Reticule Research feedback (1.3.7.1)

[Epic afdc]

oh and also! Please make the RR balloon wheels just a tiny bit faster. They’re painfully slow at the moment and their suspension travel is horrible. That is my main criticism of RR besides the whole rebranding fiasco. The weapons are AWESOME I love the attention to detail, especially with the giga plasma laser thingy. The way it vents heat when you’re done firing is just beautiful! Tell whoever made that they did an amazing job!

 

[Mindl3ss]

agreed. let not this strife diminish the work of the artists and programmers. I love the sonic wave cannons, but i Hate it's size and clunkyness. i think if we could get a fixed mounted version i would use that instead. as it is it can't be stacked hardly at all due to the space taken up by the gimbol swing.

Im not sure i like the new wheels at all. i like how they look, but they are... weird. i noticed a lot of people have already commented on that so i'll let that feedback get processed before i wager too harsh of an opinion on them.

As for the Plasma Cannon. Yes. I like it's bigness, yet ease to fit in paired or trippleicate. the animations are spot on. whoever is responsible for that block's animations... Payload, give them a cookie. i like the warm up and cool down time. i wish more weapons had similar features. The one thing i could suggest is to add a critical overload, where if you hold the beam on for too long, it automatically shuts down and rather than steam bursting from the vents, fire bursts from the vents and the block and those near it take damage. no a huge amount, but damage that will make you cautious of how long you fire them for, especially if you have several stacked.

Other changes. Most of the re-skins are acceptable or better with many of them looking very nice. one set of exceptions: Platforms.
Okay, so by themselves they look alright, but when i loaded up my old techs using them, they clash horribly with a lot of the existing skins.



And Worse still, my carrier runways are totaled. like sevearly totaled. to the point where landingon it in reality would be confusing and even dangerous. also it looks horrible.

Ardent Control, Zero-Four on Approach.
Zero-Four, you are cleared to land on runway 2.
Uh... that's a negative Control. Your runway is made of Helo pads. Where do planes land?

Uhh...

Zero-Four Stand By...

So Yeah. Can i have my nice clean runway back?

Please? Zero-Four wants to land...

 

[Jamie]

I will buy every DLC you publish just as mean of support, after 1800+ hours of good play you give to me you really deserve it.

<3

we are all worried that this re-brand represents a switch from a yearly creation of a new corporation

"a yearly creation of a new corporation" is not something we have ever said is what we do. We've continuously mentioned that we would love to get a bunch more Corporations into the game - but we plan them when the time is right and when we can fit it in with all the other things we need to do.

Does this re-brand represent the release of a corporation, or is there a new corporation coming to us soon?

We originally planned to implement RR in the way we have done in 1.3.7.1. As @higekun said - "We're not going to 100% rule out (or in) RR as a full Campaign corp, for now. We've heard your feedback, we're discussing it internally, and we'll come back to you soon with an update on that point ".

Did you just call TerraTech a live service?

Nope. On-going service. Some of you bought the game 2-4 years ago. We've been adding content ever since - and as Russ mentioned, we plan to continue doing so for as long as we can.

but I have a video for you instead. It's quite informative

This video is saying that if you buy a game that then ceases to work (i.e, the servers are shut down in an MMO) then it could be considered fraudulent. This doesn't apply to TerraTech, as the game will keep running even if Payload Studios shuts down (as it's mostly singleplayer...multiplaer is peer-to-peer etc). So not relevant to this at all. Sorry!

 

[General Douglas]

<3

"a yearly creation of a new corporation" is not something we have ever said is what we do. We've continuously mentioned that we would love to get a bunch more Corporations into the game - but we plan them when the time is right and when we can fit it in with all the other things we need to do.

We originally planned to implement RR in the way we have done in 1.3.7.1. As @higekun said - "We're not going to 100% rule out (or in) RR as a full Campaign corp, for now. We've heard your feedback, we're discussing it internally, and we'll come back to you soon with an update on that point ".


Nope. On-going service. Some of you bought the game 2-4 years ago. We've been adding content ever since - and as Russ mentioned, we plan to continue doing so for as long as we can.


This video is saying that if you buy a game that then ceases to work (i.e, the servers are shut down in an MMO) then it could be considered fraudulent. This doesn't apply to TerraTech, as the game will keep running even if Payload Studios shuts down (as it's mostly singleplayer...multiplaer is peer-to-peer etc). So not relevant to this at all. Sorry!

This response is both assuring and informative, we'll be there with you guys the whole way. Thanks for the continued updates!

