About the Countdown -- From Our Creative Director


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Just now, AcademicDust894 said:

Hi Raphael

The PC will get the test branch end of may early june. If that lasts 2-4 weeks of testing then it would only leave about 4 weeks for full release. With MS cert etc, will the xbox players get the sandbox update or will we have to wait until the full release in August.

Thanks

Looks like they've planned in advance for certification - I would expect August 1.

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1 minute ago, Fluffy23 said:

To be honest. He deserves it.

im not gonna post again on this but let me just say that what your doing brings nothing good.

nothing is gonna change so get over it and grow up.

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What do you expect to happen?

First threads appeared where people asked what's going on, any news? Expectations rise. Than the response that "in a few days" some big and very exciting news are coming. Meanwhile you post on twitter that you're writing on some news and have difficulties to not spoil to much. This what always happens when a new update comes out. Also this means that the update is basicly ready to release, otherwise you wouldn't write the news about it. A few WEEKS later the Big News is the link to the countdown where we can expect something big coming.

If it is so "big", than it can't be just a regular sandbox update but has to be more. Boom - hundrets of threads appear in all forums where people discuss wether it will be the last sandbox update with the release date for storymode or storymode itself. Either way, the sandbox would be the "final" sandbox - so with all features, all mechanics that will be in the released game (not alpha anymore). Now the countdown was just for another countdown. So we have no news, no informations, no updates, no nothing for months, complete silence. People are desperate more than ever. Than we have teasing announcements for upcoming announcements, cliffhangers for cliffhangers and countdowns for countdowns.

You knew what the community expected. One look into the forum here or at steam for 1 minute would have made that clear. And you knew that for weeks. Nobody from Hinterland said that the countdown will not lead to an update but just to news.

Here in the forum are a lot of threads about the bad communication between Hinterland and the community - even in these threads there is basicly no response.

There are people who took a day off to play today. This is just not how to treat a customer or someone who is supporting you guys. There is a huge loss in trust.

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6 minutes ago, Loppysaurusrex said:

I can't believe Hinterland actually stooped so low as to scam midweek madness buyers by making them think the game was about to release with the countdown.

 

You knew what you were doing with that countdown timer, absolutely shameful.

Not a scam -- the price is indeed going up. You can read more about out thoughts on pricing in our FAQ here: http://www.thelongdark.com/news/posts/frequently-asked-questions/

As we stated, it was to give players a chance to get the game on sale from the Early Access price one last time. 

But we hear you on the countdown, we understand. 

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11 minutes ago, Patrick Carlson said:

Not a scam -- the price is indeed going up. You can read more about out thoughts on pricing in our FAQ here: http://www.thelongdark.com/news/posts/frequently-asked-questions/

As we stated, it was to give players a chance to get the game on sale from the Early Access price one last time. 

But we hear you on the countdown, we understand. 

It's still not ok, you knew what you were doing

 

 

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Thanks for the outreach Raphael. It's good to see you willing to take responsibility for the countdown. I don't think it was the countdown that got everyone so upset. I still believe that it's the hype that a lot of us built around the mystery of the countdown. You and your team seem like honest people with nothing but goodwill towards the player base.

That being said,  it's okay for people to be upset. It's okay to be disappointed, but the way some of you on this thread are behaving is unbelievably rude and immature. I'm sorry, but constructive criticism and outright vitriol are two different things and you shouldn't be proud of wishing ill on others. Ever.

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Just now, Felli said:

Thanks for the outreach Raphael. It's good to see you willing to take responsibility for the countdown. I don't think it was the countdown that got everyone so upset. I still believe that it's the hype that a lot of us built around the mystery of the countdown. You and your team seem like honest people with nothing but goodwill towards the player base.

That being said,  it's okay for people to be upset. It's okay to be disappointed, but the way some of you on this thread are behaving is unbelievably rude and immature. I'm sorry, but constructive criticism and outright vitriol are two different things and you shouldn't be proud of wishing ill on others. Ever.

I've seen nobody wishing ill, but that's odd since Hinterlands clearly doesn't respect their community and buyers by intentionally trying to generate sales with the countdown and midweek madness.  If anything they're wishing ill on us

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I feel you should really cut the developing team some slack. I feel Hinterland is partly at fault, however, the community was utterly blinded by the potential release following the end of the countdown. I mean, think about it. As hyped and anticipated as Story Mode already is, wouldn't Hinterland take advantage of this and build even more hype by telling us that the countdown was for Story Mode? If they did that, they would have been able to draw out an even larger following of those anticipating the full release of Story Mode but also the complete release of Long Dark as a whole. I feel the vast majority of the community was overhyped for Story Mode, and let this situation blind their vision. They didn't reason on this, seeing the flaws in their theory. Although Hinterland could have handled this situation differently, I feel the community is also at fault. All and all, Story Mode will be released and this misunderstanding WILL be a thing of the pass. I was very satisfied with the information regarding Story Mode at the end of the countdown, and am excited as ever for the release of Story Mode. Thank you Hinterland! :D

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Nothing wrong with the countdown itself if...

1) You would have stated that the countdown was for the new website

2) If you, during the countdown, would have not stated like if it was completely unrelated "one more sandbox update coming before story"

3) If you, during the countdown, would not have stated "buy now because it is going out of EA

4) If you, during the countdown, would not completely ignored all the threads that were being made on the wrong direction

5) If you, during the countdown, controlled the message

Unless of course - you did control the message. Because it is not a countdown screw up, its a chain of events that feels too coincidental to be a coincidence and therefore make it somewhat hard to believe this was a simple mistake. And also a bit hard to take the apology at face value tbh.

