The End of Free
When I released Siberian Dawn back in 2018 I had a choice of doing it as Early Access or Free and I decided to make the base game free as I thought that would be the best option for players to see the game, and then if they liked it they could buy the Mission packs. Well this free version has not gone as I thought it would back then with a lot of negative reviews for this free taste of the full game, which I don't think would have got so much if it had been Early Access where players might have been more understanding of this first release. So despite having made a large number of improvements to the game since then, and recently adding extra training missions that give several hours more game play, the free version wasn't working.
I had a comment from a player who must be the world's number 1 Siberian Dawn player with the hours he has put in and the great feedback he has given me over the last few months, that the game doesn't fit a free game scheme and this was also something that I had been thinking about with adding new content and all the plans for it. I was adding more and more for free but, apart from the world's number one player, I wasn't getting any response from players apart from a few thumbs up. So I have now made the base game a paid game and plan a number of additions to the game on the road to 5.0.
So getting back to the free versus Early Access, you could now think of Siberian Dawn being "Not So Early Access" and here is the plan for what is to be added to the base game.
- A set of Missions comparable to the Missions in the Mission Packs, set before the Siberian Dawn story
- Skirmish mode with the new content of the Base game, DLC will then add extra content to this mode
- Crisis mode with the new content of the Base game, DLC will then add extra content to this mode
- Ark section that will contain various unlocks and uncover the secrets of Siberian Dawn
We already have the Training missions added recently that provided a lot of new material and completed the player's path to learning the game, while also allowing a lot of replayability, and with the above items the base game will provide a better experience at a paid price. It is also at a lower price for now than I expect it to be when it hits 5.0 and had all that was planned above added.
Winterflood
I had a comment from a player who must be the world's number 1 Siberian Dawn player with the hours he has put in and the great feedback he has given me over the last few months, that the game doesn't fit a free game scheme and this was also something that I had been thinking about with adding new content and all the plans for it. I was adding more and more for free but, apart from the world's number one player, I wasn't getting any response from players apart from a few thumbs up. So I have now made the base game a paid game and plan a number of additions to the game on the road to 5.0.
So getting back to the free versus Early Access, you could now think of Siberian Dawn being "Not So Early Access" and here is the plan for what is to be added to the base game.
- A set of Missions comparable to the Missions in the Mission Packs, set before the Siberian Dawn story
- Skirmish mode with the new content of the Base game, DLC will then add extra content to this mode
- Crisis mode with the new content of the Base game, DLC will then add extra content to this mode
- Ark section that will contain various unlocks and uncover the secrets of Siberian Dawn
We already have the Training missions added recently that provided a lot of new material and completed the player's path to learning the game, while also allowing a lot of replayability, and with the above items the base game will provide a better experience at a paid price. It is also at a lower price for now than I expect it to be when it hits 5.0 and had all that was planned above added.
Winterflood