will the Unit Cannon be added in Gamma?

I think in our highly privileged position in this unique gaming development we sometimes take things for granted. I would like to note a couple things.

Look at any game made ever. There have always been features that are cut or delayed for release from initial feature lists and promotional videos. This is the nature of game development, particularly when publishers are concentrating on money and timescales and deliverables. Uber hasn't announced a cut of anything, it's a delay until release.

This game is being made for a tiny fraction of normal game development costs. It's also been done on a really short timescale. This isn't a game made using Unity engine, it's an engine created from scratch. What they've done already is an incredible achievement, almost unbelieveable. You can't compare this game to a AAA studio title with more staff, vastly larger budgets and much more time.

In a normal game where you have beta access the features you get access to have already been made, playtested and bugfixed for weeks or months before you see or play them. You know how Uber works? Look at the lobby improvements last week. Neutrino made a thread, got feedback from you guys, made a new build a day later, playtested one game for bugs and then immediately pushed it to us. This is completely unique in the gaming industry.

Am I dissapointed the unit cannon isn't going to be in right now or very soon? Absolutely. Let's not despair though, at least Uber is actually telling us what is going on. It doesn't mean that orbital invasions aren't possible, it's a matter of balance and stuff like adding mobile AA flak. Let's also remember there are some absolute musts that have to be in the game for it to function and stand as a game - stuff like a ranked ladder, replays and spectator tools and of course Galactic War. These are the priorities Uber needs to finish to get this game to 'launch' status. Unit cannon is coming, but it isn't actually needed for orbital to work and for the game to be 'released'. Let's place a little trust in the professional game designers and be grateful for the incredibly unique opportunity we have to interact with devs and be so close and so informed about the process of making this game.

Well said.
I would like to re-iterate that we should all consider how much effort Uber are putting into this game, with constant updates and communication with the fanbase. It feels like an AAA game being made by an indie dev, and that is something pretty amazing.

I get that, and I have no problem with Uber taking as long as they need to get this game finished, what worries me is that they seem to be planning to release the game in an unfinished state.

Adding content post-release is fine, but release should still feel like a finished game. If the game feels like its missing something important on launch people are going to be upset, and right now its a lot of fun but it does not feel even close to being a full game. If these features aren't going to be added in in Gamma then there needs to be another phase before launch.

I want them to release it when its ready for release, not before. and I am willing to wait as long as it takes.

I have to disagree here. What evidence is there that they intend to release the game "unfinished"? As far as we know, everything we were promised is coming in time for release, with further things added later. Anything more than that is pure speculation at present.

P.S. And to be pedantic, the game is intended to be released in an unfinished state, in a sense that Uber wants to see aggressive support for expanding the game, post release

I was referring to them saying that things like fleshing out naval combat and adding key features like the Unit Canon would not be in Gamma, and as far as I'm aware they don't have another phase planned after Gamma. If they do then I have no problem.

I dont see why they would intend to release it in an unfinished state, when they can keep delaying and making new phases of testing, people are playing it a lot already, and modders have already begun adding things in, if put up for sale as 'finished' then it a lot of newcomers might not realise that extra features and content are coming, and think of it as a uncompleted game.

Fair point, and I agree.

I don't even mind getting the unit cannon after release, as long as it is in eventually. Remember, the only people expecting it are the kickstarter backers, so as long as they get it eventually, Uber are fulfilling their contract to us. People who buy the game on Steam etc. don't neccesarily realise that it is a feature, and so if the game works well without it, they will not feel short-changed.

It will be interesting to see what happens, but I'm pretty happy with what I paid my money for already.
Fingers crossed, I guess

People on Steam are very aware of the promotional trailer. First things they see are that Unit Cannon and planetary invasions are a big part of the game-play.

Generally, I am entirely okay with the release coming up. Basically, names don't mean anything, as usual.

All release means, is we get server side and physical rewards and optimization and social infrastructure. Basically, all Uber sounds like they are saying, is that they are releasing that patch first, before the unit cannon one. I don't know when release or unit cannon is coming, but I prefer release over it if I can't be greedy and have both

Because in the grand scheme of things, they are definitely going to be adding things eventually, and players can help them once they have serverside and mods, but you can't progress with the UI or balance until you have released player server files.

Also, players can make new units just as good or better than Uber, simple as that. New units, new factions, total conversions, balance mods, completely redesigned uis... What players cannot do as well as Uber, is engine code optimization because Uber already internally knows it and they can do it much faster, social infrastructure because as the game's developer they can add it to the basic installed version's main lobby and they have the funds to run the server to hold so many people, and only Uber can release physical goods because... derp.

