Demo version

Racer1

Is there going to be a multiplayer demo version of the NS2 client? Making a freely available version that everyone can play helps introduce more people to the game. I know LAN parties and demo versions are how I got introduced to half the games I own.

Presumably, there would be limitations for the demo version of the NS2 client, like one or more of the following:
- Only allow one or two maps
- No custom scripts
- No downloading of extra content
- Max playtime one or two hours at a time -- you could still reconnect if you wanted
- UI would display message periodically (every 10 minutes?) telling them to buy the game

P.S. It would be nice if even the server could have a demo version. But that is less important since someone trying out the demo (client) could connect to an online "vanilla" server running the only those demo maps with no custom content.

Blue21

I could see a "demo" server that would run and only play 2 maps that would allow demo version of the client to connect. However, I also think they should release free weekend like valve does for a lot of their games.

Kassinger

If NS2 is released on steam, there will most likely be free weekends for promotion.

S!K

I don't see a demo version coming out, tbh. It's an online game, and I haven't seen many online games have demo versions. I think that the closest we're getting to a demo is going to be the alpha or the beta... heheh. Plus, the game isn't going to come out for a loooooonnng time. They are simply starting things up. Think about it, they just finished making the onos model. The model of the marine in the videocasts look pretty elementary, meaning they haven't even done marine models yet. Plus, they're still working on the engine of the game, which pretty much means that they haven't even started working on the game itself. They need to finish the engine to really start moving.

Of course when the engine is finished, things are going to start picking up a lot quicker, but I honestly don't see that coming for a while. If they release the alpha version by the end of summer, like it is rumored, maybe one of the developers said so... it's going to be a very basic version of the game. Especially if they haven't started working on maps yet.

Anyway, hurry up unkownworlds! Your fans are anxious to see some more updates!

Daworm

<!--quoteo(post=1716050:date=Jul 7 2009, 08:39 AM:name=S!K)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (S!K @ Jul 7 2009, 08:39 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716050"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't see a demo version coming out, tbh. It's an online game, and I haven't seen many online games have demo versions. I think that the closest we're getting to a demo is going to be the alpha or the beta... heheh. Plus, the game isn't going to come out for a loooooonnng time. They are simply starting things up. Think about it, they just finished making the onos model. The model of the marine in the videocasts look pretty elementary, meaning they haven't even done marine models yet. Plus, they're still working on the engine of the game, which pretty much means that they haven't even started working on the game itself. They need to finish the engine to really start moving.

Of course when the engine is finished, things are going to start picking up a lot quicker, but I honestly don't see that coming for a while. If they release the alpha version by the end of summer, like it is rumored, maybe one of the developers said so... it's going to be a very basic version of the game. Especially if they haven't started working on maps yet.

Anyway, hurry up unkownworlds! Your fans are anxious to see some more updates!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As above, if released via steam there are "free weekends" and similar.

whocareswc

its $20 bucks.. if you go to a movie and get food its $20 bucks easy!!.. and you should be playing this for more than 2 hours.. stop being tight.

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1716100:date=Jul 6 2009, 09:11 PM:name=Daworm)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Daworm @ Jul 6 2009, 09:11 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716100"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As above, if released via steam there are "free weekends" and similar.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1

Deadzone

<!--quoteo(post=1716050:date=Jul 6 2009, 05:39 PM:name=S!K)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (S!K @ Jul 6 2009, 05:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716050"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't see a demo version coming out, tbh. It's an online game, and I haven't seen many online games have demo versions. I think that the closest we're getting to a demo is going to be the alpha or the beta... heheh. Plus, the game isn't going to come out for a loooooonnng time. They are simply starting things up. Think about it, they just finished making the onos model. The model of the marine in the videocasts look pretty elementary, meaning they haven't even done marine models yet. Plus, they're still working on the engine of the game, which pretty much means that they haven't even started working on the game itself. They need to finish the engine to really start moving.

Of course when the engine is finished, things are going to start picking up a lot quicker, but I honestly don't see that coming for a while. If they release the alpha version by the end of summer, like it is rumored, maybe one of the developers said so... it's going to be a very basic version of the game. Especially if they haven't started working on maps yet.

Anyway, hurry up unkownworlds! Your fans are anxious to see some more updates!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Er.... they just finished RELEASING the onos model with some animation. The model's been finished since long before the teaser trailer was made.
But yes, any alpha version will be very basic, that much is true.

SentrySteve

Free weekends combined with the fact the game is only $20 should be sufficient. I mean $20 is a freaking steal for NS2, assuming NS2 has half the replay value that NS1 had. I don't want to say UWE under priced NS2, but damn, it's <i>cheap</i>.

Xain

<!--quoteo(post=1716050:date=Jul 6 2009, 10:39 PM:name=S!K)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (S!K @ Jul 6 2009, 10:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716050"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't see a demo version coming out, tbh. It's an online game, and I haven't seen many online games have demo versions. I think that the closest we're getting to a demo is going to be the alpha or the beta... heheh. Plus, the game isn't going to come out for a loooooonnng time. They are simply starting things up. Think about it, they just finished making the onos model. The model of the marine in the videocasts look pretty elementary, meaning they haven't even done marine models yet. Plus, they're still working on the engine of the game, which pretty much means that they haven't even started working on the game itself. They need to finish the engine to really start moving.

