What is Reddit's opinion of
Stonehearth?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
➔ Stonehearth website
By popularity on Reddit, this Service is:
42 reviews of this app found across Reddit:
Sorry for the lack of clarity, @Lyezech is spot on. It's indeed a structure I put together solely within Minecraft using Creative Mode.
Edit: Building something exactly like this within DF would drive me insane. My hopes are on Stonehearth, btw.
And like, this dude works for a "company" that in the past has done some shady shit and tried to erase any history of it in 2008.
Wow yeah dude rkappa kicked someone out of a poll for botting but it's ok for the owners of srk to Beg for money on kickstarter to fund their minecraft rip off and for wizard to help duc and watts scam old ladies out of their life savings lmao.
this community is so fucking two faced.
If you're referring to the name being similar to Hearthstone, it looks like Stonehearth has actually been in development with that name since Nov 8 2012, several months before hearthstone was even announced.
Stonehearth, a sandbox-y voxel game inspired in part by Minecraft is still in alpha but already releasing open-source modding/dev tools. Minecraft just wasn't designed with that in mind, and they tried to shoehorn it in while mostly focusing on adding more features instead.
That is indeed an awesome picture! More pictures that make me all excited are:
The beginning wasn't all the fast in development but they keep adding new stuff. I really hope that at the end of this year it willed be filled with alot more.
EDIT: links and stuff
I would recommend buying it if you have the patience to wait out the development. They keep a speady pace, and are very dilligent with releasing updates and sharing their development process through dev blogs and livestreams.
If you're after something you can sink hours upon hours into right now, then it's not a good purchase. There's currently very limited depth, unless you fall absolutely in love with the structure building system and can stay entertained just playing with that.
> What's it's devs-falling-off-the-face-of-the-earth and no-more-updates-ever chances?
I would say those are about as low as they get. They've stuck to a really solid update schedule for a long time, and both feature development and information has been keeping the same pace for the entire alpha.
Check out their homepage. They put up a new blog post every Tuesday, and they livestream development process quite often as well (I think there's a schedule, but I haven't watched any of the streams so I don't know for sure).
But again: this is likely not a good purchase if you're looking for something to play right now. I'd say it's a good idea getting it while it's at a discount, fool around with it a bit, and then just keep an eye on the development until it's at a stage where there's more depth to the gameplay.
Since Stonehearth is still in very early development it's behind even Gnomoria, feature wise. Until now you can't even dig or mine, though that's what they're working on at the moment. In the end it will still be checkers compared to DF. In the future, I think even Gnomoria will have more features than DF has simply because it's got a headstart over Stonehearth though they both seem to have a little different approach. What got me hooked though is that Stonehearth by far is the most visually charming representative of the bunch, the UI also being rather intuitive. It's already got a nifty tool implemented for creating presets for houses that lets you choose between different kinds of walls, roofs, doors, windows, furniture and decoration. Modding support is already planned. If somebody releases a decent voxel editor (there used to be a free program called Quibicle Constructor but it doesn't seem to be available anymore; only the rather expensive Qubicle 2.0 instead) there will be an abundance of stuff that can be created quickly. Personalities are planned as well. In the end everything will be shallow compared to DF though. Here's the dev's roadmap. That being said, I still think this one's very promising. In comparison Timber and Stone looks rather clunky and uninspired, visually, but I have yet to play it. Just can't get myself to buy as I find it rather unappealing.
I've been using it to play Stonehearth from my couch, and even though I don't quite think I'm getting the most out of it yet (there are buttons on the controller I flat out never use, which could be bound to play/pause, harvest, or other common actions), it took surprisingly little getting used to. Granted, this is a pretty slow-paced game that doesn't require a lot of rapid inputs, but I find myself able to do everything I want with little to no headscratching.
It's $24.99 on their website, and you get a Steam key as well as the DRM free download.
Someone else asked this 4 days ago.
And 8 days ago.
Both are on the front page of the subreddit.
Bugs are being fixed on a daily basis. They've put out 2 dev versions in the last week that fixed the majority of the game-breaking bugs.
I haven't played Rimworld or Clockwork Empires, but I do own Stonehearth (was a KS backer).
The Stonehearth devs are very hardworking and very close to us in the community and listen to our feedback. They give updates on development every Tuesday and Thursday with live streaming, and each Alpha update brings at least one major new feature with it. They're nearly about to release Alpha 10.
