Iceberg Interactive and Zero Sum Games have now officially announced StarDrive 2, aka the title previously known as StarDrive Unity in our List of Games You Can’t Miss in 2014 article. Despite the name change, StarDrive 2 is not going to be real-time all the time like its predecessor, but instead will be turn-based with real-time combat only, as we’ve previously reported. We’ve known for a while now that a game was in development, ever since our interview a few months ago, but now we know its name and its projected release timeframe, which is September 2014.
The price has been set as well, and it will be $29.99 at launch on Steam, as well as other digital channels and boxed retail. This isn’t entirely unexpected, but what did come as somewhat of a surprise is that owners of StarDrive will be receiving a 33% discount on StarDrive 2. This time around, the power of Unity is also allowing StarDrive 2 to have a simultaneous release on Mac and Linux as well as PC.
Other known, but now officially announced features include Steam Workshop mod support, a battle arena mode for quick real-time battles, unique heroes, and 9 races. Also, while not announced in this press release, there have been some discussions on their forums, and comments made to Youtube personality AngryJoe, which appear to indicate that space monsters are going to be in the game this time around. Let’s hope so, as I love to destroy gigantic alien menaces. Actually, I also enjoy watching them destroy my opponents.
Here’s the official feature list:
- Build a space empire turn by turn in an immersive, living galaxy filled with 9 alien races, pirate factions, galactic lore and mystery.
- Hire unique heroes to govern your worlds or to command your mighty fleets in battle.
- Populate the universe and colonize planets, moons, asteroid belts, gas giants, and more!
- Research hundreds of technologies, including technologies that are unique to your race. Find even more technologies through in-game events and galactic exploration.
- Build your own ships in the custom ship design mode and take them into real-time battles featuring stunning visuals and sound effects.
- Enter a Battle Arena mode for quick-fix battles against cunning AI opponents. In this mode, you will earn rewards as you fight through the challenges, allowing you to unlock new weapons, ship hulls, and ship modules to upgrade your ships and to purchase new ships to add to your fleet.
- Created with the Unity engine for simultaneous release on PC, Mac and Linux.
- Will include various Steam features such as Trading Cards, Achievements and Steam Workshop, allowing modders to create and share their own in-game heroes, events, Battle Arena campaigns, ship modules, weapons, sound effects, and more.
It appears the game itself will be officially presented at the Game Developer’s Conference in March, if things go as planned. I suspect we will know much more about the game itself, as well as have a better idea how it plays, after this event.
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I like that it’s turn-based, the rest we’ll see :)
Yeah I’m inclined to agree that it looks promising so far. Instanced combat with turn based strategic layer like Total War seems like the way to go. Everything real time I think was a huge mistake in the original game – it led to massive amounts of automation needed and micro issues.
It will come down to execution though. The first one had some interesting ideas, but the execution on the whole needed work.
I find a lot of people are really bitter – the dev did at least got the game working and the majority (although not all of the features) working. Plus he has a pretty good attitude. That’s a heck of a lot more than some developers can say – especially in the case of SOTS 2, which continues to have huge issues.
That said, I think he should do an early beta again, but if needed, be more willing to delay release. A lot of us warned Dan on the forums that the game as is in April 2013 was not ready. Evidently, release did not go as planned.
I wish the tactical combat were also turn based. Oh well, maybe he’ll learn by Stardrive 3!
I liked the RT system. It can work (just look at the IG series or DW), but I guess it’s allot harder to develop a deep RT 4x game, without resorting to stuff DW is doing, automating whole aspects of the game, leaving you partly unsatisfied.
If Star Drive had a series of good expansions like DW, it could beat that game and be an absolutely awesome game.
Also by choosing a TB system, the demand of a way better game is even higher (just because TB 4x games are way more common). The game needs to differentiate itself from the competitors (or just have REALLY GOOD design, mechanics & game play), take more risks and innovation. I think Zero can manage that. Just hope he knows what he’s doing…
Dude stop using Distant Worlds as an example. Its totally busting up the plausibility of your post something fierce!
