Some thoughts on early access, release dates, the big 1.0

Id have way more time logged if worlds were permanent, i don't want to lose my metropolis

 

The story hasn't been completely forgotten, though?
The progress map didn't work out for us, so we stopped using it. The space station was an early idea that didn't end up fitting into the game the way we'd originally intended it to. The newsletter is something totally separate from the game. It's something I started working on and never abandoned-- just needed to take a break from. We're not constantly jumping to new ideas-- we're working on progression. We've been working on progression. There's been an adjustment period in which we've figured out the best way for us to do things. This sort of thing happens all the time in game development, you just don't generally get to see it. We've been very vocal throughout development about what we've been doing, though, so you get to see all the obstacles.

 

I think it's important to discern between critique on the overall development and Tiys post.
I guess a lot of people have no problem waiting a bit longer for the development, but as said before, i for example can't stand the philosophing bit about what finished means today. I mean it is not as if people didn't also complain about the Minecraft development or any other develeopment, where promised features are left out later on. Especially if these features are important for the people. Just take a look about the overall reaction towards the Sims 4 not integrating pools/toddlers.

@mollygos
Thanks for reopening and merging the threads and the overall way to handle the situation. Honestly great kudos for dealing with us in a nice manner.

 

I think he was just alluding to the amount of existing content relative to other early access games, not that they would have kept all their promises by releasing now.

 

How i loathe thee internet, but yet cannot live without you.

 

Since we're talking about how this game could be classified as complete, I have a question.

As you can see from my badge, I'm a gold tier purchaser of the game. One of the rewards for gold tier besides this badge was that I got to name one of the NPCs. As of yet, I have never seen the name I provided in game. What file do I need to open in order to verify that I have in fact received what I paid for? I'd like to be able to confirm that the name I gave is actually available in the game, and it's not simply bad luck that out of the thousands of NPCs I've run into, the name I provided has not come up a single time.

Gracias!

 

Hey, backer rewards have not yet been added, but are going to be added during a later phase. Nobody was implying that the game is actually complete without backer rewards implemented, or saying that we're going to stop developing the game.

 

I appreciate the answer, thanks. I assumed (wrongly) from Tiy's comment: "I feel we could have released what we currently have AS 1.0, outside of early access." that that meant the backer rewards had been implemented. Thank you for the clarification.

 

The implication was more that the game is fun as it is-- loads of people have spent hundreds of hours playing, we've gotten lots of really great feedback, reviews, etc. We've always planned to continue to update Starbound beyond version 1.0-- I think the point being made was just that the beta could stand on its own.

 

Its Great game.
Call it 1.0 , 2.0, 38.548163213 what you want, i dont care.
But i have to say that i would like to see some quests.
And few mechanics here and there.
But you already got my money and it was well spent.
I just hope you wont abbandon Starbound.
Have you considered expansions, paid ones?
(and i do care how you would call those. Dont call them DLC dont even make those)
I would gladly give you few extra for good expansion.
But i has to be something good. Not just fluf.

 

Molehills to Mountains 2 Simulator Confirmed!

Twice, now, internet gremlins ate my posts... Third time's a charm, right?

The posts I originally made had all sorts of words, cleverly arranged into sentences that tried to convey something I felt important enough to share... it even implicated Timmy the pet hamster, with his cruel, beady lil' eyes... as part of the problem. It was even way more on topic, too! But, no... the internet ate em'.

On topic... Meh, I just don't know any more... but after reading the OP, I now know that I know even less about the situation, effectively.

Now, I'm tired, and only want satire.

Hoping for the best. Hoping this game will still be the one I purchased when it's finished. Hoping just to hope. Hope you have a good day.
Bob Hope ▼ pictured below. Back to waiting patiently. Now, returning you to your regularly scheduled thread.

Do not remove Hope!

 

A simple way to resolve the dispute about the lack of delivery of promised features is to offer a refund to those of us who feel five months is too long to go without any official updates to a still-very-unfinished game. I at least promise not to bother you again if I can get my friends their money back. You have millions of dollars and enough surplus to market and start development on other games, so you don't need my group's contribution.

 

NeoGAF is on to you guys, watch out.
Also: Hi Cuddlefish

 

well
i waited 3 full years for this game
and all i get is beta with no content only random generated monsters that are still boring to fight against
and absolutely no adventure or goal rather than getting better gear and some shity mecha
you broke it chuckle
U BROKE IT
its now less than 1/100 terraria for sure

 

How did you manage to wait 3 years for a game that didn't even exist 3 years ago?

