Back to UDK...again.

http://www.crydev.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=109134&p=1136178#p1136178

Here is a mirror of the post I just made on the CryTek forums. They might take it down, so here's a mirror:

Sorry guys, this pushed me back to UDK (for either the 2nd or 3rd time, can't remember). Thankfully I had only done preliminary work this time. I have not been able to work on my game for four days, so I'm out. I'm washing my hands of this mess for the last time.

You can't consider CryEngine a serious alternative to other game engines if issues like these are still haunting the engine. The DRM is questionable. No other game engine currently controls its users this much. CryTek essentially owns my content....I work on it at their whim. They control access to it. And that really sucks. Case in point I'm going to Eastern Europe this year for a month. I won't have internet. There is absolutely no way for me to work on my CryEngine based project without it. There is no mechanism for me to get a license. There is no way to sign an NDA to say 'I won't steal your software.' All I get is a 'contact CryTek for more details' and details are never given. Yes, I have sent you an email.

Originally I was okay with this. I wanted to work on new tech. But now I can't even access the maps I've spent hours on? It shows utter contempt for your community. Yeah, UDK is technically inferior, but it works. I can make a game on it. 

So I'm left thinking that CryTek is putting this engine out there for some other reason. What I can come up with is a sort of 'me too' approach so they look competitive in the tools market with UDK. It's kind of like a pantomime of having a real game engine, of having a real community, for the sole audience of shareholders and game company execs. 

I'm out. It's a great engine, but unusable for any serious indie game making. This 'maintenance' was the final nail in the coffin. I haven't been able to load one of my own maps for four days running. 

So, if anyone from corporate is listening: stop tying the hands of the people who only want to make games with your software. If you're serious about the community, prove it. Remove your DRM. I'll sign a contract, whatever, but don't stop me from working on my game. Don't hold my art (as crappy as it may be) hostage. Really compete with UDK rather than just using the long hours spent by well intentioned people to cynically inflate your market share.