The news that people have been asking me about for years is finally here! I’m planning on releasing RimWorld on Steam Early Access around the end of July or early August.
(Edit: Having considered the feedback so far, there’s a good chance I may release the game on Steam as a non-Early Access finished game. Read below for why. Nothing of substance would be different from how it’s described here – it’s just a labeling/PR issue.)
At that time, the key distributor will be set up to give out Steam keys to qualifying existing buyers (currently it only gives your non-Steam download links). I’ll try to get the keys up at the same time as the Steam release, but be warned that there might be a day or so of delay. In either case, the content will be the same on and off Steam.
Steam Workshop will be supported from day one of the Steam release, so it’ll be extremely easy to subscribe to mods. In fact I’m a little worried that people won’t come to our thriving mods forum any more! But I think it’ll be okay. A community this awesome is about more than just getting the mods.
In the run-up to the Steam release, I’ve been focusing my efforts on perfecting what there is of RimWorld rather than biting off chunks of new content. If you read my changelog you already know that I’ve been obsessively bugfixing for a month now. As I mentioned in the Alpha 11 release video, I’m pretty satisfied with the shape of the game. Up until Alpha 11, there were always big holes in the design. Back in the days of yore it was the lack of real hauling and stockpiling (resources were stored in hammerspace, like StarCraft II). Then it was the monotony of a single enemy type with a single strategy. Then the monotony of a single biome. As each piece was added, it filled in a missing piece in the design. The last hole was the one represented by the all-powerful killbox strategy which funneled dumb enemies into a single turret-lined room. Alpha 11’s new sapper strategy solved that.
Now, for the first time, I look at the design and I don’t see gaping holes that need to be filled. Of course, there are still countless things that could be added to the game. I have a document listing hundreds of them. But they all feel optional to me. What’s there is a rounded, integrated design. In my mind the design always used to look like an irregular lump of Swiss cheese; now it’s more-or-less rounded and more-or-less smooth.
So is it done? I’ve thought a lot about what it means to call a game “done”. Ten years ago, a game was done when it was printed to disc. But with digital distribution, we never lose the ability to keep changing a game. So when is a game done? Is it just when you stop adding things? No, because a game can be abandoned without being finished. Is it when there’s nothing else that could be added? That’s not reasonable; I could work on RimWorld for 50 years and never satisfy that. In the end, I think that a game is done when promises have been fulfilled, and there aren’t holes in the design. And we’re reached that point, so RimWorld is done.
That said, just because RimWorld is done doesn’t necessarily mean I’m done with it.
I like working on the game, you all like playing it, and it’s profitable. So I probably will add more content to the game. In the meantime, though, I think it’s time for a bit of a break. I’ve been working on RimWorld and its prototypes for going on three years straight now, and my hours are usually pretty long. I’m starting to feel a bit of burnout. I often seem to develop this dull ache behind the eyes after a couple hours of work. I have trouble concentrating for the lengths of time that used to be normal for me. For that reason – and just because I believe in having a life that isn’t all work – I’m taking some time off from full-time RimWorld development starting in September. Currently it’s looking like it’ll be about six months. I’ll still be around to interact, but I won’t be developing constantly like I have been.
I can’t say exactly what will happen when I return. I might just take the feedback from the Early Access release, integrate it and release RimWorld 1.0 without major new features. Or, I might continue developing the game for years. As I said, I like working on RimWorld, but I’ve also learned that the future is very uncertain and it’s a bad idea to make promises you’re not sure you can keep. That’s part of why I’m telling you about my break now, before the big Steam release. In any case, as always, I encourage people to only make buying decisions about the game based on what it is today. Please don’t ever buy any game – including mine – based on a guess at what it might some day become. Hype trains crash a lot.
So – that’s all the news! I also want to say thank you. There are a lot of scary stories about indie development, and back when I quit Irrational I wasn’t looking forward to facing the poverty and vicious online hatred I kept hearing about. Thankfully, this whole process has actually turned out to be great all around. You’re make this community fun and interesting to interact with. This is an awesome job and I very much appreciate you in giving it to me.
July 1st, 2015 - 7:07 am
It’s been an amazing time playing off and on through the last 1-2 years as you’ve developed the game. Really admire your hard work and vision for this game. Good luck with the future.
July 1st, 2015 - 8:23 am
This is both good and bad news.
If the message would’ve ended at “hey, it’s now on Steam too”, I’d have probably done the same thing I did with Kerbal Space Program, which I initially also bought directly from the developers and then again separately when they released on Steam to further support them and since they kept developing it I’ve then also baught it a third time on GoG.
