Devs, is the game always-online, or no?

[ShadowWolfe__]

Title. I've seen various comments about it since the 0.1.1 patch, and I'm surprised that there hasn't been any clarifying statement yet. Because the 0.1.1 patch implied that we don't have access to content offline, as it made all 20 cars available, when in version 0.1.0, there were only 6 cars available. Would be great if we could get a clarifying statement.

[Lens007888]

Yep would be good to clarify as the always online has some players really annoyed... me I don't care but it would be nice to see the servers up!

[wasabinator]

Yeah, I am mostly a hot lapper so I want to know I can do hot laps while it's offline in the future.

[flibityjibbit]

Yes!

[thief_035]

all these achievements, the licenses, the rental cars, the in-game market, the ratings etc couldn't be saved locally, a kind of cloud you need to connect is necessary.

[ShadowWolfe__]

Originally posted by thief_035:

all these achievements, the licenses, the rental cars, the in-game market, the ratings etc couldn't be saved locally, a kind of cloud you need to connect is necessary.

I'd argue that those *can* be saved locally. BeamNG has achievements, buying cars, and saving player progress in its WIP single-player career mode. I believe the original GT games did this very thing too, without requiring an online connection, but I'm not entirely sure as I never played them.

Even the original Assetto Corsa has achievements that can be done from its single-player mode as well, I'd argue it's a main focus of those achievements - no online required except to sync/save progress to Steam.

There's nothing wrong with requiring online for saving progress, but that's what the Steam Cloud is for, not a separate server where a patch has to be released to unlock the rest of the cars in offline mode while it gets fixed. That's why I'm concerned about the lack of a clarifying statement of an online connection.

[Lens007888]

Originally posted by Wolfe__:

Originally posted by thief_035:

all these achievements, the licenses, the rental cars, the in-game market, the ratings etc couldn't be saved locally, a kind of cloud you need to connect is necessary.

I'd argue that those *can* be saved locally. BeamNG has achievements, buying cars, and saving player progress in its WIP single-player career mode.

Even the original Assetto Corsa has achievements that can be done from its single-player mode as well, I'd argue it's a main focus of those achievements - no online required except to sync to Steam.

There's nothing wrong with requiring online for saving progress, but that's what the Steam Cloud is for, not a separate server where a patch has to be released to unlock the rest of the cars in offline mode while it gets fixed. That's why I'm concerned about the lack of a clarifying statement.

Nothing to argue other than the always online is the new form of DRM Or whatever it they want to call it cause cheating will never be fixed as there will always be that car, that OP by design used with a certain tune.

Yeah the always online is to protect their product and I'm not in the position to argue that but can understand it... As Long As It Works and Stays WORKING , that's where if I had the choice I'd take the hit of lost sales over hurting your customer base

[hennessey86]

I don't get the issue with "always online"

[wonderpookie]

Originally posted by wasabinator:

Yeah, I am mostly a hot lapper so I want to know I can do hot laps while it's offline in the future.

SAME!

HOT LAPS FTW!

[flibityjibbit]

So yes, you can obviously save everything offline (technically speaking) but if you want to provide a game with all the systems integrated, with huge scope for online multiplayer, it makes sense to have it server based.

If the game economy is linked to online play & it affects what cars you can buy, drive, upgrade, etc, it's the only way to stop cheating (or at least try and stop it).

If you don't like it, don't buy it! Some of us are quite happy with the direction of the game.

[GeekFurious]

Originally posted by hennessey86:

I don't get the issue with "always online"

You don't see an issue where your cars, stats, and tracks are tied to an online component that regularly goes down?

[flibityjibbit]

Originally posted by GeekFurious:

Originally posted by hennessey86:

I don't get the issue with "always online"

You don't see an issue where your cars, stats, and tracks are tied to an online component that regularly goes down?

At present I can drive all the cars on all the tracks offline. Sure I can't buy cars or do online events but as they consist of driving all the cars on all the tracks, I'm not worried.

[Lens007888]

There's some good reasons coming in... keep adding them players

[a-y]

All game content should be playable offline and as multiplayer online. If I can't play offline then the game will likely disappear at some point when the servers are shut down. I would be very reluctant to sink my money in to dlc if content is not playable offline as I don't want to lose it in a few years or even a decade.

[^TRXk1^]

They can do anything they want with their game frankly, however, it should be ILLEGAL for them not to STATE CLEARLY what is and what isn't requiring a permanent ONLINE connection BEFORE someone buys and plays for more than the 2 hours refund window.

[a-y]

Originally posted by ^TRXk1^:

They can do anything they want with their game frankly, however, it should be ILLEGAL for them not to STATE CLEARLY what is and what isn't requiring a permanent ONLINE connection BEFORE someone buys and plays for more than the 2 hours refund window.

Being upfront would be good at least on their store page. If they don't want my money they can lock content online.