Fix StarMade, Release the frakkin API!

Nauvran · Mar 28, 2016

Gonzalo said:
the guy doesnt seem to be joking, by simply open sourcing will open up so many more possible features to possibly have, while the vanilla game will remain the exact way schine wants it to be. there really isn't much of a reason to not do it, and there will come so much benefits from it .

It's his behaviour that I asked is a joke, not the question about mod api itself

Gonzalo · Mar 28, 2016

gotcha

CaptainTaz · Mar 28, 2016

Releasing an API, live everyone else has said, will be a terrible thing at this stage in development. The game needs all its core functions to be finished and fleshed out before modding can even come into play reliably.

If you're so bored with the game, find an interesting server and play with people.

kiraen · Mar 28, 2016

I saw this today and just couldn't help but think of all these threads where the players know better then the developers.

Monchoman45 · Mar 29, 2016

kiraen said:
I saw this today and just couldn't help but think of all these threads where the players know better then the developers.

Petition to have all suggestions prefixed with "You listen here, fucko".

Ithirahad · Mar 29, 2016

CaptainTaz said:
If you're so bored with the game, find an interesting server and play with people.

If someone's thoroughly bored with the game, it's probably because they tried that and realized that the game doesn't offer enough to create a satisfying experience.

Reilly Reese · Mar 29, 2016

I'm going to have to point out that modders get burned out usually after their first several mods. If those mods are released for a game in Alpha state more than likely the modder won't come back to update those later on anytime soon. If the modder has to wait for the API to make his mods though he isn't burned out on mod making that will be pointless to the game community after a year of their launch.

wiesshund · Mar 29, 2016

ShadowPilot said:
Can we please put EGOS aside and just release the Modding tools to our community let them fix the game on the content side. It's their hobby

How does one release an API for something that 2 weeks from now can drastically change, and again the next moth after that
effectively breaking the API and any mod in progress?

I dont think that would make anyone happy, just more frustrated?

StormWing0 · Mar 29, 2016

To be honest I find the lack of brains in the OP disturbing. >_> I'd challenge people like this to do a better job that the devs at such a thing and I'd be very surprised at how long their idea of getting things like this in before they can be of any use holds before they realize it wasn't such a good idea after all. While we all want an API the timing for it now would be akin to suicide for the devs.

Keptick · Mar 29, 2016

Even if the API was released, you'd have to be a total masochist to make mods that'd break every two weeks with each new update. You wouldn't see any big mods simply because they couldn't be coded and updated in the timeframe between updates, especially since those updates would deliver what the mods intended to so in the first place. That's just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why making/releasing a modding API now is a bad idea.

CaptainTaz · Mar 29, 2016

Ithirahad said:
If someone's thoroughly bored with the game, it's probably because they tried that and realized that the game doesn't offer enough to create a satisfying experience.

Ragnarok's been an extremely satisfying experience, with lots of RP and interesting things to do with other players.

jorgekorke · Mar 29, 2016

Thinking about it, I might give Rag a chance. I don't even build anything anymore, so the blueprint problem won't matter.

jstenholt · Mar 29, 2016

keptick said:
Even if the API was released, you'd have to be a total masochist to make mods that'd break every two weeks with each new update. You wouldn't see any big mods simply because they couldn't be coded and updated in the timeframe between updates, especially since those updates would deliver what the mods intended to so in the first place. That's just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why making/releasing a modding API now is a bad idea.

So true, and yet OP will "rationalize" this fact away somehow. I guarantee it.

CaptainTaz · Mar 29, 2016

jorgekorke said:
Thinking about it, I might give Rag a chance. I don't even build anything anymore, so the blueprint problem won't matter.

For temporary, since shipyards have been bugged to hell, we did raise the cap (just no imports) to 20 blueprints if I recall correctly.

Mered4 · Mar 30, 2016

Bench said:
While I agree the community has a lot to contribute, we're not at the point where an API would be appropriate. I know we've said that a lot, but honestly there's some major parts of the game still yet to go that we would like to see go in first, before tackling the API.

I understand where you are coming from here - small dev team, not a lot of time for side projects. Makes sense.

This isn't because we think the community can't and won't be able to adapt to what we have planned or adjust as the API expands. It's more that, honestly, we have some incredible ideas and some incredible plans that will dramatically expand just how much the community can contribute to the game. We've seen it so far in a basic form with the community content section and the mods that have still been able to be made. What we have planned goes way beyond that. But in order for that to work we need to actually put the foundations in place, and go from there. At this stage the API wouldn't be the best course of action because there's still so many major fundamental aspects of the game that will change for the better, and the API will need to support all of that.

And this is where I step in and laugh. Please. Incredible plans? Don't circlejerk. Cut to the chase. You don't want to add an API because Schema and his two helpers don't have the time - AND they keep shuffling that engine code around each major update. That, at least, makes sense.

That probably still doesn't feel like an answer that suffices. And I'm not saying the day won't come when we'll sit in awe of what the community has created within StarMade and the StarMade API. I want that day to happen. And I hope that, knowing that, the community can trust that delaying the API is in the best interest of everyone, because what we want to do, what we want to add, and what you'll be able to do within the API because of it, will blow your minds.

No, it won't. Space Engineers already did all this. It's not new territory.

I wish I could tell all we have planned. We're dreaming big, bigger than you probably realise. I feel like some in the community might be thinking well why not release the API, we know what StarMade as a game is going to be, it's just a space sandbox game right? How much more can there be to it.

