Tynan, Why not use Steam as a distribution point?

[Mythrell]

Games in my Steam Library have one disadvantage compared to Rimworld. Basically, the length of time added to startup because Steam has to be running first.

Don't get me wrong, they're good games, but Valve needs to work on trimming that delay.

This, I cannot even describe how satisfying it is when I press Rimworld and poof I'm in game instantly. That is something I really haven't seen in Steam era.

[Mikhail Reign]

By the time that I am at desktop Steam is loaded and running. How is 'it takes longer to load' on steam an argument? Just have steam run in the background. Unless you are talking about the time it would take to play Rimworld if the PC was off, there isn't really any difference between steam or non steam games.

[Zombull]

Guys guys... the game is going to be on Steam. It's mostly just a matter of making it ready for it's big debut at this point. I don't want to push it in front of the big Steam audience and to big YouTubers and such until it's good enough.

Are you not aware of the really big streamers that already play it and love it?

IMO if you're waiting till it's "good enough" for Steam, you're already there. It's already far better than a lot of crap that gets greenlit and released in early access. It's playable. It's stable. It's crazy fun and addictive.

[akiceabear]

IMO if you're waiting till it's "good enough" for Steam, you're already there. It's already far better than a lot of crap that gets greenlit and released in early access. It's playable. It's stable. It's crazy fun and addictive.

I personally don't see why people take this to heart. We're not the RimWorld sales department.

It's the developer's decision - no big deal.

[gibbsman]

For what it's worth.....My original topic wasn't regarding Early Access release. I respect his desire to keep it off Early Access until he is ready for it. I was just curious why, since it was greenlit, he didn't use it as a distribution point. Stonehearth and other greenlit games are not available on the store to purchase, but are available as a download/update location.

I didn't mean to start such a discussion regarding the like/dislike of steam or the early access program.

[falcongrey]

Guys guys... the game is going to be on Steam. It's mostly just a matter of making it ready for it's big debut at this point. I don't want to push it in front of the big Steam audience and to big YouTubers and such until it's good enough.

This isn't to Push Tynan. You're doing a great job, really you are.

From my experience the 'good enough' from the perspective of a story author never comes. The game will never be ready just like my stories are never ready for publishing. The more times I read back through my stories the more I find I have to tweak and change, pushing back the date I sat for it to go to a publisher to get on a shelf for others to read. All the while I do this, friends I have and trust that have read them telling me how amazing the story is and how I need to send it off to be published. What I'm trying to say is basically, you are always going to find reasons that the game needs more done on it. The game already does not have the look or feel of an Alpha OR a Beta anymore. The game  looks and feels like a solid finished product. If the 'win' situation doesn't suit you, flesh it out a little more.  Everything else in my opinion is already amazingly great from what I've been watching on Twitch channels. Mods are available to 'customize' the feel and game play for a variety of player styles. Additional features and tweaks can always be done after release as updates or even future DLC for major additions that either comes free or at a minimal addition.
As for YouTubers, haters are going to hate when it isn't a game area they prefer. They are going to ALWAYS find reasons to nit-pick a game. Especially the better the game, the more they nit-pick. Yes, there are some bugs. Yes, there are things that could use being improved. All games have these issues because it is life. The fact that you are very active in the community and very open to changes and work being done goes a LONG way with a prerelease game as well as a released game.

In the end, it does come down to you (the Author) to decide when its time to let the protective grip to your chest go so that you can relax a little and focus on continuing the growth of your creation. In my opinion, the 'Good Enough' has already arrived a while back but I'm willing to wait a little longer if you need me to.

[Granath]

Guys guys... the game is going to be on Steam. It's mostly just a matter of making it ready for it's big debut at this point. I don't want to push it in front of the big Steam audience and to big YouTubers and such until it's good enough.

Are you not aware of the really big streamers that already play it and love it?

IMO if you're waiting till it's "good enough" for Steam, you're already there. It's already far better than a lot of crap that gets greenlit and released in early access. It's playable. It's stable. It's crazy fun and addictive.

I know this comment is 2 months old, but holy heck I can't agree with it more. There's no doubt Rimworld is ready. When guys like Quill18 are playing the ever livin' heck out of the game and loving it, you have the features, fun, balance and stability to release on Steam to be wildly successful.

Of course it's your game Ty and you can do what you want, but look at Prison Architect and Kerbal Space Program for inspiration. Those games were very similar in their delivery state to Rimworld - fun and feature rich - even though they were nowhere close to wanting to be ready for launch. They're held up as the models for having a good EA release and have been wildly successful even beyond the dreams of their developers. Rimworld is there ALREADY and will take its rightful place alongside PA and KSP as Early Access Kings whenever you decide to put it on Steam. So if you're worried about it being good enough, it is.   

[TheSilencedScream]

IMO if you're waiting till it's "good enough" for Steam, you're already there. It's already far better than a lot of crap that gets greenlit and released in early access. It's playable. It's stable. It's crazy fun and addictive.

I personally don't see why people take this to heart. We're not the RimWorld sales department.

It's the developer's decision - no big deal.

