SLaVE for SEGA Dreamcast

[Nz17]

"SLaVE" for SEGA Dreamcast is a new game from the GOAT Store which is limited to a total of only 484 copies. It'll release April 2015.

http://www.goatstore.com/Products/Sega/Dreamcast/372087/SLaVE_Limited_Edition_Preorder/

Basically, it's a FPS version of Robotron using the DOOM engine. The Super Limited Edition is already sold out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOqn72rv9GI

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Sounds awesome. Will it work a bit better with the 1 toggle stick then Quake 3 Arena?

[Nz17]

June 10th Update

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If you haven't already seen the great news, Isotope Softworks was so excited about their most recent development with Jay Townsend's SLaVE that a few days ago, they posted a video about it! If you haven't seen it, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI2xRn79-7U

As you can see, things are close - REAL close!

We still don't have a perfect final date for production and shipment, but we wanted to update you on how the upcoming process will play out. Here's the basic overview, step-by-step:

1) We will spend the next little bit of time ensuring that there are no other minor bugs with the game. Minor bugs should all be fixable quite quickly, unlike the engine bugs that had been completely show stopping for so long. The process depends on exactly what is found, but we aren't expecting much - as we've said, the gameplay for Jay Townsend's SLaVE has been complete since we announced the game, it was only the strange engine behavior that had stopped the production.

2) At the same time, we are currently double checking that all control schemes work in actual hardware the way they do virtually. Thanks to some great supporters, we actually received requests and support for some pretty rare Dreamcast controllers, so the game will have lots of options to play. Obviously, if any of the above have slight bugs, they will be corrected. The corrections should also be quite quick compared to the engine behavior.

3) When we feel like the above is complete, we will build a "gold" copy of the game. The gold copy goes to the production house and goes through a verification process, and then will go into production.

4) When the game is finished being produced, we will receive the games back at GOAT Store HQ. We will confirm the game is working and is ready to go. We will then pack and ship ALL orders!

5) You'll have the game in your hands, ready to play!

...Now, I don't want to make any promises, as with software like this, you never know exactly what is about to happen, but if you look at the above list, it puts the game at basically where we thought it was when we made the announcement that it was coming and opened pre-orders.

Based on our original estimated timeline, as well as our previous games, we assume that steps one and two will take about two or three months, followed by a verification and production process that takes between two and four weeks generally. If that plan holds, the completed game will be on it's way well within the year.

I caution everyone again that the timeline must remain tentative, and that things could come up that would still change it at this point. We will update you on any changes that make the timing diverge from the timeline as best as possible.

So at this point expect to receive quicker updates on Jay Townsend's SLaVE over the next few weeks as we hopefully achieve the steps ahead on time, and can (finally) have some more fun things to actually say, like when certain control schemes are confirmed :)

As always, thank you for staying on as a supporter. The engine troubles were not in ANY way something that we were expecting, and we understand what a frustrating experience this has been for so many people (including us, the developers, and everyone who has helped with the game... we just want to get it out to you... it's awesome!) If for any reason, you do not wish to stay on at this point, please email us and we will be happy to refund your order.

Thank you!

--
Dan Loosen
GOAT Store Publishing

[Koa Zo]

I've had this on pre-order for years! haha
At least GOAT Store has provided reasonable updates throughout the course of the game's buggy development.
I'm looking forward to it, and am rooting for their success.

[Nz17]

November 11th Notice

We wanted to send out a quick update on Jay Townsend's SLaVE production. Basically, since the last announcement, we have gotten to the point that we think there is just a single bug holding back production. We were hoping that we could get rid of this last one and then be able to send out an email with a solid production timeline.

As of right now, that bug still exists. If you happen to know anything about GDB debugging, it has to do with an exception fault, contact us, as there is just one the developers are having the toughest time tracking down, and maybe a set of new eyes can fix it and get the game ready to go in a few minutes! One can hope

For those of you that don't know what the above means, basically, there is still a certain set of circumstances that cause the game to crash out. It happens *extremely* rarely, so much so that we have played the final version for stretches without knowing it is there, but often enough that we can't send the game out with it. It sounds like an easy thing that we should just get rid of, and we agree... but sadly, things like this can be super difficult to track down.

