Eternal alpha

[shubla]

I'm just curious about one thing though. Why is this game in eternal alpha? Seems good enough for a full release to me. So much depth and, as far as I can recall, no game breaking bugs. Is it an issue with finding a publisher or funding?

It's far from ready there are many core features missing, such as bridges.
Balance is generally bad and some mechanics just terrible.

What do you mean by "full release", that devs would stop updating the game? or what.

[Zentetsuken]

Why is this game in eternal alpha? Seems good enough for a full release to me.

Yeah, I don't think anybody playing this game has had a full release over it in a long, long time.

Mostly, jorb and loftar have a particular idea of what they want to do with the game

I'm not sure if you or them could convince anybody that this is the case anymore. After so many flip-flop updates, pulling in previously frowned-upon custom client features, taking bad, partial or misguided advice from players on massive mechanic changes ... and combat...

[Lyz]

It does not have to be on a commercial level, but I hope it gains popularity (i.e. see it on steam, youtube, twitch)

Case and point would be a video Jorb or Loftar did on gametrailers.com on Salem a looooooooooooooooooooong time ago. I think that was how I came to know about this style of game and eventually traced it to HnH. Wonder why they don't do such marketing anymore. Was it something that paradox required them to do?

[MagicManICT]

pulling in previously frowned-upon custom client features,

I think jorb's current project is going to rub off on both him and loftar in some positive ways, this being one of them. (Though I think that's partly been due to so many client updates recently and just about everyone other than Ender not currently updating public clients.)

I will say this: I recently picked up another game that is being developed by an experienced game dev who has a lot of credits under his belt. In one of his requests for the equivalent of our "C&I" section, he said he wanted to be made aware of problems, and not a hundred different solutions for it. Why? Few others have years of game development experience, so they're not going to know what's going to work and what has been tried that hasn't. (I dont' think any particular designer or dev can say they know everything in this realm, just what they've worked with.) Few others, if any, can truly know the direction they want to go with the game, and even that can be a moving target depending on what needs to change to fix problems that weren't spotted. Jorb and loftar have really only worked on Haven (and Salem, which was very similar with a few different design decisions). I'm not trying to make excuses for anyone by saying this, but just trying to point out that learning is a long journey, and one with a lot of bumps and reversals in it. Accept it as a journey, not a destination.

[Apocoreo]

Honestly the whole "Eternal Alpha" thing is rather depressing considering how much time I sink into this game. It has me actually looking for alternatives that aren't Salem. Makes me wonder how they actually feel about us and the game.

I wouldn't call it ready for release. Certainly has enough content to but imo the lack of polish and consistent/non-existant world resets make me feel it would review poorly. A small game like this can get overall positive reviews on a venue like Steam as long as it adequately attracts and holds onto people that like this specific thing. But ATM I think it lacks a good enough new player experience for a release.

[insanechef]

I mean sure world resets are fun and exciting but they just end up being the same old thing. Grind for a month, quit.

[Zentetsuken]

I mean sure world resets are fun and exciting but they just end up being the same old thing. Grind for a month, quit.

I'm ready to have a fun month of grinding in exchange for 11 months of complaining.
2020 was tough, we deserve it.

[iamahh]

start a new base then

its easier than erasing everyone else's experience and forcing them to "join" you

[Zentetsuken]

start a new base then

its easier than erasing everyone else's experience and forcing them to "join" you

there are 1000 people waiting to start fresh, the current 50 active users are going to have their shit erased soon anyways, giving them an extra month is absolutely meaningless in the grand scheme of things

[iamahh]

1000 hype-lings who dislike the game, 170+ hearthlings that really like the game and test the bigger changes, one coming right now with controlled objects

old world best world, respect the faithful-lings