Space Sims/Strategy Games Catch-All

SSZ had an 82mb patch today. Can't find any patch notes though.

They posted the last ones on their kickstarter page, and apparently don't have a Steam forum for the game. Apparently they're just using the built-in Steam discussions threads now. A little weird to get used to, but there it is.

Wow, good catch! Hopefully it fixes some...things...

Dev commented in the old patch notes thread that this patch still doesn't have the in-mission save/continue they have planned, but got some other fixes out. And that he would make a new patch notes thread... which hasn't appeared yet.

Looking forward to being able to take a break mid-mission. The checkpoint system is pretty good, never losing more than a few minutes of work. But some missions seem to have 4-5 checkpoints and stretch out to 30 minutes or more if you die a couple times.

Mid-mission saves would really help this game. Most space games don't have 'em, but most space games don't have missions with 3-5 checkpoints apiece.

Veloxi wrote:

Mid-mission saves would really help this game. Most space games don't have 'em, but most space games don't have missions with 3-5 checkpoints apiece.

Yeah most games are so open that it wouldn't fit. But this has clear lines between phases of the mission. So might as well make the in-mission checkpoints in-mission save points and let you pick it up later.

You could have done something like that with an old game like X-Wing Alliance, when you went from zone to zone. But even then, events in the zone you weren't in continued. They would have had to change that aspect of gameplay. But quicksaves and checkpoints maybe weren't as popular 14 years ago. But definitely were not in the space sim genre.

They weren't as needed. Most missions were one-shots. Fly out, do the thing, fly back, even with multiple waypoints, it never felt as...jumpy/tedious as it does in SSZ. Each checkpoint kinda feels like a full-blown mission with its own objectives, which I gotta say I'm not 100% fond of...

TheHipGamer wrote:
Veloxi wrote:

I agree, the price point is a huge hurdle for most folks, which makes me so depressed when I try to share how awesome Distant Worlds is. That coupled with the lack of a demo is REALLY hurting them. I mean, it's fine to wanna be niche, but so much so it hurts overall, long-term sales and sale prospects? I don't get it.

I apologize for derailing this so badly, Veloxi.

For me: I bought and own Distant Worlds. All of it. I can afford it, so I'm not feeling any pinch from having invested in the game.

I just dislike it. Had there been a demo, I'd have known that. That's not an unreasonable request, but the response to that request -- like the response to the request for a Steam version, or a sale -- is "you're STUPID."

Yeah, whatever.

Actually I remember watching the extra credits about demos, and they basically came to the conclusion that a demo is bad or not worth it the vast majority of the time. For the publisher anyway, for the consumer it's great.

I personally think their business choice reflects their start. They've been around and survived before the huge rebirth of space games and niche indie titles. They did that by dedicating catering to their small group. Now that things have changed and they have a chance to grow bigger. They are just not ambitious in that way and prefer to play it safe in their bubble. My very charitable interpretation.

Sorry just wanted to add my two cents about that.

SSZ patch notes:

Patch 2 features:

· Fuel platform containers now display correct wrecks when destroyed

· Added score to the mission select screen

· Saving the status of completed at the start of results screen in case the user shuts down the game before the results screen process has finished

· The forward and backward thrusting were not working for Mech mode when Auto aiming with gamepad. This has been fixed.

· Applied some HUD and UI alignment adjustments.

· Removed short period of gameplay between two end cutscenes at the end of mission 9

· Removing upgrade when you complete tunnel run with no limiters killed

· Fixed a crash coming out of the frigate cutscene in Mission 3

· Fixing stage 2 mission 11 - corvettes fleeing properly and squads now get clean down properly

· Health of freighters now correctly carriers over into each stage and is not reset on restart checkpoint in all stages of Mission 4

· Fixed Zfighting on the arcadia landing strip

· Control now returns to the player after the cruiser KillShot cutscene and Playable area now updates correctly when Enemy Cruiser spawns in stage 3 of Mission11

· Added missing collision to the static allied freighters and the gate tunnel in M1S3

· Removed the visible waypoint in Stage 3 of Mission 11

· All AI squads in Mission 5 that were set to defend the player are now set up to use Tethering instead (they won't keep colliding with the player)

· Updated station turret towers with matching textures and lods

· Fixed bug caused by killing cruiser before bowman arrives in Stage 4 of Mission 4

And that's why I think they are gonna die out. Space games are coming back in a BIG way, it's no longer the niche it used to be. Eventually they won't be able to keep milking that captive audience who are desperate for the next space game fix. Distant Worlds sounds like a lot of fun, I wouldn't know because it doesn't have a demo and the price is damn steep, too high for me to take a risk. And I'm one of the small percentage of gamers who like this kind of thing! What about Joe gamer who has never played a 4x? Why would he go to Matrix Games and say "take my moneys!" when there are dozens of other games plastered all over Steam, Desura and what have you? With demos, and MUCH better press exposure. Probably of equal or greater quality to Distant Worlds.

