ORIGINAL: rustysi
Until someone buys the rights to the game and hires programmers, there will be no changes in the way the game engine works.
But changes may still be made if MichaelM ever comes back.
Maybe he's like 'Beetlejuice' and if we all say his name three times he'll appear.
OK, here we go... One..., two..., three...[:'(]
It doesn't matter how many virgins are sacrificed it isn't going to happen. There is consistently some misunderstanding of the role played by michaelm75. BBfanboy is on the right track regarding the situation.
Michaelm75 did not continue supporting AE by himself as a solo effort. For years after AE's mid 2009 release, the game continued to be supported by both Henderson Field Group (the developer) and Matrix (the publisher). Almost all the betas "produced" by michaelm75 were ultimately upgraded to official patch status. Most of the coding was done by michaelm75 but some of the coding was done by the other primary Henderson coders although over time the other coders left the project for various reasons. Betas were generally tested by Henderson before they were released publicly and subsequently incorporated into official patches.
What was ultimately released to the public was only part of the work which was undertaken behind the scenes. Certainly the extent of the work undertaken was very much driven by michaelm75's energy and effort but his was not a solo effort. By the time the 5th and 6th official patches were released the only dedicated programmer left by the developers and the publisher to support the game was michaelm75. You will find the very limited post 6th official patch betas is the only real solo work undertaken by him and even then an eye towards a final official patch would have been in mind and thereby justify michaelm75 undertaking the solo work.
I can see only one situation arising which would interest the publisher to authorise investing any further effort in supporting the game. That situation has nothing to do with the availability/return of michaelm75 and without that development which is independent of coding efforts, no further coding authorisation would be authorised. Even then no fundamental recoding would be contemplated. Don't hold your breath in expectation and don't bother sacrificing any virgins.
Alfred
