automationgame.com

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:34 am**

While I am worried I've spent $30 on a game that has already rotted on the vine, I purchased it to show support for this genre of game.

I have been designing a game like this for a long time, having spent hundreds of hours on actual engine simulation (professional) software, it's nice to bring other pieces together with things like graphics, sounds etc.

With that said, playing this game is - interesting, lots right with it!

What I'm trying to figure out is, am I supposed to have more than 4 engine configurations? I-4, I-6, V8, Flat plane 8?
I've heard of different versions of this game, looked through the website and I cannot find any other version (except steam, I don't care for steam) other than the "Early Version" that I've got.

I wish I had the ability to motivate this team to actually expand, hire more talent and turn this lump with potential into a final game, with sequels, new game engines, expand on the game. You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

Have you considered a kickstarter campaign? I'm not sure what you've got as far as sales, but if money is the issue, try it, you need more help and you've got a great start.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:49 am**

What I'm trying to figure out is, am I supposed to have more than 4 engine configurations? I-4, I-6, V8, Flat plane 8?

Those are the only engine layouts available currently, although the dev team is currently working on V6s and plans to have them available in ~1 month. More engines will come later in the developpement cycle.

This post should give you an idea of what should end up in the final release. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=137

I wish I had the ability to motivate this team to actually expand, hire more talent and turn this lump with potential into a final game, with sequels, new game engines, expand on the game. You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

AFAIK, they plan on hiring a few more people to help for developing with the money they make from steam. It should be noted though that more programmers doesn't necessarily equal faster development.

Have you considered a kickstarter campaign? I'm not sure what you've got as far as sales, but if money is the issue, try it, you need more help and you've got a great start.

This is actually how this whole thing started, a few years ago.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:17 am**

Thank you for the response.

That is good news for the V6.

Well managed (and paid) programmers/artists do improve a development cycle when there are very few to get work done. Follow Minecraft. That is a great example of someone who has stuck to it, gotten help, and made quite a sum of money.

There are a lot of idea that I could contribute that would be more numerically driven, and not something so intensive that required a great deal of graphical modeling and layout. I understand basic engines are going to take a great deal of time. Again, I imagine it is all a limitation of programming talent and their availability.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:31 am**

They have a lot of knowledge about programming and design combined. Together with the help of the community they try to get the best usability and flow of the game.

If I understood correct, they want to use the money they make with selling their game on Steam for hiring a couple of people to speed up the development process. This includes both programmers and designers. Eventhough, all together I would reckon the total dev time there is left is approx. 2 years from now.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:46 am**

Beau wrote:I wish I had the ability to motivate this team to actually expand, hire more talent and turn this lump with potential into a final game, with sequels, new game engines, expand on the game. You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

Have you considered a kickstarter campaign? I'm not sure what you've got as far as sales, but if money is the issue, try it, you need more help and you've got a great start.

We've been slowly working our way through development with our 3 man team, but in the last few weeks since Steam release we've finally made quite a lot of sales.

We're already in the process of organizing a second programmer to hire, as well as ordering a bunch more contract art work.

We don't need "motivating" to expand and hire more talent. We need money, and as of two weeks ago we've started getting that, it'll just take a little while to for us to receive the money from valve, and to start using it for good

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:46 pm**

Beau wrote:You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

If it takes one woman 9 months to make a baby, does that mean two women can make a baby in 4.5 months? Software development is not like building a house, where more people = more progress.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:10 am**

utopian201 wrote:
Beau wrote:You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

If it takes one woman 9 months to make a baby, does that mean two women can make a baby in 4.5 months? Software development is not like building a house, where more people = more progress.

Look at dayz standalone for instance. What progress?

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:41 am**

Though in our case we totally have work that could be done by at least 2 more artists and 2 more programmers I'd say.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:15 am**

USDMFTW wrote:
Look at dayz standalone for instance. What progress?