Hearing that development for Rimworld will stop for 6 months and then being completely uncertain if it’ll be just called “done for real” and “abandoned” I think I cannot get myself over it to do the same I did for the KSP guys for Rimworld. (the SendOwl version is just fine as it is and just for Steam autoupdate, hours played tracking and workshop integration may not be worth it migrating the key)
We’ll see, I guess I’m going to wait the 6 months until the developer returns and then make a decision whether to buy it again to continue the support or leave it at the version I bought through SendOwl. (if the dev is going to check – no, this comment posts address was not the same one I used to buy the game from)
Anyways, best of luck, have a relaxing 6 months off (you very much deserve it) and see you when you return.
I hope that Rimworld will then keep receiving new features, there’s still so much more potential …
July 1st, 2015 - 8:38 am
Enjoy a well-deserved 6 months off, Tynan. Rimworld’s been far and away the best Kickstarter I’ve contributed to and it’s been the gift that keeps on giving. I’m shocked you’ve managed 3 years without a break.
Hopefully look forward to you back after 6 months raring to go on the game – but if not, it’s amazing as it is.
July 1st, 2015 - 8:39 am
Ty, you are my goddamn hero. Since alpha 4 I’ve been hopelessly addicted to this game. I wish you the best in your future endeavors and hope that you return to making Rimworld the best damn colony sim out there.
July 1st, 2015 - 8:45 am
Been playing your game since Alpha 1. It’s been pretty cool watching it develop into what it’s become today. I can say without any reservations that I have no regrets about buying it early and helping support what it’s become.
It’s nice to see a game graduate from early release into a full release like this, and it’s refreshing to see that happen before it goes up on Steam. RimWorld does not feel like it’s missing anything. It’s a fun game, and it’s got great replay value. I know plenty of new fans are going to fall in love with it.
Lastly, I just want to say congratulations, Tynan.
July 1st, 2015 - 9:20 am
Cool.
I’m excited to see how well rimworld will do on steam and what the steam modding community will do with rimworld.
Happy Canada Day. Enjoy your break.
July 1st, 2015 - 9:23 am
Enjoy your six months (or however long) off! A game like this won’t suffer; you’ve dug up the ground and made a fertile garden, the modding community will plant seeds and make it bloom. 🙂
July 1st, 2015 - 11:06 am
Giving you the best of hopes for your steam release and just willing to say it’s a smart decision: Burn out doesn’t do any good at all!
That was to be expected, considering the work you put in this game.
Again, best of lucks for next release and don’t feel bad about it, community will find means to enjoy a bit of stability as well 🙂
July 1st, 2015 - 11:32 am
Just one question, you had submitted a request for modders to submit their mods to be included in vanilla a couple of months ago. Are you still planning on this or have you scrapped that idea? Either way job well done! 😀
July 1st, 2015 - 12:19 pm
While I agree that RimWorld is fully in a position to be released, I’m not sure I agree with Ty’s logic.
Releasing the game on “Early Access” and then abandoning it for 6 months is NOT going to go over well on Steam. By definition EA games are still works in progress with (supposedly) constant updates.
So if it’s done then release it as a 1.0 and not as an EA game. You can always come back to work on it more – Terraria is a prime example. If it’s not done, then release it on EA but continue to work on it. But the middle ground here not only makes no sense, it actually violates the EA process on Steam by dumping it as an EA and then walking away for months on end.
July 1st, 2015 - 1:12 pm
Thanks for the great game you developed. So far one of my most played games and constantly coming back.
I decided to comment here to make you think about your decision of releasing Rimworld as Early Access and then take a longer break. As Granath said before me, I don’t think this will go well. You have all the right to do so, but we all know the community of steam with its toxic elements. And people became kinda irrational regarding EA’s. Maybe it would be a better choice to go for a release instead of EA. The Steam community will expect frequently updates from EA titles.
July 1st, 2015 - 1:50 pm
Just want to thank you for making the game and seeing it through to this point where I would also consider it completed. I saw the game on Greenlight on steam over a year and a half ago and have been playing it continuously since.
Rimworld will always be among my favourite games and I enjoyed all of the 100+ hours I’ve spent on it. Thanks so much for taking the risk to make Rimworld happen!
July 1st, 2015 - 3:25 pm
Hi Tynan,
Congratulations on reaching this very important milestone!
I just wanted to add as some of the comments before me that releasing the game as Early Access and then not updating for 6+ months is not going to be well received by those on Steam that didn’t follow the game development. With the game at full $30 price and still being called Alpha I believe you are looking forward to some not at all deserved bad publicity.