Plans? You guys can't even build a fully functional carrier and fleet system. Schema promised it for years, and now we get this buggy system that is a shadow of what it could be. How is that supposed to instill confidence in your ability to follow through with these 'plans'?

To them I say, if you think StarMade is going to be just another space sandbox like Space Engineers, then think again.

Then.....what is it? Starmade is (more or less) in Space Engineers' niche. If Starmade isn't supposed to be *just another* space sandbox, then what the actual Scott Sterling is Starmade supposed to be?

Oh right. A ship building simulator. Forgot. Sorry!

jstenholt said:
What an awful argument. Sure, having space engineers community content is great for making a slightly nicer looking ship, but it fractures the multiplayer community and makes joining a server a hellacious nightmare, which is compounded by the fact that that game is an unstable compilation of memory leaks and half-baked designs.

We can make mods in Starmade that give 'nicer' looking ships. I've played with those mods. What Starmade cannot do that Space Engineers' API CAN is add features like parachutes that are not in the vanilla game. To top it off, mods are downloaded from the server each time you join, so it's really not that bad.
And Space Engineers is far from 'an unstable compilation of memory leaks and half-baked designs.' For one, what memory leaks? Second, what half baked designs? They have almost three times the block types that Starmade does. They have three types of thrusters for two different environments, and they have a fully functional crew/interior system. Starmade has the glorious corner block (ALL HAIL THE CORNER BLOCK).

P.S. Starmadedock - Please pull your head out of the sand. ShadowPilot has made some great points here. Every one of them is a significant part of why MushroomFleet no longer actively interacts with others in the Starmade community. Shutting him down like this is hilariously short sighted.

Reilly Reese · Mar 30, 2016

Mered4 said:
I understand where you are coming from here - small dev team, not a lot of time for side projects. Makes sense.

And this is where I step in and laugh. Please. Incredible plans? Don't circlejerk. Cut to the chase. You don't want to add an API because Schema and his two helpers don't have the time - AND they keep shuffling that engine code around each major update. That, at least, makes sense.

No, it won't. Space Engineers already did all this. It's not new territory.

Plans? You guys can't even build a fully functional carrier and fleet system. Schema promised it for years, and now we get this buggy system that is a shadow of what it could be. How is that supposed to instill confidence in your ability to follow through with these 'plans'?

Then.....what is it? Starmade is (more or less) in Space Engineers' niche. If Starmade isn't supposed to be *just another* space sandbox, then what the actual Scott Sterling is Starmade supposed to be?

Oh right. A ship building simulator. Forgot. Sorry!

We can make mods in Starmade that give 'nicer' looking ships. I've played with those mods. What Starmade cannot do that Space Engineers' API CAN is add features like parachutes that are not in the vanilla game. To top it off, mods are downloaded from the server each time you join, so it's really not that bad.
And Space Engineers is far from 'an unstable compilation of memory leaks and half-baked designs.' For one, what memory leaks? Second, what half baked designs? They have almost three times the block types that Starmade does. They have three types of thrusters for two different environments, and they have a fully functional crew/interior system. Starmade has the glorious corner block (ALL HAIL THE CORNER BLOCK).

P.S. Starmadedock - Please pull your head out of the sand. ShadowPilot has made some great points here. Every one of them is a significant part of why MushroomFleet no longer actively interacts with others in the Starmade community. Shutting him down like this is hilariously short sighted.

jstenholt · Mar 30, 2016

Thadius Faran said:

I am being one hundred percent serious. While reading Mered's post I was thinking about that quote the ENTIRE time.

P.S. Losing Mushroomfleet's vast contributions to the community was a tragic loss for us all that has truly ruined Starmade forever. /sarcasm

nightrune · Mar 30, 2016

If we can't get an API. What can we actually do to help and speed up things. Bench . Since that's clearly what op wants, and everyone else that wants an API.

jstenholt · Mar 30, 2016

You know what would make the API's release seem like it was even sooner? Developing patience.

Ratchet Hundreda · Mar 30, 2016

jstenholt said:
You know what would make the API's release seem like it was even sooner? Developing patience.

Yeah, well ... tell this to that 100 AT MAX people who have enough patience to play this game in it's current state maybe they will understand what you're talking about however the other 1000 will not

Don't get me wrong here i'm personally againts the release of an API in the game's current state as well it's just that the majority of people will not understand this. Patience is something which got pretty expensive nowadays.

In my opinion the root of the problem was when the game got to Schine and they kept going with the early access program. The most they can do right now is to keep prying eyes off the game till they can present a build which will be able to attract players to the game. Then act on a wider scale and maybe advertise it at places and on social media. This is something which porbably needs at least a year to happen. Right now it's just too broken for that it's barely playable. Of course they wouldn't want to release an API for something like this.

Thadius Faran said:
I'm going to have to point out that modders get burned out usually after their first several mods. If those mods are released for a game in Alpha state more than likely the modder won't come back to update those later on anytime soon. If the modder has to wait for the API to make his mods though he isn't burned out on mod making that will be pointless to the game community after a year of their launch.

Also really good points right there. This is something you could see in many early access game's case best examples for this would be Minecraft and Space Engineers. I'm pretty sure this is something the devs considered as well when deciding to put the API on hold. They want to keep the modding community fresh and present a fresh and neat ground to work on. I'm all for that to be honest.

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Fix StarMade, Release the frakkin API!

Nauvran

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Gonzalo

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kiraen

Monchoman45

Ithirahad

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wiesshund

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Keptick

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CaptainTaz

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Mered4

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