So I am fine with this. One can complain they don't want a "perpetual beta". One can argue even after release, it is a "perpetual beta". Would you say Assassin's Creed 1 was a beta, given it's very limited features compared to later ones? That's the gig with this game. It is literally brand new, it evolved off of nothing. As such, it has to develop one step at a time. Just, instead of Assassin's Creed's "sequels" which is a great model, they do updates to the same essential game, which is also a great model

NOTE: Assassin's Creed featured a CROSSBOW in it's intro movie and trailer, yet it was REMOVED from the release, yet it WAS IN sequels. SOOO... chill your panic, chill your rage, let's focus on a good game and not what kind of a case we can bring to court or metacritic.

My guessing in this is a bit different. As Brad said today:

If features like the Unit Cannon (or the multi unit transports, or drop ships, etc) would require a modification to the actual core of the game, once the game is released, you may very well kiss all those stuffs good bye.

Or perhaps waiting for Planetary Annihilation 2.

Also, I still have to decide if "for all of you at the moment" means you and me, or more precisely Nordic Games. I know, I'm being bad here. But as an old Italian politician used to say "Not trusting people is a sin, but often isn't wrong either".

Money always say the last word. Do not forget.

Actually, the main promotional trailer on Steam does not show the unit cannon, nor is it described in the game information below. Just so you know.

Why would it require modification to the core of the game? I suspect only some balancing would be required. And if Uber want the unit cannon in, which they most definitely do, what is to stop them tweaking the game post release?

Indeed! There is a new trailer on that page, that I did not see before. Thanks for pointing it out. If that would be the only trailer on the window, I would interpret it as that the Unit Cannon has been officially dropped.

But the original Kickstarter Trailer in still in there. It just moved in second position. So Steam buyers can still see what the original concept of the game is.

That trailer also opens with the statement gameplay visualization. Does that sound a bell?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/233250/

Regarding your second question, it seems pretty clear to me that the core has trouble with all the multi units features, being the Unit Cannon, or the Multi-unit Transport alike. Therefore, since we never succeed in getting more detailed specs from the Devs, my guessing is that the core isn't capable of handling those *multi-objects*.

Once the game is released, they can't change the core any longer, or it will break mods and the server/clients mechanic. So, at release, what's in, it's in. What's left out, will be gone for a long time.

An other option (a malicious one, I'll give it low credibility at this moment) may be that their new big investor, Nordic Games, just recommended to not let us have so much goodies on version 1.0. They can make more money doubling it up with a Planetary Annihilation 2.

It's known as "preemptive butt covering"

Hush now, you don't think he's worrying about a little thing like facts now, do you? Man's got emotional responses to be typing up.

Yeah, it stops very few games from adding things. Tons of games modify core things if they want to. They say it takes a month or longer. It would only take them that or less after release.

Either way, you also don't seem to have faith in the modding community. The code is pretty simple, why couldn't modders do it? Why would modders be so unable with an open code game, that a Planetary Annihilation 2 would be necesary? Sounds like EA move, which would require drm heavily.

It's known as "using in game footage instead of prerendered visualisations". Hence, no unit cannon in game, no unit cannon in trailer. It's not unit cannon science.

I cannot disagree with that.

What I pointed out is that the trailer with the headline gameplay visualization is still on Steam as it was on Kickstarter. And it contains the Unit Cannon, for the record. We can argue forever about that, but people will assume that a trailer entitled gameplay visualization may showcase what the game is suppose to look and be like once finished. Usually that's version 1.0. Which we know now will not be the case. Therefore the disappointment of many.

But I've also said let's wait and see. Time may not be necessarily a concern for the most.

I think this is the most important part. Whether or not you feel perturbed by Uber's decisions to not have the unit cannon in gamma (I do not, you seem to be, either way is not wrong or right), we must wait and see what happens. I still maintain that, as long it is in the game eventually, and it is made freely available to all who have backed the game or bought in early, then I see this as an acceptable compromise.
Also, I feel that, as long as the game does not feel incomplete without it, then people will still be able to enjoy the game, and hopefully it will garner favourable reviews. Again, we will see. You obviously have a fondness for the game, or you wouldn't post so passionately about it, so I hope eventually your fears are unfounded

I'm sorry. But I really feel like we are being fooled, specially the ones who backed the game on Kickstarter, and the ones who believed in the project with the Early Access on Steam.

Therefore I published my thought.
https://forums.uberent.com/threads/is-planetary-annihilation-a-failure-already.57908/

The possible lack of a single unit doesn't concern me, especially considering the untold number of units that are killed during a games development and never see the light of day.