User Tools
      • Unreal User Tools
    • 🗣️Voice
  • Toolkit for Steamworks
    • Introduction
    • Maintenance Cycle
    • F.A.Q
    • Unity
      • ⚠️Known Issues
      • Unity Asset Refund Policy
      • Installation
        • Networking Integrations
      • Getting Started
      • Debugging
      • Learning
      • API Extensions
        • App.Client
        • App.Server
        • App.Web
        • Authentication
        • BigPicture.Client
        • Clans.Client
        • Friends.Client
        • Input.Client
        • Inventory.Client
        • Leaderboards.Client
        • Matchmaking.Client
        • Overlay.Client
        • Parties.Client
        • RemotePlay.Client
        • RemoteStorage.Client
        • Screenshots.Client
        • StatsAndAchievements.Client
        • StatsAndAchievements.Server
        • User.Client
        • UserGeneratedContent.Client
        • Utilities
        • Utilities.Client
        • Voice.Client
      • Objects
        • Classes
          • Achievement Data
          • Achievement Object
          • App Data
          • Authentication Session
          • Authentication Ticket
          • Avg Rate Stat
          • Chat Room
          • Clan Chat Msg
          • Clan Data
          • Currency
          • Data Model
          • DLC Data
          • Downloadable Content Object
          • Favorite Game
          • Float Stat
          • Game Data
          • Input Action
          • Input Action Data
          • Input Action Set
          • Input Action Set Data
          • Input Action Set Layer
          • Input Action Update
          • Input Controller Data
          • Int Stat
          • Inventory Result
          • Item Data
          • Item Definition
          • Item Detail
          • Leaderboard Data
          • Leaderboard Entry
          • Leaderboard Object
          • Lobby Chat Msg
          • Lobby Data
          • Lobby Game Server
          • Lobby Member Data
          • Party Beacon Details
          • Rank Change
          • Remote Storage File
          • Stat Data
          • Steam Game Server Configuration
          • UGC Query
          • User Data
          • Steam Settings
            • Colors
            • Game Client
              • Inventory Settings
            • Game Server
          • User Leave Data
          • Workshop Item
          • Workshop Item Data
          • Workshop Item Data Create Status
          • Workshop Item Key Value Tag
          • Workshop Item Preview File
        • Components
          • Friend Manager
          • Game Server Browser Manager
          • Input Action Event
          • Input Action Glyph
          • Input Action Name
          • Inventory Manager
          • Item Shopping Cart Manager
          • Leaderboard Manager
          • Leaderboard User Entry
          • Overlay Manager
          • Steam Game Server Events
          • Steam Input Manager
          • Steamworks Event Triggers
          • UGC Query Manager
          • Voice Recorder
          • Voice Stream
        • Enums
          • Friend Dialog
          • Inventory Item Type
          • Language Codes
          • Overlay Dialog
          • Sample Rate Method
          • Valve Price Categories
        • Prefabs
          • 📦Clan Chat
          • 📦Clan List
          • 📦Clan Member Count
          • 📦Friend Avatar
          • 📦Friend Groups
          • 📦Friend List
          • 📦Friend Name
          • 📦Friend Profile
          • 📦Selectable Friend ID
        • Programming Tools
          • IChatMessage
          • ILeaderboardEntryDisplay
          • IUserProfile
          • IWorkshopBrowserItemTemplate
          • LobbyMemberSlot
          • User Invite Button
        • UI Components
          • Chat Auto Join
          • Chat Stream
          • Clan Chat Director
          • Clan Chat Member Counter
          • Clan Chat Member List
          • Clan List
          • Clan Profile
          • Friend Group
          • Friend Groups Display
          • Friend Invite Dropdown
          • Friend List
          • Friend Profile
            • Image Field
            • Message Options
            • Text Field
          • Input Action Glyph
          • Input Action Name
          • Leaderboard Entry UI Record
