Offline mode

So, these are quotes that are relevant from the KS T&Cs:

• Project Creators agree to make a good faith attempt to fulfill each reward by its Estimated Delivery Date.
• Project Creators are required to fulfill all rewards of their successful fundraising campaigns or refund any Backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill.
• 
  
• Argh effing iPad formatting... Anyway, I agree that the latter hasnt yet been fully upheld if offline was a promised feature, and if you count every feature as a reward. However, I would actually claim that the former clause is still in effect, and therefore we can't really moan until it seems like Uber are no longer making an effort to bring us offline play. Which they are. So be patient. Instead of getting angry, just ask for a refund, or uninstall the game and return to it in a month or two and see where we are.

Well the thing is, the devs still can't count as to not having fulfilled the project. Even though some stretch goals are reamaining. This is because they haven't actually stopped development, when they put up the towel and the game is completely finished (Note: 1.0 is not necessarily synonymous to "finished" )

Basically if the stretch goals aren't there by the time they stop working on the game then they wouldn't have kept their promises.

Stretch goals? Are you kidding me? These are basic foundations of gameplay and structural design. Listing DRM and Offline are not stretch goals or abstract by any means, especially when they are listed two years ago. These aren't features like death stars or a campaign mode, these are fundamental aspects of what the game is. This isn't a set of skins or the implementation of factions, Offline and the absence of DRM are a defining feature of the actual program and accessibility.

Even if it was a stretch goal, it's a pretty damn far stretch for this not to reach its target after this long and with this much backer money poured into the project.

I wasn't taking Offline or anything as a stretch goal?...

It's also subjective. I would argue that, with a decent internet, I actually PREFER having a Death Star, to having offline mode. I agree that I am probably in the minority here though. The worst you can accuse Uber of is being naive in thinking what people's priorities are. But trying to create unrest in the community and inciting people to get mad at Uber DOES NOT HELP THE GAME GET BETTER. you have made your point, and I respect that, and I'm sure Uber will see this thread and note your concern. But there isn't much more we can do now than see what Uber does in the next month.
@jendrykgaming

What were you talking about as a stretch goal? Your post made it sound as if the lack of fulfillment of the project excused the absence of offline and DRM free due to the fact that the development team hadn't delivered on stretch goals.

Actually, judging the delivery of features on launch compared to the list of features given on the Kickstarter page is fairly objective. The worst I could accuse Uber of is lying to the people that funded its game. I'm not trying to create unrest and incite people to be mad at Uber. They don't need any help.

I'll agree with you, however, on the fact that there isn't much more that we can do but to see what Uber does. I really hope they've taken the community's concerns to heart this time. There's not much any of us can do about that.

i would be happy to hear a world from the Devs concerning offline mode

The lead dev already gave a word. When asked about Offline mode he said it would be coming "soon after launch."

That's all you get, unfortunately.

They aren't lying? They said they had to delay offline and that they are working on it. They aren't deceiving anyone, unless this never happens.
I funded this game on kickstarter, and don't feel lied to, if it helps anyone. I am really happy with the product I have received, given that this sort of game would never have existed without crowdfunding.

Game development is hard and Uber have said time and again that they don't like giving specific dates, to avoid disappointing people. Apparently not giving dates disappoints a different group of people.

The function is not the Schrödinger cat.

The game is sold/released, and that basic function promised during the kickstarter does not exists.
People could legitimately ask for a refund, and I actually consider it.

As long as it arrives soon, they aren't breaking any promises. The deadline on kickstarter is an estimate and not legally binding. Feel free to ask for a refund if you feel deceived. But then you won't be able to play offline, even WHEN it arrives.

The fact that it's lead to some posters considering petitions about this issue reflects poorly on Uber's communication with their community.

It's clear that Uber, whatever the reason, is skirting this issue. Uber stated, early during development, that the feature is forthcoming. However as development drew nearer to the retail build (and then reaching 'Gold'), Uber has been remarkably silent and reticent about confirming the inclusion of offline play which was to be included in the retail build. Numerous attempts to engage them about this issue here, or on their Kickstarter portal, met with the same vagueness, deflection, or non-response.

I'm certain Uber will eventually include offline play (because not doing so would invoke a crapstorm of epic proportions) but I'm really disappointed how Uber is handling this. The whole idea of Kickstarter was to remove the bullshit and to bring in a greater sense of transparency between everyone involved.

Sven and his team from Larian Studios handled the Divinity: Original Sin KS project extremely well and should be a benchmark for how Kickstarter projects are managed.

This is true. Lawyers have tried to sue worse kickstarter projects, lawyers have failed.

If you release even a half baked product, it counts as an effort, and if everyone gets it for free, it counts as fulfillment. Anything else, was a conceptual thing, as long as it does it's main function.

They could have made a rts clone on unreal and been legally safe.

They are legally safe by what most have seen of kickstarter liability, as long as they give you a free copy of their product if that was your reward, and if they ever update the game with a feature promised in concept that they provide it in a free update.

So, they built this game, it is in a great working order although it can and always can have more, I mean TA could always have more. If you get it, and you get any promised kickstarter features in free updates, then how were you scammed?

Besides, fulfilment will probably be the very next thing on their list. Their release gives them time to keep the game in a stable state while they catch up on fulfilment. Ever consider that a perk of release? Of course not, nobody ever considers that.

Uber was hugely transparent earlier in development. But because everyone took every single word as a hard core promise, they began to tone it down... People would nitpick EVERYTHING. Even having the audacity to say that everything in the visualization was a promise. If a problem arose and something was set on the backburner people would go crazy, just like they are now for Offline.

The fact they are considering a petition isn't showing that Uber wasn't transparent enough or that they aren't now. (Still much more transparent than some kickstarters, and of course large companies) but instead that people are blowing this ridiculously out of proportion.

I think what most people want is a real explanation of why it's not available AND when it's going to be available.

"Soon" is honestly a shitty thing to say.

I can get why a few people are getting really outraged by this, people were promised something they paid for and they didn't get it in the promised manner/time.

It would be great if we could get a proper and official statement on the matter, otherwise this situation is just gonna get worse.

They did a statement, even a month or so ago. Offline comes soon after release.

Fortunately, 'soon' is a very narrow and widely agreed on term.

That's how software development goes. Giving a clear date would be an optimistical estimation and dishonest. Uber could ofc give a rough estimate, but people ruined that idea by taking every single word as a promise.

Compare Squad, the devs behind Kerbal Space Program. They do one of the most flawless and straightforward Early Access program's i've ever seen and even they stopped giving estimates, because there are always some people who are just incapable of differentiating between a plan and a promise.

I think soon™ is indeed the nice thing to say.