For this Monday Update, I'd like to address some common issues, complaints, questions, misunderstandings as quickly as possible so I can get back to work.
When is Dead State being released?
Fall 2014.
Very obviously from the demo, we're still in production, but are quickly implementing the last bits into the game internally and will be polishing up the game as much as is possible. We want to release the best game possible and will postpone release to crush critical bugs and finish major polish tasks, but at a certain point, we need to release the game. We will, however, continue to support Dead State with content and fixes/polish after its release for a good long time. We have no plans to dump the game on Steam as-is.
Why don't your game's graphics look as good as <bigger budget indie/RPG project>?
We chose to make our graphics functional over detailed because it's a big game with lots of locations, items, and characters. To make it easier on ourselves, we went with a low-poly approach because with so many assets, we needed to turn them out at a higher rate. Doing detailed graphics takes a lot more time and requires a bigger team to divide tasks between. Given our budget ($300,000) and scope, I'm pretty impressed with what the art team has managed to do given the time, size, and budget of the game.
Why aren't there more NPCs out in the world?
They are coming. They're easy to add and many are written, we've just got bigger priorities right now. Some of them are out there, they just aren't working as designed at the moment and are being fixed (this goes for bugged ally conversations as well). We'll be adding more NPCs, ally/enemy bark triggers, and events out into the world. Remember that many of the events in the game are spread out over the course of months. We're quickly approaching something like 15,000 lines of dialogue in the game (not counting all the other text) – there's an insane amount of dialogue in this game and we're adding little bits here and there all the time.
I have feedback, but I decided to post it on a random game forum. Does that help?
Not at all. If you really want to help us out, make sure you give us your feedback on our official forums or Steam forums. We really do want to make the game better and address the biggest issues you have with it, but we can only do that if you leave us your feedback.
The February Early Access release was too limited and rough. Is it better?
Yes, I would say so and so would many of the beta reviewers on Steam and our Kickstarter backers. We've added a lot more content and features that the original Early Access version was missing. But don't take our word for it – if you downloaded the 7 Days version, you now have the Beta version. Or wait a few more weeks for the final release. But if you really want the game to get better, play through the beta and leave us your feedback.
I haven't heard of your game. Wouldn't press cover you if it was any good?
Aside from a few interviews and PAX, we haven't pursued press as much as we should, mostly because our team is tiny and we're all working on finishing up the game. However, we have sent out updated information and trailers to press pretty often for major milestones. But it seems like there are more stories about kickstarter creators that failed to finish their game than projects that are nearing release with everything they promised in their initial campaign.
As we finish up the game, we will definitely be doing more to promote the title. For now, we mostly rely on word of mouth, so if you're enjoying the Beta, tell a friend or game forum, review us on Steam, or do a let's play about the game – the more buzz, the more likely it is that Dead State will get press.
There is a lack of resources in the game right now. Can I use a cheat or mod to fix this?
No, please don't do this. It invalidates your save and could cause new bugs, so don't send them to us to find a problem if you have modded the game. Also, we're trying to address balance issues right now, so we need to hear feedback on lack of resources. We are finishing up a revamp of the loot system/balance, so expect more resources out in the world as the game gets updated.
Is your game going to get <popular feature> before release?
Our game's scope is already off the charts – reactive dialogue, turn-based combat, base management – so it's unlikely that we're going to get to that feature before release. We're still fixing bugs and tweaking systems and AI in our existing build, so some things will change, but certain systems are either outside our scope or wouldn't fit in with our current game's design.
How do I use spoiler tags?
Enclose your text with the spoiler tag button like this:
(click to show/hide)
And please use them (also, use them for your spoiler images on Steam too!). Dead State works best when you go out into the map not knowing where everything is or what's happening with every ally and event. If you're not one of our dedicated beta testers and you want the game to be fresh, don't read anything about it and don't look at any maps while you play.
Have any of the physical Kickstarter Backer Rewards gone out yet?
Since several of them depend on the game being done, we need to wait for the final build of the game before we get them made (also, the book is being wrapped up right now too). We set aside the money for them at the start of the project. We will make this a top priority when the game goes out. Since we'll have to mail these all out by hand, we will be sending backer rewards out in stages.
Are you launching on anything else besides Steam?
Yes, we are signed up to launch on GOG as well.
What about translations?
We will look into translated versions of the game after the English version is released. With as much text as we have in the game, a translation is going to be quite the undertaking and we're going to need free time to work with translators.