          • Leaderboard UI List
          • Lobby Chat Director
          • Lobby Member Slot
          • Lobby Manager
          • Party Lobby Control
          • Quick Match Lobby Control
          • Rich Presence Reader
          • Rich Presence Setter
          • Set Achievement Description
          • Set Achievement Icon
          • Set Achievement Name
          • Set User Avatar
          • Set User Id Input Field
          • Set User Id Label
          • Set User Name
          • Toggle Event Helper
          • Workshop Browser Simple Item Record
      • Legacy
        • Troubleshooting
        • Getting Started
          • GameObject Initialization
          • ScriptableObject Initialization
          • API Initialization
        • Build Upload Tool
        • Debugging Tools
          • Testing
        • Components
          • Steamworks Behaviour
          • Steamworks Creator
          • Steam System Events
    • Unreal
      • What's New!
      • Installation
      • Getting Started
      • Updating Steamworks SDK
      • Packaging
      • Game Instance
      • Sockets Net Driver
      • Online Subsystem
      • Data Assets
        • Achievement
        • Downloadable Content
        • Inventory Item
        • Leaderboard
        • Stat
      • Widgets
        • BP_FriendsListDisplay
        • BP_FriendsListEntry
        • BP_FriendsListGroup
        • BP_SteamAvatarImage
        • BP_SteamUserName
      • Blueprint Nodes
        • Functions
          • 🔵Add Favorite Game
          • 🔵Add History Game
          • 🔵Add Promo Item
          • 🔵Add Request Lobby List Filter
          • 🔵Advertise Game
          • 🔵Associate with Clan
          • 🔵Attach Leaderboard UGC
          • 🔵Begin Auth Session
          • 🔵Cancel Auth Ticket
          • 🔵Check Result Steam ID
          • 🔵Clear All Key Values
          • 🔵Clear Achievement
          • 🔵Clear Rich Presence
          • 🔵Client Initialize
          • 🔵Client Run Callbacks
          • 🔵Client Should Restart
          • 🔵Compue New Player Compatibility
          • 🔵Consume Item
          • 🔵Create Lobby
          • 🔵Decompress Voice
          • 🔵Delete Lobby Data
          • 🔵Deserialize Result
          • 🔵Destroy Result
          • 🔵Download Leaderboard Entries
          • 🔵Download Leaderboard Entries for Users
          • 🔵End Auth Session
          • 🔵Exchange Items
          • 🔵Find Leaderboard
          • 🔵Find or Create Leaderboard
          • 📂Game Server Browser
            • 🔵Ping Server
            • 🔵Player Details
            • 🔵Request Server List
            • 🔵Server Rules
          • 🔵Generate Items
          • 🔵Get Achievement
          • 🔵Get Achievement by Index
          • 🔵Get Achievement Icon
          • 🔵Get Achievement Is Achieved
          • 🔵Get All Items
          • 🔵Get App Build ID
          • 🔵Get App Id
          • 🔵Get App Owner
          • 🔵Get Auth Session Ticket
          • 🔵Get Auth Ticket for Web API
          • 🔵Get Available Game Languages
          • 🔵Get Available Voice
          • 🔵Get Coplay Friends
          • 🔵Get Current Beta Name
          • 🔵Get Current Game Language
          • 🔵Get DLC Count
          • 🔵Get DLC Data By Index
          • 🔵Get DLC Download Progress
          • 🔵Get Earliest Purchase
          • 🔵Get Favorite Game
          • 🔵Get Friends
          • 🔵Get Friend Coplay Game
          • 🔵Get Friend Coplay Time
          • 🔵Get Friend Count from Source
          • 🔵Get Friend Game Played
          • 🔵Get Friend Groups
          • 🔵Get Friend Group Members
          • 🔵Get Friend Group Name
          • 🔵Get Friend Persona Name
          • 🔵Get Followed
          • 🔵Get Installed Depots
          • 🔵Get Item Definition Properties
          • 🔵Get Item Price
          • 🔵Get Items with Price
          • 🔵Get Items by ID
          • 🔵Get Launch Command Line
          • 🔵Get Launch Query Param
          • 🔵Get Leaderboard Display Type
          • 🔵Get Leaderboard Entry Count
          • 🔵Get Leaderboard Name
          • 🔵Get Leaderboard Sort Method
          • 🔵Get Lobby Chat Entry
          • 🔵Get Lobby Data
          • 🔵Get Lobby Data by Index
          • 🔵Get Lobby Game Server
          • 🔵Get Lobby Members
          • 🔵Get Lobby Member by Index
