TLF Version 1.004 Released (x64 Linux Build)

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Original: http://arcengames.blogspot.com/2014/04/tlf-version-1004-released-x64-linux.html

Version 1.004 is now out, and is just a quickie.  Another release is coming later tonight.

This version now has an x64 Linux build, so that people on x64 linux builds no longer have to have the 32 libs installed or run as root (whoah!) to make the 32 bit version of X Server run.

The game also now has a prettier icon, more forgiving rules with the docking changes introduced last night, toned down speeds on a couple of the racial flagships, and a couple of improvements/fixes to the player-funded creation of certain planetary buildings.

Tonight will continue our releasing at least one new free feature every day of the work week (none of the above counts), thanks to the overwhelming support this game has had.  Seriously, this is now our best launch ever, and that gap keeps widening by surprising degrees.  We're extremely grateful to our ever-growing community for their support, as well as to the press for taking the time out to look at our stuff.  You guys are all awesome!

After this week, we'll continue putting out at least one new free feature every week for at least a few months, if not longer.  A quest, a new weapon or ability, a new ship, a new action... something.  We'll vary it up, and make it fun.  I'm really excited about expanding the game even further, as large as it already is.  Right now we're doing that very fast in response to all the huge numbers of new players and all the things that a larger audience is bound to dig up in a game of this scope and complexity; once that settles down, we'll make it less intensive but still ongoing.

More to come tonight.  Enjoy!

This is a standard update that you can download through the  in-game updater, or if you have Steam it will automatically update it for you.  To force Steam to download it faster, just restart Steam and it will do so.

[Pepisolo]

Just out of curiosity, how are the Linux/Mac sales going?

[x4000]

Just out of curiosity, how are the Linux/Mac sales going?

About typical for what we have seen in the past, and in-line with what most other developers we've spoken to have seen.  Mac sales are presently 4.14% of our total sales, and Linux sales are presently 1.31% of our total sales.  Thanks to the Unity engine it's not much work for us to support the other platforms, so we're happy to do so, but it's not a doorbuster increase. 

THAT said, those are just Steam numbers.  With the Humble Store the numbers might be higher, but we have no real way of knowing; and having any shot at a (much) later inclusion in a Humble Bundle pretty much requires having a Linux and OSX build, so that's usually worth it right there (even though we've never been in a HIB proper).  There are also some other vendors that are OS-specific, like MacGameStore.com, and that's not money I'd turn down.  I need to get us on the Mac App Store at some point...

[GC13]

Wow, midday patch. Nice.

Any reason why Boarine Tuskers are listed twice as ships that had their speed reduced?

[Pepisolo]

About typical for what we have seen in the past, and in-line with what most other developers we've spoken to have seen.  Mac sales are presently 4.14% of our total sales, and Linux sales are presently 1.31% of our total sales.  Thanks to the Unity engine it's not much work for us to support the other platforms, so we're happy to do so, but it's not a doorbuster increase.

THAT said, those are just Steam numbers.  With the Humble Store the numbers might be higher, but we have no real way of knowing; and having any shot at a (much) later inclusion in a Humble Bundle pretty much requires having a Linux and OSX build, so that's usually worth it right there (even though we've never been in a HIB proper).  There are also some other vendors that are OS-specific, like MacGameStore.com, and that's not money I'd turn down.  I need to get us on the Mac App Store at some point...

An extra 5%-ish is not bad, I guess. I think there are also PR benefits which don't necessarily convert straight into Linux/Mac sales. You're also ready for Steambox now -- if that is still a "thing", haven't checked up on it for a while. Interesting stuff overall, thanks!

[x4000]

Any reason why Boarine Tuskers are listed twice as ships that had their speed reduced?

Oops, thanks -- fixed that typo.

About typical for what we have seen in the past, and in-line with what most other developers we've spoken to have seen.  Mac sales are presently 4.14% of our total sales, and Linux sales are presently 1.31% of our total sales.  Thanks to the Unity engine it's not much work for us to support the other platforms, so we're happy to do so, but it's not a doorbuster increase.

