When is Matrix going to admit this game is vaporware?

[Balthazar Gerards]

ORIGINAL: Arinvald
Frank has been able to sqeeze out almost four years of living on my $20.00US.

Make it $40.00 US (november 19 or something, 2002 yeah)

[Executioner Five]

ORIGINAL: David Heath

Hi Guys

Frank and I talked this weekend and we expect a major update on this project this week. Sorry for the delays guys.

David

Hey David, where's that major update?

Just more Matrix BS.

[Soft Heap]

ORIGINAL: Executioner Five
Hey David, where's that major update?

Yeah! Where is it? Where?

Just more Matrix BS

What's this BS? It doesn't mean the cows excrement does it? How rude! You sound very tense, amigo!

[sol_invictus]

We all know what happens when the people have no entertainment; they go after El Presidente.[:@]

[bluemonday]

ORIGINAL: diesel7013

but don't act like he owes us a thing...

What if he actually does owe us something? Like pre-order money? Eh?

[Executioner Five]

Yep. I wonder how many people he owes pre-order money to. Interesting that he hasn't posted a thing in how long, over a year?

[FrankHunter]

Yep. I wonder how many people he owes pre-order money to

21

[FrankHunter]

I was under the impression that I had mentioned that BoN had turned out to be a much bigger project than I had thought it would be. It and taking care of my youngest have left me with very little time to work on 1813, RFSTA4 and Guns of August. If I hadn't mentioned that previously I do apologize, I certainly should have.

On the subject of vapourware, its not up to Matrix. I'm an independent developer. If Matrix cancelled the game yesterday it wouldn't mean a thing since I'm not funded by Matrix.

Projects are cancelled when putting additional money into a project either doesn't guarantee completion or means costs will exceed assumed revenue. For an independent, cancelling a game is a non-issue since it means throwing away past work for no return. All games I've committed to doing will be finished as fast as I'm able. No other scenario would make sense for me.

I'm the only one that pays a cost when a game is delayed and therefore I assure you all that nobody wanted Guns of August released more in the past 2 years than me.

[jchastain]

ORIGINAL: FrankHunter

I was under the impression that I had mentioned that BoN had turned out to be a much bigger project than I had thought it would be. It and taking care of my youngest have left me with very little time to work on 1813, RFSTA4 and Guns of August. If I hadn't mentioned that previously I do apologize, I certainly should have.

On the subject of vapourware, its not up to Matrix. I'm an independent developer. If Matrix cancelled the game yesterday it wouldn't mean a thing since I'm not funded by Matrix.

Projects are cancelled when putting additional money into a project either doesn't guarantee completion or means costs will exceed assumed revenue. For an independent, cancelling a game is a non-issue since it means throwing away past work for no return. All games I've committed to doing will be finished as fast as I'm able. No other scenario would make sense for me.

I'm the only one that pays a cost when a game is delayed and therefore I assure you all that nobody wanted Guns of August released more in the past 2 years than me.

Frank -
I think the issue for this community really isn't so much the delay as the complete lack of communication. We understand that things happen. We understand that you want this out more than anyone. But it gets frustrating coming here week after week and finding absolutely no information. And so, the fresh posts with real information are most welcome. Thanks for those. I hope that the tone over the past several weeks can be put behind us. The easiest way to do that is to ensure that everyone is working from the same assumptions and expectations. Would it be possible for you to commit to provide an update once a month? Just any time during the month, but ensure that you come by and provide the latest update, whether it be good, bad or ugly, at some point during each and every month? If you can make that commitment and then be sure to come by and make at least those posts, then I think everyone will be a lot happier.

Thanks!

[Balthazar Gerards]

ORIGINAL: FrankHunter

Yep. I wonder how many people he owes pre-order money to

21

Wow, I can't help it but to feel very exclusive. Being one of the 21 worldwide feels like being a chosen one. (up until now it felt like one of the 21 idiots[8|])

also: maybe information could be updated via the good old webpage dedicated to GoA?

[FrankHunter]

up until now it felt like one of the 21 idiots

When I was on my own I had a "no questions asked" refund policy. It didn't matter for what reason anyone had for returning a game, I simply refunded the money.

The pre-orders were the same from day one, anyone could ask me for a refund at any time, as some did. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to insinuate I took anyone's money and wouldn't give it back when asked.

[Balthazar Gerards]

ORIGINAL: FrankHunter

up until now it felt like one of the 21 idiots

The pre-orders were the same from day one, anyone could ask me for a refund at any time, as some did. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to insinuate I took anyone's money and wouldn't give it back when asked.