But RT causes MASSIVE problems for DW so that’s really not a good example.
Just try playing a dense 1400 star game and then deal with 3 to 4 combat messages per second around mid game! Its unplayable unless you simply don’t care about whats happening in most of your empire.
I like DW, but “RT-for-everything” is clearly its most serious issue and the thing that keeps it from being one of the greatest 4x games ever made. TB is the right move for Stardrive 2.
This time I am not buying
it.
Yup….me neither! The scam with Stardrive 1 was enough for me.
and ripoff continues, before cashing in a new game the dev should finish his first game! as it stands now it’s still partially broken and has unfinished features / content in it. but well, why repair something he already got the money for, when he can use most of the art assets from the old game, tweak the gameplay and grab cash again. a big scam in my book!
I agree…didn’t even live up to the promises from the first one
I totally agree. I am sorry but unlike what some other people said about the developer being a pretty good guy, he is not because he totally shafted his supporters on Desura. I eventually got a key, but only after endless notifications and countless flaming from the die hard fans.
The game is still an incomplete mess and gets really buggy late game. I am staying far away from anything from that developer in the future. I recommend those that were not diehard fans to do the same.
No buying it either, or perhaps at -75% discount. Burned once is enough.
yeah I agree. They didn’t finish the first one.
I don’t want to support a developer who releases an unfinished game and just abandons it to make a sequel. And then says “Sorry I couldn’t get that first game going and couldn’t implement all the features. Gimme another 20 and I”ll make it work. I promise.”
Iceberg seem to be making a career out of releasing Alpha quality games.
Ditto, won’t be buying this until it works.
Lets hope that, they learned form the mistakes they made in the first game.
Ditto, the first one still isn’t working as intended/designed. Good ideas, but needs a bigger team to execute.
No money from me, the cheek of this guy is unreal. Try 90%-95% discount for star drive 1 owners, as we already paid for the development of this new game as the guy stated on this very site.
The first game was good but his vision, promises and implementation did not match up, therefore his credibility is in question.
Idem for me. I bought stardrive thinking it would be improved/completed. Work directly on stardrive 2 is a swindle for me unless it’s provided a very big discount ( very big ) for buyers of Stardrive 1
” but what did come as somewhat of a surprise is that owners of StarDrive will be receiving a 33% discount on StarDrive 2. ”
The only surprise to me was this is not enough to smooth things with me.
I will only get this game if it is overwhelmingly received by 4xrs as a gaming break through. and then only at a great price break offer
TBS does sound better to me…We will see
Definitely not early accessing this one.
This is GREAT news. This new one fixes all of the problems I had with the first one:
1. Turn based. I thought StarDrive would have been a lot better if it was turn based with real time combat.
2. LINUX finally.
3. More depth.
Personally, I don’t feel burned by the first purchase. I’ve gotten my money out of it. Considering it was only one guy making it (an ex-lawyer, which is a good thing, one less lawyer is always good to the world), I thought it was a very good achievement. The ship builder alone was worth it to me. And I also paid like 60% of what the release went for, and now that I am going to get a 33% discount on the new one as well, it will be a steal for only $20.
Why is linux such a big drawcard i will never understand. Hardly anyone uses it. And those that do aren’t sporting some big gaming rig.
so far i am not sold on this linux ports as a game seller.
i have a gaming rig, use linux and for me its a big drawcard.
I have a lot of friends who don’t game but buy gnu/linux games to show support and encourage more support for gnu/linux. I use gnu/linux for everything but gaming.
I’m not excited this time too – Star Drive feels so unfinished even now… And I do not care if it was one or one hundred person behind development – I’m paying for a game not for a story how it was developed.
Hardly played the first one due to the strong push towards automatization. You couldn’t even efficiently move a scout around to discover new systems and instead had to set him to autoexplore to keep the game playable.
I hope that this changes with the implementation of a turnbased system.
Will probably not buy it directly at release anyways. The developer said about the first game that it might get multiplayer later on and it didn’t. And in this one multiplayer isn’t even planned as it seems and also it’s also harder to implement it right.
