In the end its their game, their choices. Doesnt hurt to see what others come up with, and as for something that gets released but is different to how they discribed it, it is difficult to please 100% of the player base. Im just hoping they dont forget the masses who arent on here
The game is theirs, but the community content is not. Without community content, this game would be nothing.
The game belongs to devs, but a big part of the player experience does not.
It's more of a control thing, if the Dev team speak at all about what they're doing, and a competing game then implements it?
Doesn't matter how far along the development of the "idea" was, the Dev team suddenly catch a face full of crap from the community for not getting it done, or for "stealing" the idea from the other game that clearly just fecking stole it.
Better to say nothing at all, and tolerate all of us screaming that they never tell us what they're doing, than to be accused of theft by thieves and idiots.
This problem also happens if you don't tell anything.
I had a lot of ideas what to make because I never seen it done. And then when I am half finished, I see someone has done it. This happened 10 times to me (just the times I can remember). Hiding ideas before an implementation is not bad if you do it for a week, but there is much potential wasted just by peoples which independently reinvent the wheel instead of making re-usable modules that can be plugged into own software.
Most of StarMade isn't new, but it exists in a mix that nowhere else exists.
Many ideas belong as much to a child just thinking while playing other games, but the unique collection, the exact implementation of ideas and artwork like UI belongs to SM devs.
In Germany, you can patent circuits only for 3 years as opposed to the usual 10 years. (the closest physical relative to software)
In this case, the patent law shouldn't be used to restrict others infinitely from catching up to features, but to allow users/players to purchase early-access to a circuit/feature and save the developers an earning. ( But that doesn't include the development time before patenting it )
How many software companies (incl shine) would release all 5-years old work?