Spacebase DF-9

[Rekka]

Hello guys, the latest Double Fine is now on Steam Early Access program and it's called Spacebase DF-9. It's a simulation game where you have to build a space station (Starport 28 anyone? ) with all kind of bad stuff happening to you. It reminds me a lot of Startopia.

Does somebody try it out already? It's in alpha so there is not very much content but the videos I saw show a game which could be very interesting.

[zespri]

Yep, noticed this one too. I don't really believe in early access, so I'm not going to touch it until the release. Also Double Fine? Adventure - sure, but sim? Hm....

Otherwise certainly caught my attention.

[Mick]

Yeah, I think it looks interesting, but I generally avoid the whole paid alpha thing - been burned enough.

A little ironic though, because I'd be completely willing to pay into an Arcen alpha, but their development is much more transparent and fast paced than other devs. I don't like being in an alpha where I hear nothing from the devs until they release a few tweaks every month or so (I won't name names).

[Rekka]

Arcen has a way to do alphas/betas which tend to reassure a lot more than anyone else (communication all over the place, regular and frequent updates) so I also don't mind the paying alphas/betas thing. I try to avoid it in general (since the epic Elemental fail from Stardock) except for companies I "trust", like Introversion for Prison Architect, or I just want to support. This game has a special appeal for me though.

Well, if I end up buying it, I'll share my thoughts here.

[zespri]

Lol, want to bet that a year from now the prison architect still is not in the release state?

[Rekka]

I think you'll win that bet. But I bought it cause I love Introversion and I wanted to support them. And because I always loved their games so I knew I would like this one also when it'll come out.

[Mick]

Prison Architect is the name I said I wouldn't name. 

[Rekka]

At least we have an update every month. But yeah, it'll take some time before it is complete.

[Billick]

I think I like Tim Shafer more than I like his games.  I also think paying to alpha test something is silly, but to each his own I guess.

[keith.lamothe]

I think if someone is really eager enough about testing (and about testing a specific thing), then paying into an alpha makes sense.

... and in many cases, the result will cure the itch for future cases  

Kinda like chicken-pox, I suppose.  Best to get it out the way when you're young.


Here when we do alphas the testers aren't paying for their copy (frankly, even if we did 100 or 200 testers, the number of sales that would have been doesn't amount to much, and certainly nothing compared to the value of the testing/feedback) and yea, at that phase in development we are (basically by definition) moving quite rapidly.  It doesn't mean that the in-alpha product won't stink, but it's precisely the best point in the process for you to tell us why it stinks so we can fix it

[Rekka]

I think I like Tim Shafer more than I like his games.  I also think paying to alpha test something is silly, but to each his own I guess.

I don't see it that way. You pay for the game because in the end, you'll have the full game. The alpha access is a "bonus" to be able to give some constructive feedback to improve the game. Of course, there is always some people who think alpha access is just about playing the game before anyone else and who then complain about the bugs and the lack of features...

[Billick]

I don't have any problems with public paid alphas existing.  Personally, I'd rather just wait for the full game, as I tend to burn myself out on a game during an alpha, and then don't get to enjoy it as much when it gets released.  If other people are willing to pay to work out the bugs, then that's just fine by me 

[Tridus]

I have a problem with how Steam treats these public alphas. They've been known to hype them up on the front page and such, and then mention in the details "oh yeah, it's an alpha, may not work, the listed features might never appear, etc".

If I'm paying for it, I have a certain expectation to get what I'm paying for. These things are little better than glorified Kickstarters.

As for this game itself, I'm curious enough to watch it, but won't be buying until I hear more.

[x4000]

This game coming out of nowhere actually has killed off a lot of Starport 28, making us really have to shift our focus.  They're doing so much of what we were doing and planning that it was far too similar.  They are much bigger as a company than us, so it seemed likely they would trounce us.  First time it has happened where we've had to retreat from an idea because of another company doing something similar.

Fortunately we also had a lot of aspects to Starport that they do not have in their game, and we are now focusing on those other aspects to the exclusion of what they are focusing on.  It changes our game into much more of a strategy game than a simulation game, but I'm not exactly broken up about that.  Our revised game is actually stronger than our original one anyway, I think.

[Rekka]

Wow. Well, Starport 28 will surely come out before this one I think. Glad to know that you see it as a good thing which make Starport better. And with the Arcen's touch, I bet it'll be quite unique.