I hope they go with Option 2, it excludes the least amount of people, and allows those who refuse to use steam a chance to legally use what they have purchased without resorting to alternative methods. It can also test two types of builds, since apparently the game is vastly different from its Steam counterpart so much so that it needs to be compiled two separate times as two separate entities when most games just change their executable as to run using the steam_api or not. So when someone makes a compelling argument against the majority vote "Steam only" you resort to calling mods? So I guess I'll do the same as your impeding on my ability to argue a sound point. Obviously the steam community must be hostile to resort to such actions.
May I remind you you have preordered the game, not the beta, and that you'll get it eventually? Plus you get the beta itself, even if a bit later, but intact and stable. I mean, suuuure, I bought these tickets to concert and I heard something about tacos during concert, so now I guess I should demand tacos despite there wasn't any clear statement does everybody get tacos. Also, seeing as game got freaking$ two million$, I assume it means it should be ported on Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga, Sega Mega Drive and Enigma coding device, seeing as the coverage is sooo important and all minorities must be satisfied, no matter how small! Not everybody has a PC nowdays, you see! EDIT: No, I want to call mods because this is getting really shistormy. I really don't want to see people throwing feces when hell breaks out, so I'd rather prefer moderators take control of order once insults get in.
You make a compelling argument, I agree that cross platforming this kind of game could be a great idea. Even shipping some form of console game editor. Terraria never bothered with the console market, they have something there. Imagine the Wii-U and this game, you could draw and edit using the Wii-U's remote. Not a bad idea.
Dilbert in a nutshell: "I have a different opinion and a different idea of how this game development works, but instead of showing everyone my argument in a way they could understand, I mock them with tons of sarcasm to make them look idiots to have an opinion different than mine" The problem is not what you do, Billy, but how you do it! If you think there's no reason for 2 builds to delay the final release, great! This particular game's developers think there is a reason
Indeed, Lobo's right, devs in most cases will rely on majority, and you won't convince a majority by being a dickweed to it.
Let me start off by saying, yes, you'll unfortunately get quite a few people who want this beta simply to play. Not to test for bugs, not to help the team fix these so that they can continue adding more content as we inch ourselves closer to a fully released (mostly bug free) game. Yes, option 2 would allow both parties to get in and be able to play/test the game. The incompatibilities between the two versions, while they would prevent people from steam playing with those with the non-steam version, and vice versa, the whole point of this is, believe it or not, to TEST the game. I wouldn't want anyone to get left out of enjoying this game, and as far as I can tell, option 3 isn't saying 'Steam Only Forevars." Just that those who cannot/will not use Steam would be waiting a bit longer until the team could effectively keep both up to date at a relatively even pace. This would prevent the issue of them being unable to play together, which as far as Option 2 states, would be a problem from the get go. Depending on how they intend the bugs to be reported (be it through a seperate sub-forum here on the site or, for the Steam version anyways, through Steam) it all comes down to what would make Phase 1 of the Beta go the quickest. They aren't going to prevent people who cannot/won't use Steam from ever participating in the Beta, just would have them wait a bit longer. If anything else, they'd have an easier time with a considerably lower bug-plagued experience as they help squash any obscure bugs that may have eluded the rest of the testers during the crashy, character-eating, save-destroying phase that is the 'Progenitor' phase. I've seen the argument that those in the non-steam version may find bugs missed by those in the steam version (non-steam being not up to date as the steam version) and that having both playing through essentially twice would help catch these bugs. Would those very same bugs still be there in the newer version then if they weren't fixed previously? I've even seen some wanting the DRM-free, non-steam version so that they can get to modding, which is great but Stage 1, as far as the information given to us by Tiy, will have plenty of things disabled, and patches coming in quickly, even as often as multiple times during a single day. It would seem silly to work on something, at least from my viewpoint, that would more than likely be obsolete within a matter of moments. I really believe it all comes down to the Progenitor phase being as stream-lined as physically possible. I'd hate for anyone to be left out but for all intents and purposes it really seems like keeping the severely buggy version to Steam so that when they reach a point that they would be able to relatively easier that it would not cut into their time towards the full release (most likely towards the end of Stage 1 or at the beginning of Stage 2, which should be relatively stable.) Just makes more sense to me in that regard but I can understand entirely why folks don't want to wait longer, but this is after all a BETA TEST (something that seems to be forgotten :/), it seems like there would be more time than necessary put into making and updating a 2nd, non-steam version then there really needs to be in this first, critical bug squishing phase. TL;DR: Option 2, while more fairer, is stated to take more time away from development. Option 3 appears to be the best to getting through the first phase of Beta Testing the quickest, through a stream-lined distribution, both game files and updates. It would include EVERYONE, just not at the same time. We all want the end result of a (mostly) bug free Full Release, after all, don't we? P.S. Technically Terraria DID come to consoles, just not hand-held devices (Unless I entirely missed something, I apologize) Also, BEES!
