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Release Date & Work Tracker


Chris

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So tomorrow is the said release date. Why is no one posting about it? yeah, I know there is more work to be done like all games after they are released (but can't work on them forever) and nonetheless it is tomorrow!

Edited by windex
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I see today more as the deadline where new features will be stopped.

The polishing will continue while preparations are made for release and arrangements made for mac/linux versions.

Once the press release is ready and the game definitely doesn't break under normal gameplay then the release will happen.

One of the best things about Goldhawk is that they are definitely prioritising a stable release over a quick release.

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V21 Stable marks entry into the polishing phase of development. We believe the game is good enough to kick out the door right now, but we're planning to spend the next ten weeks on improving the game further. On the 30th May we're going to lock down the game and cease development (after the best part of five years spent on the project).

Release Date: Depending on how smoothly those ten weeks go, the game may launch on the 30th May. However it is more likely we'll spend another few weeks working on publicity, getting reviews and coverage of the game ready for the big day. So we're not sure what the exact day of release will be, but the final product will be ready on 30th May (on PC, at least - it'll take a few days to port to Mac / Linux etc).

Chris never announced 30th May as the official release date so why do you act like it's an unexpected delay? Things are going exactly as expected. The only definite thing was always that development would cease today.

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Chris never announced 30th May as the official release date so why do you act like it's an unexpected delay? Things are going exactly as expected. The only definite thing was always that development would cease today.

"the game will launch on the 30th of May" There it is you just quoted it. Stop denying it and face the truth don't be a toady and don't argue semantics. At some point (what its been patching for over a year now) and as he's said its been 5 years in development, at some point they have to fly from the nest and why shouldn't it be today as planned. It is the release date even though they will and should keep fixing, polishing and balancing long after and as most developers do any way after the release of their game.

Let's face it there are many here who would prefer Xenonauts never to be release but only as something happening in the indefinite future (something that never happens) and they can keep patching and balancing and adjusting the game to consult all tastes and claim that it is getting to be a game and will be a perfect game...when its released-nonsense.

Edited by windex
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31st May was announced as the official date we stop development, and we're planning to stick to that. That's not the same as the release date, though - that's not for another couple of weeks. We need to send out review copies, port the game to Mac / Linux and do the PR work etc before the official release.

Not that the game will change much in the interim, other than bugfixes, so if you've bought the game it barely affects you. But the "official" release isn't for another couple of weeks yet.

EDIT - ah, actually, seems I announced the 30th. It's actually going to be the 31st. Seems I can't count how many days are in a month properly.

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I did not quote that, neither did Chris say it. Do you read the difference between "it may launch, if all runs smoothly (which never happens)" and "the game will most likely/probably/definitely launch at this date"?

This isn't semantics. It's you throwing words in someone else's mouth just to start some kind of discussion that makes absolutely no sense since the game is available and playable. The only difference it would make if your demand is to be met would be you'd play the same version you are playing right now, albeit it will be branded "released". It's a point I frankly fail to follow.

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To be fair, there have been no shortages of delays for this game. When i first brought it in 2011, the pre-order contained a message that the game was not refundable unless it was not finished by end of 2012, because and I quote:

"The time limit was chosen because there's almost no circumstances I can think of where we would not be able to deliver the finished game inside two years. We're aiming for something closer to six months"

Keep in mind this was more than 3 years ago now. Then at the end of last year, there was a message that the aim was to finish by 2013. Now middle of 2014, and now again its not the release date...

I believe in this project but you can't defend the continual delays.

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It's fairly easy to defend the continual delays. If you want to make a game, you can pick two of these: quickly, cheaply, done well.

The only reason I made the earlier promises is because I didn't understand quite how much time, money and effort goes into making a video game. Sit down and think about how much content goes into making a game like Xenonauts - like, really think about it. Go through the game directories and try to total up how many man hours went into literally everything in it. You'll still have almost no idea how time-consuming it is to make it (which is fine, because that's also how I thought before I actually tried to do it).