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I found out while at work that the game didn't change in any way today, and was devastated. I was irritated for the last half of my shift. I was looking soooo forward to coming home and playing whatever had changed, learning it, taking it out for a spin. I figured out before I made it home, though, that I was mad at myself more than at Hinterland. I was mad at myself for letting myself be hopeful about the game. From here on out, I won't pay any attention to what's supposed to happen with the game, and just play it when it does happen. My expectations about Hinterland may have taken a ding today, but the game is still good like it is now. Story mode Aug 1st? Hopefully. Maybe. I'm not going to count on it. If it happens, it happens. That will be how I approach this game from now on. In the end, it is just a game. Am I happy today? No. Will I live? Yeah, I sure hope so. (If not, it has nothing to do with a video game.) Will I play story mode when it does drop? Yep. Any way, I guess I need to go work on that 1000 fire badge. Still not done......

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Well i awoke at 4 am this morning to read the update patch notes. And well you can imagine my dissapointment... i was a little ticked off to say the least. 

I calmed myself down and i read through the forums. What i saw didnt really surprise me but it made me sad. I love this game. Sure the devs have been a little unwise with the way they have handled the community but that doesnt change the fact that they have made an amazing game. So to combat all the negativity around at the moment im going to write my first ever positive game review on steam. Probably wont do much, but anyway.

In saying all that hinterland did not handle this release of news well. Im speaking directly to the devs now. Please be more direct with us. Give us more information. We want knowledge about the game. We also love the game. I would advise doing a relaxed podcast...releasing more info on even a weekly bases would be great. Talk to us more about survival mode. Thats all i can think of right now. But my point is that your community relations need improvement. 

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Fair Warning: This is a sermon and I'm getting preachy.

1.  Be charitable.  If something can reasonably be taken in more than one way, take it in the way that is most sensible to the member's overall argument.

2.  As someone said either earlier in this thread or in the countdown thread, the principle of charity also applies to mistakes.  If something can be just as reasonably taken as a mistake rather than malice, take it as a mistake first.

3.  Find the actual problem.  For example, I've seen people say that they're giving bad reviews because it's only fair to warn people that Hinterlands isn't coming out with story mode.  However, that doesn't make sense.  If you truly believed that Hinterlands wasn't coming through with story mode, the evidence was *stronger* before this announcement.  It's actually virtually certain that story mode is on the verge of being released this summer.  The problem isn't that a rational person believes story mode won't be released.  It's that it wasn't released *today,* which is a spurious argument for posting a bad review.

4.  Propose an actual solution to number 3.  What is the best way to address perceived wrongs?  Is there any other than giving the apology and then following through with the proposed update on sandbox and release of story?

The point I'm making isn't that Hinterlands didn't make a gaffe.  While I could read between the lines and assume that Raph wasn't contrite, it seems reasonable to take his statement as an apology and I choose to do so.  It wouldn't make me happier to assume otherwise and I doubt it gives lasting satisfaction to anyone else to read his statement in the worst possible way.  So, we have people who are angry, and some of them are clearly emotionally invested, but I would suggest this, and I offer it as your Dutch uncle, don't let the design process rob you of a great gaming experience.  Be mad at Hinterlands if you want.  I choose not to be angry, but if you get grim satisfaction out of making a Raph voodoo doll and... tickling its feet with a feather or whatever, go ahead.  Fair enough.  If you want to write a few angry screeds against what you see as their duplicity, let loose your angry fingers and start typing.  If you want to complain bitterly to your wife and friends, I say have at it.  I say all that without rancor and, frankly, without much judgement.  I've done a couple of those things myself since the advent of the internet.  Just don't run off in a huff and refuse to try the game you've already bought and for which you've waited for so long.  If nothing else, enjoy the game out of spite.

Now, having gotten on my soap box and delivered the sermon, I won't respond with anger to hostile retorts.  I probably deserve a little bit of ridicule for offering unsolicited advice.  Still, I would advocate more calm simply because I don't see what blind anger and hostility gain.  There's no profit in giving reign to gamer rage.

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Our hopes have been dashed.  This reminds me of some instances playing in The Long Dark.  Like preparing to hike out of PV only to get stuck for two days because of back to back blizzards interspersed with severe high winds. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Cantousent said:

4.  Propose an actual solution to number 3.  What is the best way to address perceived wrongs?  Is there any other than giving the apology and then following through with the proposed update on sandbox and release of story?

I have one idea: maybe if Ralph would stop trolling the community like this ?

https://www.reddit.com/r/thelongdark/comments/68vkna/what_happened_to_the_countdown/dh1tad6/?context=3

He can do all the Seppuku he wants on the forums but that is from someone who knows he is trolling us.

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Thank you for the apology.

To be honest a lot of people got over-hyped, emotional and irrational. There were talks that the countdown was for the sandbox update or the story mode. And in that irrational over-hyped emotional state people went full chimp on Steam about it; from calling review boycotts, very angry threads, to people jumping in possitive threads to fling hatred at fans who were trying to apply cold wet cloths into a very volatile and hot situation.

So if at all, I feel the steam community owes Hinterland an apology. Thank you guys for this amazing game, for keeping us updated, for taking the high road and admit mistakes.

Kudos Hinterland <3

 

(Deja vu from Steam? To be honest, reddit and the official forums are taking this countdown business way much better and maturely than the steam discussions :3ç)

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