Frank,

First I apologize if I insulted you. This was by no means what I was after when I wrote about 21 idiots. It was directed to people on this forum (I apologize to them on beforehand might they have been insulted too) who, like me, paid over 3 years ago and whose despair was noticeably growing week by week, month by month in this last year of absolutely no communication about the state of the game whatsoever. It was a comment out of relief, hence the relativating smiley.

I didn't know about the possibility to ask a refund, I know I will never be smart in that way (apart from many other ways!).

I am a bit surprised though (reading your comments on this forum since your return) that you don't seem to recognize the fact that a whole year of non-communication (by Matrix as a whole) might lead to doubt, fear and despair (cummulative) of the people who are willing to invest time and money in a grand strategy ww1 game.

Maybe I'm spoiled by forums like WPO or CoG were the developers are almost daily present to communicate with their customers and I don't expect that to be the case with GoA BUT one small update about your situation once in the three months should take a few seconds and would have helped tremendously to ease down the anxiety.

Like I also noticed people visiting this forum who are initially interested in this game but aren't able to retrieve any information about it. Why is GoA the only game in the Matrix stable without a decent website? Sorry to say but I think it's just not professional, saleswise spoken.

Finaly: I personally feel an idiot because I paid 20 $ via Paypal 3 1/2 years ago and since then moved to another house, had another provider, changed my email and are now unable to login to paypal at all! This means I can forget about my prepaid order BUT I will order it again once you've finished it because I know it will be worth it like your other games!

[wodin]

Frank,

There is bouned to be some slightly aggrieved people on the forum.

Like everyone said I quick word from you once a month would be good. Even if nothing is happening on the game.

[FrankHunter]

I do apologize for not being here now and then just to at least say the status hasn't changed. I absolutely believe I should have. I think all the criticism related to Guns of August and the delay and my not being here is fair.

On the "limbo" thing I mentioned in my first post back here. The game sat like that for months in the fall with Matrix under the impression I hadn't sent anything in and me wondering why I hadn't heard back about playtest results. I was busy with BoN so I didn't follow up like I should have. It was a simple mixup caused by a missed email. When it got sorted out we suddenly hit this bug across all 3 of the games. Back here I have all 3 games (GoA, 1806/1813 and BoN) running on a Win 2000 box, a laptop running XP and my Linux box running Crossover. But Matrix, running XP, is having an error right at load time. That is the holdup and has been the holdup for a long time since I can't tell from here what the problem is.

Balthazar, your email doesn't have to be the same as it was, you would just have to tell me what it was or your name. I understand people have changed email addresses. Also, you don't have to have a PayPal account I can send a money order.

Now since GoA will be more than $20 from Matrix the preorders are actually costing me about $600 which I am very happy to pay because I do appreciate those who pre-ordered. Because sending in the pre-order in the first place helped me guage how many were seriously interested in a strategic WW1 game. The same applies to those who asked and received a refund long ago, I never moved their names out of the pre-order list out of appreciation for having pre-ordered in the first place.


My email is frankhunter13@shaw.ca if anyone wants to contact me for any reason.

[FrankHunter]

And just to add, I accept the blame for not following up last September when I uploaded the beta. I should have called Matrix to check they had got it and not gone along for months assuming things were in motion. It is my fault the game was not released before Christmas. And my only excuse is simply I was so busy with BoN I didn't worry about what was going on with GoA.

[sol_invictus]

Well what is past is past. No real harm done and now that things are getting sorted out I hope that the forum can return to a more civil tone. As long as Frank can pop in at least once a month; if only to say he is still alive; I will be content. I truely believe we can hope to see GOA by mid/late summer.

[FrankHunter]

For what its worth I'll pop in and out of here constantly on a daily basis from hereon.

As the bug is affecting all 3 of my games I am working on it constantly. The designer of Flashpoint : Germany has told me he once had what he thinks is the same problem and has in email pointed me to the tool he used to find the problem. I'll be following that up and once this bug is fixed GoA and CLGA2 will begin testing immediately.

[jchastain]

Thanks Frank. I've been very open in my criticism regarding the lack of communication here-to-fore and I want to be equally diligent in recognizing both your recent availability and your transparency with regards to the history of the title. I am sure we are all looking forward to following your progress as you work to complete this game. If there is anything we can do to act as a sounding board, chew over ideas and alternatives, or otherwise assist you, please let us know.

[wodin]

Thanks Frank.

We all just want to play the game;)