No, we're not, but - while there are definite monetary incentives from being placed on Steam - most of us want it on Steam because, for Steam users, it's more convenient. It places access to all games through one channel, is updated automatically, has Workshop capability for mods. No, none of it makes a HUGE difference, but - for a lot of people - it's a lot of little conveniences that are added.

The only reason money is mentioned at all is because that's Tynan's primary benefit.


Just an explanation here - not trying to argue either side anymore.

[DAOWAce]

Guys guys... the game is going to be on Steam. It's mostly just a matter of making it ready for it's big debut at this point. I don't want to push it in front of the big Steam audience and to big YouTubers and such until it's good enough.

I remember discussing this last year, where I mentioned to throw it into early access instead of come up with a 1.0 release build months/years down the line.

It's still not on early access.. and now I've just read that keys won't be given to buyers anymore since November.  That's a sure turnoff for folks.

Checking the greenlight page.. it hasn't been updated since 2012: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=183032873

Oh and look, a big thread on the game's price, which I mentioned in my second linked post about it being too high and unattractive for people (which has lead to piracy too): http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/discussion/183032873/41973821162217048/

Nowadays we can compare this to Prison Architect, as they're basically the same type of game.  PA has now been on sale for as low as $6 (which generated a huge spike in sales/players) and in 2 indie bundles.  RimWorld still hasn't budged from $30 and is a mere fraction of the total sales of something like PA (~1m).

When will RimWorld be coming to Steam's Early Access platform, if ever?  And what about potential discounts before/after that time?

Hell, it's been so long that tons of people will probably just accuse it of being a PA clone now if it just appears at random on Steam; though at least it's very well developed compared to how it was around alpha 3, so that should be kept to a minimum..

[akiceabear]

When will RimWorld be coming to Steam's Early Access platform, if ever?  And what about potential discounts before/after that time?

You keep asking the same question, yet can't seem to accept the consistent answer: whenever Tynan feels it is ready.

RimWorld has sold 65k+ (worth at least USD 1.95 million?!) without discounting so far. Not bad for a company with between 1/10 and 1/5 the number of staff as Introversion, who is developing Prison Architect. I like Prison Architect's development style, but I also find RimWorld's great (and certainly better than most).

Wholly separate opinion: if you can't afford $30 for a game, you probably shouldn't be buying games at any price, and instead be working on improving your financial situation. This game is well worth $30. I find it annoying that so many expect heavy discounting on quality games, as if it was their right.

[chaosmage]

Wholly separate opinion: if you can't afford $30 for a game, you probably shouldn't be buying games at any price, and instead be working on improving your financial situation. This game is well worth $30. I find it annoying that so many expect heavy discounting on quality games, as if it was their right.

oh god, true that

[Saularian]

Why does this question keep coming up over and over?

In my opinion it is a good thing this game is not yet available on steam when I look to early acces games on steam and even full releases... It makes developers do stupid things like delivering broken games (any of you tried out Jagged Alliance: Flashback? I'm a huge JA fan, but that ripoff almost made me puke, using the name of a game and creating a pile of horse-dung to be associated with it. And this is one of the many games that are on steam).

Distribution via steam is a choice that comes with certain obligations. My understanding of what one of the most reasons some people want it on steam is because of an auto-update. So, you want Tynan to make a commitment to a distributor that could rush him into delivering something he does not see fit to deliver yet, but has to because of the contract he signed and agreed on. (Steam/valve don't really care about quality, they care about making money on the distribution of a game.) Just because you are too lazy to do a manual update? Heck, the game checks if it's version is up to date, doing a manual update takes what, less then 5 minutes? 

This game is a gem, and needs to be treated that way, without the pressure of a distributor that wants to hurry development so they can cash in on it.

So when Tynan thinks it's ready, it's ready. His game. His decision.

So please stop whining about things being "inconvenient"  for you. Put on one of my favorite Rolling Stones song and remember, the world does not stop spinning because you think something is an inconvenience. You can't allways get what you want. You get, what you need.

[JimmyAgnt007]

Tynan on adding the game to Steam Here and Here

[TheSilencedScream]

Tynan on adding the game to Steam Here and Here

And here, more recently. He'd be interested in going to Steam in the same manner that Stonehearth did - you buy Stonehearth keys elsewhere and can redeem and play them through Steam, but the game isn't purchasable on Steam itself (and will get an "official" release - and all of Steam's recognition) when the game is fully released to the public.

I wonder if anymore has been found out about this?

[Granath]

Why does this question keep coming up over and over?

I don't see anyone whining except you and no one disagrees that it's Ty's decision. But feel free to keep flailing away at points no one else is making. Also, given the length that some games have been in EA on Steam without being "pressured" to be released by Valve, there again is an example of you just inventing a problem that doesn't exist.

I don't see any problem posting encouragement to get the game on Steam since many of us prefer that platform AND would not prefer to have a one-off implementation where 90+% of the user base is on one platform while there's a handful who can't get Steam keys. If the examples of KSP and PA are relevant - and I challenge you to show why they wouldn't be - then there is no reason why Rimworld would be adversely impacted by being on it and may very well benefit from it.