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The Future of The Repopulation

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  • donger56donger56 Member RarePosts: 443
    This was a game I was actually looking at as a possibility. I even threw in a few bucks at it on steam which I rarely rarely do any more. I did it because I really liked the philosophy and the attitude of the devs. They seemed realistic and not overly greedy unlike most crowdfunded games. Instead of hiring 300 people and opening multiple studios that they have to fly back and forth from in first class all the time, they basically made this game in their basement. I know they ditched their original engine to get Hero so having to drop that and go to Unreal has to just be a killer. I still hope they make something out of it because they had some good ideas. To be honest the game felt really awkward to play in the Alpha anyway so maybe this will actually be a good thing if they can get through this and move forward.
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    I think this much more about game redesign than engine limitations.   I think they realized that their end product as it stood, was probably going to be a little more "niche" than they initially realized.  Designing a game around an extremely time intensive and convoluted crafting system, simply smacked of another release like Wildstar.  Great for the first 50 hours, and then it becomes a job.

    My guess is things will be a little less hardcore, this time around.
    They stated many times that they would still have released with Hero Engine, there was just too much work put into it, both in terms of growing with the tool and actual game design. Gladly a lot of the art assets are easily re-usable.
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    So yeah, it's a pretty dramatic change -- pretty much as dramatic as they can be in game development -- but that's still the same core game being done.

    They couldn't develop the first game at a reasonable pace. What makes you think they will pull a hat trick and do 2? 

    I have been a backer since the earliest stage and I gave up hope long ago. They are now added to the pile or early access/ Crapstarter titles that I and many others have thrown money away on. 
    They're really developing 1 game, but doing so in modules. Think EQ:Next vs. Landmark idea (before the whole Daybreak thing) or the approach Star Citizen took (before being pressured into the Alpha 2).

    I see this as the same approach, and that's what they've stated : pretty much everything they do for Fragmented will be applicable to The Repop, as a basis for art, world-building, etc.

    Other reasons why I think they can pull this : 

    -> they now have many years of experience developing a game, many more than they had at first
    -> they now have many more people working full-time on the game
    -> the UE tools are light-years ahead what HE was/is offering
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    Wizardry said:
    How many people working on this,should be but 6 months turnover unless there are like 2 people?
    How do they fund this in the meantime?
    Are employees working for free on promises or like i said only 2 people or something?
    I am not hating on the game at all but to be honest and if they are listening,they NEED to change the whole idea ,make up and vision of the game,it is at least imo not a good enough game idea.

    Perhaps that is what is really happening,they feel change is needed as well so basically starting from scratch again.IMO it would be a smart move one that even if i was a backer i would agree to and have no problem waiting another 3 years.

    The Unreal engine is solid not sure on the tools they get to use based on the package they bought into but i used it for years and is rather easy to use and allows at least the ability to make a really nice game,even if using Ue1 or UE2,just takes more work with the older engines.
    They've opened and up front with the community since day-1, so I don't see many reasons why they would be lying here. Their story add up, and you have all the proof you need if you look at the annoucement Idea Fabrik has made during the ordeal.

    As for the money, the had a few months worth of salary for the full staff stashed up and when IF pull the plug, they had to lay off most of the staff. That made it  sufficient reserves to see the months ahead coming up.
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    I think this much more about game redesign than engine limitations.   I think they realized that their end product as it stood, was probably going to be a little more "niche" than they initially realized.  Designing a game around an extremely time intensive and convoluted crafting system, simply smacked of another release like Wildstar.  Great for the first 50 hours, and then it becomes a job.

