Question

Tranquill · 2018-02-27 23:03:09

I just finished reading the PC Gamer article on this game and was curious to how many people actively play this? I really want to buy it and support a game with such a unique idea.

jasonrohrer · 2018-02-27 23:42:28

Well, the game just came out today, so the word is still getting out... I've emailed my mailing list, and so far, only 6000 emails have gone out, with 13,000 more emails to go before I get through the whole list.

100 people have bought the game so far today, and there are currently 23 people playing on the main server.

A bunch more people will likely be playing tonight, when they get home from work, and then this weekend.

It will likely keep growing over time. A few of my previous games have sold 20,000 units.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time balancing this game so that it's interesting to play solo or with low populations. So the size of the player pool really doesn't matter too much.

Things can get crazier and more interesting with loads of people (like wars and such), but there's still a very solid game without that.

Tranquill · 2018-02-28 00:04:32

I will be happily buying this game sometime this week then, I love the idea behind it.

I didn't realize the game JUST came out today, I saw the trailer video you put up.

Beans · 2018-02-28 08:13:13

I have to ask Jason. I know multiple articles have already mentioned this and I don't know if it's a sore subject, but is there a particular reason the game isn't on Steam or Itch?

jasonrohrer · 2018-02-28 23:19:12

Sore subject?

Well, 83 games came out on Steam yesterday, which means that you have to bring your audience to Steam. Your game is successful because it's successful, not just because it's on Steam. Yet they still take 30%, which is a lot.

Also, Steam is troublesome to work with for a multiplayer game that requires an account on the server per-user. I can't get your email address, etc, to make an account for you through Steam. I can't contact you if there's a problem with your account.

And finally, Steam is not so easy to work with for a game like this that will receive weekly updates for YEARS.

When I want to post an update, I type one line on my server and the update goes out to everyone. I've got all sorts of scripts written that pull the latest data from GitHub, bundle it, and post it, and restart the servers, etc.

If I wanted to use Steam's update system, it would be a real headache.

So... "maybe someday," for Steam. But it does take quite a bit of work to get it all working on Steam, and even then, it's not as good as the off-Steam experience (because of the account issue).

Computer1633 · 2018-03-02 00:41:12

Jason I just want to say, Steam or not, this is a pretty amazing game and I thank you for your hard work and dedication to making it. I think your audience not on Steam is exactly the kind of players this type of game needs. I have had several good full lives so far with other people that genuinely seem to want to help. Just keep up the good work!

jasonrohrer · 2018-03-02 01:00:53

Reminder: the most popular games in the world are not on Steam.

LOL, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Fortnite, Minecraft.

I'm hoping to make a game that's SO GOOD that it won't matter that it's not on Steam.

Kabouik · 2018-03-02 01:34:53

I wonder if itch.io would have the same disadvantages as Steam, do they take a percentage on sales or make updates more complicated Jason?

I have like 100 times more games now that I had back when I was a kid, and they were not digital copies at the time. It was easy to keep track of them and the only way to lose them was to lend them to a friend who would forget to bring them back.

Now, this is different. I have many games that I bought on GOG but, as a Linux player, I can't use their Galaxy client. Result: I just forgot about them after I had to temporarily uninstall/change hard drive/change computer, and yet I'm sure there are several games I would have played again if I had seen them in some sort of library application (I can still check my library on GOG website though). I never thought I would say that, but nowadays I really feel the benefits of game library applications (or, should I say, application - singular, because having multiple ones kinda sucks in the end). Itch would help in my case, and I wouldn't have to rely on the purchase e-mail to keep track of my key.

I'm not saying I will forget about this game, but more often than I would have thought, the idea to play a particular game comes after I see it in my main game library. For now, I added the game as a non-Steam game in my Steam library, and will probably do the same in Lutris for a more generic approach, but it is not really the same peace of mind since it is not associated to my account and will not show up again automatically if I ever have to start from scratch.

Last edited by Kabouik (2018-03-02 02:22:23)

brianj · 2018-03-02 03:40:01

Kabouik wrote:

I never thought I would say that, but nowadays I really feel the benefits of game library applications (or, should I say, application - singular, because having multiple ones kinda sucks in the end). Itch would help in my case, and I wouldn't have to rely on the purchase e-mail to keep track of my key.

FWIW, I keep my software licenses in a password vault. If you're not already using one, I highly recommend it - password vaults are great, and make it easy to use unique strong passwords for all your various accounts. I personally use 1Password, but I also hear good things about KeePass. If you already are using one-- well, just put the license key in it and voila! problem solved.

Kabouik · 2018-03-02 09:55:30

That's an interesting idea, thanks. I use one already, but just for the billion accounts/passwords I have accumulated over the years. I'll think about adding the keys there, since I don't have much trust in the perpetuity of my e-mails (especially the account I'm using for purchases and spam), but that's a lot of work. I would still like to see the game show up in a game library associated to a master account, it just makes it a lot easier to have an exhaustive view. Lutris is doing a very good job, although it still requires manual input to add independent games like Steam for non-Steam games, making it difficult for those games that I would play both on my main gaming machine and any laptop, but it is better than nothing.

I still think itch.io would help with distributing the game more widely in the long run and facilitating the download without having to fiddle with e-mails, keys, download links on the website, etc., but I don't know if Itch comes at a cost like those Jason mentioned above about Steam.

Last edited by Kabouik (2018-03-02 09:57:18)

zapgamingg · 2018-04-04 02:04:44

me trying to find my key to be born... how do i get my key?

breezeknight · 2018-04-04 11:27:39

zapgamingg wrote:

me trying to find my key to be born... how do i get my key?

@zapgamingg
it's in the game registration email
if you bought the game that is

Last edited by breezeknight (2018-04-04 11:28:24)

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