23 June

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: jmscho
Can anyone at Matrix keep the queue happy, while we wait for the team to finish their work?

Please, PLEASE read my replies above.

[Lützow]

Thank you for clarify this, Erik.

[Akos Gergely]

hen we're prepared to post a release date and final pricing, we will. All I will say now is that a July release is the date we are aiming for and we are currently working with the AE team on a release candidate. The manuals are on the boat and depending on when they arrive in our warehouses (which we'll know more about as time goes on) will allow us to know when the release date will be exactly (yes, we don't know for certain yet either).

Wohoooo [&o] That's what we all wanted to hear Could we please get a weekly update on things like this , just a sentence...it really keeps the spirit alive

[Erik Rutins]

Let me promise this, if at any point it looks like the release _won't_ be in July, I will let you all know. Otherwise you can assume that we are still on target for a July release and that we'll know the exact date when the manuals arrive.

Regards,

- Erik

[tondern]

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

'sides, he's from Vermont...anyone know anyone evil who came from Vermont?[:D]

Yeah, but what part of Vermont? Some of those people living way up in the hills and heating with wood stoves, putting maple syrup on their mashed potatoes - they can be kinda scary. How do we know Erik is not one of THEM? I think we should tread lightly . . .

Yours,
Johnny

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins




When we're prepared to post a release date and final pricing, we will. All I will say now is that a July release is the date we are aiming for and we are currently working with the AE team on a release candidate. The manuals are on the boat and depending on when they arrive in our warehouses (which we'll know more about as time goes on) will allow us to know when the release date will be exactly (yes, we don't know for certain yet either).

The only way that we would miss July is if Customs decided for some reason to sit on the manuals for a few weeks. Nothing in the actual game development/release candidate/gold master process looks like it is going to need more time than that.

This is mostly tongue in cheek but .................. Buy American!

Customs?! We don't need no stinking customs! If they put them on lock down let us know. I am sure we can arrange an angry mob with pitchforks and torches to "convince" U.S. Customs to release them

[TR Shrum]

Did I miss something?  "The Manual is on the boat?"  "As long as Customs doesn't set on the game"?  Is this Product not being produced in the US of A?  Just curious.

[Terminus]

It's cheaper in China, and (in some cases) better quality.

If any of you guys know of a company called Avalanche Press (makes board wargames), they've sometimes told on their website of how they were much more satisfied with the products and services they got back from China than the commensurate domestic stuff. Way of the world...

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: csatahajos

Yeah I can agree with that, a sort of developers diary or something like that would be nice to give us some official update regularly on what's going on in the background. We can live with the delays somewhat easier if we know what's going on.

Last time Erik mentioned a possible manual printing issue, but he said it can only delay things for weeks, not months on (that meant latest mid-end July), so I hope T's end of summer (Aug-Sept) is really just a wild estimate and not close to reality ...

RRoberson: to be honest an exact price isn't that important. They said on many occasions that it will be less than the original WitP but not much less, so that gives you a rough idea IMHO (I'd say between 40-50 USD)

The price isn't important...to you...for some of us its very important since we have a limited gaming budget. I set aside some of my wealth last summer when we hearing that it was this close to release (and promptly did not). My issues were as I originally stated. Its the last week of June, and for a July release, there wasn't a lot of info coming from the people who are releasing the game. AARs from bug stompers is not the information I was looking for.

[SuluSea]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

You guys are unbelievable. I understand the frustration and anticipation, but seriously... Question posted yesterday, official answer today, everyone's already figured out for themselves in the meantime that no one will answer and that it's now delayed until September. We have been on target for the projected release timeframe for months now. Another clue, if you don't hear it from me, it's not official as far as Matrix is concerned.

Regards,

- Erik

Thanks for the news Erik,

I read the artwork, AI was still being worked on , a bug cropped up and so on the last few weeks and assumed you guys were having issues.
My sincerest apology for any ill feelings my opinion may have caused to you and the rest of the staff .

I still have enough in the piggy bank for AE, a map and some other goodies from Matrix. [;)]

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: rroberson
Well this wasn't really directed at you guys. I respect the work you are doing and would kill to have the kind of skills you guys have to make toys for guys like me. I understand the corporate types run the show and it was directed at them. Seems like an awful lot of zero to no buzz for a game that could be out as soon as july. I keep putting off starting games because I keep hearing its close. Something I have heard for many many months. I'm just looking for the straight skinny.

<shakes head>

Look, I posted just a couple of weeks ago saying we were probably looking at a July release based on the timeline of the printed manuals. For the last two months there has been constant AAR activity from the test team here as well as about a quarter of the manual being posted as a free preview. This to you constitutes "zero to no buzz"? Wow.

I also gave a very narrow ballpark for the price (less than WITP but not by much). I also said that delays at this point would be weeks or days, not months.

When we're prepared to post a release date and final pricing, we will. All I will say now is that a July release is the date we are aiming for and we are currently working with the AE team on a release candidate. The manuals are on the boat and depending on when they arrive in our warehouses (which we'll know more about as time goes on) will allow us to know when the release date will be exactly (yes, we don't know for certain yet either).

