Fix stuff.

[Valiant70]

The game is a mess, and that's where it falls off. Because the others, despite still being in alpha, fix what's wrong before adding new stuff. Or at least try to. Not this one.

There's something to be said for keeping a few proof-of-concept features working even while breaking new ground. I understand that some things will be changed or replaced in the future, but for a game with open alpha, just leaving things for later isn't really an option, at least not a good one.

This is particularly important when we consider the scope of the planned universe update. It's a huge overhaul that I expect will take over a year to complete. Leaving the game with bugged-to-heck core features for over a year isn't going to make people happy. Bug fixes will. At least, they'll make me a lot happier.

There are a number of core features that are currently a total wreck. I believe these should be fixed before moving on to the universe update.

• Shipyards. Were they ever NOT broken? I don't care how simple they have to be. At least make them function! "You must build this structure in order to spawn a blueprint inside it" would be good enough.
• Shops. So you claim there are no game-breaking bugs in them? False. They've been known to spontaneously switch themselves to public ownership, and last I checked setting a price in materials instead of credits just bugs out and changes the price to something random.
• System scan. Fog of war is great, but without a way to scan a system, it's a pain. Please don't leave us hanging for a year or more. Give the scanning chamber this essential functionality.
• NPC ships. Collision avoidance, my butt! They run into things all the time, and we can't even issue traffic tickets! I expect the AI will also need to be updated to use chambers and the upcoming new weapons. Please get this taken care of before moving on.

 

[OmegaGame]

This is the first time in all the time this game has been in development where we don't even get the most basic of development updates or even a blog post.. I mean it's pretty obvious at this point that they dont give a damn about those who play the game anymore. That they are going to just work on the game (i assume) expecting that people will just be waiting there when it's all said and done. What they have not considered however is the untold hundreds who have lost most, if not all respect for schine due to this silence. This will not bode well for their reputation in the future whether they pull a miracle or not. Because they are now known as devs who cannot take criticism without resorting to draconian measures..

 

[splatthecat]

Ever since I started playing the game I have loved it. Something has always been broken though. Shipyards, AI, factories, turrets, planets and list goes on. I like many others have continued to enjoy the game despite the faults.

Don't get me wrong, I have tried a number of StarMades "rivals" but while many of these are more polished, I still come back to StarMade.

Feedback from the developers has never exactly been that good. Sporadic development blogs and a vague development roadmap is all we have ever had until the power update. A couple of minor tweaks and then silence.

Nobody from the development team seems to be standing there and taking note of the players concerns and questions. With yet more major updates in the pipeline and yet more disruption ahead; the development team needs to be talking to us players now more than ever.

A full blown monthly report with a weekly update would go a long way. An update that could take a year to complete is going to leak players both old and new unless aspects of the game are addressed now.

One can only guess (due to the silence) that certain aspects of the game will remain and are somehow remote from the major updates? Shipyards for example. These will work in the same way as they are intended to work now? Well, get them to work as you intend them to work now so that we players, many of whom have "bought" the game start seeing some value for money.

As tedious and boring as they are, bug fixes can help shape the future of any piece of software and help make the development quicker and easier.

Also, by simply talking to us and telling us what is going on will go a long way towards keeping players playing and keeping the game alive. No, to some people simply telling them on a weekly basis that you wrote a piece of code that allows AI ships "see" what is in front of them isn't going to make much sense but at least people will get the feeling that something is happening.

Finally, just putting a wall up and saying that x will be fixed in the y update which is about 6-12 MONTHS away is simply not going to wash. A small patch every 2-4 weeks with some minor fix here and there will bring back the sense that something is going on.

 

[Az14el]

madness!

 

[OfficialCoding]

My sentiment exactly. While shipyards sometimes work for me, the biggest bug that i have found is the isanth invincibility bug. Shields are also annoying, because protected blocks like ice crystals get damaged. I filed 2 bug reports on this and the dev team has not responded. Maddening.

 

[Valiant70]

I suspect the game is currently (and over the next few few weeks or so) in a stage of rapid, focused development, and I’m fine with that. The weapon update needs to be finished yesterday.

Once the new weapon update is done, I really hope Schema stops to do some fixing and tweaking before he dives into the deep end of the universe update. That would be the best time for these fixes.

 

[Calhoun]

I suspect the game is currently (and over the next few few weeks or so) in a stage of rapid, focused development, and I’m fine with that. The weapon update needs to be finished yesterday.

Once the new weapon update is done, I really hope Schema stops to do some fixing and tweaking before he dives into the deep end of the universe update. That would be the best time for these fixes.

Exactly what screams focused about Starmade's development to you

 

[Az14el]

they should honestly just roll back the release version until .200 is actually server ready, this is fucking ludicrous tbh
.199 had its issues, but they did not include; broken AI targetting, broken scanning, broken inhibitors, the inabilility to use most system blocks decoratively, shield regen that can be countered by a fuckin stop waffle system regardless of size, or a big ass beam running through your ship.

This is NOT a release ready state of the game, this is dev and should not be the state hosted on general play servers as is.

 

[Valiant70]

Exactly what screams focused about Starmade's development to you

LOL maybe I should have said "relatively" focused. In other words, Schema's developing ONE area of the game only. I'm guessing fixes will happen with or after the weapon update.

they should honestly just roll back the release version until .200 is actually server ready, this is fucking ludicrous tbh
.199 had its issues, but they did not include; broken AI targetting, broken scanning, broken inhibitors, the inabilility to use most system blocks decoratively, shield regen that can be countered by a fuckin stop waffle system regardless of size, or a big ass beam running through your ship.

This is NOT a release ready state of the game, this is dev and should not be the state hosted on general play servers as is.

As I've said before, I would consider the overall "systems update" half-done and half-released.

 

[Az14el]

probably more apt way to put it yeah
it doesn't really feel like much of a game at the moment, to me at least

 

[Valiant70]

probably more apt way to put it yeah
it doesn't really feel like much of a game at the moment, to me at least

This is about how it was a few years ago, just more complicated than it was then.

 

[Valiant70]

This recently popped up on Phabricator. Hopes are rising at least slightly.

T2889 Ship Yard Bugs

This looks like SmilingDemon is collecting up and testing shipyard bugs in preparation for a fixfest. I could be wrong, but we can hope.

 

[SmilingDemon]

do not get over exited ... i am only sorting them as of now.
...
i however hope it gets a bit of love in the wake of the weapons update
(i dont know if any of the planned stuff after that is going to possibly brake it again and making fixing it in the first place a waste of time)

 

[Valiant70]

do not get over exited ... i am only sorting them as of now.
...
i however hope it gets a bit of love in the wake of the weapons update
(i dont know if any of the planned stuff after that is going to possibly brake it again and making fixing it in the first place a waste of time)

TBH, we can get by without shipyards, but shops really need some love ASAP.