Oh god.. don't get me started on that pile of rubbish they call a game. :roll:

Everytime I look on 'Early Access' top sellers and see it above Automation I cringe and wonder why people continue to throw money at such garbage while the developers are sitting on a beach somewhere laughing with their bags of money... I can' t believe I paid for that garbage.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:32 pm**

Daffyflyer wrote:
Beau wrote:I wish I had the ability to motivate this team to actually expand, hire more talent and turn this lump with potential into a final game, with sequels, new game engines, expand on the game. You guys need more programmers and artists (You've done great so far!) You just need more help...

Have you considered a kickstarter campaign? I'm not sure what you've got as far as sales, but if money is the issue, try it, you need more help and you've got a great start.

We've been slowly working our way through development with our 3 man team, but in the last few weeks since Steam release we've finally made quite a lot of sales.

We're already in the process of organizing a second programmer to hire, as well as ordering a bunch more contract art work.

We don't need "motivating" to expand and hire more talent. We need money, and as of two weeks ago we've started getting that, it'll just take a little while to for us to receive the money from valve, and to start using it for good

This worries me somewhat. I'm happy that you guys are now getting more funds to further develop the game. That is great news. What I'm worried at is why just because of Steam money starts rolling, whereas before with essentially the same game it was more limited. It signifies the power of the Steam platform and that is for me sometimes a worrying finding.

BTW I'm also using the converted Steam version, but I would have loved to see more financial success already before getting on Steam. It seems most games can nowadays only exist because of Steam

Daffyflyer wrote:Though in our case we totally have work that could be done by at least 2 more artists and 2 more programmers I'd say.

Happy to hear that we can look forward to much more great stuff in the future.

Drake wrote:
USDMFTW wrote:
Look at dayz standalone for instance. What progress?

Oh god.. don't get me started on that pile of rubbish they call a game.

Everytime I look on 'Early Access' top sellers and see it above Automation I cringe and wonder why people continue to throw money at such garbage while the developers are sitting on a beach somewhere laughing with their bags of money... I can' t believe I paid for that garbage.

I still know it from the dayz when it was still a free Arma mod, even then I found it not interesting and shallow. Never understood why it took off so much in the first place. I'm also surprised to see that "game" getting in the top sales figures for years now. Why are all these people buying it still? Other games around the same age would almost not effectively be sold anymore by now. I have no clue. Sometimes things are just illogical, but I guess the market is always right?

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:42 pm**

Tycondero wrote:This worries me somewhat. I'm happy that you guys are now getting more funds to further develop the game. That is great news. What I'm worried at is why just because of Steam money starts rolling, whereas before with essentially the same game it was more limited. It signifies the power of the Steam platform and that is for me sometimes a worrying finding.

It makes perfect sense to me, particularly in our case for a few reasons 1: we had a huge PR campaign timed with our Steam launch, with the TST videos, lots of youtubers doing videos about us, articles on car websites etc. Far more PR than we'd ever done before. 2: Steam itself gives a lot of exposure. Multiple millions of people saw us on the front page of Steam and the early access recently launched listings. And quite a lot of press saw us that way too I think. 3: Quite a lot of people already knew about us, but didn't want the inconvenience of buying a game outside of their usual way of buying PC games (Steam)

Sales were pretty decent off Steam, enough to pay our wages, assorted technology costs, and have some savings in reserve, so it's not like it was selling poorly from our website. Then we did a huge marketing campaign and appeared on the largest and most popular PC game platform in the world, so yeah.. of course that's going to make a massive difference.

You're quite right, as the pretty much "standard" way of buying PC games, Steam has a huge influence. I guess that might have potential downsides in terms of being somewhat of a monopoly, but for developers such as ourselves it's not really a bad thing.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:17 pm**

Well, at least I'm happy you guys are doing great. More money for development means ultimately a more expanded/better game. At least that is what I hope.

I have every faith that you guys will deliver though!

Posted: **Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:42 am**

Awesome, thanks

Trust me, both me and every games industry person I've ever met would be far more worried if we were making the same amount of money on Steam rather than making a lot more

Posted: **Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:24 am**

Daffyflyer wrote:Trust me, both me and every games industry person I've ever met would be far more worried if we were making the same amount of money on Steam rather than making a lot more

True!

automationgame.com

I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?

Re: I know the game isn't complete, but what should I have?