Regarding Steam & DRM-Free

Option 4, give us an actual date before we worry about HOW we're going to get it.

 

My vote goes on option 3.

Also you could just deliver a DRM-free game through Steam. So people, who really hate Steam having to run in the background the whole time (which eats 0.0% CPU and about 13MB RAM by the way), could just use it as an installer/updater and start the game by simply clicking the exe.

 

I agree

 

And if we do not want to install Steam and register an account? Besides, if it were that simple, updates could be placed anywhere.

 

The point is that people want DRM-free not to install or use Steam, and besides, how would they update the DRM-free version to those who refuse to use Steam? Your solution comes at a compromise, whereas option 2 has the least drawbacks.

 

Option 3 would be best.
Steam is just standard nowadays and it would make the beta phase so much easier for you guys.

Even the people who hate steam would just have to use it for updates, because it's entirely possible to run installed steam games without steam itself running. It works like that for many DRM free games on steam and I'm sure you could make this work with Starbound as well. People who still don't want to use Steam just have to be happy with one DRM free release in each of the three beta phases or so. And if you really can't install Steam, which is really, really unlikely, then you most probably have a really old and crappy PC which wouldn't even be able to run Starbound.

 

@Terrahero: Regarding bug reports in option 2:
Bug reports should always include a version reference (it would be a mandatory field at least in their internal bug report system anyway).
Even if there is only one distribution platform it's going to be a mess otherwise. When there are multiple updates per day and you have to look at the time of a report to identify an issue, it's already unfeasible.

 

However, despite the popularity of Steam, developers initially promised beta for Humble. And there was not a single word about Steam.

 

You need a reason for not using steam is the point. Steam doesn't kill your children or anything.

 

We paid for a DRM-Free release of Starbound, plus access to the beta. Access to the beta was not specified as DRM-Free.

 

My Humble URL says otherwise.

 

I once saw a movie where Steam sprung from a pipe scolding a man's face making him horribly disfigured for the rest of his life.

I'll go for option 3 as I was currently unaware that steam was disliked by anyone as a platform to play games.

 

That arrogance :c.

 

@cpmartins:
That's not true: The Humble page after preording told us we would be able to download it there:

 

I was meaning the software not the "hot air" but thanks for the image.

 

Each of us has his own reasons to use or not use Steam and we have to respect them.

 

And they will ignore your bug reports, because you'll be using a less up-to-date version of the game. Or they'll be scratching their heads "is this fixed? is this not fixed? is there more of this bug?" for every person who reports a bug in the DRM-free version.

The whole point of the progenitor phase is to fix bugs as fast as possible. This purpose takes priority over even half of the users. The DRM-free version will not serve the purpose of the progenitor phase at all.

So DRM-free bug reports may need to be disabled for the progenitor phase. If I were in the situation where I could only use DRM-free, I'd say "forget about it. give us DRM-free in phase 2. My desires aren't worth more than the game."

 

Hmm, looks like everyone in the audience here - a professional tester, which has been doing this for many years.

 

You're so right about this

 

Option three plz