I have sympathy for those who feel they got burned first time around because it sounds to me as though the Developer ran ahead of himself in design ambition and marketing tactics…
As for purchasing it or not, let’s wait and see how the initial reviews stand. I did purchase Stardrive and frankly it didn’t have enough content to hold my interest for very long. I got bored designing mega warships and trying to fill all those spaces available for one thing. I was not part of the beta so all those promised features not realized had no influence on my buy.
Not interested. The dev needs to provide his initial supporters with more.
The game looks better suited to a Totalwar style instanced combat than real time in real time battles that looked like donut combat in SD1.
I did not like the fast pacing and lack of depth in the strategic campaign in SD1 but that does not mean I will not buy this iteration.With a turn based system he can add more depth.
There’s no way I’m buying this for full price or even with the %25 discount. I wasted my money thinking Star Drive would be a complete game. I won’t get suckered again. I’ll be waiting for the Holiday Steam sale so I can pick SD2 up for $5. Then I won’t care as much if the game is left unfinished or just plain sucks.
I think SD2 will satisfy my needs for space 4x better than many other titles.
The developer has the financial means, the dedication and a very good sens for a good balance between economic depth and combat driven mechanics.
that i get 33% off is just 1 more thing
if the reviews are good, i will buy it for sure
I for one am SUPER EXCITED. The first may have been flawed, but it’s the most fun I’ve had with a sci-fi 4X since MOO2.
So, yeah, I’ll definitely buy it.
Might buy it when its on sale really cheap…didn’t get my moneys worth out of Stardrive…
Yeah, I’m definitely with the other commenters here. I admit I had a *lot* of fun with the original StarDrive, but I’m not comfortable with how the dev just left us all hanging like that. How do we know he won’t pull another one over us again, and just declare an unfinished game “complete?”
better at least have multiplayer this time…
People actually bought a first-time indie game based on pics of a space bear? *roll eyes*
Okay, I’m getting off my high horse now. Seriously though, the only way this can turn out good is if the dev did a Elemental and give all previous buyer a free copy of the 2nd game. IF the 2nd game turn out to be good enough, THEN make money off DLC.
Otherwise, I’ll shed a silent tear for the intelligence of the gaming population if the 2nd game actually ends up making money.
I think most people who claim they bought the game because of space bears were saying it for comedic effect, I doubt many of them were being serious.
Is the joke of any quality? That is up to debate; but comedy, even bad comedy, is still comedy. I wouldn’t take such claims seriously, the internet… it can be a really silly place.
I bought the game because the ship designer looked fun. I stopped playing the game because I wanted a 4x game, not a ship designer mini-game.
haha, I know I know, the bear thing was a joke.
Still, way too many people bought it right off the bat when the dev had no prior record and a quick look at the beta forum would have thrown up plenty of red flags.
It’s the business equivalent of hiring someone who has no CV, while his friend is kicking your shin under the table. =)
Really looking forward to this one. I understand how/why some felt burned by the first game, and I completely respect their not wishing to rush to buy StarDrive 2. That being said, I felt I personally got my money’s worth, and am definitely awaiting the sequel with anticipation.
Im pleased that this is being announced but am firmly in the wait and see camp and even then wait for a sale. I don’t feel so much burned by the dev more burned by steam on this as I purchased it and thought it was a full release only to find it was an early access / beta.
Still, I had good fun with the game despite its shortcomings and will await for the comprehensive review this site is likely to complete before purchase considerations
Wow..this unreasonableness is going to make any dev reading this have 2nd thought about making games and needing to deal with people like you.
Sots2 is an incomplete game. Moo3 is an incomplete game. Stardrive is a complete game with systems some players dont like. You may not the game is fun but that doesnt entitle you to slander it with false exageration.
I thought the original StarDrive was very fun, it’s my most played game on Steam. The problem is, it is incomplete. Features were cut out instead of refined (like the Revoran), no multiplayer, etc…
Slander? Even the developer admitted in his own forum a while back he didn’t deliver everything he said he would! Wake up and get your facts right.
