Distant Worlds: Universe Steam Page and New Video Trailer

[drillerman]

Come on you youtubers get posting the DW videos up on steam!!!!!!!

[whiran]

ORIGINAL: WiZz

The base price of Distant Worlds: Universe will be $59.99 Download / $69.99 Physical. This represents a significant discount over the previous series bundle. The Physical version is only available through our store and includes an updated and full color printed Distant Worlds series game manual.

For the release, it will be available at a pre-order price of $49.99 Download / $59.99 physical. This will be the pre-order price through Steam. As we don't do pre-orders through our own store, this will be our release price as well, with a post-release promotional period as with past Distant Worlds releases that allows early adopters to get the game for a lower price, after which it will revert to the permanent $59.99 / $69.99 price level.

I'm predicting a lot of complaining about very high price. However, this is not a big problem for mature DW-fans (thanks to coupons through Matrix store), like us, but still... 60 bucks (price of AAA-title! [X(] ) for old game series? Steamusers and new future customers will not understand this.

I'm predicting that the price won't be the cause of a significant amount of complaining. There will probably be a couple of people who complain but, to be fair, some people will complain about -any- price.

$60 USD for this game seems to be a very reasonable and well chosen price point.
$50 USD if the game is pre-purchased (assuming it becomes available to do so.)

If the game ever goes on sale at the 50% point, that'll make it $30 USD.
If it goes on sale at the 75% mark it'll be $15 USD.

I doubt it'll take long before people point out that the previous price tag for Distant Worlds (with all expansions) was ~$100 USD.

[Deathball]

Will the discount require us to enter every serial? I'm wondering because I don't think I have all my serials at hand anymore and I'm not looking forward to digging through my pile of more or less important notes, that thing has grown to a considerable size over the years.

[Spacecadet]

ORIGINAL: Deathball

Will the discount require us to enter every serial? I'm wondering because I don't think I have all my serials at hand anymore and I'm not looking forward to digging through my pile of more or less important notes, that thing has grown to a considerable size over the years.

Since each expansion requires the one before it, I would think that the last version serial number is the only one you would need - it can be found in the Distant Worlds directory in a text file.

[Osito]

I would think you'd be ok provided you registered each version of the game. When I log in to the Matrix 'members club', it knows which games I've bought and the serial numbers. If you haven't registered them, it's hard to believe you won't need to supply the serial numbers.

[Ranbir]

Holy crap that discount price....YES!

[Tree Dog]

ORIGINAL: Algon

2. As long as there is no DRM on Universe (Erik confirmed there isn't) you should be able to run the game from the executable itself after the game is installed (which will require steam for the steam version - no way around that)

That's not how it works. Since DW:U doesn't use the Steam DRM, you can just copy/paste your whole DW:U folder on a computer without Steam and run it there right away (although I'm guessing DW:U would still ask for your cd key on first launch?). I've done it plenty times with a bunch of games that don't use the Steam DRM, always worked fine.
If it uses the workshop or Steam for multiplayer, it should let you launch the game and play, but it'd complain it can't connect to Steam when you try to use these features.

ORIGINAL: whiran

If the game ever goes on sale at the 50% point, that'll make it $30 USD.
If it goes on sale at the 75% mark it'll be $15 USD.

Will it ever go on sale on Steam, though? Is this up to Matrix or Steam?
I'm sure many won't buy it straight away and wait for a sale.

[Darkspire]

Well I gave it a go [8|]

Tried to set up a Steam account, waited for two days for an email for verification, nothing. Have a look in the help section for not receiving it and I have to set up another account for support???

It is nearly as bad as waiting for a simple message of thanks for the work that I did for a veteran member of this forum [8|]



If they want my help they know where to find me

Darkspire

[Icemania]

Well it's not like 30 million other people figured it out! Oh wait ... [:'(]

Anyway jokes aside Darkspire I hope you persist because the Steam Forum could use your commentary along with other veterans.

[Darkspire]

ORIGINAL: Icemania

Well it's not like 30 million other people figured it out! Oh wait ... [:'(]

Anyway jokes aside Darkspire I hope you persist because the Steam Forum could use your commentary along with other veterans.

