I'm more like the original submitter. If I have an option to 'try full copy before I buy', (legal or not), I'll usually make use of it, but definitely, will buy it if I want it for the updates, and support and official media. It's just stupid NOT to pay for good titles since they are in the small minority -- it's really smart to reward those who put out something worth playing.
Note - I complain alot but I do try to compliment when I can as well since, as a dev. I know it sucks to hear neg. feedback and not the positive, especially from less than gentle users (I hope you have enough experience under your belt not to take it personally; it's harder for new developers, but w/more experience you get more perspective). However, complimenting is harder because I think less about things that "don't bother me" (speaking about self, apply generally, as needed;
); only when I see clear "pluses" over something else, can i really give compliment on them, OR when something is clearly above the norm
(I think I've mentioned, I thought the graphics were very well done -- I'm running in 2560x1600, and the detail and clarity are GREAT!!! Many Kudos for not slacking here!). But on the complaining -- I don't know about others, but with me, it's a good thing, since if I didn't *CARE*, I wouldn't be saying anything.
I.e. (and I know I'm not typical in this regard), but I don't waste energy on spite (Spite is a sign of mental illness/imbalance, imo) -- If I'm posting it's because I care enough to say something in hopes that it will be *feedback* (I really do sometimes hope for feedback to make it into a patch or new version, but that's rare, since I'm rarely a bleeding-edge gamer, but at the least for some future version.
All I can do is try to say what I didn't like or liked (more not-likes, unfortunately, due to above). I usually try to give alternates -- some type of constructive feedback. I really hope that it doesn't just go off into the wind and that someone reads them and, at least (cuz many are long/involved) summarizes them...
If I don't think devs care, then I stop caring as well. But when I like something, I turn on friends who turn on their friends. Just 2 levels deep from me, I know I'm responsible for about 10 copies of another game that several people liked and turned on other friends to. Don't know if it went on beyond that.
But I really hope people and devs realize that caring and support go along way toward cultivating loyalty and people who pay for games, extensions, and even revamps.
But distributors/pubs need to stop looking at pirating as lost sales, because many pirated games wouldn't have been sales in the first place. They are question marks. I've tried lots of software (most with try-before-buy, minority not (I'm not patient enough to crack myself, and not very trusting of others' pre-cracked exe's running on my machine (i.e. may just be 'trojans'))), and MOST I remove and never use again -- they aren't worth it.
Legal or not, "tried"-apps that didn't become sales weren't lost due to 'mis-use', but lost due to bad S/W. The *majority* of stuff out is junk. Think of how many movies are hits at the box-office -- there they can't blame digital copying; but the percentages are about the same w/games, but w/games, the pubs always blame copying and add in tons of DRM. They are just being STUPID! They aren't getting the message!!! If it doesn't sell, maybe it's because it's a bad APP (being general, not just about games). Movies Bomb! Most movies are NOT block busters, many don't break even. Games, unfortunately, are similar. Except in rare instances, it's hard to predict a winner.
Blaming things on piracy is them burying their head in the sand, since they'll find that DRM doesn't solve anything -- and only will add as a deterrent to real users. (Still haven't bought Assassins Creed II, since the deterrent of an always on Internet connection was a killer for me!)
Astara
