When can we expect a new patch?

Livestream was great! HDR and bloom explained...like someone above me mentioned.

Updates will come when they come. Also Uber's communication level is far above any other development team that I know off, and I have been playing games since 1985

Keep up the good work guys and don't be discouraged!

This thread was in no way ment to discourage, rather to encourage them releasing information about planned units and other gameplay elements. It would be nice to at least know how they liked our ideas. Kind of a reassurance that the time people invested into the forums actually paid off.

I hate to be brutally honest but it's 2 months before release, and to some people it doesn't look like all promised features will make it into the game in time. I personally wouldn't have a problem if they needed more time. But it would at least be nice to know as to what the overall progress of the game is atm.

I don't care when they launch.

But...

Xmas launch = more sales
Or so you would think, but at that time, all the AAA titles are out and there is the Steam winter sale.
So your non-hardcore RTS gamer who probably didn't back this game might not even buy it during winter.


More time = more budget.
Isn't Uber just barely scraping by on their budget?
I don't know if they can afford to delay the game.


Gamers now a days are more informed than ever.
Total Biscuit has PA on his radar and so do a lot of critics.
If it's not a good solid launch, the novelty of multiple planets and nostalgia of TA-ness might not be enough for this game not to get slammed.


But who knows, maybe the next patch will be the full roster of units with transports and everything working.
Uber's been keeping their cards pretty tight to their chest when it comes to release schedule.
So let's just be patient here.

And trolling the same topic over and over is going to get them to talk right? Give me a break! like you where told (lighten up, its a video game) a unfinished game in beta at that.

I used to have the same concern during Alpha, by then end of Alpha (and when switching from alpha to beta). But while i was sceptic, it came to me as an evidence that Uber know exactly what they are doing and they are doing it pretty well. So just keep faith in Uber. You won't get answers to these specific questions. What you will a get is a solid game that may lack (or not) some originally promised features when it comes out. But this does not mean they won't come after release. PA is not a one shot, it's aimed to be improved over time after release. Uber is putting all possible efforts in bringing the most possible achieved game in time. At some point they will have to release it. But this will not be then end of PA story. Just compare what they are building with a game like "Godus". It's obvious what they have achieved so far with a small team / amount of money (yep, 2m$ is a short budjet for a game like PA) has never been done before. So just be patient. Alpha/Beta is at some point all about frustration, until the game is finally released.

I agree... There is a lot of potential for more things to come. I am especially looking forward to the nice open options available to modders and map makers. It should be nice. Especially for players who like specific ways of playing. Some people like using experimental units, some don't. Some like really guarded map positions, some don't. As long as there are good options available to keep most players happy and coming back!

Dude, you should read the whole thread before you say something that unqualified. I had the urge to reply to this thread again, because people didn't stop posting in here.

I already answered to neutrino's post you mentioned in here. It's more than infantile to repeat it now. Calling me trolling means that you either didn't read/understand anything of what I said, or that you just need to grow up, fanboy.

Good shout on this post.
What I find more worrying for Uber, is the fact that there have been talks of TA 2 with that Chris fella over a podcast type of interview, with the full backing from a developer getting all they want into the game, it could shadow PA once it comes about, planet smashing or not.

I don't mean this post to sound anti PA at all, I have faith in Uber and PA. Im just a lil worried for the future of PA now that TA has an official owner wanting to do something with it.

For me, it would make sense to push PA back as much as needed until they got as much in the game as they wanted, and as much polish as possible until "most" people are happy. Albeit with the budget in mind.
December feels like its just around the corner but PA doesn't.

Well in any case i would not expect TA2 to be released by the beginning or even then end of next year (and probably not before 2 years at least)

Yeah it might not be for a while yet, I don't know.

Not to mention that just having the IP doesn't mean that much outside of recognition, Wargaming Seattle is basically a skeleton of it's former self as Gas Powered Games and even more so as Cavedog. PA is what it is not because of any IP or funding method. PA is what it is because of the people behind it, and that's something TA2 won't have. Add to that the fact that assuming they are as on top of TA2 as Uber is on PA, they are at best a year out and late to the revival of large scale RTS. I don't see it as a threat at all.

Mike

Yeah I know what your saying. But I've seen a lot of posts with devs saying about really good ideas but not having the funds or time to put them in game, they've had to sacrifice a bit. I'm not sure that would have happened as much if the game was published instead of kickstarted? If there is a game being readied by Chris Taylor n that, then they'd be able to go to town with it no?
Does anyone know how much the IP was bought for?

The game would be worse with the "normal" Funding method for the games, publishers are only concerned with making back thier investment, that kind of thinking heavily impacts game design. SupCom2 is a good example of what can happen when you aim for the lowest common denominator.

The thing to keep in mind is that PA isn't going to be dropped as soon as it's released. Release itself will see a large influx of funding, KS and Pre-Orders are great and got the game created when it otherwise wouldn't have been but the work won't stop once it's released. But that being said they still want to put something out that is complete enough to be functional. Once they aren't limited by such a strict budget they can work on the more 'optional' features they want to do but can justify doing in such a limited budget.

Mike

The horrors of dealing with the invested client is very exhausting and sometimes personally hurtful when they throw in the "but market research says" and etc along the lines.
While the backing community can feel pretty small, if I drop the name "Planetary Annihilation" I get responses regarding how they opted out of backing and now just want to wait for release since they arent the beta testing type of person. The game is becoming well known outside of the current player base and there are plenty of people anticipating it. I think the planet smashing would be so much more of a "fluff" content if left to publishers.

I understand, KNight. Thanks for that.

I think there would be much more culling than just that, Orbital and Spherical maps would probably have been on the same chopping block, assuming the project made it that far with publishers.

Mike

Thanks for those great posts KNight and I completely agree. Publishers are a PAIN and I'm very thankful that Uber has decided to go with the community and not a publisher.

I also know a good number of people that are waiting for release to buy PA or are quite interested in buying it.

We shouldn't be TOO demonising of publishers. Many games need them and many great games came forth of it. They also have money on their mind, and sometimes that's needed to get a project done, rather than being abandoned unfinished.

That being said, Uber is now in full creative control. A team of veteran game designers who know what they want and how to get it. What they need is faith from us to get it done.

The truth is of course that it's been a learning experience for Uber too. Things like livestreams have gotten better in general, the talk has gotten better, etc.

As far as I know an official successor to Total Annihilation isn't even in production yet. I don't think PA will have to compete too much. For the first few years atleast. After that it will just depend on how polished and fun Planetary Annihilation is.

PA has the advantage of being first and bringing forth unique features. Unique as in, "never done before". TA 2 is already being crushed between a hugely popular, mythical in reputation predecessor and three spiritual successors (supcom 1 & 2 and PA). So it'll be interesting to see if it can withstand it or if it breaks.