Am I the only one pissed off about FTL?

[Stocking]

What does that much money get you from this indie-game development team? Basically, a bare-bones game with very little mod support, no multiplayer, and not a single content update a year after it's release. It's been a year with nothing more than a single bug patch despite a massive budget and years of experience in the industry. FTL is a fun game, don't get me wrong, but when you buy a game this basic it's fair to expect future content; especially when there's no excuse on the developer's part for not releasing anything besides sheer laziness.

Compare this two-man development team to the two-man development team behind Terraria. Terraria didn't have a kickstarter, its developers had no previous experience in making video games, yet even after releasing a genuinely enjoyable game, they've since released two huge content patches and several smaller patches along the way. They didn't have the $200,000 headstart that the people behind FTL had, but the difference between the two games now is that people still play Terraria and FTL is pretty much completely irrelevant; which is a shame considering all the potential it had.

10:57 PM - Saria: where the forget did the $200,000 kickstarter money go
10:57 PM - Saria: did they spend it all on hookers and coke or something?
10:59 PM - Zonitrol: do you really think they're that cool
11:00 PM - Zonitrol: they probably spent on loving
11:00 PM - Zonitrol: monster energy drink
11:00 PM - Zonitrol: and anime figurines

[Ad Bot]

[uno_da_cat]

This is one of the huge problems with kickstarter IMO.
I've seen a lot of good looking, high potential games go in and as soon as they get like 500% funded they slow down hard in development.

[Muzzles56]

lol kickstarter

"back my indie pixel game made in gamemaker trial version. i require $100,000 for beta release"

[lordician]

Yeah well game developers are not required to support the game, maybe aside of bug fixes because that is the least you can do for your clients.
The fact that most game developers nowadays support the game so much and especially so long really makes some think that that is standard, but really, it is very expensive to support a game with more content for even a year.
Aside of that, will they be able to get more sales from adding more content?

Sure i would like to see more content and stuff for FTL as well as for practically every game i purchase, but they are not required to offer that support.
Especially if they did not specifically mention that anywhere.

[Marcem]

Yeah, FTL was really lacking multiplayer and was so barebones and devoid of content.  Oh wait, no it wasn't. multiplayer wouldn't really work (isn't like half of the experience the feeling of isolation?), and it was already full of content.  They need to get paid and they needed money to get the game out there.  I like that they didn't go adding pointless features as stretch goals, they chose a realistic stopping point and actually shipped the game.  That's more than can be said for others.

[Stocking]

The fact that most game developers nowadays support the game so much and especially so long really makes some think that that is standard, but really, it is very expensive to support a game with more content for even a year.

It's not expensive for two people to stop masturbating and playing video games long enough to work on content for an indie game they developed from their parents' basement on a $200,000 budget. They're self-employed, cost isn't even really an issue.

And no, supporting your game after release IS the industry standard now. Pretty much every game released in the last 5 years has had some kind of downloadable or post-release content. Not supporting your game after release is substandard service, especially when your game ships with so little initial content.

Aside of that, will they be able to get more sales from adding more content?

Yes.

Yeah, FTL was really lacking multiplayer and was so barebones and devoid of content.  Oh wait, no it wasn't. multiplayer wouldn't really work (isn't like half of the experience the feeling of isolation?), and it was already full of content.

I'd say 8 levels is pretty barebones for a roguelike. Hell I've played freeware roguelikes with more levels and more level diversity.

And not having multiplayer is a big deal. Multiplayer in FTL could totally work, the developers are just lazy forgets that don't feel like implementing it.

They need to get paid and they needed money to get the game out there.  I like that they didn't go adding pointless features as stretch goals, they chose a realistic stopping point and actually shipped the game.  That's more than can be said for others.

The problem is they shipped the game and just forgot about it. It's substandard, deplorable service especially when there's no good reason that the developers can't support their game and do something for its fans. Again, look at Terraria. They didn't have any of the budget or experience that the FTL developers had, but they released the game on time and continued to support it through huge content updates for free.

The FTL developers are too loving lazy to even release paid DLC to the point where their game is almost entirely irrelevant these days.

[boodals 2]

Not sure if i imagined this or not, but i'm pretty sure they're working on FTL 2 or something. I think it was called 2x FTL.

[Marcem]

So you're saying that they are required to release dlc because they got more money than expected?  You're acting like a spoiled child.  They don't need to update anything, the game works and it works well, the length of it doesn't matter, it's infinitely replayable.  Because another few guys did something else doesn't mean these guys also have to do that. 

And really, I don't see how multiplayer is a big deal, it would most likely be roped in trash at this point, kind of like system shock 2's, it kills the atmosphere and balance. 

[Stocking]

So you're saying that they are required to release dlc because they got more money than expected?

I'm saying that supporting your game after release is the industry standard and that the massive amounts of money they got free from their kickstarter shows that they have the resources, but they choose not to out of laziness. They're choosing to offer inferior service when they have more than enough resources to exceed the standard.

You're acting like a spoiled child.  They don't need to update anything, the game works and it works well, the length of it doesn't matter, it's infinitely replayable.  Because another few guys did something else doesn't mean these guys also have to do that.  

If it's infinitely replayable then why is there almost no FTL community to speak of? Compare the Minecraft, Terraria, and even the Blockland communities to that of FTL. FTL has no real community to speak of because it doesn't have staying power, and that's why good developers support their games.

And really, I don't see how multiplayer is a big deal, it would most likely be roped in trash at this point, kind of like system shock 2's, it kills the atmosphere and balance.  

They have more than enough resources to develop a multiplayer experience that isn't "roped in trash." There's literally no excuse aside from laziness that the developers have for not releasing some kind of DLC after an entire year.

[kiwibear]

The only reason I've actually ever played FTL multiple times is because of the few decent mods that're out there. And even then its horrendously repetitive.

[Marcem]

Yeah you clearly know more about the guys who made this and how they spent the money so you know that they have so many resources.  You know every cent that went into this game.  By the way, games aren't cheap to make.  That's why a lot of kick started games have been going over budget.  This is probably also why there hasn't been additional content in FTL.  Making additional content is not required, once again, why do you think this?!  Stop being a spoiled brat.

FTL doesn't have a community on that scale because what would there be to talk about or show off?  You comparing games entirely based around building things to a roguelike, wtf is wrong with you?

It's not resources, it's game design.  The game is not built to be multiplayer, of it were you couldn't pause, the turn system wouldn't work very well, and any choices just wouldn't work.

[tails]

Did you give to the kickstarter?


I think FTL has a fine amount of content, And I'm glad it doesn't have dlc because not every game needs dlc.

In fact no games should.

[Night Fox]

I think FTL has a fine amount of content, And I'm glad it doesn't have dlc because not every game needs dlc.
In fact no games should.

no developer should add content to their game? ok

[Stocking]

Did you give to the kickstarter?

Yes.

I think FTL has a fine amount of content, And I'm glad it doesn't have dlc because not every game needs dlc.

In fact no games should.

Imagine if Badspot released Blockland and was like "welp I'm done." He never posted on the forum again, he never released another update.

We also gave him $200,000.

[Pandan]

^ That's why I like badspot as a developer.

He's genuine, and has a genuinely good game here.
I bought FTL and never played it. So I don't know about it yet.

But, as far as kickstarter goes.. I've kickstarted a handful of things. And I can tell you right now that all of them are not done yet. And were started a year or so ago. (All game projects)

"The betas" have hardly improved, and the game's promised features arent even close to being done yet.
Kickstarter is great for stuff sure, but Indie developer's on Kickstarter are like kids spendnig their lunch money on pokemon cards.