Of course not! People are lazy!

Tamren, you do realize that Matrix publishes games that aren't Distant Worlds, right?

Tamren wrote:

And that's why I think they are gonna die out. Space games are coming back in a BIG way, it's no longer the niche it used to be. Eventually they won't be able to keep milking that captive audience who are desperate for the next space game fix. Distant Worlds sounds like a lot of fun, I wouldn't know because it doesn't have a demo and the price is damn steep, too high for me to take a risk. And I'm one of the small percentage of gamers who like this kind of thing! What about Joe gamer who has never played a 4x? Why would he go to Matrix Games and say "take my moneys!" when there are dozens of other games plastered all over Steam, Desura and what have you? With demos, and MUCH better press exposure. Probably of equal or greater quality to Distant Worlds.

Of course not! People are lazy!

Well I say the average joe isn't going to play a 4x game, it is still niche. They will probable go along as they always have. Making a decent profit but not as much as they could make. That being said their really isn't a huge amount of competition in 4x games yet. There is a vast amount in the pipeline coming up, but that's later. Which is my subtle way of saying working harder indie devs, I want my stuff now. How hard could it be...

Actually tried messing around making a space game. After taking almost a day to make a randomize universe creator (created a sun, with some number of planets and colors in random sizes and orbits), I said damn this is hard and gave up. Fun to try though. Also messed around with making a ascii .hack like game, and a complete ripoff of uplink (that one got pretty far).

I did it! My first video Q&A ever! WHEEEEEE!

http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/featu...

Sounds like a fun game too.

cube wrote:

Tamren, you do realize that Matrix publishes games that aren't Distant Worlds, right?

And you've never heard of them either. Starshatter? What's that?

Veloxi wrote:

I did it! My first video Q&A ever! WHEEEEEE!

http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/featu...

Sounds like a fun game too. :)

Holy crap, that's awesome Veloxi! It's pretty damn cool that you've been able to get in touch with so many developers over the course of doing your blog. Keep up the good work!

I'm looking at Pandora too, not just the features, but because of Slitherine.

I have a number of Matrix games. Only a few of their games have "boutique" pricing; most are about the same price as other wargames from other publishers. While I don't have any love for the guy who founded the company, they do in fact have a number of good games out at reasonable prices. It's the outliers that people get upset about. But I suspect that most of those, like Gary Grigsby's stuff, would cost the same through any other publisher, because the companies making them subscribe to the idea that they won't sell that many copies anyway, so they might as well ask top dollar for what they do sell. That may not work as well as more modern sales strategies, but it's their call. Matrix is not forcing the devs to sell at those prices, is what I'm saying, they just like making as much as they can off of die-hard grognards, who will Female Doggo and mumble and pay through the nose at the end of it to get their next fix.

CptDomano wrote:
Veloxi wrote:

I did it! My first video Q&A ever! WHEEEEEE!

http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/featu...

Sounds like a fun game too. :)

Holy crap, that's awesome Veloxi! It's pretty damn cool that you've been able to get in touch with so many developers over the course of doing your blog. Keep up the good work!

Thank you! I plan to line up some more, as that was honestly a LOT more fun than writing up questions in a Word doc.

I DID always suspect that Veloxi was a nasal-money grognard of the pew-pew...

A what now?!

Veloxi wrote:

A what now?!

It means you've arrived. The big time. From now on it's space hookers and space blow.

That'd be Eve then.

(Looks at hanger full of exotic dancers and illegal narcotics)

Veloxi wrote:

A what now?!

(I think he called you a nerd.)

I'm so confused....

boobs

Quintin_Stone wrote:

boobs

Go on...

Vector wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

boobs

Go on...

IMAGE(http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab221/Strangeblades/Emoticons/smiley_emoticons_popcorn_essen.gif)

Veloxi wrote:

I'm so confused....

SUCCESS

I was referencing "die-hard grognards, who will Female Doggo and mumble and pay through the nose at the end of it to get their next fix"

He called you a space game junkie, Veloxi.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

boobs

I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter...

garion333 wrote:

He called you a space game junkie, Veloxi.

Oh, well, right, okay then...

Vector wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

boobs

Go on...

they are great