Aven Colony FAQ
We’ve written up a FAQ to help answer some of the most common questions that have come up since we announced on August 25.
When is the beta available?
It just went live on itch.io — see our update about the beta!
Wait, why itch.io and not Steam Early Access?
We’ve been doing our private beta on Steam so far, but we felt that itch.io was a better match for doing a carefully-curated beta that would help us make our game the best it can be. A designer we deeply respect and who made a really awesome game explained some of the reasons why Early Access in its current form is not always an ideal avenue for a game that’s in beta.
We will, of course, launch on Steam as well as itch.io once we are ready to launch in 2017.
Great! So, that’s the beta — what about the full game?
We will launch in early 2017 on both Steam and itch.io simultaneously.
Why don’t you at least give Steam keys, or promise them to your itch.io customers when the game is released on Steam?
Valve has specifically requested that we not do this. Giving or promising Steam keys for a game not currently being distributed on Steam would be a violation of Steam’s terms of service.
I’m a streamer / YouTuber or someone in the games media or other media, and I want to cover Aven Colony / try the game / request an interview! How do I get a key or request any of that?
Just fill out our media request form: http://avencolony.com/media-request-form/
Our PR and key distribution is being handled by the terrific folks at Evolve PR.
Can you speak to comparisons to SimCity, Anno, Tropico, Planetbase, No Man’s Sky, etc …
Not specifically. Aven Colony is its own game.
We did our due diligence on all the games in the genre, as well as lots of others. But Aven Colony is very much its own game with its own style of gameplay.
We can say definitively that Aven Colony is nothing like No Man’s Sky, and not even the same genre.
What can you tell us about the multiplayer?
The multiplayer is closely modeled after the multiplayer in Fallout 4.
… that is, there isn’t any.
I’m a streamer and I DO have a key! What do I need to know? Can I start streaming now?
Yes, you can stream at any time! Some helpful guidelines to make a better stream:
- Please be sure to mention that it’s a BETA and that the BETA is available on itch.io. It would also be helpful to label your streams and videos as such. Note that the itch.io beta is exactly the same version of the game as the beta keys we distributed to select streamers and YouTubers.
- Be sure to play the tutorials (“Holo-Sim 1” and “Holo-Sim 2”) when starting, either during the stream or beforehand.
- For the very best results when streaming, we recommend installing the game on an SSD and playing on a system with a video card with a PassMark score of 9K or higher.
- We recommend starting with Vanaar, as it’s a very pretty mission and the easiest one to start out with.
- Do let us know in advance if you plan to stream (8+ hours advance notice is best!) and we will try to RT from @MothershipTeam and @AvenColony to drive traffic your way. The best way to inform us is to e-mail us at info@mothership-entertainment.com
- We are also sometimes available to join streaming sessions in some cases; here, too, e-mail us at info@mothership-entertainment.com to arrange this with as much advance notice as possible.
Why did you guys give the keys to streamers and YouTubers and games media FOR FREE up to 13 days before everyone else could access it? That’s unfair!
That’s the standard in our industry. Games go out to journalists, games media, streamers, and YouTubers a few weeks before the rest of the world gets to see it, so they can do reviews, previews, etc.
This has always been the way the industry works. The role of streamers, YouTubers, and games media is to help preview games and drive attention toward them. We gave a limited number of keys to our PR so that they could distribute them as appropriate to legitimate streamers / media etc.
What do you mean by “beta”?
We explain what’s finished and what isn’t in this update.
What can you tell me about the gameplay?
The best thing to do right now is watch some of the recorded gameplay streams posted in our forums at http://avencolony.com/community/main-forum/media-coverage-list/ and also read the UE4 Showcase interview about our game linked to from that page.
If I get on the beta, does that get me a Steam key?
No, itch.io is separate from Steam. If you can only play through Steam, it’s best to wait for the full launch — which will definitely include Steam! — in early 2017.
How do plants grow on Aven Prime if there’s no atmosphere?
It does have an atmosphere, but it’s mostly carbon dioxide and nitrogen with very little oxygen. It’s also somewhat thinner overall than Earth — a bit like the top of Mount Everest.
This means that Aven Prime’s atmosphere, while not exactly toxic, is much friendlier for plants than humans or other animals from Earth.
And all those aspects of the atmosphere mean that the air on Aven Prime requires both pressurization and increased oxygenation within a hermetically-sealed colony in order to allow humans to live normally.
Will there be any in-app purchases or in-game advertising?
No.
How do I pronounce “Aven”?
It rhymes with “raven.”
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SugeBearX
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If we buy into the beta on itch.io do we receive a Steam Key when it releases there?
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Paul Tozour
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No, itch.io is completely separate from Steam, and Valve would disapprove of Steam keys being sold through other outlets.
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welshpixie
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Valve very freely let developers generate keys in bulk in order to provide them with off-site sales of the game. I’m a Steam developer myself and we’ve frequently included Steam keys with our game being sold on itch and Humble, not to mention being included in numerous bundles. It’s not something they disapprove of at all – it’s a very very standard thing for developers to do and Valve facilitate it.
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Paul Tozour
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This may be true when a game is *also* available for sale on Steam, but we’ve been informed that this is not the case for games that are available for sale only outside of Steam.
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welshpixie
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Ah, I was assuming the game would be available on Steam later on as you say in the FAQ above that ‘We will, of course, launch on Steam ‘ – and the commenter above did say ‘when it releases there’ 🙂
Paul Tozour
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Yes, it will eventually be available on Steam when the full game launches. Right now, though, it isn’t, so offering Steam keys would be a violation of Steam’s Terms of Service.
welshpixie
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(can’t reply directly to the latest comment for some reason) – Again, we’re not talking about giving out Steam keys *now*, but rather when the game eventually does make it on to Steam – can the people who have already bought the game, and who will buy the game before the game comes to Steam, be given a Steam key LATER when the game does release on Steam? That would not be against Steam ToS, and that method is standard practice in the industry (it doesn’t cost you anything as a developer to generate Steam keys for people who have already bought the game on another platform and it isn’t against Steam ToS).
Paul Tozour
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Welshpixie: we’ve received direct clarification from Valve that we are NOT to do this. Promising Steam keys in the future to existing itch.io customers for a game not currently available for distribution via Steam would be a violation of Steam’s terms of service.
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CRusko
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Any news about the supported languages?
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Paul Tozour
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No, we haven’t announced that yet.
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ShadowXX
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If you know wich languages will supported i will spend my money for the game. Sorry.
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Paul Tozour
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Hi ShadowXX, we’re not ready to make any specific statements regarding language support yet.
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ShadowXX
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For me it is only important to know whether think about becomes several languages to integrate. It is not important for me to hear a specific answer like “Yes we will integrate… (german russian, chinease or what else)”
Fnc2
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I like what I have seen, on you tube, I’m in.
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Aven Colony Beta out now | Gaming on PC
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[…] A very helpful FAQ can be found here. […]
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Aven Colony sci-fi city-builder and management releases Beta details
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[…] FAQ and our forums for answers to common questions. Such as why Mothership chose itch.io for the […]
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