SOTS2 is complete — but the design is disliked by many people. MOO3 is loathed by almost everyone; bringing it up isn’t the best defense for SD (although if you get the fan patches and mods MOO3 is pretty good now).
Stardrive is incomplete and mid way through the frame rate drops to 15-20 fps for a lot of people. The developer said he couldn’t fix it and moved on to remaking it in Unity BUT did not offer existing users a copy of the new game (Stardock gave existing users of their buggy mess a free copy of the fixed game. Kerberos gave existing users of their buggy mess several free dlcs and a free expansion).
So the developer acknowledges the game is incomplete and not in a working state. He drops development (but continues to sell the game!). And he wants to charge existing users of the game AGAIN to get a working copy of the game they already bought.
Actually Erza, SOTS2 is now complete, it just sucks.
“(although if you get the fan patches and mods MOO3 is pretty good now)”
er No…….. just no!
Considering they didn’t make good on all the promises of the first game and released it unfinished, I don’t think the developers are to be trusted.
Was it just me taking that feature list with a pinch of salt? Meh, i’ll be waiting for a review on this one, not even gpoing to read anything about it until i see the finished product, I can’t believe the cheek of this guy to release a sequel after giving up on the first one. I guess the 33% discount will help somewhat, since I can only see this as a concession to buyers of the original, but for me 50% would be a much better start seeing as i already paid him £25 for nothing…
Yeah seriously, the testicles on this game developer for making another game! Doesn’t he know that when some people don’t like the first game, he’s not allowed to make a second?
50% discount or bust.
A 50% discount still means that the people who bought the original SD are paying more for the game they were sold the first time, then the people who pick up on SD2. The discount needs to be dollar for dollar.
I’m a big fan of games that combines TBS with real-time combat, so I will be watching this one. I followed the development of Star Drive but never purchased it because of all the problems detailed in forum posts and reviews. Hopefully, this will turn out better. The pricing does not concern me: I always buy games during after-release sales, never early access and never full price.
I think the dev is forgetting one basic fact: if you want a 4x space game to succeed, you need to make it at least as good as MOO2, and then do it one better; this means proper turn-based combat, not that real-time junk. After all, if we wanted real time in the first place, we’d just play Starcraft 2!
Just my 10 cents worth.
Rip the Jacker!
If you Jack to much, you might Rip something… just saying.
Totally with you on this one, Turn based combat is far superior to real time.
I would agree with you here, but you completely lost me on the “Nobody wants a realtime game” bit. If that was true, why are there successfull realtime 4x games?
Starcraft has quite far to a proper 4x game too.
Wont buy it either. Still waiting on a good bug free version of stardrive 1. Has the sound bug and lag issues been fixed yet? And has an improved campaign been made yet?
Plus I want to play the demo first. I remember a time when betas were free.
I think everyone is getting way to worked up about the original star drive not being good enough. I mean, it’s not like distant world was any good until after two paid expansions. Nobody is up in arms about that. Hell, the current expansion they’re working on is basically just a big patch enabling more modding. And the community is giddy with excitement, waiting to throw money at them. Just sayin’ :)
Shh don’t ruin the mood in this site!
Try reading the comments here. It’s not that it isn’t good enough. It’s that many of us are saying that the developer released the game unfinished without features he promised and is now working on the next version. He even admitted to doing so in his own & Steam forums.. People need to be made aware of developers like this so they can stop supporting them.
Bob, I dare you to install distant worlds as it was originally released;)
Benji, it’s the end result that counts.
DW was bad on launch but the devs improved on it and fans and detractors alike have given it a fair review after each iteration. SD however, was bad on launch but the dev decided the better option is to ditch the game and his supporters and make ANOTHER game at $20-$30. Why should people fund his learning experience?
If he could have accomplished all that new stuff in SD2, why not make expansion and fix the original? Not only is the guy both a bad game dev whose programming skill doesn’t match his mouth but also failed at basic business acumen.
