As shared by some of the authors of the books, it seems like something is holding up the release of more novels in the Fandemonium Stargate series.
Apparently there is at least one book that is finished and ready to go (and has been for a while now), but there is something preventing it from going ahead. I'm assuming it's some sort of licencing issue, especially considering that the fan game Stargate Network was C&Ded when Timekeepers got the go ahead. (Still yet to finish releasing a full game on that one.)
MGM still pulling the old move of sitting on the IP without doing much with it.
https://thehackernews.com/2024/09/apple-vision-pro-vulnerability-exposed.html
Apple patches Vision Pro vulnerability after GAZEploit attack exposes keystroke inference risk via gaze tracking.
Seriously?
This has got to be some kind of joke. This game has been through delays after delays, broken up into episodes, more delays, released in a broken state, delays again, and now they are wanting beta testers for the second part?
I'm happy for a Stargate game, but if the struggle is this bad, just pack it in and let someone else have a crack. Remember, MGM forced Stargate Network to shutdown for this; a fan made game that was a screen accurate FPS in the making with less bugs than this professional game.
After a series of delays and false starts, Stargate Timekeepers got a partial release in January 2024 with part 1 of 2 containing the first 7 levels of the game. The second part was advertised to be released in April 2024.
On the Slitherine website there is now no mention of April, and the release of the second part is simply stated as "later in 2024". GOG still says part 2 will be available in April, despite that date having passed.
There was an update released mid-April that adds 2 small features and some bugfixes, although the bug fixes do not seem to address the serious issue I experienced where all interactive environmental elements permanently lock your character in place (to be fair I haven't installed the update yet to check).
I do wonder if we will ever get the rest of this game. I suspect they have already crossed the point where the game is costing them more money to finish it than it will earn back. At what point do they just stop working on it and never finish the release?
Here is the change log of the update:
Here below the detailed changelog is available for you:
QoL features:
We have added a feature that, when enabled in the settings, causes the character to approach the nearest possible location if the target of the skill is out of range at the time of selection, in order to place themselves within range.
By holding down the LMB button for an extended period, you can now place an Enemy Vision marker to check which of the opponents is observing the designated location in real-time.
Voice overs:
We have added new voiceover lines for enemies.
General fixes:
Player characters and enemies should utilize ladders in a more organized manner now.
Fixes to player character animations..
Reducing the duration of alarms.
Fixes for enemy drone VFX.
Disabling Unity Analytics.
Fixed achievements bug on GOG
Second level,
One of the main features since the promo footage was environmental opportunities. Click a button on some logging equipment and kill some Jaffa.
This very first instance is bugged. If you click the button, the environmental trap fails to trigger, except from making a noise that the Jaffa investigate. Then your character is locked in position permanently.
I really want to like this game, but these guys have had over a year of delays to get it in a playable state, and one of the difficulty factors is the constant risk of the game being unplayable. Such a shame.
edit: Looks like it might be all environmental opportunities. This is a problem because it looks like some of them are the intended way to progress in the level. This could actually be game breaking.
Found of the GOG listing:
"Disclaimer: Stargate: Timekeepers will be released in two parts. Season 1 Part 1 will be available on day one, and Season 1 Part 2 in April 2024. By purchasing this game you'll have access to Season 1 Part 1 immediately and to Season 1 Part 2 after its release in April 2024."
Originally set to be released in late 2022, Timekeepers has fallen victim to many delays. It's last advertised release date was December 12th 2023. When we got close to that date it got delayed to some time in January, but only listed as "coming soon".
I went to check if it was out yet, and I notice it has been marked to be released in parts now. Apparently this was in the December delay announcement, but it is the first time I have realised it's being released in incomplete parts. The second part is set to release in April.
The concerning thing is not so much the multiple parts. This is a semi-common money grab tactic, where the developer can pull money while drip feeding the game out, with no obligation to actually finish the game (this happened with Stargate Unleashed: Only two episodes were ever released, and episode two only made it to iOS before it was cancelled). In this instance the second part is a free update. The reason this concerns me more is that it is clearly a delaying tactic so they can complete an unfinished game at the same time as taking money for the game. They've had so many delays that I think they are running out of money and are yet to have a finished product they are able to sell.
In the Gateworld article (https://www.gateworld.net/news/2023/12/stargate-timekeepers-launch-delayed/) author Darren says "The bug in question prevents players from progressing through the later stages of the game [...] The publisher opted to fix the bug now, rather than release the game and have players unable to progress beyond a certain point until the patch is released."
So already with the plan to publish the first half of the game to buy time to finish the second half of the game, the developers find a bug that makes it clear the first half of the game wasn't ready to be released anyway. Gateworld suggesting that the Dev chose an option to fix a game breaking bug before release, rather than release a game that can't be completed, is being a bit too generous. If your game has a game breaking bug, it shouldn't be released, period.
Stargate SG-1 began in 1997. It is 2024 and we have yet to see any of the many video games actually make it to fans in a finished state (or maybe one depending on how you count Resistance). The video game curse of Stargate continues.
