Early Access, the joys and pains.

[Fernbhoy]

So after the Townsgate scandal we have our second "take your money and run" candidate, this time it's Double Fine and Spacebase DF-9.

Obviously Rimworld is an Early Access game, and i have no doubt that Ty will not screw anyone at all, but it makes me wonder, do the consumer deserve some kind of protection from devs who just take your money and run.

On the other hand though, there are some great early access games, Gnomoria, Prison Architect, Rimworld, Project Zomboid, all early access, all have improved massively thanks to income and listening to the fan base their aimed at.

So yea, opinions?

[Matthiasagreen]

It really depends on what stage of the game it is at. As Rimworld is in Alpha, it is assumed that you are buying it with the risk that Tynan can call it quits at any moment. That's the nature of an alpha game. Beta programs should have the obligation to make it to launch and fully launched games have no guarantee that they will be anything beyond what they are when you buy them.

Obviously this is different if something is promised. For example, if a kickstarter states "Back this Alpha so it can be completed," then you are paying money for the alpha under the assumption that your money will go towards the completion of the game.

However, there is a fine line between promises and imagined expectations. When a community develops around a product, there is the false assumption that something is owed to them for their dedication, when it really is nothing more than a business transaction.

[Geokinesis]

They pretty much cut and run, they used to have a massive devplan page with lots of features that were never added. This mysteriously was removed during the 3 month long lack of updates. Whilst the devplan doesn't say that the stuff is carved in stone, the very fact they removed the list of what they'd set out with silently seems suspicious. http://web.archive.org/web/20131018054131/http://spacebasedf9.com/devplans

Not to mention:

[Neurotoxin]

Just to give context to anyone who isn't aware of this news: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/09/18/double-fine-early-access-spacebase-df9/

I think that really sucks that they're doing this but it's the risk you take buying Early Access. It's disappointing and infuriating because it gives Early Access a bad name but there's really nothing that can be done.

[keylocke]

it's been a while since i last played that game.. my last experience from df-9 was how derelicts and docking pirates tend to clutter up the area, and rather than looking like pirates or derelict "ships", they look a lot like miniature space bases similar to your own, and how your base tends to become a labyrinthian hodge-podge of interconnected ships if played at a long enough timeline..

so rather than having a neatly designed base, what players end up having is a core ship with a slowly expanding maze-like dungeon for exploration. so it doesn't really feel like a space-base anymore.. it's more like a dungeon crawler..

(totally! even i didn't see that coming.. lol. it's so much different than what most people expected it to be..) 

[Snownova]

Hmm, I suppose this bodes well for my project ( http://www.indiedb.com/games/nexusstation ) Maybe I should get started on a kickstarter then...

[Pirx Danford]

Hmm, I suppose this bodes well for my project ( http://www.indiedb.com/games/nexusstation ) Maybe I should get started on a kickstarter then...

You should indeed! Start out modestly with a low goal and you might be in to a surprise :-)
(Having a prototype to show off is a great thing and will help with the expectations - that is much more than a lot of KS campaigns have)

[Fernbhoy]

Hmm, I suppose this bodes well for my project ( http://www.indiedb.com/games/nexusstation ) Maybe I should get started on a kickstarter then...

might wanna take out the DF9 influence first though

[Snownova]

Hmm, I suppose this bodes well for my project ( http://www.indiedb.com/games/nexusstation ) Maybe I should get started on a kickstarter then...

might wanna take out the DF9 influence first though

Nah I'll leave it in for now. One of the reasons I started that game was because I was frustrated with the lack of updates for DF-9.

[skivvy96]

I was really annoyed with what double fine because I bought the early access version of it which was laggy when in fully screen and still is and I looked at the list of features that they said they would add and they haven't even added half of them before abandoning the project