 

@Tiy Hope you see this, just wanted to say that I don't know about a silent majority but personally you have my full support and I really love all you guys for who you are, what you've done and the way you've done it so far. I'm sorry you need to deal with reddit shenanigans (which I know nothing about because I don't have to, which is why I kinda feel really sorry) and "misunderstandings" among paying customers. Honestly I can't even remember when I bought your dream game, I played it for most (if not all) of the content it had in its first few available weeks and have been waiting since, visiting this site every few days. Honestly, all of you guys are really really great, and you hopefully know it. Basically yeah, what I have to say is that I'm sorry for all the shit you need to deal with, have an E-hug from a complete stranger over the internet, and I give you full control over what you do with my pretend self entitled "share" of your game. I recognize how you guys are and what you're doing, and the fact that this leads me to want that you lead me blindfolded is really a testament of the love and trust I have towards you great little people. I have nothing to say really that will not repeat itself.

 

The truth is that this game is in alpha. Why do I say that? The engines for this game has been changed a few times, gravity has been changes, progression has been changed and not even fully or mostly implemented yet and not mention other things such as the tiers used to have planet levels. I am disappointed because I brought a game that was supposed to be in beta at release, and while some of the changes are improvements such as the combat it isn't nearly what was promised. This is alpha and while it is a very stable alpha that's what it really is.

People have a right to be upset. The game I was promised has been drastically changed. Yes some of you have fun with it but the features I was promised are either missing or changed now. I'm still wanting to play this game in the future once progression is in the game, but honestly it's kinda boring at this point.

I have other complaints but most of those are my preferences that I can't hold the company to but a beta means the game is close to release and most of the elements are there. What I would like is for no more new things and just finish what was already promised.

 

Like the game, looking forward to release. No regrets on my part. I am as patient as the stars.

That said, Tiy's post was bound to ruffle some feathers. I'm not sure what he hoped to accomplish with it, but I'm fairly sure it didn't do what he hoped it would.

 

So, let me get this straight. You guys are claiming that what you have right now could be released as a 1.0? Really? With little to none of the promised content upon which tons of people backed the game in anticipation for? Starbound is still nearly an empty shell of a game. Worlds are uninteresting, combat needs work, no story, poor linear progression system that doesn't lead anywhere. Did you forget about the unfinished Pokemon-esque system that's implemented? How about the horrible optimization? The fact that you could even fathom what we have could be called finished is worrying, to say the least.

You then say it's fully playable, what does this even mean? Aren't all games playable? The alpha version of Terraria was playable, and it was nowhere near being called complete. You then bring up playtime. Other people have addressed it, your statistics are completely false, since the launcher counts playtime hours as well as the actual game. Even disregarding that, you shouldn't think of it as play time and more as "test time".

The good reviews the game has gotten is mostly balancing on the "More coming soon!" idea and potential of the game more than anything else. Also, I don't like you twisting the definition of 1.0. It's 1.0 when you have everything you promised to put into it. You're being very passive aggressive with this underlying notion that you could just ditch the game right now guilt-free.

This type of attitude from devs, alongside these fora being heavily censored and protected from any sort of criticism really turns me and a lot of other people off from ever wanting to touch Starbound again.

TL;DR Cookie dough isn't cookies. Cookie dough tasting good doesn't mean it is the finished cookie.

 

You know what bothers me most with Chucklefish? Lies. Yes, they're lying.

It all started in early 2012...
Take a look at at the screenshots of this random article of February 2012:
(I'm not allowed to post external links, so just Google this (first result)):
starbound-announced-and-coming-to-the-pc-in-summer-2012-chucklefishs-upcoming-2d-lovely-indie-game

Those "graphics" really were on the Starbound page under "Screenshots".

Now quickly take a look at this YouTube video which was uploaded in July 2012:
Google: starbound water demo

Notice something? What happened with the nice lightning and water effects (look at the "splashes")? Where's that awesome living world we saw in those "screenshots" of February 2012? How could all those creatures/players already swim in water when they just implemented the water engine?

Say thanks to Tyi and his amazing pixel art skills.

Being overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes to implement a game idea is one thing (didn't you guys develop Terraria?). But posting empty promises and graphical mocks of random game ideas and pretending that this will be available in the full game soon is a whole different league.

And now you're even cheeky enough to say that the game is actually pretty finished already? Wow.

If Chucklefish would have a LITTLE BIT of honesty, they'd say:
"Sorry guys, but all the ideas we have for the game will still take a huge amount of time until they're finished. We are forced to set the release date way back until end of 2015 or even early 2016. Unfortunately we can't afford to hire and train the 15 additional developers we would actually need, because we're scared that someday the FOUR MILLION DOLLARS we made ONLY from the Starbound PRE-SALE might be used up by them. In the meantime, while our developer works on the AI of penguins, please enjoy this animated gif of a three headed monkey I just created!"
(Sorry, I got kind of distracted at the end )