I think the OP has some really valid points. It's a bit melodramatic, but gets points across. First, coding isn't the most or only meticulous job in the world. There are lots of jobs that have to be handled with care. That being said, Rocket has to make a choice(not an easy one). Do you want the game to be a "pure vision" or do you want a finished product quicker? That's it. However, I don't think the whole copying the concept thing is that much of a threat if you look at games like minecraft, meatboy, and so on. The name of the game in my opinion is Infrastructure. When you have enough units out, you've created a built in demand for the game that people would bend over backwards to get for a major game release. He has already 1 million sold. He's solid gold--I dont know what his contract with BI is like, but he should be set for life. Concerning the game, he has enough units out there, that it will be active for years to come even if he left it as is. Personally, I think he sold a fantastic concept, and a really really really rough around the edges game(it being alpha). As such, and he's done more than enough to let people know that they should steer clear of this game if they don't want to deal with the bullshit that comes with it. That being said, I don't think hiring more people to work under him will degradate the purity of the game or his credibility as an artist. Mainly because, this title really banks on you staying alive, and rewards you so much when you do stay alive, that dying by falling through floors or dropping a minor three or so feet to your death after a night of scavenging is really really disheartening and cheapens the experience. However, It's alpha. The argument stops there. It's supposed to have really fucked up bugs. But, with all of this success, money, and anticipation--I think so many people are wondering, "why not hire coders to do the leg work inherent to fix that problem?" I don't see how hiring a team programmers under Rocket would change his artistic vision much. When you're dealing with an art form that is simultaneously a business, you're going to have to add people to help you when it begins to grow--that's the nature of the game. How is hiring people to handle the logistical part of the game would take away from his creative part. He would just delegate his ideas to a team, that would in turn, put it into the game and/or smooth over bugs that arise and persist. Good coders, properly managed and planned will undoubtedly and exponentially speed up development. I think he's doing himself a disservice by placing the burden all on his shoulders. He could and should allow himself the freedom and speed that having a team under him will give him.