That said, it is not complete but there is still a lot to enjoy so far - I think that when all is said and done, it's going to be very successful. If you're at all interested in watching a game get made, Stonehearth is a great way to do that simply because the devs are so transparent and dedicated. If you haven't looked too heard into it, I suggest you go to their website and watch some of the development/feature videos (they're not long) to get an idea of what the gameplay has to offer so far :)
Now having said all that, when I first read the post title, I was going to suggest Cities: Skylines. But the gameplay it seems you're looking for may not jive with what Cities: Skylines offers. Regardless, it's a fantastic game and if you enjoy city building/management without fantasy flair, you really need to check it out. The modding community is one of the best in any game I've ever played, and the game itself is a ton of fun!
The release in September won't be the full release - obviously the game isn't near completion.
But at some point in September it will be released to all those who backed and have paid for the game at the $15 level.
Tom has commented about it: http://stonehearth.net/2014/07/29/quick-update-video-update-coming-tomorrow/#comment-1510956532
Recettear is, to me, more like Rune Factory with shop management instead of a farm. I like it, but it feels more Aetlier, if you have played those.
Came it to maybe suggest Stonehearth, I haven't played it in a while (it is in Alpha), but I backed the kickstarter at an All-Access-Pass level.
http://stonehearth.net - it is a civ building Sim with various "ways to play" and is supposed to support robust farming in release version.
ANB and/or wait for Story of Seasons for 3DS BokuMono games.
I backed Stonehearth a while ago and I'm looking forward to its release.
Aside from that, I've heard that Metal Gear Solid Peacewalker is a something like a third person stealth action game and a base builder. If that interests you at all, it was originally released on PSP and re-released on PS3 in an MGS bundle, with MGS2 and MGS3.
Check out Stonehearth for a DF-like that is playable for the average user. It's heavily inspired by DF (devs even added a citizen manager called "Hearthling Therapist" in the last patch). Worth playing even in early alpha.
Haven't seen Stonehearth mentioned here yet. A lot like Timber and Stone, but not quite as far along in development yet. Steam Greenlight page
Edit: No idea why this got downvoted? The game's solid. Not to be confused with 'Hearthstone'
Hey, bro, I get that, but a lot of what OP is talking about is specifically defined in the last roadmap for alpha 17. http://stonehearth.net/dt-looking-forward/
A few of OP's points also covered in their trello.
Mack pretty much nailed it. I waited a year after announcement to buy the game (because it was so expensive) and now that I've owned it a year, I don't really see any improvement in bugs or lag.
But mainly, you basically play the same scenario out over and over and over again, day after day, month after month, (year after year).
Very steep price tag for a game that's no further along than this and is what seems like years away from 1.0.
And it's so frustrating because you want to love it so much!.
I just get the feeling that the devs have gotten in way over their head and don't really quite know how to get to 1.0. (and example is the 'cliff' environment they've settled for because it was too hard for them to generate the more appropriate flowing landscape they promised in the beginning - I probably wouldn't have purchased had I known we'd end up with cliffs instead of rolling hills.)
Edit: interesting that the character getting stuck bug was just fixed: <strong>linque>></strong> I guess that Worth a Buy review hurt a bit...
The devs are awesome, check their website and devblog on stonehearth.net - while they are one or two months behind their schedule they're openly communicating any and all issues they're facing. Plus this is not only a one way communication they're doing!
The game itself is pretty awesome too if you like strategy games and blocky graphics. Check the screenshots here http://stonehearth.net/screenshots/ and the original gameplay teaser trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmeRSBnF0bI
And I think that's where SC is getting a lot of criticism and not unfoundedly so. The "first release" has changed in scope in terms of features and as a result has been pushed back a great deal. There's no end in sight for that, and even the individual added features have been pushed behind.
So instead of waiting for months for more features, you're waiting for the game. And the game isn't even what you originally signed up for. It's better in theory, but that's only theory.
I'm a patient person, and I did put a fair bit of money into SC. But a lot of the frustration and criticism that CIG has received really isn't people trolling. And it gets pretty bad because SC fans are very dismissive of criticisms, and CIG tends to ignore and dismiss these criticisms as well - so it makes people even more concerned.
Another KS I backed was Stonehearth and that's a game that's been delayed significantly as well. But their project plan and scope is also very clearly fleshed out. The scale is different of course in terms of game and fans/supporters, but they're a good example of a project that goes "Yes, we're gonna add this, but here's how it affects our timeline and work and here's the Trello board etc."