          • 🔵Get Lobby Member Data
          • 🔵Get Lobby Member Limit
          • 🔵Get Lobby Owner
          • 🔵Get Most Achieved Achievement Info
          • 🔵Get My Steam Avatar
          • 🔵Get My Steam ID
          • 🔵Get My Steam Level
          • 🔵Get Num Items with Price
          • 🔵Get Persona Name
          • 🔵Get Persona State
          • 🔵Get Player Nickname
          • 🔵Get Public IP
          • 🔵Get Result Item Property
          • 🔵Get Result Items
          • 🔵Get Result Status
          • 🔵Get Result Timestamp
          • 🔵Get Stat
          • 🔵Get Steam ID
          • 🔵Get User Achievement
          • 🔵Get User Float Stat
          • 🔵Get User Int Stat
          • 🔵Get User Restrictions
          • 🔵Get Rich Presence
          • 🔵Get User Rich Presence
          • 🔵Get User Rich Presence Key by Index
          • 🔵Get User Steam Avatar
          • 🔵Get Voice
          • 🔵Get Voice Optimal Sample Rate
          • 🔵Grant Promo Items
          • 🔵Has Friend
          • 🔵Id is Me
          • 🔵Id is Valid
          • 🔵Indicate Achievement Progress
          • 🔵Install DLC
          • 🔵Invite User To Game
          • 🔵Invite User to Lobby
          • 🔵Initialize
          • 🔵Is App Installed
          • 🔵Is Behind NAT
          • 🔵Is Cybercafe
          • 🔵Is DLC Installed
          • 🔵Is Lobby Owner
          • 🔵Is Low Violence
          • 🔵Is Phone Identifying
          • 🔵Is Phone Requiring Verification
          • 🔵Is Phone Verified
          • 🔵Is Steam Initialized
          • 🔵Is Subscribed
          • 🔵Is Subscribed App
          • 🔵Is Subscribed from Family Sharing
          • 🔵Is Subscribed from Free Weekend
          • 🔵Is Timed Trial
          • 🔵Is Two Factor Enabled
          • 🔵Is VAC Banned
          • 🔵Join Lobby
          • 🔵Leave Lobby
          • 🔵Load Item Definitions
          • 🔵Logged On
          • 🔵Log Off
          • 🔵Log On
          • 🔵Log On Anonymous
          • 🔵Mark Content Corrupt
          • 🔵Quick Match
          • 🔵Remove Favorite Game
          • 🔵Remove History Game
          • 🔵Remove Property
          • 🔵Reply to Friend Message
          • 🔵Request Current Stats
          • 🔵Request Eligible Promo Item Definitions IDs
          • 🔵Request Friend Rich Presence
          • 🔵Request Lobby Data
          • 🔵Request Lobby List
          • 🔵Request Prices
          • 🔵Request Store Auth URL
          • 🔵Request User Group Status
          • 🔵Request User Information
          • 🔵Request User Stats
          • 🔵Reset All Stats
          • 🔵Run Callbacks
          • 🔵Secure
          • 🔵Send Lobby Chat
          • 🔵Serialize Result
          • 🔵Set Achievement
          • 🔵Set Advertise Server Active
          • 🔵Set Bot Player Count
          • 🔵Set Dedicated Server
          • 🔵Set Description
          • 🔵Set Game Data
          • 🔵Set Game Tags
          • 🔵Set In-Game Voice Speaking
          • 🔵Set Key Value
          • 🔵Set Map Name
          • 🔵Set Listen for Friends Messages
          • 🔵Set Lobby Data
          • 🔵Set Lobby Game Server
          • 🔵Set Lobby Joinable
          • 🔵Set Lobby Member Data
          • 🔵Set Lobby Member Limit
          • 🔵Set Lobby Owner
          • 🔵Set Lobby Type
          • 🔵Set Max Player Count
          • 🔵Set Mod Directory Name
          • 🔵Set Name
          • 🔵Set Password Protected
          • 🔵Set Persona Name
          • 🔵Set Played with User
          • 🔵Set Product
          • 🔵Set Property
          • 🔵Set Region
          • 🔵Set Rich Presence
          • 🔵Set Stats
          • 🔵Set Spectator Name
          • 🔵Set Spectator Port
          • 🔵Set User Achievement
          • 🔵Set User Float Stat
          • 🔵Set User Int Stat
          • 🔵Shutdown
          • 🔵Start Purchase
          • 🔵Start Update Property
          • 🔵Start Voice Recording
          • 🔵Steam ID Tools
          • 🔵Stop Voice Recording
          • 🔵Store Stats
          • 🔵Store User Stats
          • 🔵Submit Update Property
          • 🔵Transfer Item Quantity
          • 🔵Trigger Item Drop
          • 🔵Uninstall DLC
          • 🔵Update Avg Rate Stat
          • 🔵Update User Avg Rate Stat
          • 🔵Upload Leaderboard Score
          • 🔵User Has License for App
          • 🔵Was Restart Requested