 

[Seth_Seth]

I am uhh, not sure how to feel about this in general, in a nutshell R&D becoming RR automatically gave me paywalled content vibes

 

[Enderjed]

oh and also! Please make the RR balloon wheels just a tiny bit faster. They’re painfully slow at the moment and their suspension travel is horrible. That is my main criticism of RR besides the whole rebranding fiasco. The weapons are AWESOME I love the attention to detail, especially with the giga plasma laser thingy. The way it vents heat when you’re done firing is just beautiful! Tell whoever made that they did an amazing job!

Being that its a corp of obscure weapons, maybe they could make a weapon that functions as a faster balloon wheel?

 

[Epic afdc]

Being that its a corp of obscure weapons, maybe they could make a weapon that functions as a faster balloon wheel?

Like a module that speeds up wheels? Maybe it can be some sort of turbocharger that increases wheel speed by say...10 or so Mph. That sounds like a fun idea!

 

[Wassaup]

On-going service. Some of you bought the game 2-4 years ago. We've been adding content ever since

This, right here, is the crux of the issue! You're acting like TerraTech is a complete experience and all the updates are just extra gifts you've added out of the goodness of your hearts. Let's cut the crap: TerraTech is not finished! The 1.0 launch was just a formality to get approved for consoles. Oh, it resembles a game and you can indeed have fun with it, but the same can be said about rocks on the river bank, but you wouldn't charge money for those.

*cough* bull-crap *cough*

The updates are there to complete the experience, and bit-by-bit, that seems to be happening. It's when you hold some of those bits for ransom that gets me and others angry and/or disappointed.

This video is saying that if you buy a game that then ceases to work (i.e, the servers are shut down in an MMO) then it could be considered fraudulent. This doesn't apply to TerraTech, as the game will keep running even if Payload Studios shuts down (as it's mostly singleplayer...multiplaer is peer-to-peer etc). So not relevant to this at all. Sorry!

True, the main focus of the video is game ownership and true, TT has no issues on that front. However, you've seemingly missed the part, where he makes a logical and imo accurate distinction between goods and services. Unless it's operating on a subscription modell, a game is always a good and never a service. Either live, on-going, or any other kind. Plus, you keep bringing up that 2-4 year time period as if to say "You guys had 2-4 year free ride. Pay up!" Under a perpetual licence, if a customer buys your game, you, the devs, have no right to ask for more money. Not after 2 years, not after 4 year and not after 20 years, capisci? The method of how you're asking is irrelevant!
Speaking of the business-model, it's obvious, why you're doing this: you can't get new players to buy your game, so you're resorting to sponging-off of the players, who are already on-board. In addition to being amoral, this modell is unsustainable! A player-base only has so much money they can give you, then, you're boned! The "triple A" industry will have to learn this soon enough, but a small indie studio, such as Payload will feel the crash a lot sooner and a lot harder when the bubble bursts.

We originally planned to implement RR in the way we have done in 1.3.7.1.

So why didn't you guys tell us, huh? Why did you go the "Hello games" route and leave us hoping and speculating? There are whole threads dedicated to the upcoming factions! What, was that too subtle for you? And how can we know, you don't have cop-out methods for the other corps too? Like saying the Space Junkers a merchants and you will just redesign the trade stations. Or that, all the hostile techs in the game a hacked by Legion and you just re-write a few mission descriptions. If you actually do anything like this btw, you can kiss your players good-bye!

 

[burger1113]

I think it's more than reasonable to keep RR out of the playable corp roaster. Not just for being an indie game from a small studio, the number of corps we have is probably more than what the game needs already. Beefing up the storyline, AI improvements, and more End-game blocks/gameplay could pretty much make terratech a near perfect game. I would much rather see this game get padded a bit and polished, then eagerly look forward to the studio's next project.

I would REAALLY like to see a different type of threat in campaign, in a form of a wildlife or something, but seeing how the optimization has been going for such a long time, maybe that should be a goal in the sequel with a different engine..?

 

[Seth_Seth]

This, right here, is the crux of the issue! You're acting like TerraTech is a complete experience and all the updates are just extra gifts you've added out of the goodness of your hearts. Let's cut the crap: TerraTech is not finished! The 1.0 launch was just a formality to get approved for consoles. Oh, it resembles a game and you can indeed have fun with it, but the same can be said about rocks on the river bank, but you wouldn't charge money for those.
View attachment 30617
*cough* bull-crap *cough*

The updates are there to complete the experience, and bit-by-bit, that seems to be happening. It's when you hold some of those bits for ransom that gets me and others angry and/or disappointed.




