Ok so I'm going to try lay out my thoughts and frustrations here, I'll try to not come across as a whiny bitch, but I fear such is inevitable with such a post.
I'm not intending to buy the steam version, the game is just not polished enough, it's too broken with too many bugs. it's still very much "beta" software, and as I understand it, is not even going up as EA (which is going to cause massive perception issues, for the stated reasons).
I've not gotten on the patreon wagon, due to similar reasons, and because I don't see much improvement happening. maybe this is due to not being able to see what has been fixed without actually jumping on said wagon, and just bad memory from when I used to play back before it went pay.
I played way back in the day before it went pay to play, and kept an idle eye on it since, I noticed it went free to play again and jumped back in to see what had changed and was frustratingly disappointed. maybe it's just my memory but I feel that little has improved. Many of the issues that plagued the game back in the day are still there, with more broken or half implemented features added, including:
Sex: why for gods sake, what does that add really? other than yet another reason for me not feeling inclined to recommend the game to friends/family.
New Designer: Ok this one was talked about before it went pay, and I was interested back then it what could be made of it, I had some hopes it would have been implemented around some sort of subsystem thing where those actually capable of designing things could make rooms and modules and others could arrange/snap those in different places to get different looking ships, a lot of reuse from the not unreasonable amount of effort one has to put into a modelling/cad to get something looking not terrible. one of the arguments *for* this type of designer if I remember correctly was that it would allow player designed vehicles (cars, boats, planes, fighters etc) which doesn't appear to have happened. As it stands the new designer is a step backwards in game play. instead of taking a couple of minutes to design your first shuttle, it takes hours or days depending on how good you want it to look or how skilled you are at the designer. (and goddammit why does the camera have to have physics? this is the only cad/modelling software I've seen with a camera that doesn't stop instantly you release the key.)
Gen4: again, why? I don't see much improvement there over the old.
The horrible "Lands" system which does nothing but cause frustrations when whole cities disappear without warning.
Asteroid doomsday: this is sort of a good idea, but majorly hampered by anything but beam weapons being usable, which are kind of higher tech.
New research mechanic: ok this one I actually like, having the research tech level matter is kind of cool.
Designs are saved to avatars not the player.
Designs get downloaded every time you log in, and sometimes get stuck downloading. it's not cached and hash checked.
Game rules/changes to game rules are hidden behind a paywall
Broken stuff that hasn't changed:
Various bad UX: there's a whole shitton of low hanging easy fixes that could be done here, but I think there's a hell of a lot of stockholm syndrome going on so it's not noticed by people who stick around long enough, but quickly frustrates newer players.
Bug forum does not promote good reporting, you cant even upload a screenshot.
Bugs/issues rarely get a response or acknowledgement.
Janky first person low physics update frequency: when you first start off, unless you're clued up enough to start with wings and hover, you get eaten by stuff fairly frequently, and due to the horrible physics of other critters its extremely hard and unfun to try defend yourself. even if you have a decent weapon.
Janky ship combat low physics update frequency: I only fought pirates, which was pretty boring and unfun, my first attempt was with ballistics and missiles which rarely even connected. the enemy ship looked strangely distorted when I did see it. a better camera angle would be nice here, and not looking like a slideshow.
Ships Atmo/Sun diving for no reason.
Ships getting stuck going around in circles around wormholes.
The occasional rollback.
I really think Haxus needs to look at how DwarfFortress has done things and how Tarn and Zach are managing their steam release, I think there are some parallels between the two projects (size and scope, a small team, etc) I believe much of the success of DF are as follows:
a: They're pretty dedicated at fixing prominent and annoying bugs.
b: They give a hell of a lot of feedback with the community.
c: With the steam release they've identified what they're not good at and or unable to do on their own and have gotten others in to help.
I'm not intending to buy the steam version, the game is just not polished enough, it's too broken with too many bugs. it's still very much "beta" software, and as I understand it, is not even going up as EA (which is going to cause massive perception issues, for the stated reasons).
I've not gotten on the patreon wagon, due to similar reasons, and because I don't see much improvement happening. maybe this is due to not being able to see what has been fixed without actually jumping on said wagon, and just bad memory from when I used to play back before it went pay.
I played way back in the day before it went pay to play, and kept an idle eye on it since, I noticed it went free to play again and jumped back in to see what had changed and was frustratingly disappointed. maybe it's just my memory but I feel that little has improved. Many of the issues that plagued the game back in the day are still there, with more broken or half implemented features added, including:
Sex: why for gods sake, what does that add really? other than yet another reason for me not feeling inclined to recommend the game to friends/family.
New Designer: Ok this one was talked about before it went pay, and I was interested back then it what could be made of it, I had some hopes it would have been implemented around some sort of subsystem thing where those actually capable of designing things could make rooms and modules and others could arrange/snap those in different places to get different looking ships, a lot of reuse from the not unreasonable amount of effort one has to put into a modelling/cad to get something looking not terrible. one of the arguments *for* this type of designer if I remember correctly was that it would allow player designed vehicles (cars, boats, planes, fighters etc) which doesn't appear to have happened. As it stands the new designer is a step backwards in game play. instead of taking a couple of minutes to design your first shuttle, it takes hours or days depending on how good you want it to look or how skilled you are at the designer. (and goddammit why does the camera have to have physics? this is the only cad/modelling software I've seen with a camera that doesn't stop instantly you release the key.)
Gen4: again, why? I don't see much improvement there over the old.
The horrible "Lands" system which does nothing but cause frustrations when whole cities disappear without warning.
Asteroid doomsday: this is sort of a good idea, but majorly hampered by anything but beam weapons being usable, which are kind of higher tech.
New research mechanic: ok this one I actually like, having the research tech level matter is kind of cool.
Designs are saved to avatars not the player.
Designs get downloaded every time you log in, and sometimes get stuck downloading. it's not cached and hash checked.
Game rules/changes to game rules are hidden behind a paywall
Broken stuff that hasn't changed:
Various bad UX: there's a whole shitton of low hanging easy fixes that could be done here, but I think there's a hell of a lot of stockholm syndrome going on so it's not noticed by people who stick around long enough, but quickly frustrates newer players.
Bug forum does not promote good reporting, you cant even upload a screenshot.
Bugs/issues rarely get a response or acknowledgement.
Janky first person low physics update frequency: when you first start off, unless you're clued up enough to start with wings and hover, you get eaten by stuff fairly frequently, and due to the horrible physics of other critters its extremely hard and unfun to try defend yourself. even if you have a decent weapon.
Janky ship combat low physics update frequency: I only fought pirates, which was pretty boring and unfun, my first attempt was with ballistics and missiles which rarely even connected. the enemy ship looked strangely distorted when I did see it. a better camera angle would be nice here, and not looking like a slideshow.
Ships Atmo/Sun diving for no reason.
Ships getting stuck going around in circles around wormholes.
The occasional rollback.
I really think Haxus needs to look at how DwarfFortress has done things and how Tarn and Zach are managing their steam release, I think there are some parallels between the two projects (size and scope, a small team, etc) I believe much of the success of DF are as follows:
a: They're pretty dedicated at fixing prominent and annoying bugs.
b: They give a hell of a lot of feedback with the community.
c: With the steam release they've identified what they're not good at and or unable to do on their own and have gotten others in to help.