Previous release date delays

Because he is just a person who has no specific training unlike large companies who have people with years of degrees specifically dedicated to deal with certain problems and situation like this? What are people upset over exactly? The release date? Like game developers never been wrong about release dates before? You come to indie game, with developers who barely have any experience in creating and releasing a game, and you bitch about them been wrong on release date? I am not sure if its more sad or silly at this point.

 

I just realized this is the most I have been active since joining and pre-ordering since forever ago. I am one hell of a forum/site creeper/lurker.

 

I'm assuming that was directed at me. No need to personally attack anyone. I was just telling him why people are mad at the dev blog post. This game can take as long as it wants, I got over the "CAN'T WAIT FOR STARBOUDN NEED IT NAO!" And attacking cod to make yourself look better is low-hanging fruit, and it's undignified. It's like beating up a handicapped kid, we all know you're tougher than him, flexing that muscle just makes you look childish.

 

As someone who's been watching this game for 3? years now I think, and pre-ordered Overgrowth when it became available (which by the way has been in development since 2005), and has been waiting patiently for Infinity Universe, ya'll need to calm down. This isn't so bad. At least Starbound is *actually* going to come out at some point.

 

Personally, I see it as a little more likely that the 2013 beta "estimate" will be missed each day that they can't nail down a date. Or a month. Or even a RANGE of months.

I know that literally the first thing that Tiy stated in this post was:
"The very first thing I want to say, to avoid any confusion, is that we’re still estimating the beta this year. This news post isn’t written as a precursor to an upcoming delay. It’s just a topic that has been discussed at length and one I felt like trying to address."

But honestly, the longer I read, the more I started to feel like this is one of those lectures that is supposed to soften the blow of bad news to come. I had a nostalgic reflection on my mother talking to me as a young lad:

"Son, would you sit down for a moment?"
"Yes mom? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, my child. I just wanted to have a little talk with you about a WONDERFUL place. It's called "Kitty Heaven""

With so little time left, they are unwilling to say as much as "November or December". I have to say, I feel that Tiy's post today is merely a prelude to the post we will get sometime in December that will be apologizing for CF being unable to meet their 2013 estimate. We have about 10 weeks left this year; and the team is unable to pick which one of the two remaining months of the year we should expect the beta. Not a good sign.

Although, I suppose breaking a delay to us is a bit of an improvement from last year's weeks of radio silence, followed by what was essentially "WHOOPS. Looks like we didn't release in 2012! Sorry!" But still, if when they had opened preorders, they had said "December 2013" rather than "2013" as their estimate, they would have had a lot less beta fervor to deal with for MONTHS.

And then, when December rolls around and they have to delay, it doesn't happen after several long months of fan speculation about the actual release date.

How many times have we all read one of those completely unfounded guesses from a fan about "BETA THIS WEEK, I CAN FEEL IT." Or people doing whatever Mathematical acrobatics they can to make themselves feel as though the roadmap means anything at all?"I know the disclaimer says this roadmap should not be interpreted as some kind of countdown; but when I average all the numbers together it says we're 75% of the way there!"

Over and over again, I see people defending CF's transparency. They give us daily updates telling us they added some sprites or scripts to the game, or fixed a bug that day. They give us a roadmap, and and IRC channel. Granted, they do a lot to keep us aware that the project has not turned into vaporware. I think that the whole attitude of "It's never coming out" is a very stilted view of things. But CFs whole strategy with keeping the community hyped is very much like a carrot at the end of a stick.
If they had estimated a December 31st beta release, I still would have bought the 8 copies that I did. If they had told us 2014, I would not.

I love CF, but I doubt very highly that the beta will be ready by the end of the year.

In the several months since they have opened preorders, CF have had nearly two million dollars given to them by the community. This was done with the in intention of not only supporting the project; but also to speed up development. (Which we were expressly told the money would be doing for the team.)

But they still can't seem to to refine their "estimate" of 2013 at all.
When they get questioned about it now, they give the same stock answer now that they did six months ago - "Soon. " (Smiley emoticon non-optional)

The money that was given to them was supposed to speed up the development for the rest of the game. Yet, even with only 11 weeks left they can't pick which of the remaining two months of the year that they are even aiming for releasing the beta in.
My guess is that they are trapped in development hell right now. Between ambitious goals, feature creep they don't want to admit to, and an engorged community that hounds them constantly for information (which many of them feel completely entitled to), they have a lot on their plate.
At the end of the day, they are a company. And we are customers for a product. I believe in cutting them some slack, but other companies that make other products are criticized when difficulties arise in getting their product or service in the hands of customers.
Am I mad? No. I am a patient fellow with lots of good games to play. And I have a great game to look forward to. But I sure do wish they had said December 31 was their estimate months back. Instead of making us wonder about it for months. It would have saved me a lot of reading.

 

Not you specifically. Just everybody else in general--; because generalizations are a powerful root of evil. And evil makes me happy.

...And I guess it is easy to make jabs and take potshots at CoD. It's at a point where one can make jokes about the people who make jokes about CoD.