Perhaps doing a 1.0 release on Steam and after your break doing the update with the feedback is going to be much more accepted.
July 1st, 2015 - 4:14 pm
Bloody Hell – totally a rational decision on your part; I’m happy to have you as a customer (again!) whether it’s now or later 🙂
fla_hotrod – That request is still totally open. Mod integration is one of the things I might be able to do during my break, actually. Especially if it’s a well-contained mod (in the past I’ve had to rewrite 90% of the content in the mods I’ve integrated).
Granath, CK, MD – I understand the concern. I’m not sure the definition of EA includes ‘constant updates’, though, does it? I’m taking some cues off the Kerbal Space Program release. They were in EA for years, with big gaps between updates. In the end, though, it seems to have worked out well. After the final release, their game got properly reviewed when it really should have – that is to say, when it wasn’t going to change significantly.
Terraria probably would have benefited from staying in EA. But they released that game before EA existed!
I think from here, 6 months can seem like a long time but taking a broader view it really isn’t. I’d really feel like I had shot myself in the foot if I released the game as 1.0 now, then came back to work on it for years more (which isn’t totally unlikely).
My solution here is jut to lay all the facts out for everyone. Nothing’s hidden, all is here for your viewing so people can make their own buying decisions. Some people might still scream and stamp their feet but I don’t think there’s any justified accusation someone could make given that you all know as much as I do at this point.
I do think, though, that the next update will be “Beta 1”. That should help set expectations, and the state of development fits the beta label at this point.
Others – Thanks to everyone else who commented, I appreciate the support 🙂
July 1st, 2015 - 4:41 pm
First, let me say, great work on the game and a well-deserved break indeed.
Having said that, I tend to agree a bit with Granath’s comment regarding releasing to Early Access and then having a long break. While in the scheme of Rimworld’s development and comparing to other games (like KSP), this isn’t an extraordinary case, I do think that it may have a slightly negative connotation for the new audience the game will reach on Steam if the game is immediately “in limbo” development-wise for the first 6 months after it’s launch on EA.
Not to be presumptuous, but I think that is a legacy point of view relating to how games development traditionally works (barring MMOs, MOBAs, and similar long cycle games). Most games developers think a game is done at 1.x and the next version is Title 2 1.x, rather than Title 2.x. There’s no reason you couldn’t continue to work on the game and improve it beyond the 1.0 release with major features. The version number is just a number.
I’ m not trying to change your mind necessarily, I just want to see that Rimworld succeeds in every way possible because it is a fantastic game and I’ve dumped hundreds of hours into it and will likely sink hundreds more. I think it’s important, not only to manage expectations, but to manage impressions (especially first impressions) when launching on a new distribution platform with the reach of Steam.
July 1st, 2015 - 4:56 pm
Take a break, my friend. The game is amazing and I’m sure the thousands, if not millions of Steam denizens will enjoy every minute of it.
Thanks for all your hard work.
July 1st, 2015 - 5:03 pm
Hmm, well maybe I will just release it as 1.0 and look at doing expansions later.
Will have to consider it.
July 1st, 2015 - 5:40 pm
I’d say it’s a job well done! I’ve been playing this game since I funded it on Kickstarter, and it’s always been pretty satisfying. It is quite nice to have it rounded out now, though, I will admit. Enjoy your vacation; it’ll be wonderful. (I myself am on a two-month vacation after working full-time for a year. If you make it up Vancouver way, I’ll buy you a drink. 🙂 )
Have you considered releasing the game as open-source someday? (Say, a year after active development ends or something.) That’s often a really nice perk for modders, since they’re not stuck merely working around bugs and such.
July 1st, 2015 - 6:09 pm
You have definitely earned a long and relaxing break, but, as others have said, releasing the game on Steam’s Early Access (EA) program wouldn’t go over so well with the community. If you feel that you’re satisfied enough with the current state of the game to call it 1.0, then release it as 1.0. You can always continue to provide post launch support and content.
From what I’ve seen, people will be more understanding if you release the game as 1.0 and then take a break due to having worked tirelessly on the project for years – I believe the Banished dev did this. If you release the game as EA and then take a break, people will see it a cash grab that’s been abandoned. Most people are already skeptical of EA games because of developers either not putting out regular updates or not fulfilling promises – Spacebase DF-9 comes to mind. As soon as people see ‘Early Access’ followed by ‘taking a six month break’, this game is going to get slammed, which is something I’d hate to see as I love this game.
As I said earlier, if you’re satisfied enough with the current state of the game to even consider calling it 1.0, you should probably go ahead and do that. The modding community will keep this game alive through the workshop and forums, and after your break, if you still want to work on the game and can afford to, people will appreciate post launch support.