In a previous email, we had stated we expected the final bug hunt to take 2-3 months, and then a test period of 2-4 weeks, which is where we're at right now. We're not TOO far off having production start, but we've got to nail this last thing.

We expect the next email you receive from me will be the email telling you that it is complete and in production, and to confirm your addresses. Thank you so much for sticking around as a supporter, and we can't wait to have this in your hands. As always, if you want to cancel for any reason, please contact us back and we will refund your order.

Happy gaming!

[gbpxl]

I just pre-ordered a copy. I look forward to playing it by the end of the century.

[Koa Zo]

Sometimes I forget what this is and then I remember ordered a copy too!

[gbpxl]

I've been standing by my window waiting for the postal worker to drop off my copy of slAve. It's been almost 2.5 years since I pre-ordered this game.

[Nz17]

Yeah... the game's developmental team seems to be not very good at debugging nor communicating with the general public.

Personally, I'm still mulling over which Dreamcast games to get with my refund.

Yes, programming isn't a simple endeavor when you want to make something like a real-time, part-sprite, part-polygonal 3D action game that has to run on a 200 MHz CPU.

However, if you are having too much difficulty in getting it accomplished in a timely manner, then you ought to have better, frequent communications with your community and/or bring in a specialist that can help you with what you can't achieve by yourself.

At the very least, publish a new screenshot once per week if you don't want to write a bunch of technical posts. At least then people will have something to look forward to each week and it won't seem like your project is dead.

[gbpxl]

correct

[gbpxl]

what sucks is that it looks like a great game. reminds me of like a FPS crossed with Marble Blast Ultra crossed with Rez. if you pull your money out is that going to affect the development?

[Gameguy]

So copies are still available for sale after 5 years when they're limited to 400 copies? Just how badly is this selling? It says 400 copies from Goat Store yet 484 from the top post so did they sell 84 copies or did they change how many copies are available?

In any case I assume they aren't working much on it because they couldn't cash in on it like they hoped.

[Nz17]

Don't worry: cancellations aren't negatively affecting the developer. I don't know the details of their agreement with the publisher, but the dev. is OK. However, it was actually the dev. - not the publisher - that chose to limit the number of copies to 84 for the Limited Limited Edition and 484 for the regular Limited Edition. (I still don't like that naming scheme, though.)

The reason for the odd (even) numbering is that the game was heavily inspired by Robotron: 2084. It is actually meant to be a "spiritual sequel" to Robotron: 2084, taking place after all of the last humans were killed by the other robots.

The dev. team actually finished most of the developmental design and content creation years ago (music, sound effects, graphics, controls, level design, power-ups, getting it to run on Dreamcast, etc.). The last several years have actually been spent basically only on debugging!

[Gameguy]

The dev. team actually finished most of the developmental design and content creation years ago (music, sound effects, graphics, controls, level design, power-ups, getting it to run on Dreamcast, etc.). The last several years have actually been spent basically only on debugging!
Honestly I assumed they were lying about their progress as they stated there was only one bug holding them back and it should be completed in a few months, yet years later the game isn't finished.

Unless that one bug is so significant that the only way to fix it is to rewrite the whole game over again. If it's that severe then it says more about their programming abilities than anything else.

[Koa Zo]

Isn't the "development team" just one person with some ongoing health issues?
I've wondered why the code can't be released to a willing group to help troubleshoot it.

[gbpxl]

Don't worry: cancellations aren't negatively affecting the developer. I don't know the details of their agreement with the publisher, but the dev. is OK. However, it was actually the dev. - not the publisher - that chose to limit the number of copies to 84 for the Limited Limited Edition and 484 for the regular Limited Edition. (I still don't like that naming scheme, though.)

The reason for the odd (even) numbering is that the game was heavily inspired by Robotron: 2084. It is actually meant to be a "spiritual sequel" to Robotron: 2084, taking place after all of the last humans were killed by the other robots.