If everyone is using steam, why not offer DRM-Free for those who want it, Option 2 is fair. People will back up builds anyway. Steam or no.
@Dilbert1billion Why can't people download steam while they fetch the code from there email, activate it via steam, then set it to offline mode when they don't have internet? Why can't people have there internet enabled (since they have to have internet to fucking get the game from there email) then play on the steam version till the DRM-free version comes out? Why did you deliberately start an argument with a person when there was 0 need to? (For this one I litterally can smell troll in my nose) Why couldn't you post your opinion and leave instead of acting like a know-it-all? (same with this one) And especially, Why are you so worried about this if 21.1% of the population of the EARTH have a stable internet connection? That means about 4% of people who have an internet connection have steam. 1 OUT OF 20 PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERNET HAVE STEAM. I can say without a doubt, that less then 0.5% of people on this forum do not have steam.
After this many posts I'm probably just an echo repeating what's been said a hundred times, but number 3 really sounds like the best to me. Why? Because the people who want a rapidly-updated beta are most likely willing to use Steam to do so. (And it's easier for the Chucklefish team to manage like this). Steam isn't really that cumbersome and most PC gamers use it anyway. DRM-free has some appeal even for Steam users, but it's definitely not necessary in the beta stages.
Why won't they offer a DRM-Free beta build? Option 2 seems most fair. The game is funded over 1 million. An INDIE title. What percentage of that are people who don't even use the forums and are waiting for their beta builds anxiously? Why exclude them? Doesn't make any sense to argue for exclusion. Plain and simple. Option 2 is atleast understandable.
Steam is basically your PC game store. It is very organized, and very helpful especially for the Starbound developers. If people don't have internet or won't use steam for some reason, then I guess they shouldn't even bother with the game. Although I would vey much like a DRM Free version of the game, me and many other people feel as if the games development shouldn't be halted over releasing updates to both Steam and DRM Free simultaneously. And once the beta has been built up enough it will be updated more often so who really cares wether or not it's on Steam?
Why? why are you so quick to exclude players? They could just as easily download their DRM free build from another source. By the same logic, download it through steam from an open internet source and play by themselves. People fail to realize the large singleplayer component that not only this game has but games like Terraria have. Telling people not to bother? And yet I'm the one considered a troll. This right here is why I don't respect the other side of the argument. Option 2 is at least fair. Otherwise, the majority backing option 3 seem selfish. In regards to Beta, this discussions state that apparently, they are considering not to. Then they shouldn't bother mentioning it on Humblebundle. Don't Starve was a game that featured both Humblebundle stand alone download, and Steam versions. They made far less money than this game, with its 2 million in backing? And was able to keep a steady time table with a large amount of updates. Not one of you have anything to go on except "The developer said-" Seriously? No wonder it is so easy to manipulate people now adays, no one cares to become informed, and ridicule anyone otherwise.
I am not excluding anybody, and you REALLY need to calm down. I'm just saying, how could anyone even get the game with no internet to begin with, and using Steam will allow the dev's to focus more on development. Oh and stop double posting. Edit your existing posts.
Because managing a game via steam is way easier than sending an update out for people to download via emails, When updates will be that frequent (Several times a day) you will be impressed on how much easier it is to give updates to everybody via steam. "I can say without a doubt, that less then 0.5% of people on this forum do not have steam" Also there is 109,253 people on this forum while there is 91,426 backers, that is almost 20,000 more people on this forum then backers, Everyone who backed this game could have a forum account. also it would be impossible to find how many people have backed this game and haven't created a forum account no matter how big or small the number. Because it's easier to get a steam version out first, then to get a DRM free version when the beta is more stable. This is a legitimate argument about exclusion "Because it's easier to get a steam version out first, then to get a DRM free version when the beta is more stable." Would you be happy about playing the game if you had to check your email every hour or so for updates rather then check your email once a week for updates? Honestly for non steam users a game that updates this frequently in its first stages they'll probably spend more time on average updating the game then actually playing it. EDIT: And if you pull a "But they don't have to update" argument would you rather play a decent not very buggy beta or a beta where you are litterally going through a maze of unfinished things and bugs (and reporting bugs that have already been reported thousands of times)