Whatever you decide, best of luck to you and thanks for an amazing game.
July 1st, 2015 - 6:45 pm
Well, having thought about it more and read some of your thoughts, I think I likely will release it as 1.0. Certainly I think it deserves the label. Nothing of substance would be different from what I wrote in the OP – this really is just a presentation/labeling issue.
July 1st, 2015 - 7:01 pm
I hope you will continue developping RimWorld in the futur, for years. It is the best “cousin” of Dwarf Fortress, and there is still plenty to do. Like, redo the UI (EdB is awesome), add not Z-level but staged buildings, add some depth to crafting (Superior Crafting is awesome), etc.
I don’t like the idea of releasing a game on Early Access, then go for holidays for 6 months or even more.
Most of the players seem to buy Early Access and expect constant update with bugfixes but also content.
Doing what you want to do will hurt even more the state of “Early Access” in the mind of many players : no updates, abandonned game, released only to make more money, etc.
RimWorld is great, and i love that game. I only have concerns about your “Early access” program. Release the game, or don’t release the game. Release an Early Access and give frequent updates, or don’t release Early Access.
Just my opinion, i may be wrong.
July 1st, 2015 - 7:28 pm
Well Tynan, if you’re starting to get a dull ache behind the eyes, all I can say is that maybe you badly need that break. The alternative doesn’t really bear thinking about.
July 1st, 2015 - 8:23 pm
Ty,
Glad we could help with that – it’ll probably save you some sanity by releasing it as finished with possible updates to come rather than EA with expected updates to come.
July 1st, 2015 - 8:44 pm
This hype train didnt crash, far from it. Im thrilled to have supported you, and its been a pleasure playing the builds as they came. Looking fwd to the Steam (full/finished) release, and hope you enjoy the time “off world”. If you dont come back to RimWorld, looking fwd to hearing about your next project.
Best, Ben.
PS: +1 on dont early access. Doesnt make sense at this stage and it would be really saddening to see RimWorld and you slammed as you take well deserved time off. Enjoy the time off instead!
July 1st, 2015 - 8:46 pm
i just hope that if the game is feature-wise now called “done” that we get some more content for the game. to be honest up till now the game was called alpha and in all intend & purposes is an alpha version. till now the dev developed more & more features for the game, almost entirely focusing on the feature aspect and the mods have filled the game with content. if you compare the amount of CONTENT (not features) compared to the mods all together (for example in the ultimate overhaul modpack) then the vanilla game has about 10-15% content compared to the mods. the problem there is that mods are great and so on, but they can / might get abandoned and are often conflicting with other mods and need some adjustments, that’s why some modpacks modify some of them drastically.
one major point of the game was that in vanilla most of the games progression / content was unlocked from the start, i only played back then with the TTM mod and now with the overhaul modpack which includes superior crafting which cuts of the progression in more diverse techs. the game gets some real sense of progression with that. again, content and improved game design coming from the modding community which might or might not be abandoned at some point and most likely have some conflicts with other mods…cause mods are always based of the vanilla game.
i feel like that feature-wise the game might have a good enough amount of content, but it needs more content in terms of animals, factions, weapons (only 7 or 9 i think depending on the wiki) and it REALLY needs a better progression system.
i wish the dev best of luck with his decision and he deserves some rest but at this point i – personally – wouldn’t call the game done with the current release.
July 1st, 2015 - 11:48 pm
HAPPY CANADA DAY! From Sask. P.s. Bought the game on alpha 3 haven’t said anything ever. Keep up the good work!
July 2nd, 2015 - 12:33 am
I’ve been enjoying this game since the pre-alpha, and after all the work you’ve done (and the most regular updates of any Kickstarter project I’ve ever seen) I certainly can’t fault you for wanting to take a break. That said …
In my opinion this game is not complete. Stable, balanced, and playable, yes – but the content is still lacking. There are a few big ticket items I think should be in the core game:
* Animal husbandry – farming animals, essentially. Aside from having to keep them fed and healthy, and possibly seeing to their needs, you can have fun events like “stampede” or diseases jumping from the livestock to your colonists.
* Water – Irrigating crops and maintaining a supply of potable water for your colonists. This would make arid biomes far more interesting. Tons of things that can go wrong here.
* Relationships – This is a big one and you could really go overboard here, but I’d be happy with simple friendships and rivalries between colonists. This feature could be a great source of conflict in larger colonies, as your colonists could form cliques and perhaps even end up fighting each other in little civil wars. Rivals might get into fights, and if cliques formed that might lead to little civil wars. Whole groups might leave your colony or be banished.
