Expectations (and managing them)

I wouldn't even say that, it's more like, people got so hyped up by the potential of this game, they forgot that real life doesn't always turn out perfectly, and this is a relatively small team with a relatively small budget making an ambitious game from scratch, new engine and all.
It's okay to be disappointed, by Uber's decisions or marketing or whatever, but there is no point in getting angry at the devs, or other members of the community, or the game.
And I still maintain that , as someone who doesn't play a lot, the game is enjoyable and worth my initial investment. Indeed, I fully expect to get a polished and fun product at launch, with great potential for additions over time.

Really? So few games ever truly deliver on their hype. Why should we really have expected anything different here?
And people still buy and enjoy these games, I might add. I have friends who have gone back to BF4 after decrying it for all the hype, and totally botched launch. But there they are now, enjoying a smoother, fuller experience.

We should not, although I was willing to put a bit more faith in Uber than I would in a big publisher.
What differentiates PA from BF4 and thus makes your example, uhm, less than optimal, is that Battlefield is an established franchise within one of the mainstream genres, backed up by both a pedigree and a huge budget. They could afford to botch the launch, since EA was able to throw money at the game like no one's business. Uber does not have that luxury. RTS is a niche genre, TA-likes are a niche within that niche, they are on a tight budget.

Fair enough, but does that not mean that Uber should be treated more kindly, given the lack of big budget and time. Although I think pedigree is something the team DOES possess.
I suspect that, in their respective genres and communities, the two games would be comparable, if indeed you could call the PA release botched when it occurs. PA is almost certain to improve over time, and the people that may initially dismiss it for failed potential may return when things improve. Or they may not. Who knows...

I consider PA functional and good fun, so I do not think they will botch the release. When it comes to pedigree, members of Uber definitely have a lot of games speaking for them. Uber as a company, less so.
I am fully with you on PA improving over time. We just have to hope that at release people are having fun with what is there, instead of looking for stuff that isn't. So that we actually get to see all that improvin'.
And if all goes south, Uber at least can go down the Epic path and license out that awesome engine of theirs.

Agreed, and fingers crossed!

Releasing the game in its current state is a big mistake one of the worst things you could do.
The press and gamers will judge on what is delivered and decide if the game will ever be finished.
Releasing the game with one of the strongest online only copy protections while advertising that there is none will do the rest.

Not sure what you're talking about.

There is the steam version with Steam's DRM.

However, anyone who has purchased the game can obtain a copy through the Uber store and the version from the Uber store is 100% DRM free.

Yeah other then the drm from where you buy it, there is none.

Well yes but many places say that the game has offline capabilities already, or that it will at release.. so if it doesn't well that'd be lying to customers- no doubt by mistake!

Well indeed, hell I won't be pleased if there is no off-line capability just before or at launch.

Woah there man, You're kinda overstating things a bit.

My Biggest concern, as I've already stated in this thread, has to do with Uber being upfront about changes mainly that disrupt expectations they played a role in setting up. Like the example I gave with the Offline play, they said again and again it would be there and that it was important, we've been telling people left and right constantly for the last 1-2 years and yet we only just learn that it's probably not going to happen for release and I doubt that decision was made around the same time that we learned of it. We've always learned of things after decisions have been already made, usually by accident or stumbling upon them no less.

Mike

Well Uber has said it will either be at release, or shortly after. I just think they should put up a big banner saying "offline coming soon"

Yeah, they should really talk to their publishers and such to get that sorted.

Very much this.

The community has had various expectations for the past 1-2 years.

And suddenly those expectations we've had for the past year are "self-entitled expectations?"

Please.

they are allowed to change their mind, as time progresses they may learn earlier plans are not viable, technically or economically, despite their best intentions.

they can only ever inform us of decisions after they have been made so anger over no forewarning of a decision is illogical, they can't warn us of what hasn't happened yet!

communication could be definitely be better, but that is a desire of the community, and should not be confused with an entitlement.

do not bite the hand that feeds (but guess we did that already). they use 'redacted' to create a buzz and speculation, a good PR tactic, yet people bite them for it. they are damned if they do try and damned if they don't by parts of this community.

The catch is that we seem to find things out long after the point when the decision was made, assuming we're told about it to begin with and don't stumble onto it ourselves.

Mike

They've made a business/development decision, based on many factors you DONT know. So what would you want them to do?, do you want them to email you asking for your permission in delaying said feature, would that be acceptable? @purkiss I'm sure if you ask nicely they'll CC you in as well.

Everyone here has only purchased a game, you have NOT purchased stock or a stake in Uber entertainment you have no rights what so ever when it comes to business decisions and delaying a feature is EXACTLY that, a business decision. They could close down this forum tomorrow and there would be **** all you could do about it, they could release the game now and call it a done deal, there would be **** all you could do about it.

You brought a vision 2 years ago nothing more and unless you can show me a legal precedent or a legally binding document that says otherwise.

This whole "I WANT MY PET FEATURE NOW" attitude that has appeared on the forums of late is counter productive to you getting your {insert name} feature.

I'll also let you in on a secret PA is not the game i want, but its the best route to getting a game i want, either by mods, paid mods, or licensing the PA tech out to other companies and as a plus i get a good game aswell.

Can you quote me saying that they need to ask the community for permission on everything because I'm pretty sure I've never said that.

Clearly there are some situations where having the community involved in some way would have been the best choice, the Delta/Invictus and Able Debacles are easy examples where community involvement would have made a huge difference in how they would have played out.

Otherwise I'm more so concerned with Uber keeping us up to date more than anything else. Like I just recently explained;

Once more, the drama isn't JUST a result of change. It's a combination of many different factors and each "event" is different.

Mike

@KNight, ok fair enough, you've never directly said that, put the implication and tone of your writing would suggest thats what you want to happen, the community to get a stay in uber's business decision.

But ok being asked to kept up to on development news is fair enough. Now you clearly feel the development updates they post are insufficient otherwise you wouldn't be posting, So what are we looking for that would be sufficient. I consider them pretty good already, again i have MWO as a baseline for very very bad and Star Citizen for amazing communication but they have OMFG budget, stardock with galactic Civ 3 do a video cast every week showing the lastest build, only 30 mins. Now bare in mind i've seen mirrors of this exact thread on Star Citizen forums.