Of course, it was a mistake for me to make such grand promises when I first started and it's difficult for me to defend that. I can certainly see why people may feel misled by them. But the only way the project would have been sped up substantially was by us robbing a bank or releasing a shoddy product.

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To be fair, there have been no shortages of delays for this game. When i first brought it in 2011, the pre-order contained a message that the game was not refundable unless it was not finished by end of 2012, because and I quote:

"The time limit was chosen because there's almost no circumstances I can think of where we would not be able to deliver the finished game inside two years. We're aiming for something closer to six months"

Keep in mind this was more than 3 years ago now. Then at the end of last year, there was a message that the aim was to finish by 2013. Now middle of 2014, and now again its not the release date...

I believe in this project but you can't defend the continual delays.

If you want to know what is dishonest behaviour by developers, go look up Mechwarrior Online. Read about how they actively prioritise monetization of their free-to-play over all the backers who stuck with them for years.

Xenonauts only asked for $20. These guys at MWO were supported by at least a few hundred dollars for each dedicated supporter.

Now the fundamental difference between them and Goldhawk is that you can see Goldhawk really rolling out updates and development and you can see majority of it has to deal with bug fixes and balancing.

As it is, you have a working product that is reasonably balanced with the exception of a few items.

At any rate, you're backing an indie developer and the thing about programming games or any software for the first time... there's a great deal of learning to do as you're not familiar with the design patterns and that can take up anywhere from 3x - 5x more time than an experienced developer with existing resources would. He has no code, no assets to re-use etc.

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To me, the game is more than good enough for quite a few builds by now, and I now consider that I already got the product I paid for be that they release it today or actually never, say if like their office catches fire or so and source code gets lost. Release now means for me the end of development and addition of new features that I can go on finishing a playthrough no longer being compelled to start over because of the new features and balances that got in. Though I'm aware, to be a financial success, a game needs more than pleasing some fans, and that's where we want to support as we can with any spare time we have by testing for bugs etc. So, good to go. There's one satisfied customer, hope there'll be more.

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Yeah, I've gotten hundreds of hours out of the game between playing and modding. In fact if you count modding/mapping time it's probably around joint highest with XCOM: EU as my top-played game on Steam. Even if the whole game suddenly vanished, I'd have easily gotten my money out of it, and more.

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...you can pick two of these: quickly, cheaply, done well.

**thumbs up** That's the coder's creed. Applies to any coding or development work.

I'd be willing to bet, though, that all the "it was promised by such-n-such date" complainers would NOT have been complaining if you had released a broken game "on time." **cough**

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I did not quote that, neither did Chris say it. Do you read the difference between "it may launch, if all runs smoothly (which never happens)" and "the game will most likely/probably/definitely launch at this date"?

This isn't semantics. It's you throwing words in someone else's mouth just to start some kind of discussion that makes absolutely no sense since the game is available and playable. The only difference it would make if your demand is to be met would be you'd play the same version you are playing right now, albeit it will be branded "released". It's a point I frankly fail to follow.

It's word for word and face it; though you may not like it it has been released and I'm glad. (Chris just said it)(in all intents and purposes the 31st they stop development and for 2 weeks will have it ready for reviews. So its done, released! ) It is a very good game as it is and as I've said before can't go on forever trying to make it prefect for everyone. This game is less buggy and more enjoyable than most AAA titles like watch dogs. Not to mention it has far more complexity than Xcom EU which is quite buggy and still has bugs.

And I never threw words into your mouth my good man from Bulgaria, Proud supporter no matter what. I just quoted part of what was officially stated from the start of this post word for word and I did that intentionally so you could get a grip on yourself with the : "they don't have to ever release it that's fine until it is running smoothly, they can release it in ten years from now and they can keep rebalancing it and fixing it and polishing it forever.

Edited by windex
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