I’m sure lots of little things could be done to make the game richer too.
As it stands I’m very happy with this game as an alpha, but I don’t think I could give it a positive review if it was the 1.0 release.
I agree with the crowd regarding early access though – dumping it on EA and then disappearing for six months could backfire.
July 2nd, 2015 - 12:46 am
Don’t abandon the game! Find someone you can trust to continue doing at least some of the mundane work (integrate Edb etc.) and take the back seat yourself. Noone knows what will happen in 6 months. Code rusts when untouched.
July 2nd, 2015 - 1:53 am
Please don’t do Steam Early Access, please just release what you have now as “1.0” and continue to work on it and provide “free content updates” (or even paid expansions, for all I care) on top of your “finished” game in the future.
I have a friend who will never, ever play a game if it gets labeled as “early access” on steam… even after is leaves early access. You call the game “finished” and then push future updates as “expansions” (free or not) and so long as what was presented as “finished” is reasonably complete and bug-free he’ll eat it right up, but if you call the game “early access” he’ll just get eternally stuck on that hype train cycle.
While in early access he’ll claim that he doesn’t wanna burn out on an incomplete game, so he won’t play it. Once a game (that was at some point in time sold as early access) is released he’ll complain that “x feature is missing, y feature is implemented wrong, devs lied to us and are abandoning their work” (regardless of any evidence to the contrary that gets presented to him) and continue to not play it. When updated post-release he’ll claim that “this is how it should have been from the beginning, but I’m too upset over the previous burns to play it now” and, once again, not play it.
It’s a stupid psychological hang-up, but it exists… and attitudes like his are remarkably commonplace among indie gamers. For that reason, I think an early access release could be damaging to the reputation of the game.
Of course, I believe what Daniel right above me is saying holds a lot of weight too… and his views seem to contradict mine. In fact, if not for my frustrating experiences with trying to sell my friend on multiple other good indie games like this, I’d probably be here echoing the exact sentiment that Daniel is expressing. So I guess take all what we’re saying here with a grain of salt and do whatever you think is best.
…or maybe don’t release it on Steam yet at all, just wait another 2 years or so for when you REALLY finish the game after coming back from your break. /s
July 2nd, 2015 - 3:04 am
I can’t blame you for wanting to take a break after releasing the game on steam but I can’t help but think it’s probably a bad move. It’s great that everyone here is supper supportive but this your fan base. The steam crowd will be less forgiving. I’m sure a lot of people will buy the game initially but then once they hear it’s no longer being supported even if temporarily they will quickly become bitter even with a great modding community.
Someone compared this game’s release to Terraria but I see more parallels with Starbound’s release which had a lot of promise at launch but wasn’t supported out the gate and received a lot of hate because of it. This game is great and I want it to do well but it’s going to be compared to Prison Architect and that game has received support for years and has a lot of content.
I think you will make a fortune either way but if you support the game post launch you will have a better reputation amongst the gaming community.
July 2nd, 2015 - 3:08 am
Hmmm. Maybe I should just not do the Steam launch until I return? I could work through summer, put out some more content, go on break, and then push it onto Steam EA when I get back. That way I can do updates for a while right after the EA release. Maybe that would be a better plan?
July 2nd, 2015 - 3:42 am
I have mixed feelings here, but it’s mostly because I don’t agree that all of the holes have been plugged yet. Namely, I think there’s one more important area that hasn’t been covered, and that’s in the number of unique events. Most of the alphas have introduced core mechanic changes that did keep the game fresh, but in terms of variety of what can happen, I still find the game quite lacking. You might say that’s nitpicking, but please try to understand where I’m coming from.
For a game that calls itself a storytelling engine, variety and replayability are extremely important, yet the same basic game progression is present in the game regardless of how you start out: Biome differences might change your initial priorities, but in the overall view temperature control and growing schedules are a small (if important) part of the game. In such a situation with a generally similar progression, a considerable number of unique events is important to keep the game fresh. Tynan himself has admitted that the late-game still needs work (which I view as evidence of a lack of content); whether he has changed his mind, I don’t know. (I hope not.)
Sure, you could say that’s there’s a lot of content available via modding, and I do applaud Tynan on his support of the modding community, but major core elements of the game should not be required to obtain through modding. It’s the difference between considering a game finished and unfinished. However, at this point you may ask, “at what point is it enough”? How many events does the game need in order for there to be enough combinations to keep the game fun to replay for a long time? (I’m talking about “legitimate”, game-promoted replayability- not player self-impositions that create an “artificial” replayability.) That, I cannot say for certain. I can say that once the core foundation for the game is laid in terms of mechanics, the more events that could be added, the better. This is the all-important “content”. It’s what makes the storytelling engine able to generate a variety of unique stories!