Indeed, the dev also made a promises that can never be made due the game engine’s limitations. The dev’s drunk when he made his pitches.
Yeah. I’ll avoid this like the plague.
Couldn’t have said it better SQW. Some of these people are so clueless.Perhaps that’s why these developers get away with doing this.
You don’t see the parallel between DW?
You funded Matrix’s learning experience too, as DW’s expansions were pretty expensive – namely $30 each, which is the same price of SD2 ironically.
Noldor, you really can’t tell the difference between the two?? It’s not the money, it’s the intention behind two company’s actions.
Matrix screwed up but stuck with their product and introduced patches/expansions that gradually proved they are capable of matching deeds to words.
The dev for SD screwed up too but instead of fixing the problem, he simply gave up and wanting to start again, claiming that THIS time he’ll get it right. Proof? What’s preventing SD2 from being simply a turn based version of SD1? What about the people who are mislead into buying SD1?
If you are a responsible dev capable of delivering what you claim about SD2, wouldn’t you have fixed the first game first, even in the form of paid expansions? If you are a responsible consumer, why would you throw money at a guy who tricked you once already?
Pretty much what SQW said; at least Matrix fixed their game, eventually! Yes the expacs were paid expacs but again, they added new things to the mix with each iteration. I really like the idea of SD2, but then again I really liked the idea of SD1 and I put my money where my mouth was and got F’d sideways! Like so many, many others, why would I pay the same guy again to give me the same promises again?
“Noldor, you really can’t tell the difference between the two?? It’s not the money, it’s the intention behind two company’s actions.”
For a gamer, it’s the money.
You pay:
– $50 or so for the DW (release price)
– $30 or so for each expansion
Ok, nowadays, you can get it on sale sometimes at Matrix, but still, DW is not a cheap game.
With Stardrive, you pay:
– $40 for original game
– Looks like $30 for SD2
I fail to see much difference. So would paying $30 for SD: Expansion make you feel better?
“If you are a responsible dev capable of delivering what you claim about SD2, wouldn’t you have fixed the first game first, even in the form of paid expansions? If you are a responsible consumer, why would you throw money at a guy who tricked you once already?”
Let me throw this one back at you:
If you were a responsible consumer, you would buy an expansion from a company that failed when they released the game (as Matrix did in DW)?
I sure didn’t. I waited for reviews. And I recommend you wait for reviews for SD2.
The other thing to consider is that an expansion usually adds less content than a brand new title, so it’s even more weighed in Zero’s favor here.
Also:
“Matrix screwed up but stuck with their product and introduced patches/expansions that gradually proved they are capable of matching deeds to words. ”
I bet you that if Zero succeeds, you’ll be a Zero fan, as much as you are a Matrix fan right now.
Matrix – they messed up badly when they released and they fixed it with expansions.
Zero – his release wasn’t too well recieved either and he seems to be charging more or less the same amount that Matrix did, only he is releasing a new game rather than a new expansion. So would you be defending Zero if he released Stardrive: Expansion and asked you for $30?
What matters to me is:
1. Amount I paid
2. What I get for my money
If SD2 succeeds, so be it. I will order and praise Zero.
If it doesn’t … well I don’t plan to pre-order at this point.
Just to throw in my .20 bucks:
I’m not saying that SD is without merits, it did add a few things to the 4X space genre, but its still a fact, that the game was not properly finished and polished before Zero moved on to making the sequel.
Financially, it was a logical move. Then again, the financially right ones usually carry a price tag in public relations. Even if SD2 will turn out to be an astounding success (I would not bet on it myself), Zero will have to work really hard to regain the favor of the players.
That’s the thing about reputation. Takes a lifetime to build up, takes but a single action or failure to demolish.
One of the serious flaws in Star Drive when I played it months ago, is the overly tedious ship design mechanics. Similar to the Space Empires series ship mechanics, where the older game (somewhat) succeeded, this newer game fails.
Now, it’s all very interesting to play Lego with small hulls, but when you get to bigger hulls and space stations, this is where the dev fails to anticipate scaling issues. Imagine the sheer masochism required to finish up a basic design, or even upgrading a design by ripping up all the mod tiles all over.