    My guess is things will be a little less hardcore, this time around.
    I think this is a major part of their decision to redesign. Even without the Hero Engine failure, It didn't look like this game was going to amount to the game they intended it to be. This gives them exactly what they needed. A blessing in disguise.
    They have not mentioned any redesign at this point. The core features / systems / concepts of the game do still hold, and they owe that to their backer. I don't see that changing drastically going forward.
  • nickelsig229nickelsig229 Member UncommonPosts: 27
    So are backers automatically subscribed to the new survival game and eventually the main game, and how do we access it, or sign up for it if we are?
  • Gaming.Rocks2Gaming.Rocks2 Member UncommonPosts: 531
    So are backers automatically subscribed to the new survival game and eventually the main game, and how do we access it, or sign up for it if we are?
    Yes all backers get Fragmented for free. It will be accessible in February, I guess we gotta wait till it becomes available :|
    Gaming Rocks next gen. community for last gen. gamers launching soon. 
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    edited February 2016
    So are backers automatically subscribed to the new survival game and eventually the main game, and how do we access it, or sign up for it if we are?
    Yes all backers get Fragmented for free. It will be accessible in February, I guess we gotta wait till it becomes available :|
    From what I understood... What we know for sure as of now is that anyone currently owning The Repopulation (not only backers) will get access to Fragmented for free. It is going to be released as early access on Steam and they're gonna ask backers help test it before it goes live, and that it should happen in February.

    Stay tuned on the official forums/socials, they said instructions are going to be coming up about it. 
  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    I think this much more about game redesign than engine limitations.   I think they realized that their end product as it stood, was probably going to be a little more "niche" than they initially realized.  Designing a game around an extremely time intensive and convoluted crafting system, simply smacked of another release like Wildstar.  Great for the first 50 hours, and then it becomes a job.

    My guess is things will be a little less hardcore, this time around.
    I think this is a major part of their decision to redesign. Even without the Hero Engine failure, It didn't look like this game was going to amount to the game they intended it to be. This gives them exactly what they needed. A blessing in disguise.
    They have not mentioned any redesign at this point. The core features / systems / concepts of the game do still hold, and they owe that to their backer. I don't see that changing drastically going forward.
    Are you playing at semantics? They said they are no longer making the MMORPG they initially were. They are focusing on making a survival shooter with some rpg elements. How's that not a drastic change? 
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    edited February 2016
    I think this much more about game redesign than engine limitations.   I think they realized that their end product as it stood, was probably going to be a little more "niche" than they initially realized.  Designing a game around an extremely time intensive and convoluted crafting system, simply smacked of another release like Wildstar.  Great for the first 50 hours, and then it becomes a job.

    My guess is things will be a little less hardcore, this time around.
    I think this is a major part of their decision to redesign. Even without the Hero Engine failure, It didn't look like this game was going to amount to the game they intended it to be. This gives them exactly what they needed. A blessing in disguise.
    They have not mentioned any redesign at this point. The core features / systems / concepts of the game do still hold, and they owe that to their backer. I don't see that changing drastically going forward.
    Are you playing at semantics? They said they are no longer making the MMORPG they initially were. They are focusing on making a survival shooter with some rpg elements. How's that not a drastic change? 
    Yes, they are still making that MMORPG, just in another engine. As a starting point, they're building many many elements of said MMORPG, in terms of terrain, art, several systems, etc. and wrapping it in a survival game that's called "Fragmented", of which about 95% of the work being done for is directly applicable to the MMORPG they're developing meanwhile.

    It's a bit like what SOE was doing with Landmark vs. EQ:Next. Same idea.
  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    I think this much more about game redesign than engine limitations.   I think they realized that their end product as it stood, was probably going to be a little more "niche" than they initially realized.  Designing a game around an extremely time intensive and convoluted crafting system, simply smacked of another release like Wildstar.  Great for the first 50 hours, and then it becomes a job.

    My guess is things will be a little less hardcore, this time around.
    I think this is a major part of their decision to redesign. Even without the Hero Engine failure, It didn't look like this game was going to amount to the game they intended it to be. This gives them exactly what they needed. A blessing in disguise.
    They have not mentioned any redesign at this point. The core features / systems / concepts of the game do still hold, and they owe that to their backer. I don't see that changing drastically going forward.
    Are you playing at semantics? They said they are no longer making the MMORPG they initially were. They are focusing on making a survival shooter with some rpg elements. How's that not a drastic change? 
    Yes, they are still making that MMORPG, just in another engine. As a starting point, they're building many many elements of said MMORPG, in terms of terrain, art, several systems, etc. and wrapping it in a survival game that's called "Fragmented", of which about 95% of the work being done for is directly applicable to the MMORPG they're developing meanwhile.

