Everything starts right here.
It’s wonderful when your game has become so synonymous with an idea that its name is thrown around like a term that had Webster’s blessings. I’ve seen this a lot lately in my preferred genera of simulation management games where Dwarf Fortress is held as the gold standard that every game in the field wants to emulate. However few games have done this more blatantly than the new title by Double Fine called Spacebase DF-9, self proclaimed dwarf fortress in space.
I don’t mind this standard but it’s a lofty goal for anyone as Dwarf Fortress has been in the making for years and holds a rather diehard following of ‘fun’ seeking masochists, myself included. However, Spacebase isn’t hurdling over this high bar completely unprepared as Double Fine has backed it with a strong staff and the games to prove it. Well reviewed titles such as Pysconauts and Brutel legend show us that if nothing else these guys are crazy enough to believe in what they’re promising. In fact, we saw them take their word to the bank and cash it for over three million when their kick starter project, Broken Age, broke their goal of four hundred thousand over eight times. Then there’s also the fact that Spacebase DF-9 was actually created over a year ago as Double Fines AF 2012 challenge and publicly picked as one of the winners.
This is all well in good but we still need something physical we can put our hands on, especially considering Spacebase’s opening cost of 25$. A very hefty sum for an alpha especially if you consider that you run out of content about 30 minutes into the game. So what does Spacebase have to offer? Well, lets start with its most substantial feature, Spacebase list of planned content
Perhaps as another shout out to Dwarf Fortress who also feature a rather substantial list of intended content on their front page, Spacebase has gone and done the same. A list of intended features that goes on like a J. R. Tolkien novel, a wonderful if not long work of fiction. The features read like poetry, ideas and concepts that paint a world of gumdrops and ice cream in my mind. This is in fact the strongest feature Double Fine can offer in their game, as this list of intended content will take more time to read than it would be to go through everything already implemented in game, including the act of downloading the game.
The glass half full?
This was all it took, a good idea, a good demo, and a good name to get the go ahead on steams green light process. Now people are left to wonder what they’re buying into and if its worth it. This is a very tricky question because skin deep the answer is obviously no. Why would you ever want to pay full price for a game that’ promises more than it’s delivered especially if that same game could flop and even drop in substantially in cost? The answer, for me at least, is because getting in on the ground floor allows you to get an inside look at a games development and progression. Every month, in theory, the game adds a new feature, a new piece or plaything and that feels like we’re getting a free expansion. This drastically increases the replay value because the game is always evolving and changing. We’ve seen similar evolution in a few games including Minecraft, Terraria, Don’t Starve, Dwarf Fortress, Prison Architect, and more. All of these games where released before they where ‘finished’ and now each and every one of them is worth their cost. With this in mind, it won’t be hard for at least a few people to gamble on Spacebase DF-9. As people join their contribution will fund further production and the game will snowball from a list of concepts to a list of features!’,’Value of Potential: a Spacebase DF-9
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