Offline Play?

I have been interested in a lot of these details. This partially satisfies a lot to be honest. I just hope, besides launch bugs that are important, like linux function, that offline is the most worked on thing next. There doesn't exist a more important focus anymore. That would be the biggest service to bestow upon players in an update, the holy grail of patches.

I have very bad news to report:



I lagged so hard in a match, the server kicked me out! Ironically, the sim FPS didn't drop below 10 FPS and server FPS was fine.

Offline mode definitely NEEDS to be a priority!

No offence, but screaming about it in at least 3 threads is not the way to go about it. Mention it once is good. These problems have always existed, just be patient it wil get better. Sometimes it is just a poor server instance. Most times actually.

Sorry if I overreacted about that. It probably was the poor server instance like you said.

I think I'll delete/edit those posts if that's okay.

EDIT: Deleted one post and edited another. That should clear things up now.

Get back to me about server performance after day 1 release and all the new buyers are trying to play the game at once during primetime. There's been more than enough patience to go around, and performance has actually gotten worse recently.

Offline is worth screaming about when you're not getting any official answers and the servers are already performing horrifically even before the real traffic begins.

At least we'll hear about it now rather than in an apology forum post or an explanation to PC Gamer for why the launch failed and a feature touted 2 years ago that would drastically decrease server load still hasn't made it into the game.

I know it gets old seeing the same questions and demands for the same feature over and over, but a definitive statement from the development team (read: forum sticky, frontpage announcement) would do a lot to cut down on the frequency of "screaming."

@garat

Can you be specific about some of the issues that Metabolical talked about? I'm curious about what the obstacles are.

Doesn't give them alerts from what I understand. Doesn't ever alert me anyway... What you can do is report the thread just to flag for attention, or make a false quote by copying a quote from garat in another thread.

I could report the thread just to flag it for attention. However, I usually do so responsibly. This is pretty hot, but @jendrykgaming isn't quite intimidating enough, there are at least 5 features I am counting that are pushed until after release, and a necesary evil be it, it just has to have continued patience until after release.

It is hard getting a public to understand that, but if the feature isn't ready, it can't be made ready, and I can count numerous equal or greater evils in delaying such a close date to launch. It is "pick your poison".

Ive not noticed my performance getting worse.... I'm able to play bigger games than ever know, and even when the server slows down, it seems to impact the game less....

What server/what times do you play on? Where are you located?

From the sticky @lokiCML posted:

Is there Offline Mode?
During Beta, an internet connection is required to play PA. When the game releases, offline play will be allowed, as well as LAN.

This isn't exactly clear, and is the same language from the kickstarter page and what was formerly on the Uber PA official website, although it's since been removed. That's what I meant about a clear, definitive statement from a dev. At first glance, it's quite understandable to read that and interpret, as it states "When the game releases" rather than "after the game releases, with an unclear timeline or progress update."

I know I sound harsh, but if I do it's because I really do love the game and the concept behind it, and feel it deserves to succeed and thrive because of what it is and how unique it is in the realm of RTS. There's little to praise about the way the game currently performs, especially something that will in two days be considered fit for final retail release. I want the game and Uber to do well, but if the game launches in its current state, it is going to be a guaranteed disaster.

Right now, people are experiencing distressingly frequent disconnects, intense lag, and a variety of serious issues concerning pathing and patrols, among other bugs. They make the game a pain to play, and it really deserves to be played because when it works it's amazing and truly one of a kind.

I really don't see how this is all going to be rectified in two days, especially with the devs spending crucial time at PAX rather than fixing a long list of broken. When you add in the silence on a feature that was, to many, a promise for release, you may be able to understand the frustration.

In other words, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

Well, I got to talk to one of the reps at PAX and from what I was told, it's still something they are optimizing, but to be rest assured that they said that they would provided it so they would. It just won't be a launch feature. They promised DRM-free and the ability to run your own servers with LAN play. This was an Uber Rep at the PAX booth.

They probably want to delay the offline server for a few weeks, so that pirating PA right at the release is more difficult.
My guess is that they just want to prevent people from pirating on the first day and when the sales go down again they will release the server.
My own little conspiracy theory, who knows, maybe they just ran out of time.

They didn't meet the deadline of release, is all this means. The release isn't flexible anymore because they dedicated resources into it, like everything Nordic Games has done so far.

If it were flexible, I'd bet they could get server at the very least singleplayer ready and added in by end of year. Which they can still do, just after release.

Basically, release is just a date, another patch. If you prefer, the "servers" patch will be later, you can personally consider that release.

Heck, GTAOnline still hasn't released all promised features, but they release patches with cool names. Maybe that is what we are missing? Release can be the "Hello World" patch. Servers patch can be the "Go play with yourselves" patch. Lol.

Please, Uber, put funny names on your patches! <3

lolz +1 for the patch names

I'm waiting for offline LAN play as well. Hope they implement it soon...
Then the release on GOG can finally happen.

Having seen some of the early player reviews on Steam, I would have to agree.

I am behind a university firewall, and PA has never worked as a result. The only game that I've had this problem with; whatever connection it's making to the server, it's not making it over the internet here. I backed PA in part because of the "offline and DRM-free" claims. I thought I was backing a good old-fashioned piece of software. The kind that I would own and which would run on my machine. And then it wasn't. And Uber said: "On release, it'll be offline and DRM-free."

Guess what? That's not happened.

I don't give two hoots if it's coming. I have been unable to participate in any of the pre-release testing that my backing donation entitled me to, because post-Kickstarter the rules were changed and that Beta turned out not to be offline or DRM-free. And now the game is officially released, and it still isn't DRM-free or offline. And I can't play it.

That's right: I backed this game, this game advertised such that I would be able to play it, and Uber didn't deliver. If a partner institution in my line of work pulled a trick like that, they'd be out on their ear and their reputation smashed. It's just not on. Frankly, if Uber go bust, I wouldn't shed a single tear.

On the contrary, however, I would shed a tear if Uber went bust. PA has been a great game for me despite its perks and flaws, and it would sadden me to see the author of a great RTS leave the business.

The RTS genre has taken a huge hit lately, according to the official PA page of Uber's site, and I don't want another RTS to lose support just because of broken promises. Not having offline mode by release isn't the end of the world, you know. It's just a reminder that sometimes, business deadlines take priority over other things.