        • Events
          • 🔻Dlc Installed
          • 🔻Friend Chat Msg
          • 🔻Friend Rich Presence Update
          • 🔻Game Overlay Activated
          • 🔻Inventory Item Definition Update
          • 🔻Inventory Results Ready
          • 🔻Lobby Chat Msg
          • 🔻Lobby Chat Update
          • 🔻Lobby Data Update
          • 🔻Lobby Game Created
          • 🔻Lobby Join Requested
          • 🔻Micro Txn Authorization Response
          • 🔻Persona State Change
          • 🔻Rich Presence Join Requested
          • 🔻Servers Connected
          • 🔻Server Connect Failure
          • 🔻Server Disconnected
          • 🔻Ticket for Web API Response
        • Types
          • 🟩Achievement Status
          • 🟩Auth Ticket Data
          • 🟩Chat Entry
          • 🟩Decompress Voice Result
          • 🟩Float Stat
          • 🟩Game Server Item Wrapper
          • 🟩Game Server Player Details Wrapper
          • 🟩Global Achievement Status
          • 🟩Item Count
          • 🟩Item Detail
          • 🟩Item Detail With Properties
          • 🟩Item Price
          • 🟩Item With Price
          • 🟩Int Stat
          • 🟩Key Value Pair
          • 🟩Leaderboard Entry
          • 🟩Lobby Data
          • 🟩Lobby Game Server
          • 🟩Server Achievement Status
          • 🟩Server Stat Float Value
          • 🟩Server Stat Int Value
          • 🟩User Achievement Status
          • 🟩Voice Result
          • 🟩Voice Available Result
        • Enumerators
          • 🟨UEBeginAuthSessionResult
          • 🟨UEChatRoomEnterResponse
          • 🟨UEFriendFlags
          • 🟨UEChatEntryType
          • 🟨UEChatMemberStateChange
          • 🟨UELeaderboardDataRequest
          • 🟨UELeaderboardDisplayType
          • 🟨UELeaderboardSortMethod
          • 🟨UELobbyComparison
          • 🟨UELobbyDistanceFilter
          • 🟨UELobbyType
          • 🟨UEResult
          • 🟨UESteamCurrencyCode
          • 🟨UEServerMode
          • 🟨UEUserHasLicenseForAppResult
          • 🟨UEVoiceResult
      • C++
  • Toolkit for Physics
    • Unity
      • Installation
      • Core Features
        • Ballistics Tools
        • Buoyancy Tools
        • Force Effect Framework
        • Physics Data extended
        • Verlet Integration
      • Sample Scenes
        • Fantasy Style Ballistic Simulation
        • (3D) Deterministic Bounce Prediction
        • (2D) Deterministic Bounce Prediction
        • 1 Buoyancy Example
        • 1 Force Effect Fields
        • 2 Spherical Gravity
        • 3 Multi-body Gravity
        • 1 Verlet Spring Simple Transforms
        • 2 Verlet Spring Skinned Mesh
      • API
        • Ballistics
        • Buoyancy
        • Force Effects
        • Maths
        • Mesh Tools
      • Components
        • Ballistic Aim
        • Ballistic Path Line Render
        • Ballistic Path Follow
        • Buoyant Body
        • Buoyant Body Drag
        • Constant Acceleration
        • Constant Angular Velocity
        • Constant Linear Velocity
        • Force Effect Source
          • Force Effect Direction
          • Force Effect Field
        • Force Effect Reciever
        • Physics Data
        • Surface Tool
        • Trick Shot
        • Trick Shot Line
        • Verlet Spring
      • Objects
        • Force Effect
          • Attract Effect
          • Gravity Effect
          • Repulse Effect
          • Suspend Effect
          • Tractor Effect
          • Wind Effect
        • Point Volume
        • Verlet Hierarchy
        • Verlet Hierarchy Settings
        • Verlet Particle
      • Enums
        • Calculation Mode
  • Toolkit for UI & UX
    • Introduction
    • Unity
      • Installation
      • Learning
        • Sample Scenes
          • Command Parser Example
          • Cursor System Scene
          • Drag and Drop (Behaviours)
          • Drag and Drop (Inventory Example)
          • Drag and Drop (Spell Bar Example)
          • Log Sample Scene
          • Screenshot Sample Scene
        • Core Concepts
          • Command System
          • Cursor System
          • Drag and Drop System
          • Interaction Tools
          • Logging & Feedback
          • Scene Tools
          • Selection System
          • Tooltip System
          • Window System
        • uGUI Extras
          • Key Collection
