Hello, thanks for this opportunity

[Antares]

Dear Hinterland Games Studios, I have been banned from the forums on Steam I will be honest (2 years ago) and I could not have an argument on Van Lierop online or with you, it was not welcome nor allowed from how I was met on my request to explain, I guess one believes in one truth (which doesn't exist). I just learned about the game maybe 3 years ago, I tested it online and then bought it.
I think you should offer a demo so that people could try the game (maybe there is already?) so that people do not use piracy (as videos online never give you the chance to "speak the language of a game and live it) even if piracy (Yes I know it's a strange topic which I won't open) is often failed to be recognized (and there are data from this https://www.utdallas.edu/~eharuvy/papers/Piracy.pdf to also an entire Podcast from Pretty good games that explained this with a study from Europe)...

as a market enhancer: there is no doubt that those who exploit it will mostly damage the market and the creators, but it is surely true that like in cases (and there are many) as Napster or even before as Sergei I.Zhuk explains in "Rock and Roll in the rocket City" or the movie Chuck Norris vs communism or Moleman 4 the documentary... all these cases show how important was piracy and you or nobody can't deny this. I suggest although, especially for avoiding problems to make available a demo. Is it available?
I say this for your own sake, which you surely know well to take care of.

Anyway I would never talk about this in forums as I know thos can get derailed if people are not mature. I love to live the challenge of the game even if sometimes it can feel mechanic it really is a good game. I write you from Europe and at the time I was removed from the Steam channels my name was Antares.
Actually means "anti - ares" which was the God of War for the greeks. I dnt like unnecessary and in general I dnt wanna have conflicts (even if On steam this is a daily mundane issue) Unfortunately I got my first ban after 9 years in 2017 (from you) on Steam when addressed (after some good exchanges in other topics of your channel in the same days) and started of course to argue with mods on how I was treated.

After those events, I have been harassed by many moderators that even for a necropost (1st post in a forum) banned me for 1 day Yes, well... I think that negative ban record make you an hard life on Steam, anyway I don't care I am not gonna write a lot anymore in forums, it's just that I care for explaining and having a normal life with others, instead of behaving like we were screens and not humans. I just don't understand why I have to be caught in these intricate strings of hate and banning when I am here just to help and speak and share yes also with a critical stance but that is normal, if one is conscious they are critical too, they are awake. Anyway...

It happens that your policy is very strong and doesn't allow not even a fly to fly or not even criticism.

WHen I was speaking I wrote about a bug which I wanted to signal and on how the game was different on other games or other normal topics before being assaulted from a few aggressive fan boys that started to claim I was full of trash and stuff like that (that you allowed to fall on me like a correct curse instead to protect me and the space from that stuff: passion is good but needs limits).  The same passion for solving things that brings me here btw, but I know I need limits so I won't talk of this anymore in the future.
I just want to be able to read and discuss with some people without seeing a red message on how much I am bad or I did errors with you time ago, which can even be fruit of misinterpretation, manipulation, emotions on many sides, and mis understandings.

Anyway I hope I can read and stay here on your forums as I understood you cannot remove the bans on Steam (which anyway has a really really big problem of toxicity, in any forum everywhere, and not just forums, also reviews...)

I will never accept either a company addressing aggressively issues (but bans happen if one exaggerates, but things need to be read not attacked) I will never accept people that actually try to damage a game or a developer for pure fun and desire to deface. This is something I see many allow and I would rather ask to people after a warning to avoid using misleading ideas... anyway free speech need to be allowed in forums as we will be remembered for what we are. People will know what we did, it's objective. Besides from the Ban "winning" side (the one who bans) history will show who has done wrong.  (I don't wanna pepper up this, sorry! But in your forums you should delete all those situations where people actually refer to you as a ban machine, and often many do it, there are many awkward cases that appear if one digits in the search box "ban" or banned or other similar keywords... it's not cool at all).

I am anyway here to be and talk about the game even if makes me sad what happened I hope really you will understand that being too much aggressive can create problems to people that haven't really meant to be seen as aggressive and mistakes can be done on both sides. There is no God in consumer nor a God in moderation which can make errors both.

Anyway Thanks for after 5 days, letting me be here on the forums. I will refrain if you let me, from any discussion on these topics, I just need that you face the reality as this practice is really damaging the forums (I see people even being scared of talking of things because of you ... this is really beyond awkward, a game developer that uses terror to enforce positive attitude... it's not really cool, accept to deny this is a suggestion, but this is a suggestion not an insult.

Do not manipulate my words, please. Do not force my message as a message out of good faith because it is in good faith.

Thanks.

I heard you got a new set of "motion capture" from Capcom canada right? I hope you will make a good use of that equipment, I just really liked the journey and the challenges in the game so far, the criticism on the game should be met with explanatory attitude or yeah, maybe met with facts only. I think many of us don't know how long it takes to make a good game and the time you are taking to finish it or constantly update it with quality mechanics content and new gameplay experiences is a proof of this.
Many people should know the average time of game production and development and often they speak without knowing em.

Edited February 4, 2019 by Antares

[hozz1235]

On 2/4/2019 at 11:58 AM, Antares said:

I think you should offer a demo so that people could try the game (maybe there is already?)

I know one is offered on xbox.

[Guest kristaok]

$30 really isn't much for a Sandbox type game, if someone wants TLD they will buy it is how I feel. Idk I am just not one for demos, I usually just watch Let's Plays for info, and if I like something I will buy it outright - full price.

[hozz1235]

On 4/2/2019 at 10:11 PM, kristaok said:

$30 really isn't much for a Sandbox type game, if someone wants TLD they will buy it is how I feel. Idk I am just not one for demos, I usually just watch Let's Plays for info, and if I like something I will buy it outright - full price.

$30 may be a lot for someone to "try" a game and find out they don't like it.

[Guest kristaok]

@hozz1235 That's why I recommend watching "Let's Plays", and doing some research on the Game in question before buying it. Also I couldn't imagine why anyone would not like TLD, it's like one of the best games ever.  

[Mroz4k]

I know the old versions of the game from 2014 are found for free on certain sites, but Im pretty sure those aint Hinterland-approved. Well, I got my game on Steam ages ago, and am happy with it.

I think there used to be a demo for the Story mode Episode 1 in the past, but I dont know if thats the case still. Probably not. 

I dont really think demos are that useful these days, most people will instead look the game up on YouTube, watch a bit of it, then make a decision to invest into it or not. Instead of downloading a demo to try out a very limited version of the game.

 

[Guest hoasd1]

This topic was near to make me cry tears ,because it was seems true and @Antares story was really hard to not be sad about what happened to him for just sharing his real though,talk about the game and help,but some rules in a lot of forums sometimes make fear and sadness than safe and happiness like being banned from your favorite game community or discord or reddit or steam or etc, hurts a lot