Unlike Starbound, Starforge is actually in Alpha, no Beta. It is MUCH earlier in development. The features themselves are not totally set yet.
The earlier in development, the crappier and more incomplete the game will be. This does not mean that the final product will be bad.
Reserve judgement on if a game is a "ripoff" based on the final product. To do anything less is just... Well, stupid.
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Early Access games are supposed to have progress.
When I bought it they had just removed the digging feature from the game, allowing website buyers to play around and alter the game world, disallowing the steam people to do it.
They don't have many updates coming and the digging feature was added a couple of days ago, when in november they said "YA DIGGING UPDATE IN MID NOVEMBER". Now that the digging update is released every second comment on the update page is "the drill isn't working I can't dig".
If thinking I shouldn't have purchased that product is forbidden, then please do excuse me for having an opinion and being "stupid"
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That's not how development works. Things don't necessarily have to strictly get better over time. The game is not released. The goal is to be better, and fully functional at release. What happens before that, is not exact, or written in stone. A feature may totally be broken, 2 weeks from now, that is functional now. This can be intentional. You see, they may realize they have more time to upgrade a feature, or change their focus. They know they can fix an issue, but hold back, because there are other critical issues they need to attend to first. These critical issues may not be seen by users in obvious way, but could affect much more than you'd expect. This is development. You cannot guage that a game is "Getting worse" simply by they updates, or how frequent updates are comming out. If this game was already released, and your not seeing updates on a regular basis, or major break, then you have a legitimate claim. Progress is not about YOU the user. In fact a large part of BETA process is balancing. Where you intentionally break, or alter the game in extremes, to get user reaction. "What do they like better? If they can gather resources too quickly, it can ruin any accomplishment in building. Too slowly, and it's a slog. Let's try this build process where it uses a ton or resources or none at all.". You see how this can make a game seemingly horrible 1 week, when a couple weeks earlier it may appear much better? This is development, the game is not finished at all. They are not entitled to update the game for your direct enjoyment NOW. It's about the end goal of giving you a stable product at launch. To be pissy about not getting your update now, is STUPID. If they DID give you your update, that could actually be crippling their progress. They could be taking longer, to make the feature much better. But if they release it, because of outcry like yours, your actually F**king over the game. This makes you, kinda dumb, yeah.
You want to not purchase that product, then fine. Good for you. Expectation of what the product should be before it's completed, is silly. Overall genre, and theme, and maybe art direction will give you an indication. But one feature like the digging is broken? Yeah, that's stupid. IT's why it's in beta, because IT's NOT DONE YET.
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" IT's why it's in beta, because IT's NOT DONE YET."
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I really don't get you. Do you read the stuff you link? Or just cherry pick the terminology that suits your argument? It's on Wiki, so it must be the laws brought down from god or something? are these supposed to be irrefutable?
Fine, lets look at your link. Nice line you picked out there. Fits the point you want to make EXACTLY. Which by the way, does not state certainties. Even your cherry picked line says "generallY". Which is actually appropriate, because that page is also talking about the phases of "Software Development". Not Gaming specifically, or web browser development etc. A game like Assassin's Creed versus Mincraft are two totally different kinds of processes. You see the original Assassin's Creed is a AAA game, with a goal. Having features complete by Beta, is more important, as they have a solid release with exacting functionality. Mincraft However is "The skies the limit" type of game, it's beta and alpha phases were much longer, and users were welcomed in much earlier. Also pretty sure that even Minecraft is STILL getting feature updates even now. Whatever, call it DLC or whatever you like. Starforge is not your basic game or software. It's a huge sandbox world. The definition of Beta you called out doesn't necessarily apply. However. maybe it does? Shall we see a part of your definition you omitted? Let's go to the final line in the definition of "Beta" as it's stated in the link you provided:
"Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, prototype, technical preview (TP), or early access. Some software is kept in perpetual beta—where new features and functionality are continually added to the software without establishing a firm "final" release.".
