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When should Xenonauts 2 be released?


Your ideal release date for Xenonauts 2  

31 members have voted

  1. 1. With regards to factors like the coronavirus, and with release completeness vs early release, what do you think would be the best time to release Xenonauts 2?

    • As soon as possible!
    • Give them a few more months.
    • Release just before Christmas 2020.


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Just a little poll which may help Goldhawk to decide when best to release a "finished" Xenonauts 2.

I'm quite happy to wait until christmas, as it should give them time to release a polished product (remember, Chris has just had a baby and also remember there will always be the impact of the Coronavirus). I think releasing a polished product rather than releasing an unfinished product looks bad on a company, even if they work to fix it eventually. Remember also that Goldhawk actually release their products as betas so we get to test them if we want to, and they get the bug feedback, which is mutually beneficial, so it potentially works as a 'graded' release.

As long as they deliver what they said they would (like they did with Xen 1) then I'm happy! If the majority of us choose option 3 then I hope this will give the team some breathing space. But if they do things in a similar vein to what they did in Xen 1 then they will get to where they want to be eventually (in fact, the way Chris did it impressed me - he didn't just say "it's finished", drop it and move on). Remember also that from what I have seen, the early game looks pretty much finished. Not so sure about the late game, but for obvious reasons there is time to patch that (especially if most of us play on iron man mode and we get beat :-)).

It looks like Chris is reasonably close to a release date, but what do YOU think is the best course of action?

 

Edited by ooey
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when its done, you have 1 chance at the first impression I'd vote for not mucking that up with jumping the gun. that doesn't mean that support should drop the second it hits the stores...but it beats early release and having to fix a lot of stuff in the first few months after.

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13 hours ago, ooey said:

Just a little poll which may help Goldhawk to decide when best to release a "finished" Xenonauts 2.

I'm quite happy to wait until christmas, as it should give them time to release a polished product (remember, Chris has just had a baby and also remember there will always be the impact of the Coronavirus). I think releasing a polished product rather than releasing an unfinished product looks bad on a company, even if they work to fix it eventually. Remember also that Goldhawk actually release their products as betas so we get to test them if we want to, and they get the bug feedback, which is mutually beneficial, so it potentially works as a 'graded' release.

As long as they deliver what they said they would (like they did with Xen 1) then I'm happy! If the majority of us choose option 3 then I hope this will give the team some breathing space. But if they do things in a similar vein to what they did in Xen 1 then they will get to where they want to be eventually (in fact, the way Chris did it impressed me - he didn't just say "it's finished", drop it and move on). Remember also that from what I have seen, the early game looks pretty much finished. Not so sure about the late game, but for obvious reasons there is time to patch that (especially if most of us play on iron man mode and we get beat :-)).

It looks like Chris is reasonably close to a release date, but what do YOU think is the best course of action?

 

Yep, there I aggree fully. As an Beta-Tester for Xenonauts 2 I can only agree that a the Basegame has to be Stable and Public Ready for a light Early Access Version (like the first 6 Month playtime with everything was coming in and Placeholders are fully overworked), while we test the next Upgrades for the Game. That´s the Way, nothing other. 

Half-ready Products like Electronic Arts and similar Companys bring out every Year is the best Example what´s going wrong in the Game-Development. If everyone would work like such Companys the World would be in an Atomic War because of boredom.

Of Courese there are Exceptions which show how to do it correctly: Paradox with HBS (the new Battletech-Strategy-Game and good going Paradox Games [after Pdx announced that Beta-Testing is very important] Step by Step), Blizzard, Firaxis (with its new XCOM-Series and the good old Civ-Series), Chaos Concept with UFO Extraterestials and in an 13 Year Development for UFO 2 Extraterestials as well as Goldhawk Interactive with in Development Xenonauts 2. They are Examples how to correctly Develop a Computer-Game, esp. from the Second on!

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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Yeah, there is no point in doing a half-arsed job of it. I've said similar elsewhere, but I think an interesting financial model is what Firaxis seem to be doing with Chimera Squad. Releasing half a game that is solid standalone content - as opposed to releasing half a game initially then charging for DLCs to complete the package. I guess for Goldhawk the equivalent would be to release their aircombat mini-game as a standalone edition.

Doing so would provide some content to fans who are waiting. They could also go a bit experimental with the design because it wouldn't need to be integrated as-is into the final X2 build. And people wouldn't have grounds to complain because you'd only need to sell it for a couple of quid. Although realistically I think it would only work if they marketed it as an app for your phone or something, which may well be more effort than it's worth. Still, I think it is an interesting model.

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Does it really matter? The game is already purchaseable. Development has never slowed, except recently due to publisher search and coronavirus. What would realeasing it entail? Finishing the flavor text and limiting all future updates to bugfixes and modding? Then by all means, I hope they take as long as possible!