And yes, Star Citizen is much larger. I don't think it's realistic to ask for that much transparency since it would add a fair bit of overhead. But just by being a lot more forthcoming, less hype-driving and less dismissive of concerns, it'll go a great long way.
For a feature list and their overall progress, you can check out the dev roadmap. The planned release date was September 2014, and given that they're 8 months late and have quite a bit of content to add, it looks like it's going to be a while. At least another year, I'd guess.
That said, the devs do a great job of keeping people updated with weekly updates/videos/discussions, and they have a good commitment to moddability and open access. If you don't mind that it's in early access and isn't feature-complete, definitely give it a go. If not, come back in a year or so.
They did it because of performance/optimization stuff and will increase it once they get that sorted out, according to one of the alpha 10 release notes (this one)
Just food for thought:
Stonehearth (http://stonehearth.net/) are on Steam but are a "private" game that isn't purchasable nor is it even displayed in the store anywhere. However, they sent out Steam keys to their backers and push out their game updates through it. Gives them the advantages of having Steamworks, updates, beta/test channels, etc. without the pressure of having a flood of users buying the game without thinking it through with it being in an Alpha state
Hi! Here's our roadmap, which shows what we're working on now. http://stonehearth.net/roadmap/
As we knock off the big features like water, we will start to look at things like storage. Off the top of my head, we would probably let you craft a crate, which can store 20 or so items, and has a filter to specify what goes in it, just like a stockpile.
Might I suggest checking out Stonehearth ? It's not exactly the third person game you're looking for, but it's a kingdom management kind of game. Sort of an ambitious attempt at a Dwarf Fortress type game, but with graphics.
Stonehearth. It was one of those kickstarters back when everyone was jumping on board and then many of the projects were left abandoned, or missing expectations. I stopped kickstarting and watched a few projects over time, and this was one of them. They consistently have blog posts every week and it's obvious they're making huge progress each week. I bought the game full price because I was so impressed with their updates. Worth every penny.
There still isn't a lot of substance to the game, but it's surprisingly fun and has HUGE potential. Especially now that they have all the core concepts built, they're adding something new each update like mining, shepherds, etc.
Edit: Oh, and I'm sure you'll want to know about the game. It's similar to Towns or Gnomoria, just with a more 3D feel.
Hi! Stonehearth is only available for purchase though our Humble Bundle widget at http://stonehearth.net/store/
For the next few hours (literally), there's a pre-order option for $15. We're in the process of removing the pre-order, at which point we'll send the game to all pre-order customers. So if you see this early enough and don't mind waiting a day or so to get the game, that's a nice way to save 15 bucks.
Once you buy Stonehearth, you'll can retrieve a Steam key that will let you play the game through Steam.
We anticipate hitting Steam Early Access sometime in 2015.
I backed Stonehearth for $50. The idea of it was fantastic. I've played the beta a bit but there's really not much to it yet. So I'm just waiting for it to actually start becoming a game.
The game is similar to Castle Story but I believe it will be more epic in the sense there is more to do in the world. Just looking at the roadmap really gets me excited at the possibilities for this game.
Hopefully they deliver!
That are very good comments. Thanks a lot for the ideas, comments and the time you took to answer the questions. I did not expect so good and fast feedback. Have you heard about these games and what do you think of them:
Castle Story (http://castlestory.net/) Timber and Stone (http://www.timberandstonegame.com/) Stonehearth (http://stonehearth.net/)
They are no simulations and jmarquiso is absolutely right with his questions. I worked already on two build-up simulation games and I know how fast it can become a huge project. And even when I will not be alone, I want to make it a game with a very strong core loop that can be extended if people like it. And I want to empower players creativity. That is why the mentioned games are strong in my opinion. But still not what I want like to make (and as you can see there are already there). The always mentioned dwarfs fortress is an inspiration, but I would like to make something "lighter". The entry barrier is quite high. But nevertheless it is a very strong game.
Really do not like it that he wrote them off as "clones", inspired would be the correct word to use. Also is there really a point it bringing up KeeperRL when the first version was announced quite recently?
Edit: StoneHearth
There are a lot of games coming out soon that have clear inspiration from Dwarf Fortress. You may want to look into Prison-Architect, Stonehearth and the ones Moral_Turpitude listed.
@Zalamander : maybe check out the development blog, theres alot of work being done on stuff that'll be released later on, seemingly with the intent to be stable before they continue.
Thanks for the added info and the link. I like the following quote from the article.