You have to stop yourself at one point and ask in reflection, why are you playing this game? This core ship design, imo has fundamental issues/weakness that it’s just not worth the trouble sticking with … especially when you consider the AI standpoint.
Galactic Civ 2 did the same with its purely cosmetic ship designer. However, the dev was wise(?) enough to de-couple it from the main gameplay. It had no impact to serious players who prefers substance over fluff, but attracted a following from players who appreciated the cosmetics. (Tbh, personally, I never really understood the latter group’s leanings, but to each their own … just as long as it’s not something overtly inane)
I will not purchase ANYTHING Zero touches with a ten foot pole. StarDrive is a horrible game. Barely ANYTHING was done from Early Access to release as Zero laughed his way to the proverbial bank.
The very fact he is releasing a sequel so soon, using funds people used to buy SD1 is hilarious. If Steams return policy wasn’t so absurd, a majority of people would have returned SD1 instantly. The game is trash. Have spent more time in F2P games on my IPhone than this piece of trash 30$ game.
Geez, what a bunch of whiners here.
Personally, I’ve had more than my money worths of fun with StarDrive. Sitting at 89 hours played, I certainly can’t complain.
I enjoyed the ship design, and never had issues with having to automate everything. I don’t get what people are complaining about at all.
The only thing that I do get, is that yes, the game is quite buggy. Late-game FPS can be an issue, and late-game crashes happen relatively often.
But here’s an idea: don’t buy a game on future plans for it, but what is actually in the game. If you buy early access, beta access, pre-order, or anything else like that, you should accept that you’re taking a risk, willingly, and buying a game that isn’t finished – and WILL change.
Very much looking forward to SD2, and wish the developer best of luck!
Hmm.. let’s see.. so in your world, if a game developer promises you something, for which you pay, then fails to keep that promise, you should not feel upset and you most definitely should not complain, after all.. it was just a promise.
Yea, totally makes sense. Thanks for sharing your precious insights with us.
Csebal, this isn’t a pinky-swear on the playground with your schoolyard-chums. The only “promise” is a game. It’s the consumer’s responsibility to understand what it is he spends money on, and if it will be of personal benefit.
Crowdfunded games are generally have small teams. Patches are slow and the game might not be very stable for some time. When the designer clips a feature alluded to in the pitch because of it being infeasible or just not fun, the forum tweens start throwing words like “deception” and “betrayal” around.
For example, the whole Mass Effect 3 controversy. It was pretty obvious after Origins that Bioware was in creative free-fall. Yet, people bought a $60 product from a quality-suspect company and then were upset with lazy writing and demanded refunds.
As with every attempt to cheat you out of your hard earned money, it is ultimately up to your own vigilance and clearheadedness to not fall victim of scams.
This does not mean however, that scams are okay. They are harmful to both the individual and the industry alike. That’s why there are laws against that kind of shit.
If someone goes around telling people lies in order to get their money, that someone will find himself in jail once he is found out. Unless he is a game publisher or developer, because in the industry it is apparently okay to lie or at least it can be absolved by saying sorry real often.
Your head is clearly not at the right place if you do not realize this or if you are okay with it. I’m simply sorry for you.
In addition to game devs, Politicians also seem to be immune to the consequences of blatantly lying to the public.
Mind your own business csebal, Philip here just agreed to buy a bridge from me.
Philip, I promise the bridge is yours as soon as you transfer the funds.
Have you played recently? It was patched just last week with more on the way. Since I saw that “Force Full Simulation” option, I would assume the game has been optimized enough for that to matter.
The latest patch is a patch for the Jan patch. These patches are either tweaking percentages or fixing bugs that really shouldn’t be there so long after release. FFS came with a fine print of “if your computer is beefy enough” so I don’t think the dev has done any optimization.
In the end, SD was disappointing to a lot of backers because a lot of what was promised/implied just aren’t there and no amount of tweaking the existing stats (like weapon cooldown rate) is going to make the game any more appealing. This naturally leads people to ask why should they buy the sequel.