The only way that we would miss July is if Customs decided for some reason to sit on the manuals for a few weeks. Nothing in the actual game development/release candidate/gold master process looks like it is going to need more time than that.

Oh and for the record, there are no "corporate types" at Matrix, at least in the way people usually intend that particular phrase to be taken as something other than a compliment. We are all wargamers and heavily engaged in the games we publish.

Regards,

- Erik

Yes you did, and I remember the teeth gnashing (being one of the teeth gnashers) regarding delaying a game for a printed manual most of us will read only after playing for a couple of weeks.

As far as the pricing...I don't get the decision...and I am voicing that. I do have limited gaming dollars and do have to actually "plan" gaming purchases. I won't lie, I'm not real thrilled with the idea of having to pay full price for what is a mod of a game (which you are requiring to have us installed on our drives) which I paid full price for four years ago (and 70 bucks was damn pricey for a game at the time) but I will pluck down my CC just like I always do because I do like this era of warfare a great deal. And volume one has more then paid off through the years.

Erik, you are one of the corporate types... Your hobby might be wargaming but your job is to make Matrix money. I have seen you on more then one board defending various matrix products. Don't sell your self short you are very good at what you do.

Thank you for answering my original question.

[TR Shrum]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

It's cheaper in China, and (in some cases) better quality.

If any of you guys know of a company called Avalanche Press (makes board wargames), they've sometimes told on their website of how they were much more satisfied with the products and services they got back from China than the commensurate domestic stuff. Way of the world...

Printed in China, not local. Now I'm beginning to understand...

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: TR Shrum
Did I miss something?  "The Manual is on the boat?"  "As long as Customs doesn't set on the game"?  Is this Product not being produced in the US of A?  Just curious.

That's an interesting question actually. I think many of our games are quite reflective of the global economy, though we are a US company with most of our core staff in the US. Let me see...

The manual was written all over the world, edited in the USA, layout was done in Germany, printing was done in China (sorry, but printing a 330 page full color manual in the US was simply beyond our budget, we do print all our grayscale manuals in the US though). The game itself was created with the work and support of people from all over the world who are on the AE team, with the US having the largest contingent, closely followed I believe by Australia and Europe. The project was managed from and the servers for it hosted in the USA. The warehouses where the product will be assembled and shipped are in the US and in the UK, with your shipment origin depending on where in the world you ask us to ship to. And so on...

But the manuals are the only piece of the puzzle that actually requires things like sea shipment and customs.

Regards,

- Erik

[Crimguy]

I got a card and a car charger for my iphone. Kinda sucks.

ORIGINAL: Graycompany

I kinda did to. I got ripped off for Fathers day, I told the family that is what I wanted, and so all I got was a card and a steak dinner[:(]

[treespider]

ORIGINAL: rroberson

I won't lie, I'm not real thrilled with the idea of having to pay full price for what is a mod of a game (which you are requiring to have us installed on our drives) which I paid full price for four years ago (and 70 bucks was damn pricey for a game at the time) but I will pluck down my CC just like I always do because I do like this era of warfare a great deal. And volume one has more then paid off through the years.

AE is not just a mod. IMO its a very similar to WitP but it is not simply a database change, like all of the other mods currently available. Many (but not all) of the core systems have been subtley altered. New code was written which again IMO makes AE an entirely different game, albeit similar to WitP....but I would not say it is just a mod.

[Zacktar]

Erik:
Thanks very much for the info, and thanks to you and the entire development team for your efforts on AE.

[TheOx]

I, too, just got laid off so my entertainment budget has been cut almost entirely. Its a race. Whomever releases first, you or East India Company, gets my money for the forseeable future! [8D]

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: treespider

ORIGINAL: rroberson

I won't lie, I'm not real thrilled with the idea of having to pay full price for what is a mod of a game (which you are requiring to have us installed on our drives) which I paid full price for four years ago (and 70 bucks was damn pricey for a game at the time) but I will pluck down my CC just like I always do because I do like this era of warfare a great deal. And volume one has more then paid off through the years.

AE is not just a mod. IMO its a very similar to WitP but it is not simply a database change, like all of the other mods currently available. Many (but not all) of the core systems have been subtley altered. New code was written which again IMO makes AE an entirely different game, albeit similar to WitP....but I would not say it is just a mod.

Then why the requirement to have Vanilla WITP installed? (And perhaps I joined the AE forums late and missed this conversation) seems like to me if you are requiring Vanilla (70 dollars) and AE (Erik has now stated could be as much as 70 dollars) thats a lot of dollars for the new guy who is showing up in the forums ...tomorrow...to spend to play the game. So either its a mod, or it is not? But if it isn't then why do I need Vanilla installed?

Sorry I am ruffled today about this and going on and on today, these are just things that have been on my mind lately regarding WITP.

[tigercub]

second that!

Tiger!

[jwilkerson]

The manuals are literally "on the boat".

Some of you have probably heard of the song "Slow Boat to China" ... well we joke that our manuals are one the "Slow Boat from China". But it is actually not a joke - it is the literal truth - truth is stranger than fiction!!!

But the good news - is that at least the manuals are finally ON THE BOAT! Now what about those port loading routines Don - is there enough capacity to load all the manuals before the end of the month? When will the boat actually sail!!!
[:D]