See that part above? where it states new features and software are continually added without establishing a firm "Final" release? Also the see the part where it says "some", implicating that not all software development is exactly the same? Yeah, but maybe that doesn't apply, right? Except if you check StarForge's Store page it states:
"We are working really hard on this and we hope everyone enjoys playing the game. We will continue to post regular updates to the game throughout the Alpha, Beta, and Full release periods.".
So, you should pretty much know what your getting into, if they're telling you exactly that they'll be developing and changing throughout. It also mentions near the bottom of the page all the FEATURES they're still creating, that are not out yet. because you see, they don't have a perfect road map, as this is the kind of game where features must be created as you go along. It's a giant sandbox, there are going to be elements that will occur, that will drastically change the features and tools a user will have available. So they must update the features or add/remove them to make the game usable. It's pretty much why any game like Minecraft, Starforge, StarBound, Don't Starve etc (procedurally generated type games), all have early releases, as it's not possible to draw out a plan, and execute without deviation. There is a significant amount of absolute unknowns in developing this kind of software. This requires flexibility in development, which means that general notions of what "Alpha" or "Beta" are, are also flexible. They are general guidelines and milestones representing a state of progress in the overall development cycle. They are NOT laws of development, restricting developers from being able to deviate or redesign their products.
The devs have a tentative release date of late 2014. It is has also been stated that this is not firm, because again, it's a game that's more about "It'll be done when it's done" than "Just ship the unfinished product". Plenty of time between now and the end of 2014 if you ask me.
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no, just. no. please dont do this. im not going to explain to someone you hasnt played it yet how its not terraria AGAIN. it just isnt ok? please play a game or even watch a video about it before you critique it. starbound is like terraria as much as battlefield 4 is like doom. they are in a genre, terraria blew up and so people realized that it was a type of game people liked and that they could profit on. when doom came out all my friends said it was a ripoff of wolfenstien 3d. because it was one of the first games in the genre. furthermore starbound is just nothing like terraria in actual gameplay. the main mechanic is going to different planets and exploring their dungeons for loot, and then going underground to get fuel for your ship and ore to make into armor and weapons for new more advanced planets, it isnt a semi linear sandbox like terraria, it is fully linear, featuring bosses that need to be defeated before you can progress to later teirs. and later on will feature a full story mode based on which species you choose to play as. this is partially already implemented in the form of book that you can find in dungeons that tell the story of people who had been there in years past.
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Yeah, when I found they'd restarted Auschwitz and used the powdered remains of millions of people as part of their source code, I decided I wanted no part of that obviously unfinished and advertised as such game! Can you take your idiocy elsewhere?
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He probably just threw a tissy fit when they wiped his character. Don't buy a game in beta if you aren't willing to deal with character wipes, bugs, etc. I can already see that starbound is a good game with a lot of potential.
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Think twice before equating people with NAZIS! Especially the Starbound community!!!
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What an idiotic thing to do, I would never remove a game from my library, not even shitty free games.
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thats what happens when people dont read the huge blue window on the store page
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I love beta testing games, and would love to have Starbound right now.. o3o
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Is there a dictionary with a list of Steam terms now? :O
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You'd probably say the same thing about escalators.
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Its in beta atm that's why there are so many technical issues and it was released early access because ppl really wanted play it. The devs mentioned that this would be a 3 part beta and not to play yet if you didn't want to experience these problems.
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Close this pointless topic... Obvious trolling is obvious
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The game is amazing even on Beta. Like everyone said, it's in Early Access. You gotta expect bugs, instability, characters wipe, etc.
The discussion Terraria vs Starbound is pointless, and so is to compare both games contents. It's obvious that Terraria has more content.]
I'm loving the game and I see a bright future to it.
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Weren't the nazis actually really organized? OP doesn't seem to know what he's talking about :P
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This game has so much technical issues, it shouldn't even be sold on Steam.
I don't want to support this sort of developers and the nazi-like Starbound community.
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