I can only presume that they are going to say that it is because that I do not have the client installed, no way am I going down that path. I have set an account up, jumped through all the hoops but I am not going to set up another account up just to get help on the first account I set up that there auto bots seem to have got cross wires on. Besides, have you seen that forum?? It is more akin to a signing book than a forum. I will keep an eye on the emails and see if it turns up, if not, well no loss, I will help here if I can as and when the questions pop up.

Darkspire

[randal7]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

The two galaxies - well, one is the galaxy you've been playing in, the other is the nearby galaxy where you-know-who came from. [;)]

Regards,

- Erik

No follow up on this? Two galaxies in one game, or start in the other galaxy, or is it an endgame thing like in MOO2? Or is that a secret for now?

[Erik Rutins]

Two galaxies on one map would effectively be like two large separated clusters. What was shown in the video was for storyline purposes.

SPOILER ALERT

The Shakturi invaded the main Distant Worlds galaxy from a different nearby galaxy. That initial view in the video shows the galaxy the Shakturi came from adjacent to "our" galaxy. The Shakturi invasion comes from the direction of their galaxy.

Regards,

- Erik

[tbrass]

So Eric,

You just confirmed that the max size is now 2800 stars divided into two clusters that have limited means to connect to each other.
Right? You know, so we can repulse the invasion of the Shakturi and follow it back to the source?

And the warp effects show in the video are in the game as well?

Awesome!

[Erik Rutins]

Er, no I did not say that. [:)] I said that you could in theory do something like it that way but the two galaxies were shown in the video for storyline reasons.

The warp effects are indeed in the game - they always have been though, but perhaps you haven't noticed them animating before? We used the in-game art and effects for the video creation.

Regards,

- Erik

[ASHBERY76]

The unsolved mystery is why do the Shakturi use Machine ship style planet destroyers.

[tbrass]

I haven't noticed the warping effects before. Thanks for clarifying that it is in-game art -- I'll look more closely in mid-late game next time.

[drillerman]

Hi Erik,
I have never noticed the warp effects look as good as that and I've been playing the game since it came out.
A quick question regarding the graphics on the Universe trailer. To me they seem a mixture of in game and not in game graphics as it zooms into the solar system. the sun graphics do not look like in game graphics unless they have been redone. The overlapping of the solar systems looks misleading and gives the impression that the game universe is in 3D. It also maybe worth stating on the trailer that it is a mixture of in game and not in game graphics, so as not to disappoint

[Atrocities]

Will current owners get a coupon or something if they want to buy DWU on Steam? Seems like it would be a good idea to support those who have already bought the game and all its expansions. I know I would buy DWU on Steam if I were issued a discount coupon. I have already bought DW and the expansions but would also buy DWU on Steam or direct download if given a discount for already having the game and its expansions.

We will also be offering existing customers a discount based on what parts of the series they own. It's a $10 discount per release, so if you own everything that's been released so far (Distant Worlds + Return of the Shakturi + Legends + Shadows) then during the post-release promotion period, your price to upgrade to Universe would be $9.99 Download or $19.99 Physical

OUTSTANDING.

[tjhkkr]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Two galaxies on one map would effectively be like two large separated clusters. What was shown in the video was for storyline purposes.

SPOILER ALERT

The Shakturi invaded the main Distant Worlds galaxy from a different nearby galaxy. That initial view in the video shows the galaxy the Shakturi came from adjacent to "our" galaxy. The Shakturi invasion comes from the direction of their galaxy.
Regards,
- Erik

In order to play the early events, is there a need to play two galaxies?
It is not exactly a huge deal... but I do love the HUGE feel of the galaxy?

[Icemania]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: WiZz
I'm predicting a lot of complaining about very high price. However, this is not a big problem for mature DW-fans (thanks to coupons through Matrix store), like us, but still... 60 bucks (price of AAA-title! [X(] ) for old game series? Steamusers and new future customers will not understand this.

We'll see - I think it's impossible to make everyone happy, but I think that what we're offering here for a release that is brand new albeit built on many previous releases is a very fair price for the gameplay and content. It also represents a substantial discount over the previous full series price, before Universe was even finished.

Regards,

- Erik

While I agree your pricing is reasonable for what you are offering you may want to check the Steam Forums. I was expecting you would have a little more time but the unconstructive criticisms have already begun.