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[narny]

My "idea" is to have access to any and all previous, publicly released, alpha versions. I came to the game quite late (Alpha 4b) and didn't download again until Alpha 6. I'd really like to collect all the releases, especially the earliest, to go back and get a feel for how development progressed and ease myself into the game - assuming the earlier versions were simpler.

Obviously there are downsides to this idea (for you Kyzrati) in terms of download bandwidth and organizing the downloads by unique d/l link, etc. So I'd be glad to pay extra for this ability, perhaps as an additional tier of support, or buying a 2nd/3rd licence etc.

What do you, Kyzrati, and others think?

[Kyzrati]

Hm, as I see it, if one goal is to ease yourself into it, the most recent version will generally still be the better option, since one of the areas improved with every release is accessibility/convenience/QoL features. And while new mechanics and content are added with every release, almost all of it ends up in the mid/late-game or special areas that you won't see until you're more experienced, anyway.

As for getting a feel for how development has progressed, certainly a superficial feel can be had by just going through the public changelog (each release has all the changelogs since Alpha 1), though I know what you mean about playing the game and actually experiencing the differences.

The further back you go, aside from the smaller world, fewer extra mechanics, and fewer accessibility options, definitely the biggest difference would be that Cogmind was much harder . It has gradually gotten easier with each release, on many different levels. (This is intentional, as high-difficulty optional content will be added as development continues, though I'll admit the game has somewhat crossed the threshold into "slightly too easy" in Alpha 6 and will probably reverse course soonish.)

Alpha 1 was pretty damn hard!

Anyway, back to your point, bandwidth wouldn't be a big issue, though certainly it would take some more work to put together and make it available / maintain it. That said, as long as you're a registered owner (I can see you are--but I mean anyone else, too), I'd be happy to offer a download of all previous releases on an individual basis to those who request it. I can't imagine the demand would be huge at this point.

I probably couldn't offer to do this indefinitely, because it does take time (= money), but in the short-term while demand is low I could manage.

[narny]

I think it's the collector in me. This is a game that is something special that only comes along once in a blue moon (Nethack and DCSS are my other all-time favourites) and I'd love to possess a physical museum of its evolution.

Anyway, back to your point, bandwidth wouldn't be a big issue, though certainly it would take some more work to put together and make it available / maintain it. That said, as long as you're a registered owner (I can see you are--but I mean anyone else, too), I'd be happy to offer a download of all previous releases on an individual basis to those who request it. I can't imagine the demand would be huge at this point.

I probably couldn't offer to do this indefinitely, because it does take time (= money), but in the short-term while demand is low I could manage.

That's a kind offer, and I'd like to take you up on it. As I said, I've got Alphas 6 and 4b, so I'd like to get hold of the others. For my part, a) I promise to d/l subsequent releases in a timely fashion so I won't miss any again and I won't bother you again, and b) I'll buy another licence as a token of my thanks.

[Kyzrati]

That'd be kind of you . I'll PM you.

[zxc]

The further back you go, aside from the smaller world, fewer extra mechanics, and fewer accessibility options, definitely the biggest difference would be that Cogmind was much harder . It has gradually gotten easier with each release, on many different levels. (This is intentional, as high-difficulty optional content will be added as development continues, though I'll admit the game has somewhat crossed the threshold into "slightly too easy" in Alpha 6 and will probably reverse course soonish.)

Alpha 1 was pretty damn hard!

The sweet spot for speed wins was definitely right before you noticed the enemy speed bug and fixed it! The sweet spot for combat wins is probably right now.

[Kyzrati]

Sounds about right*. These things will continue to fluctuate with each release, then we'll balance it all off at the end.

*(I think--do you mean that speed runs are on the easy side now? They were certainly more challenging before, and combat was too challenging at the start.)

[zxc]

Sounds about right*. These things will continue to fluctuate with each release, then we'll balance it all off at the end.

*(I think--do you mean that speed runs are on the easy side now? They were certainly more challenging before, and combat was too challenging at the start.)

I mean speed runs were easiest directly prior to the fixing of the speed bug circa alpha 3. Combat runs are easiest right now, probably (you can't draw me away from speed long enough to fight )

I feel like I would blitz the alphas that I began playing Cogmind on now. It's tougher now (and that's a good thing). I no longer feel like I can win 50-100% of games with speed. Maybe 20-30% right now.

[Kyzrati]

Ah okay, thanks for the clarification. The very first couple of Alphas, especially #1, had a pretty tough game for speed, and even tougher for combat, both due to a greater number of enemies. That said, I can see how traps have changed the game for speed runs as well, which is part of how I use them intentionally--to make certain areas more difficult for those who would otherwise just fly right through without a care.

I'm glad someone out there is doing a good job of keeping an eye on speed run difficulty, because I am certainly not up to the task