I am not arguing that Tynan hasn’t worked hard, or that he hasn’t treated his community properly. On the contrary, his interaction with the community is stellar, a somewhat rare occurrence even amongst indie developers. If anything, I might suggest that he’s worked himself too hard, which might be partly why he’s burning out right now. Even if you love something, working at it incessantly will eventually tire anyone- and to be honest I’m surprised that he didn’t burn out sooner than this.
Speculation on that matter isn’t the point here, though. Again, my point is not to criticize Tynan. It is to criticize the notion that the game has enough content to be called complete. What’s the point in setting a foundation, even a foundation of masterwork quality, if you don’t build anything upon it? That is why I am disappointed with this announcement. I just can’t bring myself to think a game can be called complete when you’ve merely (not used in a derogatory sense, mind you) completed the core mechanics.
Tynan may come back to add more content. That’s great, but to present it as something “more than we were promised” seems like quite a stretch to me, and to be honest it leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet, we’re placed in this position of “but Tynan has worked so hard- how can you be so ungrateful?” which, in my opinion, is unfair to consumers (speaking perhaps only for myself, but also possibly for others not brave enough to speak up) who rightfully expected more content than we were given. (I would like to emphasize again how important content is in the context of a storytelling engine. This should have been presented as a strategy/management game if mechanics were to be the primary focus.)
I do acknowledge that I took on a risk in buying the game while it was still in development, but I don’t think this exempts Ludeon Studios from what I believe to be legitimate expectations. Should I, the consumer, be held responsible or vilified through the circumstances if the developer burns out on development, and I am not satisfied with the result? Is that not the developer’s responsibility all the same?
I would like to note that I am not so displeased that I would even imagine to ask for a refund, or anything like that. Even in what I consider a pre-finished state, I have spent a considerable amount of time playing the game, to the point my conscience simply would not allow such a thought to cross my mind, so please don’t let this post’s intentions be misunderstood. However, in a near-unanimous (if not completely unanimous) cry of praise and support, I felt rather alienated and underrepresented in my feelings toward this. I have tried to express my disappointment as politely and gratefully as possible, but all the same, I am disappointed, and I wanted to express that.
In any case, I would like to congratulate Tynan on the work he has done so far, and I am happy that he will allow himself a decent break. It certainly sounds like he needs one.
July 2nd, 2015 - 4:59 am
I don’t think there’s enough endgame for 1.0 and the simulation isn’t rich enough to just keep running it for kicks
July 2nd, 2015 - 8:12 am
I think there’s enough game for you to release it as 1.0 and then to keep working on it later if you want to.
In my experience, Early Access titles are not only unfinished but often reasonably buggy. Rimworld is stable, and while there is room for expansion, there are no gaping holes in the game. Releasing it as EA would sell it short and put off a lot of customers.
July 2nd, 2015 - 8:23 am
Great timing. Just visited the site to see if there were any news on Steam release.
Can’t wait to add it to my library!
Great job, Tynan!
July 2nd, 2015 - 9:17 am
thats it.
i wanted to buy it.. but not with these news of making a dev break.
i understand the need of a break.. but i really dont trust it now…
looks like making some more cash with steam but not going on with the development..
very sad.. i waited long for the steam release.. but i will guy it AFTER the break! not before! perhaps it is an “forever break”
July 2nd, 2015 - 11:42 am
I think this would be a great plan. And I’m glad that you are taking in these comments as true feedback, given out of love for the game and wanting it to succeed.
As I mentioned in my previous comment, the first impression of the game on Steam is going to be a huge deal when it reaches that audience. Even if the Steam release is delayed until after your break, I think it would be better for the game’s health in the long run to wait until you can launch it while you are actively working on the game.
And if you don’t feel comfortable releasing what you have now as 1.0 and doing future expansions or DLC, then waiting for the Steam release is the next best plan in my opinion. You may disappoint a few people in the near term, but the game’s long-term health and growth is what is important.
July 2nd, 2015 - 1:19 pm
I’ve played Rimworld since Alpha 2 and it really has come a long way since then. I believe thet while there are things that could be added (More events anyone?)
Rimworld is no longer a “irregular lump of Swiss cheese”.