    It's a bit like what SOE was doing with Landmark vs. EQ:Next. Same idea.
    That's not how I interpreted it. But Let's just leave at at that until something more substantial emerges from this.
  • TalonsinTalonsin Member EpicPosts: 3,619
    edited February 2016

    Other reasons why I think they can pull this : 

    -> they now have many years of experience developing a game, many more than they had at first
    -> they now have many more people working full-time on the game
    -> the UE tools are light-years ahead what HE was/is offering
    But do they have enough money to pull this off?  I'm ok with waiting for a better product and I like the guys behind this game and think they have some great ideas.  My concern is that they do not have enough money to carry them for several more years while they re-code an entire game in a new language.
    "Sean (Murray) saying MP will be in the game is not remotely close to evidence that at the point of purchase people thought there was MP in the game."  - SEANMCAD

  • Gaming.Rocks2Gaming.Rocks2 Member UncommonPosts: 531
    It is still possible for this team make it. They don't need their survival title to become as huge as ARK or DayZ. They just need a cash flow and I think they will make it. But even if their survival title picks up I don't see the point of continuing investing cash on their original MMO business wise. It's kind of a Robin Hood situation. I hope they do, because I really liked the game and just hated the engine. Good luck to them. 
    Gaming Rocks next gen. community for last gen. gamers launching soon. 
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    Yes, they are still making that MMORPG, just in another engine. As a starting point, they're building many many elements of said MMORPG, in terms of terrain, art, several systems, etc. and wrapping it in a survival game that's called "Fragmented", of which about 95% of the work being done for is directly applicable to the MMORPG they're developing meanwhile.

    It's a bit like what SOE was doing with Landmark vs. EQ:Next. Same idea.
    That's not how I interpreted it. But Let's just leave at at that until something more substantial emerges from this.
    Well, don't take my word for it; here they clearly stated that they were making both games :

    Our plan would be to release it piece by piece in modules which would first be similar to an MMO version of Fragmented, and would then add features one by one. We want to get the game into the hands of players as soon as possible and then expand upon the features as we go. There is quite a bit of work to do still though, and the best we could do in the meantime was to give players a free copy of a slimmed down version of the game in Fragmented.
    As as here :

    We didn’t want Repopulation fans to be sitting and waiting idly though while we frantically try to get the game ported to Unreal Engine. Starting in February we will begin testing a spin off set in the Repopulation universe which we have titled: Fragmented[http://www.fragmentedgame.com]. This product is a sci fi survival game which is similar to a more action oriented, and much trimmed down version of The Repopulation. This allowed us to not only reusemany of the same assets which we already had in place, but also makes up the reusable foundations of what will become the Unreal Engine based version of The Repopulation. We will be giving away this product for free to all owners of The Repopulation. 
    And here, from their Art Director :

    For the most part probably 95% of Fragmented will be use for Repop. Fragmented is just getting something into your hands much earlier than the time it will take us to complete Repop. Although we are working on Fragmented, it is the same as working on Repop. Just to be clear The Repopulation is not on hold at all it is currently in development.

    So everything I condensed in that paragraph up there is substantiated by what the devs have told us.


  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708

    Talonsin said:

    Other reasons why I think they can pull this : 

    -> they now have many years of experience developing a game, many more than they had at first
    -> they now have many more people working full-time on the game
    -> the UE tools are light-years ahead what HE was/is offering
    But do they have enough money to pull this off?  I'm ok with waiting for a better product and I like the guys behind this game and think they have some great ideas.  My concern is that they do not have enough money to carry them for several more years while they re-code an entire game in a new language.
    No, they don't. That's why they're making Fragmented. See this discussion on Steam here :

    Yeah the biggest thing here was that if we did a direct port to UE4 we'd be looking at a long downtime. Fragmented gives us a chance to get a product out (for free) to all of our players and soon. And the code that it is using is the base for the UE4 Repopulation. Repop will be more complex, more RPG oriented, and has more features, but those features will take longer to build. The core is what you will first see in Fragmented and we will build on top of that to produce the UE4 version of The Repopulation. 

