"Luke, I am...."
*roll credits*

Nope, sorry, not acceptable.

Don't shoot the messenger, GOG didn't fall low, they're simply releasing the game the way the developer/publisher intends to across all stores.

Don't get me wrong here, I hate pre-order exclusives as much as you do, and unless they change their plans by the release, then I won't be buying the game as I have no intention of fueling this pre-order exclusive stupidity. Would be a pity since the game has returned to its' 2.5D roots.

It's not too late to make a change though, and best thing is to let your voice be heard. The devs are quite active on Steam. If my Steam account has any use, it's to communicate with devs since they pay more than attention there than here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui337e5D50E

Hey guys, Joel from Frozenbyte here (wow looks like my old account still works!). Just wanted to say something about the DLC level: We will release Toby's Dream to everybody in a free update at a later date, pre-ordering simply gives you "Launch Day Access" to it. We thought this was a nice compromise and reward for users who pre-order without screwing over people who buy later, but we probably could have worded it better, sorry!

We're actually working on that level right now, we've just got the game through the console submission processes and finally have the time to give Toby some love (and biscuits). The level will be in the map between levels 6 and 7, and it ties nicely with the story as a small separate adventure while not being an integral part of it.

The reason for doing something like this and actually going the extra mile after the game's main levels are already finished, is that pre-orders are very important to retail sales. Retailers basically make further orders based on pre-order numbers, so it's important that those numbers are more than 0... We decided to give this a try for once. (For the record, we expect Trine 4 to get great reviews, and I'm sure some reviews will trickle in before the launch, the media embargo is probably before that.)

I hope this helps, I stand by our decision - in fact I was strongly in favor of it and really wanted to do it, so all blame can be directed at me. It really was meant to be a reward for people who pre-order, a nice gesture in a way... I'll be around if you want to ask questions.

- Joel, Frozenbyte team, developers of Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Re: Sysreq, Trine 4 will run on Windows 7, 8 and 10. We just haven't had the time to test yet, but I have Win 7 at home and it runs fine. We'll update the requirements in the weeks to come.

It's really hard to take that apology video as something genuine and sincere given what goes on in it. To such an extent that it would've been arguably better had they just not apologized at all.

Having said that, I don't hold a grudge against Frozenbyte for Trine 3.

Ah yes, that's better. I will wait for the complete edition (and reviews) then. And yes, you should have made that clear in the announcement. But thank you for communicating this.

...Now, while we are talking: what about those missing story parts of Trine 3? I'm still bummed that the story ended so suddenly after the first third. I get it that it is exciting to work on something new, especially since Trine 3 got such a negative feedback. But starting something new before finishing the previous story is unsatisfying. It is, as Tiny hinted, as if a movie would cut to the credits after the first half hour, with all the plot remaining unfinished. Would you go watch the sequel of such a movie, if it doesn't even resolve the cliffhanger but just jumps to something completely unrelated?

Well, it is too late to change the story of Trine 4. But how about providing the missing plot in some other form? For example a graphic novel, that you include as bonus material. That would allow players to bridge the gap. Because otherwise, I'm afraid, the new plot will feel incoherent. Without the Trine, which was destroyed and never fixed, Trine doesn't make much sense.

omg Joel! Thank you! Sign my tits!

Age of Wonders 3 (released in 2014) had a preorder exclusive DLC, Elven Resurgence, which still isn't being sold normally.

It may not be "part of the story", but it's definitely part of the game.

I don't like where Path to New Dawn would sit in Trine 1 story-wise. Tower of Sarek should be the first and only level to use the rising lava mechanic, and its top should be the definite end (no more skeletons afterward), and that's how it actually is in the game. But I do love the level itself and the opportunity to apply the skills learned in ToS to a brand new level, so bonus content is the perfect place for it.

I must be missing something. If their Windows devs left, they would replace them. If their QA team left, they would replace them. If their CEO left, they would get another.

So in what way is it meaningful to say "their Linux devs left"?

I don't know what's going on, but it *sounds* like the Linux devs left *because* the Linux version was cancelled, not vice versa -- when else does a Linux dev team leave a company?

YES After Trine 3 I thought all was lost but I'm glad to see that it's making a come back and going back to glorious 2D



OHHHH NO! That's just awful, think of the children. So if you don't pre order it, you'll be able to buy the DLC separately?
The Linux versions of Trine 1 and 2 were awful. You're better off running the Windows version through Wine or something instead.

Re: Linux, while the above is true in a way, we have found in practice that it really helps if Linux (and even more so Mac) work is done by programmers who are passionate about the platform. Right now we don't really have those people. That said, if Linux/Mac was selling a lot of units, I'm sure we'd find a way. I think Trine 3 or Shadwen were our last Linux/Mac releases and they didn't sell well (talking about percentages of Windows sales). Combined it means that it's just too much of an effort for us right now. (And the technical solutions have improved too I hear, like mentioned above, although I don't have any real insight into this..)

This is something we have thought about and we continue to look for the best way to make something happen, but it is a complicated issue. Can't really promise anything until there's an actual plan that we can follow through on. I don't know if it's any consolation, but all the main people making some of the business and marketing decisions regarding Trine 3 are still with the company (including myself), and our story people too. We all consider it a blemish (for lack of a more impactful word) on our otherwise good communication and reputation with fans. Whether or not that will have any meaning will be seen in the time to come.

Trine 4 has a new story in a familiar setting, and it works without any prior knowledge of the series' story for new players, while providing the same characters and universe for returning fans. While it doesn't solve the T3 story ending, it is a good approach in my opinion, hopefully one that most can agree on after release.

Now that's different. It sounds fair enough, and I really appreciate the open explanation. I wish more developers would be as upfront about their business decisions. It goes a long way in garnering understanding, sympathy, and support. Thank you for this post, and apologies for the nagging and somewhat harsh words!

That's good that Windows 7 will still be supported!

How interesting that I never noticed that they're awful, given that I still play them every so often, and never encountered any issues in ooh, something like 8 or 9 years or thereabouts of doing so.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.

I'm glad to see they're returning to form for this one.