Double Fine launch Spacebase DF-9 on Steam Early Access

Nah, it's being made because a team in-house wanted to make it, and Indie Fund (among others) saw promise in it and wanted to make it happen.

The Indie-Fund involvement is interesting and I hope that someone from your side or their side will, in keeping with their commitment to transparency in funding, discuss the nature of this. Typically they've funded individuals or small teams that absolutely cannot and could not finish their game while keeping their independence; and with the idea of funding them so that the dev can profit enough to not need to seek funding with future games. So this is a clear shift in MO for them to something resembling a more traditional motivation for publishing a game.

It's also notable that even though this funding was announced a while ago, they did not make mention of it on their blog.
 
The Indie-Fund involvement is interesting and I hope that someone from your side or their side will, in keeping with their commitment to transparency in funding, discuss the nature of this. Typically they've funded individuals or small teams that absolutely cannot and could not finish their game while keeping their independence; and with the idea of funding them so that the dev can profit enough to not need to seek funding with future games. So this is a clear shift in MO for them to something resembling a more traditional motivation for publishing a game.

It's also notable that even though this funding was announced a while ago, they did not make mention of it on their blog.

I can't really speak to it, sorry. I'm just a contractor who did the UI on this game. I imagine others will have something to say at some point! There may be more mentioned in the press release. (Which I can't find online...)
 
I'm close to breaking my 'No more early access games!' promise.

Is there an ETA for the full version?

They answered this question on their stream, they basically said that if it was popular enough, they could work on developing it for the foreseeable future.
 
Sweet, been waiting for a good space station game ever since... fuck, what was that game called? Space Colony by Firefly. I loved that game.
 
People already complaining about the price. The pricing is really fucked up on the indie market. People want everything to be $10 or less. So annoying.
 
People already complaining about the price. The pricing is really fucked up on the indie market. People want everything to be $10 or less. So annoying.

Not saying its the case here, but the idea of paying more for early access (an alpha version up to beta) is what I've seen others be upset about
 
The announcement says that you can get the game for 20% off if you own "previous Double Fine titles."

I own Psychonauts and Stacking on Steam, but it still comes up as $25 for me. Anyone know which games you need to own to have it show up as $20?

Exact quote:
Spacebase DF-9 is Now Available on Steam and is 20% off for owners of previous Double Fine titles.
 
The announcement says that you can get the game for 20% off if you own "previous Double Fine titles."

I own Psychonauts and Stacking on Steam, but it still comes up as $25 for me. Anyone know which games you need to own to have it show up as $20?

Exact quote:
If you buy directly from Double Fine site you can get a steam key at what would be the discounted price. More or less anyway - I think it's 40p more expensive.
 
http://spacebasedf9.com/buy

Strange, you can buy access in different tiers and continue to get kickstarter-like rewards, which, now that I mention it, is getting less and less strange.
 
Anyone here actually played it and could post some impressions?
 
It kind of sucks that the PS3 versions of DF games I own (Stacking, Costume Quest, The Cave) don't entitle me to the 20% off.

They answered this question on their stream, they basically said that if it was popular enough, they could work on developing it for the foreseeable future.

I'm not sure what this means. If it's not popular, it won't be developed?
 
I really wish Double Fine would turn that Monster Hunter clone proof-of-concept demo they did into a full game. I'd buy the hell outta that.
 
ah

ah

no

I can't

spending too much money on games

but looks so sexy and dwarf fortress-y

ah

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

(makes frantic, anxious handwave-y motions)
 
Did they remove the discount already? Showing as $25 for me, strange.

Need to think before I pay $25 for an alpha but I like the concept. Last game I paid that much for early access (Prison Architect) turned out to be great, so. Hmm.

According to Valve's product release, you need to own a previous Double Fine title. This information ought to be stated on the store page.
 
Seems like a game I would love to play, but the idea of playing a unfinished version until getting bored with the game throws me off. I really really want to enjoy the game, but I might hold until the "full" version is released.

Is there a way to check how many intended features are missing right now? If there aren't many, I might just get it.

[edit]

Reading more about the game. So promising, I might buy it right now just to "kickstart" it.
 
So do these guys ever finish any games?

Lots! So far we've shipped:

Psychonauts (2005)
Brutal Legend (2009)
Costume Quest (2010)
Stacking (2011)
Iron Brigade (2011)
Once Upon a Monster (2011)
Double Fine Happy Action Theater (2012)
Kinect Party (2012)
Middle Manager of Justice (2012)
The Cave (2013)
Dropchord (2013)
...and now an alpha version of Spacebase DF-9.

