ORIGINAL: stretch
Steve,
I wanted to point out that my reservations about an AI for WiF ever being any good is not a critique of your ability (or those who help). I (we all) deeply appreciate your hard work and I wanted to make sure I wasn't misunderstood.
I just don't want it to hang up development, which it easily could. I think in order to get a really good AI we'd need to convert Froonp's brain into a computer program. (a-la Dr. Daystrom on Star Trek TOS, Ep 53, "the ultimate computer".. and no I’m not an uber geek I had to look that up) .
Different people want different things out of MWIF. However, at their core everyone wants me to do the same thing: work on what they want included in MWIF and ignore all the other stuff because "the game doesn't need it - and working on those 'extras' delays the release date."
If you have been following this forum for a while you have probably gathered that I work on multiple aspects of the game at once. My style is to push something as hard and fast as I can until either it pushes back too hard or I accomplish a milestone. I then go on to other things and cycle back to the stuff I have set aside later. My goal is to be as productive as I can and not sit worrying over some bizarre bug in the code for a week. Or to keep polishing someting until it glows in the dark. Problems left alone for a while often can be solved quickly when revisited a week later. Mostly completed stuff can be set aside and when new ideas arise days or weeks later, those improvements are better thought out.
This applies to your concern, in that I have been working on the AIO since before Matrix officially hired me. I now fit it in when I eat breakfast and lunch, during commercials, while driving, and when walking down a fairway. It is an item on my task list but it will be the last item completed before delivery. Eventually I will reach the point that a good friend of mine refers to as "when in doubt, ship it out." Perhaps a bit too cynical, but it emphasizes the fact that I am no McClellan.
So, I get the hot seat version working with the new graphics and into play test to see what I have broken (1).
While that is happening, I restructure how the sequence of play is implemented to support the game record log - and let the play testers see if it works (2).
While that is happening, I add a multiple player internet capability and send that off to play test (3).
While that is happening, I improve the interface (4).
Add PBEM (5).
Add the AIO (6).
While earlier versions are in play test, I will be working on the next major item to add to the product. I expect to be improving aspects of earlier play test versions in response to comments from the play testers. This is part of my general philosophy of incremental improvement. By the time I get to finishing the AIO, all the other pieces should be solid (that's the theory, anyway). The AIO is a potentially bottomless pit of opportunity for improvement, which brings be back to the "ship it out" quote. Of all the features, only the AIO won't be as complete as I can make it -and that is in deference to the obvious pressures on me to release the product ASAP (my wife is on my case about this every day on all of your behalf).
There is a ton of work to do - but I enjoy doing it. I want to see some money someday too.