    So I guess the easy way to look at it were that we had two options:

    Option A) Bypass Fragmented and just focus on the UE4 Repop. This would ask players to wait significantly longer because Repop has more features and complexity. In the meantime we would have no money incoming and would likely have to find a way to fund the added development cycle via a Kickstarter or venture capitol.

    Option B) Release a survival based and downscaled version of the game and then build upon that to create the full version of The Repopulation. The advantage of this approach is that existing players get Fragmented for free and much more quickly. That code also serves as the starting point for the UE4 Repop so allows us to work on Option A at the same time that Option B is happening. Also important is that funds from Fragmented will allow us to get back to a full staff for Repop without going to a new Kickstarter.

    We felt Option B was the best route to go.


  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    Yes, they are still making that MMORPG, just in another engine. As a starting point, they're building many many elements of said MMORPG, in terms of terrain, art, several systems, etc. and wrapping it in a survival game that's called "Fragmented", of which about 95% of the work being done for is directly applicable to the MMORPG they're developing meanwhile.

    It's a bit like what SOE was doing with Landmark vs. EQ:Next. Same idea.
    That's not how I interpreted it. But Let's just leave at at that until something more substantial emerges from this.
    Well, don't take my word for it; here they clearly stated that they were making both games :

    Our plan would be to release it piece by piece in modules which would first be similar to an MMO version of Fragmented, and would then add features one by one. We want to get the game into the hands of players as soon as possible and then expand upon the features as we go. There is quite a bit of work to do still though, and the best we could do in the meantime was to give players a free copy of a slimmed down version of the game in Fragmented.
    As as here :

    We didn’t want Repopulation fans to be sitting and waiting idly though while we frantically try to get the game ported to Unreal Engine. Starting in February we will begin testing a spin off set in the Repopulation universe which we have titled: Fragmented[http://www.fragmentedgame.com]. This product is a sci fi survival game which is similar to a more action oriented, and much trimmed down version of The Repopulation. This allowed us to not only reusemany of the same assets which we already had in place, but also makes up the reusable foundations of what will become the Unreal Engine based version of The Repopulation. We will be giving away this product for free to all owners of The Repopulation. 
    And here, from their Art Director :

    For the most part probably 95% of Fragmented will be use for Repop. Fragmented is just getting something into your hands much earlier than the time it will take us to complete Repop. Although we are working on Fragmented, it is the same as working on Repop. Just to be clear The Repopulation is not on hold at all it is currently in development.

    So everything I condensed in that paragraph up there is substantiated by what the devs have told us.


    I still read that to mean they are gutting their original game into a survival shooter co op. That's module one.
    Module 2 will be to convert that game to an MMO. 

    They did not say they are going to re release their original concept. In fact unless they get an investor, they said that's not likely to happen.
  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708

    They did not say they are going to re release their original concept. In fact unless they get an investor, they said that's not likely to happen.
    I don't believe they have said that. In fact, every post I've read points to the opposite, including the FAQ linked above and this post on Steam.

    Do you have an actual link to a quote?
  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    edited February 2016

    They did not say they are going to re release their original concept. In fact unless they get an investor, they said that's not likely to happen.
    I don't believe they have said that. In fact, every post I've read points to the opposite, including the FAQ linked above and this post on Steam.

    Do you have an actual link to a quote?
    https://www.therepopulation.com/index.php/news/275-the-future-of-the-repopulation

    Is it Possible that the Original Version of The Repopulation Gets Released?

    We want to keep our options open there, and have been hopeful that something would fall into place to get the game to market. But we’ve yet to find an acceptable solution to do that to date. As of now we are moving forward with the assumption that this is not going to happen, but are happy to discuss options with any third parties who may want to bring the game to market.

    and on the same page:

    How Does Fragmented Differ From The Repopulation?

    Where The Repopulation was RPG first, with simulated shooter in Action Mode, Fragmented is a First/Third Person Survival Shooter with RPG elements.



    That means the way I interpret this, the final concept of TR will be a MMO action survival shooter. Not a sandbox MMORPG.

  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    edited February 2016

    That means the way I interpret this, the final concept of TR will be a MMO action survival shooter. Not a sandbox MMORPG.