Of course when the engine is finished, things are going to start picking up a lot quicker, but I honestly don't see that coming for a while. If they release the alpha version by the end of summer, like it is rumored, maybe one of the developers said so... it's going to be a very basic version of the game. Especially if they haven't started working on maps yet.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Disagree with all of that.

<!--quoteo(post=1716109:date=Jul 7 2009, 02:02 AM:name=SentrySteve)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SentrySteve @ Jul 7 2009, 02:02 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716109"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Free weekends combined with the fact the game is only $20 should be sufficient. I mean $20 is a freaking steal for NS2, assuming NS2 has half the replay value that NS1 had. I don't want to say UWE under priced NS2, but damn, it's <i>cheap</i>.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Agree with all of that.

Racer1

I don't understand the whole "$20 is a steal" argument. If I am the average gamer with no exposure to ns2 and I want to try the game out, there is no way I am going to plunk down $20 just because someone says it is a "steal". There are literally thousands of games out there that I can buy for $20 or less. So should I buy all of those games just to try them out? -- of course not.

For those that already bought the game, the demo does little; but they are NOT who the demo is for.

Xain

<!--quoteo(post=1716182:date=Jul 7 2009, 02:34 PM:name=Racer1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racer1 @ Jul 7 2009, 02:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716182"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't understand the whole "$20 is a steal" argument. If I am the average gamer with no exposure to ns2 and I want to try the game out, there is no way I am going to plunk down $20 just because someone says it is a "steal". There are literally thousands of games out there that I can buy for $20 or less. So should I buy all of those games just to try them out? -- of course not.

For those that already bought the game, the demo does little; but they are NOT who the demo is for.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Where the hell are you buying brand new games now a days that cost $20 or less thats what I wanna know.

All new games now a days cost $45 and up. That is why its a steal.

steppin'razor

Free weekends, great trailers, occasional discounts should do it. Demos for online games don't really work.

@S!K "Especially if they haven't started working on maps yet." I think your a bit behind on your NS2 news. Little bit less speculation, little more facts okay? Clearly having KFS working on mapping for quite some time, dux was recently recruited onto the job, and with twitter/news updates about core map design principles etc probably means they have started things like that.

The_Real_Quasar

MP games CAN have good demos, just with limited functionality. The problem is that the NS experience would be quite hard to convey with, say, limited tech trees, because it wouldn't be representative of the full game. The number of maps could be limited, but with a full tech-tree this'd mean that purchasing the game is essentially just paying for a few more maps - and there's bound to be someone that hacks the demo to work with other maps or custom maps.

That said, I do consider demos to be extremely important - there are VERY few games I own that I've purchased without having played some kind of trial or demo version beforehand. Having a demo available for NS2 would almost certainly help sales.

Racer1

There are lots of games for around $20, including <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2082750372%204093&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=RATING" target="_blank">well known titles</a>. Certainly most aren't "latest releases" -- but neither will ns2 once it has been out for a few months.


Also, there's bound to be hacks to the full version as well. But that won't stop them from releasing the full version.

Avata

<!--quoteo(post=1716215:date=Jul 7 2009, 12:40 PM:name=steppin'razor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (steppin'razor @ Jul 7 2009, 12:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716215"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Demos for online games don't really work.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Demo for BF2 was what saw me pay for it. I wasn't going to buy it having seen it at the release party, but after playing the demo, I was hooked.

Just because you don't think it works doesn't make it so.

The demo can easily be like BF2... full client, just a cut down map selection (like 1 map), small team size (6 per side).

noncomposmentis

It's been said like 10 times in this thread... steam has free weekends. That's much better advertisement than game demos for online games. If I was an indie game dev, it'd be one of the biggest arguments for pro-steam distribution.

SentrySteve

<!--quoteo(post=1716223:date=Jul 7 2009, 02:17 PM:name=Racer1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racer1 @ Jul 7 2009, 02:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716223"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There are lots of games for around $20, including <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2082750372%204093&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=RATING" target="_blank">well known titles</a>. Certainly most aren't "latest releases" -- but neither will ns2 once it has been out for a few months.


Also, there's bound to be hacks to the full version as well. But that won't stop them from releasing the full version.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Very rarely is a new video game released at the $20 price point. Notice how the vast majority of the games on the page you linked to are fairly aged (Halo 1, Oblivion, Fable, Dawn of War 1) or just flat out ancient (AoE2, Starcraft, Fallout)?

Seems like some people argue just for the sake of arguing, more so than normal lately. Also, if you ever read past the "$20 is a steal" comment, you'd see it was shortly followed by the mention of a free weekend. This would be like a demo, and if a player never heard of NS before and valued $20 so much so that they didn't want to risk it, they could just play when it's free.