True, the main focus of the video is game ownership and true, TT has no issues on that front. However, you've seemingly missed the part, where he makes a logical and imo accurate distinction between goods and services. Unless it's operating on a subscription modell, a game is always a good and never a service. Either live, on-going, or any other kind. Plus, you keep bringing up that 2-4 year time period as if to say "You guys had 2-4 year free ride. Pay up!" Under a perpetual licence, if a customer buys your game, you, the devs, have no right to ask for more money. Not after 2 years, not after 4 year and not after 20 years, capisci? The method of how you're asking is irrelevant!
Speaking of the business-model, it's obvious, why you're doing this: you can't get new players to buy your game, so you're resorting to sponging-off of the players, who are already on-board. In addition to being amoral, this modell is unsustainable! A player-base only has so much money they can give you, then, you're boned! The "triple A" industry will have to learn this soon enough, but a small indie studio, such as Payload will feel the crash a lot sooner and a lot harder when the bubble bursts.



So why didn't you guys tell us, huh? Why did you go the "Hello games" route and leave us hoping and speculating? There are whole threads dedicated to the upcoming factions! What, was that too subtle for you? And how can we know, you don't have cop-out methods for the other corps too? Like saying the Space Junkers a merchants and you will just redesign the trade stations. Or that, all the hostile techs in the game a hacked by Legion and you just re-write a few mission descriptions. If you actually do anything like this btw, you can kiss your players good-bye!

I mean back then i likely wouldn't have reacted too well to this but my opinion of TT has certainly uhh, changed

Wait what i didn't know they planned for RR to be a R&D skin since it first existed

 

[BenBacon]

I think we should look at this issue in a different light. Instead of seeing RR as a rebrand of EXP, maybe we should see it as an entire corp that is going through R&D. After RR is finished and hopefully added to the base game, along with missions, maybe the devs could add back EXP.

On one hand, I do not want corporations, especially ones the community has been awaiting for years, to be behind a paywall. On the other hand, there needs to be something appealing about R&D to make people want to buy it. Doing the above I think would be a perfect solution to both problems

On a final note to this post, I would like to give some advice to the devs. Making more DLC does not generate a larger playerbase. Making both the base game and the DLC better will. DLC should not take center stage over the base game, and the base game should not take center stage over DLC.

Have a good day

 

[Seth_Seth]

I don't think they worded it in "RR is going to eventually be an actual corp"

base game should not take center stage over DLC

...wat
The base game is the hecking game how is it not allowed to be more important than DLC-

 

[Mindl3ss]

because without further funding, Seth, Payload cant pay the artists and programmers to work on the base game. games like this NEED DLC sales to keep going. i dont have a problem with DLC. But if payload spends another six months focusing on DLC and and generating sales, most of us long time players are going to get sick of all the Devs attention going to Console and sales generation while the main PC game gets neglected. you gotta remember the largest player base is still PC and most of us are accustomed to a fairly reliable update schedule that has kept the PC version moving. well for about three months now, a series of decisions by payload has catered almost exclusively to console development and at the expense of the PC version no less. (Im talking about the UI changes that im sure make the game much more cohesive on consoles, but are terrible and widely unpopular for PC players, and this RR re-brand fiasco.) Payload, if i could offer one word of advice it's to speread the love around. anytime you focus on one part of the game, other areas suffer. I know it's a ballencing act, but maybe listen to your longest running and most loyal player base, that being the PC players who have been with you for 5+ years.

Also, to some degree i agree with Wassup. Though i do wish he would endevor to show a little more respect, his points are accurate. Payload needs to communicate better with it's player base. Community Driven isnt a policy you can observe when it's conveinient. It's not one that is easily repealed either. Further, the practice of holding new material hostage from players who have already bought the game is, while i wont go as far as to say immoral, as that is very perspective based, but it is certainly not a sustainable business plan. you're just as likely to lose longtime loyal players as you are to gain new players. and if it is payloads position that a new player is more valuable than one who has stuck around for five+ years, then... well, you might as well just close your doors now.

Point is, i get it. Nothing is free. BUT those of us who have had the game for years should not be made to suffer because your funding plans came up short. that isnt our fault. we did our part by buying the game when there was MUCH less of a game in place. i bought it somewhere in 0.4. I bought it on a good concept and a whole lot of faith. iv had the most rewarding experience interacting with the community since. that's what has made it worthwhile to me, but knowing what i do now, im fairly certain i would not buy the game off a shelf for full price. firstly, the 1.0 release was both rushed and illigitamite. we still arent at a 1.0 (complete base game) despite the version markings. 1.0 was just pushed out for console releases (Still the worst decision in TT to date, Mind you, im a PC player, so iv seen nothing but diminished development while consoles have gotten all that time and resources.) My point is, Maybe payload you should return your focus to completing the game before you spend another year revamping R&D and multi-player.