Stardrive, the game that taught me to not trust reviews on spacesector or ever buy a steam early access again.
So much hate for a game I had no issues with…
33% discount for stadrive1 owners? is this jerk serious? and the ripoff continues! stardrive 1 is still at this date a unfinished and broken piece of junk which only made the scummy delevoper some money because he abused the alpha-funders / kickstarters and moreover the no-refund policy of steam. this game is the worst thing that happened after WarZV (!!!) and he continues to sh*t on his customers.
33% discount for owners of stardrive1? all the “previous” customers paid for his codework, paid for the art and music, he got paid for his work on stardrive 1….now he uses 80-90% of the assets from stardrive 2 and changes the realtime into tbs and now wants 30 USD / EUR for it? f*ck it! i expected the title of the previous owners to be free becuase seriously he ripped us off, publicly insulted his customers and banned everyone who weren’t speaking praises about him and his product.
let’s see how low we’ll get his rating on metacritic and other press review sites this time. might imagine there are a bunch of more people now willing to do the same thing he did with them and f*ck him over.
It seems like a waste to explain to 2 people in one thread how crowdfunding works, so I’ll try to keep it short.
A kickstarter is not a preorder, it is not a contract to render services. KS is “this is my plan, pitch in and I’ll do it. Multiplayer would’ve increased replayability, but threatening a class-action lawsuit is an embarrassing response.
Why shouldn’t assets be reused? You yourself advocated the use of mob tactics just to mess with this guy because one man can’t code fast enough. Isn’t it a waste of time to put together more mediocre space music and angular ship designs?
In his shoes, I would just leave indie development. It’s bad enough doing more difficult work than most people for disproportionate pay. I bet it doesn’t feel great to be generally reviled for not living up to the expectations of mobs of people like this.
“It seems like a waste to explain to …”
Then he does it anyway.
I find it amazing, how you managed to get almost everything wrong in that post. The only thing I agree with is that vengeance is never the answer. Everything else you wrote is either deluded, mislead or just plain wrong.
I particularly liked your speech about the poor indy devs who are doing such a terribly hard work for so little monetary compensation and then they even have to put up with angry or rude fans. Pure comedy stuff there.
Here is the thing: If you do something, then either do it right or do not bother. Nobody cares why you fail. If you hope to have a mediocre product skate by on sympathy for “how hard it is to make a game as an indy developer”, then its best you dont even start.
To understand both sides of the discussion on this game refer here, not just the official Stardrive forum
The Developer has recently engaged in another round of unreasonable bans, thread deletions and all posts from some members have been Deleted
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SDVC/discussions
I wonder when this djiad is going to end
You may be surprised to know that many people on both sides of the discussion share that sentiment.
If Zero had left the community interface to the existing Moderation team, or Iceberg, a large component of this would have been over a long time ago. As an example I’ve only been active for a fortnight or so and probably would never had got involved with this in place. Unfortunately, unreasonable bans and erasures on the eve of Steam Sales don’t exactly help, they create new activists.
I would not be surprised if the Stardrive 2 launch was even more problematic but I still consider the situation recoverable if changes are made.
I’ve seen you cross-posting the same stuff on like three different forums. Your social justice warrioring over an internet forum – it’s small-minded. Who cares? If you want the jihad to end, then stop jihading. You’re acting like a stalker.
MReynolds, it’s naïve to think that this situation will end without change. The Stardrive Continued forum has grown a lot in the mere 3 months it has been in existence. All sorts of people will come out of the woodwork when Stardrive 2 gets to release. The change that I’ve been proposing consistently is for the community to be managed by someone other than Zero. Zero can simply focus on developing a great game and making more patches. The ideal outcome is a better community and better game and even though I’ve been banned and deleted, I still don’t want any other outcome.
I think that Stardrive 1 is one of the best games in his class. I can’t wait when I can buy Stardrive 2 in september…or perhaps…my birthday is in september :).
Havent both a game since…10 years at least.