Every time I begin typing an intro for this series, I always re-realize how amazingly prophetic TGTSNBN really was. As a perfect example of what NOT to do of course. The game’s first year was just before the cataclysmic tsunami of many releases of early access titles that would soon follow, a release method that has nowadays become more the rule than the exception. And yet TGTSNBN did not only manage to present concepts that were (arguably) quite innovative and ahead of its time, but managed to become the staple example of things to avoid on so many levels, that I almost feel bad seemingly bashing it while presenting its aspects.
With a “re-imagined” version of the game releasing “soon™” it dawned on me of how interesting the developer choices were concerning releases (aka “books”) of the game. The development state and cycle of the game were more than an urban myth. Ask any player that ever played the game whether they were playing an alpha version, a beta version or a finished product at any given time. The different answers will be just as many as the number of players asked. Read more …