I like NWI and what they're doing, however that is not to say that they can't be criticized.
Okay so despite the title, I'm really not sure whether NWI is trying to be dishonest, being forced to do so, or just extremely bad at estimating development times. Whatever it is, they've been giving us extremely unrealistic dates and ranges for development progress since the announcement of the title in 2016. I think a lot of people have noticed this, but I haven't seen any talk about it.
Note: We are hoping to have a closed alpha on PC by the end of this year.
That is from an NWI article posted on 2/8/17.
So in February 2017 NWI was hoping to have a closed alpha in ten months.
I think a lot of you know about the story mode, which the NWI took great pride inane used as one of the main selling points, only to be cancelled. This was announced on 1/3/2018. Also in that article was a mention of some of the game's planned content:
The planned game modes for release are as follows: Push, Firefight, and Capture the Base for Versus, plus Checkpoint, Operation, and Outpost for Coop.
So about Capture the Base, Checkpoint, and Outpost, how are those game modes coming along? Oh, right.
We’ll be releasing in September with the following game modes: Push, Firefight, and Capture the Base for Versus, as well as Checkpoint for Coop.
This was posted 5/31/2018. I don't see why Operation and Outpost had to go. At least Operation was something new that if bad wouldn't have the consequences since it was a co-op game mode. And Outpost was a fun game, I don't see what was so difficult about incorporating that.
Now I don't think Capture the Base's cancellation was really announced with much formality, but some time after this post it was decided that Insurgency Sandstorm wouldn't need a new PVP game mode despite losing four modes from the previous Insurgency. Now capture the base does sound dumb, so if the game mode was just fundamentally bad, I can understand it. However, we are yet to hear announcement of work on another mode.
So then it's summer of 2018, around when the closed alpha was launched. We will have two full-scale game modes plus firefight for PVP, and one single mode for co-op. All four of those game modes were carried over from the previous title. It was very clear when the closed alpha was launched that the September 18, 2018 release date was just not realistic. But of course NWI keeps pushing for that date until the week before it to announce they will be pushing the release date back by two months. Now I'm glad they did that, but not even two months is enough, because not only does the game suffer from stability and optimization, but also a lack of content. I mean really, six maps and four game modes? You realize that for people like myself who avoid certain game modes, we are left with little content?
This game is obviously not going to be ready for release on December 12. It does not have the stability or content. But that's alright, I would be happy to see this game delayed for another few months. Release it in the Spring if you have to. Pause the beta if you worry people will get sick of the game by the time it releases. But I don't want to see this game have a disaster launch because NWI released it to early. That happens to often, and is too easy to avoid.
In conclusion, maybe it was a bit hypocritical of me to complain about thehappybub structuring his posts, and NWI hasn't been very honest with their release dates and even estimates. Granted I have zero experience developing a game, but when everything they announce is as unrealistic as it is, it makes me question their honesty. To make myself clear: My issue is not the slow development of this game, it is the unrealistic announcements of NWI and them then trying to rush this game out before it's ready.