Derek Smart · @dsmart
14th Jun 2014 from TwitLonger
About Line Of Defense Early Access
To all commanders & rookies alike:
First, @lodonline is not a beta-as-release game.
Some people don't understand the premise and logic of an Early Release.
So start here:
http://store.steampowered.com/earlyaccessfaq
The game is not due out until the fall.
As the announcement indicates, this EA is our way of doing a wider public test and using backend tools we don't need to or want to develop. Which is what we'd otherwise have to do outside of Steam.
http://www.3000ad.com/2014/06/line-of-defense-headed-to-early-access/
Unlike most EA games, as with all our games over the years, LOD is fully funded and we're not looking for money to finish the game.
The game was setup for Steam awhile back. For an EA type release, instead of a standard one, it is basically a case of flipping a switch. Which we did after discussing our plans, pricing etc with Valve.
The $99 EA price tag - which has a LOT of perks - ensures that only serious people who can provide meaningful feedback through their commitment, need apply. And for that they get a lot more than they would if they waited for the final game release.
We're simply not interested in letting freeloaders gain early access to the game, not provide meaningful - if any - feedback, while we foot the bill for the backend services, servers, bandwidth etc
We're a SMALL independent game dev making a MASSIVE game in a genre dominated and monopolized by SOE and their popular @planetside2 series. In contrast, from start to finish, LOD was developed by less than ten people. Including third-party contractors. Yeah.
And unlike those other guys, we don't take your money, then plonk you in useless assets (how do you like that hanger now?), a largely unfinished product or a product that may not even see the light of day. I don't even need to defend against that premise; go look at my game releases. While they may not be everyone's cup of tea, we still keep making them because we have and know our audience.
You get in on the EA, you will be in on the ground floor of the development and as always with direct access to me - and all the fun and shenanigans that entails.
Plus, right off the bat, one of the first areas we're unlocking, is this massive multi-deck carrier which, like we did with the recent Line Of Defense Tactics, is already the main event in another soon-to-be announced companion game. In that new game, you get to pilot it. For real. Yes, the whole frigging thing. That said, say hello to the GCV-Starguard combat assault carrier, one of GALCOM's finest.
http://lodmmo.com/asset/starguard/
We will be hosting frequent dev chats in the operations room of that carrier as well as inside the other already fully built stations. Your avatar comes with a host of first/third person gestures (e.g salute, wave etc) specifically for such interactions. No dancing. Unless you want to be court-martialed.
Hopefully that clears up some of the things we've been hearing since the E3 announcement was made.
While I have your attention, let me throw this one in as a bonus for your consideration.
Until yesterday, there were NO female playable characters in the game. My decision to now fund and add two bad-ass female characters comes from the fact that, well, we as an industry need to start making a concerted effort to cater to our female players because good faith can only get you so far. I believe that, costs permitting, we should start doing it whenever we can.
If we - as men - keeping making these types of games and rely on women who buy and play them to suspend their belief, guess what happens if the industry doesn't start thinking seriously about this. Go see #womenaretoohardtoanimate for a sampling from the fallout of the Assassins Creed Unity fiasco.
They are out there - where they've always been. And they are legion. They are our women - and they play our games.
That is all. As you were.