This game is now being run by the CCP -> Tencent -> Funcom. Funcom is well known for the deployment of micro-transactions and pay-to-win in multiplayer games like Conan.

Firstly, it is important to understand that before the release of this game, I did work on a volunteer bases for Eric (the owner of Eleon Studios which as you might know is an anagram for his First initial and last name).

This is likely more obvious when you look at the first page of comments in this reviews history - I was accused just after this game came out of being a developer from my time spent helping to test mechanics, even the Steam mechanic to count hours.

That being said, I can tell you beyond any doubt that this deal with Funcom happened further back than they're telling us. During this time and even years after, Eric was a stand-up guy and was eager to accept the harshest of critique, even when it was brutal in nature. He remained fair and objective and was quick to stand up for those who were degraded for having a dissenting opinion. However, sometime within the last year, that all changed and at break-neck speeds. As another friend and I discussed in Discord, it was like he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day and never went back to sleep. I think it is now obvious what happened.

I also have experience with predatory publishers like Funcom/Tencent and the really bad news and shame here is I know how this is about to go. What's even worse is that Eric made these unilateral decisions without consulting anyone with experience that he could trust in the matter, instead, as he said in discord, it was his decision.

Welp, we're all about to learn a very valueable lesson on how unilateral decisions without the consideration of any educated and experienced advice is generally catastrophic decision. As my experience goes, I can lay out a path here step-by-step to how this will go, and there is no escape clause in Eric's contract with Funcom. There's your first hint I know what I'm talking about (But Eric already knows I know; he knew my entire employment history including that with the US Government, IBM, INTTEK, and Redhat.)

Of course, once I dropped my credentials and how I have experience with Tencent, I was immediately banned from the Steam Forums for "disrespect" of their new CCP partner.

1. EGS signs a publishing deal with Funcom - this deal likely states that EGS gets $X out of the deal a share of the gross income (sales) (likely about 30%) and a commencary deal to take 50% of the sales of a new DLC which was likely wired into the contract
   
2. Both parties likely agreed to hold off on any announcement of this new partnership so no links would easily be drawn to a paid dlc and Funcom - in fact to make it look like Funcom wasn't in the development process is a boon to any accusations that Funcom is a greedy company.
   
3. However, Funcom is running all PR at this point and is not tolerant of critique. This is the most likely reason in Eric's change in behavior from accepting of critique to having zero tolerance for it
   
4. The announcements were made, Eric got pushback and he tried assuring the community that Funcom is only partnering in the capacity of handling 'just the marketing' while Funcom announces that not only are they in charge of the entire publishing end of the game, but they are now providing the funding
   
5. This is where we are now, On to the future
   
6. Eric will run out of that $X soon and when he does he'll realize through the escape clause he was provided that repayment of that money under the burden and loss of 30% of he sales makes it impossible to execute and that he's stuck with Funcom and their randomly losing payments when he's not moving development in the direction they want.
   
7. When Eric has had enough and demands termination of the contract this is where Funcom's take-over clause activates and because Eric is unable to produce $X in sales per month after X time, Funcom gets to decide the direction of the projects to "aid in maximizing profits and income".
   
8. Battlepass is implemented.
   
9. You can buy items with real money that are superb items that upsets PVP balance
   
10. DLC drops rampantly that gives competitive advantages to those that haven't bought it
    
11. DRM is sent that does not allow servers to run on any server but a Tencent cloud server
    
12. Game code is closed off to restrict modding and custom senarios
    
13. You are mindblown and wonder where it all went wrong

Remember, you heard it here first.

To claim your company is still 'independent' with this predatory company (Funcom) controlling your purse strings is nothing more than a fantastical delusion at best, an outright, bold-face lie to your player community at worst.


Since I first wrote my review when Empyrion came out, it has done nothing but improve with every patch. There is a functional solar system now and the NPC's are more than just placeholders, even alien NPC's that will fly in on ships, pour out of their ships and shoot at you. You can hardly tell this game runs on Unity which is exceptional being as most Unity games are fairly "obvious".


This is also not your average EA game either. The developers of this game have been working part-time on this game for years. This alpha is the result of a love and passion for creating this game.

Look through my EA games and look at my reviews. I'm a very critical person over games because I use a very strict methodology of measuring and sizing up a developer on their abilities to produce a completed and fun game. So, my reviews are generally based on the games potential to release a badass game rather than "is it currently fun?" type review.

The answer to that is of course, hell yes.


1) Are the developers responding to the community: YES
2) Are the developers providing meaningful updates: YES
3) Are there serious flaws that would require a near-rewrite: NO
4) Are the developers timely in their updates: YES
5) Do the developers currently keep promises: YES

According to my metrics, this game has a TON of potential to not just be a badass game but Game of the Year worthy if the developers stay on track.


You can currently struggle to survive and use tools, structures (with guns), ground vehicles (with guns), space vehicles (with guns), and capital ships (with guns) to enhance your survival experience.

The co-op is also working flawlessly, however, there is currently no DS option which has been told to the community a few times it is in the works and planned for after the EA release. So I would give them some time on that.

Furthermore, this game seems to me as the perfect melding of many games out there that strike people as "that's an awesome feature!" with the rest of the game being "meh". So survival is precisely combined with building, and neither really seem to get in the way of fun. And then you have the big angry stuff that likes to eat your face off -- that's the really fun stuff, but I hope you won't encounter these mobs until after you're well established :)

So far:
1) Multiplayer / Dedicated Server
2) Infinite procedural galaxy
3) Volumetric (room-filling) oxygen
and a lot more

Is this game worth $15.00? No. It is worth $50 or more.

I was banned from playing the game, from their steam forums, and from their discord.

Was it because I cheated? No.
Was it because I did something I wasn't supposed to on an official server? No.
Was it because I did ANYTHING in game? No.

I was banned because I told a moderator in DM's I was a Christian to which he replied, "All Christians should be killed."


It didn't used to be a bad game. Before the major update. Since then the game has gone downhill sacrificing features and autonomy for server performance. Instead of actually optimizing the game, the game is being stripped down in features.


I used to run the largest, longest running, most persistent server in Avorion and was asked by the owner himself to host official servers a long time ago which I had to decline due to personal issues at the time.

However, I was then singled out, persecuted for my faith, had my server's checkmark removed, delisted, then my account "developer VAC banned" so I couldn't even login to my own server or play single player, banned from their steam forums, their discord, and their website. You would think I told someone to go slit their wrists or something and even coached them through how to do it - no, I said i was a Christian.

The developers have attempted to back-peddle from this to the point of some egregious, overt lies which exceed the standards in any US court to be sued as "libel". In fact, there is currently a filing in my state's superior court filed mid 2023 so the exact moment they attempt to open an office in the USA they can be serviced.

Best yet, I have all of the evidence to back this up including conversation logs, screenshots, and much much more.

The developers would have you believe that I'm a transphobic extremist (while I'm very much opposed to grooming and so are MANY in the gay community that staunchly oppose groomers), but what really happened is I said I was a Christian and their staff told me that all Christians should be murdered. Let me repeat that, their staff said that Christians should be murdered before this went down - but this is all about right-wing extremism, right?

You decide.


https://chip-patton.blogspot.com/2023/06/boxelwares-avorion-and-why-christians.html