 

you know we might be the community but we are also the producers of this game

 

I honestly don't mind if the game takes another year. I love the idea of Starbound and feel like I can't wait to play it -- but I've worked on software projects before, and there is nothing worse than realizing that you still have so much you want to add and no time to do it. We're all behind you guys, and I feel like what you have already is more than worth the preorder money, so anything else added just sweetens an already great deal. Keep up the good work!

 

Am I the only one that thought that post was actually confirming beta this year rather than saying it was delayed?

From the front post:
The very first thing I want to say, to avoid any confusion, is that we’re still estimating the beta this year. This news post isn’t written as a precursor to an upcoming delay. It’s just a topic that has been discussed at length and one I felt like trying to address.

But the finished game WILL be worth the wait, we’re all happy with how its shaping up and super excited to get it to the point where we’re happy with it. You’ll have the chance to help us do that this year with the beta and we’re looking forwards to that too.

I don't understand where anyone is getting that it is going to absolutely be delayed, if anything, this seems more like an attempt to explain exactly why it has been delayed in the past. I'm not posting this in response to anyone in general nor am I trying to add fuel to the fire, I am only posting my opinion as a certified lurker

 

Then you will be volatile far more often. The story of the homo sapiens go a bit like this "[...] and then they worked against what was beyond their control."

I only logged in to say two things. First, this game is experiencing some heavy feature creep and so I suggest you do NOT "take all the time that you want" as everyone and their twin-uncle are saying. A game developer is like any other creator in that they are never fully happy with the work that they have done. At some point you have to let go, just a little bit, and release a beta so that we can test it. The longer you wait the more you compound on any existing game breaking bugs. Indie devs have this problem more often than large studios because their internal testing department is very rarely more than just the devs. It also looks like the game is in a very nearly complete state as it is... Every update is "fixed bug" and "here is a thumbnail to tease and piss you off". Second, there are some really stupid analogies floating around. Granted, I stopped reading somewhere into the 30 some odd page but I had so far seen a pizza analogy, a human birth analogy, and a mayan calendar analogy... some people need to stop and think before they write. Pizzas burn if left in the oven too long just as they are bad if you eat it raw. You can not beta test a human baby, and a human baby != video game... sorry to all of the people who really wanted this analogy to work, but you have some whacked priorities. And if I paid the Mayans to predict the end of the world in a society that believed in future telling (btw, there calendar was NOT foretelling the end, it was a calendar. Calendars end and people stop making them when everybody dies.), I would be completely pissed at them right now and be asking for my money back. This is a world of trading for goods and services.

But anyways, continue on. I don't ask that people agree with what I have to say; I only ask that people look at each argument on both sides with logic and reason from the beginning. The important thing is that for every single person here, there are many more who think just like them but don't post on this forum. Those people aren't any less important and their opinions should be just as important to Chucklefish.

tl,dr: I hate anyone who posts and responds based on tl,dr. It shows that all you want to do is argue for the sake of arguing and tells me that you are not worth my time as I must not have been worth yours enough to read this. (This has nothing to do with what I actually wrote)

 

As a side note I just noticed the Roadmap now says "Beta Release Date 2013"

 

@ArcheKnight: You know.. There is a magical way to avoid having to eyeball nothing but teaser updates/news. Don't visit the site everyday. Just keep peeking at your email and see if that magical message that involves the Betas release is in your inbox.

 

Lol, personally I have no problem waiting out the long development of a good game I just don't like them setting deadlines and then consistently missing them.. I think this post is a step in the right direction for the dev team, to work on their own schedule and stop giving hard dates, but as with all things from Tiy, it comes a little late.. (ie. after 'promising' beta release this year)

 

By the way everyone, if you go look at the Core Mechanics in the Road Map window....Everything is either done or at 90%. I'm only saying this cause I know a group of people were saying that they need to work on it.

What they really need to work on is the categories that are below 50%

 

Very well said my good sir

 

I prefer to wait for the full game, see the case of Cube World, people have been scammed

 

They were "estimating the beta this year" last year too.

Also the "a delayed game is eventually good" doesn't apply every time. See Duke Nukem Forever as an example of that.

That guy took the money and ran.
He made about 500.000 which isn't even that much for someone who wants to live with it.

 

Wait did they secretly update the roadmap?

In reverse a rushed game can suck monkey jewels. See Rome 2 total war.

 

Not true. Anyone with any managerial skills knows that deadlines are important and delaying them cause a lot of trouble. I am studying law right now, I have worked in a law firm for some time, and I know about deadlines and delays. A judge sends you an order to send X, Y, and Z brief in within 5 days, then you just don't say 'Well, if you give me another 25 days I promise that the brief will be a lot better.' If you do that you might as well count the case as lost, unless you can provide valid reason as to why you're late with the information. Making it better or adding 'fluff' isn't a good reason to delay the court system. Granted, the legal world is worlds apart from the game development world, but the example is that professionals have to have management skills that involve meeting deadlines, correctly assessing project goals, and knowing how to get your team to reach these things aka leadership.