Lo-Fi Games

I'm just wondering if you are working on Kenshi full time as the pace of development appears to be alot slower then other alpha funding games, and if you aren't working on it full time, then what makes you think you can charge for the alpha? I feel a little bit insulted because i decided to invest in your game expecting it to be worked on constantly, and i suspect many others feel the same way. Maybe you should look at how overgrowth is going and attempt to approach development like that?

Just an honest opnion, sorry if I sound like an ass.

Chris_The_Great wrote:Actually I have left my job and im now a full time game developer. There have been no updates for a while because I'm working on a big update for the foliage system

http://piclair.com/data/g575y.jpg

Asked the same question and was nearly lynched before chris answered. Ill save you the trouble. But i agree, thing seem to be going slow. Theres no way for us to know what sort of challenges chris has to deal with for every different feature so the best we can do is hope things speed up.

The only thing that worries me if how there has been a stated update, but the time allotted for it to come around has passed -- At least, just about today, it has. Two weeks, but no update like specified. Hopefully there will be a message telling us what's going on.

I'm not worried about dropping the money on this game (though I probably would have gone for KSP instead!), but its never good when people in general miss their own deadlines or dates.

Hmm, why would you be nearly lynched? Given, I haven't been around the community yet, but to be yelled at for such a simple question seems... a bit cruel. That, and you've done some amazing bug hunting.

Mattk50 wrote:

Chris_The_Great wrote:Actually I have left my job and im now a full time game developer. There have been no updates for a while because I'm working on a big update for the foliage system

http://piclair.com/data/g575y.jpg

Asked the same question and was nearly lynched before chris answered. Ill save you the trouble. But i agree, thing seem to be going slow. Theres no way for us to know what sort of challenges chris has to deal with for every different feature so the best we can do is hope things speed up.

Ah that clears things up a bit, maybe he should do update videos with him talking about what he is doing on a weekly or even fortnightly basis? Just to keep us all in the know.

im the one he is referring to there...

i just dislike it when people say things like "its taking too long." or "progress seems a tad slow."

we know he is working on it (from the update on the main page) plus his occasional posts on the forums.

Its good that you stood up to say that! I was wondering if it was the majority of the forum, or just one or two people! As for those comments... Relax =P That is their opinion, and you should at worst, let them know that he is still working on it and leave it at that. I personally believe the progress is a very slow grind that I believe should speed up, but I am patient, and don't think that stating my own opinion is usually all that useful.

Nackertash wrote: Ah that clears things up a bit, maybe he should do update videos with him talking about what he is doing on a weekly or even fortnightly basis? Just to keep us all in the know.

I don't think he even needs this -- Just make sure he meets his own deadlines, really, and it'll progress as smoothly as Project Zomboid is going (minus some of the absurd things like the burglary). Like I said originally, I'm really only worried about how he's missed his own date on releasing the foliage patch.

I really dont agree with this, Chris has been updating frequently since it was released. The only exception is the awaited foliage update which is takeing a while, but its a big update. Would you want him to release an update that is buggy and broken or a polished update with little or no problems?

Just be a little more patient because it WILL be worth it !!

Also it is funny how people want him to stop updating to work on making a release video so they feel better. Doing so would actually slow things down. I am happy to just sit here and read the forums and do other things with my life. Considering the game auto-updates you only need to load it up once every week or two if you become bored with the game how it is and don't want to play anymore.

Also, I want to add that he currently has a new staff member so the delay could possibly be because he is now working with someone and they need to work together. It becomes much harder to give estimates on other peoples work.

Thanks for the info guys, I didn't own the game before the current patch so i assumed that it was always like this. Also good point about the update videos they would take too long to do properly.

I never liked deadlines... in my opinion they have as effect to produce unfinished rushed material sometimes.
I prefer the other variant that is a timeline (the pic is from some mp3 sagas i listen to, you get the idea )

the people know where the dev stands in his production, and the dev doesn't rush when there's only 1 2 days left to deadline...

it was only a matter of time before this topic happened...

id rather him take a week longer or even a month to give us a wonderful product. not something rushed to where we have to wait another week because its too full of bugs to enjoy playing.

Yes I am working on it full time, but still single handed as I can't afford a full-time employee yet (vurt was only a 2-week contract for the foliage).

Overgrowth has a team of 4 guys and much more funding, zomboid has a team too, I can't match their speed or spend hours making update videos. With me, if the website is quiet and there are no updates it means the game is probably progressing at its fastest.

Just because there are no updates for a while does not mean progress on the game is slow, it just means the next update is bigger and/or causing some technical problems that take longer to fix. I don't give my updates deadlines, I give estimates. Things often take longer than you expect, thats the way programming is, its not a reason to worry.

Even with entry level python it can take me twice as long as I figure to get things done. Bigger projects like this? Heh I'm just glad I never dreamed of being a game designer.

i think this topic should be locked.

txfirefighter wrote:i think this topic should be locked.

i think you should be locked

well, an issue arose about taking too long. chris came in and cleared it up. nothing else to say really, so why leave it open for more bantering about it taking too long between updates?

In an open forum it is completely unnecessary to lock things because you perceive that there is "nothing else to say". If there is nothing else to say then it will fall to the bottom of the forums as nobody else will reply.

So we should keep replying to keep it up. Maybe then it will be the last time someone starts a thread like this.

Chris_The_Great wrote:Yes I am working on it full time, but still single handed as I can't afford a full-time employee yet (vurt was only a 2-week contract for the foliage).

Overgrowth has a team of 4 guys and much more funding, zomboid has a team too, I can't match their speed or spend hours making update videos. With me, if the website is quiet and there are no updates it means the game is probably progressing at its fastest.

Just because there are no updates for a while does not mean progress on the game is slow, it just means the next update is bigger and/or causing some technical problems that take longer to fix. I don't give my updates deadlines, I give estimates. Things often take longer than you expect, thats the way programming is, its not a reason to worry.

That's completely understandable, sorry for being judgemental, and it means alot that you responded to my question. Also hi from another Chris :L

*grins*
I expect this game to be done earliest in 12-24 months of time, so why rush it? That atleast what I think it gonna take for the game to be finnished, but if it takes over 25 months I might start to climb on walls :3 .
Anyway I've tossed my coins into this game wallet, as I would love to play it in the future.