    Yes, I've read that same quote and I agree it could be confusing, but they were really just talking about the game engine, not the whole game concep. If you add other quotes, sich as the one below, I think it becomes clear enough that they are still doing the same game concept-wise :


    As for features, the core features of the HE based Repop will make it into the UE4 based version. But as we're doing it we'll also examine those systems and streamline them. It's a lot easier to streamline some things when other systems haven't yet been built on top of them. Sieging will definitely be in Repop though. And I have to say I'm really enjoying attacking structures in Fragmented right now. It's a lot of fun watching buildings crumble.


    Post edited by HolyAvengerOne on
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    Talonsin said:

    Other reasons why I think they can pull this : 

    -> they now have many years of experience developing a game, many more than they had at first
    -> they now have many more people working full-time on the game
    -> the UE tools are light-years ahead what HE was/is offering
    But do they have enough money to pull this off?  I'm ok with waiting for a better product and I like the guys behind this game and think they have some great ideas.  My concern is that they do not have enough money to carry them for several more years while they re-code an entire game in a new language.
    Hence the need for fragmented , to generate revenue to fund the MMORPG.

    Same reason SOE did Landmark, they needed the money

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  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855

    That means the way I interpret this, the final concept of TR will be a MMO action survival shooter. Not a sandbox MMORPG.

    Yes, I've read that same quote and I agree it could be confusing, but they were really just talking about the game engine, not the whole game concep. If you add other quotes, sich as the one below, I think it becomes clear enough that they are still doing the same game concept-wise :


    As for features, the core features of the HE based Repop will make it into the UE4 based version. But as we're doing it we'll also examine those systems and streamline them. It's a lot easier to streamline some things when other systems haven't yet been built on top of them. Sieging will definitely be in Repop though. And I have to say I'm really enjoying attacking structures in Fragmented right now. It's a lot of fun watching buildings crumble.


    OK, well, I read that link too. And between the two statements, I still don't see it the way you do I guess.

    Like I said, I'll just wait and see what they release.


  • MikehaMikeha Member EpicPosts: 9,196
    edited February 2016
    I remember the hype for this one.  B)
  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    It's not over til it's over! Hang in there guys! :-)

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • mklinicmklinic Member RarePosts: 1,976
    OK, well, I read that link too. And between the two statements, I still don't see it the way you do I guess.

    Like I said, I'll just wait and see what they release.
    In the announcement, they make the following statement about TR:

    "Given the circumstances we have decided it would be in the best interest of the game to port to Unreal Engine."

    Further down, they make the statement about Fragmented:

    "We didn’t want Repopulation fans to be sitting and waiting idly though while we frantically try to get the game ported to Unreal Engine. Starting in February we will begin testing a spin off set in the Repopulation universe which we have titled: Fragments"
    (emphasis mine)

    Source: http://steamcommunity.com/app/322300/discussions/0/451852225143944366/

    The Fragmented FAQ, a few replies down from the announcement (on Steam), seems to outline basic ideas of the game an a number of places where it differs from Repop. However, I can see, if you squint really hard, where there are a few potentially ambiguous statements that could blur distinction between the two.

    So, I may be over simplifying, but I read "Spin off" (in the announcement) as just that. A separate entity inspired by the first. That does not infer any particular change to TR itself (aside from any that may be required, or preferred, by the actual engine switch).

    Ultimately, if it is just a matter of interpretation, then why not put the question to the devs directly? They seem pretty responsive in the Steam forums from what I've seen so should be straight forward enough to sort out if you're so inclined. Maybe mmorpg.com could do an interview with the devs (if they haven't already). That'd be a good question to include if they do.

    -mklinic

    "Do something right, no one remembers.
    Do something wrong, no one forgets"
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  • HolyAvengerOneHolyAvengerOne Member UncommonPosts: 708
    mklinic said:

     [...] then why not put the question to the devs directly? They seem pretty responsive in the Steam forums from what I've seen so should be straight forward enough to sort out if you're so inclined. Maybe mmorpg.com could do an interview with the devs (if they haven't already). That'd be a good question to include if they do.
    Agreed! That could clear up some of the confusion... and proove me right ;)

    JC Smith used to be rather active on these forums, maybe he'll drop by when he has a chance.
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