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54 minutes ago, Bobit said:

Does it really matter? The game is already purchaseable. Development has never slowed, except recently due to publisher search and coronavirus. What would realeasing it entail? Finishing the flavor text and limiting all future updates to bugfixes and modding? Then by all means, I hope they take as long as possible!

That's kind of what Chris did with Xen1. And it's a good model. Personally I'm old school and haven't wanted to delve deep into an unfinished game (like I didn't with Xen1). I like to be pleasantly surprised when the final release comes out. The Beta releases, though, cater for those that want to help the development and get their teeth into something tangible. So it's all good I guess, whatever type of player you are. I really wouldn't want Chris to rush things, just because some of us are starting to get restless (and I don't think he will). Hopefully this poll will show he is right NOT to. Good things come to those who wait!

Hopefully life will be pretty much back to normal for most of us by Christmas too (and Xen2 would make a good Christmas present for many gamers :-)).

Edited by ooey
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I dind´t votet too. Because we Betas know the Status of the Game. We try our best with the Devs to make an stable, playable and cool Early Access for the Public.

But we can´t Magic. If we get lucky this week the next Beta will come and then we see how good it is in the Basemanagement, Geoscape, Missions, Research & Development. We (the Devs and Beta-Testers) don´t wanna have gap fillers in the Early Access state for the Public. 

Like said before in the Forums, the big Changes in some Areas from Xenonauts 2 get a loss of time about 4 to 5 Month, where 2 Betas could be done and the Game nearer to the Early Access state. But 1 big Change which were wished from the Public (also you Waiting Gamers) were the older Basebuilding Management from the Predecessor. The Voting, Discussing etc. cost us about 2 Month and the rework about 1 Month. And there are 1 or 2 Things more.

Fact: We lost about 5 Month Development and Testing about the Public. And the People wanna say us when the Game should be ready? If so, then play half-ready Electronic Arts and similar Games, which make 2 or 3 Patches and let going scrappy, to make money and give the Financers a dividend. They don´t bring more Patches and DLC´s for existing Games, instead every Year a new scrappy Version like Racing-Sims.

Other Companys like Paradox, Firaxis, HBS for example are overworking existing Products with small and big Patches as well as integrating new or missing Features in DLC´s. They show how to involve the Betatesters, Modders etc. correctly. The same is doing Goldhawk. They give you a Platform to Modding for the Predecessor and an Community-Version. They are involving you there.

And the Sucessor isn´t ready yet for Public. We Betas and the Devs from Goldhawk need more time to involve / testing the Missing things which are promised for the Base-Version for Xenonauts 2. Then we decide together when the Game is ready for Public. If the Public has to wait until 2021 then it will be so.

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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That is an admirable position, and one I tend to agree with. But like I said, many won't wait forever. The only reason I trust Chris is because he kept his promise in Xen1. And he does his best to involve the community as much as he can because in the end he's a games fan too. Remember that the project was supposed to be somewhat complete by the end of 2018, looking at the kickstarter page (maybe I misunderstood what was meant there). I never expected it to be so, but by the end of 2020 (+2 years) surely it must be in a state of completeness such that it will be able to be released. 

Any minor bugs can be ironed out in the usual way. This is not to put any pressure on any of the team. Rather to tell them that we are supportive of them and are quite happy to give them another six months or so. Considering they appear to be largely finished then surely this should be enough time, shouldn't it?!

So what I think we are saying is this: Goldhawk appear to be close to a release, but if this is the case to be sure take your time, release around christmas instead. We can wait a bit longer. Am I right?

Apologies for only running the poll for a day (I meant to set the end date for a month) and not offering more choices, but it seems that there is nothing I can do about it now unless max can fix this for me. It would be nice to hear others voice their opinions for and against, seeing as thousands have supported this project. 

 

 

Edited by ooey
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  • 1 month later...

I did want to add some further options to this poll but it looks like I can't. The general consensus seems to by that everything major will be finished by around Christmas. I'm encouraged to see that everyone that has voted so far just seems to want GoldHawk to make a good job of it by giving them the time they need. There must be some of us that can't wait though! 

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We will see, but don´t count on that, if you wanna have a half Working Public-Version. The Beta Versions we can test already are working more or less, but with every new Version working Things get Problems here and there.

We Betas and the Devs wanna do the short (max. 3 or 4 Month-Gameplay) Public Version as Bugfree as Possible, esp. with new implementations and surprisses. If all goes well, we will get an Public-Version in about 6 Month.

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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I’m will to wait as long as I can to see Goldhawk release a stable, moddable and deeper version of X1 like they said they would. It’s not like the world will end or anything.

Although I think it’s also important to keep a decent level of expectation so that backers and fans of X1 don’t forget about X2’s release.