For those keeping score:
Stargate SG-1: The Alliance, cancelled 2005, First person shooter based on the event of the show
Stargate Worlds, cancelled 2010, MMO, Set in the early seasons of the show and exploring the Furlings
Stargate Resistance, released 2010 but servers shut down by 2011, Arena Deathmatch style 3rd person shooter
Stargate Unleashed, 2013 cancelled after 2 episodes, Mobile phone adventure game, Only the first episode available on both Android and iOS.
Stargate Network, a well received fan game that looked better than all of the above, Ceased and Desisted by MGM when Timekeepers was announced.
If anyone has any first hand experience regarding Resistance, let me know. I don't really understand what happened with that one, whether it could be considered a successful release or not.
Stargate Timekeepers is a real time tactics game in the style of the old windows game Commandos. After (a continuing) release delay, they have released a demo of the first level. I will avoid story spoilers (not that there's much to spoil from the demo) and let you know my thoughts about the gameplay and potential of the full game.
First and foremost, I was a die hard fan of the original Commandos. I played the first 3 main games, including expansions, and also played a lot of fan made levels. During the evolution of Commandos, there were certain skills that were extremely overpowered, so the level design became sometimes insanely difficult. What you might call "save scumming" was the intended method of beating the levels.
Stargate Timekeepers is fairly shameless in ripping off Commandos. Many of the skills are a 1:1 equivalent and clearly meant to play used in the exact same way despite being inappropriate for the context of Stargate.
The demo is the first level of the game. As described in the promo material, it takes place at the battle of Antarctica from season 7 of SG-1. From the title there is the implication of time travel as part of the overall story.
Before I talk about the gameplay of Timekeepers, I first need to describe how Commandos worked. You had a team of Commando characters, each with specialised skills, that you had to coordinate around the level, defeating Nazi soldiers, blowing up German assets, freeing comrades, etc. Because your commandos were typically sneaking in to an enemy base, you had to perform these missions as a strict stealth operation. Raising alarms would cause more patrols (which were impossible to kill without raising additional alarms), or sometimes fail the mission.
The Commandos skills were unique to each character. For example, the Green Beret could punch a Nazi unconscious in one hit and carry dead bodies, while the Spy could dress up in German uniforms and distract Nazi soldiers but did not have the ability to punch or carry bodies. The expansion pack of Commandos added the rock throw, which made it trivial for the Green Beret to distract, then walk up behind a soldier to punch.
Now, Timekeepers. (Some of this will only make sense if you've play Commandos)
You get two generic SGC airmen. Straight away, I feel there's issues with these character builds. Between them, they have many of the Commandos equivalent skills and they are stacked all on these two characters. The Male airman is a combination of the Green Beret and the Sniper. While the Female airman is like the Driver but with nothing to drive. You can't go in guns blazing because anything that shoots bullets has limited uses, around 4 or 5, and they will often raise the alarm.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that in order to have the Green Beret skill of camouflage (where he can dig himself underneath snowy ground), they've given the Green Sniper a personal cloak. At no point did the SGC have access to this tech, and certainly not during season 7. In the game it's not even acknowledged how game changing this tech would be.
Another thing I thought was odd, from a level design point of view:
There are Kull supersoldiers in the game. These act as a type of enemy that cannot be beaten with the regular means of punching, P90, sniper, etc. I would have thought this type of enemy would be introduced in a later level and the means to defeat them would be introduced later still. Instead it appears that they are not only introduced immediately, but you get an infinite Kull disruptor on both characters.
The first level of Commandos was very simple. You had three characters in a small level divided by a stream. The Diver (not Driver) could cross the stream, but being unable to punch enemies meant you had to work towards getting the Green Beret and the Spy across. Before you could do that you needed to get the inflatable raft, and in order to do that you needed to get a German uniform for the Spy. There were only a few enemies to deal with in each section, and the methods to take them down were obvious and only mildly tricky.
The first level of Timekeepers seems like it's aimed at people who have already gotten good at games like Commandos, and are familiar with the staple strategies you learn over the course of that game. In my opinion, that's poor game design.
What I do like about it, is the new synchronize feature. I'm not sure if this was used in other games like Shadow Tactics (another Commandos clone), but it is a great gameplay mechanic that I wish was in all games like this. You can pause time, give out the commands to the characters and then choose whether they all execute immediately or if they are executed in a staggered start so that they all complete at the same time. This gives a whole new layer of control over tricky manoeuvres.
At the end of the demo you are given the release date of December 12th. Obviously that has come and gone. Late January is the current release date, but we will see if that gets delayed once again. From memory the first release date they gave was late 2022.
Overall I could enjoy the game, but I do have concerns about poor game design. If the first level feels like mid-game, how are the rest of the levels going to go? I get the feeling that each level is going just be a different puzzle to complete rather than an increase in strategical difficulty. The skills should have been spread better, and introduced slower. In the Demo you don't really have to go out of your way to use the characters to their strengths. There's only a few moments where you specifically need to use the Sniper, Whistle, Blinding-shot, or the Cloak (which are bizarrely all on the same character); you can use either character to go around punching people out.
At any rate, I'm going to purchase it when it's release on GOG because I did enjoy it, for lack of any other SG game. I just worry that players who are new to the genre will not have a good time.
@Couldbealeotard
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