          • Ligature Tools
          • Tree View Collection
      • API
        • Cursors
        • Json
        • Log
        • Scenes
        • Screenshot
        • Selection
        • Trello
        • Windows
      • Components
        • Action Hold
        • Border Handle
        • Button Cursor State
        • Change Cursor Default State
        • Command Director
        • Cursor Animator
        • Drag Item
        • Drop Container
        • Key Hold
        • Mouse Over Cursor State
        • Move Handle
        • Play On Click
        • Play On Demand
        • Play On Down
        • Play On Enter
        • Play On Exit
        • Play On Up
        • Pointer Hold
        • Scenes Manager
        • Selectable Object
        • Selection Manager
        • Tooltip Trigger
        • Tooltip Window Controller
        • Window
        • Window Clamping Bounds
        • Window Focus Change Event Data
      • Objects
        • Command Data
        • Command Library
        • Cursor Animation
        • Cursor State
        • DragAndDropItemChangeData
        • LogData
      • Enums
        • Clear Drop Behaviour
        • Drag Effect
        • Drag End Behaviours
        • Grab Handle
        • Mask Mode
        • Recieve Mode
        • Window Snap To Location
  • More Heathen Tools
    • 🎨Art Assets
      • Breakable
        • Wood Props
          • Installation
    • ⚙️System Core
      • Installation
      • Learning
        • Asset Developers
      • Command Line
      • Game Events
      • Scriptable Tags
      • Scriptable Variables
      • Heathen Behaviour
      • Heathen UI Behaviour
    • 📋Tips for Asset Developers
      • Editor Coroutines
      • Package Manger in C#
      • Session State Values
  • Codex
    • Introduction
      • Article Design Guide
        • Evolution
          • Early Period
          • Middle Period
          • Late Period
      • Codex Organization
    • Irish
      • Folklore
        • Introduction
        • Characters
          • Déithe
            • Cacht
            • Lugh
            • Dag Dia
              • Donn
              • Nuada
              • Ogma
            • Mother?
              • Banba
                • Appearance
                • Name
              • Érui
                • Appearance
                • Name
              • Fódla
                • Appearance
                • Name
            • Father ?
              • Éthur Mac Cuill
              • Céthur Mac Gréine
              • Téthur Mac Cecht
        • Concepts
          • Binding Tablet
          • Druids
          • Sociaty
          • Patron Gods
          • Bile
          • Time
        • Food
          • Elderberry Capers
          • Elderberry Wine
          • Mead
        • Peoples
          • Fomóire
          • Research Note
            • Hunter Gathers
            • Neolithic Farmers
            • Bronze Age
        • Locations
          • Lughmhagh
          • Temair
            • Name
      • Research
        • Historical Backdrop
        • Disambiguation
          • Banshee
          • Celt
          • Gods and Goddesses
          • Lebor Gabála Érenn
          • Milesians
          • Mother Goddess
          • Sovereignty Goddess
          • The Morrígan
          • Triple Persona
          • Tuatha Dé
          • Wicker Man Sacrafice
        • Links
          • Social Factors
          • Lugh
            • Name
          • Ogma
          • Astronomy
          • Time
        • Sources
        • WIP
          • Artefacts
          • Beings
            • Cannon
              • Belgae
              • Fomorians
              • Síog
              • Tuatha Dé Danann
            • Derivative
              • Milesians
              • Muintir Nemid
          • Characters
            • Cannon
            • Derivative
          • Concepts
          • Events
          • Languages
          • Music
          • Places
          • Sources
          • Stories
          • Styles
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • Top Pics
  • Examples
  • Risky
  • Predatory
  • What makes a thing predatory?
  • Isn't all marketing manipulative?
  • What's the difference?
  • Not illegal? why should I care?
  1. General
  2. Design
  3. Monetization