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I, like many others, am grateful for the beta testers because I'm doing the same thing I did with X1, which was to expose myself to x2 as little as possible because I want to be surprised and not have any spoilers for when it finally comes out so I can really enjoy it.

The problem with that though is that if everyone did that, x2 would probably be full of bugs etc. so it's really a big compromise for those that do it. That said, those that do so have a certain degree of input to what the final game is going to look and play like, and I bet that gives some satisfaction too. 

So thank you. Your efforts are appreciated!

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I voted for just before Christmas but I'm not sure i'll still be around at that time. Too many people in the USA are doing their best to flush our country down the toilet for me to be optimistic. Many of us are wishing we had the money to move to the UK or some other place. Things do not look good here!

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Yep, that´s true ooey and garyg. Therfore I can understand to get new Games  or playable Games (Reworked Older Games are such an Example ;)). But Development need time and in such Crises much more.

Like from the Devs announced, if all works well an light playable Version of the Game could come this Year (for the first 3 or 4 Month) for the Public. But there has be much to be done first, because the Ground-Fight-Maps will be overworked, which the Devs announced in the same statement. At the Moment we Betas test new Implementations for other Parts on the latest older Ground-Battle-Maps.

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I guess we should also taken the consideration of advertising the game. For now it only have a realtively small community and not well known, maybe they should take part in several game events this year to earn more audiences. Chris mentioned about having a publisher, so i hope this would be their job.

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Yes. I don't know how many Chris has got from kickstarter, but I spread the word by mouth myself. That is actually probably the most effective (and cheapest!) way to advertise. There are, of course, all those fans of X1 that want more and have stayed. 

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The new Helper for the Public-Information make his / her Job very good and Steam etc. get updated if there are Questions to answer and new Informations to bring out.

That makes the Job for the Devs, other Background-Helpers which make Graphics, Texts etc. for the Game and us Beta-Testers much easyer.

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  • 2 months later...

Sure does. Well, it looks like a post Christmas release date then. Considering all that's gone on in the world, that's a pretty good result. I somehow don't think people will be willing to wait for a Christmas 2021 release though (will there be anything left of the world by then?!).:rolleyes: 

Edited by ooey
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Yep Mid 2021 is a good estimate if the big Problems the Game have be solved and the Betatests don´t find out more big Problems.

The new Maprework for everything incl. combining with the Geoscape and Geoscapesecrets incl. Basemanagement, Soldiermanagement etc. will need much more time. There are big Job Sites to be done in the next 1 or 2 Betas before the smaller and faster ones can go on.

We Beta-Testers wait too for a new Version to test out for making it to a stable status for the next Step of Development. But the new complete rework / overwork and refit will take more time then expected for the Devs and all the Helpers which can Coding, Painting, Mapseting and whatever. Alone Goldhawk need for a Maprework (dessert for example) 1 Week for the basis before it´s being send over to the Helpers for finishing it.

That means we still have the Beta-Version from June with the Beta 13.3-Version and waiting for Beta 14 with the full refit, rework and overwork incl. the new things which get implemented. So the Public have to be patient for more time.

The Public isn´t the Betatester like some big Companys think (EA for example).

Goldhawk can ill afford to bring out a not runable game as a small or max. medium Gamedeveloper. An other good example is UFO 2 Extraterestials from Chaos Concept. That is a small to medium Development Studio too and dosen´t bring out their Game after all remaining Bugs and Problems get solved for the Public. The Betatesters and Devs here found over 2.000 Bugs before release, which they decided to make an release End September and not in May this year.

The 2 Examples from Goldhawk and Chaos Concept shows exactly how to do it correctly. The Game comes out when it´s ready.

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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  • 1 month later...

You neglected the the choice:  When it's ready.

No software company should release a product with lots of bugs or game mechanics/balance issues.  I've seen this happen before and it's bad.  Once the game comes out it will get immediate published reviews before there is even a chance for patches that might solve all the problems.  If it has problems that will cost a lot of sales and more often than not there is no second chance at the reviews.  They rarely re-review things and if they do they don't make it a high visibility article.  Usually is a passing note or addition to the first review.

Sim City 5 and Sword of the Stars II come to mind.

  

 

Edited by StellarRat
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I'm not sure--we're talking gold/finished version with whatever PR is planned, and single-player?  Then the release version needs to have no known bugs unless they do not stop progression through the game and are impossible to fix anytime within the next next 3 months or something like that.  There have to be no game-breaking bugs at all, unless this info, including circumstances/equipment involved, is included in the ad documentation--and I wouldn't do it anyway.  There need to be no minor bugs that interfere with game enjoyment.  The end game needs to be as well-tested as any other part.  All the tutorials/guides need to be finished and user tested. 

All that adds up to "when it's ready" for me.  There are triple-A games being set back months to a year currently because of the pandemic, seems like this game should get the same slack if necessary.

Or is this supposed to be a "hobby" project?

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