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[EuchreJack]

So, I now own this game.  Pretty good use of early access, as the game can be played to completion, but there is more for the dev to add.

[Gazrick]

I speak to the dev on a regular basis. I know this isn't his career, it's a hobby project really. The dude is getting a PhD. Hence the roughness around the edges. Hence the lack quality marketing.

Whilst skepticism is healthy I think if you appreciate that this dev isn't out to make a quick buck, and is literally creating the game because fans (of TWS) begged him to, it helps put things into perspective. He has put his life, his PhD stuff on hold to give this hobby project a real go. If the game succeeds particularly well, I've no doubt he will focus on this (and maybe a sequel one day) for much longer than his current savings permit. The dev needs to pay bills and if sales from this don't allow it he'll have to do something else that does when savings run low.

If you haven't already I'd recommend watching some YouTube videos of the game, join the discord (the dev literally posts there every day) and see how you feel then.

Personally I've been having a blast with the game and I hope it does well because it could develop into a true TWS like game. If it does very well it could even spawn a new subgenre of TWS-likes.

Anyways hopefully that gives you a bit of background and helps you reach a decision.

Edit - and when I say 'I doubt there'll be a similar game following this one unless it does well' I don't mean THIS dev won't make another game. I mean there won't be any TWS-like games because we, the market, would have shown there's no demand for them. So paradox won't jump on the genre, nor will any other studios or devs, either.

Up front, I just want to say that I've already bought this game, and am also a hobby developer.
Having said that, if you're trying to alleviate concerns that the dev might abandon development/decide to make a SbtT 4 rather than continue to work on this game, reminding us that he's a hobby developer who has priorities above the game in his life isn't going to assuage any concerns.

I think honesty is best.

There's no point me telling anyone a pack of lies. Bobby2hands isn't Activision, he's one dude with the skills, time and desire to try to make a TWS-like game.

I can assure you and anyone else that he has no intention of quitting development on this to make another game. This is his sorta dream project. But again, he has other priorities in his life (as we all do) and if SoFG doesn't provide him enough money to live well I guess his priorities will need to shift.

I'd have thought you'd understand this better than most if you're a hobby developer yourself?

[ndkid]

I'd have thought you'd understand this better than most if you're a hobby developer yourself?

As a hobby developer, I have some moral qualms about early access as a mechanism to support development, because the rate of completion is very, very low, so it generally works out to people supporting someone in learning that being a professional indie developer isn't for them and getting a partially feature complete alpha for it. (And, again, I say that as someone who has financially supported this particular indie developer both back on itch and now on steam.)

[Gazrick]

I'd have thought you'd understand this better than most if you're a hobby developer yourself?

As a hobby developer, I have some moral qualms about early access as a mechanism to support development, because the rate of completion is very, very low, so it generally works out to people supporting someone in learning that being a professional indie developer isn't for them and getting a partially feature complete alpha for it. (And, again, I say that as someone who has financially supported this particular indie developer both back on itch and now on steam.)

Thats fair enough, but no need to tar every developer with your moral qualms brush.

Bobby has done good so far. I'm very much of the opinion that supporting those who are attempting to create something you want created is a great use of disposable income. Particularly if said developer has launched a demo of their game.

[EuchreJack]

Note, in Bobby's defense, he took a vaperware title and actually created a game out of it.
Shadows Behind the Throne 1 & 2 are Bobby's games.  Shadows Behind the Throne was vaperware that inspired Bobby to actually make a game.Fixed see next post

It'll also say that Shadows of Forbidden Gods is similar to, but different from Shadows Behind the Throne 2.

Heh, my posts might have just been Mafia Fever getting the best of me.

Now, how about some actual discussion of game play?

Spoiler: The Laughing God (click to show/hide)

The Laughing God requires hoarding of Agents.  I think, if you keep 4 agents unused on Turn 400, its probably possible to win for a player that already won with She Whom Feasts

[Gazrick]

Its 'That Which Sleeps' that was the inspiration for this title.

Shadows Behind the Throne 1 and 2 are both games Bobby made that served as his first and second attempts respectively of creating a That Which Sleeps-like game.

[EuchreJack]

Thanks for the correction.

[Bloodwarrior]

I would love to see more people making games based on vaporware project I love peoples different aspects in there games

[Egan_BW]

Yeah, if someone wants to try remaking Net Gain that'd be awesome. >.>

(I actually backed that one and played the demo, but I'm reasonably certain I don't have it any more...)

I'd like to play the game this thread is about too, but as usual I'll wait for an end to EA or to development, whichever comes first. EA means that the developer doesn't consider the game "ready", and I'd trust them to know!

[Bloodwarrior]

What’s net gain

Yeah, if someone wants to try remaking Net Gain that'd be awesome. >.>

(I actually backed that one and played the demo, but I'm reasonably certain I don't have it any more...)

I'd like to play the game this thread is about too, but as usual I'll wait for an end to EA or to development, whichever comes first. EA means that the developer doesn't consider the game "ready", and I'd trust them to know!

[ndkid]

What’s net gain

An abandoned kickstarter that was about being the Mr. Johnson who hired cyberpunk runners and sent them off on missions:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/levelzerogames/net-gain-corporate-espionage

[GalacticMonkey]

Man, I'm really seriously thinking about remaking NetGain, since its kickstarter really captured my imagination. But maybe with a stylized 3D world map like Sigma Theory, to make it look cooler and easier to undestand what is going on. And because Unity's UI setup sucks, so it would be easier to use less UI. If anyone has some cool cyberpunk espionage strategy/rpg game ideas, feel free to share them, they might actually be used one day.

[EuchreJack]

Man, I'm really seriously thinking about remaking NetGain, since its kickstarter really captured my imagination. But maybe with a stylized 3D world map like Sigma Theory, to make it look cooler and easier to undestand what is going on. And because Unity's UI setup sucks, so it would be easier to use less UI. If anyone has some cool cyberpunk espionage strategy/rpg game ideas, feel free to share them, they might actually be used one day.

Please don't do that.  I liked the menu-driven system proposed by NetGain.  Although if you just wanted an X-Com: Apocalypse worldmap, I could live with that.  Please for the God of All Netzens, don't put in tactical combat.  Again, I can play X-Com and the Open X-Com mods for that game, I don't need that.

[Egan_BW]

X-Com: Apocalypse worldmap

and now you've made me sad that Frozen Synapse 2 apparently wasn't very good.

[EuchreJack]

X-Com: Apocalypse worldmap

and now you've made me sad that Frozen Synapse 2 apparently wasn't very good.

Thankfully, I know very little about that.  So it doesn't make me sad, at least.

So, to maybe get this thread back on the rails, there is a new beta with features.