Tynan, you’ve done a fantastic job here and I think that while things like more events are nice to have, they’re not essential. I suggest that you take your (well deserved) break,
come back and take a fresh look at the game.And if you still think it’s ready, release it as 1.0
July 2nd, 2015 - 1:26 pm
you did finish the Full Game Pack but not:
Name in Game Pack
Backstory in Game Pack
Pirate King Pack
i dont want to be anoyng or so but you need to add this
July 2nd, 2015 - 2:53 pm
give you a break…
thats okay and you earned it
I think your game is awesome…
But i still miss organ-transplatation and naturally no more instadeath except by brain destruction
July 2nd, 2015 - 2:55 pm
Tynan Sylvester
July 2nd, 2015 – 3:08 am
Hmmm. Maybe I should just not do the Steam launch until I return? I could work through summer, put out some more content, go on break, and then push it onto Steam EA when I get back. That way I can do updates for a while right after the EA release. Maybe that would be a better plan?
Yes do it in that way
July 2nd, 2015 - 2:57 pm
or make a pro/con list for both and then choose
July 2nd, 2015 - 3:21 pm
“Hmmm. Maybe I should just not do the Steam launch until I return? I could work through summer, put out some more content, go on break, and then push it onto Steam EA when I get back. That way I can do updates for a while right after the EA release. Maybe that would be a better plan?”
Ty, that probably is a better plan. Better yet, I would advise this:
1. Take a vacation now while the weather is nice.
2. Come back with your batteries recharged.
3. Create some additional content but DO NOT RELEASE IT. Nothing huge, but something more than horse armor. 🙂
4. Put the game on Steam EA to great fanfare. Trumpets sound and flower pedals are thrown at your feet.
5. Add the already-prepared content and add it to the game 3-4 weeks after EA launch. This will ensure you build additional goodwill from Steam users and give you a time buffer while creating new content.
6. Work on truly new content and move to 1.0 Steam launch 3-5 months after EA release.
7. PROFIT!!!
This plan ensures that you have a very solid Steam EA release, can provide additional content shortly after the EA release to build Steam-user goodwill and then gives you a clear path to the 1.0 release while putting up with a minimal amount of hassle.
July 2nd, 2015 - 4:29 pm
we all hope you enjoy your well deserved rest. I personally do hope you spend the next 50 years working on rim world, you have the talent and the fan base to make this game the next dwarf fortress and if that is the way you want to go I am sure the community will fully support you through sales and things like Patreon or if not by buying your next game.
July 2nd, 2015 - 5:58 pm
Thank you for giving us such a great game, one of the best games I ever played and by far the best early access game I know of, and for beeing such a great developer interacting with the community and listening to their ideas while nor letting you push to something you don’t want and sticking to your plan.
I’m happy to hear it will be on Steam and I wish you the best for your well desereved vacation.
July 2nd, 2015 - 7:05 pm
Yeah, sure the Steam modding community will pick it up, so you won’t have to develop anymore. The game is ‘finished’ enough to cash in, and you can move on to the next thing. I dont have mixed feelings, this feels exactly like Towns, Spacebase DF-9, and many, many, many others. Lot’s of promise, and then a developer without the guts to see it through.
July 2nd, 2015 - 7:24 pm
I had so much hours of fun with this game!
I think you deserve a break 🙂
Thank you for telling us open and transparent that you have a leak in concentration and motivation, so we k ow why we wont get so much updates in the next time.
Lets hope that you can grab some new ideas and so e fresh motivation, or maybe push out a small project to have some difference, or just do the stuff wich normal ppl usually do 🙂
July 2nd, 2015 - 7:26 pm
in addition to what granath has said, you could go the GTA route where you release the full game (thereby silencing any possible early access complaints) but every once in a while (like every month or two) you release a free content update that adds new things
btw, i love your game and i hope this isnt the end of rimworld
July 2nd, 2015 - 8:11 pm
I’m very sad about this. I had a lot of fun with the game so far, but like some people said before: It never felt complete.
It felt more like “Yeah, I can see where this is going! Nice!”
In my honest opinion you should improve the existing game a little longer. But your health is important too. In the end, it’s your decision to make.
July 2nd, 2015 - 8:29 pm
I have to agree with what Texa said above:
1) Firstly, thanks for actually listening to our opinions and using the feedback. It’s quite appreciated that you’d take your time to read this.
2) Wait to have it on Steam – you should be ready to push out an update soon after its Steam release when you do put it up, EA or not. This’ll give a fantastic impression of you to the Steam community and help put a positive reputation out there for Ludeon Studios.