> Many are attracted by Java's promise of "Write Once, Run Anywhere" slogan.
Processing power has indeed advanced to the point where usually a developer's time is the most restricted resource in any high-level software organization. That is why even though I CAN code in C++, I stick to C#.
If, after a program is written and people find a part of code that is bottle-necking the program and causing unacceptable lag, they re-write it (oftentimes JUST the bottle-neck part) in a language that can be written with efficiency as the primary focus.
To give you an example... the devs making this cool game (not me) developed their Artificial Intelligence using LUA (a memory managed language). It ran great. But, when they scaled up the number of worker entities in the game, the lag started to appear. They ran a profiler on the game to find out where the delay was. They found out that the AI was eating up all the time. So, they decided to rewrite that AI in C++. They left other stuff in LUA, but just focused on the part of code that was bottle-necking the program.
They have just barely finished the port to C++, and I have yet to see the performance gains. I am curious how much it improves.
Wasn't Minecraft originally supposed to be a 3D rendition of Dwarf Fortress? I remember seeing some early screens and writing on Notch's blog about that. I was disappointed that he didn't take it in that direction but it seems like the guys over at Stone Hearth have picked up the torch. Still a pale shadow of DF though, I'd probably only buy it once they start simulating internal organs and goblin psychology.
I wasn't able to find it or I wouldn't have posted on a forum, a simple "no" would've been great. Thank you for directing me to their twitter, however. If anyone is checking this out and wondering the same, this is the link @risingthunder sent out:
Here is the roadmap currently for the game
Don't think elves are going to be made officially but nothing is impossible with modding! Currently they are making mobs in the game so there is a chance that they include larger animals/monsters in the game. You should check out there streams here where you can also ask questions straight to the dev if they are currently live or ask it at the discourse
I have to agree with what /u/waspocracy said. Just be patient. Any time you buy an Early Access game, don't think of it as buying a game. Think of it as helping developers fund a game.
Also, as a reminder what the difference between Alpha and Beta is. Alpha is the creation of the game itself and core elements. The game is not complete. This game is currently in the Alpha and is not yet completed.
Beta is a completed game that is being tested for bugs.
As far as new content, the devs try to push out content each week or so. You can see their development blog here.
The developers also have a Twitch account, where you can watch creation and gameplay here.
There gonna be more classes for sure, mounts no idea but the game is gonna have mod support so have patience. Multiplayer was a kickstarter goal so 100% coming.
More info: http://stonehearth.net/roadmap/
This game started on Kickstarter, and it has gone a long way, in very good development.
Another game that started one kickstarter that's still in full development
Stonehearth is in (super early) alpha, and honestly isn't really worth playing right now. But, it does (will) feature a Final Fantasy Tactics-esque jobs system for your villagers further along in development. It's basically kind of like Dwarf Fortress but voxel-based and a few other major differences.
Speed controls are on the roadmap: http://stonehearth.net/roadmap/
Under 'Engine & Tech', so we will definitely see them at some point in the future!
As for the choppiness, I imagine that it is likely to reduce as development goes on and optimisation increases.
Right now it's unfortunately one of those things that we have to put up with.
Yeah, they still don't complete many structures. Sometimes you can get them to build a narrow wall, but that is about it. If you look at the developer roadmap, they are behind on building structures.
Well in my first comment i was being a bit sarcastic, i know i know, internet doesn't get sarcasm.
However at that point i was implying that there are alot of bug reports showing up and it's not what this alpha is for, and that is not what this subreddit is for. They have an official bug report forum, if people care enough to submit a report then shouldn't they care enough to submit it to the right place? Right now it's like a mcdonalds squeezed in between two gyms, it shouldn't be here. They mentioned in their blog that they wanted to postpone the release but one of the reasons they didn't was to hear what we say, what do we say? "it's broken"... facepalm. where are the threads saying "Hey, that thing with the approval stamp for the carpenter, cool feature, i like that"?
If we look at /r/Minecraft there are less than 10 bug reports in a week, for a subreddit with over 350 000 subscribers, we have 8, and yet to break 1000 subs, yes yes, minecraft is a little bit further in their development but there are plenty of bugs to go around still. Stoneheart and minecraft are similar enough that the subreddits purpose should be the same, to get those who enjoy this game to discuss it and share what they've done.
But sure, an official bug report thread is acceptable, wrong, but if it keeps the place clean from reposting bugs then why not. The best solution would still be to just have a link to the official bug report forum though.
EDIT: more words