Lastly here, I know you have a game plan going foreward, but with a year and a half old roadmap, none of us are in that loop. none of us have been in that loop for at least a year, and it's a miracle that that lack of two way communication hasnt blown up until now. i know you guys are working on a new roadmap, but lets try keeping up with it this time. And that isnt hard. one of you has to commit an extra five to ten minutes a day to check and be sure that everyone is on the same page. thats it. this is just like with Comcores. ten minutes of practice with some of the more complicated techs, and you wouldnt spend ten minutes in stream fumbling with something that was clearly defined in the submission. it's just lazyness. not to say any of you are lazy, or payload as a whole is lazy, but with certain things, definitely. and they are the stupid easy things too. it's not like the RR corner cut. (Which i speculate will go down as the biggest blunder in TT's history) improving communication is not a massive undertaking. it's five extra minutes of giving a Damn about the community. Seriously. quick fix.

And once again i have to say, Payload has already been the best and most communicative game company iv had the pleasure (or displeasure in some cases) of interacting with. you've set the bar very high, so i have high expectations. to have any less would be disrespectful of the immense amount of work Payload has done so far, and would belittle the accomplishment that is TT. so well done on the last 6 years. dont get complaicent.

 

[Seth_Seth]

you've set the bar very high

It's uhh, too high now ._.

 

[Mindl3ss]

Well, then they need to communicate that with us. if Payload wishes to lower it's standards (which would be unfortunate indeed), then the community deserves to know. In the meantime, im holding them to that standard, and so should everyone else too. Community Driven isnt Community Driven if the community wont drive. Time to start driving.

 

[harpo99999]

as one of the KICKSTARTER's. I have even supported the game BEFORE the game was released even as EARLY release, and IF i start to feel that payload is ignoring my (very limited) input for those new coned-soles of ultra new buyers of very crippled hardware over one of the original BACKERS, then I will start to tell the world about that

 

[Wassaup]

In an ideal world, TerraTech would be a franchise. On the consoles, we could have TT: Frontiers, which would be the game as we know it, while on the PC there would be TT: Unlimited, which would be the game it was always meant be, ie Besiege meets Minecraft. Heck, there could even be a mobile spin-off, called TT: Mini Mechs. Of course, our Payload doesn't have the funds or man-power to manage this. Shame, that this wasn't obvious to the devs, who have made the classic AAA mistake of spreading themselves too thin: attempting to please everyone, which ends in pleasing no one. A mistake, that DLC only makes worse.

You see, DLC only works in the context of a full- and satisfying game. Where you feel like, you got what you wanted, but could go for more. In a perpetual beta game, like TerraTech, DLC can only be seen as content, that could be in the base game, but isn't.
The solution is to improve the base game significantly with each update to bring in a fresh batch of players. Not only, is this more lucrative (the base game brings more money), but those satisfied players would be more willing to buy real DLC. As in: add-on content. Now, you can't expect a revolution every 6 weeks, but I for one, would be willing to wait 3-4 months for an update, if it brings a whole host of new features, game play and content. This drip-feed method is obviously not working out.

As for my attitude, I have no respect for businesses. Like, zero. They are soulless entities that care about profit and nothing else. This is something I know and tolerate, as long as I get, what I've paid for (guess, I'm soulless, too). But I instantly lose my patience, as soon as I feel like, they're trying to exploit me. More than usual, I mean. I have even less respect for software developers (yes, less than zero). If physical goods came out in the state as most software, not just games, there would be lawsuits, accidents and even deaths as far as the eye could see. Yet, for reasons beyond my understanding, software devs get away with this. This is something I cannot, and probably will not understand, ever.

 

[Mindl3ss]

Because the internet has no rules.

Also, as for your attitude. your lack of respect is your own problem. beyond that im sorry, but i cant continue this rapport with you. im gonna get myself in trouble if i do.

 

[General Douglas]

A lot of people take software developers for granted and don't realize that they too need resources and support as for them this isn't just a hobby it is literally their livelihood and career

 

[Rafs]

I think what was there to be said for this first batch of content, was, now I recommend to our community we give it time. Hopefully in some months we'll see positive changes to RR