3) While I personally just think, “MOAR UPDATES PLEASE,” I understand if you need a break, and the game has already been worth what I’ve spent on it. Where you go with it is up to you, but I am looking forward to whatever it is you decide to do upon your return. I’m certain the modding community around Rimworld will keep us all entertained in the meantime. 😉
July 3rd, 2015 - 1:51 am
Thanks for giving us all an update and listening to our feedback.
To me, the game feels pretty much “done”, even though there’s clearly much more that could be added.
A big benefit to putting it on steam is the community mod work. I’m leaning towards suggesting you release it on Steam as 1.0, do any maintenance releases, and then take a well deserved break, while the community goes nuts adding things and tweaking things via mods. Any core annoyances will be swiftly modded away, and made obvious by their popularity, I’m sure. Then, when you come back, you’ll have plenty of feedback and a new perspective on what to add post release.
If you sit on the game for six months and release it after your break, you won’t have nearly as much feedback and new perspectives as if it had been released into the wild. This to me is the main benefit of releasing, then taking a break.
Just my two cents. 🙂
July 3rd, 2015 - 2:44 am
Future customer here looking forward to the Steam release!
I regret not picking up Rimworld before Nov 2014. And while I’ve purchased many non-Steam games over the years, it’s just easier for me to let Steam take care of the updating for me (yes, I’m getting old and lazy). So, I’ve been waiting (albeit NOT very patiently! LOL!)
From the Let’s Plays on YouTube, it definitely looks like Rimworld is a complete game. As such, I would recommend releasing it as a full game and not as Early Access (a label which has gained, IMO, a stigmata from other unnamed Early Access titles).
And then, vacation time! I can only imagine the magnitude of work that went into Rimworld, but just reading these Dev Blogs makes me want to take a vay-cay! 🙂
Take care and thank you!
July 3rd, 2015 - 10:17 am
Hello Tynan! I bought a slightly more expensive version with character creation. I thought I should wait with creating my character, because game mechanics were supposed to change, and possibly flip character creation the way to invalidate existing characters. So is it now a good time to create a character, or should I still wait or did I miss the right time for that?
I think this game deserves 1.0. I thought it will be bigger, because it has so much potential and because you really showed us your extraordinary design skill, but comparing to other games Rimworld really is a full product. I had a lot of fun and Rimworld is actually the first game to show me that an early access game can be fun and even better than full games – because of changes I feel like I played multiple similar games (e.g. Rimworld1, Rimworld2 and Rimworld3) – and I only paid for one!
I’m actually happy you stop (suspend) the development. Now will be a good time to look for mods, as they all should work on the latest release. Maybe I’ll even try to make my own mod. Also, if you stopped working on Rimworld after the break, would there be a possibility you create a similar game with z–level? That would really rock!
July 3rd, 2015 - 10:54 am
From a customer pov going EA and then taking a break feels wrong, “here have at it, I no longer care that much” – new customers won’t know how long and how dedicated you’ve been working on this game. From your pov I see where you’re coming from, EA will produce loads of feedback that can be very useful, the more time you’ll give that to accumulate the more accurate it’ll become and the more useful it’ll be from what I see.
July 3rd, 2015 - 1:08 pm
Hi,
I just have one question which is still unclear to me and I would be glad if the creator or some official could give me an answer to this.
If I buy the game now, today, will I get a steam key than or is the Faq response in this regard still valid so that you just get a key if you bought the game before Nov 2014?
Best
July 3rd, 2015 - 3:20 pm
As Sascha stated. If you’re planning an EA release. Doing that and taking a break is a bad idea. You would likely only result in pissing off your new customers. And likely end with your company giving refunds. Assuming that’s how the new Steam refund policy works. If you however plan a full release. Then the game is in essence, finished and you can do what you like.
It’s good you opened this to discussion with your contributors. And I hope you take some of these suggestions into account before making a decision. You are a business now after all.
July 3rd, 2015 - 5:12 pm
Tynan, don’t release the game now! Do as Granath said and take your vacation now. It is summer and many people will spend more time outside and less gaming. When you will feel fully recharged, come back and do the Early Access.
My advice is to do a hotfix, for Alpha 11, with all the bugfixes you’ve been doing lately and release it next week. After that… vacation time.
As for the people who want it so badly on steam, I guess they’re thinking more for their own good. The biggest supporters already bought it through SendOwl and KickStarter.
I also hope you will release the game on GOG, in the future. Nice community there, with many mature people who stay away from steam.
Anyway, take care and enjoy your upcoming vacation! 🙂
July 23rd, 2015 - 11:32 am
Rimworld 1.0? Tynan, but you forget about Beta-state! ;D At very least change Alpha 11 name to Rimworld Beta. ;P