Plus, we've been consistently releasing new versions of many of those games for numerous platforms beyond the ones they were originally developed for, including Brutal Legend PC earlier this year and Costume Quest iOS just last week. A growing proportion of our library is now available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, in addition to their other proprietary platforms. We will have additional SKUs shipped between now and the end of the year, including a PS4 pack-in interactive toy, and early next year we'll release Broken Age as well as additional unannounced projects.

I'd be willing to bet you'd have a hard time finding many other independent developers who have shipped this many games on as many platforms as we have!
 
*gasp*

I am so weak. Fell in love with the concept and bought on a whim. Sometimes I can't help myself. This is the 3rd unfinished project from Double Fine I bought that is unfinished, but I have no regrets. I just love the games these guys are crafting.
 
Haha I know I'm just being a smartass in light of the funding debacle they ran into and their abundance of concepts they are throwing out there.

They're undergoing or have undergone alot of pressure from the leak during that debacle. Kind of sad that it negatively effected their reputation even though it's one of those developmental surprises that everyone faces at some point.
 
Anyway, the Spacebase prtotype was fun, but not the game I hoped would make it out of the Amnesia Fortnight.
Basically my feelings. My least favourite out of all the prototypes.

Still, best of luck with the full game! I'm sure its scope has expanded from the initial prototype.
 
I'm still seeing 20% off. Did you purchase one of those games on Steam itself or register keys? The latter could be why it's not showing up for you and many others.

Yeah it might need to be a purchase from Steam itself. I have Pyschonauts from the Humble Bundle awhile back and it doesn't show any discount, even when I add it to my cart. Not sure if intentional or not.
 
Aaaaaand just played for a couple hours.

  • Bit of a learning curve. Had to figure out some of the ways rooms connect to each other.
  • WASD can control the camera OR hold right-click and drag.
  • Definitely an alpha feel, as you can build out the core functions of the space station and there's not much after that.
  • Derelict ships appear and I wasn't ever clear on their exact function. Turn them into additional space station areas? Demolish them?
  • Wish you could build some kind of "docking station" area where ships could dock to the station temporarily. Right now, shuttles just fly by and then leave.
  • Rotatable camera feels almost required. Perspective works great as long as you build to the bottom left of where ever you start.
  • Turned almost my whole damn crew into technicians and they just say there while my oxygen generators burst into flames.
  • Idiot characters staying in the airlock when someone opens it...

All in all, feels like it's gonna be great when it's expanded. Definitely don't regret the cash at this point.
 
Well that was fun. Game has a lot of potential but it's still plenty playable as an alpha. Didn't know what I was doing for most of my time and wasn't sure if it was me or the AI but looking forward to starting again now that I have a better sense of what to build. Love the chunky, 90's PC strategy aesthetic and bits of humor and personality, the Spaceface stuff in particular is already hilarious.

Would normally pass on playing an Early Access version in fear of burning out too soon but this could be an interesting one to watch grow. If anything else it'll be a nice tutorial as more stuff gets added in.
 
[*]Definitely an alpha feel, as you can build out the core functions of the space station and there's not much after that.

I think this is my biggest worry about the game so far. Dwarf Fortress was singularly successful in fleshing out its mechanics as time went on--temperature, military management, the mining system, dwarf emotions and religious beliefs, multiple levels, etc. Besides Minecraft and Terraria (and arguably those are a genre unto themselves) I don't know if any other game has managed to significantly expand upon the limited initial simulation each was built on.

That said, the dev list for Spacebase DF-9 has plenty of things on it (and plenty of things they could decide to include later, like trading, spaceport operations and limited deep space exploration), so perhaps there's nothing to worry about. If Double Fine can indeed afford to have people continue to work on the game for years ala Toady and Dwarf Fortress, this could be an amazing simulator for people who couldn't get into Dwarf Fortress.
 
Definitely going to buy this. I wanted to get into Dwarf Fortress, but space stuff is more my cup of tea. I can't wait to see it grow.
 
Very keen, but I've kickstarted/pre-alpha'ed so many sim/management games lately that I think I'll wait to see this one get more playable before jumping in. Or alternatively I'll see how I feel tomorrow :)
 
Top Bottom