The dev. team actually finished most of the developmental design and content creation years ago (music, sound effects, graphics, controls, level design, power-ups, getting it to run on Dreamcast, etc.). The last several years have actually been spent basically only on debugging!

death by robots doesnt sound too bad compared to what we have now. Coronavirus: 2020

[Nz17]

If I had to guess, then I believe what's been happening is that they have fixed a lot of bugs, but every time that happens, then they find at least one new bug. In other words, they have fixed "that one bug," but somehow they keep finding and/or making more.

The problem is that as long as the dev. doesn't communicate much about what's happening, then we won't really know. The more time that passes and the more questions and understandable impatience those kept in the dark have, the more discouraged the dev. gets to be, and things keep getting slower.

[Nz17]

Well, I finally decided which Dreamcast games to get with my refund. They are the RPG "Evolution: The World of Sacred Device," the shooter "Alien Front Online," and the action adventure game, "Super Runabout." I figure I might as well get some games I can actually play this year instead of a cool-looking game I might never get to play.

[gbpxl]

Crowd-funded games seem to be shit most the time. are there any examples of good crowd-funded games on classic consoles?

[Nz17]

There are good crowd-funded games on classic / retro consoles, but that's the thing: usually they are only good, not great. For example, I like Family Picross (NES) which is a game that I helped to crowd-fund. However, it is not going to make the list of Top 100 NES Games of All-Time. It is good, it is well-made, it is wholesome, and I am glad I funded it, but it is not an NES all-star.

[Aussie2B]

I wouldn't really say that is directly related to crowd-funding, though. Anything that's crowd-funded and on a retro console is obviously a homebrew (or otherwise unlicensed), and when you're talking amateur-made products, there's usually little chance that they'll compete with the best official games, since those were professional efforts created by teams of people funded by big publishers and designed with big sales in mind.

If you don't limit it to new games for retro consoles, I think there are plenty of great games that have come out of crowd-funding. But the campaigns themselves are often problematic. In most cases, I would prefer to just buy a game later on the regular way than deal with the frustrations of being a backer.

[gbpxl]

The only decent looking crowd funded game on old consoles is Sydney Hunter. I havent been willing to part with my money for it yet but I applaud them making a game in the spirit of traditional side scrollers

[gbpxl]

does this game simulate indentured servitude?

[gbpxl]

Does anyone else feel like a SLAVE when they sit by the window staring at their mailbox, wondering when their copy of Sl@VE for the Dreamcast is gonna turn up?

[Koa Zo]

Awhh, seeing this thread, I thought there might be an update.
It's hard to believe they've left this drag on this long...

[gbpxl]

Awhh, seeing this thread, I thought there might be an update.
It's hard to believe they've left this drag on this long...
Well I had a feeling this game may never come to fruition. But I figured for only $20 Id roll the dice. they probably abandoned the project years ago

[gbpxl]

I think developers make much ado about nothing over stuoid minor bugs. to me, graphical glitches are usually fine. it's only an issue if the game freezes up or corrupts your save data or prevents you from beating the game.

Just remember that Pokemon Gen. 1 had more bugs than any game in recent memory but didn't stop it from being one of the best selling GOAT

[gbpxl]

Oh SLaVE why do you tempt me so?

What's kinda funny is that there's already a game on the Dreamcast called Slave Zero and it actually looks really fun. Mech shooter

I think at this point the creator of Slave has moved on to something else. I mean hopefully the guy is okay. I just dont like the whole thing of saying "oh yeah it should be done very soon!" like what's the hold up at this point?

[Nz17]

Last I heard over at the Dreamcast-Talk forum, SLaVE's remaining programming problems are free-after-use memory bugs that cause the game to freeze up, preventing you from completing the game. It happens after about four levels. Before that it was a bug that caused the levels' lighting to be blacked out so you couldn't see anything.

I really hope that the general public gets this game one day soon, both for the game itself and for the modified DOOM engine that it runs. Both would be good for the Dreamcast and retrogaming communities.