THAT said, those are just Steam numbers.  With the Humble Store the numbers might be higher, but we have no real way of knowing; and having any shot at a (much) later inclusion in a Humble Bundle pretty much requires having a Linux and OSX build, so that's usually worth it right there (even though we've never been in a HIB proper).  There are also some other vendors that are OS-specific, like MacGameStore.com, and that's not money I'd turn down.  I need to get us on the Mac App Store at some point...

An extra 5%-ish is not bad, I guess. I think there are also PR benefits which don't necessarily convert straight into Linux/Mac sales. You're also ready for Steambox now -- if that is still a "thing", haven't checked up on it for a while. Interesting stuff overall, thanks!

Right, for sure -- all of the above, there.  I'm also very hopeful that Steambox will be a big thing in the living room; guess we'll see.  It would be an "immediate in" for us into that space, without having to deal with new platform holders or ports to new OSes, or purchasing expensive dev kits ($15k to $30k per developer, often), etc.

[BobTheJanitor]

Has there been any consideration of a mobile port? I know that's usually not your thing, but I was just thinking about how the entire interface would work just fine with touch input, and the turn based combat works perfectly for a platform that's less friendly towards twitch gaming.

[x4000]

Has there been any consideration of a mobile port? I know that's usually not your thing, but I was just thinking about how the entire interface would work just fine with touch input, and the turn based combat works perfectly for a platform that's less friendly towards twitch gaming.

Definitely not our area yet, and without keyboard bindings it would be tricky.  Possibly something for the future, who knows.

[BobTheJanitor]

Yeah mostly just pondering out loud. It seems like it would work ok without keyboard, since you can just click everything right now if you want to when selecting weapons and firing type and so on. And then all the solar map interactions are all just clicking boxes. But of course I have no idea what's involved in porting a unity game to mobile and how it could even be priced. Mobile has the strange assumption built in that an otherwise identical game, once ported to work on your phone/tablet, should cost about 90% less. That's just weird.

Could always make it free to play and then make solar system travel happen in real time unless the player makes in-app purchases. 

[topper]

Yeah mostly just pondering out loud. It seems like it would work ok without keyboard, since you can just click everything right now if you want to when selecting weapons and firing type and so on. And then all the solar map interactions are all just clicking boxes. But of course I have no idea what's involved in porting a unity game to mobile and how it could even be priced. Mobile has the strange assumption built in that an otherwise identical game, once ported to work on your phone/tablet, should cost about 90% less. That's just weird.

Could always make it free to play and then make solar system travel happen in real time unless the player makes in-app purchases. 

You died in battle... please wait 20 months for your ship to repair. Or buy 20 solar month credits for only $1.99!

[relmz32]

Could always make it free to play and then make solar system travel happen in real time unless the player makes in-app purchases. 

*Shudders*

[Histidine]

Oh God the Velociter-Bs.

A quick rule of strategy game design: If your fastest unit also has the longest range, you're doing it completely wrong. 

[AATLEMIDRM]

Personally, I bought from the Humble Store. I have Steam on Windows, Mac AND Linux, with Linux where I spend most of my time. (I pretty much only go into Windows for games, but only when necessary.) The big attraction of the Humble Store was a stand-alone downloadable version with a Steam key. So there's a data point.

Parenthetically, what are the chances of turning on SteamCloud saves? The ability to walk from system to system with the same campaign would be swell. Technically, sym links and Dropbox would let me do it now, but Windows was persnickety about permissions when I tried.

EDIT: I just added the SteamCloud request to Mantis.

[jonasan]

any news on the new update guys?

from the dev notes it looks like it should change things up very nicely... particularly interested to see the impact of Federation Points

TLF is really coming on in leaps and bounds now, keep up the amazing work!

so glad to see the game sell well at launch - long may TLF get amazing support/expanisions

Congrats again!