Tools

Monetization tools that aren't 💩

PreviousPlay to EarnNextArtificial Scarcity

Last updated 1 year ago

Like what your seeing?

Consider supporting us as a and get instant access to all our Unity assets, exclusive tools and assets, escalated support and issue tracking and our gratitude. These articles are made possible by our ... become a sponsor today!

Top Pics

Articles with the "money mouth" icon are our top picks for solid, fair, reliable monetization options. These are the methods, tools and practices we recommend you use to monetize your project. So how do we choose them?

Each of these methods can meet the following conditions

Obviously if you try hard enough you can make anything problematic. These are simply tools, practices and methods that are easier to do simply, open, clearly and fairly than they are to compound, obscure, manipulate or exploit.

  • Simple Product This means there is no gimmick, no trade-in, exchange rate, collect X or match Y it is simply a product.

  • Open Description This means the user knows exactly in detail what it is they are considering before purchasing. It's not a random chance, it's not a "surprise mechanic" it is a clearly labelled product which can be expected to do/be what it says on the tin.

  • Clear Pricing This means the user can clearly understand what the real cost is, in the real currency they use e.g. not obscured behind premium currency or other such obfuscation methods.

  • Has a Fair "" This means a user cannot spend more than X amount and that amount is easily seen and understood by the end user.

Examples

Risky

Looking for outside research sources on what not to do?

Check out the links below

EU Parliament Loot Boxes Effect on Consumers
Insert Coin: How the gaming industry exploits consumers using loot boxes

What makes a thing predatory?

Put simply a manipulation or exploitation to result in greater gain at the expense or harm of the consumer.

If you use any method other than open and honest portrayal of your product and the real value it provides to your user then you are being manipulative.

If you are using emotional or mental triggers or habit programming techniques such as seen in gatcha systems or slot machines then you are being exploitative.

These manipulative and exploitative practices are permitted in highly regulated settings such as the gambling industry where the risk/reward is the nature of the industry and protections are in place for consumers. In the world of marketing however where regulation is limited, and minors and vulnerable persons are exposed, then this is the definition of predatory.

Isn't all marketing manipulative?

No and the fact you might think so shows the troubled state we are in. Ideally marketing shows you using honest and accurate examples of why the thing you want to buy is so great. There are various laws and regulations that are designed to "keep marketing honest" however government regulations are rarely able to keep up with predators ... I mean marketing firms 😉 .