[gbpxl]

Doom engine?

[Gameguy]

Doom engine?
It's mentioned in the first post of this thread.

[gbpxl]

Hey all you 'Slaves out there! Just wanted to give you an update on what I've learned about the latest in development: Nothing! Zilch! Nada! Yep that's right still no word after checking the GOAT Store. I did notice that if you click the link to pre-order the game it takes you to a 404 Error page. Not a good sign. We'll check back in a few years and see where we're at while they're "slaving" away (Get it? Slaving, like the game title. Okay I'm done.)

[Nz17]

Actually, the GOAT Store retired its old CMS software from its Web site to replace it with new, more modern software, so a lot of the old pages' addresses are giving 404 errors now. It is not a SLaVE-only kind of a thing.

[gbpxl]

http://segabits.com/blog/2021/02/18/did-you-pre-order-that-indie-dreamcast-game-slave-better-login-now-and-save-your-receipt/

[gbpxl]

I have no record of my purchasing of SLaVE as I dont remember what email address I was using four years ago and I cant access my PayPal records from that long ago. I also cant find the email address of whoever I should contact about this? Dan Loosen? Jay Townsend?

EDIT: Ok nevermind, I figured out what e-mail I was using. This is the e-mail I got from Dan Loosen on 2-17-21:


Hi!

So, this is sort of awkward... but we need to send an update because we are about to announce that we're changing over our site... and I want to send an update explaining a big update with Jay Townsend's SL@VE, but while I truly believe that announcement is the closest it's ever been, this announcement isn't that.

So anyway, let me be really honest here - Like I've said before, we wish this project was completed. It is still being worked on. There are a ton of things behind the scenes that keep holding it back that are out of our control. I have been personally in touch with the developers in the past few days, and it has made steps. There are even some surprises for the delay that we've included.

But, I also don't feel comfortable talking about those until we actually go gold. I was under the impression in our last email that we basically were there. Long story short, the game worked... for like six levels, at which point we suddenly had a new game ending scenario. It's still being worked on, and I hope that in the very near future, we'll have good news. If the project ends, we'll be refunding everyone.

And, if you're done with waiting, no problem! Just email me back at this email address and we'll issue a refund.

If not though, I want to explain what is going to happen - in a little while, you may seen an email about how we are about to upgrade the GOAT Store site, and when we do we won't be retaining prior orders. Do not worry - your pre-order WILL be retained.

Finally, let's answer a few questions people have sent us recently:

Q. The game is no longer for sale on the site! Why not?

A. The game was always intended to be a limited run. Those spaces sold out! To make the process fair, when the game is shipping, we will open any orders that were canceled up to the general public.

Q. Why don't you communicate about the game more?

A. Honestly, we should have been, and this year has been very difficult for us. If you didn't know, we also run the annual Midwest Gaming Classic trade show in Milwaukee, which was shuttered at the very beginning of the COVID pandemic just weeks before it was to be held, and as you may be able to imagine, has taken up a lot of stress and time to deal with. At the same time, I didn't have much to say, so... yeah. Sorry.

Q. Can I ask you about the game?

A. My email address is very open, and I'm happy to reply to people. Having said that, it would be irresponsible of me to randomly tell people in email that the game is shipping or whatever, so I can't necessarily say too much more. I will tell you, *as soon as I have something to share, you'll be getting an email.* Promise.

Q. My address changed? Now what?

A. Before we ship the games, we intend to contact everyone to confirm your shipping information. We know it has been a while, and both Gary and I moved during this time, so we'll handle it then!

I think that is it. Again, huge thanks for sticking with us, if you can't stick with us any longer I totally understand (and then hit reply and we'll get you that refund!), and I hope to get you a final, playable, awesome version of this game in your hands ASAP!

--
Dan Loosen
GOAT Store Publishing / Midwest Gaming Classic

[gbpxl]

They said the game started glitching out after level 6. Id be perfectly fine with a copy that stops at level 6. the game is only 20 bucks anyways.