Modern marketing, sadly, has discovered that negative drivers are stronger (in the short term) ... for example fear. Fear has become the primary marketing tool for the past 20 years. While this is manipulative, typically uses false claims, hides factual statements and runs afoul of various common regulatory protections the methods used in modern marketing are structured such to "skirt" or avoid the exact definitions used in the regulations thus avoiding those regulations until of course they cause so much harm that consumers (voters) scream loud enough for politicians to take note. Politicians always make good and reasoned decisions for the benefit of all involved🤣 .

Hence EA telling the UK that ... loot boxes aren't gambling its surprise mechanics 🤪never mind that surprise mechanics are the literal definition of a game of chance and when a real value wager initiates that game of chance that is the definition of gambling in most regions.

What's the difference?

Predatory vs non-Predatory

The difference is the impact on the user. When a user is shown the value of an item and purchases that item from a position of understanding, out of desire for it, the user is positively effected. Satisfaction with the purchase is neutral or ideally high and the purchase was made reasonably that is to say the user did not over extend them selves or cause other financial or social harm.

When a user is "tricked" into a purchase either through fear mechanics such as the "Fear of Missing Out" method that has been very popular since 2010. Or through failed promise mechanics as you would see in gambling systems such as gatcha and surprise mechanics the result is a negative effect on the user. Users are far more likely to make the purchase even if it causes harm financially and or socially and users are more likely to regret the purchase.

Tragically the damage to the consumer doesn't stop there. The young and vulnerable persons are highly susceptible to these practices and the damage caused to them is far more severe. Numerous studies detailing the damage of gambling on children and vulnerable persons have been published for decades. The cause of the damage is not the window dressing but the mechanics and the emotional and mental effects them selves. These mechanics being present outside tightly regulated gambling industry ... such as being introduced in marketing, video games and social media has had a significant negative impact.

Not illegal? why should I care?

First, it is illegal in some regions and the number of regulated regions is growing. This idea that "not my problem" is exactly why we are seeing such an effort from regulatory bodies to investigate and regulate our industry. This attitude has caused notable harm to the public and our industry and the cost of that harm is increasing.

While I hope to appeal to the humanity of indie developers with these articles and encourage consumer friendly monetization practices. If you lack a since of humanity I can demonstrate how these negative actions will yield lower profits for you going forward and how a shift toward consumer friendly practices is the new game to play.

Articles with the "thinking" icon describe risky practices and tools. By risky we mean it's possible to use them in a fair and reasoned way but they can also be abused to yield a predatory monetization scheme. It's important to understand that most predatory practices aren't (usually) predatory out of malice, it's simply easier than you might think to be a problem so we try to help you think more effectively and hopefully avoid becoming part of the problem.

Predatory

Articles with the "rage face" emoji describe predatory tools and practices and are for informational purposes. we do not recommend or condone them obviously and we outline why in each article.

📐
🤑
🤔
😡
😡
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2020/652727/IPOL_STU(2020)652727_EN.pdf
https://fil.forbrukerradet.no/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-05-31-insert-coin-publish.pdf
Boston College Law Review, How Pay-to-Win Makes us Lose: Introducing Minors to Gambling Through Loot Boxes
🤑
🤔
GitHub Sponsor
GitHub Sponsors
Bundles
Expansions
Subscriptions
NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic
Online Gambling Activity, Pay-to-Win Payments, Motivation to Gamble
LogoUnfair and blacklisted commercial practices - Your EuropeYour Europe
EU regulation
LogoPredatory Monetisation? A Categorisation of Unfair, Misleading and Aggressive Monetisation Techniques in Digital Games from the Player PerspectiveSpringerLink
Scholarly article
New Article
LogoLoot boxes: How the gaming industry manipulates and exploits consumersForbrukerrådet
Max Spend
LogoGames-as-a-Disservice: Emergent value co-destruction in platform business models
Behind a paywall